Just Opened: Beast. Scott and Rachelle Vivian take over the Amuse-Bouche space
“I don’t dislike vegetarians, but my style of cooking is heavy on meat,” says chef Scott Vivian. It’s more of a warning than a defence: the Montreal-born chef has just opened a new restaurant with his wife, Rachelle, and it more than lives up to its name, Beast.
The carnivore theme is evident in the changing weekly dinner menus prepared by Scott and Luca Gatti, the sous-chef who came along when Scott and Rachelle left Wine Bar. Starters include such seasonal items as soft shell crab with foie gras, greens and jalapeño ($19), and mains include such meat-heavy dishes as pig’s head pasta with pea shoots, yolk and spaghetti ($16).
Brunch features the Beast burger ($12) alongside more breakfast-appropriate items, like pork belly benny ($14) and biscuits with sausage and gravy ($9). Sam James (of his namesake coffee bar on Harbord Street) has developed a coffee program, for Beast, so there are French presses but no lattes.
Beast took over the storied space at 96 Tecumseth Street. Once occupied by Susur Lee’s first Toronto restaurant, Lotus, the address was most recently known as Amuse-Bouche, which closed less than a month ago when its lease expired. Left over from the Susur days are dark brown chairs (they’ve been refurbished) and tables (which in this era stand casually naked, sans table cloths). The copper-topped bar is also a relic, though the overall decor has been refreshed with white walls and several long, rectangular mirrors to make the 34-seat space feel larger. The only real colour in the room comes from two pieces of artwork—paintings done by Rachelle, who also hand-carved claw prints into the breadboards.
The husband and wife team are new to the Queen–King West ’hood but not to co-ownership. For eight months, they ran the Wine Bar, which they (and investors) bought from Jamie Kennedy. At Beast, the pair are the only owners; they start most days at 9 or 10 a.m. and finish well after 11 p.m. “Rachelle and I are fortunate we’re still young enough to be able to do this every day, because 10 years from now…” Scott trails off, laughing.
During the day, Rachelle does pastry, which includes making sweets, such as black walnut financier with honey-rosemary cream and brown butter tuile ($8), and baking the house mini-baguettes and “Mother Parker” rolls. In the evening, she dons all black and runs the front-of-house with one other server.
The couple’s goal is to make Beast a neighbourhood fixture. “You’re not really walking into a restaurant establishment; you’re walking into somebody’s home. There aren’t as many restaurants in Toronto anymore where the executive chef does all the cooking, and the owners are always there, interacting with customers,” Scott says. “At the end of the day, if I can contribute to the quality of the Toronto food scene, that’s great. I’m just happy I get to be in the kitchen every day and that I’m cooking my own food.”
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/just-opened-beast-scott-and-rachelle-vivian-take-over-the-amuse-bouche-space/&title=Just Opened: Beast. Scott and Rachelle Vivian take over the Amuse-Bouche space&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Beast.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_29409" align="alignright" width="450" caption="Beastly setting: the dining room at Beast (Image: Lisa Paul)"][/caption]
“I don’t dislike vegetarians, but my style of cooking is heavy on meat,” says chef Scott Vivian. It’s more of a warning than a defence: the Montreal-born chef has just opened a new restaurant with his wife, Rachelle, and it more than lives up to its name, Beast.
The carnivore theme is evident in the changing weekly dinner menus prepared by Scott and Luca Gatti, the sous-chef who came along when Scott and Rachelle left Wine Bar. Starters include such seasonal items as soft shell crab with foie gras, greens and jalapeño ($19), and mains include such meat-heavy dishes as pig’s head pasta with pea shoots, yolk and spaghetti ($16).
Brunch features the Beast burger ($12) alongside more breakfast-appropriate items, like pork belly benny ($14) and biscuits with sausage and gravy ($9). Sam James (of his namesake coffee bar on Harbord Street) has developed a coffee program, for Beast, so there are French presses but no lattes.
Beast took over the storied space at 96 Tecumseth Street. Once occupied by Susur Lee’s first Toronto restaurant, Lotus, the address was most recently known as Amuse-Bouche, which closed less than a month ago when its lease expired. Left over from the Susur days are dark brown chairs (they’ve been refurbished) and tables (which in this era stand casually naked, sans table cloths). The copper-topped bar is also a relic, though the overall decor has been refreshed with white walls and several long, rectangular mirrors to make the 34-seat space feel larger. The only real colour in the room comes from two pieces of artwork—paintings done by Rachelle, who also hand-carved claw prints into the breadboards.
