EAT! bistro

Eating downtown at a reasonable price is a fairly dire proposition. Of course, the Village and the Exchange are both close by, but the core area is mainly a sad wasteland, restaurant-wise. Of course, I'm focusing on modern, contemporary restaurants within my relatively modest means when I say that(*); Amici, Hy's and Dubrovnik are a bit outside my casual price-range. That leaves East India, Edohei, and, yes, EAT! Bistro(**).

Located in the rear of Aqua Books, EAT! is a vegan-and-celiac-friendly eatery with a self-described "unpretentious yet innovative" menu. The restaurant's approach can't be easily summarized; the only moniker I can think to apply is (the admittedly lame) "modern Canadian". The menu is short and relatively simple: frittatas and flatbread pizzas that change daily, and various other salads and snacky finger foods. (Although while perusing the menu for this here writeup, I noticed a vegetarian lasagna that I believe is new and that will have to be tried.)

The space itself is small-ish, but the ramshackle decor charms, with mismatched thrift-store furnishings and doutang'd menus snuggled between the hard covers of old used books. The latter is a lovely touch, really.

My dinner companion and I opted to share the EAT! platter, and I added a bowl of soup for myself. I've dined at EAT! (and yes, I'm getting sick of the all-caps-and-silly-exclamation-point-edness of the name, after the fifth writing) a handful of times previous, and the soups NEVER disappoint. On this occasion it was a bowl of tortilla soup, with ground beef and a dollop of crème fraiche. It packed a slight but distinct spicy wallop--pretty much perfect.

The platter contains chickpea fritters, deep-fried tortilla chips, black bean cakes, crab fritters, and grilled veggies. The presentation of the dish is subtly elegant, without being at all fussy. The chickpea fritters were perhaps the weakest element, both texturally and flavour-wise a bit bland, but definitely elevated when topped with the included chicken feta spread. The black bean cakes were served with a bit of guacamole, and walked the same perfect spice line the soup did. The crab fritter was also topped with a bit of guac, in addition to the tiniest, cutest lil' lime wedge I've ever seen. The cakes were tasty, but fell to pieces with the slightest touch, like they were just waiting for a waft of air from my approaching fork to crumble, making them a bit of a chore to eat. The grilled veggies were perfectly simple, and perfectly good for it. Summary: a quality platter that's a good bit of fun to share.

The service was quick and friendly, but I really can't say too much good or bad about it, since our server was a friend of my dinner companion. Service has always been fine, though, on my previous visits.

EAT! stocks quality beverages, which I always appreciate, although they were out of my stand-by Boylan Creamy Red Birch Beer. I also had a sip of my companions house-made iced tea, and it was bright and spicy and completely unexpected. We opted out of dessert, but EAT! also prides itself on its desserts; its menu informs that all desserts are made in house. Quoth the menu: "We don't get our desserts from Goodies or Sisco"(***).

EAT! really just has a lovely vibe--the open kitchen, the simple menu, the dog-eared charm that fits perfectly within its used-bookstore environs. I guess I'm a bit of a hippie, after all. The food fits this vibe perfectly, as well. Recommended!


Location: 274 Garry St., in Aqua Books.

Price tag: $18 for the platter for two; I believe the whole thing came to about $30. (Okay, I really need to start taking notes for this enterprise. Sheesh.)

Website: www.eatbistro.ca (Also: whatsoupisit.ca. Be sure to check it out on a Sunday or a Monday.)


*If you want to go oldschool greasy spoon, the clubhouse at the Wagon Wheel is fresh and ridiculously large (as featured in Readers' Digest!!!). I've also heard good things about Mitzi's and the Kraut King, but haven't visited either. Am I missing the boat?

**Yeah, yeah. I'm sure there are some obvious omissions to this list. This came off the top of my head; fuck you.

***I am CERTAIN that a previous incarnation of the menu read "We don't get our desserts from Goodies or (ugh!) Sisco", which struck me as quite funny, but also a little odd; is it really a good idea to express disgust anywhere near a restaurant menu? I still dig the offbeat touch this added, and part of me laments the "ugh!"'s (probably wise) removal. (Elsewhere in the menu: "...if you want a big hunk of meat, the Keg is down the street." Ugh! (Regarding the Keg, not the big hunk of meat.))