Apple Pie with Cheese, OddFellows??

Since Oddfellows opened, it's been on my radar of places to definitely try. The concept is very cool with a 34 person communal table and an earthy laid back feel within the place, where you could stop in for a conversation, a drink or to dine at...



The restaurant was designed by Castor whom are also famous for their light fixtures in NY boutique hotels and the lights of Circa and Delux in Toronto. There was this tube lighting structure along the communal table and an interesting installation of light bulbs of all colours, shapes and sizes above the bar for you to observe as well.

This place seemed too casual to be caught up in being hip chic but i love the concept and think it's one of the most unique places to hang out and dine at in Toronto. You are shoulder to shoulder with strangers who end up becoming friends by the end of the evening. Plus the salt and pepper shakers are conversation pieces in themselves and there's only a set- so you may have to ask your neighbor to pass the penis shaped salt shaker to you.
On every first Monday of the month - OddFellows hosts a grazing night where you pay one fixed fee and it's all you can eat of a certain type of food. People are standing around making conversation with each other and enjoying food - it's like going to a house party where you only know your group but get to know others throughout the night.
Now to the food- based on reviews i have read- I was anxious to try the soylent greens- which didn't disappoint- they were asian greens stir fried with soy and they went down very well as a first course. They weren't too salty and exactly the way i would prepare them at home.
I also had the very rich duck liver pate - you can taste the wine flavour and it's a big portion - perfect for sharing!
Also the short ribs were vey tender and succulent- you can really taste the fattiness as well which makes it so delicious but not good for the figure!
We then ventured to try the pressure cooker stew for 2- this hearty meal came with root veggies and bread for dipping. The lamb was tender but i found the broth a bit too salty and I love salt. However it was a very cold evening and it was a very satisfying meal to have that night! I was watching others get the Bison burger which seemed like a very good portion and people had smiles on their faces eating it. I think I may have to try that the next time.
My friends ordered the meat loaf mash and it was sooo good - it came with creamed corn, mash pototoes and it was the perfect balance between sweet and salty.
The steak frites were also very good with hand cut fries! You can never go wrong with that!

Then, although our bellys were full, we decided to splurge (for the sake of research) on dessert and it was between a banana split or apple pie. We had the apple pie because it was paired with cheddar cheese which i found a very odd partnership on the menu. However when this HUGE piece of pie showed up with a small brick of cheddar they worked very well together. The cheese tempered the sweetness of the pie and they acted as a perfect compliment for each other.

Our neighbors ordered the banana split and it was also a huge portion and I don't think we would've been able to finish such a big dessert so i'm happy with my decision.
I am looking forward to checking out this restaurant in the summer as there's some good patio space and seeing how the menu changes to suit the seasons.
OddFellows- 936 Queen Street West
Queen and Shaw
*** stars (out of 5)