I am not generally a fan of groupon type things. Except sometimes, when my email reveals they are doing half-price admission to the bridal show I'm going to anyway, or that there's a theatre production I'm excited about doing discount tickets. Back in March there was a deal for half-price tickets to see Avenue Q at the Lower Ossington Theatre and of course I had to snap them up.
I also had to send the deal to my university roommate, because clearly she would want to go. That being the case, at the end of June we had a double-date night out, and decided to make it extra fancy by going out to a great dinner. I let my old roomie choose the restaurant, and she came up with the Drake Hotel. Off and away!
Our dinner? It was magnificent. One thing I did find a little weird here was that there was no complimentary bread basket; if you want bread with your meal, be prepared to order the appetizer of bread and dips (it was round $7). It seems a sort of petty complaint that they didn't offer a bread, but it's just a tiny thing that I've almost come to expect at restaurants and peeved me just a touch.
Bunny was daring and ordered an appetizer - the gazpacho soup. He said it was a little "chewy" but really really good. Being that I'm not so into tomatoes, I did not try it. The guys both had cheeseburgers, and seemed to enjoy them immensely. My friend, who had chosen the Drake based on its vegetarian selection had a sweet potato bake over farro, and thought it was pretty good. She said there was eggplant in it and she didn't mind, which is a huge food compliment from her. (Note: a piece of eggplant is not a realistic vegetarian meal. While in university the two of us had this complaint many a time.)
I, on the other hand, got sucked in by the gnocchi. How could I not? Ricotta gnocchi, with sweet peas and oyster mushrooms and sauted red onions. The gnocchi was soft and pillowy, much less dense than I'm used to. It was quite glorious. The brightness of the peas complimented it well, and I loved the way a pea would burst in my mouth as I was eating a mouthful of gnocchi. As far as the onions and mushrooms go ... I'm not 100% sold. The onions were good, and really complimented the rest of the dish but there were just too many, and they were a little overwhelming. With the mushrooms, I found them a tad tougher and chewier than I prefer, but still good. A generous sprinkling of pecorino cheese brought it all together.
The verdict on the Drake? We all enjoyed it, and I wouldn't complain if I went back. All in all, though, Bunny and I spent about $85 after tip, for our food (and we each got a drink). Somehow I think I'd be more tempted to try something new or go to an old favourite like Terroni or Coquine next time we do an expensive dinner.
We had plenty of time after eating and before the show, so we decided to go on a hunt for ice cream. After a quick Yelp! on my friend's iPhone we wandered about five minutes west to the Boreal Gelato Cafe and indulged in some extra yumminess. Can I tell you how thrilled I was that they offer a mini size? Which was even a little bit too big for me, but whatever. Bunny went with the coffee gelato, and I ate his while he went to the bathroom; us girls both went with a chocolate hazelnut crunch. It was good, though I've had better gelato. It wasn't as rich or creamy as I like, and the flavours weren't super pronounced. One thing I adored, though, was how the serving options were a waffle cone or a bowl. It was nice that waffle cone was the default, rather than being an extra charge.
After that, it was off to the show. And oh, what a show. It was brilliant. Hilarious. Well performed. The only complaint we had was that sometimes we got distracted from the puppets by the puppeteers because they were acting so well along with everything and their faces were so expressive, but at the same time that added to the whole performance. I was a little bit blown away by how well rehearsed and co-ordinated everyone was, especially when the puppets needed two puppeteers or when an actor/singer was playing two puppets that were onstage at the same time.
Myself and my roommate, and her fiance, were all fairly familiar with the show to begin with. Bunny had never heard any of the songs before, though, so it was hilarious watching him get introduced to them the first time.
All in all? Great night out.
Showing posts with label the dining experience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the dining experience. Show all posts
Friday, July 06, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
fish house review
My mother grew up in an area of downtown Toronto near where I currently live. Why is this relevant, you might ask? Because sometimes, when Bunny introduces me to a restaurant (he's lived in this city a decade longer than me) or when we find one together and I get excited about it .... she spoils my fun by telling me "oh, I remember that place. I used to eat there thirty years ago".
The first time I went to the Fish House she spoiled my fun just like that. Bunny and I have been here three or four times now, generally when we are already out of the way. Because Fish House is out of the way.
I want to love Fish House. I really do. I love seafood. I love any chance I'm given to eat something from under the sea. So of course I want to love Fish House. Unfortunatey, I don't love it. I like it, quite a bit, but I'm realizing that it really isn't anything that special. It's sort of like an independent Red Lobster.
Bunny and I started the meal off sharing some bacon wrapped scallops (around $10). I love me some scallops. There is nothing like a great scallop, and there are some that I remember fondly years after the fact. These were ok scallops. The scallops themselves were just barely overcooked, and unfortunately the bacon was more chewy than crunchy. A scallop is a scallop though, so it's easy to like. The plating was a bit of a letdown: just four scallops plunked down kind of sad-like on a plain white plate, with a little bit of seafood sauce on the side. Nothing special.
Then they brought out their bread basket, which was rather enjoyable. The bread itself was dense and chewy, and had a hint of a sourdough taste. We demolished it.
For my main, I said screw it, it's my birthday dinner (and I needed some birthday love since I'd ended the day itself in tears) and went for Alaskan Queen Crab Legs ($26). I love me some crab. I also switched up the sides; instead of rice and mixed vegetables I asked for sweet potato mash and beets.
The crab was crab and delightful just in that. There's nothing quite like cracking into crab legs and enjoying the meat inside. So clearly there were no complaints there. The sides were not amazing. I love beets, but mine were unfortunately cold and didn't have anything really going for them. The mash was a little bit odd, on the spicy side which I wasn't quite prepared for. But the crab was lovely!
Bunny opted for a mixed seafood dish ($21) that included crab-stuffed salmon and grilled calamari. His verdict was that it was ok, but nothing special. The calamari rather disappointed him as it was overcooked and he felt like the salmon was alright but he wouldn't order it again. (Although he ordered it last time and thought the same then, tee hee.)
Dessert was blueberry cheesecake for Bunny and coffee for me. I was a little bit unimpressed with their dessert menu: three kinds of cheesecake, apple crumble, creme brulee and nothing chocolate. Who doesn't have chocolate option on their dessert menu? I call bullshit.
