The final installment of Winterlicious 2010 was to a regular Oliver & Bonacini. They have never let us down in the past (Summer '09, Winter '09) and at $15 for a three course lunch, this is a real bargain!
Ian went for a stand-by, shrimp pate which was enjoyable as always. My squash soup was good and I'm often surprised by the large serving sizes of some of their items.
The Hungarian beef goulash often shows up on their 'Licious menu, but this year I actually tried it. It was a hearty amount of stewing beef with crispy potatoes, carrots and some cottage cheese. All around yummy on a cold winter day. Ian's panko crusted fish and chips and were good, but the real highlight was the excellent coleslaw and tartar sauce.
Dessert was the best part of the meal - sticky toffee cake with caramel sauce for me and Ian liked the carrot cake with cream cheese icing and lemon sour cream ice cream.
Showing posts with label licious. Show all posts
Showing posts with label licious. Show all posts
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Saturday, February 06, 2010
93 Harbord
Round 2 of Winterlicious festivities took us to 93 Harbord, a delightful Moroccan restaurant in the Annex. On the $15 lunch menu was lots of good stuff.
For appetizers, Ian really liked the lentil soup and my beetroot cumin salad was decent with apples and pomegranate seeds on there too. The charred soft pita was fantastic and even I (a dedicated olive disliker), didn't mind the olive dip that came with the pita.
After some rather tough decisions on the main course, I went with the fish tagine in saffron sauce with steamed couscous. This was a rather hearty plate of three kinds of fish in a delicious creamy yellow sauce. The couscous had some good stuff in there - nuts & raisins and the like.
Ian's spiced kofta kababs with rice, pita and rosee tahini sauce was also fantastic although somewhat mysterious. The first waitress I asked said they were lamb but when the other guy brought out the plate, he said beef. Regardless, a pretty decent ground mystery meat kabab!
Desserts were surprisingly good - Moroccan baklawa with shortbread and a fig and for Ian walnut and pear stuffed phyllo with some chocolate sauce.
All in all a good Winterlicious lunch on the cheap! This was definitely one place that we will frequent again.
For appetizers, Ian really liked the lentil soup and my beetroot cumin salad was decent with apples and pomegranate seeds on there too. The charred soft pita was fantastic and even I (a dedicated olive disliker), didn't mind the olive dip that came with the pita.
After some rather tough decisions on the main course, I went with the fish tagine in saffron sauce with steamed couscous. This was a rather hearty plate of three kinds of fish in a delicious creamy yellow sauce. The couscous had some good stuff in there - nuts & raisins and the like.
Ian's spiced kofta kababs with rice, pita and rosee tahini sauce was also fantastic although somewhat mysterious. The first waitress I asked said they were lamb but when the other guy brought out the plate, he said beef. Regardless, a pretty decent ground mystery meat kabab!
Desserts were surprisingly good - Moroccan baklawa with shortbread and a fig and for Ian walnut and pear stuffed phyllo with some chocolate sauce.
All in all a good Winterlicious lunch on the cheap! This was definitely one place that we will frequent again.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Bloom Winterlicious
For our first Winterlicious event of the year, it was off to a somewhat local place - Bloom in Bloor West Village. The google review thingy people were generally positive on the place and it lived up to expectations. It seems as though Bloom isn't on most 'licious patrons' circuit as it was about half full for lunch on Sunday.
On the menu for us ($20):
Appetizers:
Grilled calamari with salad
Warm spinach salad with sauteed mushrooms and chevre noir.
All around good stuff with well cooked calamari, fresh greens and good salad dressings for both.
Mains:
Roasted pork loin with rutabega-apple crumble & brussel sprouts
Trout with warm beet salad, green beans and grapefruit
For me, the two large slabs of pork were pretty decent with good side dishes. Ian liked his trout calling it simple and well done, although maybe a bit boring. Bloom does the veggies well - with even Ian enjoying the beets and admitting that my brussel sprouts were "moderately edible".
Dessert:
Vegan chocolate tart with almond crust
Sticky buns with creme anglaise
Ian thought the tart was "tasty" and would have preferred it without almonds though he doesn't fault them since the menu was correct.
No complaints about the sticky bun itself and the creme anglaise really made the whole thing into a good dessert.
