Intersection restoration

Cornerstone Bar & Restaurant a welcome addition to Osborne Village

Kevin Legge

When Papa George’s Restaurant, located at the highly coveted corner of River Ave. at Osborne St., closed after 35 years in business, an entire neighborhood was captivated by the prospect of what might replace it. Thankfully, that wait is now over.

New tenants Miles and Danielle Gould – already successful owners of Crescentwood gastropub The Grove – opened their latest venture, The Cornerstone Bar & Restaurant, in mid-February.

Encased in a modernized brick veneer siding that does away with an old peeling wood exterior, The Cornerstone features a massively renovated interior complete with cocktail lounge, 14-seat bar top and a faintly segregated dining area with ten comfortably arranged tables.

Unlike The Grove, which celebrates old English pub-style fare, The Cornerstone sides with a decidedly international, albeit compact, menu designed by chef Norm Pastorin. There are 17 distinct food options along with a handful of desserts, complemented by a well appointed list of cocktails, wines and beers from around the globe. 

Like The Grove, all food is prepared in house from scratch using fresh ingredients. The cioppino ($15), an Italian-American fish stew with mussels, crab, scallops and shrimp in a light but well-seasoned tomato sauce, is a notable starter made to share. For those with a lighter palate, a delicious kale salad ($10) of apple, carrot, fennel and sunflower seeds delicately balances acidity and sweetness.

Entrées range from familiar burgers to modern classics like the steak sandwich ($16), served open-faced with chimichurri, fried egg and sautéed mushrooms on a ciabatta bun. The savoury chicken n’ dumplings ($20) is a new favourite combining Italian and French cuisines; the bird is served pan fried on a bed of perfectly cooked gnocchi, bacon and kale in a warm sauce of parsnips and mirepoix. If you’re more breakfast savvy, try the omelet of the day, a clever rotating feature item.

Complex flavours and balanced offerings abound on The Cornerstone’s menu, but the bar is just as worthy an attraction. The layout can accommodate large and small parties alike, and an extensive drink list keeps seats filled until the wee hours.

It’s about time the Village had a quality joint on its most prized corner. In this restaurant, it has undoubtedly found one.

Published in Volume 68, Number 22 of The Uniter (March 5, 2014)

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