BLUE JAYS WAY is OLYMPIC WAY at WAYNE GRETZKY’S

Finding the perfect spot for an evening in Toronto’s King West can sometimes be a daunting task. As a busy person, prioritizing a restaurant or bar search doesn’t happen very often. So what does one do when it’s your turn to put on the hosting hat and choose a place for the evening?

It’s time to make friends with Wayne Gretzky’s at 99 Blue Jays Way. Whether you’re having a few friends over to watch the game, entertaining family from out of town, or looking to blow off some steam after a long day’s work with associates, you’ll find it all here.

“He’s The Great One. Canada’s greatest athlete.” Rick, manager at Wayne Gretzky’s, boasts about Wayne’s Olympic fame and what it means to be in the presence of The Great One’s memorabilia.

Wayne Gretzky was born and raised in Brantford, Ontario. He grew up playing in the minors, and made his way to the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers in the late 1970s. During his decade in Edmonton, he broke numerous NHL records, including the most points, goals, and assists in a single season. He still holds the record for the highest number of points (2856 regular season, 3238 including playoffs), goals (894 regular season, 1016 including playoffs), and assists (1962 regular season, 2222 including playoffs) in an NHL career, which in his case, one that lasted over 20 years. Immediately after his retirement from the NHL in 1999, he was inducted into the NHL’s Hockey Hall of Fame, located at the corner of Front and Yonge Street in Toronto. Another “great” reason why Toronto, Ontario is called the Hockey Capital of the World.

And where better to watch the Olympics? In 2002, Wayne led the Men’s Olympic Hockey Team to their first Gold Medal in 50 years. Aside from Wayne Gretzky’s hockey memorabilia displayed around the restaurant, what sets this establishment apart from all others in the area is its combination of upscale dining room, rooftop restaurant patio, and bar area with 20 HDTV screens.

“The bar area is a great place to watch sports”, says Rick, “and the staff know essentially everything about Wayne”. Even though Wayne Gretzky’s is quite hockey-centric, Rick mentions that the bar area broadcasts all sports, and fans gather here to watch soccer, rugby, football and golf. The bar also has specials depending on the day – on “Mad Tom Tuesdays”, pints of Muskoka Brewery’s Ontario craft beer Mad Tom IPA flow for just $5.

The menu also features Gretzky-related dishes, including Grandma Gretzky’s Perogies, inspired by Grandma Gretzky’s original recipe, the ’99’ Prime, an 8oz prime rib burger, and the ’99’ Double Chocolate Puck, a vanilla ice cream-topped chocolate cake filled with chocolate cream.

The upscale dining room in Wayne Gretzky’s creates a relaxed ambiance, much different than the bar area. Rick spoke about the extensive wine list that includes selections from Wayne Gretzky Estates and also explained that the dining room offers theatre packages, which include a three-course meal and tickets to a show at the adjacent Second City theatre.

Upstairs, the Oasis Rooftop Patio is enormous and can most assuredly ease one’s mind after a long day of work. With multiple bar areas and comfortable outdoor patio sofas, chairs, and tables, it’s a beautiful place to soak up the sun. The Oasis Rooftop Patio is open daily from May to October.

Wayne Gretzky’s is open MON-WED: 11:30am-1:00am, THU-SAT: 11:30am-2:00am, SUN: 11:30am-11:00pm. To book a reservation for the dining room, call 416.979.7825 (PUCK). To book a theatre package at Wayne Gretzky’s, call Second City at: 416.343.0072.