Introducing: Origin North, the new uptown tapas restaurant from Claudio Aprile
Name: Origin North Neighborhood: Bayview Village Contact Info: 2901 Bayview Ave, www.originnorth.com, 416-479-8833 Owner and Chef: Claudio Aprile (Colborne Lane)
The Food: The international menu of small plates veers Italian with dishes like mascarpone-sweet pea risotto, chorizo-and-smoked-tomato parpadelle, and a dedicated mozzarella bar (as at the King St. location) serving crostini topped with mozzarella di bufala and fiore de latte.
Some staples appear on the menus of all three Origin restaurants (the original on King Street and the Liberty Village space), including chorizo-and-manchego fries, an Asian beef-and-glass-noodle salad, and the Origin burger. Doughnuts, pudding and cream soda floats for dessert.
The Drinks: An eclectic wine list with several bottles under $50, as well as beers on tap and by the bottle, and a short list of cocktails, like the French Martini, a mix of vodka, raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice.
The Space: Befitting the north-of-Bloor location, everything about the cavernous, 12,000-square-foot space is over-sized, including floor-to-ceiling windows and massive beams of wood suspended from the ceiling. Polished concrete floors and studded black leather banquettes give the room a masculine feel.
The Numbers: • 875 doughnuts churned out per day • 200 seats indoors • 150 staff members • 138 seats on the two patios • 5 tonnes of Douglas fir bolted to the ceiling • 3 years in development • 2 floors: the top one will be rented out for events
