Earlier this week, on their grand opening night, we were lucky enough to get a seat at Ricky + Olivia‘s new restaurant. It’s right around the corner from us, and such a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. Laura and James had a table, and we hitched a ride with them.

First of all: stunning space. You enter at the bottle shop, walk through the little casual lounge, and into the dining room. Great look and feel in there, and we all commented on the innovative use of a narrow space.

Second: the wine list. All Ontario, bless ’em. A few beers, a few cocktails, and some inventive martinis which got raves from the half our table who ordered them.

Third: the food. Delicious, cheeky, simple, showy. We shared everything. I posted a hastily-snapped pic of the menu below, and we ordered more than we omitted:

• Cocktails
  • Martinis, sparkling
• First wave
  • Chips + dip
  • Crepe cake
  • Steak tartare (this is dressed like a Big Mac, and was so goddamned good we ordered a second one before we’d even finished the first)
  • Radishes
  • Caesar salad
  • Big Head ‘Raw’ Pinot Gris
• Second wave
  • R+O burger
  • 1/2 Chicken
  • Roast Pork
  • Glazed Tofu
  • French fries
  • More Caesar salad
  • Hidden Bench ‘Bistro’ Pinot Noir
  • Fourth Wall ‘Bricolage’ Rosé
• Digestifs
  • Amari, I think from Limited Distilling

Most importantly; the company. What great people to spend an evening with. Not to mention Ricky + Olivia themselves, and their whole team.

Before we knew it, it was after midnight and we were the last table by a country mile. We managed to peel ourselves out of there, with some difficulty; I hadn’t stood up in four hours, and my legs let me know it. Mercifully (though perhaps dangerously) it’s only a 5-minute walk from home.