I just wanted to post a ringing endorsement of Patrick McMurray's new Ceili Cottage at 1301 Queen St. E.

Here is a great article about the place with awesome photos.


The design of the place is world class IMHO. Long Bar along the back, building from the 1800's as "cottage" in the middle and a Leslieville worthy hip patio out front.

You may be thinking c'mon ... Irish food? But this is Patrick McMurray of Starfish talents and he works new magic, right down to burning import Irish turf to give the place an incredible sensory attack.

When I was there ... and I sh#t you not ... an Irish woman in her 50s walked in off the street, drawn by the smell of the turf burning. Her eyes look like she had been magically transported to a place from her youth. She didn't care about anyone around her, she just walked into the back Long Bar room with her nose in the air asking ... "Where's the turf?".

That was the second time I was there. The first time, I didn't even notice the turf was burning and that was probably part of the magic of it all.