Jamie Kennedy's Kitchen
Toronto golden boy chef Jamie Kennedy launched his own experiment a few years back with the wildly popular JK Wine Bar, where tapa-sized dishes are paired with splashes of rare wine. Now he’s opened an adjacent restaurant with a more standard three course menu format based on his love of local organically produced, hearty ingredients.
The minimalist dining room feels like a Scandinavian designer’s loft, with plenty of well thought out space using just the right wood touches. At the centre of it all, a giant cube of sandwiched dark plywood layers has tables backing onto three sides, the seats built right into the sculpture. Giant low hanging blown glass orbs bathe the rest of the wooden tables and chairs in soft white light, providing an airy yet intimate atmosphere.
As with the wine bar next door, the sommeliers have paired the courses with apropos picks from the encyclopedic wine cellar.
First up for me was the famed 'Streets of Toronto': an appetizer tasting trio of Italian meatballs in a zesty tomato sauce, a freshly prepared ceviche, and a miniature grilled cheese sandwich made with artisinal cheeses. While we waited for our first course we enjoyed our wines and a wonderful aracinni made with lobster - WOW!
My entrée was the mixed grill which consisted of a long skewer with chunks of perfectly seasoned and grilled meats. I was served a plate of sauteed mushrooms glistening in a rich red wine reduction, the server removed the meat from my skewer onto the mushrooms and served the warm cornbread on the side. As she did so she explained what each of the meats was - por, lamb, beef, smokey bacon, and pork liver. The combination of flavours was amazing. The rest of the party enjoyed the black cod, pork tenderloin and the rib eye steak - all pronounced their meals to be incredible.
For dessert I enjoyed the sparkling sorbet - three freshly made sorbets in a large martini glass. When it was served there was no sparkling . . . 'what gives?' I wondered. Well the sparkle started when the waitress filled the glass with champagne. It was a great finish to the meal.
When I paid the server brought still more treats - miniature lavender truffles and mini trail mix cookies.
It was an incredible meal - well-prepared foods, impeccable service, and well selected wines. If you want a splurge to try this restaurant!
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