The Reveal – Figures
The Gist
This Yorkville resto starts out as Clark Kent – you walk into what looks like a vintage comic and action figure store. But step through the hidden door with the help of a concierge and Kent transforms into Superman, a full-out fine dining establishment (that switches to a resto-lounge later in the evening), decked out in your favourite characters from pop culture and comics. Tuck into modern fare and intriguing cocktails, but this is all for your eyes only. No pics allowed. You’ll just have to come and see it for yourself.
Grub
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… fine dining fare.
Expect an ever-changing menu of seasonal ingredient-based sharing plates. The menu is not available online and changes regularly, so this too shall remain a surprise upon your arrival.
What I can tell you is it’s divided into three sections – From the Earth, From the Sea, and From the Land – dishes are artfully plated. On the evening I dined, selections ran from $10-$70 (see a more detailed description with photos on our Facebook page).
Executive Chef Ron Stratton (of &Company Resto & Bar) makes everything in house, including pastas, sauces, dressings and desserts, and is “not sticking to any one style or market.”
Libations
Mixologist James Bailey (previously of Furlough by BarChef) has created a unique and engaging cocktail list featuring classics ($16-$30) and contemporary selections ($17-$20) based on the team’s favourite action figures.
Bailey uses fresh pressed juices and makes bitters in-house. Notable concoctions include Maleficent ($19) that arrives to the table lit up, and Zombie Punch for Two ($30) made with Bacardi 8 Años, Bacardi Black, Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum, lime juice, Falernum, Don's Tiki Mix, and Dillon’s Absinthe.
Fixtures & Fittings
Owners and brothers Nader and Patrick Marzouk (also owners of &Company Resto & Bar) wanted an atmosphere of “fun; something you can relate to,” in addition to dinner and an “upscale evening vibe,” says Service GM Alex Rodriguez.
The front shop carries a host of action figures and comics, some of which have sold as high as $5,000 (a Green Lantern comic from the ‘40s).
Toronto artist and poet Anthony Ricciardi designed the front entrance, pasting each piece of art to the wall by hand, which took him over six months to complete.
The 2,000 sq. ft. space with 80 seats, features a ton of artwork including Barbie’s “Woman of the Year 2020” Time Magazine cover and a Pac-Man installation on the ceiling.
Velvet sofas and curtains, leather banquettes and a granite bar top accented with chrome, mirror and steel gives a lush feel to the space.
Off the Menu
Maleficent ($19) made with J.P. Wiser’s Double Still Rye, Bruchladdich ‘Classic Laddie’, pineapple juice, lime juice, cashew orgeat, fresh sage, activated charcoal, and Angostura Bitters. A delicious, complex, fruity yet sophisticated cocktail. There’s a lot going on here, but the balance is precise.
Heirloom Carrot ($10) A modern heirloom carrot ribbon salad with a spicy kick boasts orange carrot puree, roasted baby heirloom carrots, spicy pressed yogurt, and pickled galangal.
Fairy Tale Eggplant ($12) The tiniest nightshades you’ve ever seen! These lil' beauties are balsamic roasted and set atop nutless hummus, and are accompanied by eggplant caviar and sesame meringue.
Beet ($14) Gotcha. A vibrant and zesty carpaccio and tartare may look like beef, but are actually beet, finished with beet paint, fried goat cheese, and truffled vinaigrette.
Cherrystone Clams ($16) It’s extremely rare to see these giant Cape Cod bivalves on a Toronto menu. Here, they’re served with marinated fava bean and a fragrant kaffir lime and coconut broth, poured tableside.
Octopus ($20) Slow roasted, firm Spanish octopus escabeche is set atop black garlic aioli, with a colour boost courtesy of red pepper, pickled onion and microgreens.
Coho Salmon ($24) Perfectly cooked, tender Coho is pan-seared and planted on long braised dandelion greens and Jerusalem artichoke two ways, with lobster foam peeking out from underneath.
Lump Crab ($26) A towering BC Jumbo lump crab cake balances precariously on tightly packed crab salad and a long swath of roasted jalapeno aioli, finished with a garnish of watercress.
Oxtail ($18) Red Stripe braised Ontario oxtail and mirepoix gets studded with spicy plantain chips and served over a golden plantain pancake.
A5 Kobe ($70) A5 Kobe tenderloin from Southern Japan may be the size of a golf ball, but it’s perfection. Vertically searing (the steak is placed in a vertical position so the top is cooked to medium rare with a crispy base) seals in the juices. Served with grilled Maitake mushrooms and XO sauce.
Brownie ($14) You get three desserts in one - a blondie brownie, a finger banana spring roll, and house-made white chocolate ice cream.
Mexican Chocolate ($18) This closer is a playful take on a certain popular chocolate egg dessert that’s all over IG. Crack open the shell to discover a medley of flavours and ingredients - dark chocolate terrine, white milk and dark chocolate candy, butterscotch, 22k Gold, and miniature robots, to boot.
Deets
At the Stove: Executive Chef Ron Stratton
Head Honchos: Co-owners Nader and Patrick Marzouk
FOH: GM Owen Figueroa, Service GM Alex Rodriguez
Map It: 137 Avenue Rd. at Davenport
Visiting Hours: Tues to Sat 5:30pm – 2am
Phone It In: (416) 900-1022
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