Review: The Carbon Bar serves some of the city’s best pork ribs in an awfully fancy room
The Carbon Bar ★
99 Queen St. E., 416-947-7000
The latest venture from the venerable restaurateur Franco Prevedello is an awfully fancy setting for a platter of ribs. Instead of the usual barnboard and bone buckets, the cavernous room at Queen and Church is outfitted with leather banquettes, buff mahogany tables and arty signage. The clientele of ad execs and TV talking heads sip bourbon cocktails in an ’80s reverie. Dinner is a mostly successful southern diversion for David Lee, also the chef at the prim Nota Bene a few blocks west. He stuffs a corn pupusa (pictured) with braised goat, the pastry flaky but the meat flavours oddly muted. Likewise, a roasted Cornish hen is crisp-skinned and juicy yet lacks any heat from the promised jerk seasoning. His pork ribs, however, are some of the city’s best: the dry rub properly spicy, the meat tender and nearly falling from the bone. They’re meant to be shared, like most of the menu, but it’s best to get your own.
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The Carbon Bar ★
99 Queen St. E., 416-947-7000
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The latest venture from the venerable restaurateur Franco Prevedello is an awfully fancy setting for a platter of ribs. Instead of the usual barnboard and bone buckets, the cavernous room at Queen and Church is outfitted with leather banquettes, buff mahogany tables and arty signage. The clientele of ad execs and TV talking heads sip bourbon cocktails in an ’80s reverie. Dinner is a mostly successful southern diversion for David Lee, also the chef at the prim Nota Bene a few blocks west. He stuffs a corn pupusa (pictured) with braised goat, the pastry flaky but the meat flavours oddly muted. Likewise, a roasted Cornish hen is crisp-skinned and juicy yet lacks any heat from the promised jerk seasoning. His pork ribs, however, are some of the city’s best: the dry rub properly spicy, the meat tender and nearly falling from the bone. They’re meant to be shared, like most of the menu, but it’s best to get your own.
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Reviewer,
If you’re going to provide the lowest score for this restaurant, please identify areas where it falls short. Your reviews are exceptionally brief and unhelpful.
Here’s some insight from a person who essentially lives in a restaurant. Service was excellent, food uninspired. Nothing exciting nor new. The ribs are great but the combination of flavours of most of the dishes are unappetizing… little harmony or balance. Portion sizes… dont even begin, tiny at best. Cocktail list pretty good, wine list on the otherhand, typical and by the glass options very limited and insanely expensive.
Not sure about you Juniormistmaker but I really enjoyed my $27 GLASS of California Conundrum Red. I mean it’s a great wine if you love sweet reds (16 grams of sugar? WTF more than the white). Hey if you love that wine so much it’s on sale at the LCBO for $24. Deal of a lifetime if you ask me.
Thank you very much! I don’t understand why the actual reviewer can’t do something similar. Not sure I’m on board for nearly $30 glasses of sweet red wine but I guess if I’ve got a young lady looking to transition from $11 Zinfandel it may impress her just enough.