What’s on the menu at The Grand Elvis, Anthony Rose’s ode to old-school American, on Dupont
Name: The Grand Elvis
Contact: 176 Dupont St., 647-748-3287, thegrandelvis.com, @thegrandelvis
Neighbourhood: The Annex
Previously: Rose and Sons
Owner: Wilder and Rose (Fat Pasha, Fet Zun, Gordy Smiles)
Chef: Executive chef Anthony Rose and chef de cuisine Jeff Richards (Holt Renfrew, THR & Co.)
Accessibility: No barrier at entrance; washroom down a flight of stairs
The food
Anthony Rose cut his teeth in some of N.Y.C.’s most prestigious kitchens before returning to Toronto in 2006 to work at the Drake. Then in 2012, he opened his first of many restaurants, Rose and Sons, his modern take on a Jewish deli. Now, Rose is in the throes of a massive rebranding—he’s more than just latkes and brisket! This past November he flipped his Schmaltz Appetizing outpost on Ossington into a funky Mexican joint called Gordy Smiles. And he’s replaced Rose and Sons with the Grand Elvis, an ode to the restaurants he loved while living in New York.
“I lived in New York for almost 10 years and the restaurants I just loved there were P.J. Clarke’s, JG Melon and Minetta Tavern—those classic old-school American restaurants,” says Rose. “Everything on here is a take on something else, but it’s all big, bold accessible food: burgers, steaks, salads, pizzas.”
The drinks
The wine-focused drink list has no geographic heart. There are aged chardonnays from France, skin-contact sparklers from Ontario, pinot noir from Oregon, shiraz from Australia and tempranillo from Spain. “They’re all just great wines,” says Rose, who made sure to stock a bunch of fancy magnums. “I want everything to be a party, which is how I like to eat and drink.” Customers who order magnums will be part of decorating the restaurant—empty magnums are signed by the table and then proudly displayed on the shelves.
The space
What was two separate restaurants is now the singular Grand Elvis. The 28-seat Dupont Street-facing front room, previously Rose and Sons, is now the Grand Elvis Salon. Palmerston Design nixed the booths and gave the space a bistro-inspired makeover with lush blue velvet banquettes and art-deco light fixtures. To access the 60-seat Grand Elvis Ballroom (previously Big Crow), guests need to walk through the Salon, down into the twinkle light–spangled basement and back out again. The kitchen back here churns out all of the restaurant’s smoked and grilled items, which are cooked over a huge coal fire that crackles and pops.
Chef: Executive chef Anthony Rose and chef de cuisine Jeff Richards (Holt Renfrew, THR & Co.)
Accessibility: No barrier at entrance; washroom down a flight of stairs
The food
Anthony Rose cut his teeth in some of N.Y.C.’s most prestigious kitchens before returning to Toronto in 2006 to work at the Drake. Then in 2012, he opened his first of many restaurants, Rose and Sons, his modern take on a Jewish deli. Now, Rose is in the throes of a massive rebranding—he’s more than just latkes and brisket! This past November he flipped his Schmaltz Appetizing outpost on Ossington into a funky Mexican joint called Gordy Smiles. And he's replaced Rose and Sons with the Grand Elvis, an ode to the restaurants he loved while living in New York.
“I lived in New York for almost 10 years and the restaurants I just loved there were P.J. Clarke’s, JG Melon and Minetta Tavern—those classic old-school American restaurants,” says Rose. “Everything on here is a take on something else, but it’s all big, bold accessible food: burgers, steaks, salads, pizzas.”
[caption id="attachment_513709" align="aligncenter" width="3262"] Parmesan truffle fries. $16.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513714" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] Here’s Rose’s take on a wedge salad. Two romaine hearts are split then topped with spicy candied walnuts, a hunk of Quebec blue cheese and a singular slice of thick Perth Pork bacon. $14.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513705" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] The Grand Elvis runs a limited menu of just burgers and fries on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The base model, the Elvis Quarter Pounder ($5.49), is a smashed patty topped with American cheese and pickles. For the double Oklahoma-style Elvis Quarter Pounder (pictured here, $10.50) onions are smashed into the patty as it hits the flat top so that onions cook into the fat-marbled grind. An order of fries goes for $3.50.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513708" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] The burrata pizza starts with a focaccia dough that goes into the oven until it bubbles and forms a golden crust. The chewy base is then topped with caramelized onions, sautéed portobello mushrooms, anchovies, green olives, a hunk of burrata and some bomba. $24.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513713" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] The octopus is cooked sous vide in a mirepoix before it’s finished on the grill. For the polenta, Rose doesn’t skimp on the fat: the creaminess comes from a mix of butter, mascarpone and cream. Even the tomato sauce is made with butter. A few stems of grilled rapini finish the plate. $25.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513717" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] This double-cut pork chop is lightly smoked over fruitwood before hitting the grill. It’s served with a loaded coal-baked potato and wilted greens. $23.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513706" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] Left to right: Rose, Richards and Wilder.[/caption]
The drinks
The wine-focused drink list has no geographic heart. There are aged chardonnays from France, skin-contact sparklers from Ontario, pinot noir from Oregon, shiraz from Australia and tempranillo from Spain. “They’re all just great wines,” says Rose, who made sure to stock a bunch of fancy magnums. “I want everything to be a party, which is how I like to eat and drink.” Customers who order magnums will be part of decorating the restaurant—empty magnums are signed by the table and then proudly displayed on the shelves.
[caption id="attachment_513721" align="aligncenter" width="3648"] Here are a few of the bottles currently on offer.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513718" align="aligncenter" width="3648"] The Pear Sage Bellini is a simple combination of cava, pear juice and a squirt of pear-sage shrub. $14.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513715" align="aligncenter" width="3648"] The tight, six-drink cocktail card includes fun concoctions like the Celery Daisy, a herbaceous gin-based bracer. $15.[/caption]
The space
What was two separate restaurants is now the singular Grand Elvis. The 28-seat Dupont Street-facing front room, previously Rose and Sons, is now the Grand Elvis Salon. Palmerston Design nixed the booths and gave the space a bistro-inspired makeover with lush blue velvet banquettes and art-deco light fixtures. To access the 60-seat Grand Elvis Ballroom (previously Big Crow), guests need to walk through the Salon, down into the twinkle light–spangled basement and back out again. The kitchen back here churns out all of the restaurant’s smoked and grilled items, which are cooked over a huge coal fire that crackles and pops.
[caption id="attachment_513710" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] This here is the Grand Elvis Salon.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513711" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] And again.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513712" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] On the way to the Grand Elvis Ballroom...[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513704" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] And here we are.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_513720" align="aligncenter" width="4100"] Oh, hi there.[/caption]
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