So the food? It's like a B -.
What did thrill me was our server. She was amazing. She anticipated our needs, was super sweet to us, and checked in with us just enough. It made me a happy duck.
The first time I went to the Fish House she spoiled my fun just like that. Bunny and I have been here three or four times now, generally when we are already out of the way. Because Fish House is out of the way.
I want to love Fish House. I really do. I love seafood. I love any chance I'm given to eat something from under the sea. So of course I want to love Fish House. Unfortunatey, I don't love it. I like it, quite a bit, but I'm realizing that it really isn't anything that special. It's sort of like an independent Red Lobster.
Bunny and I started the meal off sharing some bacon wrapped scallops (around $10). I love me some scallops. There is nothing like a great scallop, and there are some that I remember fondly years after the fact. These were ok scallops. The scallops themselves were just barely overcooked, and unfortunately the bacon was more chewy than crunchy. A scallop is a scallop though, so it's easy to like. The plating was a bit of a letdown: just four scallops plunked down kind of sad-like on a plain white plate, with a little bit of seafood sauce on the side. Nothing special.
Then they brought out their bread basket, which was rather enjoyable. The bread itself was dense and chewy, and had a hint of a sourdough taste. We demolished it.
For my main, I said screw it, it's my birthday dinner (and I needed some birthday love since I'd ended the day itself in tears) and went for Alaskan Queen Crab Legs ($26). I love me some crab. I also switched up the sides; instead of rice and mixed vegetables I asked for sweet potato mash and beets.
The crab was crab and delightful just in that. There's nothing quite like cracking into crab legs and enjoying the meat inside. So clearly there were no complaints there. The sides were not amazing. I love beets, but mine were unfortunately cold and didn't have anything really going for them. The mash was a little bit odd, on the spicy side which I wasn't quite prepared for. But the crab was lovely!
Bunny opted for a mixed seafood dish ($21) that included crab-stuffed salmon and grilled calamari. His verdict was that it was ok, but nothing special. The calamari rather disappointed him as it was overcooked and he felt like the salmon was alright but he wouldn't order it again. (Although he ordered it last time and thought the same then, tee hee.)
Dessert was blueberry cheesecake for Bunny and coffee for me. I was a little bit unimpressed with their dessert menu: three kinds of cheesecake, apple crumble, creme brulee and nothing chocolate. Who doesn't have chocolate option on their dessert menu? I call bullshit.
So the food? It's like a B -.
What did thrill me was our server. She was amazing. She anticipated our needs, was super sweet to us, and checked in with us just enough. It made me a happy duck.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Review: Starfish Oyster Bed and Grill
Did I tell you that we went to the opera the other week? It's something I've wanted to do for awhile and Bunny, being the smart cookie that he is, bought me tickets for Christmas. I'll tell you a little more about that some other time, but right now I want to focus on something else: the post-opera dinner.
We wound up at the Starfish Oyster Bed and Grill, which was rather unexpected. Heck, I never knew they existed before which is something of a shame. We'd hiked down to Adelaide St with the intention of hitting up Nami for some sushi, and had agreed that Terroni would be our backup plan in case Nami was closed. We figured being that it was a Sunday we should hedge our bets. Well, what do you know but both were closed. Fudge that, right?
So we walked down Adelaide a bit more and discussed our options. Keep walking and find somewhere? Hop a Queen car and go to Aji Sai? Hey, there's a seafood place across the street. Want to try there? The sign says they have lobster, you like lobster. Let's go!
Thus we wound up at the Starfish. We were early, around maybe 6:30, and it was a Sunday so we weren't surprised that the restaurant was fairly slow, with only two other tables. The restaurant comes across very unassumingly. The sign announcing its presence looks cheap and diner-ish. Inside, the restaurant seems small (although there does appear to be a back room), and for the most part the decor was forgetable. It was a cloth napkin place, and cloth napkins always make an impression on me. They speak to an older time, where the world wasn't quite so disposable.
Plus, I've never seen a cloth napkin at a restaurant that doesn't care about the food. It told me that they were serious about their fishies.
The menu changes daily, something that I both love and hate. I'm the sort of person who does like to order the same items every time I go to the same restaurant (see: every time I have ever visited a chain restaurant), so updating the menu so often is a deterent to becoming a regular. Then again, for a fancier place that I wouldn't realistically dine at all the time? It's a great way to keep the chef's inspiration fresh, and to enjoy really seasonal food.
To start with, our server brought out a bread basket. The bread was good: dense and chewy, and the butter come softened. I'm also going to take this moment to say that our service was excellent. They know what they are doing here.
Bunny wanted to share a plate of oysters and given that we were at an oyster bar it seemed like a good idea. I've never had oysters before, though, and I have a tendency to get very nervous about new foods and something about the idea of eating raw oysters has always given me the heebie jeebies. Then again, I like raw salmon ... can't be that different, right?
I had oysters. They brought three varieties: a Galway flat (I didn't try it, but they were massive and Bunny adored them), something called a champagne oyster (that were tiny tiny and adorable) and a third that I don't remember. I never would have guessed what variety there is in oysters, and I'm glad that I got to try a few. We started with the champagne oysters, because I'm a wuss and they were small and therefore less scary. They were good: they had that same seafood sweetness I love about crab, the flavour was very mild, and I almost felt like it melted in my mouth. The second oyster was not so great. It tasted slightly fishy to me, but I think it was simply a stronger tasting oyster. Bunny liked his.
The verdict on oysters? I'm glad I tried them and will definitely make it a point to have them again. They were good.
For my main, I had Ontario trout. I usually stay away from ordering fish at a restaurant; if I'm at a seafood place I would generally rather have crab or scallops and when I'm not at a seafood place I know there are better items on the menu, but this really jumped at me. I don't think I could have made a better choice. This may have been the best fish I have ever eaten. The skin was perfectly crisped, the flesh was cooked to pure perfection, so moist it was almost juicy and completely cooked through. My mind was blown.
