102712 Sun May 15 16:08:54 -0700 2005 6 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 556433 Had an awesome lunch at JK wine bar yesterday. It was my first time there and I sat alone at the bar. Pretty busy but there was much bar space---the address used to be a sushi bar and because JK has a fully open kitchen, it retains that sort of bustling atmosphere. The bartender mentioned three dishes from the menu and I ordered them all, creating a very meat-heavy meal. 1. chicken liver pate: this came with a tiny slaw of celery root dressed in walnut oil, and a couple delicious pickled beans. The pate was very smooth with an intense liver flavour. wonderful 2. Lamb poutine: this is a bunch of JK's famous fries with some grated cheese (didn't ask what kind), surrounding an oval-shaped lamb meatball (reminded me of greek meatballs) and sitting on a pool of lamb jus. The meatball was very nicely spiced, but the jus was by far the best part of the dish. I used the fries to get as much as I could of this super rich fancy gravy. It was excellent. It doesn't taste, look, or capture the feeling of poutine at all...if that's what you're looking for. 3. Duck confit with white beans: The confit was good, at this point I was a little meated-out, though. It was very comfort-foody, and the white beans made it a little like cassoulet. -- I should have tried the salads or the asparagus soup. 4. Coconut cream pie: There was no attempt to fancy-up or make this pie hip. Just your standard old-style pie. Very creamy and very coconuty, with a short-bread-like crust. It was really awesome. If there were a store in your neighbourhood that sold such a good pie, you would be proud to live in the same neighbourhood as this pie store. w/ 2 3oz glasses of wine the bill came to about 55 bucks. For the quality of food, I thought that it was really incredible. And unlike Lee (where the food was still very good), the only other Toronto haute-Tapas place I've tried, I did not get the feeling that I was paying any style-premium that was not present in the food on my plate. Sun May 15 16:08:54 -0700 2005 0 stac 1 556442 where is it? Sun May 15 20:17:19 -0700 2005 556433 0 dandy 2 556446 JK = Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar. It's at 9 Church St. Their number is (416) 362-1957. coffeelover Sun May 15 21:29:10 -0700 2005 556442 0 coffeelover 1 556448 jkwb has definitely become one of my favourite haunts. i would suggest that anyone go and try it and dare to be anywhere near displeased with the experience. for context, this is coming from the mouth of a 22 yr old who's been a foodie for a solid 7 years. the atmosphere is bustling, the waitstaff very attentive and helpful, the chefs very friendly, and the food simply scrumptious. the only pretentious thing about this place were some of the patrons who would give me dirty looks for claiming my spot on the wait list. foodwise, i think it's incredibly reasonably priced considering what you get and at much better value than lee. although, the black cod is the main reason you should check out lee. items i've absolutely loved at jkwb: 1. rabbit and duck rillettes w/ prune compote - so rich but beautifully offset with the sweetness of prune. i could eat it all day long. 2. entrecote de beef - beautiful cut of beef, cooked just right, and always paired with something amazing. ie. the creamiest polenta i've ever had or a buttery saute of diced root veggies. 3. poutine - the fries are already fabulous but the quality of the meat and gravy are to notch. i had lamb confit which was very well spiced. 4. sorbets - made with wonderful fresh fruit and topped off with a little cristalle. a nice tingly dessert. i haven't been overly impressed with the wine, but my palette in that department hasn't quite been developed yet. if you don't enjoy jkwb, i'd like to hear about your experience. otherwise, don't steal my spot at the chef's table ;) Sun May 15 22:03:04 -0700 2005 556433 0 pinstripeprincess 2 556451 For a vegetarian you sure eat a lot of meat dishes... Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/102079#552718 Mon May 16 00:41:09 -0700 2005 556448 0 Hmmm 3 556460 i sort of gave it up... food is an integral part of my personality and so it was incredibly stifling to be a vegetarian. i still have a few limits on what i will eat, purchase, etc. that works with my philosophy. Mon May 16 09:33:18 -0700 2005 556451 0 pinstripeprincess 1 556469 Should be quite a trick to find a seat. Although it was shabby of the frothing trendoids currently wrecking the ROM to dump JK for the MOMA caterers, it might work out for all of us--and JK--if he's found that elusive price/quality/ambiance sweet spot. Mon May 16 15:03:28 -0700 2005 556433 0 Ronin