Spring has finally arrived, and for many residents of Old Ottawa South, the excitement of seeing the neighbourhood’s prized front gardens begin to bloom is surpassed by only one thing – the long-awaited opening of chef John Taylor’s new wine bar on the corner of Bank and Sunnyside.
Foodies have been buzzing since last November, when word got around that Taylor, the highly acclaimed chef and owner of Domus restaurant in the Byward Market, had secured the lease for the prime location formerly occupied by The Second Cup.
Taylor's Genuine Food & Wine Bar
After a long winter of hard work transforming the space, Taylor, 42, says the new restaurant – to be called Taylor’s Genuine Food & Wine Bar – is on schedule to open its doors to the public during the first week of May. And he’s happy that residents are itching to check it out. “The demand certainly seems to be there. Since we’ve been here working people have been going by, popping their heads in. And from everything we’ve been hearing, I think we’re going to hit the ground running.”
Although he was raised in New Brunswick and worked at a number of different restaurants across Ontario, John and his wife Sylvia Taylor are long-time residents of Old Ottawa South. They’ve lived on Belmont Avenue for more than a decade, and have seen their now teenaged sons Cameron and Graham grow up here. Sylvia and John have been business partners at Domus for more than a dozen years, and they are both excited to be creating something close to home.
Inhouse Sommelier: Sylvia Taylor
Sylvia Talyor is an accomplished sommelier, and this particular opportunity was too good to pass up. “We’ve always sort of wanted to do something in the neighbourhood. We’ve always been a part of it…whether with the Winter Carnival or doing something for OSCA, we’ve tried to support the community whatever way we can,” says John. “So I was driving by one day and saw the sign, and since Sylvia is really enthusiastic about wine, especially Canadian wine, we’ve always wanted to do a wine bar for her. So we called, and here I am!”
"Enthusiastic about wine, especially Canadian wine"
Taking a short break from the construction work that has kept him very busy juggling carpentry during the days and donning his chef’s hat at Domus in the evenings, Taylor explains that he has taken a pass on larger ventures that would have required a lot of other investors and partners.
“This one was attainable on our own,” he says. “It’s probably taken a bit longer than I wanted to, but we’re still saving a ton of money. The only way we could take it on was to do most of the work myself.”
He’s quick to add that he has two good friends, a police officer and a firefighter, who have been pitching in their labour and expertise free of charge. Together, the small team has accomplished all of the design and renovation, with the exception of plumbing and electrical work. "When this is all done, these guys will have a brass-lined booth with a food and drink tab for quite some time,” he laughs.
Local, regional, sustainable, organic, and Canadian
Taylor is well-known as a chef with a laser-sharp focus on local, regional, organic, “Canadian” food. He says that vision will persist at the wine bar, and he is looking forward to offering dishes with sustainable seafood from B.C. and Lake Erie as well as terrines and sausage and pancetta and smoked fish that will be prepared in-house. He also expects to feature heritage breed pork from a producer in Niagara and summer sausage from a Mennonite community in Kitchener-Waterloo. “Nobody does it here like they do. Like really super smoky. If you’ve got a piece in your fridge, your fridge smells like smoke for weeks.”
He will also take full advantage of the restaurant’s location. “I like the fact that we’re so close to the Farmer’s Market at Lansdowne. That’s going to be a great opportunity. I’ve already got a lot of connections there. Through the whole season, you’ll definitely see market produce on our menu.”
Taylor’s commitment to high-quality local food sources may extend to both of his other restaurants, but he says customers shouldn’t expect the new restaurant to feel like Domus. “We want this to be a totally different concept. It’s going to be a really fun, relaxed spot. You’re going to come in and we’re going to know you by your first name. We’re going to know what you like to drink. If you want something special that’s not on the menu, yeah, we’ll try to get it for you. But just a fun place. No pretensions, nothing. It will probably be a little bit loud, because of the way the room is. But we just want people to come, relax and have a good time.”
John Svazas will be chef de cuisine: "One of Ottawa's rising talents, a hidden gem."
Taylor has hired John Svazas, most recently of Farb’s Kitchen, to be his chef de cuisine.
“I think he’s one of Ottawa’s rising talents, a hidden gem. So we’re really lucky to have him.” Taylor will still be working at Domus, but expects to put on an apron at the new digs on nights that Svazas has off, and just enough to get a sense of how the menu is being received. The wine bar will likely be open six days a week and serve lunch, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, and dinner starting at 5:30. But John says there won’t be any white tablecloths, or even a set menu.
