by Christine Donnelly
“Seriously dude. There are a lot of sexy people in this Pro Hardware right now.” I love confused hipsters on cell phones. Because they always have lighters. Smoking outside the opening of the newest (and clearly the most beautiful) new restaurant in Parkdale, my fire-holding hipster keeps looking up at the Halberts Pro Hardware sign and back down at the Parts & Labour launch party which by 10pm, is swelling inside the renovated storefront. He tries to relate the scene, “Something… Something is going on in there.”

Technically, he is right.
They have not changed the sign.
Open since Friday, Parts & Labour has served over 500 meals in the last 3 days. “It’s been amazing, “ says head chef Matty Matheson as he passes us hors d’oeuvres to try. There are samples of horse tartar (soft as butter), boiled eggs with deep fried pig’s ear and headcheese beignet (am I the only one who thought there would be cheese in there?). It is food I have never tried before and I would never have guessed it would look so gorgeous or taste so delicious.

Matheson describes the food as contemporary French. Sous Chef Matt DeMille translates for me, “It’s peasant food. We use every part of the pig… except the oink (rimshot).” Cheaper cuts of meat mean that these dishes take real care, Matheson says, “If it takes 48 hours to make a dish… you’re gonna fucking love it”. In typical Matheson form he delivers this line without even a hint of a smile.

Inside there are so many beardos. So many neck tattoos. So many super hot dudes – it’s ridiculous. The décor is masculine too; all a dark and minimal, with communal tables in the main dining room and only a few accents including the signature recycled florescent lights from Castor Design. All 6,000 square feet are thought out and considered right down to the car mirrors in the ladies bathroom and to the roof top garden that supplies all the restaurant’s greens.

Demille calls Parkdale the Greenwich Village of Toronto, “It’s rough… it’s up and coming… the gems are few and far between,” he says. “But when you find a gem (he looks around the kitchen and smiles) – it’s amazing!”