Episode 2
· 38:14
Welcome to Tasting Notes Toronto by Insider Wine, the podcast where we speak with the restaurant owners, sommeliers, and winemakers that make Toronto such an exciting place to dine out. I'm Alex Abbott Boyd, sommelier and founder of Insider Wine, a small wine importing agency based in Toronto. In this episode, I sit down with Ian Stoddart, owner of East End Vine, a cozy wine and tapas bar in Toronto's East End. Inspired by his travels and a deep love of wine, Ian set out to create the kind of spot he always sought out abroad, welcoming, unpretentious, and built around community. We talk about how he brings that vision to life through a constantly evolving wine list, his approach to keeping things fresh and exciting, and how he blends his passion for art and hospitality to create memorable offbeat experiences for his guests.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Here's my conversation with Ian Stoddart. Ian, how are you doing? Thank you so much for coming.
Ian Stoddart:Thank you for having me.
Alex Abbott Boyd:To kick things off and to give people just a little background, where did you grow up?
Ian Stoddart:I grew up in London, Ontario. So about two hours from here in Toronto. So yes, I grew up in London, in the suburbs. So very exciting life. And then I went away to university in Quebec.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Okay.
Ian Stoddart:So I was I was pretty quick to to leave when I could. I went to art school there, so that was good. You know, it's there's not a ton to do, so you just kinda get into trouble a little bit. But, yeah, I I would say, yeah, it was it was fine. Were there great restaurants?
Ian Stoddart:There are there are some good restaurants. The problem with growing up in a place like London is a lot of people have backyards, which is I mean, it's a good thing, but in terms of a problem, a lot of people just go home, and then they'll have friends over. So there isn't really a huge culinary scene. And a lot of the bars downtown are focused on university students. So there is the London club, which my parents are a part of.
Ian Stoddart:They're, like, members. And so that has a good that has a good food scene. And apparently, now they have a pretty good wine program. As good as it can be.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. Were your parents into food and wine? Were they based on what you're describing, sounds like, you know, what what was then home cooking something that was that was big?
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. My mom is a very good, like, chef. So she really took a lot of pride in cooking meals, and we would have we all lived a very busy lives, so our Monday to Friday was pretty nonstop. But Sundays were like mom's like, if we're gonna have one meal, it's gonna be like Sundays. And so she'd cook elaborate meals on Sunday night.
Ian Stoddart:And then in our dining room, that was, like, our practice for if we went out, or if we went out to, like, somebody else's house, or if we went out for dinner was how we conducted ourselves at the table. Was on Sunday night, was like, we had to, like, pretend like we were basically on our best behavior. And so that's how we learned how to, like when we were at from a young age to, like, when you go to restaurants, like, don't crawl under the table. Don't get up and, like, sprint around and stuff. So we had that, but then while practicing that, we had these very nice meals that she would cook.
Ian Stoddart:So she took all she took a lot of pride in that. And yeah. And then that influenced me to wanna, like, make my own lunches when I was a kid. And then eventually, when I had I got, like, we were encouraged to get jobs pretty young. And so if my parents are at work, I'd come home.
Ian Stoddart:I'd have to make myself, like, a meal to go out. So obviously, asking her how to do things, like learning how to at least not be afraid of cooking. But that doesn't mean I'm a good cook now. But yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Well, what sparked a bigger passion into food?
Ian Stoddart:Well, after being like a broke artist for a while, he learn to be creative. So I would say that basically not affording being able to afford to go out for food. When I was younger, he'd much rather go to the bar so you would learn how to cook decent meals. So I also had a friend who he went to culinary school when he was young. And he was like basically was a backpacker for like twelve years.
Ian Stoddart:And so I met up with him. So he was always like into cooking, then I went and lived with him in New Zealand, and then was, like, learning from him as well. So just kinda always being around it. And then being in, like, the food and beverage industry as, a side gig while trying to be an artist. You're always around it.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. I mean, I feel like we kind of maybe glossed over something. What what kind of artists were you were you working on, David?
