Just Opened: Parts and Labour, Parkdale’s new bar-club-restaurant-art gallery-wine bar
For many residents of Parkdale, the opening of Parts and Labour at the Roncy end of Queen West means one of two things: here’s a new restaurant, or here’s a new nightclub masquerading as a restaurant. Anyone who attended last week’s official opening could be forgiven for suspecting the latter, as throngs of people crowded the P&L bar—and they weren’t ordering food.
City hall’s lack of distinction between restaurants and bars has been a lingering problem for residents along Queen West since the opening of The Drake, but first impressions can be deceiving. Parts and Labour is spacious enough (and the bar is big enough) to host a raucous party, but chef Matty Matheson has drawn up a menu for serious foodies. Sample entries—served to the thumping bass of The Stooges and the like—include peppercorn-crusted horse tenderloin with bone marrow ($36) or grilled whole sea bream ($28) with creamed savoy cabbage. All the pasta is made in-house and the ragout ($18) features short rib that have been braised for 24 hours. The entire roof is occupied by a well-maintained garden that supplies the kitchen with greens, radishes and herbs. Owners are unclear, though, about whether a rooftop patio is in the works.
“There were a few problems with [city councillor] Gord Perks, because he thought we were going to be a club,” recalls co-owner Brian Richer from Castor Design, who’s partly responsible for the arty feel of the place. “But we’ve invested so heavily in the kitchen and kitchen equipment.”
If residents are confused as to what the restaurant means for the neighborhood, it may be because Parts and Labour is a jack of all trades. “The most challenging part of what we’re doing is trying to open something that’s more than one thing,” says co-owner Richard Lambert. The restaurant, with its eight large, communal tables, becomes a wine bar later in the evening; there’s a venue for live music in the basement—“you don’t hear anything outside,” owners say—while Nicholas Brown from Red Bull 381 and Toronto Life’s own Catherine Dean curate art shows.
Local businesses are excited about the investment into Parkdale, and say that concerns from residents are tapering. “There were a lot of upset people originally,” says Mark Cutrara, who runs Cowbell right next door. “There were concerns about noise levels, people puking in the streets. I don’t think it’s going to be that kind of place.”
Parts and Labour, 1566 Queen St. W., 416-588-7750, partsandlabour.ca.
Parts and Labour brings a whole new level of sophistication to Toronto. it is innovative, stylish and original. I was at the opening night and the crowd was not restricted to the usual Queen Street crowd. The whole city seemed represented. It is fantastic.
Why is Gord Perks still in politics???
Instead of supporting small businesses he tries to shut them down.
He doesn’t allow parkdale homeowners to park on their own parking pads yet when the CNE roles around people park wherever they want without getting ticketed…his only interest is high park (where he resides)…what about south parkdale?
At first I was intrigued by this article, thinking it discussed a cool new restaurant – until I got to the part about horse tenderloin being on the menu. Seriously? For that reason alone, I’ll never visit.
Had dinner there, food was fantastic even though the menu might be a bit adventurous for some. Very well prepared. Queen-West-attitude service but to be expected. Cool place.
Gordo is a loser. Period. P&L is awesome!
The perfect synthesis of Toronto’s restaurant scene and it’s club scene in one venue… Mediocre on all levels—from intention to execution—this place just reeks of falsity and that try-hard attitude that only comes from people more concerned about quantity than quality.
Parts and Labour is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood, for sure. But don’t hate on Gord Perks. This neighbourhood is very residential, and P&L are metres away from homes that already endure live music from the other bars on this strip. Councillor Perks was – properly – representing the very real concerns of citizens who have lived here and invested in this neighbourhood long before P&L arrived. The real problem, as Toronto Life notes, is the ambiguity regarding the owner’s intentions. A rooftop patio, as an example, will not be welcomed by resident’s whose backyards share that of P&L.
front end of the house well… arty people who know nothing about the wine or food. THankfully the chef is great and food was amazing. Shame about the wine list, only had like 1 ontario wine, an icewine. At least other restos in the area talk the talk on local food AND wine.
Can’t Parkdale just be Parkdale?
Is no one else a little turned off by the way these kind of boho joints open up in working class neighbourhoods, cannibalize the local culture (“Parts and Labour? Seriously?) and then ironically drive out that element by turning the neighbourhood into something unrecognizable, decimating a community and contributing further to inner-city Toronto’s tranisition into one big homogenized (and therefore not very urban) ghetto for the well-off?
Or do people just want to eat their horse tenderloin and bone marrow without being reminded of all that?
I guess the Perkolator is not truly as popular in the High Park or Parkdale area. Too bad councilors can’t be traded like basketball players. He really just wants to grandstand where possible – as he really doesn’t seem to care about community. There have been people trying to appeal to them for a few other issues but if it is not within his best interests/vision he will railroad and ostracize.
you must read chanel 2011 online