Magnolia
Halifax's Hot New Cocktail Destination
BY LAURA OAKLEY
PHOTOS MICHELLE DOUCETTE
“Interesting spaces are what we’re drawn to,” says Michael Hopper. He and business partner Adam MacLeod opened Magnolia this past April after being approached by the building owner. Formerly a flower shop, 5189 Prince Street is the definition of a hole-in-the-wall, one of those classic Halifax basement spaces with only one window where the sidewalk slants downhill. It could have been the perfect dive bar, easy enough to walk on by, but the beautiful pink floral sign hanging outside, nicely painted storefront (dark sage green), colourful basket of flowers, and greenery outside draw the eye to Magnolia. The typeface of the Magnolia logo drew inspiration from the Halifax Public Gardens’ main entrance. The lone basement window features a white graphic akin to the gardens’ gates. “The gardens offer people a reprieve from the bustle of the city, a place to turn off the noise, even if it's just for a fleeting moment,” says Hopper. “Magnolia being tucked away on Prince Street, we wanted to attempt to offer that same experience in the form of a small bar, simplistic, comfortable, and familiar.”
Pull back the cream-coloured front door, and you walk down a couple of steps into a dark, clean, and welcoming space with warm lighting. Immediately to your left is a sizable bar, on the wall behind it are two open shelves lined with liquor bottles. Ahead of you is the 750-square-foot room with modest wooden banquette seating lining the right side and a couple of small two-seater tables with small black stools along the left. All the wooden tables are smooth and new, adorned by a single glowing candle. The walls are also sage green, and the floor is… carpeted. Yes—carpeted. With a crocodile skin pattern, no less.
“I think this is probably the closest thing that represents who Adam and myself are,” says Hopper. “[We] take inspiration from things that we like, and try to create an atmosphere that very much lends to that—you feel like you're hanging out in your own world.” He says the space is supposed to feel cozy, like a “friend’s basement,” and I get where he’s coming from. There is even a framed Blade Runner poster behind the bar that is said to have come from MacLeod’s actual basement. To top off that nostalgia, they found two old-school low-resolution TVs from the ‘90s on eBay (the box-shaped kind) and sourced holders to mount them above the bar – one facing the bar seats and the other, the rest of the space. For these, they curated hours-long playlists of music videos from different eras. “You can give it your attention, but it doesn't demand your attention,” Hopper says of the background entertainment. The low-resolution TVs were the perfect way to doctor down the videos and not make the screens the primary focus for patrons.
Aside from the Blade Runner poster and the old TVs, there is not much in the way of décor at Magnolia. Hopper says they will grow into the space and find out what it needs from both the staff and customers. “The whole concept of this place was to be a bar for the people,” says Hopper. He and MacLeod built the team with existing staff from their successful other restaurant just around the corner—Highwayman. “We’re lucky we have a small nucleus of people that worked with us and for us in the past. Either split some shifts with Highwayman or come back for those who had left.” Says Hopper. He and MacLeod are also working shifts at Magnolia, which intends to become a destination for pre-and post-dinner drinks and snacks, an industry hang-out of sorts, and a complementary bar to Highwayman (which understandably can be hard to get into without a reservation). Located steps away around the corner, Magnolia will be the perfect holding bar for Highwayman.
“The entire concept of the business is not to take away from Highwayman,” says Hopper of the drink list at Magnolia—Highwayman has become an award-winning cocktail destination. “We are in a position to use industry knowledge and give people very price-friendly cocktails.” The list focuses solely on classic cocktails, aside from an espresso martini and a house milk punch. The price point is lower than at local dinner-destination restaurants and craft cocktail bars—a martini for $13, a Moscow mule for $11, and an $8 local beer on tap. There’s even one wine-by-the-glass option under $10 (and none higher than $13). Not typical. But the effort to be affordable won’t go unnoticed by local bar staff after a long shift or those looking for that one last drink after dinner with friends. Magnolia closes at 1 a.m., hoping to tap into both crowds.
“We definitely want to be snacky,” says Hopper about the food menu. “Like any restaurant, it’s a moving target to find what people are looking for when it comes to food.” Currently, it’s mainly small plates and appetizers with a couple of heartier sandwiches. They plan to change it frequently and seasonally, but once they cement a few signature dishes, those are likely to stick around. As is, there are 16 items (including small bites like oysters, olives, and pickles) perfect for a bar with a small but nicely curated beer and wine list. The plates are the kind of thing I would look for when going out with friends for something casual or to start the night off with a chef-curated snack. There is even one dessert for those who want a well-rounded meal. I do this a couple of weeks later when I stop by to eat, drink, and watch videos.
I roll in a little early for a cocktail bar. It’s still light out, but that doesn’t make much difference once inside. The bar opens at 5 p.m. It’s about 6 when we settle in the corner to take in the space. I order my favourite classic cocktail, a Negroni. Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, this bitter aperitivo is my preferred way to start almost any meal when dining out. My dining companion orders the house milk punch, a cocktail originating in the 1700s that uses milk, citrus, brandy, and sugar. This time-consuming drink is clarified using a 48-hour method followed by heating and straining so the final product does not appear milky in the glass. I have a sip, and it’s sweet and refreshing—but I’ll stick with my Negroni.
We start with the albacore tuna and the tomato salad, which arrive quickly. The tuna is seared rare, then sliced and laid flat on the plate; it’s dressed in lemon-caper vinaigrette and topped with toasted pine nuts, halved cherries, diced cucumber, and dainty mint leaves. The lush flavour of the tender, fresh tuna is the dish’s focal point and the tangy, salty vinaigrette, rich and crunchy pine nuts, and sweet cherry perfectly round it out. I enjoy this dish immensely. The tomato salad is simple and satisfying in both flavour and texture. Halved cherry tomatoes are coated with toasted garlic breadcrumbs and topped with creamy stracciatella cheese drizzled with paprika oil and torn basil leaves. Every bite is luscious and sweet with a crispy breadcrumb finish and aromatic basil. I love it.
At this point, we paused, and I ordered one of the two red wines by the glass. The lighter and more fruit-forward option is the Santa Tresa Frappato, a grape I am mostly unfamiliar with that is served slightly chilled. It’s light-bodied and fresh—just wonderful. The much-anticipated beef tartare arrives. It is sumptuous and toothsome and everything I want in a tartare. The diced meat mixes with shallots, Dijon, capers, and pistachios. Horseradish and citrus notes bite through the layer of luscious scallion crema; it is topped with shredded smoked Gouda, offering one more dimension of flavour. We devoured this dish with the crostini provided, and I immediately started dreaming about the next time I could have it.
Spice-roasted potatoes are next, and they are a delight. A pile of roasted creamy nugget potatoes drizzled generously with charred scallion-jalapeño dip and plenty of finely shredded Parmesan cheese. Served with a wedge of lemon, which cuts the salty richness nicely, this dish has a low rumble of spice from the scallion-jalapeño cream and a smoky char coming through. It is a complex and indulgent potato dish.
We decided on the feature cheese to end the meal—a Riopelle from Quebec. This triple-cream cheese is similar to Brie but with buttery hints of mushroom. It’s so creamy that it’s hard to pry it from the cheese knife and spread it onto the chewy sourdough crostini. The cheese comes with perfectly pickled vegetables (not too acidic) and a deeply-flavoured roasted chilli jam. It was the ideal last bite.
This evening, the box-shaped TVs regaled us with vintage music videos from the 1960s, including Elvis, the Beach Boys, and The Beatles. I didn’t complain, but the food and company were still my main focus. Magnolia is open Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. The kitchen makes the last call for food at 11:45 p.m.