On the menu for us ($20):
Appetizers:
Grilled calamari with salad
Warm spinach salad with sauteed mushrooms and chevre noir.
All around good stuff with well cooked calamari, fresh greens and good salad dressings for both.
Mains:
Roasted pork loin with rutabega-apple crumble & brussel sprouts
Trout with warm beet salad, green beans and grapefruit
For me, the two large slabs of pork were pretty decent with good side dishes. Ian liked his trout calling it simple and well done, although maybe a bit boring. Bloom does the veggies well - with even Ian enjoying the beets and admitting that my brussel sprouts were "moderately edible".
Dessert:
Vegan chocolate tart with almond crust
Sticky buns with creme anglaise
Ian thought the tart was "tasty" and would have preferred it without almonds though he doesn't fault them since the menu was correct.
No complaints about the sticky bun itself and the creme anglaise really made the whole thing into a good dessert.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Oliver and Bonacini
The final installment of Summerlicious '09 was Oliver and Bonacini. A $15 lunch was well worth the trek out to Bayview mall. We managed to fight off crowds of families and seniors and snagged our table after a minor reservation system glitch.
We enjoyed our drinks - $6 glass of Inniskillin pinot grigio and a $4.50 juice of the day.
Appetizers started very well for Ian was a shrimp pate and cracker, but less well for me with a chilled spicy tomato cucumber soup. I kinda suspected I wouldn't be a huge fan, but it sounded more promising than a salad with my arch nemesis blue cheese dressing (well I guess #2 nemesis after the evil olive).
Main courses improved lunch. A gigantic bass fillet with Israeli couscous with corn salad.
The star of the meal was a braised short rib and monterey jack quesadilla with corn salsa and coleslaw. Much more meaty than I expected and three rather large triangles.
Stawberry-rharbab buckle for dessert was a delightful white cake with fruit and cream.
Ian of course, went for the chocolate in the form of chocolate caramel tart with toasted nut gelato. Mmmmmm....
We enjoyed our drinks - $6 glass of Inniskillin pinot grigio and a $4.50 juice of the day.
Appetizers started very well for Ian was a shrimp pate and cracker, but less well for me with a chilled spicy tomato cucumber soup. I kinda suspected I wouldn't be a huge fan, but it sounded more promising than a salad with my arch nemesis blue cheese dressing (well I guess #2 nemesis after the evil olive).
Main courses improved lunch. A gigantic bass fillet with Israeli couscous with corn salad.
The star of the meal was a braised short rib and monterey jack quesadilla with corn salsa and coleslaw. Much more meaty than I expected and three rather large triangles.
Stawberry-rharbab buckle for dessert was a delightful white cake with fruit and cream.
Ian of course, went for the chocolate in the form of chocolate caramel tart with toasted nut gelato. Mmmmmm....
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Summerlicious Brasaii
After a successful outing to Brasaii for Winterlicious, we swung by again for a summerlicious dinner ($35). Basically I was craving steak frites and with Ian's aversion to french food, I don't think I've had since the last outing here!
I liked that they actually brought around some bread - perhaps not the norm for 'licious events" trying to cut costs.
Appetizers were 4 crispy shrimp and dipping sauce for Ian. Yummy as usual.
I didn't like the sound of the soup of the day (chilled pea), so went with baked goat cheese. Mmmm....
We both went with a medium brasaii bistro steak with shallot juice and fries. This really was too much meat to possibly eat, although it was so good we definitely tried to!! The best steak I've had in a while! Fries were crispy and good too.
Dessert was a very good take on my all time favorite - creme brulee. This version was white chocolate and orange!
I liked that they actually brought around some bread - perhaps not the norm for 'licious events" trying to cut costs.
Appetizers were 4 crispy shrimp and dipping sauce for Ian. Yummy as usual.
I didn't like the sound of the soup of the day (chilled pea), so went with baked goat cheese. Mmmm....
We both went with a medium brasaii bistro steak with shallot juice and fries. This really was too much meat to possibly eat, although it was so good we definitely tried to!! The best steak I've had in a while! Fries were crispy and good too.
Dessert was a very good take on my all time favorite - creme brulee. This version was white chocolate and orange!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Summerlicious - The Drake
For a three course lunch at the Drake for $20, it seemed worth an outing to Parkdale. We tried to walk fast to avoid getting mugged, but in general encountered no sketchiness except for the restaurant itself!!
