Story & Photography | Renée S. Suen
An intersection of good drinks with simple, but flavourful bites, these neighbourhood stalwarts are the epitome of what’s contemporary—refined yet casual. Here, you can dress up or down; drop by for a quick visit Haifa Room, or while away the night.
BAR POMPETTE (607 College St. pompette.ca)
Jonathan Bauer, Martine Bauer and Maxime Hoerth, owners of charming big sister Pompette, have teamed up with new partner and barman/manager Hugo Togni for this wonderful addition to Little Italy’s rich culinary landscape. Located just a few doors down from the original establishment, the walk-ins-only cozy speakeasy has streetfacing gates that open directly onto College Street in warmer months.
The cozy and welcoming interior is bright and airy during the day, with lighting that dims later in the evening.
Inside, the warm and open room can seat 30-plus at capacity, where the team has lined it with plush banquettes and custom millwork, including furnishings and moulded wall trim. There’s also a welcoming preserved marble-topped bar located at its rear. Head to the back and find a romantic hidden patio that’s decorated with twinkling lights and sheltered by an overgrown canopy of trees.
An escape from College Street, the back patio is serene and sheltered by a canopy of trees.
The draw here is the drinks, which feature a rotating selection of wines by the glass and modernly-crafted classic cocktails by Hoerth and Togni. The latter uses homemade fermentations and infusions, plus modern techniques for sophisticated creations that are deceptively simple.
Simple and fresh, Bar Pompette’s radis beurre pairs butter and radishes.
Take, for example, Hoerth’s nitro colada. A Pompette signature, this version lightens cloying pina colada by mixing fresh centrifugeclarified pineapple juice with coconut oil fat-washed rum and homemade curry leaf-spiced falernum. The concoction is infused with nitrogen resulting in a sophisticated and restrained pina colada that’s crushable and dangerous. There are spirit-free drinks for teetotallers that are equally smart and incredibly delicious.
Bar Pompette’s fresh ricotta with citrus dressing, za’atar and sourdough crackers.
To accompany the too-easy-to-drink cocktails and palate-friendly wines, there’s a simplified menu of fresh daily-made snacks and treats like charcuterie, cheeses and substantial small plates. The latter might feature fresh ricotta with citrus dressing, za’atar and sourdough crackers, or smoked cod roe tarama with a house-made baguette.
The smoked cod roe tarama with house-made baguette served at Bar Pompette.
There’s also country-style terrine with pickles or homemade gravlax served as a sandwich. To finish, treats might include a Baba au Calvados or fresh-baked madeleines.
LOOP LINE WINE & FOOD (643 Dupont St. looplinewine.com)
A wine lover’s dream come true, this bottle shop/wine bar is an extension of the wine business behind Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Stratus Vineyards and Toronto-based CRU Wine Merchants.
Loop Line’s diverse wines are grouped into bubbles, whites, rosés, reds and others, and draws from a list that mixes Canadian with international numbers.
Named after Loop Line Lane, aka the Seaton Village corner it calls home (a commemoration to the Christie Loop streetcar route that ran until 1963 when the University subway opened), the long room is outfitted with a stateof-the-art air filtration system. Divided into an attractive and airy storefront that’s lined with wines displayed in modular Ontario-made Bene Boxes, and a cozy casual dining area with a commanding central bar made of Dekton, there’s also a rear sliding door that hides a private dining room for 14. The latter is slated to host future wine-tasting and wine-maker events.
The sparkling shelf specializes in Grower Champagne, as well as wines like the Raventós i Blanc, produced at the family estate for generations.
For merchandise, Loop Line offers a large selection of sustainable, estate-grown wines (mostly organic and/or biodynamic) that are done in classic but trending styles. The dynamic list includes some small wineries, ranging from Grower Champagne to wines from renowned St. John restaurant. Here, wines are grouped into bubbles, whites, rose, reds and others, and draw from a diverse list that mixes Canadian with international numbers. As well there is sake and ciders, and goods from local breweries.
Potatoes tossed in mustard vinaigrette with crème fraiche and chives.
Peruse the retail shelves and find bottles tagged with fun tasting notes. The latter act as a guide, yet there are in-house wine experts like Adrienne Bertrand present to assist with any shopping needs.
Saucisson sec.
Imbibers can purchase their wines to go or open their purchase in the dining space for a $30 corkage fee. There’s also a by-the-glass program that features a rotating selection of wines, including limited available bottles, and cocktails that can be enjoyed with the terroir-based wine bar’s food menu. The latter features a range of goodies from simple marinated items to specialty products made by local purveyors and industry friends, like Blackbird Baking and Cheese Boutique.
During the day, there are pastries, baguettes and a front refrigerator case filled with take-away goods. At night, the simple dine-in menu is a flood of small plates, featuring house-marinated vegetables, smoked or cured meats, cheeses and pâtés, including a chicken liver mousse by Ryan Crawford (Ruffino’s Pasta Bar & Grill in Niagara-on-the-Lake) and chocolates from neighbour Stubbe Chocolates.
THE HAIFA ROOM (224 Ossington Ave. thehaifaroom.com)
Owners Waseem Dabdoub, Joseph Eastwood and Fadi Hakim have brought creative takes on Palestinian and Israeli dishes to this lofty, walk-ins-only historic Trinity Bellwoods space. Named after a region in the north of Israel that has the largest per capita mix of Israelis and Palestinians, the restaurant serves street food that reflects both cultures.
The Haifa Room calls the historic Waltman building at the corner of Dundas and Ossington home.
Here, Israeli Canadian chef Jason Hemi is behind a menu that’s dominated by share-friendly small plates. Expect to find snacks like lamb kibbeh “torpedos” with sumac-yogurt dip and deep-fried smelts with a side of toum (whipped garlic sauce), alongside substantial plates like the slow-roasted shawarma-spiced boneless lamb shoulder and meatless stuffed eggplant.
The Haifa Room’s eggplant is stuffed with bulgur, smoked paprika, pine nuts and preserved lemon. The hearty lot is christened with slivers of preserved lemon, parsley and tahini.
The shawarma-spiced boneless lamb shoulder is prepared sous-vide and roasted to order. It’s served on harissa tahini, sumac yogurt and toum, with slices of delicata squash and pita on the side.
Dine-in or stop by the kitchen’s takeaway window at lunch for such things as made-to-order falafel—it took two months to perfect—and sabich. Then there’s the schnitzel pita, a glorious golden specimen that consists of a pita that’s egg-washed, breaded and deep-fried. Enjoy it as is or as an upgrade to your sandwich order.
The hummus at The Haifa Room uses whole garlic head juice, lemon and house-made tahini with cooked and aerated chickpeas. It’s topped with seasonal add-ons (shown here: heirloom carrots, seeded dukkah, fresh dill and olive oil) and can be served with a side of grilled pita.
The delicious Knafe at The Haifa Room sandwiches whipped ricotta between kataifi (shredded phyllo) that’s soaked in saffron syrup. The mildly sweet and floral dessert is served with preserved lemon curd and topped with pistachios and sorrel leaves.
For drinks, there are beers and inspired cocktails, like the Grapes of Bay, a gin-and-tonic riff with lime, grapes and sage. Given Eastwood’s other restaurant, Paris Paris, and its focus on lowintervention wines, the tight wine list here includes natural and skincontact numbers, plus a few Israeli products.
Deep-fried smelts come with a side of toum (whipped garlic sauce) and are playfully presented in an empty kosher pickle can.
