Carman's Dining Club, 1959-2009 (Photo courtesy of Google)
Arthur Carman’s storied and troubled steak house on Alexander Street went into hibernation this summer, never to wake up. This makes the restaurant—credited with introducing Toronto to garlic bread—the latest Village establishment to disappear in recent months (the list also includes Crews and Tango, Bigliardi’s, Il Fornello and Zelda’s).
When we called the restaurant this week, we were greeted with this voice mail message:
This year, Carman celebrated his 50th anniversary in the one and same location. He has decided he will not be reopening after 50 years and thought it was time to say goodbye and to say thank you this fantastically beautiful country of Canada. What he accomplished here he could not have accomplished in the country of his birth at that time. Thank you to the countless number of people who made this possible. Peace begins at home, Carman.
It is a truly sad day those loyal to the landmark restaurant. Toronto Life food writer James Chatto documents eating at the 19th-century mansion in his 2000 memoir The Man Who Ate Toronto, which includes a brief bio of Carman (born Athanasios Karamanos), who immigrated from Greece in the ’50s. Although Chatto describes the restaurant as one of the best in Toronto, recent on-line reviews suggest that the sizzle had gone from the steak house: “Sad to see this formerly packed spot deteriorate so dramatically,” wrote a Chowhounder in 2008. “Once the notoriously garlicky purveyor of hospitality, now it is insipid, unsophisticated and expensive.”
The celebrity clientele once featured on the restaurant’s menu and Web site (no longer functional) included Al Green, Nat King Cole, Lorne Greene and Sammy Davis Jr., a sign that this was a boys’ club hangout for the real Don Drapers, not his modern-day fans. (Sara Waxman once wrote about being the only woman in the place.) The decor, as most people described it, was dark, medieval and, as another amateur reviewer writes, “something out of a vampire movie.”
In the end, 50 years is many lifetimes in the restaurant industry—especially in Toronto. We hope that Carman’s will be remembered as the joyful, high-end steak house with the perpetual aroma of garlic, rather than the relic that was left behind during its neighbourhood’s gentrification.
Carman himself passed away on September 23, 2010. Peace begins at home….
September 23, 2010 at 12:27 pm | by Sean in BeijingActually, it was Sept. 21
October 6, 2010 at 3:23 pm | by Sidecarhttp://www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/aprons-icons/2010/09/24/rip-arthur-carman-1925-2010-the-legendary-restaurateur-of-alexander-street/
I dined at Carman’s many times, and I have three great memories, as follows.
Once I managed to have four business dinners there during one week. That was before doctors made us feel bad about such things.
During the eighties, I hosted an industry dinner in the back upstairs room, with about 45 attendees, including about a dozen company presidents. Truly an auspicious event.
Later, I hosted my mom’s seventieth birthday in the main downstairs room, with a fairly large one table crowd. All good.
Carman’s may not be quite what it was, but it has been one of my absolute favourite restaurants anywhere for many years. I suspect the writed of this article has never been to Carmans, as I do not believe that anyone who ever have enjoyed an evening of Carman’s ambiance could ever have used the word misery in that context.
October 29, 2010 at 4:04 pm | by Jim PetersI dined at Carman’s many times, and I have three great memories, as follows.
Once I managed to have four business dinners there during one week. That was before doctors made us feel bad about such things.
During the eighties, I hosted an industry dinner in the back upstairs room, with about 45 attendees, including about a dozen company presidents. Truly an auspicious event.
Later, I hosted my mom’s seventieth birthday in the main downstairs room, with a fairly large one table crowd. All good.
Carman’s may not be quite what it was, but it has been one of my absolute favourite restaurants anywhere for many years. I suspect the writer of this article has never been to Carman’s Club, as I do not believe that anyone who ever enjoyed an evening of Carman’s ambiance could ever have used the word misery in any associated context.
October 29, 2010 at 4:05 pm | by Jim PetersReading this made me want to cry. I too have gone to Harbor 60, Ruth Chris, etc., etc. but always came home to Carman’s Club. I just looked up my card – member # 10583 – August 24,1966. It has been great.
November 3, 2010 at 6:06 pm | by Carl RumanekCan’t believe that TO Life could be so critical of Carman’s Club. I started going when you actually had to have a membership to get in. My wife and I got engaged there and although I have not had many chances to get back there I will miss it for sure. Just walking up to the front door and the smell of wood smoke and garlic was worth the trip.
RIP Carman. Thank you for the memories and great steaks.