Even better was the fact that the trout was well accompanied. The plate had a generous smear of a celeriac puree with wasabi, that was divine when eaten with the trout. The creaminess and the slightly more intense flavour balanced perfectly with the fish. There was also a beautiful selection of vegetables: roast fingerling potatoes, golden beets, baby turnips and apples. I may have mentioned before how much I love beets, but I've never had a golden variety, and they were excellent. (Well, duh.) The potatoes were great as well, my only complaint with them was that there weren't many. What didn't thrill me were the turnips and apples. The turnip was just so bland and boring with all the flavours going on everywhere else, and the apples weren't enjoyable. Their inclusion was a little bit unfortunate, as everything else was so well balanced.
Bunny had considered getting the trout, but instead went with a duck dish. It came with a few different sides - no puree or beets, but there were leeks and some other things - that I didn't try. I did, though, get to taste his duck and that was very well prepared. Rich, tender, and meaty. He ate every bite on his plate.
Dessert was pretty good as well. Bunny tried their award-winning sticky toffee pudding and practically licked the plate. I had an espresso creme brulee that was quite delightful. The sugar crust was perfect, and I found that the contrast between the bitter espresso and the sweet custard was delightful.
Price wise, this isn't a bargain. The mains on the menu rain between about $25-35, and realistically if you're here you'll probably indulge in a couple of oysters or an app as well. And try the sticky toffee pudding. Trust me.
All in all, Starfish Oyster Bed and Grill gets high marks from me. It's a great alternative to our usual seafood place, and downtown is much more convenient than hiking out to East York. The quality of the food and the thought that went into the accompaniments made a big impression and we will most certainly be going back.
We wound up at the Starfish Oyster Bed and Grill, which was rather unexpected. Heck, I never knew they existed before which is something of a shame. We'd hiked down to Adelaide St with the intention of hitting up Nami for some sushi, and had agreed that Terroni would be our backup plan in case Nami was closed. We figured being that it was a Sunday we should hedge our bets. Well, what do you know but both were closed. Fudge that, right?
So we walked down Adelaide a bit more and discussed our options. Keep walking and find somewhere? Hop a Queen car and go to Aji Sai? Hey, there's a seafood place across the street. Want to try there? The sign says they have lobster, you like lobster. Let's go!
Thus we wound up at the Starfish. We were early, around maybe 6:30, and it was a Sunday so we weren't surprised that the restaurant was fairly slow, with only two other tables. The restaurant comes across very unassumingly. The sign announcing its presence looks cheap and diner-ish. Inside, the restaurant seems small (although there does appear to be a back room), and for the most part the decor was forgetable. It was a cloth napkin place, and cloth napkins always make an impression on me. They speak to an older time, where the world wasn't quite so disposable.
Plus, I've never seen a cloth napkin at a restaurant that doesn't care about the food. It told me that they were serious about their fishies.
The menu changes daily, something that I both love and hate. I'm the sort of person who does like to order the same items every time I go to the same restaurant (see: every time I have ever visited a chain restaurant), so updating the menu so often is a deterent to becoming a regular. Then again, for a fancier place that I wouldn't realistically dine at all the time? It's a great way to keep the chef's inspiration fresh, and to enjoy really seasonal food.
To start with, our server brought out a bread basket. The bread was good: dense and chewy, and the butter come softened. I'm also going to take this moment to say that our service was excellent. They know what they are doing here.
Bunny wanted to share a plate of oysters and given that we were at an oyster bar it seemed like a good idea. I've never had oysters before, though, and I have a tendency to get very nervous about new foods and something about the idea of eating raw oysters has always given me the heebie jeebies. Then again, I like raw salmon ... can't be that different, right?
I had oysters. They brought three varieties: a Galway flat (I didn't try it, but they were massive and Bunny adored them), something called a champagne oyster (that were tiny tiny and adorable) and a third that I don't remember. I never would have guessed what variety there is in oysters, and I'm glad that I got to try a few. We started with the champagne oysters, because I'm a wuss and they were small and therefore less scary. They were good: they had that same seafood sweetness I love about crab, the flavour was very mild, and I almost felt like it melted in my mouth. The second oyster was not so great. It tasted slightly fishy to me, but I think it was simply a stronger tasting oyster. Bunny liked his.
The verdict on oysters? I'm glad I tried them and will definitely make it a point to have them again. They were good.
For my main, I had Ontario trout. I usually stay away from ordering fish at a restaurant; if I'm at a seafood place I would generally rather have crab or scallops and when I'm not at a seafood place I know there are better items on the menu, but this really jumped at me. I don't think I could have made a better choice. This may have been the best fish I have ever eaten. The skin was perfectly crisped, the flesh was cooked to pure perfection, so moist it was almost juicy and completely cooked through. My mind was blown.
Even better was the fact that the trout was well accompanied. The plate had a generous smear of a celeriac puree with wasabi, that was divine when eaten with the trout. The creaminess and the slightly more intense flavour balanced perfectly with the fish. There was also a beautiful selection of vegetables: roast fingerling potatoes, golden beets, baby turnips and apples. I may have mentioned before how much I love beets, but I've never had a golden variety, and they were excellent. (Well, duh.) The potatoes were great as well, my only complaint with them was that there weren't many. What didn't thrill me were the turnips and apples. The turnip was just so bland and boring with all the flavours going on everywhere else, and the apples weren't enjoyable. Their inclusion was a little bit unfortunate, as everything else was so well balanced.
Bunny had considered getting the trout, but instead went with a duck dish. It came with a few different sides - no puree or beets, but there were leeks and some other things - that I didn't try. I did, though, get to taste his duck and that was very well prepared. Rich, tender, and meaty. He ate every bite on his plate.
Dessert was pretty good as well. Bunny tried their award-winning sticky toffee pudding and practically licked the plate. I had an espresso creme brulee that was quite delightful. The sugar crust was perfect, and I found that the contrast between the bitter espresso and the sweet custard was delightful.
Price wise, this isn't a bargain. The mains on the menu rain between about $25-35, and realistically if you're here you'll probably indulge in a couple of oysters or an app as well. And try the sticky toffee pudding. Trust me.
All in all, Starfish Oyster Bed and Grill gets high marks from me. It's a great alternative to our usual seafood place, and downtown is much more convenient than hiking out to East York. The quality of the food and the thought that went into the accompaniments made a big impression and we will most certainly be going back.