Ian Stoddart:I was so I went to art school for everything. So over there, we did like a theater, dance, visual arts. And so I, like, learned how to compose music, learned the trumpet, learned to sing, play the piano where I learned how to compose music. We learned dance and learn theater and writing. And then that kind of spawned into me wanting to be on SNL for a long time.
Ian Stoddart:So when I was in high school, my one friend and I did a lot of improv. And then we were eventually, when we got onto student council, we were asked to do, like, skits for, like, assemblies and stuff. So we tried to do that. So that kinda grew and grew. So basically, like, try to be an actor for a while.
Ian Stoddart:And then in university, it's the same thing. I kept doing improv and got pretty good at it. And then but when I went backpacking for seven months, that's where I really got into writing. So now that eventually led to me wanting to write more. So then after, you know, like getting back from backpack and stuff, did like my graduates in comedy writing.
Ian Stoddart:And then I guess I made my own master's in screenwriting where I attended like, the Robert McKee seminar and and did a George Brown course and just kinda, like, compiled my own stuff to basically study it full time for, like, another two years. And then after that, like, pursuing making it happen.
Alex Abbott Boyd:When did when did wine start to come into the picture?
Ian Stoddart:I think I've I've tried to think about that. I there's two I'd say, like, the first great experience I had with wine would have been I just remember that I had like a big ripe cab that I had and I just bought various cheeses. Yeah. And I just remember and I know, you know, anyone in the wine, they're like, oh, like, big nap or big napa cab or whatever with cheeses. Like, people think it's gonna be good, but it's not.
Ian Stoddart:But I actually it was like the first thing that I was like, this is really good. Yeah. Like, I just love, like, the different types of cheese with wine. And being young, like, your palate still enjoys sweet things. Right?
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. Like, from being a kid, and that slowly transcends. And then as you get older, I feel like it it goes back to, you know, 60 year old men loving Amarone. But that was probably the first experience. But then I'd always said when I I was younger, I said at 35, I always reevaluate life in general and then make decisions because I thought that was young enough to start up a new career.
Ian Stoddart:So at 35, I reevaluated everything. And then I had fallen a bit out of love with the arts just because the hustle is so like, if you're not in it, then it's tough. So I decided to make that more of a hobby. And then I was like, well, I really love traveling, and I enjoy wine, and maybe there's something I can do with it. So I just I took two months of just not doing anything and just allowing myself to be.
Ian Stoddart:And then after those two months, I was like, yeah, I think maybe I'll do, like maybe I should try to become Somali and get my certification. And then the next day, I signed up for school. And then I got my certification eight months later.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Okay. Wow. I feel like there's there's so much there. You're definitely not alone with Cab getting you into wine. I mean, for for me, it was exactly the same.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Mhmm. It was Bordeaux that just it was the first time I was like, wow. Okay. There's actually if I stop and pay attention, there's actually a whole lot going on here.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:And I don't remember what we paired with it, but I would be willing to bet it was just a couple different cheeses as well. And then that just that just sparked that joy.
Ian Stoddart:But isn't that it's it's interesting how that works. If you're, like, adventurous and you buy a bunch of different cheeses, they might have, like, all these different flavor compounds in there that if you're comparing it and it's like an introduction, it's cool because you you'll without realizing it, you're learning that you're, like, playing around the flavors.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. Yeah. That's fascinating. You know, I don't think I was that adventurous cheese wise. Think for me, it probably was variations on aged Gouda and cheddar that I started.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Right. So you signed up for song school. Was that the song factory with Bruce?
Ian Stoddart:I studied yeah. I studied under Bruce. And then
Alex Abbott Boyd:And what year was this?
Ian Stoddart:2019. 2019. So I signed up. And thinking I knew more about wine than I actually did, I skipped I skipped the his the level one at Salm Factory. Went right in because I was like, oh, I was I was like a cocktail bartender.
