After years of service in the hospitality industry, John Belknap has finally decided to open his own Toronto restaurant. With the name Rodney's, Belknap has his work cut out for him.

Seafood lovers should be familiar with the moniker. Rodney's Oyster House has been a Toronto institution for over two decades, originally on Adelaide Street and then on King West. In those two decades, Rodney's has developed a reputation for freshness, quality, and consistency. For the last five years, Belknap has been a server there, but in a way it was more of an apprenticeship. Rather than open up a new competing restaurant, he put forward a proposal to open up Rodney's By Bay.

But, while the new spot shares a similar name, it is not a franchise. With a much smaller capacity and an altered menu, it's less like a replica and more like a little brother, a non-canonical sequel, perhaps. Like Rodney's Oyster House if it was located in the Wild West (a Wild West with a lot of financial types). With a capacity of only 40, a tucked in location just off the financial district, and a drink list that includes a variety of beer and hard liquor, Rodney's By Bay is less of a destination oyster house, and more of an off-the-beaten-track oyster saloon.

The space, designed by Brad Denton (co-owner of Czehoskis, and co-designer of Harbord Room and Le Petit Castor) along with Belknap himself, is brimming with subtle little nautical accents that save it from gaudiness. Reclaimed wood from 1890s building facades, factory doors, and churches sits all over the restaurant, and a large wrap-around marble bar dominates the space. Up on the wall, various oyster cans and paraphernalia serve as decoration. An old factory sink serves as the oyster bed, where oysters are shucked and put on display.

But as unique as Rodney's By Bay may be, it has still been baptized with the name Rodney's, which carries certain unavoidable expectations. Luckily, purists won't be disappointed. Although there are a few non-seafood options, the focus is still on the sea. The M.O. is to use what is seasonal and available, rather than trying to force a certain type of seafood onto the menu. Five to ten oysters will always be available shucked to order from Rodney's own oyster beds in P.E.I. and the remainder of the menu is made up of whichever fish is freshest, from Halibut to Cod, Salmon, Mackerel, Haddock, or what have you. If it swims and it's fresh, chances are it'll end up on the menu.