{"id":2420,"date":"2020-03-18T14:09:29","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T14:09:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/?p=2420"},"modified":"2020-03-18T14:09:31","modified_gmt":"2020-03-18T14:09:31","slug":"baker-street-station-a-most-comfortable-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/2020\/03\/18\/baker-street-station-a-most-comfortable-local\/","title":{"rendered":"BAKER STREET STATION: A MOST COMFORTABLE LOCAL"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BAKER STREET STATION: <\/em>A MOST COMFORTABLE LOCAL<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Can I ask you guys a question?\u2019, our server queries as TOQUE Partner Cai Sepulis and\u2028I begin to stretch another lunch into early afternoon pints. We look up from our drinks \u2013 Bellwood\u2019s Jutsu Citra Pale Ale for Cai and Elora\u2019s Borealis Citra Pale Ale for myself \u2013 and stare quizzically at her. \u2018What do you both do?\u2019 Before we can answer, she elaborates: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I mean \u2013 what is it that you do for a living? A bunch of the staff are curious.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I look around the dining room. The usual Thursday lunch crowd \u2013 an array of business owners, wealth management advisors, city staff, doctors, lawyers, and other downtown professionals \u2013 has gone back to work. The place is empty now. Except for Cai and me \u2013 perched at our regular upstairs corner high-top. With our regular after-lunch pints. \u2018Because whatever you do,\u2019 she adds with a grin, \u2018it must be a great gig to be able to spend your afternoons here \u2013 chatting and laughing and enjoying yourselves.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I smile, let slip a little chuckle, and reply: \u2018Ya, this gig definitely has its perks.\u2019 Cai looks at me, then up at our server, and embellishes: \u2018We\u2019re trying to build a magazine.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • \"\"<\/figure><\/li>
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    It\u2019s been three years since this exchange.\u2028At the very table Cai and I are seated now. Upstairs. Corner high-top. At Guelph\u2019s Baker Street Station \u2013 the Royal City\u2019s downtown gastropub with a killer rotating menu, a beer list that seems to go forever, and Bellwoods\u2019 Jutsu on-tap on the regular. Between then and now, I\u2019d surmise we\u2019ve frequented this place near a hundred times. And, during the same period, we\u2019ve grown this magazine you\u2019re holding to what it is today. And I surmise that we couldn\u2019t have done it without Baker \u2013 this most comfortable local. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I scan the room for familiar faces \u2013 of which there are usually more than a few. This day\u2019s no different. I spot our friends Rob and\u2028Paul from Intrigue Media huddled around <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    a laptop. Ren from Beer.Diversity chatting with industry folk Lexi and Truth. Besties Will and Jenna (from Red Circle Brewing and <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Elora Brewing, respectively) sharing lunch and laughs. Steamwhistle Harry hanging with gregarious (and fully-tatted) realtor, Aaron Zuccala. And wealth managers Will and Mike dining out with clients. Cai and I will make the rounds later. For now, though, it\u2019s time to get into our routine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our regular server, Taylar (who\u2019s also an emergent tattoo artist \u2013 working alongside the likes of local legends Allie Charbonneau and Steve Baker), glides over to our table for our drink order. \u2018A Ladyfriend for me,\u2019 Cai orders. \u2018And a Borealis for me, please,\u2019 I add. We chat tattoos for a hot minute (Taylar\u2019s given me a couple sweet late-medieval manicules beneath my right knee, and we have plans for more ink in the future) before she leaves to pour our pints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And we\u2019re off to the races. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Over the next couple of hours, Cai and I order \u2013 and destroy \u2013 a few of our Baker favourites: the place\u2019s famous onion rings (massive, served with shaved parmesan and garlic aioli); \u2018Tuna Poke Nachos\u2019 (fried wonton, edamame, ponzu, jalapeno, Japanese mayo, guacamole, scallion, sesame seed); the rotating \u2018Baker Street Burger\u2019 (this\u2028time with all-beef patty, short rib, old cheddar, red\u2028onion marmalade, garlic aioli, fries, and greens); and the \u2018Tandoori Fried Chicken\u2019 (bombay hot, tamarind chutney, eggplant masala, pickled vegetables, cilantro rice, naan, raita). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While I\u2019m polishing off an onion ring (honestly \u2013 the best) and Cai\u2019s got herself buried in the burger, I note famed guitar maker Tom Bartlett (whose instruments have been played by guitarists in such groups as The Hip, Metric, Sam Roberts Band, PUP, and more) coming in to eat with his family. I pop up from our table and deliver him a TOQUE toque \u2013 something Cai and I had been planning to gift Tom for a while. I don\u2019t have a brand new one on me \u2013 so I leave him with the one I\u2019ve been wearing. While we\u2019re laughing about the absurdity of it all, I can see Will and Jenna over at our table \u2013 chatting with Cai. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    And so the Baker game of musical chairs begins, with folks popping up from their own tables to visit friends at other tables. I check in with Rob and Paul, who are sipping wine and crafting a strategic plan for their next year in business. Ren, Lexi and Truth are busy planning a beer festival. Harry and Aaron are just doing what Harry and Aaron do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I don\u2019t dare interrupt Will and Mike\u2019s meetings with clients \u2013 although I do catch Will\u2019s eye and give him a smile. And so it goes. And it occurs to me that Cai and I are not the only folks who frequent Baker because it\u2019s where we get to balance work and play all at once. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Indeed, that\u2019s what this place is all about. A comfortable place to strategize. Scheme. Re-energize. And just show\u2028up \u2013 knowing full-well that the beer list is going to be awesome, the food is incredible, and the company is always your kind of people \u2013 no matter who you might be.\u2028I look down at my phone to check the time. It\u2019s getting on past two; yet, while a few folks have moseyed back to work, the dining room\u2019s still packed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I guess folks are catching up. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    BAKER STREET STATION: A MOST COMFORTABLE LOCAL WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN  \u2018Can I ask you guys a question?\u2019, our server queries as TOQUE Partner Cai Sepulis and\u2028I begin to stretch another lunch into early afternoon pints. We look up from our drinks \u2013 Bellwood\u2019s Jutsu Citra Pale Ale for Cai and Elora\u2019s Borealis Citra […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[53,94,121,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drink","category-guelph","category-issue-10","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1DSC_9343_1sm.jpg?fit=1920%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8KDF5-D2","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2420"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2705,"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions\/2705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toquemagazine.com\/hello\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}