The new dining room at Brassaii
This week marked the long-awaited reopening of King West institution Brassaii, and judging from the extensive menu redesign, the place is looking like more of an upscale dining spot than a Friday-night hangout for the mini-dress set.
The new one-page menus were designed by chef Bruce Woods, who left his five-year stint at Centro last year to join Brassaii, and seem to ensure that diners never need to leave the property: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert and late-night snacks are all covered. Expect breakfast and brunch staples, as well as sandwiches and burgers for lunch. As for dinner, it’s continental fare with hints of Asian influence: miso cod ($29), spaghettini with kobe beef meatballs ($20), chicken with a panko crust ($25).
Expect to pay anywhere from $12 for mixed greens to $28 for tuna and $32 for grilled beef tenderloin or roasted ostrich, the most expensive items on the dinner menu. A traditional plate of two eggs, bacon, toast and home fries to start the weekday is a reasonable $8, and a sandwich and fries combo for lunch is around $15.
The space has also been revamped. The Design Agency—whose mixed bag of projects includes Cheval, Hart House and Lobby—unearthed an elevator shaft that was previously hidden and built a new bar made of limestone, glass and steel as a room divider. Jumping on the in-house gallery bandwagon, the place now showcases installations by local artists, which are juxtaposed by large antique wooden doors from Egypt.
Brassaii, 461 King St. W. (at Spadina), 416-598-4730, brassaii.com.
Wasn’t Bruce Woods a partner @ Centro?
March 15, 2010 at 2:12 pm | by Ed