Michelle and Herbert Barnsteiner are taking over the John and Sons Oyster House at Balmoral and Yonge. They plan on a seamless changeover this month and will continue operating with the same oyster-focussed menu and staff. At the end of July, after Summerlicious, they’ll close for the month of August to renovate.

Their goal is to reopen by mid-September as Barnsteiner’s, a “rustic and chic restaurant.” Michelle Barnsteiner tells me the menu will draw from French, Italian and central European influences with flavours that will be familiar to regulars who ate Herbert’s food while he was chef at the Corner House and (until 1999) at Jump before that. ”Everything will be made from scratch,” she says, ”that’s Herbert’s signature."

Of the new digs on Balmoral she says: “It's so homey for us; we're very excited to be operating a restaurant where we live.”

The Barnsteiners were the long-time owners of the Corner House in Toronto’s Casa Loma neighbourhood. During its 40-year run from 1974 to 2014, it was one of the city’s best kept secrets for date night restaurants. When they sold it in February 2014 it was still quite popular and the space has since been converted into the much-lauded Flor de Sal.

John Belknap, the owner of John and Sons had not replied to my emailed inquiries (including about his plans for his downtown location on Temperance St.) by the time this article was published.

Michelle Barnsteiner will lead the front-of-house and catering side of the Barnsteiner’s operation. She promises that as an hommage to John and Sons they will have a few oyster options on their bar menu come September. 

Midtowners looking for the full John and Sons, seafood experience should book a table before the end of July.

John and Sons, 1 Balmoral Ave., Unit #7, 416-515-0551