What’s on the menu at Montgomery’s, chef Guy Rawlings’ very first restaurant

By Renée Suen | Photography By Renée Suen | September 15, 2016

By Renée Suen | Photography By Renée Suen | 09/15/2016

Name: Montgomery’s
Neighbourhood: Trinity Bellwoods
Contact: 996 Queen St. W., no phone, montgomerysrestaurant.com, @MontgomerysNews
Owners: Guy Rawlings and Kim Montgomery Rawlings
Chef: Guy Rawlings (Bellwoods Brewery, Bar Isabel)

The food

Thoughtfully prepared Canadian cooking peppered with house-made seasonings, vinegars, preserves, fermented goods and ingredients sourced from Mennonite farms. All of the dishes on the always-changing menu are lightly seasoned so the natural flavours shine—but there are salt shakers on every table.

House-made sourdough bread ($2) served with cultured butter ($4).

Raw radishes and turnips served with house-made spinach and split-pea miso dips. $6.

Heirloom tomatoes, house-made hot sauce and dried mint. $9.

Steamed artichokes with verjus butter. $10.

Raw salmon and cucumber with house-made vinegar. $12

Goose creton served with smoked mustard, fried bread and pickles. $12.

Mussels in a chili pepper marinade with purslane and potato sheets. $14.

Cultured cottage cheese, peas, over-cured beef and kvass rye. $12.

Lakefish with beurre blanc and dill. $22.

Duck heart with green peppers and pine mushrooms. $14.

Salmon collar with house-made vinegar. $15.

Peach, corn, yogurt and whole-wheat paté brisée. $7.

Pecan financiers with a gooseberry compote. $5.

The drinks

Small-batch wines available by the glass, most of which are private orders, a selection of hard-to-find beers that aren’t available at the LCBO, digestifs, and sodas made with house-made cordials.

Rawlings designed and built the wine fridge himself.

The space

Rawlings describes the space as both clean and industrial, with elements of his childhood home. (The room’s largest table is coincidentally the same make and brand as his mother’s table.)