La Comète: a great local

I'm amazed at the number of restaurants in Paris. It feels as though there's at least one on every corner of every street. I guess this really shouldn't have surprised me, given that last year the 'gastronomic meal of the French' was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list as a 'intangible' cultural heritage...but it's still pretty incredible. Our apartment, located in a residential area, is close (which I define as less-than-a-2-minute-walk) to at least 8 bistrot / brasseries, and that's not counting the two asian restaurants and the two creperie / shawarma spots either!

So it's not surprising that we have found our favourite local already. It's called 'La Comète'. It's open all day, and great anytime, whether it's for a quick coffee and croissant, light lunch, delicious dinner or late-night glass of wine. What makes it our favourite local? It's not that it's close (clearly we have options), or that it's fancy (simple wooden chairs and tables), but rather that the food is FANTASTIC, and the people are pretty chill. Any restaurant/bar that has their kids drawings pinned up on the wall behind the bar, and that has local 'jazz and beajolais nouveau night' seems pretty awesome.

Relish: The food is absolutely magnificent. Simple but satisfying, and consistently good. For dinner, they do a different menu every night - a great entrecote and frites, a super satisfying 'pot-au-feu' (which I discovered is basically a pot filled with a delicious broth, veggies, a duck leg and piece of beef, which tasted like the equivalent of a home-made chicken soup, nothing will be able to beat this for comfort on a cold day), a fabulous fondent de boeuf, and great fish dishes as well. The lunches are also great; a top-notch croque-monsieur (this is where we discovered that a croque-madame is actually just a croque-monsieur with an egg on top), and fantastic salade et croustillant de chèvre (basically a piece of goat cheese wrapped in filo pastry and deep-fried, served over lightly-dressed salad).

It's fun, because once the chalkboard with the menu listed on it is set down on a chair near our table, we usually we have to ask about 30 questions to figure out all of the different french foods on the menu:
- "What exactly is a fondent de boeuf?"
- "It's a slow roasted piece of beef that basically melts in your mouth, served with onions and berries"
- "What is a pot au feu? "
- "It's delicious and you should have it" (this answer resulted in my ordering of the pot au feu)

Quaff: A solid list of wines - glass, carafes and bottles all available.

Feel: Depending on the day, it can be a simple cafe filled with people studying or reading the newspaper, or a bustling dimly-lit bistrot packed to the brim!

I will definitely be back - possibly even tomorrow morning for a cup of coffee!

Jacques Genin and the Mille Feuille

Apparently, a regular contender for the best patisseries in Pairs is Jaques Genin, with his star patisserie being the Mille-Feuille. As part of my mum's chocolate-tasting-self-tour, we decided to try it out and see whether the reviews were accurate.

Unfortunately, we arrived at around 4 on a Sunday and the on-site cafe was packed. Instead of waiting in yet another Parisian line, we decided to get them to go. The shop is designed so that it looks like you're in a very high-end luxury goods store...glass cases protect the patisseries and white-gloved servers delicately serve your chocolates or patisseries to you in the most elegant (and only slightly outrageous) manner. This is only heightened by the fact that each Mille-Feuille is made to-order, and carried down a circular staircase from the workshop upstairs, and each patisserie is then boxed individually in a separate perfectly sized carry-away box. I was impressed.

Jacques Genin - Ephemere and Mille Feuille au Caramel

We selected the Mille-Feuille au Caramel and a chocolate (what else!) Ephemere as the second dessert - layers of dark and milk chocolate mousse and praline, topped with a passion-fruit mousse (we had initially tried to get an Opera, but they were all out). Once our Mille-Feuille was whisked down the circular staircase, and our Ephemere specially-boxed, we braved the Metro ride from Republique home (all the while protecting the desserts VERY carefully).

Relish: The Mille-Feuille was AMAZING. I don't even usually like Mille-Feuilles (too much cream normally), but this was incredible. The pastry was phenomenally delicious, crispy, and almost melted in your mouth, while the cream...a soft caramel taste...sigh...sooooo good. The only difficulty was in cutting it and eating it. Because the pastry was so fresh and hadn't been softened by the creme, it made it a bit hard to cut...but I figured it out eventually (use the only sharp knife in our kitchen...who cares if it's massive...).

mmmmm....

The Ephemere was good, but the passion fruit mousse wasn't so much my thing. I separated it from the bottom layers and then the chocolate layers were stupendous!! Oh, and the chocolate siding was also fantastic, delicious and creamy rich dark chocolate.

Quaff: We made a small pot of espresso on the stove with our bialetti espresso machine (which I am in love with). It was a heavenly combination.

Enjoy!

The great Parisian chocolate taste-off: Volume 1

I've been wandering through the neighbourhoods of Paris in order to start to get my bearings, and I am absolutely amazed at the number of chocolate shops. It seems that around every corner there is another patisserie or chocolate shop tempting me with their amazing sculptures, displays and delectable creations. Not only do they have an amazing array of patisseries of all colours, shapes and sizes (perfectly sized for the single-portion requirement of the aimless wanderer), they also have counters and counters of freshly made chocolates, filled with just about every type of praline or ganache conceivable. I am in heaven.

