What’s on the menu at Cass Avenue, a new bar at Yonge and Eg with a solid late-night menu
Name: Cass Avenue
Contact: 150 Eglinton Ave. E., 647-350-7991, cassavenue.restaurant, @cassavenueto
Neighbourhood: Yonge-Eglinton
Previously: Four Barrel Holly’s
Chef-owners: Vittorio Colacitti (The Good Son), Nicholas Bourget (George, Frank’s Kitchen) and Timothy Lampitoc (George, The Good Son)
Accessibility: One step at entrance; no accessible washroom
The food
A diverse selection of snacks (shishito peppers, caesar salad bites) and mains (smash burgers, pizza, fried chicken), all made from scratch with local-when-possible ingredients, and all available until 2 a.m., seven days a week. Almost everything on the menu is $10 or less, with the exception of “Baller Menu” items that include East Coast oysters, a 16-ounce ribeye and charcuterie platters. “It’s about making food affordable again, because I think that’s a big part of what our food and drink culture is missing,” says Colacitti. “It’s our way to give back to the community—we want everybody to be able to experience it.” There are also nightly $15 specials, including pasta (Monday), moules frites (Wednesday), Filipino feast (Thursday) and Texas BBQ (Saturday). Coming soon: Sunday brunch.
The drinks
A bunch of classic cocktails with house twists; a selection of draft and bottled beer, some local (Fairweather, Burdock) and some not (Krombacher, Rolling Rock, Guinness); and wine by the bottle (from a $46 Ontario pinot noir to a $184 Italian barolo) and glass.
The space
The bar takes its name from one of Detroit’s main drags, and Colacitti wants the vibe to reflect Motown through the music that’s played and its “clean but still dive bar–ish” look. The colourful space decorated with rock-and-roll memorabilia can seat 175 guests between a giant U-shaped bar, banquettes, and two- and four-tops. During warmer weather, even more people can squeeze in thanks to a street-side patio.
, Nicholas Bourget (George, Frank's Kitchen) and Timothy Lampitoc (George, The Good Son)
Accessibility: One step at entrance; no accessible washroom
The food
A diverse selection of snacks (shishito peppers, caesar salad bites) and mains (smash burgers, pizza, fried chicken), all made from scratch with local-when-possible ingredients, and all available until 2 a.m., seven days a week. Almost everything on the menu is $10 or less, with the exception of "Baller Menu" items that include East Coast oysters, a 16-ounce ribeye and charcuterie platters. "It's about making food affordable again, because I think that’s a big part of what our food and drink culture is missing," says Colacitti. "It's our way to give back to the community—we want everybody to be able to experience it." There are also nightly $15 specials, including pasta (Monday), moules frites (Wednesday), Filipino feast (Thursday) and Texas BBQ (Saturday). Coming soon: Sunday brunch.
[caption id="attachment_501568" align="aligncenter" width="3758"] Clockwise from top right: shishito peppers dressed with lime and Tajin ($5), guacamole and chips ($10) and southern fried chicken with coleslaw ($10).[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_501571" align="aligncenter" width="3606"] Barbecued pork belly with a side of house-made pickled papaya relish. $10 for two skewers.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_501574" align="aligncenter" width="4016"] East coast oysters served with horseradish, a dropper of house-made pineapple-habanero hot sauce and lemon. $19 for six or $44 for 16.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_501581" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] That popcorn in the bottom left corner is dressed with pecorino, black pepper and olive oil ($5) and the caesar bites in the top-right corner are dressed with bacon and a crouton crumble ($5).[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_501566" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] The smash burger is topped with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickles and "dirty sauce." It's served with fries and a malt aïoli. $10.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_501576" align="aligncenter" width="2500"] You'll find this 16-ounce AAA ribeye steak on the "Baller Menu." It's dressed with chimichurri and served with fries. $65.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_501569" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] Clockwise from top: a chocolate brownie with dulce le leche and walnuts ($5), a classic banana split ($5) and pineapple upside-down cake ($5).[/caption]
The drinks
A bunch of classic cocktails with house twists; a selection of draft and bottled beer, some local (Fairweather, Burdock) and some not (Krombacher, Rolling Rock, Guinness); and wine by the bottle (from a $46 Ontario pinot noir to a $184 Italian barolo) and glass.
[caption id="attachment_501567" align="aligncenter" width="3667"] The Cass Avenue G&T (left) mixes tonic with Whitley Neill rhubarb gin ($12) and the Kentucky Mule (right) is Maker's Mark bourbon mixed with ginger beer ($11).[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_501575" align="aligncenter" width="3746"] The Rhubarb Mule is also made with Whitley rhubarb gin, lemon, simple syrup and egg white. $11.50.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_501577" align="aligncenter" width="3318"] The Smokey Robinson mixes Jameson with Crown Royal Apple. $14.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_501565" align="aligncenter" width="3352"] Bernadette is a mix of Ketel One vodka, St. Germain, dry vermouth and a splash of Cava. $13.[/caption]
The space
The bar takes its name from one of Detroit's main drags, and Colacitti wants the vibe to reflect Motown through the music that's played and its "clean but still dive bar–ish" look. The colourful space decorated with rock-and-roll memorabilia can seat 175 guests between a giant U-shaped bar, banquettes, and two- and four-tops. During warmer weather, even more people can squeeze in thanks to a street-side patio.
[caption id="attachment_501573" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] This colourful mural of a scene from True Romance was done by local artist Emily Conlon.[/caption]
){kind=link}