Friday, March 23, 2012
"Valentine's" Dinner at Terroni
I believe I mentioned that we had delayed our Valentine's dinner for a variety of reasons. I may have also mentioned that we finally got around to it ... on St Patrick's Day no less. We like to mix our holidays, and avoid green alcohol. So, we finally got out to Terroni on Adelaide.
Bunny discovered Terroni years ago, back when he was at the design firm. He learned about a lot of good eats that way. He's been talking about this restaurant for almost the entirety of our relationship, and about a year and a bit ago he took me there the first time. Suffice it to say, it was amazing. Enough so that I was excited to go back for Valentine's.
As we had only decided on Friday that we were going out Saturday we didn't make reservations. Based on how busy it had been last time, when we had waited in a crowded bar for over an hour even with reservations, Bunny was a little worried that we might have another long wait. Luckily, we had no reason to worry. We had come early, around 6:30, and within five minutes they sat us at a lovely little table downstairs.
First off, our server helped us pick out a beautiful white wine. Which is a really big deal. We're both red wine lovers, and we know what we like: full-bodied, dry, slightly heavy on the tannins. Why didn't we go for one of those, you might wonder? Well, unfortunately red wines give me migraines and I haven't been able to have more than half a glass of the stuff in about three years. We ended up with a lovely, crisp white with very minimal acidity. You'd better believe that we polished that bottle off.
We started out by sharing the Tagliere Mezzo e Mezzo, which was the same thing we started with last time. The prosciutto was excellent, and Bunny said both the other meats (salami and something else) were nice. There were two cheese (I can't remember what they were called), both cow's milk. One was lovely, with a texture similar to cheddar and a fairly mild flavour. The other was similar to a parmesan: hard and salty. Unfortunately neither Bunny nor I were big fans. The way they serve the app, on a beautiful wooden cutting board and plated with some accent foods (walnuts, honey, roasted pear) was delightful. One of the best parts was the ability to sort of mix and match things: a forkful of salty cheese and honey, or meat with some pear. It's just a perfect start to the meal.
For the main, I ordered the Ravioli di Zio Paperone: homemade ravioli stuffed with duck confit, fig, roasted butternut squash, sauted with oyster, button mushroom and parmigiano. I'd been wavering back and forth between this and one of the pizzas, and I'm definitely glad I decided to go this route.
The raviolis were made from green pasta which is by far my favourite. The filling? ZOMG so good. The way the components were mixed together they formed a great, cohesive flavour that built on itself. The richness of the duck, the sweetness of the fig and the creaminess of the squash all complemented each other perfectly. I almost didn't order this because I was worried I wouldn't like the fig component, but it worked very well. I appreciated that they didn't try to put any sauces on the ravioli; the olive oil and mushrooms were all that was necessary.
The portion size was perfect. Because my appetite is small, I was worried at first that I might not get through it all, but it was so good that with a bit of help from Bunny the whole of the dish disappeared. I loved this.
Bunny had the Spaghetti in Canna Mare: fresh clams and mussels, calamari, scallops and tiger shrimp, light tomato sauce. I didn't try his, but from Bunny's appraisal my dish was better.
For dessert, Bunny kept things simple with just an espresso and lemon biscotti. I have never heard someone rave about a biscotti the way he did about his. It wasn't large, maybe half the size of the biscotti you might get at a coffee shop but I got the impresson that every bite was delicious.
I came in knowing exactly what I'd be having for dessert: the tiramisu. I've dreamed of this tiramisu since the last time I was there, and luckily it did not disappoint. The ladyfingers had just the right texture, soft but not soggy and with some cakey-ness. The marscapone had just the right hint of sweet without being out-and-out sweet. This dessert actually makes me a touch sad, as everytime I eat it I can't help but think I'm turning into my mother. Entirely worth it.
It's also worth noting that the service was beyond excellent. The man who took care of us was friendly without being obtrusive, and had perfect timing in stopping by to check up on us. The pacing was perfect, with no rushed moments and no long lulls of wondering what was happening. Every time something was cleared from our table we had at least a couple of minutes before more food came. I very much appreciated how knowledgable he was about the wines and his ability to recommend something to my taste while pointing out where the wine I chose might diverge from my stated tastes.
All in all? A great dinner. We've been before and we will be back again. Terroni is one of those really great date night/slightly fancier restaurants we keep in our back pockets.
Bunny discovered Terroni years ago, back when he was at the design firm. He learned about a lot of good eats that way. He's been talking about this restaurant for almost the entirety of our relationship, and about a year and a bit ago he took me there the first time. Suffice it to say, it was amazing. Enough so that I was excited to go back for Valentine's.
As we had only decided on Friday that we were going out Saturday we didn't make reservations. Based on how busy it had been last time, when we had waited in a crowded bar for over an hour even with reservations, Bunny was a little worried that we might have another long wait. Luckily, we had no reason to worry. We had come early, around 6:30, and within five minutes they sat us at a lovely little table downstairs.
First off, our server helped us pick out a beautiful white wine. Which is a really big deal. We're both red wine lovers, and we know what we like: full-bodied, dry, slightly heavy on the tannins. Why didn't we go for one of those, you might wonder? Well, unfortunately red wines give me migraines and I haven't been able to have more than half a glass of the stuff in about three years. We ended up with a lovely, crisp white with very minimal acidity. You'd better believe that we polished that bottle off.
We started out by sharing the Tagliere Mezzo e Mezzo, which was the same thing we started with last time. The prosciutto was excellent, and Bunny said both the other meats (salami and something else) were nice. There were two cheese (I can't remember what they were called), both cow's milk. One was lovely, with a texture similar to cheddar and a fairly mild flavour. The other was similar to a parmesan: hard and salty. Unfortunately neither Bunny nor I were big fans. The way they serve the app, on a beautiful wooden cutting board and plated with some accent foods (walnuts, honey, roasted pear) was delightful. One of the best parts was the ability to sort of mix and match things: a forkful of salty cheese and honey, or meat with some pear. It's just a perfect start to the meal.