This past week, I had a visitor come and join me for some Parisian exploring. I figured there was no better way to get to know Paris than by going on little chocolate adventures to seek out some of the well-reviewed chocolatiers, and no better partner in crime than my mum, who also loves chocolate (one could even be tempted to say that chocolate and horses are tied for love in her books...it's really close). 

Four boxes of chocolates, a cone of freshly made chocolate mousse, a caramel mille-feuille, an ephemere  (oh, and thankfully a few kilometers of walking) later, we have our initial review of 4 chocolate shops in Paris: Chapon, Christian Constant, Pierre Herme, Jean Paul Hevin and Jacques Genin (note: we only sampled the renowned Mille Feuille and Ephemere at Jacques Genin...will have to go back for the chocolates).

Three contenders: Christian Constant (Dark box), Pierre Herme (Blue box), Chapon (Cute box)

Direct chocolate-to-chocolate comparison:

• Box: The winner is....Chapon. The most adorable box by-far. Completely playing on the parisian/french theme of adorable school children eating chocolate. Their bars (see below) were also decorated in themes that provided glimpses of the origination of the chocolate. The only thing missing was a little insert telling us what was in the delicious chocolates we were eating (we couldn't remember them all). Christian Constant (CC)  was the hardest to open, while Pierre Herme (PH) had a nice turquoise leather tie. 
• Insert: The winner is....Jean Paul Hevin, for a small, square elegant insert that fits nicely in the box. PH was the most creative, with a full on pull-out poster of the chocolates, but unfortunately it didn't fit into the box, making it awkward, and the size made it difficult to pass around the table while enjoying the chocolates. Unfortunately Chapon was the loser here - no insert made it difficult to remember what was in the chocolates!

The Pierre Herme insert-poster. You can see the size (I left the remote in the photo to help scale...)

• Overall Chocolate: The winner here is Chapon, by a landslide. Really nice looking chocolates, all very different looking, with a beautiful balance between the bursts of flavour and the intense chocolate. Creative, yet still beautifully chocolatey...so that you got the feeling of 'mmm, this is a great chocolate...and wow, that's awesome flavour'. Jean Paul Hevin takes second place, with delicate chocolates and excellent soft pralines. The Christian Constant chocolates were smaller overall, very aromatic with flavours based on teas and infusions, simple presentation, but the flavours were a little too subtle, sometimes getting lost in the dark chocolate ganache. Pierre Herme was dissapointing....too much time spent on the marketing and not enough on the chocolates...overpowering and odd flavours (corn? burnt sesame?) completely wiped out the delicate chocolate taste.
• Cassis-chocolate taste-off: For the Pierre Herme and Chapon chocolates, the cassis overpowered the chocolate, Christian Constant had better balance, but even the chocolate taste was a bit muted. 
• Sea Salt-chocolate taste-off: The sea salt chocolate from Chapon was AMAZING. Pierre Herme's was overpoweringly salty. 
• Basil-chocolate / Saffron chocolate: They were good, but we felt that basil and saffron are best left for italian foods and paella...not in our chocolates. 

Chapon: The bar of chocolate, the chocolate mousse bar, and the cone of chocolate mousse to be enjoyed on the street outside the shop in the sunshine

The overall winner of this crew was Chapon. We event went back a second time in order for my mum to stock up before heading home. It was just that good.

Now on to the next 4....

Temptation in the grocery store...

I have spent a fair amount of time during my past few weeks in Paris getting acquainted with the grocery store down the street from my house. It's called Franprix, and has about 8 aisles, of which one is wine, one is cookies, one is cheese, and one is yogurt and yogurt-style desserts (amazingly, that only leaves 4 aisles for the other food groups, but somehow they have everything I need...hmmm...). 

Given the shelf-space assigned to the yogurt and yogurt-style desserts, I decided that I should give some a try. This is how I discovered the most dangerous of delicious desserts. Tempted by the incredible subway-advertising (a clearly iconic french brand, natural ingredients) and adorable red-and-white packaging, I chose the Bonne Maman Mousse au Chocolat: 

Given my usual aversion to desserts that aren't made from scratch, I wasn't expecting to like it. I was wrong. Totally BLOWN AWAY. Delicious, dark, chocolatey, mousse-y and not crazy-sweet...it is the closest I've had to the chocolate mousse that my mum makes...just amazing. 

This is a dangerous discovery. 

figs, rocket, roasted chicken and french children...

Baguettes Tradition, Roasting Chickens and Figs

This Friday, I took part in a Parisian ritual. At 6 pm, parents were lined up to pick up their adorable french kids from maternelle (yes, at 6pm on a FRIDAY NIGHT). After this, most of the parents (those who didn't already have a baguette tucked under their arm) made a bee-line for the Boulangerie to pick up a baguette, and then a quick stop at a vegetable vendor for some fresh veggies, followed by a stop at a charcuterie for some meat to cook up with the veggies and the baguette. I decided to follow suit (without the small, well dressed child in tow).

 I went to the charcuterie and picked up a just-roasted chicken, then to the boulangerie where I got a just-baked baguette 'tradition' (it amazes me that they still bake fresh baguettes at 6 pm), and then to the fromagerie where I grabbed some delicious hard goats cheese, and the vegetable vendor where I grabbed some rocket and fresh figs. I came home, found my roomate, opened a bottle of Rose and put together a delicious and super easy dinner of rocket, fig, goat cheese, drizzled with a bit of balsamic and freshly ground pepper, roast chicken and still-warm baguette. Absolutely, incredibly, delicious. 