Ian Stoddart:Like, I when I was younger, I was a really decent bartender. So I skipped level one and then went right into level two with him. And then I was like, maybe I should have taken level one just to because it gives you like a really good you don't you like level one gives you a really good little in terms of at the song factory, it gives you a nice either reminder or just like soil to plant your seeds. Yeah. And I just kinda skipped to buying plants, I guess.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. But So I studied under him and then through the core of masters of psalms, I did level one and two back to back. So Monday through Wednesday. Must have been intense. Yeah, man.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. Because also, like, the nerves of, like like, we were very ready, But you're like, what if I, like, screw up and fail level one for some strange reason, and then my level two is tomorrow? Yeah. And then I can't take it. But if anything, it was, like, amazing because it was just, like, a refresher on so much.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. Just a reminder and it kinda calms because as you're doing level one, you're like those two days, I was like, oh, this is really easy. This is good though. Because it reminds you of like these little facts. And so then on, especially for, like, theory.
Ian Stoddart:Because then on Wednesday, like, for level two, I found that the theory wasn't as intense. I think, like, the level two is when you it's like the blind tastings and service, which is like a nightmare.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. Well, I I don't remember being as nervous as I was after taking the level two test, just like waiting in this restaurant to get the results.
Ian Stoddart:Oh my god. Where did you do it?
Alex Abbott Boyd:I actually went to Boston.
Ian Stoddart:Oh, okay. Yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. Because so I, you know, I I'd moved to Canada. I had started Insider Wine. My first wines, which were all from Oregon, were kind of on the way. Mhmm.
Alex Abbott Boyd:And I knew once they got they were gonna get here right as we had our first kid. So I knew that I knew that when they were here and I would suddenly become a father, I was gonna be very, very busy. So and it only happens once a year in Canada. Whereas it happens every single weekend in The United States. So I just I just picked a weekend that was convenient and flew to Boston to take it.
Alex Abbott Boyd:But I was feeling like I was having a nervous breakdown. Yeah. It's just waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting.
Ian Stoddart:Oh, yeah. And you're, like, sweating through, like, the shirt that you wear. Yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Oh, and and then everyone is, you know, comparing, oh, what did you get for the wines? And they have totally different wines, and they're so confident. And
Ian Stoddart:How did you find service?
Alex Abbott Boyd:As someone who has never actually worked service, I passed it by the skin of my teeth. Yeah. You know, my my first business was in cocktails, and that I think was a a big part of what saved me because, like, every there were there were a ton of cocktail questions for whatever reason, and every one of those is like boom boom boom. I nailed it. Yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:But I forgot to put out the glasses before opening the champagne to give you to give you a sense of of where I was. Yeah. Apparently, all the invisible diners at the table, I cut off their heads because I carried the tray right over the chairs. Nice. I got dinged from that.
Ian Stoddart:And Yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:It So it was it was theory and tasting that got me
Ian Stoddart:I was I had, like, one of those moments where I was, like, too in the moment where I was like, oh, I'm doing my exam. As I was doing the exam, was like, shit. So I remember being like, I'm failing right now to like during service, like my technical part of pouring was fine. But I'm like, he's like asking me questions. I'm like, shit.
Ian Stoddart:I'm like botching this. And so I was like, I'm just gonna switch on my improv and just do what I normally do. So then I made up this whole story. So the champagne he was telling me, I made up it was a partially true story I took. A story of my parents who were on a trip, and they stayed at this, like, celebrity's villa that their friends had rented.
Ian Stoddart:Long story. I took that story, and it was like, my parents were actually allowed to pick a bottle, and they didn't pick the champagne, but it was very similar to it. And I told this whole story and he just listened. So I made him stop asking me questions for a few minutes to for me to get into my groove. So then he, like, stopped asking me questions as I was, like, telling the story as I was pouring the champagne.
Ian Stoddart:And then after that, it was fine. Yeah. But I like totally distracted him.
Alex Abbott Boyd:That's a genius move. And then it sounds like you pissed?
