e11even, the newest restaurant addition to the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment complex, brings together the best of Canada and the United States.
Named after the 11 points on a Maple Leaf, the restaurant was designed by famed New York architecture firm the Rockwell Group (projects include Academy Awards spaces) and is slated to open November 11.
As for the menu, it’s comprised of the best our continent has to offer.
"It’s a collection of North American classics," says executive chef Robert Bartley, who brings to the plate his own talents as a former executive sous chef at Four Seasons Hotel and a former sous chef at Lotus.
Bartley says the team helming the restaurant took quite a few research trips to narrow in on the best dishes from New York, Miami, Chicago and other North American cities. As a result, the team decided to go with simple classics that use the highest quality ingredients.
"It’s about the ingredients speaking for themselves," says Bartley. "That can sometimes be very hard."
Some of the confirmed menu dishes include staples such as steak, ribs, and fish entrées, as well as a whipped sheep’s milk ricotta appetizer and a ten-ounce meatball.
"You can cut it into quarters and have it as a shared item," he says. "It’s moist and tender."
As for the look of the restaurant, Bartley says the fixtures give it a contemporary look, and the wood accents and earth tones bring a lot of warmth to the space.
There are two separate sections in e11even, the dining room and living room. The dining room is more formal while the living room has more of a lounge feel, with communal seating and a large bar.
Overall, the restaurant has room for 200 diners.
"We’re focusing on comfort and coziness," says Bartley. "It’s the type of place you can go to wearing a Leafs jersey. You can go with the kids or with business associates for a power lunch."