For the main, I ordered the Ravioli di Zio Paperone: homemade ravioli stuffed with duck confit, fig, roasted butternut squash, sauted with oyster, button mushroom and parmigiano. I'd been wavering back and forth between this and one of the pizzas, and I'm definitely glad I decided to go this route.
The raviolis were made from green pasta which is by far my favourite. The filling? ZOMG so good. The way the components were mixed together they formed a great, cohesive flavour that built on itself. The richness of the duck, the sweetness of the fig and the creaminess of the squash all complemented each other perfectly. I almost didn't order this because I was worried I wouldn't like the fig component, but it worked very well. I appreciated that they didn't try to put any sauces on the ravioli; the olive oil and mushrooms were all that was necessary.
The portion size was perfect. Because my appetite is small, I was worried at first that I might not get through it all, but it was so good that with a bit of help from Bunny the whole of the dish disappeared. I loved this.
Bunny had the Spaghetti in Canna Mare: fresh clams and mussels, calamari, scallops and tiger shrimp, light tomato sauce. I didn't try his, but from Bunny's appraisal my dish was better.
For dessert, Bunny kept things simple with just an espresso and lemon biscotti. I have never heard someone rave about a biscotti the way he did about his. It wasn't large, maybe half the size of the biscotti you might get at a coffee shop but I got the impresson that every bite was delicious.
I came in knowing exactly what I'd be having for dessert: the tiramisu. I've dreamed of this tiramisu since the last time I was there, and luckily it did not disappoint. The ladyfingers had just the right texture, soft but not soggy and with some cakey-ness. The marscapone had just the right hint of sweet without being out-and-out sweet. This dessert actually makes me a touch sad, as everytime I eat it I can't help but think I'm turning into my mother. Entirely worth it.
It's also worth noting that the service was beyond excellent. The man who took care of us was friendly without being obtrusive, and had perfect timing in stopping by to check up on us. The pacing was perfect, with no rushed moments and no long lulls of wondering what was happening. Every time something was cleared from our table we had at least a couple of minutes before more food came. I very much appreciated how knowledgable he was about the wines and his ability to recommend something to my taste while pointing out where the wine I chose might diverge from my stated tastes.
All in all? A great dinner. We've been before and we will be back again. Terroni is one of those really great date night/slightly fancier restaurants we keep in our back pockets.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
the dining experience: hard rock cafe yonge & dundas
Let me preface this by saying that as a general rule, Bunny and I tend to avoid chain restaurants. We've been known to enjoy such deliciousness as East Side Mario's Italian Wedding Soup or the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits but we prefer to go to smaller places. Sometimes fancy restaurants owned by friends or that Bunny used to work on, or smaller hole-in-the-wall but amazing places to anywhere in between. The food is invariably more interesting, even if it's not always better (there are some shitty independent restaurants we've eaten at, of course).
The other night, though, we were out shopping and decided to do a bit of a dinner out. On a lark, we decided to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe - not quite sure why, just that it seemed like a good idea. Bunny had never been, and the only time I'd eaten at one had been a band trip to New Orleans in 2003. So we went.
We waited about 20 minutes for a table, which wasn't terrible. Very much enjoyed that the little lobby had a few interactive items and displays for us to occupy ourselves with during the wait. The waitstaff was also great - polite, friendly, on time with everything and happy to help.
The food? Enh.
To start Bunny had wings (he choose the hottest variety) and I had an order of onion rings. I have a love affair with a well made onion rings. Unfortunately, both were a little bit underwhelming. The wings were hot, sure, but there was no other flavour to them, really which I found disappointing. I like some complexity to my heat. As far as the rings went, they were large and lovely and had a beautifully sweet onion taste to them. Unfortunately the batter was lackluster at best. Flavourless again, but crunchy, and far to thin for my liking.
Dinner itself was a pulled pork sandwich for Bunny and chicken & beef fajitas for me. Evidently they'd had some nasty surprised with the fajitas in the past, because our server said "Just so you know, you have to assemble them yourself. Are you ok with that?" Hahaha. To be expected, and it's something I love with restaurant fajitas.
Bunny's sandwich was a hit. The pork & sauce had a great smoky flavour that Bunny was quite thrilled with. I snagged some of the fries and was quite impressed. Nice thick sticks, little bit of skin still on the potatoes. They had that beautiful crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside texture that makes fries amazing.
As far as my fajitas go, they were fairly solid. Good but not great. Personal pet peeve was the tomatoes in the guacamole, but that's just a quirk of mine (hatred of all things tomato). The chunks were big enough that I could avoid them, so I was happy. I greatly enjoyed the chicken and the fajitas vegetables, though I wasn't so keen on the beef. It looked beautiful, I just didn't enjoy it too much.
The biggest impression, and perhaps the best thing: the iced tea. Brewed iced tea, which just tickles me. It was lovely and tea like, sweetened at my request. Just a hint of sugar, not too much. The addition of squeezed lemon made it blissful. Fresh iced tea always impresses me.
Overall, it was what I expect from a chain. I would have liked to say it was better, but it wasn't. My biggest complaint was that everything was really overpriced. Price and quality were not on par. That's really my complaint with a lot of chains - that the food is a little bit boring and the quality doesn't justify the price.
Would we go back? No.
Were we disappointed? Not really. I wanted to be more impressed, but it was right around what I expected.
The other night, though, we were out shopping and decided to do a bit of a dinner out. On a lark, we decided to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe - not quite sure why, just that it seemed like a good idea. Bunny had never been, and the only time I'd eaten at one had been a band trip to New Orleans in 2003. So we went.
We waited about 20 minutes for a table, which wasn't terrible. Very much enjoyed that the little lobby had a few interactive items and displays for us to occupy ourselves with during the wait. The waitstaff was also great - polite, friendly, on time with everything and happy to help.
The food? Enh.
To start Bunny had wings (he choose the hottest variety) and I had an order of onion rings. I have a love affair with a well made onion rings. Unfortunately, both were a little bit underwhelming. The wings were hot, sure, but there was no other flavour to them, really which I found disappointing. I like some complexity to my heat. As far as the rings went, they were large and lovely and had a beautifully sweet onion taste to them. Unfortunately the batter was lackluster at best. Flavourless again, but crunchy, and far to thin for my liking.
