Introducing: Carmen, a new Spanish restaurant on Queen West from the owners of Torito
Name: Carmen
Neighbourhood: Trinity-Bellwoods
Contact info: 922 Queen St. W., 416-535-0404, carmensayz.com, @carmensayz
Owners: Veronica Carmen Laudes and Luis Valenzuela, both of Kensington Market’s Torito
Chef: Luis Valenzuela
The food: Traditional Spanish tapas like patatas bravas ($7) as well as more modern creations like little bites of puréed avocado wrapped in jicama ($6). The selection of 30-centimetre paellas for two includes the atlantica ($38), which is topped with a whole lobster. Carmen also serves individual plated mains, like quail stuffed with chicken confit on mole ($20).
The drinks: The house cocktail list features red and white sangria ($12), served in mason jars. The wine list is mostly Spanish, although the two draught beers are from Flying Monkeys in Barrie.
The place: For her namesake restaurant, Laudes aimed for a more feminine aesthetic than the bull-themed one at Torito—hence the Goya portraits, porcelain figurines and black and white photos of flamenco dancers. The airy yellow and red dinning room is currently open for dinner, and Carmen will soon be adding lunch, brunch, after-work cocktails and even a late-night menu.
By the numbers:
• 70 seats, including 11 at the bar
• 45 minutes for a paella, from order to table
• 4 fried green tomato slices, stacked, in the tomate verde frito
206831 (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-3-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-3.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-3/ introducing-carmen-3 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206832 (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-2-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-2.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-2/ introducing-carmen-2 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206829 (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-5-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-5.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-5/ introducing-carmen-5 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206830 Both the tiled backsplash and the juicing machine were imported from Valencia, Spain (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-4-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-4.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-4/ introducing-carmen-4 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206833 Portraits of flamenco dancers by Colombian photographer Ruven Afanador (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-1-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-1.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-1/ introducing-carmen-1 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206828 Jicama con aguacate ($6): avacado purée wrapped in shaved jicama shells (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-6-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-6.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-6/ introducing-carmen-6 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206823 Patatas bravas ($7): roasted potatoes with brava sauce and aïoli<br />
(Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-11.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-11/ introducing-carmen-11 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206827 Tomate verde frito ($7): fried green tomatoes with feta, roasted red peppers and corn chutney (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-7-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-7.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-7/ introducing-carmen-7 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206826 Verduras de la tierra ($8): a salad of shaved raw beets, parsnips, carrots and radishes, in a maple-cider vinaigrette (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-8-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-8.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-8/ introducing-carmen-8 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206825 Morcilla y garbanzos ($10): blood sausage with chickpea sofrito and fried egg<br />
(Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-9-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-9.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-9/ introducing-carmen-9 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206824 La Codorniz carnivora ($20): quail stuffed with chicken confit on mole and swiss chard<br />
(Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-10.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-10/ introducing-carmen-10 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
206834 Paella Atlantica ($38): paella with peas, roasted tomatoes, saffron and a whole lobster (serves two people) (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing: Carmen Introducing: Carmen https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-carmen-intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/carmen/slide/introducing-carmen-intro/ introducing-carmen-intro 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)