This sort-of-secret Parkdale sandwich shop hosts an affordable family-style supper club once a month

The sort-of secret: Coire, a sandwich counter and Sunday supper club tucked in the back room of a Parkdale bar You may have heard of it if: You frequent Danu Social House, the bar that plays host But you probably haven’t tried it because: The neon sign flashing “SANDWICHES” looks like it could just be an ironic piece of bar decor, not the entrance to an actual sandwich shop

The past five years have seen an exponential increase in private supper clubs, but Rolando Argueta is offering a refreshing, no-fuss take on the trend at Coire, a sandwich counter at the back of Parkdale’s Danu Social House.

From Wednesday to Sunday, Argueta slings sandwiches from the bar’s four-square-metre kitchen. (His regulars can vouch for the Monte Cubano, Coire’s signature sandwich: slow-roasted pork, Black Forest ham, swiss cheese, dill pickles and yellow mustard pressed between sliced challah.) And on the third Sunday of every month, he hosts a family-style supper that’s less club, more community.

Related: This Kensington Market café makes some of the city’s best sandwiches

Danu is named for the Gaelic earth-mother goddess, one of the most revered deities in Celtic lore. When owner (and Gaelic mythology enthusiast) Joshua Zachariah invited Argueta to serve up some delicious food to go with the drinks, the name Coire (pronounced Cora) was a natural choice: it means cauldron, and it’s what Danu fed her patrons from.

Argueta and Zachariah go way back—they’ve been friends since they were seven years old. They both grew up in the Annex and ran in the same circles, so when Zachariah asked if Argueta wanted to partner with him and start a food business inside Danu, it was a no-brainer. After working in kitchens for the last decade (the Bedford Academy, North of Brooklyn, Pizzeria Badiali), Argueta was more than happy to build something that wasn’t a traditional restaurant.

“The industry is inherently exploitative,” says Argueta. “You can’t run or scale up an operation without somehow taking advantage of people—financially or with their time and energy. It’s not something I enjoy about the industry. But, now that I’m working for myself and by myself, it’s a little different, and I get to do really cool things with the food.”

Argueta and Zachariah’s sense of community is best expressed by Coire’s Sunday-night dinners, a casual, homey service where bar regulars can come together to catch up over an affordable family-style meal. Argueta does everything himself, from scribbling menu notes and inspiration on the back of a popcorn bag to prepping and cooking the food to setting up tables on the day of.

A recent dinner was a collaboration with Toronto’s Woodhouse Brewery, which meant cold pints and beer-infused comfort food. It started with a spread of salads and veggies: smashed potato salad, a tangy green apple and cabbage coleslaw, fresh garden greens, and a grilled corn and wild pesto recipe inspired by The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Beth Dooley and Sean Sherman. For the main course, Argueta brought out bratwurst burgers with pilsner-caramelized onions and pickles as well as roast chicken brined in two kinds of Woodhouse IPA and finished with a dry rub. To end the night, he passed around bowls of citrus pudding made with a West Coast IPA and topped with whipped cream. And the grand total for this communal smorgasbord ? A breezy $32 at the door (or $27 for early RSVPs)—and that even included a beverage.

Related: This must-try vegan taco spot is hidden inside a Junction Triangle plaza

A Sunday dinner at Coire is like cozying up in a friend’s living room, surrounded by bookshelves filled with board games and tchotchkes. Like at an actual family dinner, the plates are passed around and guests help serve one another. After dessert, once the tables are cleared, everyone moves over to the couches to continue conversations.

In the beginning, dinners were served to a dozen or so Danu regulars. Then some of them started bringing their friends, and the group grew. Now, people from all over the city come looking to eat delicious food in a laid-back space and meet like-minded folks. Despite the growing following, most dinners manage to stay pretty intimate, maxing out at 20 guests.

When the Sunday dinners started, about a year ago, they came with a $55 price tag and a bit more finesse where plating was concerned. “The trouble was that it wasn’t super accommodating for walk-ins. Being a socialist bar in Parkdale, it didn’t really make sense to continue with that price point,” says Argueta. With thoughtful sourcing, he’s now able to keep costs low and guests satisfied.

Coire is in business whenever Danu is open, Wednesday to Sunday. “If you’re reading this, there is a sandwich shop at the back of the bar, under the sandwich sign. It’s not just ornamental,” says Argueta. “Come back here, bother me, get your sandwiches.” That is, unless it’s the third Sunday of the month—then it’s family supper time.

Coire, 1237 Queen St. W. (inside Danu Social House), @coirefood