We went to General Public
(and loved it)

The Reservation:

Made twenty-four days in advance to celebrate Christmas the best way we know how: with something delicious to eat and a mandatory screening of everyone's favourite Christmas movie, Goodfellas.

As one of us has pumpkin carriage tendencies on school nights, we decided to go with lunch over dinner.

We will be going back for dinner.

The Order:

Sips

Bubbles and a Bump, $15

2g of caviar presented atop a pearl spoon, served on a silver platter (really), alongside a crystal shot glass of champagne. Definitely do not skip this - it's a fun, unique way to start or end a meal feeling a little fancier than usual. Unless you're eyeing the 30g tin for $150, that is. (If you are - can we share?)

While tempted by the Shotgun Martini—flawlessly marketed on the menu as “2 SIPS, BANG BANG!” - we were ultimately swayed by the cocktail menu. Or more specifically, by the cocktail menu copy. Each drink, described in two perfect words and a grocery-list jot of ingredients. We went with:

Italia, $16

Described by them as “bitter and bubbly” and by us as a “sparkly negroni.”
Would order again.

Call The Whole Thing Off, $16

Described by them as “savoury and herbal” and by us as “Italian kitchen with the windows open in summer.”
Or just “very good,” if you prefer.

Snacks

Oysters, $3.75 each

A must-order for us on (almost) any menu. Mignonette was perfect, the horseradish was there, and they came with a tiny bottle of homemade banana pepper hot sauce we kept on the table the entire time. Plus, they showed up on yet another gorgeous silver platter.

Kampachi Crudo, $27

Would lick the plate clean.

Popcorn Clams and Mussels, $15

The perfect, slightly unexpected shareable for two. Bigger party? One order per pair. Or one order per person, honestly.

Absolutely do not skip. We would drink this mayo if we could.

Fish and Chips, $28

(This is for you if you love salt & vinegar)

A perfect score.
That's all.

Dippy Eggs, $16
(with toast soldiers)

While it may seem strange to follow a fish-filled order with this, the beauty of being an adult with a credit card is that you can—and should—order something random, rogue, or both!

This was also just a joy to eat.

The Evidence:

The Review:

Reviewed in signature DoubleDish Ugly/Medium/Hot style

UGLY:

Our 2:30 reservation: As we're not typically ~brunch~ people, it hadn't occurred to us that the kitchen would close at midday to prep for the arrival of ~dinner~ people. While our was order mercifully unaffected, it’s a little odd to be ordering lunch at "last call."

MEDIUM:

The thirty-five minutes in between asking for the bill and receiving the bill.
The dessert options: No formal dessert menu (at least for lunch), so while they didn’t sound bad, they just didn’t sound like us.

HOT:

The menu copy.
This menu spoke to us – literally. It's as if it was written in our specific dialect.

Our experience reading General Public's menu could place nowhere but the top of our list. Cartoon illustrations, witty dish descriptions, and the General himself (a hamster? in a naval cap) made this a must-read.

As a copywriter and designer, we were floored by the amount of true care and charm poured into GP’s menu.
Sure, we love choosing what to eat, but we also love (maybe even a little more) to read about it. If this little venture of ours doesn’t already give it away, we have a lot fun with words. We had the most fun with these ones.

To be clear, we had just as much fun with everything else: souvenir matchbooks, green leather booths, tiny glasses/sauce bottles, and the General himself making an appearance on our bill.
We took him home.
The menu size: Big! Huge! Very 'dramatically flipping through a newspaper at a breakfast counter in the 60s'.
Silver serving platters: What’s not to love?
The cocktails: $24 Aperol spritzes might sting, but $16 multi-ingredient cocktails are (somehow) a much easier pill to swallow.
The food (!)
Everything was delicious. We loved the twists on classics (popcorn shrimp revamp) and were delighted by the sheer amount of categories we had to choose from: Brunch-y, Lunch-y, Smaller, Sides (a crucial distinction between the two), etc.
Traditions: Here’s ours:
- Decide if we're eating in or out. Past years included a 10 pm walk-in at Hanmoto (2 Lakeview Ave), copious amounts of Choice of the Orient on the couch (7766 Martin Grove Rd), and oysters from San Antonio Seafood Market (8383 Weston Rd) - also enjoyed on the couch.
- Exchange presents that somehow get more specific – and perfect – every year.
- Speak for 3-6 uninterrupted hours. (non-negotiable)
- Watch Goodfellas. Take in Joe Pesci’s “Funny how?” delivery like it’s the first time, every time.
- Quietly promise to keep celebrating a friendship that feels like family.

The Verdict:

Absolutely would (and will) be back. The bluefin carpaccio on the dinner menu??? Come on.

Great for celebrations, drawn-out conversations, and double, triple, and/or quadruple dates.

To borrow the words of General Public (a phrase that never fails to conjure a visual of that little man behind the velvet curtain):

“We made a restaurant for anyone,
but not necessarily for everyone!”

It is absolutely a restaurant for us.

General Public

We went to General Public (and loved it)