Dinner itself was a pulled pork sandwich for Bunny and chicken & beef fajitas for me. Evidently they'd had some nasty surprised with the fajitas in the past, because our server said "Just so you know, you have to assemble them yourself. Are you ok with that?" Hahaha. To be expected, and it's something I love with restaurant fajitas.
Bunny's sandwich was a hit. The pork & sauce had a great smoky flavour that Bunny was quite thrilled with. I snagged some of the fries and was quite impressed. Nice thick sticks, little bit of skin still on the potatoes. They had that beautiful crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside texture that makes fries amazing.
As far as my fajitas go, they were fairly solid. Good but not great. Personal pet peeve was the tomatoes in the guacamole, but that's just a quirk of mine (hatred of all things tomato). The chunks were big enough that I could avoid them, so I was happy. I greatly enjoyed the chicken and the fajitas vegetables, though I wasn't so keen on the beef. It looked beautiful, I just didn't enjoy it too much.
The biggest impression, and perhaps the best thing: the iced tea. Brewed iced tea, which just tickles me. It was lovely and tea like, sweetened at my request. Just a hint of sugar, not too much. The addition of squeezed lemon made it blissful. Fresh iced tea always impresses me.
Overall, it was what I expect from a chain. I would have liked to say it was better, but it wasn't. My biggest complaint was that everything was really overpriced. Price and quality were not on par. That's really my complaint with a lot of chains - that the food is a little bit boring and the quality doesn't justify the price.
Would we go back? No.
Were we disappointed? Not really. I wanted to be more impressed, but it was right around what I expected.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
the dining experience: dim sum seafood king
Toronto Life gave me a fantastic tip last week: Dim Sum Seafood King, during weekday lunches does $2.00 dim sum plates. Considering that Bunny and myself (and my mom) are all dim sum fans, this needed to be tried.
So Monday when we were headed out Christmas shopping, Bunny and I decided to make a lunch stop first. We don't do dim sum often, because the bill at the Pearl is often a bit painful, but we are always in the mood for dim sum.
This was, atmospherically, very different from the Pearl. It was much more the traditional dim sum banquet hall that my mom likes to tell me about, and that I have occasionally seen on TV. There must have been hundreds of tables around the room, all done up in perfect white tableclothes, napkins & chair covers. Super high ceilings made the whole place seem bigger than it actually is, and genuinely helps with just how crowded the place was.
The place was packed, which is always a good sign, and there were plenty of Chinese people eating there, which would usually be irrelevant but at a Chinese restaurant gives me little sparkles inside because it is generally an indication that it's bound to be good. There was even a party of some sort going on, and they were doing Chinese karaoke. Free entertainment!
So, the food. The carts came much more frequently than they do at the Pearl, and every cart was loaded. Each cart had about three different dishes, minimum, and the servers were all very cheerful. As well, you could order extra items separately, and some special items rotated around the room on much smaller trays with individual servers. (Those items were all specially priced, aka not $2, and included my favourite item).
Bunny and I did good for ourselves, tried lots of things, but kept it to a somewhat minimum. We had:
Next favourite were the pork dumplings. They actually surprised me how much I liked them, as I don't usually go for pork at dim sum. Again, perfectly moist and perfectly seasoned, and the wrapper was perfectly cooked. I'm not quite sure what the dumpling wrapper was, it has a yellow colour, like lo mein noodles, and is definitely not the rice paper wrapper that the seafood dumplings come in.
The dumplings were good. Not great, not as good as the ones at the Pearl, but nothing to complain about. (Especially not at the price!) Really, my complaint was that they were oversteamed, and the wrapper was falling apart. They were huge, though. and the fillings were good.
Shrimp sliders again, on par with the Pearl. I actually found that these ones held together better than they usually do.
Disappointment came in the form of sticky rice. Instead of a big package, it was two smaller packages (perfect for Bunny and I), but I felt like the fillings were a bit more out there than they go with at the Pearl - several weird looking things that I just couldn't bring myself to put in my mouth. Curse of being a picky eater.
We weren't sitting around waiting for hours for things, new plates came frequently, and as soon as we asked "who do we talk to about the bill" one was provided quickly and politely.
Possibly the best part was the price: $25.00, tax & tip in. That's a third of what the bill comes to at the Pearl. There is a difference in quality, but it's very slight. Really, I only had two complaints (and the sticky rice was just me being squeamish). I was blown away by the bill.
Would I go back? Yes, absolutely, and I'm already planning to. On the other hand, if they priced themselves on par with Pearl, I would choose the Pearl. But! Holy shit was it good.
So Monday when we were headed out Christmas shopping, Bunny and I decided to make a lunch stop first. We don't do dim sum often, because the bill at the Pearl is often a bit painful, but we are always in the mood for dim sum.
This was, atmospherically, very different from the Pearl. It was much more the traditional dim sum banquet hall that my mom likes to tell me about, and that I have occasionally seen on TV. There must have been hundreds of tables around the room, all done up in perfect white tableclothes, napkins & chair covers. Super high ceilings made the whole place seem bigger than it actually is, and genuinely helps with just how crowded the place was.
The place was packed, which is always a good sign, and there were plenty of Chinese people eating there, which would usually be irrelevant but at a Chinese restaurant gives me little sparkles inside because it is generally an indication that it's bound to be good. There was even a party of some sort going on, and they were doing Chinese karaoke. Free entertainment!
So, the food. The carts came much more frequently than they do at the Pearl, and every cart was loaded. Each cart had about three different dishes, minimum, and the servers were all very cheerful. As well, you could order extra items separately, and some special items rotated around the room on much smaller trays with individual servers. (Those items were all specially priced, aka not $2, and included my favourite item).
Bunny and I did good for ourselves, tried lots of things, but kept it to a somewhat minimum. We had:
- Pork dumplings
- Shrimp & chive dumplings
- Seafood dumplings
- Sticky rice in Lotus Leaf
- Shrimp "sliders" (as Bunny likes to call them), or rice noodle pancakes
- Fried shrimp and scallion cakes
- Some weird bird's nest meat dumpling that Bunny got (it was that or chicken feet ... I almost wish he'd had the chicken feet)
Next favourite were the pork dumplings. They actually surprised me how much I liked them, as I don't usually go for pork at dim sum. Again, perfectly moist and perfectly seasoned, and the wrapper was perfectly cooked. I'm not quite sure what the dumpling wrapper was, it has a yellow colour, like lo mein noodles, and is definitely not the rice paper wrapper that the seafood dumplings come in.
