PostsRated by Eye Magazine as ‘outstanding’, but getting mixed reviews from Toronto Life who finally rated it one of Toronto’s Best New Restaurants in 2007, Quince falls into the group of a must-try – a Mediterranean-inspired place with reasonable prices and a reputation for fresh, innovative flavours. The founders of Quince are Jennifer Gittins and Michael van den Winkel, a husband and wife formerly known from the high-valued Stork on the Roof. Their new place, opened in fall of 2006, is located just a few blocks south of the busy intersection at Yonge and Eglinton.
Quince is surrounded by a pretty patio graced with teak furniture and a lot of bright-coloured cushions, but still located directly across the street from the abandoned hulk where an ill-famed nudie bar named Cheaters was once placed. Two doors down, next to the famous restaurant Coquine, a neon sign proclaims “Adult Video & Novelties”, a bit of a shocker in a neighbourhood touted for its thriving business district and family-friendly parks. But this part of Yonge Street between Eglinton and Davisville has always had, at least for the last twenty-five years, an eclectic mix of stores. Clothing stores, bead and paper stores, home decor, but also adult venues - all this can be found around here.
We are warmly welcomed at Quince’s door by the hostess, who offers us a place near 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. I ask: “What’s downstairs?” We get an answer from our hostess: “Oh, that’s our private dining room.” It is open for lunches and dinners and it has its own bar and lounge, all elegantly decorated (though the tile floor will tell you it’s placed in the basement). Tonight it’s off limits to couples, being booked for corporate or private groups of maximum 40 people or cocktail receptions of 70 people at most. For these occassions, the staff offers you a menu together with matching wines, so that you don’t need to care about all the details yourself.
Only a moment after we choose our table, a waiter appears with a short list of specials. I want to say a short list of specials consisting of a long explanation of ingredients and preparation methods, and how the meals go together. We can see that the waiter is obviously an expert, he doesn’t even need to refer to his notebook as he explains us what is garnish vs. a side dish. The waiter could be best described as personable, friendly and efficient. He gives me a while to decide if ordering a whole sea bream is such a great idea, just points out apologetically: “Most people order a side with it, it’s just the fish.” And in the meanwhile, we can take a look around. Enhanced by smart lighting that adds lovely warmth to the airy dining room, the space is deceptively large while keeping a pleasant level of intimacy. Another nice thing is the volume level - even though the place is almost completely full, we can still easily have a conversation or listen to the ambient music (probably D’Angelo and Stevie Wonder). The interior is decorated with modern art in earthy hues, gracing the loft-style brick walls and adding balance to the exposed ductwork, painted in chocolate brown to ease off all traces of sterility. Behind the bar, we may catch a glimpse of the wood-fired oven in the semi-open kitchen - great for voyeurs! If you wish to see the rest of our review, see the full Quince restaurant review.
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