XX Files–our weekly item on Toronto’s better bartenders.
Name/alias: Raz Koren
Current bar: The Bellevue
How long in the business: Bartending for about a year
First drink/drunk: Besides the 8-day-old Jewish-male-infant drunk that I can thankfully not recall, pictures confirm that I was an inebriated 11-year-old at my sister’s wedding. The details are exceptionally fuzzy but I’m pretty sure I dug the string quartet.
What influences me: I’m willing to give almost anything a whirl. If there’s a drink I’m into I won’t hesitate to ask how it’s made. And if I can’t get to the bottom of that secret ingredient, that’s when the real fun starts.
Best barfly: Being in Kensington and all, it’s not completely out of the ordinary to get the occasional crazy. With that considered, I’m going to have to go with the unassuming young lady who was found in our prep kitchen indulging a savage impulse for a late night can of sardines. Haven’t seen her in a while…
Cinematic bartender: I’m into those scenes where you get that irking feeling that the main character is being followed only to have them duck into some dodgy dive. Once that drink is in their hand you kind of forget why you were worried in the first place.
Rules: Straight, no chaser.
Celebrity experiences: I had this regular, a famous Canadian personality, whom I did not recognize until I was urged to watch a film in which a sex therapist is in search of an orgasm. It wasn’t November but I was complimented on my moustache nonetheless. Nice lady.
Best late-night or morning-after places: It should have come as no surprise to me when Lucky Dragon closed its doors a couple of years back. I suppose my friends and I likely weren’t the only ones using the kitchen as the entrance for some twilight munchies and cold tea, but alas I am on the hunt for a new haunt.
I usually don’t make it up in time for breakfast, and if I do I’ve likely been hustled into agreeing to something before being able to process what it is that’s going on. I’m still clinging to the false hope that Baldwin Street’s Yung Sing Pastry Shop will be back on its feet soon, and in the meantime I’m rocking steady with New Treasure Restaurant’s all day dim sum. Cue motorcycle season and you’ll likely catch me on my regular afternoon route up to Black Camel for my favourite meal: a sandwich.
Best /worst tip: Just the tip?
Favourite cocktail/beer/wine right now: There’s not a whole lot better than a shot of bourbon and a beer to get things started.
Watch for: Look out for delicious spring eats from head chef David Givon and some fresh cocktails coming your way long before you’ve dusted off your finest pool-hopping attire.
The Bellevue, 61A Bellevue Ave (NE Corner at Nassau)
____
Kerry and Ivy Knight write the XX Files column for Toronto Standard. Follow them on Twitter at @keppsterr and @IvyKnight.
For more, follow us on Twitter at @torontostandard, and subscribe to our newsletter.
