where jess ate

Located across the street from Scotiabank Theatre, Thoroughbred Food & Drink (@ThoroughbredTO) is the newest addition to the city’s entertainment district. Operating as a bar and restaurant, they’re serving up delicious Canadian favourites with a twist.

Thoroughbred Food & Drink is brought to us by co-owners Chef Ariel Coplan (who has spent time working at George and David Lee’s Splendido), Jacob Fox (maître d’) and Robin Kemp (General Manager). They bring over 20 years combined of hospitality experience so you’d expect nothing less than greatness! In addition to the delicious food (and drinks), they’re planning collaborations with a number of local artists for in-house exhibits, so look out for this in the future.

The bar area of Thoroughbred is located on the first floor of the space while the second floor features a more intimate dining experience which can accommodate up to 35 guests. They also have a private room on the second floor which features a Chef’s Table overlooking the open concept kitchen which can seat up to 10 guests.

Mike and I dropped by for a quick lunch the other day. The menu is moderately priced with starters ranging from $6-$10, sandwiches and a burger priced at $15 and meat/seafood options hovering around the $20-range.

Beverage-wise, Thoroughbred has a great selection of cocktails and craft beers as well as an extensive list of premium natural, organic and sustainable wines.

Mike and I started with the Chicken Liver Mousse – pickled cherries, granola, marbled rye ($10). If you’re only ordering one thing, this has gotta be it. We licked the plate clean! The velvety-smooth mousse was intensely flavoured and was complemented perfectly with the tartness from the pickled cherries, crunch from the granola and schmaltz vinaigrette. The house-made marble rye was also noteworthy and made for the perfect vehicle for the mousse.

We also shared the Summer Squash Salad – pine nuts, mint, lemon vin ($6) as an appetizer. The thinly shaved ribbons of squash made for a light and refreshing starter. I’m not sure how much longer this will be on the menu so take advantage of it while you still can.

For my main, I ordered the B.L.T. – crispy pork jowl, arugula, scallion mayo ($15). I loved Thoroughbred’s take on the BLT which uses pork jowl instead of the usual bacon. The deliciously fatty pork jowl was made char-siu style and added a bit of meatiness to the sandwich. Did I mention that they use a house-made bacon challah bun? Not your average BLT, that’s for sure.

The accompanying potato wedges were also delicious. It’s a good thing Mike ordered a dish that came with ‘em too… they’re definitely something we’d be fighting over!

Mike ordered the Steak Frites – Butcher’s tenderloin, potato wedges, parsley salad ($20). While our server didn’t ask us how we wanted it cooked, we were relieved when it came out a nice rare. The meat was seasoned perfectly and the parsley salad was a nice, refreshing addition to the dish. With the potato wedges, it made for a filling (and very satisfying) lunch.

Thoroughbred offers three desserts which they call “Happy Endings”: chocolate bar truffles, banana split and mini pies. As tempting as they sounded we were way too full to eat another bite.

Overall, we had an amazing meal at Thoroughbred (just thinking about that chicken liver mousse is making my stomach grumble…). Located in the heart of the entertainment district, this new restaurant is well worth a visit!

Specials and Upcoming Events:

Every Tuesday – Chicken and Beer at Thoroughbred Food & Drink – Every Tuesday starting at 5pm, enjoy a half fried chicken, kohlrabi apple slaw and biscuits for $19.95, a bucket of 4 Carling Red Caps for $19.95 and classic rock all night long.

Oct. 9 – Lake Fish Tasting Dinner at Thoroughbred Food & Drink – Join chefs Ariel Coplan of Thoroughbred Food & Drink and Dennis Tay of DaiLo for an 8 course dinner celebrating the freshwater fish of Ontario. Guests will be joined by some of the fishermen themselves to help raise awareness about overfishing. Desserts by pastry chef Shane Harper.

When: Thursday, Oct. 9 between 6pm and 8pm

Where: Thoroughbred Food & Drink (304 Richmond St. W.)

Price: $65 for dinner + $35 for wine/beverage pairings (includes 8 courses, 6 savoury and 2 sweet)

Reservations: events@tbto.ca or call 416-551-9221

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post are my own.*