After positive reviews by the New York Times and Toronto Life we were expecting something a little more high end.
For starters, we were seated in their cafe section that was pretty casual and that included a mix of clientele (more to come on that later).
Appetizers went poorly with a bait and switch scam whereby the website offered a "Drake Maki roll with shrimp, crab and avocado" for lunch but the printed menu only had soup or salad.
The tomato soup ended up being delightful with some nice creaminess and spiciness all in one!
Ian on the other hand, wasn't thinking clearly and got swayed by the bacon in the iceberg wedge salad and didn't pay attention to the blue cheese in the dressing. Ian making a play for my soup was the result.
Ian's main course was pretty delightful - shrimp with grits and peas. The grits were particularly delicious, although from a presentation perspective, it was something we could have cooked up at home with little effort!
My main course was a very small portion of steak and a miami beef rib. Decently tasty, although the beef rib was a touch overcooked. Baked potato promised "salt baked old cheddar" but in the end only appeared to be overwhelmed with sour cream.
More entertaining than our meal itself was that of our table neighbors. They were a rather grouchy, not talking family of three. At one point, older lady had 2 baked potatoes loaded up on her plate, of which she was nominally picking away at. The younger lady had the meat from all three diners stacked up on her plate to take home. Odd to say the least..especially considering the rather puny portions dished out? Maybe they pre-ate at home before arriving?
Dessert was a favorite - Ian was very happy with his chocolate passion fruit pudding with generous amounts of whip cream and a fun take on an oreo cookie.
I really enjoyed my triple cream vanilla cake with rice krispies and strawberries.
At this point, the neighbors on the other side kicked in some entertainment. They seemed to be ex-workers of the Drake or possibly real regulars. They seemed desperate to know who was working where and for this or that person to say hi from them. At one point, they were freakin out about how busy it was and where they could possibly sit, but they were basically standing at an empty table for four at that point, thus making a freak-out seem rather silly.
In the end, a decent meal for $20, although the summerlicious experience has not converted me to a customer at regular price.
After positive reviews by the New York Times and Toronto Life we were expecting something a little more high end.
For starters, we were seated in their cafe section that was pretty casual and that included a mix of clientele (more to come on that later).
Appetizers went poorly with a bait and switch scam whereby the website offered a "Drake Maki roll with shrimp, crab and avocado" for lunch but the printed menu only had soup or salad.
The tomato soup ended up being delightful with some nice creaminess and spiciness all in one!
Ian on the other hand, wasn't thinking clearly and got swayed by the bacon in the iceberg wedge salad and didn't pay attention to the blue cheese in the dressing. Ian making a play for my soup was the result.
Ian's main course was pretty delightful - shrimp with grits and peas. The grits were particularly delicious, although from a presentation perspective, it was something we could have cooked up at home with little effort!
My main course was a very small portion of steak and a miami beef rib. Decently tasty, although the beef rib was a touch overcooked. Baked potato promised "salt baked old cheddar" but in the end only appeared to be overwhelmed with sour cream. More entertaining than our meal itself was that of our table neighbors. They were a rather grouchy, not talking family of three. At one point, older lady had 2 baked potatoes loaded up on her plate, of which she was nominally picking away at. The younger lady had the meat from all three diners stacked up on her plate to take home. Odd to say the least..especially considering the rather puny portions dished out? Maybe they pre-ate at home before arriving?
Dessert was a favorite - Ian was very happy with his chocolate passion fruit pudding with generous amounts of whip cream and a fun take on an oreo cookie. 
I really enjoyed my triple cream vanilla cake with rice krispies and strawberries.
At this point, the neighbors on the other side kicked in some entertainment. They seemed to be ex-workers of the Drake or possibly real regulars. They seemed desperate to know who was working where and for this or that person to say hi from them. At one point, they were freakin out about how busy it was and where they could possibly sit, but they were basically standing at an empty table for four at that point, thus making a freak-out seem rather silly.
In the end, a decent meal for $20, although the summerlicious experience has not converted me to a customer at regular price.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Auberge De Pommier
For the final installment of Winterlicious we went to Auberge De Pommier for Sunday lunch out in the "country" as Ian likes to call anything north of Eglinton.
Here's the Winterlicious Menu. Auberge is certainly not the cheapest lunch out there, but $30 is a pretty good deal for one of the top restaurants in T.
