In 1903, the Windsor Hotel opened on the corner of Jasper Avenue and 101st Street. The hotel bar, the Mahogany Room, was a favourite watering hole of local politicians, businessmen and labourers who loved to indulge in libation and banter. But across Canada, the Mahogany Room was known for something else. The 50-foot counter, which ran almost the entire length of the saloon, was once the country’s longest bar. (A replica of this legendary bar counter can be found at the Selkirk Hotel at Fort Edmonton.)
Today, no one would blink an eye at a 50-foot counter in a drinking establishment. It’s pretty much standard in pubs and sports bars. But what is getting noticed these days is the arrival of the “long bar” in Edmonton’s newer restaurants, such as Canteen, North 53, Woodwork and RGE RD. And, the popularity of the long bar goes far beyond design.
The most obvious factor driving the long bar is the revival of the cocktail. Moustached bartenders serving Tom Collins in tiny coupe glasses have arrived in Edmonton. Cocktail connoisseurs want to saddle up to a bar and sample an array of classic drinks, along with great food. “I’m trying to offer a restaurant that is balanced in its offerings,” says Kevin Cam, owner of North 53. The 54-seat restaurant fits 22 customers at its 35-feet long concrete bar – more than 40 per cent of the restaurant’s seating.
Even after the last dessert plates have been cleared, North 53 patrons are still sitting at “The Wood,” as it’s called in bar circles, ordering drinks and socializing. The night is just getting started. “We get that late-night drinking crowd after 8 or 9. We’re not just relying on dinner service.”
The same story plays out at Woodwork, owned by Andrew Borley and chef Mike Scorgie. Twelve of the restaurant’s 56 seats are located at its 60-foot bar. “We made a conscious decision not to be a restaurant that was a bar, or not be a bar that was a restaurant,” says Borley, who designed the space.