Once a Bloor Street staple, Wise Bar is now turned into Wise Bagel & Beer. The former craft beer bar has shifted gears and is now the one-stop shop for all of your beer, lox and bagel needs. This deli is a spin on the classic Montreal deli, selling traditional sesame and poppy seed Jewish bagels from The Bagel Oven in Beamsville, along with spreads like smoked whitefish pate, cream cheese, smoked fish from other small businesses and house made deli salads, using recipes from Wise's mom and friends.
"Inspired mostly by my food-obsessed family, and a keen desire to eat smoked fish more frequently, this type of shop is actually something I'd been thinking about for a while, but I wasn't planning on taking a step in this direction while Wise Bar was going so well," says owner Tamara Wise.
Unfortunately, with COVID-19 restrictions in place for bars and restaurants, Wise Bar just isn't realistic as a business during the pandemic. "I knew if I was going to stay a viable business, I'd need to change a lot," says Wise.
Featuring cold smoked Arctic char from First Fish, hot smoked trout from Milford Bay, Monforte cheese and Birds & Beans coffee, Wise Bagel & Beer aims to support other small businesses and showcase products that are responsibly sourced.
Wise Bagel & Beer is still selling local craft beers and ciders and will be expanding into wine as well. You can expect the usual offerings from Bellwoods Brewery, Left Field, Fairweather Brewery and more.
The shop hopes to expand their offerings to include a wider variety of local suppliers in the future.
Wise Bagel & Beer is open Thursday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