I really liked the locale - an 1860's cottage in historic York Mills. Ian liked that we got seated by a window with sunshine (and a heating vent) to warm us up after a "got there too early walk around the neighborhood outing/snowball fight".
Bread (crusty french and cinnamon spiced) with artichoke tapanade was especially good.
Ian looks on with an Auberge sparkler in the foreground (fruit juice and soda). Not fantastically cheap for $4.95, but certainly tasty with a strong tangerine flavor. To bolster the Winterlicous cause and to avoid feeling really cheap, Ian went with a $10 glass of Niagara Pinot Grigio.
The salad was particularly good - fresh greens, raisins, walnuts and great dressing.
Ian went heavier with a parsnip veloute with cardamon and creme fraiche. This is definitely amongst the top soups I have ever had!
My roast chicken with cornmeal polenta, mushrooms and maderia jus was fantastic, although I might be inclined to lose the chicken skin. I have to admit it did make the dish look really good and it tasted even better, but for healthful purposes, I left half behind. Polenta was a nice change from the usual potatoes etc that often frequent meaty dishes at nice restaurants.
Ian's grilled salmon with greens, potato with sauce bois boudran was perfectly cooked with lots of flavor. A pretty hearty portion too for lunch winterlicious!
Our waiter recommended the spice cake with frozen creme fraiche and cranberry orange sauce. This was certainly a good call - it was like dark fruitcake minus the fruit but tastier and better looking with a fun sugar thing on top.
And for the piece de resistance - Brioche Pudding Jiggles with extremely insightful and witty commentary.
Here's the Winterlicious Menu. Auberge is certainly not the cheapest lunch out there, but $30 is a pretty good deal for one of the top restaurants in T.I really liked the locale - an 1860's cottage in historic York Mills. Ian liked that we got seated by a window with sunshine (and a heating vent) to warm us up after a "got there too early walk around the neighborhood outing/snowball fight".
Bread (crusty french and cinnamon spiced) with artichoke tapanade was especially good.
Ian looks on with an Auberge sparkler in the foreground (fruit juice and soda). Not fantastically cheap for $4.95, but certainly tasty with a strong tangerine flavor. To bolster the Winterlicous cause and to avoid feeling really cheap, Ian went with a $10 glass of Niagara Pinot Grigio.
The salad was particularly good - fresh greens, raisins, walnuts and great dressing.
Ian went heavier with a parsnip veloute with cardamon and creme fraiche. This is definitely amongst the top soups I have ever had!
My roast chicken with cornmeal polenta, mushrooms and maderia jus was fantastic, although I might be inclined to lose the chicken skin. I have to admit it did make the dish look really good and it tasted even better, but for healthful purposes, I left half behind. Polenta was a nice change from the usual potatoes etc that often frequent meaty dishes at nice restaurants.
Ian's grilled salmon with greens, potato with sauce bois boudran was perfectly cooked with lots of flavor. A pretty hearty portion too for lunch winterlicious!
Our waiter recommended the spice cake with frozen creme fraiche and cranberry orange sauce. This was certainly a good call - it was like dark fruitcake minus the fruit but tastier and better looking with a fun sugar thing on top.
And for the piece de resistance - Brioche Pudding Jiggles with extremely insightful and witty commentary.Final bill was $96 for two including tax and tip. Well worth it and we might even come back sometime for a regular celebration dinner of some sort!
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Oliver and Bonacini
The same crew that does Jump, Canoe, Biff’s Bistro and Auberge du Pommier also have a restaurant near Bayview Station - Oliver and Bonacini. A decidedly different crowd from the downtown haunts Ian and I usually go to. In O&B there were families and the occasional bunch of 60+!
The non-downtown location is reflected in the pricing - a mere $15 for a winterlicious three course lunch!
Juice specials seemed especially fresh - ginger/pear, mango something and apple-cran cider.
Shortly after ordering, a round of appetizers came out:
Greens with apple and tarragon for the healthy among us.
Shrimp pate with flaxseed lavish for the adventurous:
And...most of the crew ordered (and enjoyed) butternut squash soup with madras cream and toasted almonds. The almonds made the soup and gave it a bit of crunch.
