Czehoski's in Toronto

words Alexandra DeMaria shutter Natasha Elkington

Whether the purpose of your visit is a quick drink at the bar, to nestle into the leather chairs  in the upstairs lounge, to share a coffee with friends, or to relish in the full dining experience, Czehoski’s is Toronto’s newest spot on the block. Although the building itself is an old Polish butcher’s dating back to the early 1920s, owner Bradley Denton and his wife Luca have reinvented the shop and turned it into a trendy restaurant located in Toronto’s Queen West.

After spending two-and-a-half years on the project, Denton still sees it as a work in progress. During re-construction, everything was kept true to its era. Part of the butcher shop was a sausage factory, featuring seven different rooms. The original wood and materials from these rooms were recycled and dispersed throughout the building. The slaughter board now rests beneath the sink in the men’s room, the old deli counter keeps wines and other drinks chilled, while the walk-in cooler is the new entrance to the kitchen and original façade outside is what initially draws people in.

People start to pile in as the doors open for business at six o’clock filling the cozy little booths that border one wall and the barstools on the other side. But attitude is one thing definitely not radiating from these walls. “This is a neighborhood-based, casual environment, with great food,” says Denton, “and because of our location, most of the people are involved in the art world, or even entertainment, but our crowd is so eclectic there will be a 60-year-old man in a suit sitting next to a guy with blue hair.”

Created by chef David Insberg, the exact menu seems to be in flux, but it manages to follow a classic Canadian theme of rustic dishes. Initiated by a partnership with the Healthy Butcher, Czehoski’s now features fully organic foods. Two menus are available, the first being a very developed bar menu including classic dishes like a play off the traditional grilled cheese sandwich and a popular Jack Daniels and Asiago infused burger. The second menu, reserved for the full dining room, is slightly more sophisticated with a technical twist to the cooking.

True to its Queen Street location, Czehoski’s is also used as an art gallery not only to support and expose local artists, but also to feature different curators using the space as an extension of their own galleries. This will be done on a two-month rotation to keep the interior space ever-changing and current.

Denton is just as keen on the music and entertainment side of things as he is with the décor and creative menu. Black and white photos line the dining room on the main floor, which has enough table room to seat about 60 people. At the end of the long, narrow room is a quaint-looking stage with just enough room to hold a grand piano and them some. Sunday mornings are getting known as the Jazz Brunch, while the weekly music program seems less scheduled. Sometimes bands will be on and overlapping with the dinner crowd, while other nights the decks will be spinning either in the front bar or upstairs in the lounge till 2 a.m. or when the crowds die down.

If this infusion of style, food, music and atmosphere isn’t enough to draw people in, Denton still has a long list of ideas stemming from the original restaurant plan. By the end of the summer, a huge upstairs patio bar will be open, with a BBQ off to the side lying beneath glittering chandeliers. Up another flight of winding stairs from the lounge will be a smaller dining experience. A loft with only enough seating for intimate parties is in the works with an adjoining catwalk leading out to a princess balcony looking out over the patio.

Diversity seems to be a key ingredient in Denton’s recipe for success. Each idea seems to stand alone, yet as the projects unfold they unite. Czehoski’s has the making for yet another unique and creative meeting place to decorate the ever-changing and colourful Queen West neighbourhood.