Bar Oak

We went for a second time with a voucher, and it was even better than the first. The food there is very good, even though the place is a nightclub.
Lamb rack appetizer — Yum. Great as a starter, even though there are 4 little chops. (that’s quite a bit)
Salad — average, nothing special.
Salmon — average, nothing special.
Short rib — Yum again. Very good. I like a bit of fat and tendon, and then meat that falls off the bone. Couldn’t finish it all.
Martinis here were solid too.
Careful of the bathrooms! My wife told me they were a disaster. It was Tuesday, and I’m guessing they didn’t have them cleaned up from weekend clubbers. Gross!

Visited on a travelzoo deal after reading positive reviews. In short, this place surpasses expectations and is one of the best places we have visited on a travelzoo. My wife ordered the tiger shrimp fettuccini and I had the beef short ribs, which as per a previous review, were indeed amazing! Martinis and appetizers were delicious, but really words can’t do it justice. Our waiter was incredibly polite and attentive, although I never visited the washroom so can’t comment on that. But all in all a pleasant and intimate location on a Thursday night.

Pretty good dinner. Better off eating before 10pm though because after 10 it gets loud and is more of a nightclub then. Good service but sketchy bathrooms. Whats up with the bed between the mens and womens washrooms huh? go before 10 to eat and after 10 to get drunk and party.

5 for dinner on sat. night. Really inexperienced staff (eg. taking dirty cutlery off the plates she was removing and putting them on the linen table — to keep and use again — didn’t know the menu — didn’t ask about the food.)
The food was highly disappointing, med-​rare steak was med-​well but tasted like stagnant blood — nice huh — nothing was ‘good’ — just not bad enough to send back. The prices don’t align with the quality of the food — or the freshness (lacking).
Don’t go — you will leave saying the same — wouldn’t go back — wasn’t worth the money and the staff needs experience.

First off, this is a pretty restaurant, they did real good cultivating a great look for this nightclub. And night club it is, no question of that. sure they TECHNICALLY serve dinner, but the menu is, well, lets say, flat. I was super disappointed on my recent visit here, as It did hit any of the buttons I was hoping for.
The name is a bit misleading. theres nothing local about the food, at least from the point of view of it being from around here and having a locavore mentality. case in point, they were serving tilapia, which any chef who pays attention would know, is a horribly unhealthy and terribly produced fish, wich belongs in low end cafeterias and such. the Menu is made up of safe, predictable and average selections with high end prices. you can tell the food is just there to satisfy a liquor permit, and they dont really follow whats happening in food. it feels like a suburban attempt at high class.
the biggest thing was the place transformed in a matter of two hours from a funky dining room to a frightening night club. this maybe someones cup of tea, but it certainly did not work for me and the romantic dinner for two i was hoping for.
a miss on every level

definite cool happenin place after 10pm. there’s a DJ booth at the top, the main dining area turns into a 80s video dance party, with lights and projectors. older crowd 30+ no youngster is going to know these tunes.
one of the notable items on the menu was the beef short ribs — served thick cut and fall off the bone goodness.
place is multi level.
front area is a lounge for drinks/​bar,
second main room is the dining (very open high ceilings),
last is upstairs is for private parties.
the local company has a beautiful modern décor, decent food selections, good service to boot. what’s not to like.

What an AMAZING venue! Now technically I can’t speak about the food (I know I know), but the venue itself is fantastic. Great décor, swanky feel, super nice staff (shout out to Tim & Angelo) and all the added extras if you’re looking to hold an event.
There are almost three separate areas (but with an open concept feel) — when you walk in there are bench booths and tables for lounging/​drinking with a huge bar right beside. Amazing light fixtures too.
Area two — Dining tables a few steps up, accompanied with a dj booth that spins every Friday & Saturday.
Area three — a great upstairs with a few dining tables and could be used as a green room/​swag area, silent auction space etc. There’s also a retractable screen that can block this area off all together — so funky
Loved it, GREAT for events (need to book far in advance) but also have dinner Wed-​Sat. You’re able to book events any night of the week — apparently it’s really popular for baptisms, showers, weddings, surprise parties etc.

A great place to stop by for a drink if you are in the area. The Local Company is beautiful. Modern, clean, and they have awesome service. The staff were very courteous and quite funny.
Unlike the typical Greek Mediterranean restaurants, this place could stand up to the King St. West folks. They only use local ingredients.
The food is alright. I was a bit disappointed with my Butternut squash gnocchi served with a cream based sauce. Not enough flavour in the gnocchi, and the sauce was a bit too salty to my liking. I had a taste of my friend’s grilled salmon, and it was prepared perfectly, very moist. Accompanying sides (spinach, and ride pilaf) were really good. So I was not as lucky.
Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try out their dessert. The description looked really good. It was my friend’s birthday so we brought our own cake. Lucky for us, they did not charge us a cake-​cutting fee unlike some other restaurants.
The Local Co. turns to a lounge after 10:30 pm, which is quite nice that way people don’t have to relocate and find something else to do after dinner. The music was good on Saturday. I hope they keep it up.

