Ever since the Wren opened this spring, residents of the Danforth and Greenwood neighbourhood have had their own local pub with a southwestern accent. The east Danforth's growth as both a home for young families and a revived retail strip convinced Dennis Kimeda to open his passion project close to where he lives.

To get the space ready for opening he taught himself carpentry and did much of the demolition work himself. His wife, Rhonda Kimeda, was the guiding hand behind many of the decor choices at the Wren. She also found the dilapidated barn that furnished the wood for many of their tabletops and walls.

The real showpiece of the space happened by accident. When they stripped away the existing drywall on the room's east side, they discovered a very large, vintage Coca Cola mural on the brick wall beneath.

Kimeda describes the menu that he and chef Jake Taylor designed as "southwestern twists on pub food." That means that their pulled pork is served in a deep-fried chimichanga ($15) and instead of a BLT they have a PBLT ($12) that switches in pork belly for the bacon and tomatillos for the tomato. The wings ($11 for 1 lb) are breaded and served dry with a sauce on the side (chimichurri, mango BBQ, jalapeno or habanero). Their southern fried chicken sandwich ($13) and Wren sausages ($14) — house-made chorizo and andouille served with jalapeno cheddar polenta and black beans — have also been early favourites with customers.

For the beer list at his pub, Kimeda wanted to stick to the ideal of only selling products that he enjoys himself, so has devoted the whole tap list to local, craft selections. These include standbys like Steamwhistle ($6.50) and Beau's Lug Tread ($6.50), but also more adventurous options like Cameron's Rye Pale Ale ($7.50) and Stereovision from Flying Monkeys ($6.50). Bottle options are split between domestic and international options that run the gamut from Muskoka's Twice as Mad Tom IPA ($9) to the sour Panil Barrique ($38) from Italy.

The cocktail list draws alternate influences from craft beer and Tex Mex and ranges from a Lager-Lada to a jalapeno mint julep.

Kimeda wants to keep to the idea that they're a friendly, neighbourhood pub — that means no reservations. But plans are underway for a patio in the near future.

By David Ort

Published: July 3, 2013