TW H S OC I AL : UNDERGROUND DIGS FOR UPSCALE COMFORT FOOD
72 NG
ST
BY CHRIS TIESSEN
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KITCHENER
‘If I didn’t know better, I’d say this amazing place has a bit of a speakeasy-type vibe going on,’ TOQUE Partner Cai Sepulis whispers as we tuck into our booth for lunch. I nod affirmatively - even though I’ve never actually seen a speakeasy. But I’ve heard enough to have a pretty good idea of what Cai is alluding to. I look around. TWH Social in downtown Kitchener. For sure – posh as it is – this grand old landmark definitely could be said to evoke a certain cloak-and-dagger feel. Like some upscale gambling den. Or exclusive prohibition clubhouse. The underground location beneath the shops that line Kitchener’s downtown core. The exposed brick walls and backlit arched ‘window boxes’ that make up an evocative chiaroscuro. My mind begins to wander. I picture Al Capone lounging in one of the padded leather booths.
Or John Dillinger coming out of the bathroom. ‘You’re not too far off the mark about the feel of the place,’ says TWH General Manager Nathaniel Beattie, who strolls over to our booth to welcome us. ‘In fact, they used to film Murdoch Mysteries here. And the old vaults are still in use – now, albeit, as beer fridge and wine cellar.’ Very cool. The restaurant, more than an occasional set for noir-ish worlds, plays double duty as both a stand-alone bistro and the restaurant of downtown’s storied Walper Hotel, which has, over the years, been host to all sorts of characters – including prime ministers, governors general and tech nobility, along with any number of notables and local folk. We look around as we get comfortable in our booth to see if we recognize anyone here today. Craig Beattie, whose Perimeter
