DesBrisay Dines |
Tante Carole 168, ch. Old Chelsea, Chelsea, 819-866-3149 It’s his splendid duck that I remember best from when he ran the kitchen at the Restaurant E18hteen’s (now gone) Brut Cantina in Hull. Before that, Jonathan Harris worked on decidedly Raw duckless Barfood, putting up vegan-tasting menus at the (now gone) ZenKitchen and assisting Zen chef Caroline Ishii in securing a silver medal at the 2011 Gold Medal Plates. Most recently, Harris was sous-chef for (now gone) executive chef Che Chartrand at Le Moulin de Wakefield. In February, along with life partner and Cordon Bleu-trained chef Suyeon Myeong, he opened the doors of his own place. With any luck, there won’t be any “now gone” notices associated with Harris for a very long time, because Tante Carole is a terrific little place.
Found in the Chelsea space where the former vegetarian restaurant Café Soup’Herbe used to be, Tante Carole is a fictional character dreamed up to make people feel comfortable. So far, my visits have been at (abstemious) lunches, but by the time you read this, Tante Carole should have been (finally) granted its liquor licence and be open for dinners, its front deck weighed down with alfresco diners.
Tegan Schioler (formerly of Le Café at the NAC) runs the front of house, and she is a warm and welcoming host.
Hail in late April meant that soup and perogies seemed right. A clean-tasting purée of red pepper and fennel was curative, and the sweet-potato-stuffed dumplings, moistened with fennel cream and pickled beet salad, made a terrific plate of comfort food. Crispy-fried smelts, perfectly tender and fresh, were the treat in the house Caesar salad, which was tossed with a vibrant dressing. The daily frittata featured roasted corn, sausage, and gouda, while the house burger on a house brioche was weighed down with back bacon and lifted with smoked-tomato chutney. Both dishes came with sprightly greens and a potato cake rich with crème fraîche.
That same crème fraîche — and a drizzle of dark maple syrup — set up a very fine apple pie that arrived still warm from the oven. I’ll bet Aunt Carole would approve. Mains $16 –$28. Open Wednesday to Monday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. for dinner. Closed Tuesday.