Michael Edwards has lived in Roncesvalles for years, and when La Cubana closed, he saw an opportunity. He wanted to give the neighbourhood something that felt personal — a place with energy, warmth and a bit of himself in it. This January, he’s opening Proper, a New York–style Italian restaurant aimed at bringing some life back to the strip.
“Both of my parents were raised in the neighbourhood. It’s a vibrant area that still has a local character,” he explains. “However, it does tend to be quiet at night. I thought there was an opportunity for a little more vibrancy on the strip.”
To bring that vibrancy to the Proper menu, Edwards tapped chef Julien Cawagas, to bring the dishes to life.
“Julien grew up in an Italian-Canadian-Filipino household eating food from his Nonna. Those early food experiences inspired him to want to go deep into regional Italian cooking. It’s only more recently that he embraced more liberal Italian-American food,” Edwards says.
And while Cawagas’ authentic Italian training is certainly an asset, Edwards wanted to let loose a bit, which is why he’s calling the cuisine New York Italian.
“We wanted lattitude to beak the rules and create unique flavour combinations. New York Italian benefits from lots of associations which is great because people have an idea of what to expect, but it allows for lots of freedom.”
So Proper’s menu includes beef tartare, charred octopus and a veal chop marsala, all of which have pairings that Edwards says sets them apart from traditional dishes.
“The charred octopus is paired with celery root, rosemary cannellini beans and smoked paprika oil, while the veal chop marsala is paired with wild mushroom, shallot and an authentic demi-glaze that takes 72 hours to make from scratch,” he says. “It’s those additional ingredients that really elevate the dish.”
In addition to wine and beer, Proper also boasts a cocktail menu built by industry veteran Jen Neabel.
“Jen has created a completely bespoke cocktail list in addition to offering all of the classic cocktails,” Edwards says. “I’m really excited for the Tiramisu Martini, made with vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso and vanilla mascarpone creme and cocoa powder dusting.”
Even the name Proper was intentional, Edwards says.
“I wanted a name that represented an idea,” he explains. “The idea of Proper is doing things right — that’s our goal: to create an unpretentious restaurant where everything is executed to a really high standard. It’s also easy to remember and sort of fun to say.”
Proper is set to open on January 7th at 392 Roncesvalles Avenue.
