Bazaar is the name of the temporary restaurant in the Statler Hotel downtown space previously occupied by Sauvage. Chef Belal Kattan, a Syrian-American is the owner behind the concept of blending Syrian flavors with American food. After working in a number of restaurants around town including Cry Wolf and Georgie he has landed in this space for a month offering a 5 course tasting for $135 per person. Previously his pop-ups around town have featured his favorite medium, pasta, and this tasting features it in one course. The space has new paint and less counter seating and more table options. It opened last Friday, goes through June 27 and intends to entirely change the menu after every 6 services, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to go more than once. Thus I’m moving it to the head of the queue to give you ample time to get a reservation and go. It’s a fun casual evening with a limited bar available as well as pairings for the tasting. You can make reservations through Open Table and I suggest you do. There is street parking available or you can valet for free with the Statler (they give you a code). In full disclosure, we first met Belal at Cry Wolf and then ran into him at Georgie and his creativity is matched by his kindness and love for food, so I’m not without prejudice but it’s important to support young, talented people who are trying to make their way in a very competitive field. Hopefully the Statler will see the light and ask him to extend his stay for another month. In the meantime I hope you will try it out and let me know what you think. I enjoyed my dinner there. Continue reading
Cry Wolf opened 3 days ago at 4422 Gaston Avenue, a space that formerly held a Subway and you’d never know it. Chef/owner Ross Demers and his team have done a miraculous makeover to present a cozy, fun spot to have a delicious meal. Chef Demers previously owned On the Lamb but also held positions at Flora Street Café and Beverley’s Bistro. Alongside Demers in the open kitchen is another Fauna (part of Flora Street) alum, Liam Byres and also from there is sommelier Tim. The less than 30 seat stylish place offers a small seasonal menu of gradually-increasing-in-size options – to mix and match as the diner prefers. The plan is to change options as ingredients become available. The interior has a long concrete counter facing the kitchen and bar where diners can eat and interact with staff. There are also standard tables on the other side of the room. Music is in the background and the lights are lowered but you can still see. Get here before it gets so popular that you can’t. This is a new favorite restaurant and highly recommended. 
Sachet is a large place opened a couple months ago by the owners of Gemma (Frankie visited in June and July of 2016), where the food is inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. About a third of the space is for the bar and the seating around it. An open kitchen fills one end of the restaurant and a large clear cube containing wines is a focal point in the dining room.. With lots of hard surfaces the noise level is significant but tables are placed a nice distance apart to give you some ability to talk once the place fills. The menu starts with “meze” plates which are priced in groups of 3 or 5. They are small plates meant to be shared by the table. Pastas are in serving sizes like appetizers but can be turned into a main plate for an upcharge. Service is efficient and friendly and tables are turned throughout the evening. 