January 30, 2011 at 1:10 pm | by Murray AdamWe used to go to Carmens in the early 70′s when you had to be a member to eat there. I think the fee was $10 – lot of money back then. It was amazing – best steaks, first place to put garlic bread,olives,huge dill pickles on the table before the meal came. This was fine dining at its best. I was wooed by many a beau in Carmens, back in the day.
Unfortunately, we went last year (2010) for my birday – don’t ask which one LOL – it was a disaster. The food was very bad – especially the ribs – which used to be their best dish. We went for night of grand nostalgia and all we got was disappointment. So, I am glad they closed and just left us all with the memories of days gone by. Does anyone know if Carmen is still alive?
February 8, 2011 at 9:01 pm | by JOAN BRYANAs young boy we would as a family go to carmans to eat there it to me was the best steak I had ever eaten and garlic bread was shear heaven sad to see it go wish someone would bring a great steak back to Toronto.I miss those days .
March 14, 2011 at 11:47 pm | by coryJoan, Athanasios Karamanos a.k.a “Carman” Passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at the age of 84.
March 25, 2011 at 3:12 pm | by SidecarCarmen’sClub was my family’s favorite steathouse. Four generations attended plus I took business associates and staff with certainty that they would enjoy the drenched garlic bread, sharp salad, pickles, fresh cottage cheese, black olives, giant baked potatoes with sour cream and chives, drinks, fireplace, wood platters, leather seats, uniformed waiters andbusboys. Most of all his top quality garlic rubbed( or no garlic) thick steaks filets, torontonian, or New titled. The rib and special sauce was exceptional and broiled lobster was fondue for.
April 11, 2011 at 9:52 pm | by Howard IsenbergAdding to this the ambiance was a collection art, plates, mugs and more. Arthur Carmen was always pleased to join regulars at their table and give out poems he had written. “Peace begins at home ” and children are what they see”. He also started Toronto’s Carabana and was extremely charitable.
Having eaten at most of Toronto’s and many world famous restaurants I would still rate Carmans at the top for Steakhouse.
I had my law school graduation there in 1977 and we made my fathers 75 birthday there. In addition we ate there wry regularly.
Carmen and his restaurant will be sincerely missed.
Toronto should have highly praised Carmen.
Tastes and restaurant styles may have changed
But the memory of this fine establishment
Will remain.
Best Regards
Howard Isenberg
We only went there once…it was fabulous, the atmosphere, service and of course the food.
June 1, 2011 at 4:57 pm | by DanThat was about three years ago. We don”t get to Toronto that much.
It was a great disappointment when we google Carmen’s to find out it was now closed. We are going to Toronto mid June for a week. We were so looking forward to going there.
Best wishes to Carmen on your well deserved retirement, It takes a very special person to survive in that industry for so many years.
Regards
Dan (Timmins Ontario)
Carmen was a freind of mine as I was introduced to him by a former employer of mine I ate there many times and was very sad to hear of his passing .His wife is a wonderful woman we had lunch several times. Today June 13 2011 I walked by the place to see people working on the roof ,to my delight I was told they may be re opening the place I can only hope that Kathy or one of the family has decided it is worth the venture if so and it turns out one quarter as good then another winner is born Good Luck and I will be wathing and waiting
June 13, 2011 at 12:31 pm | by June ClayJune
Might Re-open!! Well that is certainly interesting news…. here’s hoping!
June 29, 2011 at 2:26 pm | by SidecarWe only just found out that Carman’s closed. My wife Lisa and I lived in Toronto in 1995 and moved to BC in 1997. On Easter Weekend in 1995 I took Lisa (only my girlfriend at the time) to Carman’s on the recommendation from several people that is was a great place for a meal to be followed by Phantom of the Opera. A fabulous date was planned. As you may have guessed, I proposed to her, knee on the ground, ring in hand just before the first course arrived. She said yes, but could barely eat from the excitement. She enjoyed what she ate and took home the rest, I thoroughly loved my meal. Out of nostalgia, my wife looked it up this week to find it closed a few year’s ago. Sad, we had hoped to return there sometime in the future.
September 9, 2011 at 6:08 pm | by Stefano (Coquitlam BC)It is regrettable that Toronto Life takes 50 years of dining history in Toronto and decides to use such a dreadful and insensitive headline for this article. It is, however, typical of the increasingly malevolent journalism which is fashionable these days. You do NOT distill such a history of fine dining into an assessment of what it may have become for a short period towards the end of it’s history… the honourable and appropriate action would have been to commend Carmen for creating a Toronto landmark and wish him well on his retirement. Shameful, and reason enough to assign further issues of your magazine to the bin as you have lost your humanity and objectiveness. Perhaps it is time to put Toronto Life out of it’s misery as well.
September 9, 2011 at 6:11 pm | by Vaughn Dues