Bannock is an Oliver & Bonacini Restaurant that opened this fall with at Bay & Queen St. They offer Canadian comfort food with a twist, from the to go counter or for a sit down meal. I headed here with a friend last week.
The decor is rustic chic, with wooden chairs and paper menus laid out as place mats. My favourite part of the room is the interesting light figure that is hung over a group dining table.
The menu features it’s namesake, bannock. Bannock is a “round flatbread traditionally cooked on a griddle or stone; brought to Canada through Scottish explorers and traders; adapted by indigenous people and settlers.” They offer bannock with different toppings on them, such as the Veggie Bannock ($12) that is topped with portobello mushrooms, marinated peppers and dubiously named “comfort cream”.
However, my friend and I both opted to have something else. I <i>love</i> chicken pot pie, so I had the Arcadian Court Chicken Pot Pie served with the One and Only Mashed Potatoes. ($16)
It was delicious. The crust was flaky and good, and the chicken was piping hot, tender and filling. My only tiny problem with it was that it only had crust on the bottom. I especially enjoy crust, so I like it when pies have crust on the bottom and the top.
It was served with rich, creamy mashed Yukon gold potatoes and gravy. It was really good! The only thing is that it was really filling. I couldn’t finish my potatoes. The pie itself would have been enough, maybe it should come with a lighter side.
Across the table, my dining companion was having the opposite problem. She had ordered Pickerel Tacos with Cucumber Apple Salad ($13). It was served in steamed buns and with caviar tartar.
We were expecting the tacos to be a bit bigger for a dinner portion, but they were a bit on a small side. She enjoyed her tacos though, said it was surprisingly spicy, but in a good way. The salad was unique, fresh and tart.
Bannock is a nice place to take a date or a friend! The food is fresh and well prepared. The to-go counter has coffee, tea, breakfast wraps, sandwiches and traditional tourtiere.
Bannock
401 Bay St., Toronto, M5H 2Y4
Tel: 416.861.6996
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