Tallest Poppy rising

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This article was published 24/07/2014 (4119 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A beloved former restaurant is resurrecting in the West Broadway neighbourhood.

The Tallest Poppy will be operating out of the Sherbrook Inn (685 Westminster Ave.), where the old Campsie Restaurant, a Chinese eatery, used to be. The Tallest Poppy, previously at 631 Main St., closed in June of 2013 after six-and-a-half years of operation. But now owner Talia Syrie is back, working with a new business partner, Steven Ackerman. They’re working on opening the family restaurant in late August or early September this year.

“Steve and I have known each other for many years, and when I set out to (reopen), I definitely wanted to not do it on my own. I was really wanting to get involved in a more collaborative situation this time around, and Steve made himself available,” Syrie said.

In the past, The Tallest Poppy had served breakfast and lunch, but at the new location, dinner and alcohol will be part of the new menu.

“(Adding alcohol) seemed like a good fit since I have experience within bars and bars within restaurants,” Ackerman said.

“We didn’t have a liquor licence at the old restaurant,” Syrie added.

A friend of Syrie and Ackerman mentioned that Campsie Restaurant had been shut down for a while, and there were no concrete plans to fill the space.

“We called the landlord up and he was lovely. He agreed to meet and we had some talks, and he let us come here and make a big mess,” Syrie said, gesturing to the renovation within the restaurant. The business partners said they’ve enlisted the help of Sharon Johnson, an interior designer who had worked on the old restaurant as well.

“Something new and exciting, but also inviting and comfortable,” Ackerman said, describing Johnson’s work. “She can balance these different elements in an incredible way.”

Syrie said the walls will be hand-painted, adding a handmade feel to the establishment.

Upon exploring the site of their future restaurant, Syrie and Ackerman discovered a trove of treasures that Syrie plans on using to decorate the place.

“The Sherbrook (Inn) was a very happening place in the 1960s. A lot of the chairs, tables, wallpaper, and things (from that time) were luckily placed in the basement as storage. We can utilize all those beautiful relics in our new design,” Ackerman said. “And I think it’s great because it shows what the hotel used to be. It was a pretty exciting place and maybe we can bring some excitement back to it.”

Another exciting thing for Ackerman is the fact that he gets to work in the neighbourhood he grew up in.

“I went to Mulvey School, I lived in various houses with my mom, I had a paper route on Langside when I was 12,” Ackerman said. “This neighbourhood has always meant home to me. I’m happy to be opening here.”

The restaurant includes a kitchen (“with two deep fryers,” Syrie said excitedly) as well as a bar, dining tables and chairs, and booths.

“We’re in for a busy month,” Syrie said.

Since announcing the reopening of The Tallest Poppy, Syrie said she has been overwhelmed with the amount of support she’s received from past customers.

“I don’t have any language to describe how incredibly wonderful, sweet and supportive people have been. I’m so knocked out by the love — I don’t even know what we ever did to deserve it.”

For more information, follow The Tallest Poppy on Twitter (@thetallestpoppy).

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