Jason Beharriell and David Smart prepare a table in the dining room at Conviction Restaurant on King Street in Toronto.JENNIFER ROBERTS
Starting today, award-winning food writer Chris Johns turns his discerning eye on the Toronto restaurant scene for Globe Style. His reviews will appear every Saturday for the rest of the summer.
609 King St. W., Toronto
416-603-2777
$200 for dinner for two, including tax and tip
On a recent Sunday afternoon, an a cappella rendition of Amazing Grace drifted out onto King Street West from the dining room of Conviction: "I once was lost, but now am found/ Was blind, but now I see." The song's melodic promise of redemption after ruin neatly encapsulates the goals of the latest venture from restaurant power couple Biana Zorich and Marc Thuet, whose mini culinary empire already includes Atelier Thuet, Petite Thuet and Thuet Catering.
The two are now venturing into the familiar waters of culinary reality television with Conviction Kitchen. The show, which follows the endeavours of a restaurant staff consisting entirely of ex-cons, is one part Top Chef and two parts Hell's Kitchen, with a dose of Jamie Oliver-style social crusading through gastronomic rehabilitation. Bank robbers, car thieves and drug addicts, yes, but no murderers, child molesters or rapists, we are assured.
On a recent visit, we arrive for brunch to find a camera crew in attendance, making things particularly hectic. They are a distraction not only to the kitchen and the servers, but also to the guests. Those hoping to avoid their 15 seconds of fame would be wise to heed the advice of the woman at the next table who told her camera-shy friend, "Just don't talk if they come by, so it won't make for good television."
The handsome room that was originally Thuet and then the short-lived and unfortunately named Bite Me remains an elegant, light-filled space with regal gold-and-red-striped banquettes and an impressive bar. New are the twig chandeliers, a curious graffiti-adorned wall and several fantasy-inspired air-brushed portraits of the type most commonly seen on the side of a van. The overall effect suggests a kind of hair metal rococo.
Here comes the French onion soup, but look out for that boom operator. The soup is a vast portion in its own pretty white tureen with appetizing blobs of melted, caramelized gruyere oozing down the sides. Underneath lurk thick slices of dark Thuet bread and soft, sweet caramelized onions, but there's an odd, almost pasty consistency to the soup - the result of overzealous thickening - that undermines the enjoyment of what was obviously a fine, rich stock.
After the soup ... nothing. We wait. The server apologizes. We wait some more. "I don't want to blame the film crew or anything," he offers eventually, "but they were doing an interview when we called your order."
Some time later, the food does arrive. There are more heartfelt apologies, but nothing in the way of a complimentary mimosa or even so much as a top-up on our coffee. An exemplary duo of eggs Benedict - one with smoked salmon, one with ham, both doused in a superb, lemony hollandaise - goes some way toward making up for the wait. The Croque Thuet - ribbons of cured pork between soft, thick slices of French toast - comes with excellent, Parmesan-dusted frites, but, while substantial, lacks flavour.
Returning one evening after the cameras have left, we find the place calmer and more focused - prettier too, with tall candles replacing the spotlights. While there is a uniform friendliness among the front-of-house staff, the servers' lack of training is obvious. Our drink order is requested before we've actually sat down and then we're left alone. Much later, the specials are recited except for one that can't be remembered, something to do with a "scallop red wine reduction," although shallot red wine seems more likely. Drink orders languish. It might be easier to overlook some of these stumbles - especially in light of the restaurant's good intentions - if it weren't for things like a 400-per-cent markup on wine and entrees that approach the $40 mark.
In addition to the classic Alsatian-inspired dishes that chef Thuet is famous for (cassoulet, pied de cochon, tête de veau), the menu now includes more Mediterranean-inspired fare such as spaghetti alla chitarra with yellowfin tuna and coriander, tomato consommé with buffalo mozzarella ravioli and, somewhat surprisingly, a selection of pizza.
I suppose it would seem a natural fit for a chef with a 200-year-old levain (the traditional French leavening agent) to incorporate that starter into his pizza dough, but the end result is a bland, fluffy crust burdened by overcooked tomato sauce and excessive toppings. A much better choice is the seafood salad with its curled tendrils of tender octopus and serrated tubes of giant squid punctuating a pile of leafy greens, shavings of asparagus and tender artichoke hearts.
It is with the arrival of the entrees that the kitchen really comes to life, though. In the sturdy composition of three preparations of whey-fed suckling pig - chop, loin and belly - things suddenly go from forgettable to inspired. Each bite is a celebration of pork. Underneath it, a dark, flavourful sauce is reduced to ideal stickiness. Beside it, a small puck of mascarpone polenta works as a simultaneously crisp and creamy accompaniment.
The grass-fed veal chop, dark seared and generously seasoned, wears its goat cheese ravioli like a little crown. Deeply flavoured and carefully turned vegetables - carrots, turnips, beets, wild leeks - add real interest to the plate.
And then the spell is broken. Desserts, while tasty and well-judged, lack finesse in presentation and seem meagre in quantity. A tiny square of brownie is topped with a pink cube of grilled marshmallow. A slick of caramelized banana sits underneath. Three bites and it's gone. Traditional vanilla panna cotta, hastily plated and a bit dishevelled-looking, derives fresh interest with the addition of an aromatic kafir-lime-leaf-scented coconut coulis.
Conviction Kitchen will begin airing on CITY-TV this fall. The show offers its employees a second chance, but it remains to be seen if diners are willing to give the restaurant the same opportunity while it sorts itself out.