“No. The menu is going to change as frequently as we want it to. It will change at least every two or three days. It’s going to be a menu that is based on seasonality and availability of product. And it won’t be big. Four or five appetizers and four or five main courses. And probably two desserts, that will rotate frequently.” He also envisions a long blackboard to describe the elements on the menu, including a highlighted cheese or piece of charcuterie and a featured wine special. “The menu will be fun.”
Weekend brunch: A contemporary take on "really yummy"
Taylor is excited to offer a weekend brunch, but hints it won’t be the typical bacon and eggs. “It’s going to be something a little more contemporary. Like a play on steak and eggs or stuff like that, but just really really yummy dishes.”
In the later evenings, from 10 pm to midnight, the restaurant will offer a more restricted menu. He says it will definitely include a smoked fish platter and a charcuterie and cheese platter.
"It's going to be a true wine bar"
While Taylor expects to draw people in with the food and the atmosphere, he expects many customers will be excited about the wine. “It’s going to be a true wine bar. We’ll have at least 10 to 15 wines available by the glass. We’ll do probably 2, 4 and 6 ounce pours. So you can do a flight tasting if you want, with some of the food. We really want to educate people also.” To that end, the Taylors have made a point of hiring only certified sommeliers to work on the floor.
In addition to the changing menu, Taylor says he has a head full of ideas on how to keep the restaurant thriving. “I don’t think it will ever be dull,” he muses. “I haven’t approached them yet, but I was thinking of asking the owners of the Mayfair if they’d like to partner up for food theme nights. They could show films like “Babette’s Feast” or “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover” and then we could serve some of the food from that film. Customers would go to the theatre and then come here after. Fun stuff like that for sure.”
For a few more weeks, though, Taylor’s focus won’t be on theme nights, or even what to serve. He’s on track for the opening, but there’s still a lot to do. As he proudly shows off the restaurant’s interior, it’s easy to see the project has been a labour of love.
The walls are freshly painted in hues of deep wine and vanilla yellow. A “chef’s table,” which can seat six, has been roughed in. It will offer high seats with a view of the small kitchen for those curious to see exactly how the food makes it to the plate. Singles or couples can perch on a stool at the long bar, which will be decked out with place settings. And a striped fabric banquette, yet to be installed, will seat up to eight people, at tables for two or pushed together to make larger combinations. All told, the restaurant will be able to accommodate 30 diners inside and another 14 during patio season. The Taylors expect it to be bustling, and have decided to accept reservations for the first few hours of dinner while keeping certain spaces open for people wandering by. After 8 pm, it will be walk-ins only.
As most Old Ottawa South residents realize, the wine bar is located in a building that is painted on the Sunnyside wall with the distinctive faces of Canadian folk music legends. Taylor says the mural will stay. “That was part of the lease, because it was commissioned by the Folklore Centre,” he explains. “And I don’t mind, because it fits with the Canadian theme. And it’s got two of my favourite artists, Bruce Cockburn and Gordon Lightfoot. And Joni Mitchell, I know for a fact she loves her wine. So that’s cool.”
Reclaimed old growth pine to grace floors
Perhaps the largest job yet to complete will be installing the restaurant floor. In keeping with his commitment to the environment, Taylor chose reclaimed old-growth pine from Log’s End. “Divers pull up old logs and cut them while they’re still wet and dry them. The wood is 20-30% denser than new age pine…so it’s more durable. We got a tavern grade in seven, five and three inch planks. It’s going to get a light dark stain just enough to bring out all the knots in the wood,” he beams. “It’s really going to look nice.”
Venture is "a family affair"
Clearly, the new venture has been a family affair. John says he expects to put both of his sons to work. And while many people will identify the restaurant with John Taylor, he says they will soon discover it is Sylvia’s dream and vision too. “I definitely think of it as just as much her place. We were originally going to call it “Where’s My Wife?” he laughs. Considering how many other women in Old Ottawa South are already making plans to meet at the wine bar for celebrations, lunches and after-sports get-togethers, it may well become an accurate nickname for the newest restaurant on the block.
And how many customers does Taylor expect will come from Old Ottawa South? “We can’t realistically depend on just the neighbourhood for our financial expectations. So I am counting on people from all over town to keep it full and busy. But the neighbourhood is vibrant and if everybody does come often, I’ll be thankful!”