Outside Come and Get It
Back in December, we told you about a mystery pop-up taking over the space once occupied by the Jamaican restaurant Ackee Tree. It’s not so mysterious anymore: Come and Get It opened about a week and a half ago, and is more than aptly named—the building, now owned by condo developers, will be cleared any moment now for the construction of a new condo. The man behind the pop-up restaurant is Jon Polubiec (Mistura, Windsor Arms, Prego, Moveable Feast) with friends Marco Deviato (Windsor Arms), Jay Repovz (Capitol Theatre) and Mark Jarvis (Mavrik Wine Bar) helping out.
As you might expect with a temporary restaurant, there are few permanent fixtures and a heck of a lot of DIY. The seating consists of makeshift tables and counters made of rough plywood, old stools from Little Anthony’s Restaurant (which is going through renos of its own at the moment) and two large picnic tables in the back. The walls are covered in a bright pink-magenta paint, and outside there’s a graffiti-inspired sign painted by local artist Skam. The nostalgic ’90s rec-room vibe is finished off with Archie comics, neon lunchboxes, a poster of Optimus Prime and an N64 system that you can actually play.
The owners take their food—presented in a combinatorial menu—a little more seriously than their décor. The menu starts with the choice of sandwich ($8), salad ($9) or poutine ($7). Then, there’s a choice of how you want it: Chipotle Beef Short Rib, Hawaiian Pork Belly, Granny Smith Chicken Caesar or Herbed Crunchy Green Beans. For example, if you choose the Granny Smith Chicken Caesar Salad, you’ll get crunchy romaine lettuce with pulled chicken, granny smith apples, grana padano cheese, all tossed in a garlic confit Caesar dressing and topped with crispy chicken skin. Of course, the whole operation is here today, but might well be gone tomorrow—so hurry on over before they put up a condo in its place.
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- Outside Come and Get It (the sign was painted by local artist Skam)
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- The combinatorial menu
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- Bieber-purple “Come and Get It” staff hoodies
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- A little makeshift plywood furniture
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- Big picnic tables in the back
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- A fully functional N64
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- Retro orange NKOTB lunchbox found at a garage sale
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- Remember the original iMac?
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- Chipotle beef short rib sandwich: braised beef short rib with chipotle aïoli, ancho chili barbecue sauce, crispy onions and coleslaw on a milk bun ($8)
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- Granny Smith chicken caesar salad: crunchy romaine lettuce, pulled chicken, crispy skin, granny smith apple, grana padano cheese and garlic confit caesar dressing ($9)
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- Hawaiian pork belly sandwich: slow-roasted, hoisin-glazed pork belly with pineapple salsa, pickled red onions, iceberg lettuce and crispy pork crackling on a milk bun ($8)
Come and Get It, 170 Spadina Ave., 647-344-3416, @comeandgetit416
9 dollars for a sandwich??? 8 for some shitty poutine???
February 14, 2012 at 1:20 pm | by realitySubway Sandwhiches can cost anywhere between $5 and $10. why not try something different for the same price.
February 14, 2012 at 1:24 pm | by AndrewI support the madman Jon Polubiec, and wish him the best in this venture.
February 14, 2012 at 9:38 pm | by Chris M.@ reality
February 15, 2012 at 1:40 am | by Tasty TotsHaHaHa I Guarantee this kid hasn’t tried the Poutine.
And Cursing in a blog? Get REAL Bud.
TT
Beware the Lanks are coming tonight! We can’t wait to see what all the fuss is about and see Sir John!!
February 17, 2012 at 9:12 am | by Bob LankJon you have earned your stripes and have worked hard… with your personality and passion for good food.. you are bound to be a success!
February 19, 2012 at 5:26 pm | by Merle KerrCongratulations and I believe you have tasted lots of poutine in your time:)
Watch out foodies as I believe that this is just the first step for Jon in the food world!
Being a restauranteur myself and always stepping outside of the box, I must applaud you boys for a brilliant idea. I hope to have a taste of your ingenuity before you are gone.
February 21, 2012 at 9:05 am | by Rena VatchThis makes me laugh ….a true “Pop up” restaurant is not this nice and there illegal ..ya ok …how about Temporary ….that’s more like it
February 29, 2012 at 9:56 am | by Stain