Mego Spidey has run of this restaraunt

[palitoy]

Funny little Mego mention in this review of this downtown Toronto restaraunt, kind of had to do a double take.

TheStar.com | living | At Harbord Room decor is fine, dining even finer

[Marvelmania]

Pretty neat. There's a retro candy store near me called the Lollipop Shop and the last time I was there I saw a couple of naked Megos on top of a shelf to help decorate the place. If I remember right it was a Penguin and a Supes. Next time I visit I'll snap a pic.

[vulcan2074]

That Web Slinger gets around doesn't he
Sammy

[UnderdogDJLSW]

All I can think of with the description of Spidey migrating around the bar is a little Mego version of the dance scene from Spider-man 3. lol

[cjefferys]

Ha, that is really neat. It's funny how Megos sometimes pop up when you least expect them. Where is Harbord Street in downtown Toronto? I never heard of it and I even lived in downtown TO for awhile.

[clemso]

That place sounds like it could do with a few more megos

[livnxxxl]

Funny little Mego mention in this review of this downtown Toronto restaraunt, kind of had to do a double take.

TheStar.com | living | At Harbord Room decor is fine, dining even finer

Hmm...I went to check out the link and it does not appear to no longer be valid. It said that the page was not found. I tried a couple of times and got the same thing. ????

[Wee67]

The link worked for me.

Too bad Spidey didn't make the picture.

[Riffster]

The Harbord Room




Address: 89 Harbord St., 416-962-8989

Chef: Cory Vitiello

Brunch hours: Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dinner hours: 6 to 10:30 p.m.

Reservations: Yes (not for brunch)

Wheelchair access: No

Washrooms: Private ladies room, spotless. Men's room not-so-private (and no mirror).

Average price: starter $11, main $21, wine $9, dessert $9


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"It started off with a few too many pints, convincing three straight guys that they should have a pink restaurant," says Bradley Denton, who designed The Harbord Room.

The walls are an adorable pink. We can't quite name the shade.

"Pink Pearl drawing eraser, the one we all had at school," Denton offers.

He seems to have a preternatural talent for creating a space where people want to be. Each time I've sat down in a restaurant that he's worked on (Czehoski, Rodney's By Bay and Le Petit Castor), a dining companion remarks, "This is how I want a restaurant to feel."

It doesn't hurt that Denton has teamed with savvy restaurateurs who have a knack for roping in crowds with disposable incomes.

After a year of operation, the most popular spot on Harbord St. is still keeping its game tight and the crowds thick. And it's no frat party. The grown-ups are here to eat.

The gentleman who calls back to confirm my weekday reservation informs me, like a pro, that the first seating is booked. Every restaurant in Toronto should be so busy – and, at the same time, wise enough to handle the volume.

Service is smooth, gracious and informed. The food, with a couple of exceptions, is flawless.

Chef Cory Vitiello demonstrates a remarkable balance. His menu has the boldness of youth and the restraint of experience.

Risotto can often taste as redundant as the double-tap, scene change music from Law & Order ("thump thump"). Here, it surprises like a Stravinsky beat, a shock of vibrant spring in Toronto.

To achieve a brightly coloured risotto is simple. Make a purée of a strong-hued vegetable (in this case, the green chlorophyll of peas and asparagus). Then add it near the end of the 18-minute simmer, so the pigment doesn't fade.

But to capture the flavour of those vegetables requires more dedication. A green risotto that doesn't taste like peas is just a green risotto.

Vitiello's risotto ($18) layers those spring vegetables amid the weight of starchy rice, butter and sheep's milk cheese. On each visit, the visceral crunch of hazelnuts rings out over the fleeting essences of mint, tarragon and lemon, as distinctly as a plucking of strings might over a thunder of drums.

In a post-Black Hoof world, it's often difficult to muster enthusiasm for a charcuterie plate ($17). But it's impossible to resist a pot of juicy rillettes, a perfectly poached and fried egg, or a big scoop of chicken liver mousse so refreshing that you could serve it in an ice cream cone.

A lamb dish ($26) is less successful. The house-made sausages are the only part of the plate I like. Saddle is well-cooked but it's submerged in a broth that robs it of any pleasurable texture. Also lost in this puddle are lentils, cream and hunks of belly.

The same soupiness is doubly dissatisfying first thing on Sunday morning. Poutine ($15) for breakfast would be great. And, while patriotic, I'm no purist. I don't care if the kitchen's creation qualifies for heritage status poutine. It's unpleasant in its own right.

Potatoes sit in a pool of thin bacon gravy, topped with wilted baby spinach, a fried egg and hollandaise. No thank you.

Fortunately for brunch, there are heavenly buttermilk pancakes ($12) served with sausage and blueberry preserves.

The food retains consistency when Vitiello's not there (it's hard not to spot him as he eschews chef whites for a Japanese print shirt). The kitchen doesn't skip a beat under sous chef Curt Martin.

They've got the strategy for a good burger ($15). Start with great beef and cook it properly.

Toss the fries in fresh herbs. Then make your own ketchup.

Dressing a salad with baubles like watermelon radishes isn't necessary, but it makes a good impression.

At most of my favourite restaurants, I wouldn't bother saving room for dessert. But one would be foolish to pass on warm cinnamon churros ($9). Instead of a straight chocolate dipping sauce, they come with a bowl of airy caramel and espresso custard topped with steamed milk.

In spite of the beautiful food, or perhaps because of it, it's amazing how fun and loose this place is. A Spider-Man Mego figure (that's the one with the removable costume) clings to a bottle of brandy behind the bar. Some nights, Spidey migrates to the chandeliers. The iPod seems permanently locked on '80s mix.

After about 10 p.m., the restaurant makes the successful transition that so many wannabes hope to accomplish simply by placing "resto-lounge" in the title. The room genuinely morphs into a less eaty, more drinky scene, particularly popular with restaurant folks when their shifts end.

It does so not simply by cranking up the tunes to drive off those who are lingering over dessert.

The burger, oysters and a few other items are available most nights until 11 or midnight. In addition to the late-night menu, drink prices drop to about $5 a pint. This brings in the kitchen staff from Splendido, Loire, Niagara Street Café, Rosebud, Black Hoof, etc.

Says Vitiello, "We have to usually kick them out at 3 a.m. when they're still trying to get beers."

[cjefferys]

I guess the Mego Spidey makes up for the "not so private" Mens room with no mirror.

[Meule]

Spidey... that booze hound