A crepe in the pouring rain...

A quick update on a delicious Parisian late night meal - absolutely to be enjoyed in the pouring rain, while walking down the Rue de La Roquette which just so happens to be full of little bars and cafe's where the smart people are gathered under the awnings with a glass of wine, or tucked inside the bistrot at candlelit tables. The not-so-smart people (um...me) are getting funny looks from the warm, dry people, while I'm juggling an umbrella, getting soaked, and fully committed to trying to eat a most delicious jambon-fromage crepe, folded into a perfect triangle, crispy on the outside, with delicious goey emmenthal cheese, ham, salt and pepper on the inside...while walking. I finally gave up when realizing that my attempt to eat and stay dry was impacting my ability to enjoy the crepe to its fullest. I took cover under the awning of a bookstore and enjoyed my crepe from there while perusing the Tintin and Voltaire book covers (an odd and so typically french book selection).  

So this isn't me - it's from 'Midnight in Paris' Woody Allen movie, but it felt like this with the rain! 

I did think that I would share a few key learnings from this experience:

1. If it starts raining just as you're nearing the metro and you decide to walk home anyway thinking 'it will stop soon'...know that it won't, it will actually start to pour (that being said, it was gorgeous walking by the seine and seeing the rain poor down past the streetlights and old buildings)...so maybe the learning is to walk anyway, just don't forget your umbrella, and if you do, don't wait 10 minutes before caving an buying one at a street corner.

2. When ordering a crepe, ALWAYS ask for them to make you a fresh one. They generally have stacks of prepared crepes next to the crepe plates, that they then heat up with your toppings - do not fall for this. Kindly demand that they make you a fresh one. It is a thousand times more delicious. 

3. When ordering a crepe, chat up the nice crepe-making man. In this case, his name was Mahmoud, a nice half algerian and half dutch gentleman who has been in Paris for 5 years. Unfortunately he did not fully appreciate my french explanation of the difference between 'strategy consultant' and 'admin assistant'.  During the time we were chatting, my crepe became perfectly melted and hot all of the way through - a key to a great french crepe experience (even when made by Mahmoud, who is clearly not french). 

• Relish: A ham and cheese crepe - a staple in Paris. As mentioned, make sure it's freshly made. 
• Quaff: Usually best consumed after a few glasses of wine en-route home at the end of a night, or to kick off a night of wine tasting 
• Feel: There are a few crepe places as you head down Rue de la Roquette just after the Bastille - I passed about 5 until I settled on this one. Unfortunately I do not remember the name, but what drew me to it was that Mahmoud, despite the stacks of prepared crepes beside him, was just finishing up making a fresh one at the little window-counter with the crepe elements facing the street. What's funny is that most of these places also sell some combination of shawarma / hamburgers with their crepes...do not be turned off by this, but go for the crepes.

Enjoy!

Paris...and a salade nicoise to kick things off

Bonjour!

It's been a while since I've posted (my sincere apologies), but I promise I have a good reason for the delay...I've moved to Paris!

A typical Haussmann Building in Paris, fresh tomatoes at the market...and wine!

It was a busy month packing up and saying so long to a lot of great friends (and awesome restaurants) in Toronto, and so unfortunately I wasn't able to get a post up. There will be a few posts coming from amazing meals I had during the last month (a tasting menu at George, l'Unita, Grace on college etc.) that I took notes on, but just couldn't get down in writing.

So for the foreseeable future, I'll be relishing and quaffing in Paris. My home base is an adorable apartment in a typical Haussmann building in the 11th arrondissement - full of crown mouldings, floor to ceiling french doors, and an adorable kitchen. I'll be living with my friend Lindsay (who has been posting about the Parisian restaurants so far,and who keeps a fantastic blog about life in Paris at www.playingparisian.com). Stay tuned for some of our Parisian food adventures!

To get things started, we went to the Marche d'Aligre on Sunday, and had a lovely stop at the Baron Rouge for oysters, fresh bread, Muscadet and a charcuterie plate (see Lindsay's last post for a more eloquent description of the BR). We then explored the market and picked out super fresh veggies for a salade nicoise - here's the recipe!

• Relish: Ingredients: mixed greens, green beans, baby potatoes, leeks, onions, eggs, cherry tomatoes, a can of tuna, pepper, mustard, plain yogurt, salt, fresh chives and basil. Instructions: Roast the baby potatoes, leeks and onions together. Steam the green beans, then pass them under cold water (to keep them crunchy), cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters. Hard boil the eggs, peel, then cut into quarters. Plop a handful of mixed greens in the middle of the plate, and arrange the beans, tomatoes, eggs and roasted potatoes around the sides. Sprinkle over the chopped chives and basil. Take the can of tuna and mix in a spoonful each of mustard and plain yogurt, lots of pepper, and a pinch of salt. Put a dollop of tuna mix on top of each of the mounds of lettuce. Drizzle with a mustard-based dressing (2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp white wine vinagre, 1 small spoonful of dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste and some dried italian herbs if you have them. shake together, drizzle over salad). Et voila! Une salade nicoise. 
• Quaff: We paired it with a chilled rose and it was a surprisingly delicious combination!
• Feel: This one is tougher - it was our first meal at our dining room table, only we were surrounded by various ikea boxes and suitcases...so we'll work on a more appropriate parisian feel for the next nicoise!

