TORONTO
With an updated interior, an à la carte menu, bigger portions and the largest selection of half bottles in the city, Toronto’s Lucien is feeling...
REFRESHED
By Micayla Jacobs
ST. LAWRENCE MARKET AREA, TORONTO / Long and narrow with high ceilings and art nouveau flourishes, Lucien still offers its regulars the upscale ambiance that has helped make it one of the city’s top dining destinations as named by Toronto Life magazine. But some things have changed for the four-and-ahalf-year-old Wellington Street East restaurant that earned a spot on EnRoute magazine’s top ten list. Over the bar, designer copper pendant lights cast a warm glow and cream-coloured tiles cover some of the space in the main dining room. Indeed, a number of other touches have served to liven the space considerably (a large Art Deco mural in the upper dining area creates an inviting yet eclectic space), but that’s not the change owner Simon Bower is most excited about. A 25-year veteran of Toronto’s dining scene, Bower knows the value of a fresh offering and that’s what new Chef Guy Rawlings (Brocton General, The Hoof Cafe, Cowbell, L'enclume) has managed with a revised menu that focuses on generous helpings of farm-fresh fare. Regulars need not fear the loss of signature dishes like the tuna crudo and the Black Angus Ribeye, but the new carte, Bower promises, “will continue to be very creative, featuring only the best quality products and ingredients.” Main dishes are priced between $24 to $29 (with the Black Angus AAA 10oz ribeye an exception at $36) and will be more approachable with larger portions.
While the menu will be updated frequently depending on what is fresh, it currently features entrées ranging from Lake Huron Whitefish, British Columbia Jumbo Scallops and Fenwood Farms Chicken with buttermilk potatoes. Responding to customer requests for a midday menu, Lucien will also be open for lunch Monday to Friday starting March 5th. “Given our ambience and reputation, I think this will be a great destination for the financial district,” says Bower, adding that like the dinner menu, lunch will feature local, organic and artisanal fare – and all reasonably priced. Some dishes to look forward to include the daily house-made pasta, a few pristine seafood selections, some vegetarian options as well as healthy and ‘light’ choices. Patrons will also always have the option to enjoy a premium cut of meat sourced from a local farm. For the after-work crowd looking for a comfortable atmosphere and a good wine selection, the 15-seat bar makes for an attractive venue. What’s more there are 25 half-bottles of wine on offer – the largest half bottle selection in the city. Open for dinner seven days a week, Lucien has a private dining room that seats up to 14 guests and is the perfect spot for an intimate event. For larger-scale events, the restaurant can accommodate 60 sit-down dinner guests or a cocktail party for as many as 110 guests. n
Lucienrestaurant.com 17 • WINTER 2012