Restaurateur remembered as a ‘food genius’

Stockyards Smokehouse founder hit by vehicle while in Jamaica

Tom Davis, owner of The Stockyards Smokehouse and Larder on St. Clair Avenue West, has died. He was 56.

Davis was hit by a vehicle in Negril, Jamaica, on June 13 and died in hospital, according to posts made to the restaurant’s social media accounts Wednesday.

The Stockyards, which David opened in 2009 with his wife, Monique Nanton, was an immediate hit with Torontonians who loved Davis’ take on smash burgers and buttermilk fried chicken.

Food writer Corey Mintz, who covered The Stockyards during his tenure as the Star’s restaurant critic, says Davis’ menu predated many food trends that can still be seen today. The restaurant was a local favourite, as well as a destination for diners navigating St. Clair West as its streetcar line was being renovated.

In a 2009 article Mintz wrote about being “stunned speechless” when hearing that Davis had never cooked professionally, and that he had spent more than a decade researching and experimenting with smoking techniques.

“The fried chicken was still many years away from being a food trend. Back then it was more of the purview of fast food. You weren’t seeing it on high-end menus but he did it beautifully,” Mintz said. “He said his smash burgers were InN-Out (Burger) style, but he was using better ingredients. Back then, flame broiled and big patties with big buns were still where it was, or burgers with luxurious toppings. Stockyards’ (burger) was a fourounce (patty) with a squishy, Wonder Bread-esque bun. Eventually he made his own cheese.”

Aside from the food, Mintz said Davis helped diners learn about the time and labour-intensive process of Southern American-style barbecue back when it was still uncommon in Toronto.

“He had the big smoker out back and certain items were only available on Fridays,” Mintz said. “That added to the conversation about how we eat based on a production schedule so not everything could be had all the time, and it educated customers on valuing the food.”

Stockyards manager Lisa Josephs has been friends with Davis since the late 1980s and started working at the restaurant when it opened. She says Davis dedicated his life to food and adds that he would often stand painstakingly in front of the smoker for eight to 12 hours.

“Everybody who knew him or had his food or had seen him create the things he did, called him a food genius,” said Josephs. “There was something just otherworldly about the way he dealt with the ingredients in front of (him).”

Josephs remembers with a chuckle that she had seen him put a watermelon on a hamburger. Davis even made noodles out of bacon to mimic carbonara.

“It always worked, they were just things he put together ... he was just a brilliant food thinker.”

Raj Sivarajah, a former employee at The Stockyards who left the restaurant in 2017 and is now retired, has fond memories of Davis teaching him how to use a smoker and other food preparation techniques.

Speaking to the Star with his daughter as an interpreter, Sivarajah said Davis treated employees like friends and family. Davis and his wife were guests at both of Sivarajah’s daughters’ weddings.

“Tom had no problem hiring older people, or those with language barriers,” said Sivarajah, who immigrated to Canada from Sri Lanka.

Josephs says this generosity Davis showed was what he was known for in the St. Clair West community.

“I’ve seen that man take the coat off his back in the winter, give it away to somebody. He made you laugh every time you were with him. He was generous to a fault to the point where he would go home with nothing,” Josephs said.

“I mean, he was an incredibly gracious and beautiful human being.”

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up by the owners of nearby Baker and Scone bakery to help support Davis’ family.