(Image: Gizelle Lau)
Name: America
Contact Info: 31st Floor, Trump International Hotel and Tower, 325 Bay St., 416-637-5550, americarestaurant.ca
Neighbourhood: Financial District
Proprietors: Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants and INK Entertainment
Chefs: O&B executive chef Anthony Walsh and chef de cuisine Bill Osborne
The Food: Luxurious takes on classic diner dishes, like flapjacks draped with lobes of foie gras and a Cobb salad tossed with fried frog legs instead of chopped chicken. $170 buys a beef-shin barbecue platter big enough for four, while $150 brings an ounce of Canadian caviar with blinis, crème fraiche and all the other accoutrements.
The Drinks: On weekdays, the restaurant’s lounge serves classic cocktails to hotel guests and business lunchers, but everything changes after 11 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The DJ comes out, bottle service starts rolling and the space transforms into a sexy supper club.
The Place: The restaurant, which hosted celebs like Keira Knightley and Benedict Cumberbatch during TIFF, is a two-way partnership between hospitality giant Oliver & Bonacini and Charles Khabouth’s company INK Entertainment. Over the course of a single week, Khabouth and Toronto firm II by IV Design softened Stock’s stuffy, imposing decor by adding feminine touches, like soft gray banquettes and pops of pastel pink.
292473 <strong>America</strong> (formerly <strong>Stock</strong>) is located on the 31st floor of Trump Tower. (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: America https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-04-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-04/ america-toronto-restaurant-04 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
292476 A wall by the entrance is lined with black and white celebrity shots by Toronto photographer <b>George Pimentel.</b> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-07-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-07/ america-toronto-restaurant-07 0 0
292475 The bar and lounge area. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-06-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-06/ america-toronto-restaurant-06 0 0
292478 House-made cornbread is included in the complimentary bread basket. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-09-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-09/ america-toronto-restaurant-09 0 0
292477 A jumbo shrimp and blue crab cocktail salad is served in a globe artichoke with cocktail sauce, horseradish and creole mustard ($28). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-08-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-08/ america-toronto-restaurant-08 0 0
292470 The Hawaiian-inspired ahi tuna poke cocktail is topped with sliced pineapple, crushed macadamia nuts and coconut ($23). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-01-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-01/ america-toronto-restaurant-01 0 0
292471 Chicken chowder with lobster. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-02-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-02/ america-toronto-restaurant-02 0 0
292472 Weighty buckwheat flapjacks come drizzled with peach caramel and topped with a sizable lobe of foie gras ($21, lunch; $27, dinner). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-03-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-03/ america-toronto-restaurant-03 0 0
292479 Duo of pork: smoked porchetta and thick-cut pork chop with apple-cheddar spätzle and smoked bourbon butter ($47). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-10-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-10/ america-toronto-restaurant-10 0 0
292480 Molten lava cake with burnt marshmallow ice cream and hazelnut brittle ($14). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-11-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/america-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/food/america-toronto-restaurants-trump-tower/slide/america-toronto-restaurant-11/ america-toronto-restaurant-11 0 0
Great, now our hotels are following city hall’s lead and dumbing down? How long before the only choice is McD’s or Tim’s? So sad to see a beautiful, elegant venue turned into another chain :(
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