The husband and wife team are new to the Queen–King West ’hood but not to co-ownership. For eight months, they ran the Wine Bar, which they (and investors) bought from Jamie Kennedy. At Beast, the pair are the only owners; they start most days at 9 or 10 a.m. and finish well after 11 p.m. “Rachelle and I are fortunate we’re still young enough to be able to do this every day, because 10 years from now…” Scott trails off, laughing.
During the day, Rachelle does pastry, which includes making sweets, such as black walnut financier with honey-rosemary cream and brown butter tuile ($8), and baking the house mini-baguettes and “Mother Parker” rolls. In the evening, she dons all black and runs the front-of-house with one other server.
The couple’s goal is to make Beast a neighbourhood fixture. “You’re not really walking into a restaurant establishment; you’re walking into somebody’s home. There aren’t as many restaurants in Toronto anymore where the executive chef does all the cooking, and the owners are always there, interacting with customers,” Scott says. “At the end of the day, if I can contribute to the quality of the Toronto food scene, that’s great. I’m just happy I get to be in the kitchen every day and that I’m cooking my own food.”){kind=link}
Went to Beast on Friday. Wasn’t terribly busy. Service (though polite) was terribly slow. My soft shell crab and foie gras was very yum but my main (mussels) wasn’t any hell. My dining companions had a similar experience. I don’t recommend “Beast”.
That article was terribly written … it reads like a grade 10 English assignment. I don’t remember Toronto Life food articles every being like that … I hope it was just a bad day!
Could they have chosen a more offensive name? I think it was names after the owners. I predict they will not make it. Pig’s head pasta? Please. And don’t even get me started on that ugly painting. When they close – I’ll do a little victory dance for all the animals.
Stupid Vegetarians.
See comment number two….follow with comment number three. Henry T Ford makes an excellent comment. If you don’t like meat, dont eat a place that has lots of it. Plain and Simple.
My recent experience at Beast was completely opposite to that of “kerrym”. The only point i will agree with is that the service was polite. I’ll go a step farther and say they were friendly and welcoming.
They just opened a few weeks ago, i’m going to take any stories of ‘slow’ service as what i expect most restaurants to experience as they get things under way. As for my experience, it was timely and the food was amazing. Fresh, seasonal and delicious. |The wine and coffee were perfect compliments.
I hope this new restaurant is here to stay.
I went for dinner last weekend and had a disapointing experience. My foie gras was terrible – cold and tasteless. My main was over-spiced to hide the fact that it was not exactly fresh. My husband’s steak was rather good though, but that’s not exactly hard to do.
When the server asked how our meal was, I said “Just Fair”. She looked at me, then turned on her heel and walked away. If she didn’t want to know, why did she ask?
The room is stark white and cold. The tables are uncovered and the room is just not cozy like it used to be.
Overall, there are much better places in the city to eat at for this price point.
It’s been more than a year since any of the above comments have been. Went a couple days ago, had a very positive experience with some killer dishes. Essentially sampled the entire (granted, ever-changing) menu.
Three words: STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING.
Our full review here if you’d like to read:
http://restosinto.tumblr.com/post/13029648075/beast
Cheers,
RestosinTO.com
I had attended the restaurant for a friend’s 30th birthday and got a big shock. This place came recommend by another friend as great food and service. We were all shocked to get the most snobby attitude from the “owner” and waitress. they carried themselves as if this place was a high class 5 star restaurant, which is totally not!! They were dressed in jeans and a fleece zip sweater. The table water was strap from the tap which we could see the waitress filling it at the sink. We could also watch her marry vodka bottle right in front of us. When asking the waitress what were certain items on the menu that had no description she was make a snarled face and tell as if we should already know. This was terrible considering there were 12 of us on a Wednesday night and nobody else was in the restaurant. The birthday boy’s fiancé had brought in a cake since this place doesn’t specialize in desert or advertise anything about it. The owner first refused to serve her cake then said if she does serve it she has to charge $3 per plate. That was completely insane that the owner would charge a plate rental fee for cake after getting a 12person party on a ordinary Wednesday night when there is no one else in the place. I am disgusted by the service of this place as a GM of a bar and restaurant myself. I do not recommend this place you are far better off spending your money and time at another establishment.