Toronto Life: What’s on the menu at Drake Commissary, the hospitality group’s new production bakery, bar and restaurant in the Junction Triangle

Name: Drake Commissary
Contact: 128 Sterling Rd., 416-432-2922, drakecommissary.ca, @drakecommissary
Neighbourhood: Junction Triangle
Owners: Jeff Stober (The Drake, Drake One Fifty, Drake Devonshire)
Chefs: Executive chef Ted Corrado (The Drake) and commissary chef Jonas Grupiljonas (Thuet, Tartine)

The food

This bakery, bar and larder is the new heart of the Drake’s culinary network: all of the breads and sauces that will supply every outpost are now coming out of Drake Commissary’s 5,000-square-foot kitchen. All-day service includes bread, pastries and pizza from the grab-and-go counter, and heartier plates like rotisserie roasted jerk chicken or house-made pasta with duck confit. “It’s food with an emphasis on fermentation and slow cooking,” says Grupiljonas. The pickled herring on the smørrebrød, for instance, takes three months to cure, while the brisket is a 14-hour labour of love. Guests have the option of dining cafeteria-style or sitting down for traditional service. And it wouldn’t be a Drake restaurant without brunch.

There are four Roman-style pizzas on offer. $6 a slice.

Charcuterie is cured in-house.

Danish smørrebrød are served on 90 per cent stone-milled rye bread. Pictured here are the brandy-infused duck liver pate with figs, honey and fleur de sel (left), and the house-pickled herring on beets and thick cream. $7 each.

The miso cauliflower is marinated for two days before being slathered in black garlic and tossed in the oven. The florets are then topped with roasted cashews, parmesan and cilantro. $5.

This brisket is first rubbed in a seven-spice blend before being smoked for four hours over apple wood at 200 °F. It then spends 10 hours in the oven at a low heat until it’s super tender. $15.

Pies, like this lemon meringue one, are available whole or by the slice.

The same goes for this rhubarb and strawberry frangipane.

Freshly made naan and pita bread.

There’s a fridge full of stuff available to go.

All of the house-made sauces, oils and preserves are available for purchase.

Executive chef Ted Corrado (right) with commissary chef Jonas Grupiljonas.

The drinks

The non-alcoholic game is strong here: cold-brew coffee, Pluck iced teas, toasted oat lattes, cold-pressed juices, kombuchas, smoothies and more. But there’s booze, too. Signature cocktails include the Queen Street Sour, which mixes Gooderham and Worts whisky with carrot-apple-tumeric-lemon juice, topped with a vegan foam made from aquafaba.

The Queen Street Sour is a mix of Gooderham & Worts Whisky and carrot-apple-tumeric-lemon juice, topped with a chickpea-derived vegan foam. $15.

The Ginger Rogers mixes Lot No. 40 Canadian Whisky, rhubarb bitters and Crème de Fraise des Bois (a wild strawberry liqueur) with a dash of honey, some lemon and ginger beer. $15.

Next-door neighbour Henderson Brewing Co. made this Art House Blonde Ale specifically for the Drake. The label has Alex McLeod’s mural on it. $7.

Even the house wine is on-brand.

The space

John Tong (+tongtong) has Draked up the old condiment factory. The exposed beams and brick remain, but the walls are now clad with heaps of art like a 35-foot mural of a fantasy landscape created by local artist Alex McLeod using 3D-modelling software. The room is divided into three main spaces: a sit-down dining room, a living room-inspired area perfect for enjoying a drink with a snack, and a to-go counter with 40-foot-long marble display counter piled high with pizzas, scones, pies and salads. The patio seats 40.