Icarus Resto Bar Ascending on Richmond Row
BY BRYAN LAVERY
Zack
Agathos has the presence and magnetism which combined with a genuine
earnestness bodes
well in the hospitality business. He’s good looking and charming and
approachable and has good restaurant chops. Agathos descends from a long line
of savvy Greek-Canadian restaurateurs. His grandfather, Jim Agathos, father Ross
Agathos (Sweet Onion Grill in Wortley Village) and Aunt Effie (newly-opened
Kosmos Catering and Eatery on Richmond Row) operated The Dancing Greek (formerly the Huron House
and Jimmy’s Tavern) for 51 years before it closed.
Agathos
confides that he was drawn to the cautionary legend of Icarus, and chose the
name for his new resto bar after careful deliberation. He felt the story of
Icarus spoke to him. Icarus is of course named after the son of Daedalus, who
ventured too near the sun on wings of wax and feathers. The story goes that
Daedalus had been imprisoned by King Minos of Crete within the walls of his own
invention, the Labyrinth, whose function was to hold the Minotaur. But the
master craftsman would not suffer incarceration. He fashioned two pairs of
wings by fastening feathers to a wooden frame with wax. Giving one pair to his
son, he warned him that flying too near the sun would cause the wax to melt.
But Icarus became elated with the ability to fly and neglected to heed his
father's warning. The rest, as they say, is history.
Agathos
is confident, he has bravado (the good kind) and he believes he has the right
skill set to succeed in the restaurant business. He has intentionally
surrounded himself with staff, confidantes and advisors who have the finesse
and judgment it takes to birth a successful restaurant.
Icarus Resto Bar is located in the repurposed
premises formerly occupied by Coffee Culture on Richmond Street. Last year, on
my initial visit to meet up with Agathos, he emphasized that the restaurant
would have an interactive open-kitchen concept with a contemporary
Greek/Mediterranean fusion theme. Sometimes when speaking with him I was reminded
of an impresario who is trying to bring Modern Greek cuisine the acclaim it
deserves. Despite his due diligence, he had many unforeseen setbacks during the
construction of the restaurant, which he endured with optimism.
Today, the long room features large picture windows, seating for more
than a dozen at the open kitchen (protected by a large sneeze guard), yellow
brick walls and chestnut-coloured accents at the entrance, and a bamboo ceiling
in the front portion of the restaurant. There are good acoustics. Behind the
row of banquettes, near the back of the 2,000-square-foot restaurant, a whiskey
and bourbon bar is slated for a future expansion. There is also talk of an
outdoor patio at the side of the building which would allow al fresco
dining.
With its noble preparations,
enthusiasm for direct spicing and emphasis on lamb, olives, garlic, lemon,
yogurt, cheese, grains, nuts, honey and seafood, Greek/Mediterranean cookery
has a long tradition. Dishes are mostly enhanced with lemons and fresh and
dried herbs such as oregano and thyme. Spices – cumin, cinnamon and allspice –
are used frugally but are integral to the flavour profile of dishes like
pastítsio. At Icarus, pastítsio comprises layers of pasta noodles and lamb ragù with a creamy béchamel topping and is served in a small and
exceedingly hot-to-the-touch cast-iron fry pan accompanied by a chef’s knife.
Like most
cuisines, flavours change with the season and geography. Some classic savoury
pastries and desserts use filo pastry. There is a surprising continuity in
culinary matters from ancient Greece through to contemporary times, and many
dishes are part of a larger tradition of Ottoman cuisine with Turkish, Arabic
and Persian roots. You can see these influences in the menus.
“The
Squash” is a wonderfully rich, sweet and savoury salad of roasted butternut
squash, beet and pumpkin with red and green onion and spiced nuts tossed in
maple vinaigrette.
Chef is
just as confident with the layered butternut squash parfait with whipped Greek
yogurt, honey, granola, quinoa, spiced nuts and dried apricots. Each morsel
reveals a blast of flavour and texture, and the crunch of spiced nuts combined
with the sweetness of honey against the yogurt and dried apricots is sublime
and perfectly balanced. There are several vegan-friendly and gluten-free
choices, and the menu is peppered with substitution suggestions and add-ons.
Tacos are versatile and delicious. (Variations
on the genre are popping up on menus everywhere these days.) On the lunch menu
there is a trio of grilled tacos with lamb ragù,
slathered with feta, and dressed up with pico de gallo. The tacos are
excellent. More surprising on the mostly Mediterranean-centric lunch menu is
the stand-out, mouthwatering wild mushroom and leek pappardelle with sweet peas
and burnt lemon. Some items, like the lamb burger and prime rib beef dip,
repeat on the dinner menu, which is larger than the lunch menu, but not
overwhelming.
At
dinner, Chef flirts with our taste buds, with thick garlicky tzatziki with a
hint of cucumber and updated Greek specialties such as spanakopita, keftedes
(lamb meatballs), pastítsio, souvlaki and grilled calamari. Chef brings new
life to these staple menu items. Saganaki is pan-fried goat cheese flambéed
with lemon and brandy creating a crispy, salty, stringy, succulent melted
goodness.
The squash theme is updated with micro greens
and kale tossed in pomegranate vinaigrette and topped with warm goat cheese,
slivered almonds and sundried cranberries. There is
also spicy, crispy bite-sized chicken mixed with lemon pepper popcorn and
roasted garlic aioli.
Rabbit
is something rarely seen on menus in London. Chef prepares braised leg of
rabbit with a sauce of tomatoes, leek and shallots accompanied by roasted
potatoes. There are also the usual staples like beef tenderloin and the
ubiquitous salmon.
Agathos still loves all the food he grew up
eating. He recalls family-style servings of homemade traditional Greek foods,
including fresh fish, seafood, goat, rabbit and lamb. On the evening menu, in
homage, The Icarus platter for four features skewers of chicken, pork and beef
tenderloin, an order of pastítsio, Greek salad, potatoes, rice, pita and
tzatziki. The Poseidon platter for three includes seared scallops, shrimp,
grilled and fried calamari and baked salmon with Greek salad, potatoes, rice,
pita and tzatziki.
One of
the best experiences we’ve had here was sitting at a high top near the chef’s
counter in front of the open kitchen watching the machinations of the kitchen
and the parade of Richmond Row fashionistas. Another was a birthday dinner when
Chef pulled out all the stops when dessert rolled around. Desserts, like the plating,
are innovative works of art.
Icarus Resto Bar
519 Richmond St., London
519-601-7110
www.Icarusrestobar.com
SUNDAY–TUESDAYS: 11:30 AM–9:00 PM
WEDNESDAY: 11:30 AM–10:00 PM
THURSDAY: 11:30 AM–10:00 PM
FRIDAY–SATURDAY: 11:30 AM–12:00 AM
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