Toronto's hottest new restaurant will cook food over a 28 foot open fire
A new Mexican restaurant near College and Bathurst from one of Toronto's most popular chefs will be hot as fire this winter, mark my words.
Quetzal comes courtesy of Grant van Gameren, Julio Guajardo, Kate Chomyshyn, and Owen Walker. As was the case with nearby Bar Raval, the interior will be designed by Partisans.
It's set to open at 419 College in the former Cafe Awtash space by the end of this year, welcoming Toronto into a "warm, boisterous, convivial atmosphere" with fire everywhere.
The restaurant "will celebrate regional Mexican cuisine, inspired by traditional flavours and cooking styles, all cooked over a breathtaking 28 foot-long open fire that runs the span of the space," according to a press release.
Large format sharing plates will be offered alongside individual dishes, encouraging guests to have fun, chat with their neighbours, celebrate."
Sounds fun, but back to that 28-foot-long super-fire.
"The restaurant will be elemental; everything will be cooked over an open flame, roasted in the wood burning oven, grilled, or cooked on the estufa lorena," reads the release.
As for what will be cooked on that fire (and in the kitchen, of course), things sound quite promising: grilled meats and fish, traditional moles, Peruvian ceviches and salsas featuring little-known native ingredients like maguey worms and chicatana ants.
"Chefs Julio Guajardo and Kate Chomyshyn will introduce Canadians to the huge array of cuisine found in Mexico," the restaurant promises. "Specifically Oaxaca, Yucatan, Baja California and other regions known for creating some of Mexico's most iconic dishes."
Bring it on.
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