Shortly after Jeremy Day shuttered his Parkdale wine and cheese bar Café Taste in October, rumours began to fly that someone associated with the Black Hoof would be taking over the space. The building’s owner, however, wouldn’t spill the beans. Thanks to some enthusiastic tweeting last night from Hoof owner Jen Agg and others, the cat’s now out of the bag: the new spot, called Grand Electric, opened last night with ex–Hoof chef de cuisine Colin Tooke at the helm. A bare-bones website and Twitter account have been set up, from which we learn the bar will have “Mexican food, craft beer, brown liquor and loud music.” Agg, for one seems pretty excited: she appended the hashtag “#proudmama” to her congratulatory tweet.

Last month we reported that Grant van Gameren, formerly of The Black Hoof, was working the stoves at Lucien (although the arrangement turned out to be more of a consulting gig). In a feature in Saturday’s Globe and Mail, Chris Nuttall-Smith reveals van Gameren’s found a permanent home: Enoteca Sociale, the west-end Italian restaurant where he’s been named executive chef (Matthew DeMille was hired as the chef de cuisine there in July). He’s also working on a “Grant restaurant” (i.e. his own place) with Max Rimaldi, co-owner of Enoteca and sister restaurant Pizzeria Libretto; that project is probably a year away from opening. After the jump, six things we learned about Grant van Gameren, The Black Hoof and the chef’s new plans.

1. He isn’t all about the meat
While van Gameren made his name serving up sweetbreads and tongue, it seems he often felt tied down by carnivore cuisine. His seasonal veggie dishes sold poorly at the Hoof, but he feels confident about his future ventures. “We’ve seen enough meat,” he told the Globe. “It will always be around, but working in a restaurant that’s not all offal, it’s great to see the balance of what you can do.”

2. Gameren and Agg weren’t bosom buddies
Although they were often portrayed as besties, the Globe explains that van Gameren and his business partner Jen Agg “weren’t friends.” Tensions arose when Agg allegedly pushed for a faster launch of The Hoof Café. While she (probably wisely) declined to discuss her view of the relationship, van Gameren had plenty to say: “She had always been the person who was communicating and I was always the person with the shut mouth… I would kind of lock down and not open up.”

3. He’s planning his grand tour
While van Gameren has apparently only been on a plane four times in his life, that’s about to change. Soon he’ll expand his culinary repertoire with trips to New York and Rome as research for his new restaurant. “This guy is ridiculously talented,” said Rimaldi. “But what’s going to happen if he spends a week or two in Rome? He’s going to come back and be a creative monster.”

4. He’s really shy—yet assertive
The article probes into van Gameren’s sometimes-retiring personality: apparently, he rarely makes eye contact with customers, “terrified of seeing someone react badly to his food,” and likes to stay out of the public eye. Still, he’s not afraid to speak his mind with fellow chefs: “He’ll say to me, ‘This dish here, you know, it sucks,’” Rimaldi told The Globe. “‘What are you thinking, allowing your guys to put that on the menu?’ And okay, whoa, it hurt my feelings, but he’s really woken me up to where I want to take this company.”

5. Like every chef ever, he has his eyes on New York
While Gameren says he loves Toronto and doesn’t plan to leave, he admitted there’s something alluring about opening a restaurant in NYC. “Maybe New York’s like how I opened The Black Hoof… No one knows you and, you know, nobody’s got any expectations there about me.”

6. He’s a closet minimalist
Speaking about his ideas for his own restaurant, he said, “I almost feel like the restaurant shouldn’t have a name. I want to essentially strip the restaurant of all things that lock it into what it’s going to be, or what style of food it serves or what its focus is going to be on.”

• Chef Grant Van Gameren is losing his reservations—and it feels great [The Globe and Mail]

(Image: Renée Suen from the Torontolife.com Flickr pool)

Here, the best of the spicy, messy bunch
By Eric Vellend | Photography by Christopher Stevenson. Food styling by Linsey Bell/judy inc.

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Grant van Gameren at the Black Hoof, the Dundas West charcuterie bar he co-founded (Image: Renée Suen from the Torontolife.com Flickr pool)

Six weeks or so after leaving the Black Hoof behind him, Grant van Gameren has found a new home. Alongside Brockton General’s Guy Rawlings, the charcuterie pioneer has moved on to Lucien, replacing chef Scot Woods, who left recently. “During his tenure here, Scot proved to be an extremely talented and creative chef and we wish him the very best in his future endeavours,” owner Simon Bower told us. “But I have decided the restaurant is going in a new direction.”