Main courses were equally tasty and well done:
I had a smallish, but good, portion of penne pasta with olive oil, basil and wild and tame mushrooms. The fresh parmesan on top added to the dish. Others at our table were more troubled by the portion size, but am happy with almost anything at these prices!
Other enjoyed dory on couscous (huge piece of fish!) and beef goulash.
Desserts were my personal favorite - I got together with two others for a swap and sampled all three. My favorite of the lot was the apple buckle (fancy way of saying cake) with lemon sour cream ice cream. The lemon ice cream on top was fantastic!
Sticky toffee (my usual dessert favorite) was well done but could have used some ice cream to cut through the sweetness.
And bread pudding with creme anglaise and berries was great too.
The non-downtown location is reflected in the pricing - a mere $15 for a winterlicious three course lunch!
Juice specials seemed especially fresh - ginger/pear, mango something and apple-cran cider.
Shortly after ordering, a round of appetizers came out:
Greens with apple and tarragon for the healthy among us.
Shrimp pate with flaxseed lavish for the adventurous:
And...most of the crew ordered (and enjoyed) butternut squash soup with madras cream and toasted almonds. The almonds made the soup and gave it a bit of crunch.
Main courses were equally tasty and well done:I had a smallish, but good, portion of penne pasta with olive oil, basil and wild and tame mushrooms. The fresh parmesan on top added to the dish. Others at our table were more troubled by the portion size, but am happy with almost anything at these prices!
Other enjoyed dory on couscous (huge piece of fish!) and beef goulash.
Desserts were my personal favorite - I got together with two others for a swap and sampled all three. My favorite of the lot was the apple buckle (fancy way of saying cake) with lemon sour cream ice cream. The lemon ice cream on top was fantastic!
Sticky toffee (my usual dessert favorite) was well done but could have used some ice cream to cut through the sweetness.
And bread pudding with creme anglaise and berries was great too.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Brassai
After a failed attempt to go to Bite Me (even with reservations), we headed over to Brassai on King. The place was pretty busy, but even without a reservation on Saturday night at 8:45 during Winterlicious season, they squeezed us in at the communal table (literally).
It was a tough dilemma over what was more exciting - watching the action around the kitchen, eavesdropping on the weird neighbors or talking to Ian! If the communal table chairs had backs on them, this table would be a real winner.
Dinner started well with an $11 glass of Niagara pinot noir...perhaps a touch expensive, but it seemed like decent value with the cheapest bottles on the wine list ringing in at a hefty $40 or so.
For appetizer, Ian was happy with his 4 large crispy shrimp with tartar sauce. I enjoyed the soup of the day - mushroom.
Real star of the night was the Brassai bistro steak frites in shallot jus. Steak was perfectly cooked - flavorful & tender. The sauce was especially good and made for some dipping action for the crispy fries. Judging by the entrees coming through the window, this was the most popular item on the menu tonight.
Ian had some salmon with lemon creme fraiche, green beans and roasted potatoes. No complaints, just a bit boring and not too different from what we would cook at home.
My favorite of the night (well a toss up with the steak), was creme brulee - orange and white chocolate. Perhaps my favorite creme brulee ever! Highly recommended!
Ian's flourless chocolate torte with creme anglais was enjoyable, but a touch dry.
Final verdict: Recommended - go with shrimp, steak & brulee for a fantastic meal for $35!
Cool factor: High. This joint was packed with late 20's who probably can't afford to be seen at the very high end Toronto places. Until the next big promotion, Brassai fits the bill.
Final bill: $105 for 2 including tax, tip, tap water and a glass of wine.
Here's the full winterlicious menu.
It was a tough dilemma over what was more exciting - watching the action around the kitchen, eavesdropping on the weird neighbors or talking to Ian! If the communal table chairs had backs on them, this table would be a real winner.
Dinner started well with an $11 glass of Niagara pinot noir...perhaps a touch expensive, but it seemed like decent value with the cheapest bottles on the wine list ringing in at a hefty $40 or so.
For appetizer, Ian was happy with his 4 large crispy shrimp with tartar sauce. I enjoyed the soup of the day - mushroom.
Real star of the night was the Brassai bistro steak frites in shallot jus. Steak was perfectly cooked - flavorful & tender. The sauce was especially good and made for some dipping action for the crispy fries. Judging by the entrees coming through the window, this was the most popular item on the menu tonight.
