Toronto native Trevor Wilkinson is putting his French cooking roots to good use in a decidedly forward-thinking environment: a supper club in Toronto’s entertainment district.
After plying his trade in the finest of the city’s kitchens, working with Michael Bonacini at Jump, as well as Marc Thuet and David Lee at Centro, three years ago Wilkinson opened the doors to his own, eponymous French bistro—Trevor Kitchen & Bar. With a solid team in place, Wilkinson eyed his next challenge, and along came Jeff O’Brien and his new concept supper club, The Roosevelt Room. Designed by Allen Chan, Anwar Mukhayesh and Matt Davis (HGTV’s The Designer Guys), the space is contemporary Art Deco that oozes a French cabaret style.
Despite the cooler-than-thou looks, Wilkinson’s approach to the food remains the same: "good cooking, nothing flashing, French techniques and really good quality ingredients — pot, wooden spoon, fire." There is, however, a nod to the Hollywood glamour period in the menu.
After the first draft of the Roosevelt carte was passed around and it was looking good, someone found an old menu from the first Academy Awards, at the Roosevelt Hotel in 1929, coincidentally. A classic French menu, it inspired Wilkinson and owner Jeff O’Brien to abandon their earlier efforts and craft a new (yet old) version of the historic menu. Expect a dinner menu high on French classics such as soupe a l’oignon, steak frites and coq au vin.
"I have a real love for French food," says Wilkinson. "Duck confit, foie gras, they are some of my favourite things to eat."
The Roosevelt Room, in keeping with the supper club format, serves dinner starting at 5 p.m. with no reservations past 8:30 p.m., when the slow transformation to night club takes place.
For more information go to www.therooseveltroom.ca. The Roosevelt Room is located at 2 Drummond Pl., 416-599-9000.