Christopher Sealy knows his way around a glass of wine. The professional sommelier, whose resume includes Mercatto andTerroni, has teamed up with former Marquee Video owner Giuseppe Anile in an attempt to bring quality grapes to the bar crowd. Located at Dundas and Gladstone and set to open within weeks, Midfield Wine Bar and Tavern is a labour of love that reflects the passion and experience of both partners. The Standard sat down with Sealy to talk business, booze, and the future of Dundas West.
Where did the inspiration for Midfield come from?
About two years ago I started looking at the idea of creating a restaurant group with like-minded people. I met my partner Giuseppe, who had been a manager at Bar Italia and then owned Marquee Video before it closed six months ago, and we talked about our philosophy of service–of connecting people–and decided to do something together. We wanted to really be focused on front-of-house and the idea of a host. In soccer, a midfield player holds an influential position and controls the game. As a service professional, there’s a cast of characters other than just the chef and the owner–there’s the host, the server, the head server, the manager–who are all pulling together and creating the image of the space. It’s like a midfield player–someone who brings everyone in and helps promote and support the space as an entity.
How did you two go about selecting the location?
Toronto is a grid, with the commercial avenues running east to west: there’s Queen, College. Dundas seemed to be up and coming, and there’s affordable rent. Giuseppe was also a business owner in that neighborhood, so he knew the demographic, and we wanted to be an anchor between Ossington and the Roncesvalles strip. Originally we wanted to just open a bar: turn the key, and make it a hip place to fund future projects. But that turned into recognizing our certain acumen: I’m a wine guy, Giuseppe’s in the community, living five minutes away. He knew that there was a need for something like this, so he said let’s be smart and actually develop the Midfield concept and create this.
What’s the demographic you’re hoping to reach in the neighborhood?
I want to create a place where people who are in their mid-twenties and up can come in and have a good glass of wine in a non-intimidating environment. I know that when I was that age it really would have helped to have been exposed to a wine and food culture. I know they’re all out there, buying Yellowtail and thinking ah that shit’s giving me a headache, just as I was. The neighborhood is quite young and mobile, but there are also families, and as a parent myself I want to offer something to them. Part of building your community and area is offering a good place to eat and drink, something that’s different and interesting.
In what ways do you think Dundas West is changing? Is becoming gentrified?
I wasn’t around when Ossington was grimy, but it’s the same thing as Queen West or Parkdale–they used to be edgy, but the gentrification was part and parcel of the city’s growth. It’s how the city will evolve into a greater space, just as other international cities have–how it builds serious restaurants and galleries and designers. We probably could do better to help insulate Dundas, and we’ve talked with the BIAs there. Giuseppe had Marquee Video, and he was there with his espresso machine and biscotti talking with the people in that neighborhood. So living there and having a business there, it’s very important to him that we respect and understand the community. We realized that we didn’t want the kind of thing where we come in and open up a bar and the kids that can afford the booze come in from the suburbs, and then the neighborhood starts to change. I think it comes down to rent prices, and what businesses’ landlords are choosing to allow in. There’s lots of room to grow, but it’s about how we let it grow, and having a dialogue with the community.
You open in less than 30 days. How’s your stress level?
There’s a high level of anxiety right now. We wanted to create a space where we can bring people together to eat and drink as you would in your home. It’s very stressful, but if you make it dynamic and interesting it can be something that lasts–something worthwhile for the public. Opening a place is not for everyone, but we want to practice the trades we’ve cultivated. This is the work that we do.
