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Vinny
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While cocktail bars are becoming all the rage in the city, INK Entertainment’s newest spot takes the concept back to its roots - a vintage vinyl bar spinning curated tunes - but infused with a modern twist.
The menu is reflective of the tastes of King Street - seafood, shareables, and an eclectic set of entrees designed to ensure that guests can both start and end their night with the cool vibes and electric feel. The team developed a menu that’s approachable but still chef-driven, something that works for the area but also incorporates unique flavours and twists.
Charles Khabouth’s latest restaurant is designed to combine the best of the 70s and the best of Toronto’s modern restaurant scene, with the touch of one of the city’s most iconic restaurateurs. The touches are what make Vinny great: Each drink is named after an iconic song to create a selection that spans flavour profiles and decades. It’s all enjoyed under dim, moody lighting, between vinyl-decorated shelves and funky wallpaper, while listening to a curated playlist or live music, depending on the night of the week. It’s like dipping your toe into a time capsule, without going all in.
“The fluke crudo is a beautiful summer dish,” says chef de cuisine Ivan Kurtis. “Our version takes ingredients that go really well together; it’s kind of Latin American with an undertone of Asian cuisine.” It’s made with citrus, cilantro, blackened avocado, cucumber, and crispy taro.
“The tuna sashimi is a spin on a classic dish,” Kurtis says, highlighting the truffle, jalapeno and espelette peppers as proof. “Think about it kind of like a tuna ceviche, when you get the tostadas. That’s kind of what we were doing, but we wanted to make it more of a shareable situation, which is why it’s cut into triangles. And I mean, who doesn’t like tuna, avocado, and a little bit of mayonnaise?”
“We wanted to do a classic beef tartare, so a lot of the ingredients we put into the dish are classics,” Kurtis says. “The twist on it was that we wanted to throw some beamster cheese in there and make it somewhat British.” It’s served with a crispy sunchoke for another twist.
“For the roast chicken, we brine half a Quebec bird, and then we hot sear it so it can get super crispy,” Kurtis says. “We cook it for about 20 minutes so that it cooks through but stays tender and juicy. Then we cut it up, char up some beautiful Tokyo turnips that we get from a local farm, and we finish it with a simple pan sauce of chicken jus, butter, onions, white wine, and a bit of lemon juice.” As a twist, it's topped with clams, which Kurits says add a saffron flavour.
“We make this beautiful, long, lobster bisque of sorts, and we use it as the sauce for the cappelletti,” Kurtis says. “The pasta is made by a guy named Eric who has a company called Tiny Market and Co. on Bathurst, and his pasta is phenomenal. I also wanted to throw a little bit of Asian into this dish, so I added the lime leaves, the chilli, the garlic crisp, and the coriander, which makes it taste like a Thai dish.”
“We kind of wanted to go Cajun on our blackened tuna,” Kurtis explains. “So we took this beautiful Cajun spice, and took a five-ounce portion of tuna and herb it in the spice blend. Then we char it until it becomes black, slice it up rare, and serve it on top of Ontario green beans, peas, and pea tendrils that we mix with a creme fraiche vinaigrette. It’s then finished with Marygold’s mint and basil oil.”
The Can I Kick It? Is made with Diplomatico rum, cynar, maple, black tea, sumac, orange marmalade, grapefruit and lime juice. It pays homage to the song by A Tribe Called Quest, in which the band sings “A life filled with fun, that's what I love” and “A rhythm recipe that you'll savour.”
Described as “not your father’s Rusty Nail,” The Smooth Operator is made with Crown Royal single malt whiskey, Drambuie, Angostura, and orange bitters.
The “Spice Up Your Life,” named after the iconic Spice Girls song, is Vinny’s most popular drink so far. It’s made with Don Julio Blanco tequila, ancho chilli liquor, pear juice, lime juice, agave syrup, and fire tincture, and serves as the restaurant’s version of a spicy margarita.
The sweetest, fruitiest drink on Vinny’s menu is The Pleasure Principle, made with Grey Goose vodka, white peach, passionfruit syrup, vanilla, and prosecco. It’s perfect for a summer night with friends.
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