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. Yeah. I did. I did like a Tiger Woods fist pump. But that was like, damn it.
Ian Stoddart:It was, yeah, it was a really cool moment because that was like the start of the new thing. And then, you know, basically being like, okay, now with this, it's not, I think you don't need to have a certification. Like there are people who are just wine collectors who know a ton of wine and doesn't like, they might know way more than us. Right? But it's at least enough of a rite of passage for people to, like, guess just to, like, to listen to you.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. You know? And I and and so for that, having that was like, okay, now I have this, like now I have, like, essentially, like, notepad or or the key to the estate, and now I can what do I do with it? And so, you know, I started writing. I did four issues of a wine magazine.
Ian Stoddart:So What
Alex Abbott Boyd:was it called?
Ian Stoddart:It was called Divine. So it was a way of promoting the restaurant Okay. When, like, I was getting ready to open. So it was like, I started doing like wine. And so before I published it, I I would write like wine reviews and stuff and then like insert like fictional setups of like how I approach the wine.
Ian Stoddart:And then the within that have an actual review of the wine. And so I wanted to like start exploring all these different things. And then but then I had the opportunity to open the restaurant. So, like, just
Alex Abbott Boyd:with So that you simultaneously studying to get your certified and working on opening the restaurant?
Ian Stoddart:No. So I got I did that. And then I had an opportunity of a friend who he owned, like, the space where the restaurant is now. It was a cafe, and he was kinda done doing it. And he asked if if I wanted to go in a partnership and open that because
Alex Abbott Boyd:And what year was that?
Ian Stoddart:That was 2019.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Okay.
Ian Stoddart:But I had a lot of experience hosting events. So I got I was actually pretty good at I had a little bit of a natural ability of hosting events to promote my films, my friends' films, like my friends who are stand up musicians. So I got kinda used to, like, learning how to do that. And then when I was like a line producer for a bit, learning how to budget. So anyways, my one friend knew this.
Ian Stoddart:So he's like, you would have a good intuition on running a business. And so I was like, yeah, let's let's do it. And so in 2019, I was preparing for it and then I paused it and had the opportunity to go to Australia to do some wine stuff. And then that's when COVID hit. Wow.
Ian Stoddart:So that actually stopped paused Was a
Alex Abbott Boyd:very, very fortunate pause time.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. So
Alex Abbott Boyd:how how long were you able to be in Australia?
Ian Stoddart:Two months. So that was the second time. First time I went there was just as a surfer bum. And then the second time was for wine stuff. And so that was in, like, in Melbourne, and it went down to Mornington, then I went over to Adelaide.
Ian Stoddart:Okay. Alright. So it's No. So yeah. That was, 2020.
Alex Abbott Boyd:So so so 2020 Yeah. You have passed your certified song. Mhmm. You're working on opening this restaurant, but you wanted to take this pause to do this travel. Yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Why did you think that that was a good idea? And that you like, and rather than focus on getting the business off the ground.
Ian Stoddart:I'm a firm, firm believer in travel. I think it's arguably the best education. And so when I I traveled a lot when I was in my twenties and in my early thirties. Though my one regret was I didn't just completely travel in my 20s and just get as many work visas as possible. So when I got my certification, I was, you could get I was, like, I was 35, so I'm like, where can I could I apply?
Ian Stoddart:Could I go work at a vineyard somewhere? So I looked up everywhere that I could go, and it was France and Australia. And then I just have, I don't know, that area of the world, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, like, it always has, like, a pull on me. So I was like, maybe y'all go back to Australia. And so I was able to get my work visa.
Ian Stoddart:You can obtain it before your so you get to be 35. But if you turn 36, you can still use your visa. You just had to get the visa at 35. So I got it. I was like, okay.
Ian Stoddart:Well, I'm gonna hold off on the restaurant and everything. I'm gonna go do this because I can't do it again because Yeah. I'll be 36 and that's it. So this is last time I can get a work visa. So I was just like, alright.
