Restaurant Review // The Burger Cellar and Wine Bar YYZ LIVING

Restaurant Review // The Burger Cellar and Wine Bar

Posted by Jayne Peres on June 20, 2012 ? Leave a Comment?

Food Photos Jayne Peres
Venue Photos provided by The Burger Cellar

In uptown Toronto lies a tasty hidden gem, The Burger Cellar and Wine Bar. When entering, you will come to realize this is not just a ?burger joint?. The brick walls, comfortable seating, and wooden d?cor are the first in a line of elegant twists to the genre.? The beautiful wood-finished bar and bright red chairs draw your eyes to an extensive selection of alcohols and mixers, and a fully stocked tantalus that lines the bar. In the spacious dining room, lamps are strategically hung above, bleaching light tables and dousing chairs in shadow. Striving not only for the best burger, but also for customer satisfaction, The Burger Cellar has more to offer than just a simple burger.

Sitting with the menu, we looked over a wide selection until our charming server, Bradley Butler, came laughing by. Unsure of what we would like to drink he placed two glasses of water down on the table and jokingly proceeded ?I pour a mean water, how could you do that wrong?? To start, on his suggestion we ordered a Pink Flamingo: a pink vodka lemonade that was our server?s winning entry in an in-house competition for the best cocktail. That too he did not do wrong.

We began our feast with another one of Bradley?s suggestion, the duck poutine. Just moments before, one of the tables across from us had gone nuts over the dish and Bradley confided that the duck had just been made. We needed no more convincing. Placing it happily in front of us, we were glad Bradley suggested we share it; it was a generous portion even for two. Digging in, we came to the conclusion that the pulled duck was astonishing, the subtle gravy was enlightening, and every inimitable bite melted perfectly in your mouth. It was so intoxicating that I will never again eat duck-less poutine.

Before our main course arrived, we ordered Chocolate Cherry Brandy milkshakes. Each shake is made with milk and Kawartha Dairy, the semi-official dairy ice cream of cottage country.

Then came the moment we were waiting for; our burgers had arrived. And to get a taste of the variety, we ordered two. One was The Burger Cellar Burger (The BCB), an Ontario family farmed beef patty, topped with two-year-old Bothwell smoked cheddar, apple cider bacon, chipotle BBQ sauce, a beer-battered onion ring, and saut?ed mushrooms?which I had omitted in favour of a more adventurous option. The Burger Cellar allows customers to customize their burger so I added an egg on my BCB?which I might add was absolutely delectable. The BCB had the perfect amount of flavour, where not one thing overwhelmed the other, and every bite was packed with succulence.

The other burger was the Hog Town Burger with Kobe beef; a Japanese style beef patty topped with aged Block & Barrel white Ontario cheddar, and apple cider bacon. To add a bit of a sweetness we asked for Thai sauce on the side. Absolutely enjoyable we loved the cheese?s sharp contrast to the Kobe beef. The burger was so moist you could have eaten it without condiments.

But, the burgers are not the only thing drawing in the crowds at The Burger Cellar? grilled four-cheese sandwiches, steak frites, salmon BLT sandwiches, sweet-chili chicken, cellar Cobb salad?just thinking about the menu is almost enough. Once a week, every week, the CEO of Royal Bank comes in with his family and always orders the Steak Frites, a 10oz Ontario strip loin.

To finish our meals we decided on the Apple Crisp, a personal-sized baked apple pie stuffed with apples, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and caramel sauce topped with vanilla ice cream. For apple pie lovers, this warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven plate is the perfect sweet to end a savoury meal.

The upscale restaurant is owned by Alan Voves, and will be celebrating its second year on October 10th. A dedicated supporter of the North York General Hospital kids and teen program, The Burger Cellar continue to works with the community and loves getting involved in the neighborhood. Located at 3391 Yonge Street, The Burger Cellar is open Sunday to Wednesday 11:30 am ? 10:00 pm, Thursday 11:30 am ? 11:00 pm and Friday and Saturday 11:30 am ? Midnight. The establishment also offers venue bookings for events with up to 150 people such as bar mitzvahs, weddings, cocktail receptions, and more. Reservations are not required.

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