For the sake of full disclosure, I should note that I have been an official Junction inhabitant for about, oh, just over a month. Since forgoing their dry status back in 2000, the Dundas West neighborhood that stretches between Keele and Runnymede has seen an upsurge in family friendly spots (like breakfast joint The Purple Onion) and the slim selection of hipster-savvy bars such as the recently reviewed folksy piano bar the Troubadour.

But as much as I was enamored with my hood’s down-home charms, I was beginning to miss the DJ parties of downtown bars – that is, up until I came across the bright red neon sign in the window for Margret one cold evening.

Reeled into the darkly lit atmosphere, I was struck by a number of things: the aged plaster and crimson-painted walls, the smattering pairs of low-level tables and a projector on the end wall silently playing The Red Shoe. Most impressive however was the Technic 1200s that a DJ was bending over, mashing Wagner strings with obscure 1950s spoken word. As soon as the DJ dropped the tracks though, he was already behind the bar making a cheese plate for two customers sitting nearby.

“I like to hear people with interesting record collections come through and play music that I’m familiar with to keep things interesting for me,” says owner/music producer Chris Brown, who has DJs from Friday to Sunday, but is aiming for everyday of the week (and no, not every DJ has bartending duties). “I want it to be DJ-driven rather than live because I think this area is really starving for that.”

Having only been open for a few weeks, Brown has managed to outfit an eclectic post-modern space out of a formerly seedy gambling den. With taps pouring both Stella Artois and Labatt 50, he’s struck the right balance between downtown sophistication and small-town informality.

I ordered from the menu a rotating selection of artisan cheeses from Quebec and local farms. With a glass of red wine and a big piece of French loaf that I couldn’t wait to tear into, I sampled ash-aged goat cheese, rock-hard dry parmesan and soft melting triple crème brie alongside sweet dollops of blackberry champagne preserve and the sliced saltiness of prosciutto.

Looking around, I appreciated the interior’s eclecticism, from the vintage brown vinyl cub chair that I sat in that a row ran along one wall juxtaposed with the sleek modern German pressed-maple chairs on the other side.

Brown’s favourite Craig’s List find however is the comfortable 1961 corner couch that sits near the back upholstered in wool plaid purchased from the original owner — a grandma who was a bit surprised that it was going to a bar. “She was like, ‘ohhh,'” he laughs. “But I was like, ‘Don’t worry, I love it and I’ll take care of it and make sure no one throws up on it.'”

The wall art ranges from a hung 1970s geometric fabric to the subtle vinyl silhouetted airplane decals that Brown found on the Internet and had a local sign maker print off. A locked door leads down to a basement that Brown is turning into a gallery space that he hopes will be a club(!) as the community evolves. In the meantime, the art statement du jour is a large mixed media Greg Shegler piece that clashes text and iconography with a Wizard of Oz Judy Garland.

After a few more drinks, I kick back and decide that I am even more in love with my neighborhood. Margret is a chic, fuss-free watering hole that’ll make any freshly minted Junction hipster less likely to take the 40 Junction bus eastbound for Queen West delights. Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet — just not so much.