Ian Stoddart:Let's do it.
Alex Abbott Boyd:So where did you work in Australia?
Ian Stoddart:I did film work for a winery in Adelaide Hills. So I filmed, like, an acid trip wine, like, silent wine film so that they could use for their annual big guns dinner. So, like, while they're having dinner
Alex Abbott Boyd:What what is an acid chip?
Ian Stoddart:So I filmed, like, grapes being pressed, champagne opening, different types of pores. I would go through the vineyards and move camera in a certain way and filmed it all, and then overexposed in certain times, slowed it down, add different filters, and just, like, made this, like, trippy one video that they played as a background. So while they're having their big dinner Yeah. It's on this big screen. So kind of like this avant garde Yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:It's so
Ian Stoddart:what was the name of the winery? Delaine.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Delaine. Okay. And then Did they actually put a job posting?
Ian Stoddart:No. I just, like, knew when I went there, I knew a couple people, and then it just kinda led to it.
Alex Abbott Boyd:What was your experience of the Australian wine industry just in terms of
Ian Stoddart:Mhmm.
Alex Abbott Boyd:If it not so much just working in it, even just getting to drink all the wines that the Australians are actually drinking?
Ian Stoddart:It was awesome. I think what we get here is very different as you know. So over there, just having access to like all to all the Tasmanian wines, All the there are a lot of young winemakers there who are playing around with like Tempranillo and other and then other varietals that we definitely don't see over here. So I had to try a lot of that. And then it was the first time I tried sparkling Shiraz, which was I really liked.
Alex Abbott Boyd:And how did you like Mornington?
Ian Stoddart:I really liked it. I wish I could have stayed longer. The wine's pretty expensive there for the most part. Not that that's a bad thing. Just it's it's when you go there, like, you found in Adelaide and in Melbourne, you could experiment more.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. And not whereas, like, in Mornington, you're like, okay.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Well, no. I mean, it's it's Melbourne's Hamptons. Right?
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. That's true. But it's like, in terms of, like, not wine, like, just being there, it was beautiful. Yeah. Yeah.
Ian Stoddart:I stayed with some friends, friends of friends there. They're kind enough to let me tag along. They were going they had a cottage out there. So I went and spent some time there and just like the beaches and the food there. Was
Alex Abbott Boyd:Oh, it's so fun. My wife and I were there in January. Nice. Yeah. So we visited so many great wineries and just enjoyed the beach, which Yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:You know, was a nice change from Toronto in January for sure. Yeah. So it sounds like you were able to visit quite a few different regions Mhmm. Mornington, I'm sure all around Adelaide, you just mentioned Coonawar. I'm curious.
Alex Abbott Boyd:You you got a first introduction and education through through Som Factory. How did you go about trying to learn more once once you'd finished that and were preparing to open the restaurant?
Ian Stoddart:You always take certain notes from people and certain keywords, and one of those is, like, just don't be stagnant. Like, there are a lot of people who will get their some certification. They get a good job as a wine manager at a restaurant, but that restaurant never changes their menu or anything. And so they they have the cushy job. They have the same wine lists for years and years and years.
Ian Stoddart:And then they just know that. And then a lot of the information will probably leave you. So one of the things I did for that well, I always am buying books and stuff. I there's that. But then my whole idea was, this sounds kind of corny, but like something growing and a vine, letting it, you know, just letting it grow and doing something was that's how I was gonna approach like my wine list and just forever changing the landscape.
Ian Stoddart:Nothing's ever gonna be the exact same. That's why I write all my wines on chalkboard. I the list changes like almost daily. There is no bottle list. So I talk to every table if they want a bottle.
Ian Stoddart:And we go over what I ask them a couple questions, and then we bring up wine. I'll bring up wine. But the point of all that is it keeps me on my toes. So you're always having to learn at least your stock, at least what you have. And so that's always like trying to keep me to know the amount of information that I need to know and then not and then you hope that after a while, by approaching it that way, that maybe down the road in, like, x amount of years, you're like, oh, crap.
