Restaurants
Vogue Supperclub
Vogue Supperclub. When I see the words supper club, what comes to my mind instantly is overly fussy food, expensive drinks, and poor service. Not so is the case with Vogue, sitting prominently on the corner of Liberty Street and Mowat Avenue in Liberty Village, and catering to an upscale clientele with its relaxing decor, Saturday night dance floors, and a simple but effective menu.
After its grand opening last November Vogue hopes to succeed where No Regrets Restaurant and Lounge failed before it.
As I step downstairs into the small, intimate dining room dimly lit by red chandeliers, the exposed brick walls, high ceilings, wood-clad pillars and deep cushioned benches exude style and comfort.
Plates of freshly-sliced foccacia with herb butter arrive to suppress my hunger pains, while drink and food orders are taken by iPad-toting servers.
From the Preview menu we started with:
Seared Calamari ($11) | Well-seasoned slices of grilled squid served on a bed of dressed greens and a tomato, olive and caper salsa that accentuated the dish nicely.
Sliders ($15) | A trio of delicious, miniature beef burgers with melted St. Agur blue cheese, truffle and red wine demi-glace that was quite unique.
Mac & Cheese ($15) | The savoury carb-filled heavyweight from the Preview section, cooked with double-smoked bacon, aged cheddar and gruyere cheeses, and served in a mini cast iron skillet.
Lobster Risotto Fritters ($12) | Crispy fried spheres with saffron aioli; perhaps the least impressive of our orders, though giving off a pleasant aroma.
Next came the Features:
Steak Frites ($26) | An aged eight-ounce Angus strip loin served with Vogue's wonderfully different Vegas Frites: rough-cut fries tossed with parsley, garlic, parmesan cheese and truffle oil.
Half Chicken ($22) | Herb-Roasted and served on top of garlic mashed potatoes with spring vegetable garnish.
Seared Salmon ($23) | Pan-seared Atlantic salmon with citrus butter and champ (traditional Irish mashed potatoes with green onions).
Vogue also offers a $40 Prix Fixe five-course menu for parties of eight or more if you call ahead.
The Verdict:
Although some dishes were quite imaginative and most courses were flavourful, the mains were a bit disappointing due to the lack of sufficient sauce to keep them moist and interesting.
Salads tended to be slightly over-dressed, and some of our party found the Salmon and the accompanying champ mashed potatoes to be far too oily.
Service was quite attentive and friendly, though could have been faster with drink refills.
Free parking is a plus, and I'd recommend going on Saturday when the dance floors are open, and having dinner waives the $15 cover.
Overall the meal was enjoyable but not incredible. I would order the Calamari and Steak Frites again, but will not be rushing back to Vogue.
Writing and photos by Alex Kovach
Discussion
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You know when people talk about Toronto needing a 'comfort food' to call our own? (usually whenever someone talks about a new poutine shop, this conversation starts up)
the answer lies in this review: Mac & Cheese
also, as this is a 'dinner and dancing' kind of place, it would be good to hear what kind of music they play. I would assume 'generic house and non-rap top 40' but that might be an incorrect assumption.
That mac & cheese looks delicious!
Great ambiance it seems as well!
Love Blog To!
Great overall review and photos!
I think that attempting to serve 'fine dining' in a club setting can only appeal to people with underdeveloped palettes and no insight into how great the fine dining experience is in the right restaurant, with the right ambience, and truly impeccable food.
When Maro first opened, the food was absolutely amazing, but it only took a few months for the menu to get downgraded drastically. They realized that there was a lot more money to be made by having club nights with bottle/vip service instead of selling quality food and good wine.
Maybe 'Vogue' found it was easier to get zoning permission as a 'supper club' instead of a nightclub? When most people hear 'nightclub' then run screaming to their counselors with blood curdling cries of 'Nimby!'
With prices that cheap it's not even in the same league. Not to mention you'd be hard pressed to find a real upscale establishment serving oily salmon. These dishes look uninventive and unappealing, and to be served in a club atmosphere? Laughable.