Le Baron Rouge - Oysters & Wine ...what a pair!

If you want the perfect parisian Saturday, I have a suggestion. You must start with 'un café et un croissant' at your neighborhood brasserie. Make sure you have your walking shoes, as now you will start a stroll over to the 12th arrondissement to the Marche D'aligre. Make sure you get there before 2 (it closes). Grab as many vegetables as you can possibly carry and perhaps take a look at the vintage clothing selection.

You are now in need of a refreshment (or two) so head over to the infamous Baron Rouge for some wine, oysters, and charcuterie.

Relish: On market days, the people (shown above) are here for the Oysters. On a busy day, it's a free for all with little room inside, so the people crowd where they can, down the street using both the building and the neighboring cars as tables. It's a spectacle to be had. Many choices of oysters abound (last time I was here I counted 7) -- they are fresh and come in a range of sizes. The oyster lady (as I call her) chucks them right in front of you with a neat chucking contraption I have never seen before (it's permanently afixed to the oyster table).  If Oysters aren't your thang, then head inside for one of the best charcuterie plates I've had in Paris. They also have a selection of cheeses, specifically a plate with varieties from Corsica which I found delectable.
Quaff: It's a wine bar and you're in Paris. Behold:

I think the picture speaks for itself, but needless to say there are a range of choices. A tip -- they start at the top with the lightest wines and get stronger as you go down the list. ALSO, if you bring an empty bottle (like say a 1L Evian bottle) they have barrels that you can fill yourselves. A cheap alternative, or an awesome take-home option.

Feel: It's an incredibly typical Parisian feel -- old tile floors, an ancient wine barrel as a table, a huge bar, strange paintings (one is Marijuana themed, not sure what that is about). It's a mixed crowd of local and tourists, but in general it feels authentic. And it's right on the corner next to the market which is packed with Parisians so you definitely feel like a local. The men working there look straight out of another era, which also adds to its appeal.

If you're in Paris, Le Baron Rouge and Marche D'aligre are a must see. A toute à l'heure!

~Lindsay

The Gabardine

photo: www.hipurbangirl.com

I have now had the chance to visit the Gabardine a few times...mostly because it is the best option outside of Mercado and Blowfish for a lunch with colleagues that is less that 2 minutes from the entrance of our office tower.

The last time I stopped in to grab a quick take-away coffee en route back to the office from a meeting. The second to last time I was there a few weeks ago for lunch.

• Relish: A few things to note. During the lunch I had here, I had massive food envy over my lunch-partners pulled pork sandwich. I will have that if I go back. I had a great pressed cuban pork sandwich, not quite spicy enough, but still very satisfying, and it came with salad and potato salad that was just scrumptious. When I stopped by for coffee, I was convinced (to put it lightly) to try the cinnamon rolls - apparently they are the best baked good they do. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are: cinnamon deliciousness, without the goo and fake sugar taste of most buns, with just the right combination of cinnamon-y crust to dunk in the coffee, and soft, warm cinnamon bun center. It now requires a fair amount of restraint to not go in every morning en route to work and pick one of these up.   
• Quaff: Coffee was excellent. A tad bit on the bitter side, but my latte was scrumptious. They have a decent wine selection at lunch, and apparently are also a great place for a cocktail after work, although we were warned to try and avoid the 5pm rush!
• Feel: 'A light and airy pub' would probably be the way I would best describe it, given the light paint, natural wood tables and chairs, but old-school English pub features. The clientele is bay street, but I think mostly the bay street-ers who would rather not be on bay street and are trying to escape.

Overall, a great and convenient place for a business lunch and morning coffee break. I think it's still a little bit undiscovered as the front of the building is covered in scaffolding - I'm worried that it will be near impossible to get in for lunch (it already is as they don't do reservations...) when the scaffolding is gone. Enjoy!

Rua Vang Golden Turtle

I  heard about this little gem about a year ago...and unfortunately it has taken me just that long to make it to Ossington to enjoy the scrumptious Vietnamese food of the Golden Turtle.

• Relish: Vietnamese Pho and Bun. I'm not sure that I saw anyone eating anything else. It is by far the best Bun that I have ever had. I had number 74 - rice noodles with grilled pork and a spring roll, served with lots of cilantro, slivered carrots, lettuce and rice noodles. My dining partner had number 90 - the Bun with grilled spicy lemongrass chicken, that he swore was the best Bun he's had outside of Vietnam. A pretty high bar to have hit! Writing this makes me want some right now, and since eating it last night, I have about twice hourly cravings for it. Amazing. 
• Quaff: Nothing much to report on here (I had water), but you can opt for one of the creative milkshakes (avocado? lychee?). An entire back page of the menu is dedicated to these and they look very interesting. I am a little bit sad that I wasn't adventurous enough to try one...next time.
• Feel: It's exactly what you expect from a un-fussy, un-fancy vietnamese restaurant on ossington. A tiny patio with plastic chairs and metal tables, and a packed main restaurant, it's small and crowded and perfect for a cheap and delicious meal.

