Urbanite
BarChef
TEXT BY ROHINI MORADI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEANNE NEUFELD
There’s a special kind of buzz surrounding a new bar in Toronto–
domestically and internationally–and it only grows with each
dazzled patron who enters the dizzying expanse of his cocktail
kingdom. Frankie Solarik, author of “The Bar Chef ” and coowner of Toronto’s BarChef, is applying the same detail and
passion to preparing cocktails as a chef would to haute cuisine.
The result has been lifting the perception of cocktails to a whole
new tier of appreciation.
“It’s the idea of presenting a drink as a dish, I strive to compose cocktails with the same visual, visceral and taste appeal and
complexity that is possible within a dish, the general goal for me
artistically is to challenge the conventional thought as to what’s
possible within the medium of a glass.”
Although he prefers to describe some of his signature beverages as “Modernist” rather than “molecular”, the cocktails
offered at his Toronto cocktail bar are perhaps best described as
compositions. Rather than harmonious musical notes, they are
a personal artistic expression; a textural and sensory experience
presented in liquid form.
Traditionally, the mystique of a cocktail is due in part to the
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fact that they are as much an expression of the personal taste
of their creator as they are of that of the person who chooses to
drink them–in the case of Solarik, even more so. “That’s what
makes the creative process so special, the goal is to challenge
the perception of flavor.”
Solarik is dramatically expanding on the Modernist
movement in ways both elegant and shocking, glamorous
and rustic, cultured and curious. Although many of his signature “dishes” feature complex flavors and spectacular
presentations, employing everything from frozen carbon
dioxide to hydrosols and blowtorches, at their very core the compositions depend on a “less is more” approach; a process rooted
in balancing components that complement each other rather
than contrast, regardless of how many ingredients are in the mix.
At BarChef, Solarik continues to push the envelope, growing
a reputation as an innovator and advocate of the progressive
approach to mixology. His approach is unique, his research
impeccable, and his goal is as altruistic as it is ambitious. Put
simply: he inspires others worldwide to adopt a completely new
approach to cocktail culture.