Important clients have just landed in town. You mull over the usual choices for enjoying a drink and some good, no, great food. All that seems to be on offer is the typical pub with typical pub fare — not exactly elegant and certainly not memorable.
Having seen this gap in our market, smart restaurateurs are filling it with a style of lounge where the focus is on class: classy food, classy atmosphere and classy décor.
Popular in many of Canada’s larger urban markets, resto-lounges cater to stylish individuals who enjoy a drink after work — possibly a martini instead of a pint — and want more than nachos for a snack and fish and chips for dinner. Instead, resto-lounges offer fresh, fine food with plenty of emphasis on creativity and the latest contemporary food trends.
Hundred Bar & Kitchen
10009 101A Ave., 780-425-0100
The latest venture from Chris Lachance and the Century Hospitality group is Hundred Bar & Kitchen. Already the proud owner of Century grill, Delux Burger Bar, and Lux Steakhouse + Bar, Lachance and his corporate chef Paul Shufelt scoured some of the best lounges in North America for ideas on innovative dining and a seductive nightlife setting.
With massive leather booths, large tables and numerous crystal chandeliers, Hundred sets a dark, sexy tone. Maroon and black are the predominant hues throughout, but the atmosphere is cranked with bright splashes of colour at the backlit bar and great music playing just loud enough to awaken you from any sleepy haze.
Once seated (opt for a booth if you can), enjoy one of Hundred’s 70-plus wines, a wide variety of spirits and beer, or “muddled” drinks that mix fresh berries and herbs with liqueurs and liquors. If you like Caesars, you’re in luck, as this establishment offers eight different types in various flavours and degrees of spiciness.
But the real treat here is the food. Classically trained in Montreal and Switzerland, Shufelt wanted that training to be evident, yet also wanted to inject modern and fun elements into his menu. It shows.
Of the many dishes made to share, the baked goat cheese served with cherry relish ($13) or the foie gras french toast on raisin brioche loaf ($19) will surprise your senses. For more kick, move on to the scallop and prawn duo ($14), which features prosciutto-wrapped scallops and chilled prawns with an orange-sambal glaze and wasabi ketchup. Feel like going a little wild? The Charcuterie on the Wild Side ($22) features fresh duck carpaccio, air-dried buffalo, and rabbitblueberry terrine with house-made relishes.
The Bacon Cheeseburger Perogies ($13) which, according to the chef, are incredibly labourintensive, are certainly worth the effort.
Entrees are also available. Either the panseared salmon with artichoke risotto ($26) or the slow-braised beef short ribs with carmelized shallot mash ($30) will leave you and the clients you want to put at ease completely satisfied.
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