Behind this mysterious Queen West store frontage lies the space that will become Fonda Lola…
Unless you have been out of the city all summer, you couldn’t help having bumped into the Fonda Lola team at some point.
From their immensely successful seasonal Pop-Up in the back patio of Ossington Avenue’s Resposado Tequila Bar (where their team was often augmented by Valdez‘s Steve Gonzalez), through innumerable foodster charity events, to the world’s largest tequila tasting, it has to be said that for a restaurant without a home they have certainly been busy spreading the good word about Fonda Lola.
It also doesn’t hurt that the three gents responsible happen to be some of the most affable and energetic in the industry: Andres Marquez, formally a partner in Milagro and one of the shady characters behind the clandestine Charlie’s Burgers suppers, Howard Dubrovsky, the mercurial Chef wünderkind at the nexus of the now defunct Modernist Cuisine-focused L.A.B. project, and Ernesto Rodriguez, a veteran Mexican restaurateur.
After years of searching for the perfect location they settled upon the old Lafayette Bistro spot at 942 Queen Street West, and are now all pulling 16 hour shifts attempting to completely renovate the space in anticipation of their opening, although Howard admitted that he’s not all that handy when it comes to such matters.
Good Food Revolution stormed through the papered front door in an attempt to discover the driving forces behind the Mexican Fiesta that is Fonda Lola…
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Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And he tried to cut out the beers, but to no avail.
Jamie I love your interview voice its fantastic!