Introducing: Geraldine, a new spot for absinthe, oysters and Edwardian hospitality in Parkdale
Name: Geraldine
Contact Info: 1564 Queen St. W., geraldinetoronto.com, @GeraldineResto
Neighbourhood: Parkdale
Owners: Alexandra Albert and Peter Ramsay
Chef: Peter Ramsay, the former sous-chef at snout-to-tail bistro Cowbell, which occupied the same space
The Place: A throwback to Gilded Age hospitality, complete with silver serving trays and bow-tied waiters bussing tables to jaunty ragtime tunes. Bonus points for authenticity: the dinnerware is vintage Limoges and two of the chandeliers are 19th century originals.
The Food: Oysters Rockefeller, clams casino and tiered silver trays of shellfish with lemon-mayo and Pernod-shallot mignonette. A sandwich version of duck à l’orange is dressed with watercress and shallots.
The Drinks: Cocktails laced with things like brandied cherries, yellow chartreuse and lavender syrup. An absinthe fountain drizzles water through lumps of sugar into vintage glasses of Vieux Pontarlier 65, a high-quality French absinthe.
The Numbers:
• 500 pieces of antique glassware
• 300 oysters shucked per night
• 14 framed portraits, including a man with a bull’s head and a creepy Victorian baby
• 2 nineteenth-century chandeliers reclaimed from Toronto homes
• 1 absinthe fountain
228083 The owners gutted the former Cowbell space, replacing everything except the floor (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-02/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-02 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228087 The space is modeled after grand turn-of-the-century hotels in Paris and New Orleans (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-06/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-06 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228089 The early-20th-century mantel was salvaged from a Toronto home (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-08/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-08 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228086 The raw bar stays open until 2 a.m. on weekends (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-05/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-05 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228092 Clams casino ($6) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-11/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-11 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228082 Sardines in grape leaves with smoked pork fat ($7) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-01/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-01 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228093 Charred octopus with new potatoes and gribiche, a French egg sauce ($8) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-12/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-12 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228096 Oysters, clams and crab legs served with house-made shallot-fennel-Pernod mignonette, lemon mayo and Clamato cocktail sauce (MP) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-15-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-15.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-15.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-15/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-15 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228084 A recreation of a 1920s absinthe fountain (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg 624 406 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-03/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-03 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228094 On contact with ice water, absinthe turns opalescent (“louches”) and releases herbal oils (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-13/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-13 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228095 The Grand Amber: bourbon, Amaro, Grand Marnier, orange blossom water and Agnostura bitters ($10) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-14-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-14.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-14.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-14/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-14 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
228085 (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Geraldine Introducing: Geraldine https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/geraldine-toronto-restaurants/slide/geraldine-toronto-restaurant-04/ geraldine-toronto-restaurant-04 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)