Bower told us the food is going to be more approachable, with larger portions and “softer” prices. While the pair have been in the kitchen since last week, the new menu is on hold for a couple weeks while the chefs find their footing (and the restaurant works through its old inventory). Before opening the ever-mobbed Black Hoof along with his business partner, Jen Agg, van Gameren was actually Lucien’s sous chef under Woods. For his part, Rawlings was reportedly planning to open a new restaurant after he left Brockton General and was spotted working both the front and back of house at Bloordale’s Ortolan. It’s unclear how long van Gameren and Rawlings will remain at Lucien, but Bower says he’s excited about the changes they’ll bring. So are we.

Lucien, 36 Wellington St. E., 416-504-9990, lucienrestaurant.com.

The former Hoof Café is now home to the Black Hoof Cocktail Bar (Image: Karon Liu)

The Black Hoof has seen a whirlwind of changes in recent months (culminating of course in co-founder and chef Grant van Gameren’s recent departure). Come September 14, Hoof owner Jen Agg tells us, there’ll be another change, this time at the month-old Black Hoof Cocktail Bar: a new guest chef series.

Agg says the yet-to-be-named series will see chefs creating not only their own cocktails but a paired snack as well. The bi-monthly Wednesday night event will run from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. (although the bar’s hours will remain from 5:30 p.m. to last call) and will cost between $12 and $15 for the pairing. “It’s a nice opportunity for [the chefs] to see how the front of house works,” Agg told us over the phone while waiting for her flight from New York back to Toronto. “It gives them the chance to interact with people because they’re always at the back making food.”

The first run of the series, conveniently taking place during TIFF, will have a cocktail and snack menu by ex–Black Hoof chef de cuisine Colin Tooke. Although the debut features a Hoof alumnus, Agg hopes that any chefs interested in participating will approach her to discuss their ideas. “Chefs have a great palate and this is all about them doing that with a liquid.”

The Black Hoof Cocktail Bar, 923 Dundas St. W., 416-792-7511, theblackhoof.com

(Image: Renée Suen from the Torontolife.com Flick pool)

About an hour ago on Twitter, news broke that the Black Hoof’s founding chef and co-owner, Grant van Gameren, was no longer involved with the restaurant:

Its been AMAZING feeding all you over the years!BUT, I am no longer affiliated with the Black Hoof. Please follow me @grantvangameren PLS RT

No news yet on the reasons behind the move or on van Gameren’s future plans, although a follow-up tweet confirms that he’s leaving “in an amicable split.” We’re also curious about what this means for Black Hoof and Company, the fine-dining restaurant that van Gameren and co-owner Jen Agg were to launch next spring.

UPDATE: Agg spoke to The Dish this afternoon to clarify that the breakup between the two owners was perfectly amicable. “This is something we’ve been talking about for a long time,” she said of the split over the direction of the business. “The story is that it is no story.” Agg confirmed that she is now the sole owner. She noted that diners should not expect any great changes at the Black Hoof, not least because chef Brandon Olsen has been running the kitchen already for months (apparently about half of the menu consists of his creations) while van Gameren took on a more executive role in the company. Plans for the Black Hoof and Company have been put on ice and the Black Hoof Cocktail Bar, which opened earlier this month, will continue on in its current location.

Dundas West’s hipster restaurant row is about to get yet another new addition to its ranks. Behind L’Ouvrier are Justine Fowler, who works in fashion, and Angus Bennett of Ottawa pub The Manx and Angus Bennett Catering. The name comes from a line in Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London (“The cook does not look upon himself as a ser­vant, but as a skilled workman; he is generally called ‘UN OUVRIER’ which a waiter never is”), and it’s reflective of Bennett’s philosophy about food. “Angus believes that cooking is less about art and more about hard work and dedication” says Fowler. The couple hopes their new restaurant will embody that philosophy in a welcoming and unpretentious environment.

