In the Kitchen with Dan Lennox

By Katherine Elphick

Photos by Ellie Kistemaker

Barrie diners are in for a treat! Collingwood’s ever popular Bent Taco is getting ready to open a location in downtown Barrie on Collier Street (the former home of Jun’s Roll).

And just for the record, Bent Taco isn’t your typical Mexican restaurant. Its starts with some basics of Mexican cuisine like tortillas and tacos but then elevates its flavours to the global stage. From Korean Barbecued Beef Tacos to General Tso Chicken Burritos, or Tuna Ceviche Tostadas — it’s modern Mexican with a worldly taste twist.

“Our food style is based in Mexico and Southern California with global influences, but we’re anything but traditional,” explains Dan Lennox, who owns Bent Taco with business partners George Russell and chef Nick MacGregor. “That’s why we went with the name Bent Taco, because our menu is unconventional.”

To learn more about this hip 51-seat eatery specializing in tasty tacos, burritos, craft cocktails and more — Goodlife recently checked in with Lennox who was happy to talk about everything Bent. “Our goal is to be open in Barrie before the end of 2019,” he explains.

A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAN VIBE WITH REALLY GOOD FOOD AND FUN COCKTAILS.

Why bring Bent Taco to Barrie?

Dan Lennox: Nick, our chef and partner, is from Barrie, so he led the charge of opening here. Beyond that, we were interested in expanding and logistically Barrie made sense because it’s close to Collingwood. It’s been a lot of work setting the Barrie location up, but also super exciting for us.

Bent Taco has been a going concern on Collingwood’s foodie front for the past four years. What’s the background for its conception?

DL: It started with George and me. Along with being childhood friends, we published a snowboarding magazine together called UpDown. After our foray into publishing, we decided to shift gears and use the money from the magazine and open a restaurant. Then we brought our friend and local chef, Nick McGregor, into the fold and everything started to fall into place.

What was your vision for Bent Taco?

DL: Simply put — a Southern Californian vibe with really good food and fun cocktails. The three of us have all spent time in Mexico and Southern California and wanted to bring those flavour profiles first to Collingwood and now to Barrie. But, we’re not strictly Southern Californian or Mexican in our food style.

What’s Bent Taco’s food philosophy?

DL: The best way to describe it is fresh, unique and ever changing. It’s a scratch kitchen — we make everything in house daily, so it’s always fresh. Chef Nick is constantly developing new recipes and keeps tweaking them until they make sense for Bent Taco. As a result, our menu is anything but static.

Let’s hear more about chef Nick MacGregor.

DL: Nick is a classically trained red seal chef, who honed his culinary skills at various restaurants including the Flying Chestnut, Thornbury’s Sisi’s on Main (now closed) and Oliver and Bonacini — to name a few. He has also spent time in Mexico and Southern California, and is therefore able to bring a different flare to traditional items. His influences are definitely global. Nick also won Feast in the Forest a few years ago, which is kind of a big deal. He’s a super talented chef.

What are some of the top sellers?

DL: There are no real sleepers on the menu, but our number one best seller is our Bent Fried Cauliflower Taco (avocado, apple and cabbage crudito and scallion crema). It’s an unbelievably delicious taco, and everyone loves it from vegans to meat and potatoes people. Our Baja Fish Taco (battered cod, apple radish, pickled cabbage, gochujang lime crema and cilantro) is also a cult favourite. A popular hangover cure is the Tot Supreme (queso fundido, shredded cheddar, beef brisket, iceberg, pickled onions and lime crema). Our Nachos and the General Tso Chicken Burrito (coconut rice, black beans, sesame mayo, kimchi, jalapeño and green onions) are also huge hits. Basically, if we took any of these items off the menu, many of our guests would be really upset.

Will the Barrie menu be the same as the Collingwood menu?

DL: For the most part, yes. But we plan on offering certain dishes that will be exclusive to each location.

What three course meal would you recommend for someone who doesn’t have any dietary restrictions?

DL: Start off with sharing the Tuna Ceviche (lime marinated ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber, yellow pepper, red onion, corn dust and chili crema). Then do some mix and match tacos. I would opt for the Baja Fish and the Bent Fried Cauliflower taco. For the third, I would let the guest pick their favourite protein. Finally, you could round it off with one of our homemade ice cream sandwiches.

What’s on the menu for diners with special dietary needs?

DL: My partner George is a vegan, so since day one we have focussed on serving up a variety of delicious vegan dishes. We have well-thought out vegan tacos and bowls that are real crowdpleasers. Since our tortillas are made from corn, there are lots of gluten-friendly options on the menu, as well.

Just like the Collingwood location, the decor is contemporary, clean and fun. Can you talk about the design process?

DL: Aesthetically, the design is heavily influenced by Southern California — everything from the painted blue and white brick exterior to the carefully chosen artwork and splashes of colour. It was a partnership of ideas between George, myself and my sisterin-law, Ali Mitchell. Ali is an interior designer and her company is Future Studio. Overall, it’s a pretty cool spot.