Carbon Bar, the lively barbecue restaurant in downtown Toronto, is offering, until the end of September, The Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia lobster burger for $20 (with the purchase of a pint of Alexander Keith’s beer).
And what an extravagant burger it is: a patty, about an inch thick, comprised of sweet, tender chunks of Nova Scotia lobster (6 ounces in all), perfumed with ginger, dill and parsley, the whole thing wrapped in a crisp coating of panko and brioche breadcrumbs. The crowning glory on this perfect patty is a thick slice of juicy beefsteak tomato, pickle, house-smoked bacon and, adding an extra layer of sumptuousness, truffled hollandaise and Old Bay mayo. All of this is stuffed into a pillow-soft bun and sided with frites.
Hats off to Carbon Bar’s chef, Hidde Zomer, who has created a brilliant entry in Toronto’s exploding burger scene.
Located in the space occupied, many years ago, by Citytv, the dining room, designed by Giannone Petricone Associates Inc., is stunning in its industrial chic: exposed brick walls, maroon booths and banquettes, and constellation of globe-shaped light fixtures, hanging from a 30-ft. ceiling, that create a feeling of airiness and space.
Buyouts will be considered for lunch and dinner seven days a week. The dining room seats 120; the bar area seats 30 and also accommodates up to 70, cocktail-style, with all tables and chairs removed. The Green Room seats 28.
— Don Douloff has been a restaurant critic for over 25 years and, during that time, has critiqued more than 1,200 eateries. In 1988, he studied the fundamentals of French cuisine at Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris, France. During his time in France, he furthered his gastronomic education by visiting the country’s bistros, brasseries and Michelin-starred temples of haute cuisine. He relishes exploring the edible universe in his native Toronto and on his travels throughout Canada and abroad.
