What’s on the menu at Wolfie, the Commoner Bar Room’s cocktail-forward revamp

Including a Big Mac–style burger and a New Orleans–inspired espresso martini

By Jessica Huras| Photography by Nicole and Bagol

| July 2, 2024

What's on the menu at Wolfie, the Commoner Bar Room’s cocktail-forward revamp

Name: Wolfie Contact: 614 College St., wolfietoronto.com
Owner: Paul Campione Chef: Sabrina Jury Accessibility: Not fully accessible

After nearly four years in business, Little Italy’s Commoner Bar Room had gradually moved away from its original vision, says bar manager Kyle Hudson. The restaurant, a sister spot to the Commoner in Roncesvalles, launched in 2020 with a pub-style menu and a relaxed vibe.

“We’ve learned what works in this neighbourhood, and we found ourselves leaning in to being more of a casual cocktail bar,” says Hudson. “We had already started that shift, but we felt like a rebrand and name change would help emphasize that.” Now called Wolfie, the nickname of owner Paul Campione’s daughter, the restaurant is embracing its cocktail bar identity with reworked food and drink menus and pink neon signage displaying its new name and logo.

Wolfie's chef Sabrina Jury and bar manager Kyle Hudson — Chef Sabrina Jury and bar manager Kyle Hudson

With more sophisticated cocktails and eclectic nibbles, Wolfie hopes to attract new fans in the neighbourhood while maintaining the warm ambiance that initially earned it a loyal local following.

The food

Wolfie’s globe-spanning menu reflects the diversity of its back-of-house team as well as chef Sabrina Jury’s passion for fusion cuisine. Dishes are snacky, flavourful and meant to be shared. Some plates, such as the iceberg wedge, may be familiar to regulars at the Commoner, where Jury says the team tested many dishes while fine-tuning Wolfie’s menu.

Wolfie's wedge salad, with crisp iceberg lettuce and housemate blue cheese dressing — For the wedge salad, a crisp segment of iceberg lettuce is covered with housemade blue cheese dressing, then topped with everything bagel seasoning, bacon bits, juicy grape tomatoes and a smattering of fresh dill. $15

Wolfie's bao, which are stuffed with braised pork belly, pickled daikon and cucumber salad and grated carrots — These squishy bao are stuffed with braised pork belly, pickled daikon and cucumber salad, and grated carrots. Crushed peanuts, peanut sauce and fresh cilantro provide the finishing touches. $16

Wolfie's signature burger, served on a brioche bun with applewood cheddar, onions sautéed in dry vermouth, shredded iceberg lettuce, pickles and Big Mac-style sauce — Here we have Wolfie’s signature burger. It’s served on a brioche bun and loaded with applewood cheddar, onions sautéed in dry vermouth, shredded iceberg lettuce, pickles and Big Mac–style sauce. $17

Wolfie's thick-cut fries, served with a tangy malt vinegar aioli — Wolfie’s thick-cut fries are boiled, then twice-fried to give them that magical combination of crispy exterior and fluffy interior. They’re paired with tangy malt vinegar aïoli. $11

The hanger steak, served alongside charred shishito peppers — The hanger steak is cooked sous vide and finished in a cast iron pan to give it a nice sear. It’s plated over a swirl of zingy chimichurri spiked with red Thai chilis. Charred shishito peppers are served alongside, and everything is topped with a generous sprinkle of Maldon salt. $29

The Drunk Cookie is a soft, oversized chocolate-chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce — The Drunk Cookie, though booze-free itself, is named for its promise of quelling the sugar cravings that come with a night of drinking. A soft oversized chocolate-chip cookie is hit with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. $13

The drinks

Hudson has refined Wolfie’s drinks program to match its new cocktail bar persona. “We wanted to impart more layers of complexity and flavour while still being approachable,” he says. The result is a cocktail menu that emphasizes botanical and herbal elements and scratch-made infusions and syrups.

Wolfie’s locally focused beer program has remained mostly unchanged, but Hudson did add a few “dad beers” like Miller High Life and Labatt 50 to help preserve the bar’s laid-back atmosphere. The wine list features organic and wild-fermented bottles sourced from around the world.

The Espresso Du Monde, a twist on an espresso martini — The Espresso du Monde takes inspiration from the iconic chicory coffee served at Café du Monde in New Orleans. Hudson nods to its nutty flavours in this twist on an espresso martini, which is spiked with chicory root syrup. It’s shaken up with dark-roast espresso, Ketel One vodka, Kahlúa and xocolatl mole bitters. The glass is finished with a spritz of absinthe—another nod to the Big Easy. $17

The 4 O’Clock Sour, with Earl Grey tea-infused gin, house-made blueberry cordial, lemon juice, orange bitters and egg whites — The Four O’Clock Sour is a carry-over favourite from the Commoner Bar Room. “I wanted to make a cocktail that tastes like tea and biscuits,” says Hudson. This sweet and creamy concoction combines Earl Grey tea–infused gin with house-made blueberry cordial, lemon juice, orange bitters and egg whites. A coconut sugar rim adds a hint of crunchy, cookie-like texture. $16

The Strega Nonna, made with tequila reposed that's been infused with turmeric — The Strega Nonna is a spirit-forward cocktail made with tequila reposado that’s been infused with raw turmeric. Blended with Strega liqueur, Cynar, house-made cardamom syrup and pineapple anise bitters, it offers pleasantly earthy and bitter undertones in every sip. $17

The Delusionist, which mixes Havana Club Reserve rum with cointreau, passion fruit liqueur, Angostura bitters, pistachio orgeat, coconut milk and lime — The Delusionist is a riff on a popular cocktail from Toronto’s now-closed Mulberry Bar, where Hudson used to work. Havana Club Reserve rum is mixed with Cointreau, passion fruit liqueur, Angostura bitters, pistachio orgeat, coconut milk and lime for a summer-ready tipple that’s bursting with tropical flavour. $18

The space

Aside from adding new signs, the Wolfie team knew better than to alter the restaurant’s handsome interior. “We wanted to communicate to our regulars that we’re not changing too much,” says Hudson. “They’ve all come back, and they’re really excited about the refresh.”