No one writes about Bar Raval without noting the minimalist seating. Now that they have their patio open the balance has shifted back to those who prefer to sit. Word came, via an ad on Facebook in early June, that as well as chairs, the patio would also include a raw bar.

Van Gameren and Dowhaniuk introduce guests to the seafood tower competition at recent Taste of Toronto food festival.

 

Last weekend, at the second annual Taste of Toronto event, Grant van Gameren (chef-owner of Bar Raval and Bar Isabel) previewed his vision for the raw bar menu. Right now, it focuses on oysters (by the piece, half-dozen, or dozen), but will soon include a variety of items such as Alaskan king crab, Nova Scotia snow crab, yellowfin tuna (also from Nova Scotia) raw clams, east-coast lobster and barely poached spot prawns and side stripe shrimp from B.C. 

Brenden Dowhaniuk left his job as oyster shucker at The Geraldine to take the lead on Bar Raval’s patio. He tells me that the purpose-built hut pictured in the job ad was what really caught his attention. During Saturday’s event — part of Pilsner Urquell’s Keepers of the Craft series — invited guests were divided into two teams and challenged to create a seafood tower from the provided shellfish. The results were washed down with pints of the unfiltered version of the Czech pilsner.

The original job ad from early June.

 

Once Raval’s full raw bar is up and running the plan is also to present it in tower format. Dowhaniuk says that he’s ready to start shucking oysters by 1:30 p.m. every day until the patio closes.

Bar Raval, 505 College St.