Saintly partners: Giancarlo Spataro and Adam Graham
For the past two years, trendspotters’ eyes have been fixed on the Ossington Avenue strip. And now the ’hood is getting a fresh infusion of talent from the downtown core. The boys behind King West bistro Brassaii are opening The Saint, a new gastro-pub at 227 Ossington, in mid-April. The forecast feel? Swank style meets community comfort—that is, if the community embraces it.
The project is the brainchild of Brassaii’s garrulous bar manager, Adam Graham, who is teaming up with restaurant booster Giancarlo Spataro (of Jacobs & Co.) as the operating partners of the new digs. Also on board are Brassaii owners Gus Giazitzidis and Peter Tsebelis, as well as designer Marc Kyriacou and former Kontent magnate Michael King. The talent-heavy team is looking to replicate the ethos of the King Street project, only with a new theme: while Brassaii is a traditional French bistro with cutting-edge design, The Saint will be a traditional British pub with cutting-edge design.
Elements of The Saint’s look will include reclaimed wood, marble bar tops and sumptuous oxblood banquettes. But Graham promises that there will still be a down-to-earth feel. “It will be a place where you can watch the hockey game,” he says. The mix-and-match ambience goes for dress code, too: “You can come in flip-flops and shorts and read the paper, or straight from work on Bay Street in a suit. And you won’t be under- or overdressed in either case.”
In sticking to the “keep it simple” mantra, the menu will feature such comfort foods as fish and chips and mac-and-cheese. Graham notes, though, that this won’t be pub food per se, rather “classic fare taken seriously.” The Saint will also support local businesses, offering microbrews and conscientious ingredient sourcing. Music will be an integral part of the vibe. Graham assures us that the relaxed space won’t become a club scene after dinner, but he does hope to make it a late-night destination: “Come ten o’clock, it will be a place to stay until the end of the night.”
This may sound like good news to locals waiting in long lines at The Ossington and Baby Huey—but maybe not. A backlash has started against new places opening in the neighbourhood. The Save Ossington campaign—a tongue-in-cheek art project–protest movement seeking to defend the area against homogenization—will surely be keeping an eye on The Saint to make sure that it fits into the scene. “If you pay homage to the area, and add something, it’s not saturation,” says an unfazed Graham. “And we’re not going to be serving any $10 pints,” he adds, noting that he plans to play up customer service by hiring knowledgeable staff. With an eye for the details that make an it spot feel like home, Graham is confident the formula will work: “It’s gonna be a fun, rockin’ place with good food.”
Gentrification can be annoying to those who call themselves “the locals” but I dare ask, how many of the protesters are local homeowners? Rent going up is unfortunate for those who don’t own but during all that broohaha over the Drake, Starbucks, etc, did anyone mention the fact that Jeff Stober(Drake) might as well have handed all the homeowners in the area cheques for 100k+? Who’s complaining now? John, those ‘wankers’ are in the business of making money and are doing so quite well. I wish them all the best with the new venture. Looking forward to a drink there.
May 6, 2009 at 7:56 am | by SeraphKing Street style? Uh, what style? Hate to bear bad news, but flippy-haired prowling dudes in Diesel blazers over Affliction t-shirts and bronzer-laden chicks slamming berrytinis at Cheval haven’t constituted “style” in this city for a good while now.
May 29, 2009 at 6:55 pm | by HDKEuro Trash
June 1, 2009 at 7:28 am | by ReplyThe partners of Jezebel Burlesque actually went to a lot of work researching their vision which they had of bringing back class and a true entertainment experience to a city which seems to be lacking this. Toronto’s current club and bar scene is staid and generic and Jezebel promises to give you a experience out of the ordinary! Dear God, you might have fun.
June 8, 2009 at 3:28 pm | by EllaAnd to John’s comment about what those “wankers” know about the British and burlesque? Hmmmm, well some of the owners are British in case you hadn’t noticed. And as for the burlesque, the partners have been working hand-in-hand with an outstanding burlesque troupe here in Toronto to bring true burlesque entertainment to a broader audience.
Perhaps instead of judging a place, you should go with an open mind and see what it’s all about. You might be shocked at all the locals you see there, especially on Sunday nights!
[...] now looking forward to The Saint (another upcoming restaurant hyped by Toronto life, but not open) and Salt, both who seem to be on the verge of opening, but have been on the verge for months. [...]
June 29, 2009 at 10:50 pm | by Union Has Opened! | Ossington VillageYou have done it again. Love the food atmosphere and the vibe. Great place to have an enjoyable.evening. I will be back soon.
April 6, 2012 at 7:35 pm | by JohnNot sure I understand the huge threat “weekend hipster warriors” pose. I personally like all the different people one sees in a restaurant local or otherwise. But doesn’t it ultimately come down to the food? I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like the ambiance if everyone was exactly the same. Creepy.
April 10, 2012 at 3:09 pm | by CarolynMy friend and I stumbled upon The Saint this weekend and had a great experience. The tuna nicoise was amazing as was the service. The atmosphere was welcoming and refreshingly unpretentious. We’ll definitely be returning.
April 23, 2012 at 6:19 pm | by Cavsies