REDS Wine Tavern has a new outpost in our neighbourhood and we had a lovely evening a couple months back on a date night with friends. We had such a great time that we went back to visit on a Thursday evening with Baby Boy and the Little Monkey. Yes!! This was our first family night out without the additional help of friends or grandparents! On arrival the hostess graciously helped us stow away our stroller in their coat check room and we were then escorted to our table.
The vibe at REDS Midtown Tavern is fantastic! Fairly loud music is always a favourite of mine when dining out with young kids so I was happy and the DJ was also spinning a lot of MJ! I almost went and requested BAD…but I didn’t. The uber cool yet casual spot is just what downtown families need in this neighbourhood and the fact that they are kid friendly (yes they have high chairs) and welcoming is ABFAB. We had a couple hostesses swing by to check in on us, despite it being a fairly busy evening and everyone was cooing at Baby Boy or asking the Little Monkey if she wanted anything. She got her juice with a straw and I even let her drink it out of the glass. That’s how relaxed I was.
We had tried a couple dishes on our last visit so we continued to try out some new ones. The Little Monkey discovered Calamari here and she pretty much finished the hub’s Calamari Fritti Di Amalfi appetizer. She even dipped into the oven-roasted tomato aioli! Though surprisingly she wasn’t a fan of the Double Dip that we ordered for her. She loves humus so we thought the smoky baba ganoush and garlic hummus, with vegetables and house-made lavash was a sure winner. Clearly not. I ended up getting a good dose of veggies though. The Maine Lobster Guacamole had caught my eye on our last visit so I decided to give it a try. After all… I did go to college in Maine. I loved this dish despite the fact that the chili-dressed lobster did not really pair well with the hand-mashed avocado. I treated them like separate dishes and dipped my tortilla chips in with gusto. The serrano peppers were definitely a nice touch. Two dishes for the price of one? Can’t go wrong there! Check out the video to see what the Little Monkey dipped her tortilla chips in!
One of the highlights from our first visit was the lovely range of throwback cocktails that were well made and the list of craft brews. Oh and remember our server from that first visit? She popped by to say hi AND she remembered our names. That’s crazy right? We were floored. Talk about service! The space is really well laid out and our table was towards the staircase leading to the lounge (and toilets) upstairs. Since we were with the kids it was nice being in the sit down section vs the bar and high top tables. I really like that there’s distinct spaces under one roof. If you were follow me on Instagram you would have also seen that I really enjoyed the little touches in the decor of the space. There is a small nook in the ladies room that would work well for a quick diaper change if needed, though luckily I didn’t.
For our mains the hubs opted for the Grilled Pacific Albacore Tuna Nicoise and I ordered the Avocado & Lobster Cobb. Now you’d think that we knew to expect a salad….but it totally didn’t click. When the dishes arrived we both looked at each other with surprise. It was indeed a pleasant surprise because we needed a healthy meal in us. Our kitchen has been on the fritz for nearly a month now so we haven’t been eating that well at home. A broken dishwasher coupled with no hot water makes me a very lazy cook and one pot wonders means lots of pizza and pasta has been on our menu.
To end the night I ordered the Grasshopper Parfait because it sounded absolutely delicious. Dark chocolate and peppermint mousse with chocolate crisps… oh yea! Get in my belly! I was expecting more of a peppermint kick but the chocolate was stealing the show so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The carrot cake comes highly recommended so I’m going to try that next!
Baby Boy slept for most of the meal but he decided to come out for a quick drink himself which was perfectly timed as I was finishing up the main course. The Little Monkey was entertained with her water drawing book and only got a bit antsy when I was having my dessert at which point she came out of the high chair and sat in the leather chair. At one point she did sit on the floor counting my gum and the servers were very polite and came around to chat her up. She wasn’t having a tantrum or anything she just wanted to go through my purse and since it was in no one’s way I let her do so for five minutes.
We’re totally going back for drinks and the sharable plates! We also really need to try our hand at the shuffleboard… I’ve never played. Have you?