The dumplings were good. Not great, not as good as the ones at the Pearl, but nothing to complain about. (Especially not at the price!) Really, my complaint was that they were oversteamed, and the wrapper was falling apart. They were huge, though. and the fillings were good.
Shrimp sliders again, on par with the Pearl. I actually found that these ones held together better than they usually do.
Disappointment came in the form of sticky rice. Instead of a big package, it was two smaller packages (perfect for Bunny and I), but I felt like the fillings were a bit more out there than they go with at the Pearl - several weird looking things that I just couldn't bring myself to put in my mouth. Curse of being a picky eater.
We weren't sitting around waiting for hours for things, new plates came frequently, and as soon as we asked "who do we talk to about the bill" one was provided quickly and politely.
Possibly the best part was the price: $25.00, tax & tip in. That's a third of what the bill comes to at the Pearl. There is a difference in quality, but it's very slight. Really, I only had two complaints (and the sticky rice was just me being squeamish). I was blown away by the bill.
Would I go back? Yes, absolutely, and I'm already planning to. On the other hand, if they priced themselves on par with Pearl, I would choose the Pearl. But! Holy shit was it good.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
the dining experience: the pearl
Chinese food is pretty much the bomb. It's also a little crazy that I say that, as I grew up hating Chinese food (the msg doesn't do nice things to my belly, and I'm a picky eater to begin with) which was unfortunate, as it's my mom's favourite.
So, I didn't get to experience dim sum until a few years back, though I grew up hearing about it from my mother. Really, it's also slightly sad because I have still yet to experience real Chinatown dim sum ... and Chinatown # 2 in the city is just about a fifteen minute walk east from me.
The reason, though, that I have not had Chinatown dim sum, is that in Toronto the king of dim sum restaurants is not in Chinatown, it is at the harbourfront.
It's hard to properly critique the Pearl, as it's the place that defines dim sum for me.
What I can tell you is this:
The food is always fresh, and even when the carts are not empty, they never circle the room more than once. If you come between sittings, they ask you to order off a menu instead (but they have absolutely all of the same dishes), which on the one hand takes away half the fun ... but it ensures quality of the food. I won't say I've never had anything I didn't like there, because that's not true, but I've never had anything I didn't like that I expected to like. Sometimes the dumplings are a little hint oversteamed, but it's pretty uncommon; even the items that I expect grease from tend to be low on the greasiness, which is a plus for me.
The staff is friendly and helpful, always. Sometimes if it's busy it takes awhile to get requests filled (soy sauce, new chopsticks) but they never forget your request. If there is a problem with the food, I've always found that the staff treats it as if it is their own personal responsibility to make you happy.
It's amazing food.
I'm going to go have a leftover dumpling now.
So, I didn't get to experience dim sum until a few years back, though I grew up hearing about it from my mother. Really, it's also slightly sad because I have still yet to experience real Chinatown dim sum ... and Chinatown # 2 in the city is just about a fifteen minute walk east from me.
The reason, though, that I have not had Chinatown dim sum, is that in Toronto the king of dim sum restaurants is not in Chinatown, it is at the harbourfront.
It's hard to properly critique the Pearl, as it's the place that defines dim sum for me.
What I can tell you is this:
The food is always fresh, and even when the carts are not empty, they never circle the room more than once. If you come between sittings, they ask you to order off a menu instead (but they have absolutely all of the same dishes), which on the one hand takes away half the fun ... but it ensures quality of the food. I won't say I've never had anything I didn't like there, because that's not true, but I've never had anything I didn't like that I expected to like. Sometimes the dumplings are a little hint oversteamed, but it's pretty uncommon; even the items that I expect grease from tend to be low on the greasiness, which is a plus for me.
The staff is friendly and helpful, always. Sometimes if it's busy it takes awhile to get requests filled (soy sauce, new chopsticks) but they never forget your request. If there is a problem with the food, I've always found that the staff treats it as if it is their own personal responsibility to make you happy.
It's amazing food.
I'm going to go have a leftover dumpling now.
Friday, November 11, 2011
the dining experience: cafe crepe
There's this one restaurant in Toronto that is a bit of a go-to spot for me. Particularly when I'm out with Emma. (She introduced me to it, and we both adore it).
So we've not been doing a lot of social stuff together outside of work lately. Partly because we are bad influences on each others spending and eating habits (we both have big financial goals that give us very tight budgets and not much spending money and are both watching what we eat for very different reasons) and partly because I've been a really big homebody lately since Bunny's big career change. It has a weird affect on our friendship when that happens, because we are the "pick up where we left off" type people, but we are also (because of work circumstances) seeing each other every day (which is a really good thing).
But when someone you've been friends with since 3rd grade says they miss being your friend, you listen. So we're going to do stuff more out and about. Going to force me to be more social - and sometimes I need that. (And I know it!)
So last night, we went to Cafe Crepe. Now, I've been craving crepes for about a month now, and this place does them very well at a very reasonable price. Much higher quality and a better experience than the normal mall-type crepe places that are popping up everywhere lately, and it's great because it feels so much fancier. The staff seats customers, and there are servers, which makes the whole experience feel a little more upscale.
So we started just having savory "dinner" crepes. Emma, I think, had a ham & swiss cheese crepe, and I did the same but with the addition of mushrooms. (I needed some sort of vegetable in my meal. I like them a lot and I still don't eat enough.) I would have preferred spinach, but Emma was very adamant in reminding me that I wasn't impressed with the spinach last time I was there. I also had a really lovely green apple Italian soda. I love how you get the carbonation, the customized flavours, and it feels terrible for me than a normal pop. Plus, not too many places carry them so I tend to be inclined to indulge when I see them.
