Jen Agg’s charming Queen West diner has returned in BBQ form. Le Swan has started hosting weekly cookouts behind the back of the restaurant, on the edge of Trinity Bellwoods Park.
Running Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m., the weekly BBQs feature a simple menu that includes burgers, hot dogs, rotisserie chicken, sandwiches, and salads. To pair with the grilled eats, Le Swan is also offering beer and their house rosé.
Since the restaurant has no patio, the cookouts, which take place in an alley off of Crawford St., offer an alternative way to safely serve customers outside.
Agg’s other restaurants have been slowly reopening over the past few weeks after their pandemic-related shutdowns in March. Grey Gardens and Bar Vendetta recently reopened their patios, while also continuing to offer limited takeout menus on Fridays and Saturdays.
Rhum Corner remains closed, but Agg recently shared on Twitter that the bar’s landlord has been supportive over the past few months. She feels optimistic that Rhum Corner will be able to reopen eventually.
With Toronto entering stage 3 last week, restaurants are now able to reopen for indoor dining. Agg recently shared, however, that aside from adding a few tables inside Grey Gardens, she doesn’t feel comfortable reopening her restaurants for indoor dining just yet.
Our message to our staff that you should know about too. Despite being in a hugely precarious position, this was not a hard decision. pic.twitter.com/nKZyYxVz7P
— Jen Agg (@TheBlackHoof) July 30, 2020
“If this phase goes well and seems to be safe — and it’s possible it will, with proper precautions — then we will revisit this stance in a couple or 3 weeks,” wrote Agg on Twitter last week.