Located west of Bathurst and Dundas, L’Ouvrier was once the site of an old, illegal after-hours club. With the help of artist and friend Courtney Wotherspoon, Fowler and Bennett came up with a design concept for the space that would fit in with the new breed of restaurants in the neighbourhood, like Campagnolo and the Black Hoof. The focus on the hard-working cook is emphasized by the large collection of archival photos of World War I–era cooks that will adorn the back wall of the restaurant. Bennett’s menu isn’t confined to a particular concept or ethnicity; it’s more an expression of the passions and whims of the owners. Next to French dishes such as duck confit or steak tartare, expect to find a traditional Asian hot and sour soup, or comfort food such as grilled cheese. Fowler hopes the restaurant will launch in early September.

L’Ouvrier, 791 Dundas St. W, 416-901-9581, louvrier.ca.

(Image: Gary Stevens)

Chris Cosentino, America’s reigning king of offal and chef at San Francisco’s nose-to-tail mecca Incanto, is currently in Toronto for “adventure,” and like all good 21st-century chefs, he’s tweeting. From his feed, we learn that he made the requisite pilgrimage to the Black Hoof last night and that he wasn’t quite prepared for the powerful combination of a Toronto heat wave and Chinatown’s particular olfactory charms:

It so hot in Toronto I could smell china town from 3 blocks away! Holy dried and fermented fish

We’ll be watching for other revelations about the food in our fair (albeit pungent) city.

The once-mobbed Hoof Café is set to become the soon-to-be-mobbed Black Hoof Cocktail Bar (Image: Karon Liu)

Back in June, we reported that Jen Agg and Grant van Gameren’s ambitious plans to launch Black Hoof and Company this spring in the former Hoof Café space were being put on hold until spring 2012. Yesterday on his blog, Hoof pal Corey Mintz announced the next stage in the evolution of 923 Dundas St. W.: the Black Hoof Cocktail Bar. Starting this Thursday and running from Thursday to Monday night weekly, the new bar will serve Agg’s inventive cocktails (including, we hope, her barrel-aged manhattans) along with cheese plates for snacking. In September, the bar will be open seven nights a week and will feature guest chefs like Guy Rawlings and Colin Tooke, whose cocktails will go head-to-head against the house list. Eventually, the cocktail bar will take over the space adjacent to the Black Hoof across the street, and Black Hoof and Co., the new fine dining restaurant, will move in.

Agg has often lamented Toronto’s lacklustre cocktail scene, so we’re eager to see what she has in store. Oh, and in the spirit of her hilarious rant of a blog post in February, Agg will not be serving any vodka or vodka-based drinks at the bar.

• The Black Hoof Cocktail Bar [Porkosity]

Tosho specializes in hand sharpening and restoration of Japanese blades. (Image: Gizelle Lau)

Sitting down with knife enthusiasts Olivia Go and Ivan Fonseca, we couldn’t help but flash back to Kill Bill: Vol. 1, when Uma Thurman’s character visits Okinawa to procure the ultimate in Japanese steel, a Hattori Hanzō sword. These two knife nerds share that same reverence for finely-crafted blades and the art of knife making and sharpening, so it’s no wonder they’re now the co-owners of the new Tosho Knife Arts in Mirvish Village.

Go and Fonseca have been forging reputations as the city’s go-to knife duo for the past few years. Both have culinary backgrounds, and Go’s time in New York City (with a stint at Per Se) included regular visits to Korin, a mecca for Japanese knives. Her knife skills classes at Good Egg in Kensington Market are booked up weeks in advance (thanks largely to mentions by Rachel McAdams). Fonseca, a cook at Messis for over a decade, has—as Fonseca Sharpening—become one of the only people in the city to offer traditional hand sharpening, using both natural and synthetic stones (also available at Knife).

At Tosho Knife Arts, the pair sell and showcase the best in hand-forged knives (mainly Japanese, for now), as well as tools and accessories. They also offer highly specialized services including knife sharpening and restoration by hand, custom-designed knives (made in conjunction with Japanese knife forgers) and custom saya covers. Their regular clients include kitchen staff from C5, Origin, Parts and Labour, Nota Bene, Canoe, the Black Hoof and Enoteca Sociale and good friend Dustin Gallagher from Grace (yes, of Top Chef Canada fame).

The shop sits just below street level in a former book publishing office across from Honest Ed’s on Markham Street. Simple wooden shelves display some incredible knives—some etched with the outline of Mount Fuji or Japanese cherry blossoms. The selection includes imported knives by Takeda Hamono, Konosuke Sakai, Kaneshige Cutlery Co. and Rockstead, ranging form large cleavers to smaller blades and tactical knives. Right now prices start at $115 and go up to $3,500. That $3,500 option? A water-quenched Honyaki knife with a natural lacquered handle (an eight-month process) and a saya cover. It sits on a pedestal, naturally.

