The Communist’s Daughter
1149 Dundas Street West
647-435-0103
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and beer: $52

It is easy to overlook The Communist’s Daughter as another Toronto bar catering to locals from the neighbourhood who would prefer it if you never noticed it to begin with. Furthermore, with seating for no more than twenty people, wall decals, and the eerie painting of a little girl who belongs in The Shining, it is easy to say, “Why bother?” A good reason to bother is because inside lies a place that does not adhere to sterile standards about what makes a good restaurant, but instead offers a simple menu with delicious results in a relaxed environment.

The single biggest problem with the Communist’s Daughter is the name. The name above the entrance is The Nazarene which causes a lot of confusion for people who aren’t aware that The Nazarene is the name of the former establishment. There is, however a rough-looking sign hanging in the window indicating the proper name of the place, although it calls for some attention to detail to actually notice it.

The décor is a collection of glass shelves, odd Kodachrome murals, a framed and lighted portrait of a mischievous or haunting blond girl, and a string of Christmas lights attached to the ceiling to create a warm ambiance in an otherwise dark bar. The menu is straightforward and contains only seven items.

A sparse menu, indeed, but the simple dishes offered manage to serve a variety of palettes. For instance, my appetizer consisted of a pickled egg ($1) served with Tabasco Sauce and salt while my girlfriend had a plate of hummus with Greek olives and Italian bread ($5.50). Neither of these are culinary inventions but both satisfied my bourgeois palate. The egg had a subtle apple vinegar aftertaste that worked well when smothered in Tabasco while the hummus had a hint of lemon that left me craving more.

Our entrees consisted of two sandwiches ($6.50 each); the Apple Blue Cheese and the Communist Salami. The Apple Blue Cheese is served on soft Italian bread smothered with an unpasteurized blue cheese from Quebec, layered with crunchy slices of a Fuji apple, and accompanied with two sweet gherkins. The Communist Salami was served on toasted bread with a sun-dried tomato and chili pepper pate, layered with thin slices of a local Portuguese butcher’s salami, and served with the olives. The creations were straightforward but the taste was neither bland nor overpowering, only enjoyable. Other items include a beer cheese sandwich ($6.00), salami and cheese plate ($6.75), and a lupine olive plate ($5.50).

For drinks, we stuck with Creemore Springs Premium Lager ($5) during the meal and shared a Tullamore Dew whisky ($6.75) for the digestif. There is a variety of other beer and spirits to choose from but the wine list is lacking.

Neither my girlfriend nor I expected a meal prepared by an expert chef, instead we were looking for a place where we could relax after work, listen to music, not have to to worry about the dishes, and enjoy some unique flavourful food. All of these humble expectations were met at the Communist’s Daughter.