The Green Wood is the newest addition to the Distrikt 461 family, the team behind SPiN ping pong lounge and the 2nd Floor Events venue in King West. This time, they’ve turned their attention to the east side.
Located on Queen Street and, you guessed it – Greenwood, this day-to-night spot occupies a large space that’s partially underground. Despite this, the windows surrounding the space gave it a very light and airy feel. The restaurant features a long bar which serves as a coffee counter during the day and cocktail bar in the evening. This coffee-during-the-day/cocktails-at-night concept is becoming much more common these days and I’m loving it!
Head Chef Elisa Corrigan, a longtime member of the Distrikt 461 family and former head chef at SPiN has created an all-day menu with an eclectic selection of dishes with something for everyone. If you’re in the mood to share, they offer several sharing dishes ranging in price from $12-$15 which include ‘Pigs in a Pretzel’ (pork sausages wrapped in pretzel dough), shrimp fritters and hummus.
For something more substantial, there are a lot of tempting choices including a fried fish sandwich ($16) and schnitzel ($18). I was also impressed with the number of vegetarian options offered like a tofu banh mi ($15) and vegan cassoulet ($15). If you see a vegetarian dish that catches your eye but love your meat, you can add some protein to it – they have add on’s like hot chicken bites and pork belly.
Drink-wise, they offer a selection of house cocktails (most around the $12 range) as well as classics, a selection of wine (red, white, rosé and bubbly) and beer. For something non-boozy, they offer house pressed juice as well as virgin cocktails.
Here’s a look at some of the offerings:
Purple Rain – Aviation gin, peach schnapps, Verbena Blues iced tea, lemon juice ($12 or $45 for a pitcher)
Souk Fries – hand cut fries topped with grilled eggplant, sumac-seasoned salad, spicy tahini, fried egg and crispy halloumi ($10, +$5 to add lamb)
Hot Chicken & Pickles – bite-sized spicy fried chicken with house spring pickles, served with peppercorn ranch ($15)
The Green Wood Burger – classic burger topped with the works, served with fries or salad ($15)
Salmon Rosti – crispy potato pancake with grilled asparagus, sour cream, smoked salmon and two poached eggs ($16)
If you’re only going to order one thing from The Green Wood, it definitely has to be the Souk Fries which is their Middle Eastern take on poutine. The thick-cut fries were topped with drizzles of tahini which acted like the gravy and the crispy chunks of fried halloumi were in place of the cheese curds. I loved the addition of the sumac-seasoned salad (cucumbers and tomatoes) which added some nice freshness to an otherwise heavy dish.
The burger was another highlight. I love a fancy burger but there are times I crave a classic burger without any bells or whistles. The Green Wood Burger ticks all the boxes. The thick and juicy patty was cooked to a nice medium rare and was topped with smoky bacon, aged cheddar, red onions, tomato and lettuce. Simple but incredibly satisfying!
This versatile spot is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails. Sundays through Tuesdays, The Green Wood is open until 5pm while the rest of the week they are open into the evening until 10pm for food with the bar open late on Friday and Saturday nights.
I really love how you break down the menu but highlight your favourite dishes. Their take on poutine sounds delicious! Your pictures also make me want to try everything on the menu, the food looks incredible and it sounds like they have a lot of variety — I will definitely be trying out The Green Wood with some friends in the near future.
[…] The Green Wood Burger that Jess ordered looks absolutely delicious – the cheese is oozing out of the burger! […]