The Monks Table - A Gourmand House

The sign above 1276 Yonge Street no longer reads 'The Abbot on the Hill Gastropub,' in fact it doesn't read anything at the moment.

Earlier this year Adam Grant and Melissa Curcmelli took over sole ownership of the pub they've managed for a number of years and decided that it was time to seek out a new name, distancing themselves from the original Abbot pub that is situated further up Yonge Street.

"We chose to run a 'name the pub' contest, encouraging our customers to fill out ballots with their proposed names because we have created a sense of community here over the years and we wanted to ensure our customers were deeply involved," stated Grant last night while hustling from table to table serving drinks and new dishes from their re-vamped menu. "We knew that we really wanted to shed the term 'Gastropub' as we feel it is way, way to misused in the hospitality industry."

With hundreds of possible names submitted, Grant and Curcmelli settled on a variation of two entries - The Monks Table: A Gourmand House. "The name 'The Monks Spread' was the name we liked but we wanted to add a twist to it, so we incorporated 'Table' in its place, and we chose to add 'A Gourmand House' in place of that old term Gastropub," said Grant.

To unveil the new name, the kitchen prepared samples of the new additions to the menu and each serving was paired with a sample of beer. "We wanted to let our customers try the new menu to get their input, and it seemed like everything was received well."

So, back to that blank sign on the facade of the building; Grant says that he will be extending an offer to starving artists - all artists to design a new sign that will incorporate the new name. "The winner will be given a five-course tasting dinner for 15 friends," exclaimed Grant. "Everyone is welcome to participate and we're already excited to see the submissions."

Goodbye to the Abbot on the Hill Gastropub! But hello and good luck to The Monks Table: A Gourmand House.