Anthony Rose: The guy is a one-man gastronomic whirlwind. In three years he’s opened Rose and Sons, Big Crow, Fat Pasha, Schmaltz Appetizing and now Swan. And now #6 is on the way.
And it’s all delicious. I always wonder why, when chefs create mini-chains. Why do they do it? Is it money? Fame? Pure challenge? Or are they tired of standing on their feet 16 hours a day and thus seeking a formula that will allow them to sit down while somebody else fries the onions and they make the money?
One can hardly blame a guy for that. I do the blaming when the guy (’cause it’s always a guy) who takes his own hand off the stove leaves us in the hands of a chef who kinda … isn’t. Most of the small resto chains flop because the boss is good at cooking but not so great at training and supervising other people to do what he does.
Mr. Rose is — so far — one of the few exceptions. Everything he touches turns to delicious. I’ve loved his first four restos, but they were all of a type. Sure, one is BBQ and one is deli food but it’s all been heavy. The kind of one-up-from-junk food executed with class that leaves you thirsty and needing to go to the gym.
His latest oeuvre is different. Not at first glance. Swan is the iconic crappy diner that I used to avoid on Queen West. Mr. Rose did not choose to renovate the place, so you’re still sitting at tangerine Formica tables in old booths. Nice that the tables match the counter stools. Lots of old dark wood. Très retro. Diners like these are a dime a dozen.
But the menu isn’t, and this is where Mr. Rose veers from his path. (Do note: the menu changes frequently.) Ruby red coarsely chopped wild salmon tartare is a dream come true, with a jazzy benediction of avocado, lavender, cucumber bits and dark toasted pine nuts. Tender squid is barely deep fried, thin coated and granted a flavour uptick thanks to fab tomato and sweet corn relish with a wake-up call from spicy chipotle lime mayo.
Of course there’s a banquet burger and fries. As grand as you expect from a chef under the eagle eye of Anthony Rose. But stray into more interesting territory. Chef rubs a big thick pork tenderloin with chili, cooks it pink and tender and strews on sweet little chanterelles and a passel of sweet corn. Sitting the pork in chili-inflected crème fraîche is an invitation for spooning — the kind you slurp. Swan also does magnificent mussels. These are to the trad white wine mussels as fish tacos are to frozen fish sticks. The sauce is chorizo, long-cooked sweet red peppers and mezcal. Piquant and complex on the perfectly cooked mussels.
Swan’s sole false move is the fixin’s on the sexy dark chocolate pudding. It deserves better than un-buttery coconut shortbread and so-called burnt banana that resembles banana puree with cream. But this is a zit on the Mona Lisa. A very small zit.
Rose and Sons Swan, 892 Queen St. W., $77 Dinner for two