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Tosho Knife Arts, 602 Markham St., 647-722-6329, toshoknifearts.com.

Inspired by the experiments of Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, forward-thinking mixologists across the continent have been trying their hand at something that was until recently the province of wine- and liquor makers: aging their drinks in oak casks. Rob Mifsud has an interesting piece in the Globe and Mail about Black Hoof co-owner and bartender Jen Agg’s forays into barrel-aging her trademark Manhattans. Her initial verdict? “I’m going to go on the record. I don’t care for this.” It does get better, however. Check out the full story »

(Images: cocktail, star5112; barrel, g_kat26)

ADDRESS: 1-257 Euclid Avenue

NEIGHBOURHOOD:  Trinity Bellwoods

AGENT: Stacey Robinson, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage, and Anabela Bernardino, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage

PRICE: $895,900

THE PLACE: A two-bedroom contemporary townhome at Dundas and Euclid with a black-white-and-grey colour scheme, mini-gym and rooftop deck. 

BRAGGING RIGHTS: Trinity Bellwoods is the neighbourhood park (so while your friends have to cab it back uptown from tipsy afternoon picnics, you just have to walk down the block).

BIG SELLING POINT: For people who like to eat well but hate to cook, the list of neighbourhood hot spots is endless—including Campagnolo, Black Hoof, Porchetta and Co. and Woodlot.

POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: The endless construction on Dundas means noise, dust and traffic congestion are inevitable annoyances.

BY THE NUMBERS:
• $895,000
• 2 bedrooms
• 2 bathrooms
• 12’ ceilings
• 1 parking space (that doesn’t cost six figures)

(Image: Renée Suen)

A while back we told you about Food Truck Eats, tomorrow’s food truck event in the Distillery District, noting the participation of Geoff Hopgood, best known as the chef de cuisine of the now closed Hoof Café. While most expected the Halifax-born chef to continue his duties with the café’s successor, Black Hoof and Co., we were surprised to learn (via Twitter, of course) that Hopgood had other plans ahead. Recently, we caught up with the chef, who was happy to fill us in on what’s been keeping him busy since his departure from one of the city’s hottest eateries. The first thing Hopgood told us is that he’s getting married in August and is currently in planning mode; the second is that he’s planning to open his own restaurant.

Although he’s still searching for a location, Hopgood told us that the yet-to-be-named restaurant will cater to after-hours diners and serve food that’s inspired by the season, both in ingredients and concept. Expect to find dishes such as the brined and smoked “spring chicken,” served every spring with wild herbs, fiddleheads, potatoes and radishes in a broth made from reduced stock and maple syrup. And fans of the Hoof Café’s insanely popular brunch should take note: the creator of the suckling pig’s benny and foie French toast also aims to serve brunch once a week.

As a chef, Hopgood doesn’t want his food to be too serious. “I want to see personality in food,” Hopgood told us, “to offer something interesting or fun to eat. I like food to be a little indulgent but not too over the top.” He said that being a chef goes further than merely deciding what’s on the plate, pointing to mentors that inspire him, like Vancouver’s 2009 Chef of the Year, Robert Belcham (Refuel, Campagnolo). “You really need to have some values in place. It has to do a lot with integrity, being humble, open and honest with people,” he said. “With your staff you have to create loyalty by being an honest and integral person. The food really shapes from your creativity, the quality of the ingredients and the great relationships you’ve built.”

Hopgood said the Hoof Café to BHCo changeover was a lucky break because it helped him realize he was ready to go solo. He assured us that he and his former colleagues are all still good friends (“We’re all trying to build a community here”), but noted that the vision for BHCo was quite a departure. “What we created in the Hoof Café was unique to that location, and while we collaborated within the kitchen, The Black Hoof team and the Hoof Café team were different.”

In the meantime, Hopgood will be expanding his knowledge of the business, from making his own sourdough breads and learning from bakers like Woodlot’s Jeff Connell to taking up a stage in New York or out west. “I just like to cook, really. I put my soul in the food and it seems to speak to people. Toronto is an inspiring place to work,” he said. “The support has been great, and I don’t know how things will work out. I need to get my head around the numbers and understand that part of it. That’s what I’m planning to do over the next couple of months—well, that, a wedding and other things.”