Dec. 23, 2009 - Issue #740: Wyld December

Solid hardware

Hardware Grill's new lunch menu shows off its fine craftsmanship

A theme is dangerous. In the wrong hands, it quickly devolves into kitsch and cliché. It manifests itself as larger-than-life clutter on walls, gimmicky menus befuddled by deep-fried appetizers with flippant names and most frightening—"flair" flaunted by the serving staff. One needn't look farther than any big box-concept shopping centre before such misused themes rear their over-dressed heads. Yet a theme, in the right hands, is subtle, inspired, and enhances rather than overwhelms a restaurant. The Hardware Grill, which stands sentinel at the corner of Jasper Avenue and 97 Street, demonstrates how a theme may be successful without defaulting to tacky. And now, after a multi-year hiatus from noon-hour noshers, the Hardware Grill is again serving lunch.

The suit and tie crowd is ensconced in a warmly lit dining area that succeeds in being both open and intimate. An open kitchen reveals chefs and servers engaged in a deft and perpetual ballet of preparation and presentation. Warm wood tones work alongside exposed ductwork while quiet jazz reminiscent of Miles Davis plays demurely in the background. Each table, dressed in crisp linens, hosts elegant flatware and smartly-folded black napkins. They also boast a pepper grinder shaped like the tap of an old-fashioned sink, a charming nod to the eponymous hardware.

The lunch menu spans just one page but includes an intriguing collection of starters, light lunches and more robust main courses. On the reverse side is a dazzling wine list—reflecting the Grill's 11 Wine Spectator awards of excellence—and an assortment of teas, soft drinks and coffee. I select Earl Grey, thinking the tea's distinctive aroma and innate sophistication will suit the elegant surroundings. I'm right; somehow the floral whiff of bergamot and gentle tannins of black tea leaves embody the Grill's heritage building meets chic ambiance. Intrigued by the cheekily-named "soup of yesterday," I order a cup. A nip downstairs reveals the subterranean Red Wine Cellar Dining Room. It's a geometrician's dream come true: innumerable bottles rest on equilateral-triangular shelves. Hammers instead of door handles grant access to the washrooms—another clever and understated use of theme.

The "soup of yesterday" ($8) arrives in a tangerine-coloured cup and saucer; today the soup is butternut squash. The velvety, saffron-hued purée is flecked with tiny morsels of purple onion and red pepper, and cradles an apple-relish-stuffed wonton anointed with a dollop of crème fraiche. The earthy squash picks up a gentle bite and sweet warmth from the onion and pepper, respectively, and the crispy wonton releases its sour-sweet apple payload in one bite. It's cleverly-constructed, simultaneously calming immediate pangs of hunger while whetting the appetite for tastes yet to come.

The house applewood smoked Atlantic salmon ($15) stands out from the light lunch category, and arrives on a warm disk of flaky pastry. The translucent pink slices of salmon are seductively supple and tender. Arranged in a loose circle over a dill-flecked smudge of crème fraiche, they are topped by a little tangle of greens. Beneath the greens is an unexpected cluster of orange caviar, each bite of roe a bubble that bespeaks wind and wharf. The gestalt of this dish is one of contrasts: salty and sweet, smooth and crisp.

As a main course, butternut squash mascarpone tortelloni ($16) is a natural choice. Tortelloni are essentially the larger sisters of tortellini and, here, a buxom quartet of these bundles reclines in a swirl of cream sauce laced with truffle butter. Each is generously stuffed with a whisper-smooth mash of butternut squash and mascarpone cheese, though the pasta could be just a wee bit more tender. The cream sauce is an agreeable foil to the tortelloni. A tumble of golden chanterelle mushrooms imparts a peppery bite, and takes me back to days of scrounging through crunchy mounds of reindeer lichen for these elusive, trumpet-shaped fungi, the sun beating down through scraggly jackpine branches and my ears attuned to the distinctive snorts and rustles of black bears.

It is small wonder that the Hardware Grill is proclaimed to be one of the best restaurants in Canada. A quick foray through the lunch menu shows unfailing attention to detail in its clever combinations of flavour and texture. That this restaurant's lunch menu has returned from its long sabbatical is nothing short of a gourmand's revelation. And it again demonstrates that a theme need not be tacky—here hardware is not just a theme but a metaphor: one of composure, craftsmanship and impeccable construction. V

Lunch Menu Mon – Fri (11 am – 2 pm)
Hardware Grill
9698 Jasper Ave, 780.423.0969

More info about The Hardware Grill →

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