Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern, a revamp of the Bay Street power lunch destination
Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern, a revamp of the Bay Street power lunch destination
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
It wasn’t long ago that we watched as Ryan Gallagher brought his good-natured competitive streak to season two of Top Chef Canada, making it all the way to episode nine. In August, SIR Corp. announced that Gallagher would be leaving Ruby Watchco to find himself back in the Financial District (he worked as an insurance broker at Brookfield Place many years ago), as the executive chef at the relaunched Reds Wine Tavern. The two-storey restaurant, which opened back in 2000 as Reds Bistro and Wine Bar, shut down briefly in September for renovations. The result: a lively space full of—you guessed it—exposed brick, warm lighting and communal wooden tables that’s nevertheless still sophisticated enough for the district’s businesspeople.
The menu, which Gallagher describes as “not stuffy,” focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients, especially on the daily seafood menu supplied by Foley Fish Boston. A new list of “shareables” includes a tavern cheese and butcher board ($29), Atlantic lobster rolls ($23) and lobster guacamole with corn chips and jalapeno sour cream ($18). There’s salads hefty enough to be entrées, like a grilled yellowfin niçoise ($27), mussels ($18.50) and comfort food mains like a “butcher” burger ($17), chicken pot pie with foie gras gravy ($18) and buttermilk fried chicken ($18). The extensive wine list is curated by sommelier Jasmine Black, and along with a tome listing 350 wines by the bottle, the bar offers 77 wines by the glass. There’s also a new cocktail menu, including five different takes on the caesar ($10.50 to $12.50), and creative spins on classics like a saffron negroni ($9.50) and a maple bacon bourbon manhattan ($10.50). The new Reds features two large private dining rooms upstairs for larger groups, as well as a chef’s table from which Gallagher’s fans can, if they’re lucky, spy the Top Chef Canada star in action.
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- Grilled Pacific yellowfin tuna niçoise with arugula, fried egg, marinated beans, pickled onions, roasted cherry tomatoes and vinaigrette ($27)
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- B.C. halibut with sautéed cabbage, sweet tomato relish, beurre noisette and bacon vinaigrette (Market Price)
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- Lobster guacamole with Kensington corn chips and jalapeño sour cream ($18)
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- That’s right, that’s a shuffleboard table
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- The Charcuterie Caesar ($11.50): Smirnoff vodka, house-made Tabasco barrel-infused tomato-clam juice, Worcestershire sauce and house-made hot sauce with a celery salt rim. Served with the chef’s selection of pickles, olives, meats and cheeses
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- The maple bacon bourbon manhattan ($10.50): house-made bacon-infused Bulleit bourbon, sweet vermouth, Ontario maple syrup and house-made bourbon-soaked cherries
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- The downstairs tavern
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- New to Reds: long communal tables
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- Reds serves 77 wines by the glass
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- Part of the restaurant’s vast wine selection
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- Pages of Frank Schoonmaker’s 1975 <em>Encyclopedia of Wine, Sixth New Revised Edition</em> are wallpapered along the stairwell leading to the upstairs dining room
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- Chandelier at the bar downstairs
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- The downstairs bar at the new Reds
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- One of two private dining rooms upstairs
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- The chef’s table
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- The main dining room, upstairs
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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- Chef Ryan Gallagher
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
- Introducing: Reds Wine Tavern
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Reds Wine Tavern, 77 Adelaide St. W., 416-862-7337, redswinetavern.com, @redswinetavern
SHAVE!!Or wait till you can grow a beard.
RYAN IS A AWESOME CHEF
My boyfriend and I went to dine at Reds for “date night” a week or so ago after a recommendation from a friend. The atmosphere was incredibly warm. They were quite busy for a Wednesday night. The lower area was buzzing with people, looked like the typical after work hangout for the downtown core. Upstairs set an entirely different mood. The friendly host staff quickly found our reservation and led us to our table upstairs. We were starving and ordered the mussels and caesar salad to start. Best caesar salad! DELISH. It went down incredibly well with a glass of wine. Wait staff was friendly. We also ordered the Swordfish and Pork Chop entrees. The presentation was beautiful and the fish was super fresh and tasty. It was a great night overall. Looking forward to coming back and trying more items.