With a mouth-watering menu of brunch items that look as good as they taste and a stunning new dining room complete with one of the most Instagrammable walls in YQG, the new Twisted Apron location is a feast for the senses.
A staple in the Walkerville community for 12 years, the popular brunch bar recently moved into the newly renovated Strathacona Building, located just across the street from their original location. The space underwent a gorgeous transformation thanks to The Rosati Group and owner Katie Robinson couldn’t be happier with the results.
Katie says she was in the midst of looking for a larger home for the restaurant when she was contacted by the construction group about relocating to the historic building.
“I loved the fact that I was going to be able to design my own restaurant and have this beautiful open space,” recalls Katie. “It was nice to be able to go somewhere with a blank slate.”
Not only does the new restaurant feature a modern interior with a picture-perfect rolling pin “Insta” wall, it also offers a larger bar, larger seating capacity, and an adorable new alleyway patio, which Robinson is eager to open once the weather warms up.
“We have a much larger patio and it’s at the side of the building, which was really important to me,” she says. “I didn’t like having our guests sit so close to the road at the old location, so we purchased the alley between the two buildings and closed it off so it’s a bit more secluded.”
A big part of the move was also the need to expand the kitchen, she explains.
“In our old location, we only had four working burners. We have 16 here, so we were able to expand our menu,” shares Katie. “It’s really helped with food times as well; our wait times have really decreased.”
In addition to keeping about 90% of their existing menu, Katie says they’ve added a variety of new items including several different pancakes, as well as the ultra-popular Mediterranean plate; a lighter option featuring grilled halloumi, labneh, roasted red pepper sauce, zaa’tar spice, cucumbers, tomatoes, marinated olives, choice of eggs, and warmed pita bread.
“The pancakes have been a huge hit,” she says. “One of them is our Biscoff Lotus pancakes which are loaded with cookie butter, Lotus cookies, French vanilla ice cream, and fresh berries.”
The restaurant has also been able to offer more gluten-free and vegan options to their guests as well, says Katie, noting that the extra space allows them to prepare those foods separately.
“That was really another part of us moving was being able to offer different varieties of foods.”
At the helm of The Twisted Apron’s new kitchen is Chef Charbel Boutros, whose creativity and passion has fueled their innovative cuisine for the past three years.
“He absolutely loves what he’s doing. He loves breakfast. We’re The Twisted Apron, right? So we’re supposed to put a twist on foods that you love and make them better. That’s what Chef Charbel brings to the table.”
And with a larger bar, the imaginative team has expanded their drink menu as well.
“We invested in a top notch coffee machine for cappuccinos and espressos, and we’ve expanded our tea menu and our boozy brunch menu,” she says. Some of the most ordered brunch-themed cocktails include the Butter Tart Old Fashioned with butter tart liquor, vodka, and orange bitters, and a PB&J coffee made with peanut butter whisky, whipped cream, and a dollop of jam on top.
While The Twisted Apron has found their niche as a “brunch only” restaurant, Katie says they’re looking forward to hosting pop-up dinners in the near future.
“We won’t be doing regular dinners again like we used to, but we will be doing pop-ups and guest chefs at night,” she shares. “The space is so beautiful inside and we’re going to have such an amazing patio; sitting empty at night doesn’t make sense.”
“We’re looking forward to some fun tastings from some of our own chefs too who like to get creative,” she adds. “We’re also going to host special events, so if people wanted to host something here at night we’re able to do that.”
For those hosting an event at their home or office, Katie says they’ll soon be unveiling a new catering menu, with options ranging from someone having a small family brunch at home to a 100 person party or business brunch.
“People will be able to order it all online and just come pick it up,” she notes. “We’re really excited for the year ahead; it’s going to be great.”