Ian Stoddart:I I know a lot without, like, trying to get there just by setting yourself up in that way, you'll just naturally absorb a lot more.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. Yeah. I see how that's from a a standpoint of just trying to learn more about wine and keep things interesting and fresh. That makes a lot of sense from from the standpoint of running a business where perhaps many people just, you know, they have their set French wines and Italian wines and American wines they like. I could actually see that potentially being a challenge.
Alex Abbott Boyd:But, you know, I know one of the things that that is so cool about your wine list is how it isn't just like the most popular names. Where was that wine from that I had last weekend at your restaurant? It was from somewhere like Croatia.
Ian Stoddart:You had Montenegro.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Montenegro. Do you ever get some pushback from customers that are just they're just wanting certain things? Do you think you just attract the more adventurous wine drinkers? Is it is it really about how you communicate?
Ian Stoddart:I think it I think it's funny that I to each their own, they'll say that right away, but I never got on the natural movement. Like, it was really big when I was doing my certification. And like I said, Touche Your Own, if you like it, I just was never really a big fan of it or a lot of them. That's not all of them. It's a generalization.
Ian Stoddart:But so the only pushback I got was when in the first half like I've been open for four and a half years. So definitely in the first two years, you'd get the people who are chasing like the new in thing coming in and being like, you know what natural wines you have. And I may not have any that day or just have something by the bottle. And so I'm like, oh, I don't. And I had, you know, people just not even they didn't even look at the wine list.
Ian Stoddart:Like they just literally walked in the door asked, which is kinda rude. But just like asked me and then it's like, oh, I don't have any natural wine today but if you'd like and they're like, oh, okay. And they just like kinda rushed out.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. Yeah. It's it's tough. I feel like these days clean farming is almost table stakes for fine wine. Like, I don't know any great wine that that you couldn't make a compelling argument as natural.
Alex Abbott Boyd:I mean, sure everything in the supermarket
Ian Stoddart:Mhmm.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Is not. But beyond that, it seems like everyone is is doing sustainable farming these days.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. I think you have to. Yeah. And I think you there you learned a lot or people learned a lot, like, in France, you know, killing the soil and then learning to, like was it in Beaujolais when they're the ones that kinda
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. They they kicked off the natural one movement. And, you know, when I was I I visited Beaujolais in 2019, and I went there in the middle of August, which meant that everyone who was even remotely established was on vacation. So I got all the young the young people who had just kind of taken over family estates, and the story was the same across every single one of them. Our parents sprayed Roundup on all of the grapes, and we've taken over and we've stopped doing that, and we're finding much more beautiful wines as a result.
Ian Stoddart:No.
Alex Abbott Boyd:But, you know, that story is is decades old at this point, and it's bred far beyond Beaujolais.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. Exactly. And and I I guess, like yeah. I I it's it is, like, an interesting thing because I I I think when you sustainable to me is is great because then you're also, like, involving the businesses around you. Yeah.
Ian Stoddart:Like, it's and you can apply that I guess maybe why it's so much as once owning, like, a restaurant, I understand the ecosystem of a neighborhood because it's not the same as working Bay Street downtown where you have a bunch of people in offices who flood out and go to the bars for a couple of drinks before going home. Neighborhood is is way more organic. So for our restaurant, having the theater nearby start coming back after COVID, having really well received plays going on, and then having the Candlelight concert series, which is a bunch of musicians who play, they'll do classical renditions of, like, popular music. And that's two minute walk away. And so seeing how those affects our business Yeah.
Ian Stoddart:And then and and then the condos going up and then just other little things, little venues and stuff, you just start, everything feeds to each other in an organic way. Yeah. And so I always think that, like, I look at like sustainable winemaking in a similar kind of view, you know?
Alex Abbott Boyd:It's a great way to look at it.
