East End Vine: a vestige of Old Toronto

Toronto isn’t known for being a particularly friendly place. When I made the decision to move cross -country, the response of “why are you moving there?” became repetitious. To be Canadian is to hate Toronto. Once you’ve lived here for any period of time - well - you start to understand why.

The ego? Aggressive. I liken it to years of stress wearing its residents down to jaded, self righteous, all knowing authoritarians plagued by Stockholm Syndrome. Sure, it’s naive and ignorant presuming it’s “the best place in Canada”, but it’s also a quaint delusion they assume everyone agrees.

I’ve called Toronto home for 4 years and here’s what I’ve learned:

• it’s become a dystopian hellscape dominated by big corp

• reasonable locals will attest that Toronto at its peak was about 30 years ago, in the late 90s/early 2000s when small business reigned

• the few boroughs with small businesses that remain need to be protected at all costs

Which brings me to my love for East End Vine.

I met Ian Stoddart when he was working at John & Sons, a locals oyster bar found on Temperance street that feels like something out of a Hallmark movie.

I never went for the wine, though it was a bottle of Lapierre Morgon that piqued my interest one particular visit, who I was told had been listed by their newly minted sommelier - none other than Ian Stoddart. We quickly became friends.

Ian told me over various encounters and lots of wine, that he aspired to open his own wine bar someday. Sure, I’d heard that only a million times before. We are but a culture of dreamers, not doers.

Ian actually followed through, and did it during the pandemic to boot.

Entering East End Vine transports you somewhere else - a welcomed reprieve from the chaos and angry temperament of the city. It’s a brilliant, and somewhat ironic, juxtaposition to its pretentious neighbour, Wynona. We’ve often joked once patrons are done being “seen” at Wynona, they make their way to East End Vine to relax and let it all hang out.

This is the type of place you go where they know your name - and it’s because Ian, as the proprietor - has painstakingly, and carefully designed it to be. It’s intentionally small, with barely 20 seats. Ian is on the floor every night. It’s rare that you select wine from the menu, because the inventory is stored in his mind. He will often join his guests at the end of the night. This is a guy who knows how to build a loyal following - slow, methodical, and thoughtful.

East End Vine is one of the few places I recommend to friends and clients in Toronto.

LM: Tell me about your business.

IS: East End Vine is a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant/wine bar located in Toronto’s east end. That’s really all I know… I think we sell some wine… wait, no, no wine—

I designed the restaurant to resemble some of the cute spots I visited while on my travels (primarily European experiences). I loved the laidback, neighbourhood vibe that I constantly encountered in Spain, Italy, Portugal, etc. So I tried to replicate that.

We pride ourselves on wine pairings, and the tapas menu really helps with casual multi course dinners with sampling different wines. To help encourage patrons to participate in pairings, and to never feel we are trying to up sell them, I set almost all my wines the same price (by the glass and by the bottle). That way if we suggest the Sousón over a Grenache you won’t worry we are trying to get you to buy the more expensive wine.

This mindset also relates to the fact that I wanted our restaurant to not empty the wallets of our patrons so I have done my absolute best to make our menu and wine list as reasonably priced as possible. When we designed the space I wanted to use colours and decor to help decrease anxiety without patrons even realizing it. I chose specific colours to help with this as well as plants, old wood antiques. etc.

I suppose in a nutshell, East End Vine is a little vacation from the day-to-day, and I truly believe we are sorta a one-of-a-kind spot.

We also love Seinfeld.

LM: What got you into wine?

IS: I was a screenwriter for years… What else is there it say?

Honestly, I adore traveling. I loved sipping wine while taking it all in. I thought wine was a great focal point for expanding my mind with world history & geography.

When I fell out of love with screenwriting I wanted to be a ‘specialist’ in a field. I have a lot of experience in the service industry and hosting events. I thought that the sommelier certification was a great boost and would level up the position I was in.

LM: How has your experience in the Toronto wine community been? How could it improve?

IS: With running the restaurant I live in a bubble, so I am not too involved. When I do attend events, I tend to stay quiet and observe others.

I did hate the pretentiousness I encountered while studying for my sommelier certification. People take wine way too seriously, and they judge judge judge.

I once spoke to a wine manager who told me their guests have shitty palates, and they (the manager) purchases wine based off what they like. I stayed quiet, but I wanted to ask if that manager was the one buying the wine during the dinner rush.

There is a fine balance of purchasing what you like and what your guests want. I also think — perhaps a more global issue — that people follow trends way too much. One time comes to mind when I had two guests walk in (they hadn’t stepped more than two feet inside) asking if I had natural funky wines or skin contact. I had sold out of my orange wine and didn’t have any funk (not to say I didn’t have interesting or unique wines). These guests instantly left. They didn’t even take the time to look over the list. Their loss. It made me laugh.

LM: What styles are you most excited about right now?

IS: Reds from Galicia! All day. I’ve been having a blast with pairing them with seafood.

Also, all wines from Northern Italy. Pelaverga, Schiava, Müller-Thurgau, Favorita and all the classics too. Awesome for food. So, I guess not a style of interest but more regional excitement.

LM: What's the interest like for Canadian wine at East End Vine?

IS: It’s up and down. I conduct a lot of blind tastings with regulars, and every chance I get I have them try a Canadian wine. It is rare they don’t like it. I will say that if the price is right guests will try it.

A big factor is the sales pitch. I tend to have to know more about the winery for people to be genuinely intrigued than I do with let's say, a Chianti. ‘I also have a Chianti—‘ ‘Oh I love Italy! I’ll take a glass.’

Nothing wrong with that, but with a Canadian winery it’s like, ‘This winery’s first harvest came on a full moon. The Tragically Hip had just played down the road and their bus broke down and they were forced to harvest along with—‘ You get the idea.

LM: Do you see yourself owning a wine bar long term? Why or why not?

IS: No idea. I want to travel for wine. That I know for sure. I also enjoy service at my restaurant. I love guiding a group through a six course wine pairing to help celebrate a 40th anniversary. I also want to get really good at it. Like really really good. Practice practice practice, right? My goal in the next couple years is to reach a position where I can travel for wine for two - three months of the year. So in short, I don’t know. Let’s go with uh— maybe.

LM: What sets you apart from the vast array of wine bars in the city?

IS: Guests may not leave until they’ve quoted five Seinfeld quotes.

We talk a lot at our spot. We like to interact. Sometimes people are caught off guard, but they warm to it by the end. Most absolutely love it from the start. It seems that our reviews follow a common theme of praising our atmosphere, service and food. Peter Mcknight (my chef) is unreal. He does everything well. So perhaps he is what sets us apart.

Visit East End Vine at 817 Gerrard St E in Toronto.