I love it. If only it wasn't so far away on Ossington...that being said, maybe it's a good thing it's that far away - otherwise I would have trouble eating anything else!

First Parisian Post! Le Taxi Jaune

I had a friend in town from New York last night, a former Pariesenne, and without even thinking we went to a restaurant called the Le Taxi Jaune en francais, or The Yellow Taxi. You can take the girl out of NY, but apparently not NY out of the girl. No matter, it was a lovely restaurant in the Marais and marks our first official Parisian post!

Relish: According to the reviews -- don't go here unless you like to eat the strange insides of animals, or perhaps horse. We began with the Tarama with toast, which apparently is a greek dish. I liken it to hummus, but more silky, and a nice thing to spread on toast (it's made of eggs and salmon, but I didn't think it was too fishy). Solid start. Next, although there definitely were some innards and 'cheval' on the menu, we opted for the more tame 'agneau' and 'canard'. Both were delicious. Mine was in the form of a 'gateau' (cake) which really was more like a stew which was amazingly savory on a fall type day. Elena's duck was perfectly cooked, with a hint of sweetness. Overall, classic french food with good service.
Quaff: The wine list was extensive and they even had these cute chalkboards of France pointing out the different regions. However, the 'by the glass' option was limited to red, white, and rose. No matter, my white wine was crisp and not too sweet and I believe it came from the south of France (I heard a sud). You'll have to forgive my very basic descriptions of wine as compared to Andrea -- she promises we'll take a class once she joins me in France.
Feel: It's a casual atmosphere, very authentic, with stone walls and chalk boards of both the wine regions of France and different animals and their parts (hence the innards). It felt cozy, although we got there early (8:30?) and it was a bit deserted. Things started to pick up around 10. It was also a tad too bright, but nothing to shake a stick at. The servers were very nice and even tolerated my awful french :-) It's also on an adorable back street that's not too crowded, so you really feel like you're finding a diamond in the rough.

If you are in the Marais, I recommend checking out this adorable resto! Au Revoir!

Bar Centrale

A blustery and cold Monday night. The tail end of the last long weekend of the summer. Where do you find me? Tucked inside a bustling wine bar in Summerhill, enjoying a fantastic 'tapas style' dinner, a delicious wine and a phenomenal friend.  

Photos: the foodiefotog & iPhone...amazing

• Relish: mmmm. The amount of eye rolling as we tasted each dish was fantastic. There were even pauses in conversation as we savoured some of the bites.  The menu here is built around little sharing plates - and we shared!  We started off with some arancini balls, filled with fontina and veal, a crostini (think bruschetta but with other toppings) topped with beef tenderloin tartare, truffle shavings and zabayone - unbelievable. A second crostini stole the show... Nduja sausage combined with some sort of tapenade and topped with smokey ricotta - spice and smoke and sausage. We followed this with a plate of sliced porchetta - basically slow cooked ham filled with herbs - and a ravioli filled with lobster and mascarpone. My perfect evening - lots of small bites of very different tastes, and all was incredibly succulent. The only downside was the dessert. A combination of dark chocolate flourless, warm cake (all good so far)...combined with gorgonzola in the middle. Somehow that completely missed the mark.
• Quaff: mmmm. This was a most pleasant surprise. I actually didn't even see the wine list, but given it's a wine bar, there are many selections lining the shelves behind the bar. Our very helpful server asked me what we were looking for and my price point. My response? A fruit forward, medium bodied, but not too tanic red, for around $50. What did he deliver? An incredibly juicy and delicious red from calabria, light on the tannins, and medium body. Perfect. And the price point? 50 on the nose (as we only discovered once we got the bill). It was called Mutro' Melissa - a wine from Calabria (the bottom of the boot in Italy, more specifically, the 'toe' of the boot), made up primarily of  Gaglioppo and Greco Nero grapes, and had a picture of a boar on the label (which I figured because of my love for wild boar tasty-ness, this must be a good sign). It was. 
• Feel: Bustling and busy, a great atmosphere of friends enjoying wine and good food and good conversation. Servers were super friendly and very helpful with choices. As the night progressed there was a bit of a line with people waiting for tables - and all selected a glass of wine to better pass the time. They've nailed the atmosphere here - nice work terroni!

The Whalesbone Oyster House

There are some restaurants that have a special combination of creative, consistently delicious food, fantastic atmosphere and great finishing touches. When you find them, it's hard not to want to go anywhere else! I had the pleasure of visiting The Whalesbone in Ottawa...for a third time...and it wowed me just as much as the first time.
Accompanied by a worldly, handsome and suave gentleman who also happened to be in ottawa on business at the same time -  we sat at the chef's table and had a great time watching the cooks in action, listening to the great music and having scintillating conversations...(hehe - thanks dad :) 

photos: www.thewhalesbone.com

Now to the food:

