The Atlantic dries up
After five years, and almost as many conceptual changes, The Atlantic has closed. When it opened on Dundas West in 2010, it offered a simplistic seafood-and-vegetable-focused menu—aside from the occasional hay-smoked cricket. But chef and owner Nathan Isberg slowly stripped away its parts: first he eliminated menus and set prices, then he ditched alcohol. Now he’s laying the restaurant to rest. “My discussion about restaurants has been against restaurants, so it doesn’t make sense to continue that discussion,” Isberg says. “It’s almost like being a troll. It’s become a spectacle instead of a meaningful engagement.”
The Atlantic served its last dinner at the end of July, and Isberg is preparing to pass the keys along to another restaurateur. He’s already got a few new projects on the go, though. For one, he’s been helping Timiskaming First Nations find ways to market foraged goods. He’s also working with Niagara’s Pearl Morissette winery to create a new on-site dining room in which all foods served are farm-raised and grown by Isberg himself (not unlike Singhampton’s Eigensinn Farm). This isn’t the end of the chef’s presence in Toronto, though. He’s looking for another space in which he can continue to cook—but it won’t be for a restaurant.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-restaurants-the-atlantic-closed-nathan-isberg/&title=The Atlantic dries up&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/TheAtlantic.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_322363" align="aligncenter" width="656"] (Image: Rebecca Fleming)[/caption]
After five years, and almost as many conceptual changes, The Atlantic has closed. When it opened on Dundas West in 2010, it offered a simplistic seafood-and-vegetable-focused menu—aside from the occasional hay-smoked cricket. But chef and owner Nathan Isberg slowly stripped away its parts: first he eliminated menus and set prices, then he ditched alcohol. Now he’s laying the restaurant to rest. “My discussion about restaurants has been against restaurants, so it doesn’t make sense to continue that discussion,” Isberg says. “It’s almost like being a troll. It's become a spectacle instead of a meaningful engagement.”
The Atlantic served its last dinner at the end of July, and Isberg is preparing to pass the keys along to another restaurateur. He’s already got a few new projects on the go, though. For one, he’s been helping Timiskaming First Nations find ways to market foraged goods. He’s also working with Niagara’s Pearl Morissette winery to create a new on-site dining room in which all foods served are farm-raised and grown by Isberg himself (not unlike Singhampton’s Eigensinn Farm). This isn’t the end of the chef's presence in Toronto, though. He’s looking for another space in which he can continue to cook—but it won't be for a restaurant.){kind=link}
Somebody is independently wealthy. Or delusional.
Must be nice to be rich, that you can spend your time doing these gimmicks, instead of working hard to run a business because you actually have to earn a living.
Jeremy, you are an idiot. Nathan is rich in ideas, dreams, concepts, ever changing yes, but always with the intent to make our world a little better. Whatever your parents or exes did to you to make you so petty is something you should take up with your therapist. If you don’t have one I suggest you get one. Nathan’s pockets aren’t rich but his dreams are, too bad you don’t have dreams, life is quite a waste without them.
Nathan, dream on, carry on, can’t wait to see what’s next.
West: 131
East: 11
jeremy shits on everything on here.
Not sure all that airy-fairy stuff about Nathan being “rich in dreams”, etc is warranted here. The man was ultimately running a business, whether he thought so or not. “Pay what you want” is always a risky concept (as it depends entirely on the good faith of your patrons) especially in a business with tight margins like restaurants, AND even moreso when you opt to forgo the sale of alcohol with its usually high markups.
Not sure it’s relevant whether he’s independently wealthy or not – same could be said for anyone opening a restaurant given the typical failure rate.
All that said, he got 5 years out of the restaurant/concept, so no shame there – most restaurants run in a “traditional manner” don’t get that – but, it cannot be surprising that this concept would have a relatively short shelf-life. Just because its unique doesn’t mean it will ultimately be successful.