I would have been at the Victor/Yannick event - had I not previously booked travel - will be in Brussels that day.
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I used to frequent Splendido when Arpi was the chef and Franco owned it. Always a great time sitting at the bar for glasses of wine and snacks or at a table for a full meal.
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Speaking of Harbord Room - spotted this from TL today!
https://torontolife.com/food/bar-eugenie-rebekah-bruce-harbord-village
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Sorry me again on this topic - but reading the Post and seeing the former Harbord Room head chef looks to be at a new spot in the Financial District called Frederick which has their famous burger! Anyone been?
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have not been yet but it’s an excellent burger
(not sure why he feels the need to shill his wife’s band, Dragonette)
thanks for the heads up.
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First visit to Emmer for me in 2026.
I recommend the Croque Toast ($19 before tax )
excellent peanut butter miso cookie ($4.80 after tax$$$$)
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How are the lineups? Also the dining area was not comfortable for moi when I last visited in cold weather (few years ago)
I haven’t been to Emmer for ages.. time to rectify that. How cold was the dining area?
No line at noon when it’s minus 20 ⁰C! Go on a cold day. Less than 20 percent full on their heated patio.
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It is pretty warm. The patio is sealed with plastic and there are 2 heaters along the wall warming the room . I am guessing it’s 22⁰C inside.
The problem for me on the Emmer enclosed patio in the colder months is there is zero ventilation, if anyone seated near you happens to have a nasty bug, or if someone’s flu germs are left hanging around after they have left. I realize it’s impossible to ventilate a 22 ⁰C enclosed patio when it’s -22 ⁰C outside. That’s why I get so many brunches to go.
To contrast, the CO2 inside a regular spacious coffee shop might be 1100 (Dark Horse on St Clair W of Dufferin, or B Espresso in the Royal Conservatory of Music).
CO2 is around 1000-1200 at Union’s Back Patio when it’s full.
CO2 inside Holt Renfrew is around 700 on a Saturday afternoon, almost as good as outdoor air which would be 450-550.
Around 1000 at Eataly on the second floor in the Manulife Centre, on a weekend afternoon when Eataly is fairly busy.
CO2 might be 2000 at a smaller cozy crowded coffee shop, especially the type of cafés that have a laptop loiterer crowd who never leave, just inhaling and exhaling over their pastry and one cup of coffee all afternoon (lol, I am teasing).
I feel more comfortable at places that can keep their CO2 under 1000, but the reality is, unless there’s an open kitchen with a good fan, and I’m sitting near the fan, or it’s a really spacious restaurant in building with good ventilation, the ventilation is pretty bad at most places serving good food at the price point I like in Toronto.
Last weekend, I sat next to the patio door at Emmer that opened and shut frequently, and the CO2 was still around 2200, when the enclosed patio was at 25 percent capacity. If the patio was full, the CO2 reading would probably be 4000 or higher, which is basically like breathing into someone’s face, in layman’s terms (rstuart is not a layman on this topic, but I am. Haha)
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It was 18.9⁰C to 22 ⁰C in the heated, covered, and sealed Emmer patio this morning while I waited for my take-out and coffee at 11:30 am.
3 ppl ahead of me at 11:27 am on a Sunday.
Breakfast orders end at 1130 and lunch starts at 11:45 am, so it’s sort of a sweet spot in terms of lines and tables on Sat and Sun. The patio was at around 75 percent capacity with three 4 top tables available at 11:30 am. This availability varies, of course.
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