What’s striking about The Local Company is that it isn’t more celebrated amidst Toronto’s hyper-​locavore culture. Is it the location? East of the DVP feel like it’s too far for some who associate the area with souvlaki joints and loud bars. Indeed, it is a tough area for the fine (if equally casual) dining establishment The Local Co. aims to be. A white, resplendent space with high chairs and wood tables, it is an oddly elegant spot that serves delicious, rustic food. Its location lends it a casual atmosphere but, simultaneously a party-​ish vibe later on. No wonder their Facebook page has so many photos of late-​night revelry; you have to make a name somehow, I suppose.
And yet Chef Trevor Middleton, who left The Boilerhouse in the Distillery a while back, deserves far more credit than late-​night purveyor of nibbles. A dedicated, curious, and fiercely passionate chef, he imbues every single thing that come out of his kitchen with a love only the most dedicated of foodies understand. Appetizers like baked brie (usually overdone –here, buttery and smooth, served with a basic, fresh, seasonal-​fruit compote) and goat cheese (with carmelized onions –heavenly) are given every bit as much love and care as mains, and are large enough to share.
Mains include poultry, meats, and vegetarian selections. My stuffed chicken was among the most tender, carefully-​cooked breast I’ve enjoyed. Lovingly filled with goat cheese, it was definitely a wise recommendation from the knowledgeable, witty waiter who served us. My companion’s lamb was equally tender and flavourful, set carefully in a puddle of its own yummy juices. Just delicious.
If there’s one recommendation I have, it’s for the kitchen to portion plates accordingly; after two huge appetizers, I felt overwhelmed at the portion of the main, and not a little guilty in leaving so much of it, especially since it was so good. Same goes for the desserts –too much of a good thing i sometimes just… too much.
However, The Local Co. offers astoundingly good value for the quality; Chef Middleton is truly passionate about cooking, and it shows. It was nice to observe him chatting with guests and addressing their questions about their meal and the restaurant. Equally, it’s encouraging to see the positive rapport between service and kitchen staff –there’s a noticeable cohesion of objectives and a dedication towards a quality experience. Now if only they could get away from those silly party pictures.
**It should be noted that Chef Trevor Middleton is no longer at The Local Company, ergo, I cannot recommend it. This place rose or fell based around the quality of its kitchen, and until I make a return visit, I can’t make a judgment.**

The Local Company is easy to miss. Not much action in the windows, a large, opaque door — it’s not exactly an inviting neighbourhood resto. On a Thursday night, while Mezes across the street had a line-​up practically out the door, the cavernous Local had exactly three tables of diners, including us.
I suspect this isn’t an unusual occurrence. When we walked in, the bartender seemed like he didn’t quite know what to make of us. «Can I help you?» he said. Uh, yeah, I’d like to buy some scented candles, and maybe a lamp.
But hey, we walked in because the menu had some intriguing items at reasonable prices. If the catch is that the bartender doesn’t know why people walk into a restaurant, so be it.
The Local Co. seems to be positioning itself as a lounge more than a restaurant. There are lots of high tables, and couches at the back. (Hope for their sake that the lounge crowds are huge, because 3 tables between 7 and 9 on a Thursday night isn’t enough to keep the lights on.) And at the same time, the restaurant tables are so wide, you practically have to shout to talk to the person across from you. Oh, and both TVs behind the bar are showing MMA — which is completely at odds with the design and with that particular night’s customers.
But enough about the décor. What about the food? Salads — roasted beet with cabbage slaw for my wife, celeriac slaw with bacon and candied walnuts for me — disappoint. Both are served as tall, architectural piles, but are swimming in oil. My slaw has an odd mix of sour, smoky and sweet flavours that don’t really come together. And if the stuff on top of the beets is cabbage, I’m a rutabaga. It looks and tastes like shredded lettuce.
But then comes the dish that drew us in — so much so that we decided we’d both have it and not share: braised veal cheeks with root veg and risotto. It’s perfect: melt-​in-​your-​mouth rich and savoury cheeks, with perfectly al dente veggies and a lovely risotto that absorbs all the jus. And at $ 17, a bargain compared to similar dishes at west-​end joints. We are so full after this, we can’t even think about dessert.
So: 1 star for the apps and the MMA (at least they didn’t have the sound on), 3 stars for the décor, 5 stars for the cheeks. I’d be willing to give this place another shot… but I think next time I’ll order soup.

Local Company is terribly named for Google or Unilocal searching. While a savvy buzzword, make it easy to look up it does not. Hitting the same Greektown spot a half dozen times I was intrigued walking by with the interior design and warm glow of incandescent filaments above the bar.
The cold and snowy Thursday night drew only a small group of patrons other than ourselves which was fine with us, except servers were also in short supply, slow and inattentive. Will likely be back but will sit at the bar for better service.
The food, however, was great and reasonably priced especially considering the food quality and the upscale interior design of the establishment.
My veal cheek was was served hot, super tender morsels of meaty goodness. The double smoked bacon on my salad like starter was great, will try to convince them to make me a bowl of only that.