• Relish: It might be blasphemous to go to an Oyster bar and not have oysters...so we did. Shared 12 to start, 4 from BC, 4 from New Brunswick and 4 from Ireland. These come with 7 sauces, 3 of which are homemade (a seafood sauce, vinaigrette and spicy sauce, a few types of tobasco, and then whisky...which I stayed away from). We then shared a starter of seared swordfish: three beautifully put together mounds of swordfish, home-grown cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes and fresh cheese...delicious. I then had the scallops, soft and juicy, accompanied with radish, some fritters, blue benedictin cheese and tiny tomatoes - a sublime and beautifully balanced combination of tastes, all displayed with precision on a wooden board. Dad had the haddock - I stole a taste, and it was cooked to just-flaky - yet moist and savoury. Oh, I almost forgot - we also started with a few slices of fresh bread, filled with poppyseeds, nuts and seeds, and paired with a lovely melted-butter that tasted like a gourmet buttered popcorn. Wow. Sitting perched at the chef's table we saw a lot of food pass by en route to tables, and so I have to mention the lobster...a trio of lobster mac and cheese, a lobster tail, and a lobster bun...oh my goodness - that might be what I have to try next time.
• Quaff: a great wine list for pairing with seafood, about 10 whites and 8-10 reds. We were given a quick taste of our white before ordering, a server recommendation that paired perfectly with the oysters - a Sokol Blosser 'Evolution: Luck' from Oregon. 
• Feel: Hip-checking and laughing chefs in the tiny open kitchen, an oyster shucker working hard at the bar, great tunes, humming conversations, packed tables - this place has tons of character, with a fun, food and drink loving vibe, super friendly, smiling staff, and happy customers. The bathrooms deserve a special mention here - framed love letters in the ladies are a beautiful touch (and I've heard the men's has some creative decorations as well). 

My Dad summed up the take-away on Whalesbone quite nicely: "the food is amazing - but the best thing is the personality!".

w: The Whalesbone Oyster House

Scarpetta

I had heard many great things about Scarpetta - both for the food and the fun atmosphere. I finally had the opportunity to check it out last week, and despite being a little bit skeptical given its location in the uuber 'king-west hotspot' thompson hotel, it was an excellent meal, and a unique patio experience. Very worth checking out.

• Relish: the food lived up to the hype - an Italian menu, with chef Scott Conant not disappointing on the pasta (that according to the waitress is his specialty).  We shared a bison short rib on a corn and vegetable risotto, a delicious handmade pasta with wild boar sausage, rapini and summer beans (broad beans and peas) - it was gorgeously yummy, every bite packed with flavour, and a hint of mint or fennel added a bit of summer to it. That was followed by a sliced duck breast, served with greens and duck sausage, cranberries and a house made couscous. Everything was enjoyable, but the duck and wild boar pasta stole the show hands down! What I really loved was that they happily plated each dish, split into two for us - and the presentation was beautiful. Oh, and I almost forgot the bread. A basket of bread arrived that included 4 different types of bread, one of which was a house-made focaccia style with cheese and salami and spices throughout the dough - delicious when paired with the lemon infused olive oil or the tomato antipasti that accompanied it.
• Quaff: the wine menu was good - focused primarily on Italian whites and reds, with decent pricing (roughly 45 and up, but quite a few options between 45 - 50). We quaffed a bottle of the 2008 Barbera D'Alba, Rocca Giovino. Cassis, some earthy tones and healthy acidity combined to make it a fantastic pairing for the duck and wild boar. Delicious! This place also looks like it knows its cocktails.
• Feel: this is where Scarpetta both won and lost for me, so I'm a bit conflicted. We sat outside, in the most gorgeous patio - a long table that could probably could sit about 60 people at varying heights (chair height, bar stool height, mid-bar height) in groups of 4-6. The table has been enclosed in a funky metal lattice that allows you to feel as though you're in your own little candle-lit room, but also as part of the surroundings; you look across the street to a park from one side, and at a reflecting pool and park by the thompson condo on the other side.  The part I wasn't thrilled about was the feel inside....very 'see and be seen'-esque, and the washrooms were messy and bland (I know washrooms don't need to be fancy, but at a place like this, you at least expect a slight step up from hospital-style soap dispensers)! 

Overall, I would definitely go back for a dinner on the patio, and maybe even inside for a night when I felt like getting a bit done up and making a night of the king-west scene!


web: Scarpetta Toronto

Terroni on Adelaide

As a relatively new 'suit' in the downtown core, I have been on a bit of a search for a good place to go after work for drinks that is not quite so filled with other 'suits'. South of Temperance has a great patio, but it has been slightly usurped by the Terroni on Adelaide just down the street.

Bar - Old courthouse entrance - Bar Area
pics: www.terroni.com

• Relish: A pretty good bar menu - we were there with a group and shared the calamari (piping hot and lightly breaded - standard, but well done), a few pizza's (on my pizza scale, would give it about a 7/10), fried mushrooms (very nicely done, a large plate of fried funghi of various types), and a meze y meso plate that stole the show - freshly sliced prosciutto, other cured meats, 3 cheese and some nuts, honey, bread and crackers. Excellent for sharing, and so good we ordered a second one!
• Quaff: Italian wines by the glass, and a variety of beers on tap. The bar tenders are happy to take requests, and the sparkling San Pellegrino - just delicious. A very good spot for a glass of wine or beer after work!
• Feel: The location is awesome - a converted old toronto court-house, the soaring ceilings have been broken up by funky spaces and bright colours - the bar (arguably the only place I have really hung out here) is divided in two, with tables of all heights, and an open kitchen area where chefs prepare some of the tasters on the bar menu. En route to the bathroom you peer down corridors that 'surprise!' Have little wine cellars in them. A very old school yet funky italian feel.

