The Vic Pub
My Greek was a little rusty, but The Vic Public House’s owner, Jimmy Georgoulis understood what I was saying. Food is his life he says, it’s his love, and now, it could be yours too. Jimmy has been in the restaurant biz for over 20 years. His previous endeavour, Fuzion, closed its doors, and in its place stands The Vic Public House.
An inaugural toast was in order (for Vic Pub, and myself; this being my first TCG event), so I ordered The Prince of Wales. The vodka, melon liqueur, and cranberry infused martini had me feeling like royalty. A Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc was had by my guest, who repeatedly mentioned his love for this new found french discovery. He quickly decided the drink is the “perfect summer beer”, (it must be the citrus flavour the moderately priced bottle has to offer). And, Vic Pub also has the perfect summer patio. The vast outdoor dining area quickly filled up with friends, and couples alike meeting up to enjoy the beautiful evening pub-side. This marks my first outdoor supper of the season, and it’s going to be hard to beat. Nestled on the corner of Church and Dundonald, Vic has mastered the art of pub-onomics with its terrific location, a fun, friendly staff, and fantastic food.
Both Jimmy, and our waiter, Brock, recommended the pulled pork sandwich, duck tacos, and fish & chips. The latter have been a popular order among patrons. I felt the need to satisfy my poutine craving, so why not order the pulled pork poutine, and get the best of both worlds? And, that I did. The hand cut fries were topped with delectable cheese curds, gravy, and perfectly seasoned pulled pork. This dish represents a taste of home. Hailing from Quebec, the birthplace of poutine, I care a great deal about the proper curd. One simply cannot shred cheddar over fries, pour on some sauce, and call it poutine. Thankfully, Vic’s gravy is rich, the curds are fresh, and the fries are crispy (even the ones all the way at the bottom of the platter). Perfecting the poutine is a meticulous art, and Vic’s gravy to fry ratio creates a nice balance.
Mac and Cheese was the appetizer of choice for my fellow attendee. The appie was rather surprising. For a second, I forgot what was ordered when the dish came to us in cube form. The macaroni, and homemade cheese sauce were panko crusted, and utterly divine. Too often, the cheese sauce tends to be overly creamy, but Vic’s has a nice consistency, while not overdoing the cheesiness.
After finishing the refreshing cocktail, our waiter extraordinaire, insisted I try the Früli Strawberry. The beer from Belgium was wonderful. I am not a big beer buff, but I could definitely see myself getting into this stuff. The real fruit juice blends beautifully with the beer, and makes for superb sipping. (My guest was dead set on another Kronenbourg.)
After taking in the warm evening air, and the menu, our decisions were made. Burgers and pubs go hand in hand, and I wanted to see what Vic had up its sleeve. I selected the Vic burger. The medium rare kobe & bison filet served with argula, tomato, and bacon marmalade was delightful. The mix of textures, and flavours complimented each other with every succulent bite. After my profound potato consumption earlier, I opted for a garden salad as my side. The sweet vinaigrette was drizzled over a medley of colourful & crunchy veggies making for a fine summer salad.
The fish & chips were the pick of the day for my comrade. The lightly flaked cod was tasty, and the accompaniments of sauces and ‘slaw were filled with flavour. The fish may have been a tad salty for my taste, but nothing a swig of beer couldn’t rectify.
I am always interested in knowing why restauranteurs name their restaurants the way they do. For Jimmy, finding the name was quick and easy. Vic Public House is aptly named for the Victorian mansion the restaurant is housed in. The gracious owner loves meeting new people, and new people will love to meet him, and his delicious menu prepared by head chef, Edrick DeVilla, formerly of Fuzion. Everything is made fresh on site. Nothing, and we mean nothing, is ever frozen.
I’ll be back for the righteous poutine. And, when I do come back, it will also be to try the chorizio sausage pogo I had been eyeing. I will definitely save room for dessert next time. With classics like chocolate cake, Oreos & milk, and apple crumble, I’d be a fool not to. If the amazing patio, excellent (and affordable) food wasn’t enough, The Vic Pub also offers a weekend brunch. There is a problem with the food at Vic Pub, however. The one complaint Jimmy has had within the first month of opening? Portions are too big; there’s too much food. That is hardly a problem, but one I’d like to solve any day.
Please “Like” The Vic Pub on Facebook here: #/TheVicPublicHouse
Follow them on Twitter: @thevicpub_TO
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Disappointed
June 3, 2012 at 3:55 PM
The food was great…. but the people not so much. George needs to go. How are you going to attract business when he just pushes it away… you should really be more involved in your business. What do you think happened to fuzion….
Random
July 24, 2012 at 1:24 AM
Agreed to the last comment every time I’ve been to fuzion and now the Vic, I’ve never experienced anything but an “I’m better than you” attitude from George. Personally I feel it is horrible for the business and part of ther reason it will never reach its full potential! He needs to go! Maybe if he could s
Smile for once it would help. But I think he is generally incapable. I can say that I’ve spent my last day at that restaurant. As for the rest of the experience FANOMINAL, fix the one issue and you attract way more business. People talk. And he is the subject of many conversations.
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patron
December 19, 2013 at 8:55 PM
This place had the worse service of any resto I have ever been to. The staff was rude, never came back to the table, never asked if we wanted anything else, just people expecting a tip. Honestly the worse service ever. I gave it a second chance I went with 6 people, the place was empty and the waiter had the audacity to roll his eyes. I told the waiter I refuse to eat and spend my money in a place this shitty and walked out. I am happy it is gone and hope that someone with who actually respects its clients and their money opens in the same spot and makes a killing.