Ian Stoddart:So I think, yeah, I think, but in terms of the wine with all that, yeah. Don't know. If at the end of the day, if it's good, it's good. And if it's at a price that I can serve that, you know, you make some money off of it, then Yeah. I'll I'll do it.
Alex Abbott Boyd:I think that leads back. I'd love to hear more about East Saint Vain.
Ian Stoddart:Mhmm.
Alex Abbott Boyd:So so when you're getting ready to open it, and even today, what what was your vision? What was your goals? What what are you trying to create?
Ian Stoddart:Basically, from traveling, I just remember going to all these little cool spots. And you hear from other people too, you know, come back from their trip and like, oh, I got, like, we got pleasantly lost. We were meant to go here, and then we ended up going down the side street, we actually ended up getting away from the tourists. We went into this little local spot, and like, we loved it, and everyone's having a good time, and you know that kind of story over and over again. I hear from other people, those kind of things and myself experiencing that.
Ian Stoddart:I was like, if I ever do open up a place, I wanted to have that kind of small town European vibe to it. And then also just I really didn't like the snobbery and pretentiousness from wine. Yeah. And it's really easy to fall into it. Yeah.
Ian Stoddart:But like that, I was like, like, it's you just see that, you're like, and and then so I thought with that and it's just not my kind of vibe on it. So I just thought with the travel stuff and then with trying to not be that kind of sleek, everything's all white inside and, you know, like wine is serious. Did the opposite. I was like and I had lived in the East End Of Toronto for many years. I was like, I think the neighborhood would like this.
Ian Stoddart:I think it it matches the price point that I'm looking for, matches what the people I think can afford here, what they're looking for. And then I think the vibe will be refreshing. Yeah. You just but it has to be a good product. So that was like my whole thing is make a really chilled out anti anxiety spot.
Ian Stoddart:And if it's good, if you have a good product, then people will come. And so and so that's yeah.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. I think that's that's been my experience with your with your spot. It just feels it feels relaxed. It feels kind of welcoming, cozy neighborhood spot where you you can totally relax and at the same time for a very reasonable price have some really cool wines that are not on the list everywhere else, but that are super delicious.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think when what that was on the affordability and I was I made all my wines the same price. Yeah. So the idea is that, you know, obviously there's Marco, but some of the wines I make more on, and some of them I make very little on.
Ian Stoddart:But the idea is that balances, you know, that balances out. But they but then you aren't kind of controlled by the price. Yeah. So you're not just if you're, you know, if
Alex Abbott Boyd:you're You're just selling all the cheapest wine or the second cheapest wine all day.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. You're not just buying, yeah, like the the cheap Pinot Grigio and the cheap, like, Chilean cab or what whatever, you're you're now open to trying new things. And then also there's no up like, there's no upsell. Yeah. So if I'm talking to guests and I'm like, what you know, based off what you've told me or, you know, what you've been eating so far, I think you should try this one.
Ian Stoddart:I think you'll really like it. And you're not going, well, that's the most expensive by the glass. You're just going, okay. Like, it's the same same price. So why would I lie to you?
Alex Abbott Boyd:It's it's so refreshing. I've even recently with great spots, I've, you know, given a budget and a request and been recommended something that was not what I asked for for more than the budget. Yeah. And it's just so frustrating. It's so frustrating when that happens.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Listen too. So food wise, would you describe it as tapas?
Ian Stoddart:I think so. But, yeah, it's just more in terms of the idea of shared small plates. Peter, who's my chef, he's fantastic. He's really good. We do have a big Mediterranean influence.
Ian Stoddart:We don't do a lot of grilled meat, there's a lot of seafood, a lot of vegetarian dishes. So but, yeah, I think, like, the main reason why I wanted to do this, like, I always like the idea of sharing food because then you can either come in for a snack or come for dinner. Yeah. As you know, the plates are like we joke that it's like North American sized taffas because it's like more appetizer size. But then it also goes with pairing too.