Ian had some salmon with lemon creme fraiche, green beans and roasted potatoes. No complaints, just a bit boring and not too different from what we would cook at home.
My favorite of the night (well a toss up with the steak), was creme brulee - orange and white chocolate. Perhaps my favorite creme brulee ever! Highly recommended!
Ian's flourless chocolate torte with creme anglais was enjoyable, but a touch dry.
Final verdict: Recommended - go with shrimp, steak & brulee for a fantastic meal for $35!Cool factor: High. This joint was packed with late 20's who probably can't afford to be seen at the very high end Toronto places. Until the next big promotion, Brassai fits the bill.
Final bill: $105 for 2 including tax, tip, tap water and a glass of wine.
Here's the full winterlicious menu.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Winterlicious - The Plan
This year we are going for a moderate level of awesomness because in past experience it was almost impossible to book at the top places (who actually gets through to North 44 or Canoe?).
Weeknight dinner (probably difficult to get through to, so 3 back-up choices):
Bymark
Sassafraz
Back-up weeknight dinner:
93 Harbord
Czehoski
Tutti Matti
Weekend Lunch:
Auberge de Pommier
Far Niente
Backup: Azure
Weeknight dinner (probably difficult to get through to, so 3 back-up choices):
Bymark
Sassafraz
Back-up weeknight dinner:
93 Harbord
Czehoski
Tutti Matti
Weekend Lunch:
Auberge de Pommier
Far Niente
Backup: Azure
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Winterlicious - Boulevard Cafe
Although Ian has been to Boulevard Cafe before, this place seems like an incredible deal at lunchtime during the Winterlicious promotion. It is nominally Peruvian, but the majority of the menu appears to be items that you might not typically find in Peru!
El Plebeyo or El Fogon are much more authentic, albeit not as 'fancy' as the Boulevard.
Ian had the soup of the day - it was billed as a pureed yellow split pea, but was actually more of a shrimp soup in a yellow split pea kind of broth. Pretty tasty all around! Ian was delightfully surprised by all the seafood.
I went with salad - egg, avocado, artichoke heart, olive, onions, carrots on lettuce with delightful creamy dressing.
There was a mussels or chicken quesadilla option for the main course, but we both went with the tilapia fish of the day. It was a rather large piece of fish, pan fried, with some mango salsa thrown on for good measure. Came with some tasty roasted potatoes and more salad.
For dessert, my key lime pie was very creamy and had a very strong lime flavor. There were some berries and whip cream too. Ian had a flan de leche with an unfortunate bitter sugary sauce which was not all that smooth.
For $15 a piece, lunch was very good. The rather small dining room was packed - so I guess other people in Toronto agree with us?
Aside from the flan, the only other upsetting thing was that they automatically put a 17.5% gratuity on the bill. Do they not think winterlicious people tip? Then, on the credit card thing you sign, they have another opportunity to tip. Seems a little shady to me! I wonder how many people don't notice and end up leaving a 30% tip??
El Plebeyo or El Fogon are much more authentic, albeit not as 'fancy' as the Boulevard.
Ian had the soup of the day - it was billed as a pureed yellow split pea, but was actually more of a shrimp soup in a yellow split pea kind of broth. Pretty tasty all around! Ian was delightfully surprised by all the seafood.
I went with salad - egg, avocado, artichoke heart, olive, onions, carrots on lettuce with delightful creamy dressing.
There was a mussels or chicken quesadilla option for the main course, but we both went with the tilapia fish of the day. It was a rather large piece of fish, pan fried, with some mango salsa thrown on for good measure. Came with some tasty roasted potatoes and more salad.
For dessert, my key lime pie was very creamy and had a very strong lime flavor. There were some berries and whip cream too. Ian had a flan de leche with an unfortunate bitter sugary sauce which was not all that smooth.
For $15 a piece, lunch was very good. The rather small dining room was packed - so I guess other people in Toronto agree with us?
Aside from the flan, the only other upsetting thing was that they automatically put a 17.5% gratuity on the bill. Do they not think winterlicious people tip? Then, on the credit card thing you sign, they have another opportunity to tip. Seems a little shady to me! I wonder how many people don't notice and end up leaving a 30% tip??
