Quince is one of the Toronto must-try venues – a Mediterranean-inspired bistro with reasonable prices and fresh, innovative flavours. It has been rated as extraordinary by the Eye Magazine and after receiving some mixed reviews from Toronto Life, also one of the Toronto’s Best New Restaurants of 2007. Placed just a couple blocks south of the busy intersection at Yonge and Eglinton, this new midtown digs was founded in fall of 2006 by the husband and wife team consisting of Jennifer Gittins and Michael van den Winkel, once members of the acclaimed Stork on the Roof.
Enclosed by a pretty patio graced with teak furniture and plenty of cushions in bright, primary colours, Quince is directly across the street from the abandoned hulk that was once Cheaters, an infamous nudie bar. Two doors down, next to the famous restaurant Coquine, a neon sign proclaims “Adult Video & Novelties”, a bit of a surprise in a neighbourhood touted for its blossoming business district and family-friendly parks. But if you can remember, at least in the last 25 years, this stretch of Yonge Street between Eglinton and Davisville has always offered a diverse selection of shops. A quick search of the region shows everything from clothing boutiques to bead and paper stores, home d?cor, and adult places.
A hostess warmly greets us at Quince’s door and offers us a spot close to the bar on low, cushioned banquettes. Even though it’s a Saturday night and we are in this busy neighbourhood, we can still choose a table, pleading excessive height. “What’s downstairs?” I ask. We get an answer from our hostess: “Oh, that’s our private dining room.” You can enjoy lunch or dinner there. The space has its own bar and lounge and all is elegantly decorated, though the tile floor reveals it’s in the basement. This place can seat corporate or private groups of diners up to 40 people or cocktail receptions of up to 70 people. You can get a suggested menu along with matching wines, proving that the staff takes care of all the details.
Our waiter is arriving with a short list of specials, just a moment after we have chosen our table. I want to say a short list of specials containing a long explanation of ingredients and preparation methods, and how the meals go together. We can see that the waiter is definitely an expert, he doesn’t even need to refer to his notebook as he tells us what is garnish vs. a side dish. He’s personable, friendly and efficient. He gives me a while to decide if ordering a whole sea bream is such a good idea, just points out apologetically: “Most people order a side with it, it’s just the fish.” And in the meanwhile, we can have a look around. I notice the smartly designed lighting that enhances the whole space of the dining room and adds pleasant warmth to it. The space seems to be noticeably large but still somewhat intimate at the same time. Another pleasant thing is the volume level – even though the place is nearly completely full, we can still easily have a conversation or listen to the ambient music (probably D’Angelo and Stevie Wonder). The loft-style exposed brick walls are decorated with modern art in earthy shades, adding balance to the exposed ductwork painted in chocolate brown, probably not to look too sterile. Behind the bar, we may catch a glimpse of the wood-fired oven in the semi-open kitchen – great for voyeurs! If you want to see the rest of our review, see the full Quince restaurant review.