I would absolutely recommend for after work drinks and munchies. Although I haven't had a full meal here, I would also recommend as a dinner spot for larger groups and/or if you're looking for a good, but not super exciting italian. Likely also a good spot for groups and work events (they were very relaxed and helpful about my larger work-related reservation).
 Enjoy!
w: terroni website

Lucien - take two

A few nights ago I had an impromptu fancy dins with my amazing friend Sarah. It was one of those nights that just changed the emotional trajectory of the day, from being sort of 'blah' (coming home after a work trip, thinking I would have to rustle something up from my bare fridge, and re-packing my bags for yet another trip) to being an 'I love Toronto' type of night. Sarah and Lucien - thank you! After a spur of the moment, late-afternoon text of 'let's meet up for a drink and catch up', we ended up agreeing that we should really get some use out of a soon-to-expire Groupon and head to Lucien. We grabbed a seat at the bar, stowed my carry on in the coat check and enjoyed a lovely meal and great conversation.

• Relish: It was a delicious meal. Sarah had the pea soup with crab and the pickerel, and I had the arugula salad, graced with slivered cucumber, a cucumber and dill mousse, pine nuts and pecorino. Light, a beautiful combination, and the cucumber mousse was a neat texture and provided a subtle dressing to the arugula leaves. I followed that with the waiters recommendation of the Alberta bison - and it was yummy. Beautifully displayed, the bison was cooked perfectly, piping hot and accompanied with a sort of multi-vegetable slaw, and some delicious mashed root vegetables. 
• Quaff: The house red was a montepulciano d'abruzzo, which went quite well with the bison. The rest of the wine selection was a bit uninspired, but it looked as though it had been updated from the last time I had been.
• Feel: Busy, bustling, I liked the feel, but not enough that I would hurry back - it almost feels like it's trying a bit too hard to be both chic yet edgy. We did get a few laughs at the expense of the odd business-types also seated at the bar - one gentleman having a 4 course tasting menu with wine pairings accompanied by his laptop, and the other who came in, wolfed down a yummy looking salmon, ate a basket of bread, and then promptly took off. 

It was great to try the place outside of summerlicious, but I wouldn't hurry back now that I've been. Either way Lucien (and sarah) - thanks for the fun night!

Social

Social is surprising. Big windows and old stone initially give you the feel that this will be a very classy and reserved restaurant - once inside, the spaces are funky and the red and dark brown colours give this a buzzing vibe.

Our scallops! photo: www.social.ca

• Relish: the appetizers were phenomenal. Next time, I would just order starters as they were awesome, and very shareable! The white tuna seared with cucumber and wasabi was refreshing with a good kick that perfectly complemented the tuna, and the scallops with watermelon and fried chorizo were absolutely incredible, a really neat complement of the watermelon sweetness, the spicy oomph of the chorizo and the tender, perfectly juicy scallops. For mains, the focus was on meat - tenderloin, lamb and a steak. All very good, although the portions were massive.
• Quaff: I had a Butterfield Station chardonnay from California, unfortunately not the buttery-creamy chardonnay that I was expecting from a wine named 'butterfield'. I was thinking massive oak and a buttery finish, and got none of it from the weak, almost watery wine. The wine list did have around 10 reds and 10 whites by the glass - so quite a few options to choose from, although pretty standard selections.
• Feel: social. Very social. It's a place that I could see turning into a good night spot after dinner on a thu/fri night (the massive size and thickness of our table-top made me think that it would be a good table on which to get up and dance...I got some funny looks for that comment). It would also be the kind of place where I would hold a work event - cocktails and appetizers in one of the more secluded areas by the bar.

Photo: www.social.ca

A bit expensive for the quality based on the other restaurants I've tried in the Ottawa area, but the portion sizes are on par with the increase in price. Definitely would recommend it for a more 'social' night out!

w: Social Ottawa website

La Bettola di Terroni and Osteria

The corner of victoria and queen west has been graced by a medley of the Terroni restaurants - 'La Bettola di Terroni' and 'Osteria'.

As you walk in, you can choose to go to the left, and enjoy the 'favourite items from the Terroni menus at the lively bar and funky tables at La Bettola,  or to the right, and enter the slightly quieter and quainter Osteria, where they serve a 'tasting' menu and typical pugliese food from the founder of Terroni's homeland.

I've now been for after work drinks at La Bettola, and it's a great spot for good conversation, perched either at the bar or the high table that used to be some sort of work-bench/saw holder (very creative), and for lunch at Osteria.