As far as the savory crepe went, I think I'd give it a B -. Not my favourite, but I enjoyed it. So the crepes come out, and they do triangles there, rather than wraps, which I like. The folded crepe just feels more authentic to me, whether it is or not. I kinda cheated, starting at the corner where all the best, gooey-est bits are ... but I know I never finish what I order and I wasn't leaving that bit untouched.
As far as the crepe itself, I found it overly sweet. There was enough sugar in the batter that things tasted a little bit off having that with savory fillings, but I was able to ignore it. I love how they do a super thinly sliced ham, just spread over the in layers. The first time I ordered it I expected it to be chunky and was rather shocked how much I enjoyed the thin slices. It works so well. The ham is cut thin enough to feel as if it melts in your mouth, but just barely thick enough to have texture. Then there's the lovely, gooey swiss cheese sprinkled on top of that, melting in between every layer. Actually, I might have reduced the cheese amount just a touch.
Really, the issue that pulls the crepe from being a strong B is the mushrooms. I wish that Crepe Cafe treated their vegetables better. I love me a veggie in my crepe. I didn't really feel like I had a veggie in my crepe, which kinda pissed me off because I paid an extra $1.25 for the shrooms. It was maybe a dozen tiny slices of mushrooms scattered throughout.
What I would have done had I made them? First off, I would have loaded up the crepe with a pile of mushrooms. There should have been as much mushroom as ham in every bite. I also would have done something with the mushrooms - sauted them up a little bit, seasoned them, instead of just tossing them on top.
The thing is, I didn't go to Crepe Cafe for the dinner crepe. I went for the dessert crepe.
It's the simplest thing ever. I had the lemon crepe. Lemon juice and sugar on a crepe. You wouldn't think it would be much of anything special, but I swear this crepe is heaven. The way each bite is the perfect pillow of thin, carby, crepe-y goodness with this lovely tart lemon flavour and just enough sugar to mellow out the acid. This crepe is one of the most delicious things I have ever consumed. It's so simple and yet everything just melds together into the perfect mouthfuls over delight.
It's not my favourite restaurant by any stretch of the imagination. (I mean, I'm not having my wedding there and I didn't get engaged there). But it is the single best crepe place I have ever eaten at, and I am constantly wanting to go back.
Price wise it's pretty perfect, too. A twenty was dinner, dessert, my drink and tip. More expensive than other crepe places, but not by much, and part of what you're paying for is the experience.
So we've not been doing a lot of social stuff together outside of work lately. Partly because we are bad influences on each others spending and eating habits (we both have big financial goals that give us very tight budgets and not much spending money and are both watching what we eat for very different reasons) and partly because I've been a really big homebody lately since Bunny's big career change. It has a weird affect on our friendship when that happens, because we are the "pick up where we left off" type people, but we are also (because of work circumstances) seeing each other every day (which is a really good thing).
But when someone you've been friends with since 3rd grade says they miss being your friend, you listen. So we're going to do stuff more out and about. Going to force me to be more social - and sometimes I need that. (And I know it!)
So last night, we went to Cafe Crepe. Now, I've been craving crepes for about a month now, and this place does them very well at a very reasonable price. Much higher quality and a better experience than the normal mall-type crepe places that are popping up everywhere lately, and it's great because it feels so much fancier. The staff seats customers, and there are servers, which makes the whole experience feel a little more upscale.
So we started just having savory "dinner" crepes. Emma, I think, had a ham & swiss cheese crepe, and I did the same but with the addition of mushrooms. (I needed some sort of vegetable in my meal. I like them a lot and I still don't eat enough.) I would have preferred spinach, but Emma was very adamant in reminding me that I wasn't impressed with the spinach last time I was there. I also had a really lovely green apple Italian soda. I love how you get the carbonation, the customized flavours, and it feels terrible for me than a normal pop. Plus, not too many places carry them so I tend to be inclined to indulge when I see them.
As far as the savory crepe went, I think I'd give it a B -. Not my favourite, but I enjoyed it. So the crepes come out, and they do triangles there, rather than wraps, which I like. The folded crepe just feels more authentic to me, whether it is or not. I kinda cheated, starting at the corner where all the best, gooey-est bits are ... but I know I never finish what I order and I wasn't leaving that bit untouched.
As far as the crepe itself, I found it overly sweet. There was enough sugar in the batter that things tasted a little bit off having that with savory fillings, but I was able to ignore it. I love how they do a super thinly sliced ham, just spread over the in layers. The first time I ordered it I expected it to be chunky and was rather shocked how much I enjoyed the thin slices. It works so well. The ham is cut thin enough to feel as if it melts in your mouth, but just barely thick enough to have texture. Then there's the lovely, gooey swiss cheese sprinkled on top of that, melting in between every layer. Actually, I might have reduced the cheese amount just a touch.
Really, the issue that pulls the crepe from being a strong B is the mushrooms. I wish that Crepe Cafe treated their vegetables better. I love me a veggie in my crepe. I didn't really feel like I had a veggie in my crepe, which kinda pissed me off because I paid an extra $1.25 for the shrooms. It was maybe a dozen tiny slices of mushrooms scattered throughout.
What I would have done had I made them? First off, I would have loaded up the crepe with a pile of mushrooms. There should have been as much mushroom as ham in every bite. I also would have done something with the mushrooms - sauted them up a little bit, seasoned them, instead of just tossing them on top.
The thing is, I didn't go to Crepe Cafe for the dinner crepe. I went for the dessert crepe.
It's the simplest thing ever. I had the lemon crepe. Lemon juice and sugar on a crepe. You wouldn't think it would be much of anything special, but I swear this crepe is heaven. The way each bite is the perfect pillow of thin, carby, crepe-y goodness with this lovely tart lemon flavour and just enough sugar to mellow out the acid. This crepe is one of the most delicious things I have ever consumed. It's so simple and yet everything just melds together into the perfect mouthfuls over delight.
It's not my favourite restaurant by any stretch of the imagination. (I mean, I'm not having my wedding there and I didn't get engaged there). But it is the single best crepe place I have ever eaten at, and I am constantly wanting to go back.
Price wise it's pretty perfect, too. A twenty was dinner, dessert, my drink and tip. More expensive than other crepe places, but not by much, and part of what you're paying for is the experience.
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