Geoff Hopgood (of Hoof Café fame) had been hinting for some time that he’d like to open his own restaurant, and he finally did it this week, the Globe reports. Getting in on Roncy’s fast-rising restaurant boom is Hopgood’s Foodliner, a 50-seat Maritime-inspired venue named after the chain of grocery stores once ran by Hopgood’s father’s family.
“I want to play with older styles of food, stuff that’s reminiscent of when I would go out to eat with my grandparents or something like that, to a golf course, you know?” Hopgood told the Globe.
Not surprisingly, Hopgood is adhering to nose-to-tail with an in-house butcher shop. Carnivorous offerings could include pig’s trotters, house-made sausages, fried sweetbreads and donair. Also planned is a raw bar menu, which will eventually include spot prawns, scallops, crab legs and the like. And yes, brunch service is on the horizon.
With a slew of new restaurants like Barque Smokehouse, The Westerly and The Ace, Roncesvalles has been toeing the edge of becoming a full-fledged restaurant destination as of late, and Hopgood’s arrival will be a big help.
We weren’t able to immediately get in touch with Hopgood for comment or to confirm the new restaurant’s phone number (it will be accepting reservations), but we don’t blame him: he’s about to become a very busy man.
Hopgood's Foodliner, 325 Roncesvalles Ave.