What’s on the menu at Ama, an Argentine restaurant and cocktail bar on Queen West
Name: Ama
Contact: 930 Queen St. W., amaalways.com, @ama.always
Neighbourhood: Trinity Bellwoods
Previously: Cadillac Jenkins
Owners: Sebastian Galluci (Che Baby food truck) and Michael Mizzi
Chef: Sebastian Galluci
The food
A menu of Argentine staples (empanadas, ceviche), many of which change daily. The ceviche is made with tilapia one day, rainbow trout the next, and vegetarian empanadas are made with seasonal produce like red kale and new potatoes. A few items, like the chimichurri-slathered choripan sandwich and the imported-from-Argentina rib-eye, are menu fixtures.
The drinks
Barman Travis Johnson is quick to whip up a traditional cocktail, but he’s happier creating custom concoctions. “I like to chat with people to get a sense of the flavours they like, and then I’ll just work from there,” he says. Most of his house creations are unnamed as they’re only made once. He’s developing a bunch of house-made bitters (tobacco, charred habanero) and syrups (clove, basil-pepper, mint), with plans to start making shrubs soon.
The space
After dinner service wraps up, tables are pushed to the side and the room transforms into a lounge. There’s a DJ most nights, but the occasional musician will be brought in. The other week, there was a crossover when Mizzi played the bar’s 100-year-old piano for an impromptu duet with the DJ.
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Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