Ian Stoddart:So then if people come in and they'll say, can we do a pairing tonight? And I'll be like, okay. So then I'll send them out like two dishes and they get to split a glass of wine. Try that. And then so if we do like a pairing, might do a couple dishes with a sparkling, a white and a red.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. And I think and then they get to try a bunch of different things. So I think so too. And then it adds to relaxed vibe because you're just sharing everything. You're not like, you know, just getting meat and potatoes and with your arms kinda like wrapped around and eating.
Ian Stoddart:So yeah, I I guess like tapas. Yeah. I'd say nuts. And the the reason is just from what I enjoyed.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. Yeah. But are there any how often does the food menu change? You mentioned the wine menu is constantly changing.
Ian Stoddart:For yeah. Food menu not has not doesn't not as much, but we rotate a crudo and quote unquote a feature entree, which not isn't always necessarily like an an entree, but we just have that there. For the most part, it is. But then we rotate those quite often. We do champagne and fried chicken weekends.
Ian Stoddart:I'll spontaneously announce it. No. So I don't give people that much of a it's like a week's notice. And so we just do it for two nights and then people come. So I do champagne, mother glass, and Peter makes some incredible fried chicken.
Ian Stoddart:So I'll do that. And then, like, when certain things are in season, so, like, when corn's in season, we do a fantastic corn dish. That's not on the menu. It's just we tell people about it and people know. And so that's, like, super popular.
Ian Stoddart:So so, yeah, we do random things like New Year's Eve. We do our Seinfeld, our popular Seinfeld themed six course dinner. Okay.
Alex Abbott Boyd:Yeah. Tell me about that because I noticed when I went to the bathroom, there were so many so many photos from Seinfeld.
Ian Stoddart:Yeah. We I just love they went back to the relaxed vibe. Right? So upstairs upstairs is the color palette of the of the main floor is based off a sunset photo I took in Australia. And then and then kinda hung photos and and made it kind of eclectic.
Ian Stoddart:And so that's like supposed to relax you. And then downstairs to add to that, that's where like the Seinfeld Shrine is. Yeah. And that's just to, you know, put a smile on your
Alex Abbott Boyd:face. But And it it definitely did.
Ian Stoddart:And I think so. But it was it's more there because I think with, like, Seinfeld one, I love Seinfeld, but then two, it is funny because you almost sometimes you become neurotic like how like, they're like, you know, she eats her peas one at a time. You notice sometimes people have, like, very interesting eating habits and stuff. Yeah. You find sometimes that, like, certain shifts are like a Seinfeld episode.
Ian Stoddart:But then luckily, Peter, my chef, is very much a fan of Seinfeld. So we're like, be really fun to do a themed dinner. And so we sat down. We went through every single food reference in the entire show.
Alex Abbott Boyd:I'm guessing there was some soup involved.
Ian Stoddart:There is some soup involved. We did like so yeah. So we we made a list of everything. And then from that, we've put menus together. And then the menu is written out in dialogue from the show.
Ian Stoddart:And then So there's the
Alex Abbott Boyd:script writing and the creative and the artistry coming out.
Ian Stoddart:Exactly. Yeah. So yeah. And it and it's fun too. And and it like the meal you you had to put together a good meal too.
Ian Stoddart:Like, it has to be worth what people are spending. So but we one year we had and this wasn't we didn't organize this, but we had, like, an Elaine dance off outside. So it's on New Year's Eve. And then then so these two tables are, like, joking with each other, and then, they went outside and had an Elaine dance off. And, like, people were voting on the winner.
Alex Abbott Boyd:That's the one. So much for listening. Unfortunately, the last couple of minutes of my conversation with Ian were lost. Although I do think that an Elaine Dansoff is a pretty good place to end. I've got some incredible interviews coming up that I can't wait to share with you.
Alex Abbott Boyd:So please make sure to hit the subscribe button so you don't miss a thing. If you enjoyed this episode, a quick rating or review goes a long way to helping others discover the show, and it means a lot. Until next time, cheers.
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