Friday, January 25, 2008
Winterlicious Act I - C5
After years of wanting to take more advantage of one of the liciouses (winter or summer), we called early this year and booked one dinner and one lunch. Tonight was the dinner at C5 - the restaurant in the ROM. I guess normally the restaurant breaks things down in courses C1-C5. Winterlicious is only C1-C3 but regardless this numbered courses seems like an idea that needs broader adoption.
I opened with the calamari salad while Janice had the Butternut Squash Bisque. The calamari salad was interesting with a portion of the actual calamari salad, a portion of an avocado "salad" that seemed a lot like guacamole and another mystery item. Overall it was a good combination to open up the evening. Janice seemed to like the bisque as evidenced by the fact that she only let me have a tiny taste.
Then it was on to the C2 for which we both had "72 Hour Sous-Vide Beef Short Rib, Chestnut Potato Mash". The rib was super tender and generally quite delightful. The side of mash was surprisingly agreeable.
Finally for C3 Janice had "Chocolate Bread Pudding, Parsnip Gelato, Carrot Foam". According to Janice, Joanne Kates has been reporting lately about the popularity of "foam" so Janice was quite pleased to join the trendy set by chowing down on the carrot air mixture. The bread pudding I tried was enjoyable. I went with the "Pecorino Cheesecake, Ginger snap tuile, balsamic gelee" which was OK but I think I should have gone the bread pudding route. I can't resist cheesecake though so I liked that. It turns out balsamic gelee isn't my favorite though. However, if Janice were blogging she'd comment how it came in a "cute" little bowl.
The meal was washed down with some of their finest (in my mind - i.e. cheapest) merlot. Pelee Island in this case. We've had it before and I think we'd have it again.
Overall it was a decent winterlicious outing. The place was surprisingly empty though with maybe only 60% of the tables occupied. The restaurant itself was quite nice with a large lounge area and some non-objectionable music playing. Aside from the food, we really liked the cutlery and salt/pepper shaker. The knives were interesting as the handle was rotated 90 degrees relative to the blade. Hopefully the guy from the ikea commercial eats there sometime so we could pick up something similar. I disliked having a coat check particularly because it means I have to part with my coat that contains my precious quizno's coupons. Luckily no sticky fingers walked away with them. The other negative was serving sizes. Maybe they're small for winterlicious but in general the servings were tiny. It seemed to work out in the end as I didn't leave that hungry so I shouldn't complain excessively.
I opened with the calamari salad while Janice had the Butternut Squash Bisque. The calamari salad was interesting with a portion of the actual calamari salad, a portion of an avocado "salad" that seemed a lot like guacamole and another mystery item. Overall it was a good combination to open up the evening. Janice seemed to like the bisque as evidenced by the fact that she only let me have a tiny taste.
Then it was on to the C2 for which we both had "72 Hour Sous-Vide Beef Short Rib, Chestnut Potato Mash". The rib was super tender and generally quite delightful. The side of mash was surprisingly agreeable.
Finally for C3 Janice had "Chocolate Bread Pudding, Parsnip Gelato, Carrot Foam". According to Janice, Joanne Kates has been reporting lately about the popularity of "foam" so Janice was quite pleased to join the trendy set by chowing down on the carrot air mixture. The bread pudding I tried was enjoyable. I went with the "Pecorino Cheesecake, Ginger snap tuile, balsamic gelee" which was OK but I think I should have gone the bread pudding route. I can't resist cheesecake though so I liked that. It turns out balsamic gelee isn't my favorite though. However, if Janice were blogging she'd comment how it came in a "cute" little bowl.
The meal was washed down with some of their finest (in my mind - i.e. cheapest) merlot. Pelee Island in this case. We've had it before and I think we'd have it again.
Overall it was a decent winterlicious outing. The place was surprisingly empty though with maybe only 60% of the tables occupied. The restaurant itself was quite nice with a large lounge area and some non-objectionable music playing. Aside from the food, we really liked the cutlery and salt/pepper shaker. The knives were interesting as the handle was rotated 90 degrees relative to the blade. Hopefully the guy from the ikea commercial eats there sometime so we could pick up something similar. I disliked having a coat check particularly because it means I have to part with my coat that contains my precious quizno's coupons. Luckily no sticky fingers walked away with them. The other negative was serving sizes. Maybe they're small for winterlicious but in general the servings were tiny. It seemed to work out in the end as I didn't leave that hungry so I shouldn't complain excessively.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