• Relish: Osteria offers a set of 'tasting dishes' or appetizers that you can have as a set of 4 (ceviches, grilled octopus, spiced ricotta etc.) and choose to combine it with either a primi (selection of rustic pastas) or a secondi (some meat and seafood options) for mains. I had the spaghetti vongole - the pasta, I was assured, although not made in house, was made at the Terroni's on Adelaide daily and delivered to the premises (I had initially been told that all of the pasta's were made in-house). It was a tomato based sauce with massive clams, and although it could have used a bit of spice, was lovely, rustic, and the perfect lunch size. My dining partner had some difficulty with her order...unable to eat grains or dairy limited the options on the pasta and cheese dominated menu. It made it even more challenging that they were not amenable to making ANY substitutions or replacements in the menu options to cater to her dietary restrictions  - absolutely ridiculous! Our waiter was close to insulting in the way the conversation progressed - not a pleasant experience. In the end, she was able to have the 'mixed grill' which was a light salad with a few pieces of grilled calamari and fish (apparently ok, but underwhelming), and an artichoke, green pea and arugula salad (which apparently was delicious)!
• Quaff: The entirely Italian selection of 3 whites, 3 reds and a rose all looked good (and nicely, all were available by the 5oz, 1/4L, 1/2 L and full bottle), but given that it was lunch, we didn't partake. The sparkling water was delectable.
• Feel: The Space is cute, more intimate than other Terroni's. There is a big long wooden table down the middle of the restaurant for communal dining, and booths at the front by the windows that open out onto the street. I love the mix of 'learn to speak italian' and house music playing in the bathroom. The reservation signs are a cute addition, little tiny blackboards sitting on the tables.

I really like the feel of this spot for lunch or drinks, but was not impressed with the lack of flexibility from the kitchen/wait staff around dietary constraints. It would make me think twice about going back, but given that it's a cute spot close to the office, more lunches here in the future are likely. It's a good alternative to the busy and loud Mercatto on bay!

Photos: www.labettola.ca

New York

Ok, so this post isn't about a restaurant or a wine - it's about a surprise new section to Relish and Quaff! My gorgeous, talented and amazing New York foodie friend Lindsay has provided us with all of her top recommendations for relishing and quaffing your way through the streets of the big apple.

Fortunately this was pulled together just-in-time as she is practically en-route to Paris, but stay tuned as the 'Relish Paris' section will likely get some loving as the number of Andrea and Lindsay Parisian escapades significantly increases. Meanwhile, we hope that you enjoy the list of New York restaurants!

Relish and Quaff New York

town.

Tuesday night at 8:15pm in Ottawa, and the last thing I expected was to be walking into a packed restaurant. Town was just about full, but somehow miraculously we managed to nab two seats left at the chef's bar (we had a nice view into the kitchen and of the busy chefs as the dishes were being prepared).

• Relish: The options included about 10 smaller dishes, 4 larger dishes (two of which were available in a small size) and a cheese plate. We shared the Mint Cavatelli (a rolled pasta with super tender lamb, mint, pistachios and ricotta - it smelled incredible and was great comfort food, although missing a tad bit of 'oomph'), the Ling cod (absolutely fantastic, a crispy crust with a bit of tangy sweetness, mini asparagus, sweet peas and a couscous - the winner of the dishes by a long shot), and the Tuna Crudo (not the greatest, the chives and prosciutto and oil overpowered the delicate taste of the tuna and somehow gave it an odd aftertaste). We also shared a cheese-plate, 4 quebec cheese and an italian taleggio, accompanied by honey, stewed apricots and crisps. Overall good, but not in the same league as whalesbone or Murray Street. I would order differently if I were to go back - the meatballs and prosciutto salad would be on my list.
• Quaff: I had a scrumptious Mission Hill (BC Okanagan) pinot noir - 'five vineyards'. Stewed cherries and chinese five spice on the nose, with grippier than expected tannins and a nice balance, it was delicious, although served a tad bit too chilled for my taste (but that is always rectified with some requisite nursing). My dining partner tried two different draught ales - Beau's, that he described as 'india pale ale, not as bitter, light after taste' and a 'good flavour', and  the McAuslan, a st. Ambroise apricot wheat ale.
• Feel: Dark walls, a natural wood bar and tables, a chalkboard wall displaying the menu and a wall of wines behind the bar gave this cosy-chic feel, very 'ottawa-esque'...based on the similarities with Whalesbone and Murray Street. It made me feel like I found my neighbourhood haunt, and was a perfect spot for a great conversation

Photos: town. facebook page

w: Town website

XocoCava

A sweltering Monday afternoon of the long weekend calls for a tennis game, followed by ice cream. Not just any ice cream. Tucked away in a small plaza just North of St. Clair on Yonge is XocoCava. Arguably the best spot for ice cream in the city. 

• Relish: Homemade ice cream, made fresh by the helpful and cheerful staff. It's delicious. They have granita, ice cream and sorbets, in addition to an extensive selection of chocolates and cookies. I'll focus on the ice cream though because I've never been able to bring myself to try anything else here. Today I had the fresh lemon ice cream, and the maralumi dark chocolate sorbet. An incredible combination. You can't really go wrong, and you can sample a bunch of different ones before making up your mind: Guiness cashew? pistachio? milk chocolate? sour cherry granita? Strawberry margarita? honey? strawberry? coconut? Peanut butter crunch? espresso? The list goes on - posted on the blackboard behind the counter. One word of caution - you actually can't see the ice-creams, they're hidden in a metal container contraption (the first time I saw one of these was in Italy), so it really does warrant a careful perusal of the blackboard, followed by a few tasters. 

Make sure that you give yourself at least 10-15 minutes to pick a flavour. And just be ok with the fact that you'll likely be back. Often. Thank goodness the location isn't too convenient for me - but it's well worth the trip. 

As an aside, XocoCava is run by the same chefs who run the restaurant Cava next door - so if you ever fancy a spanish tapas or two, pop by for dinner, and then wander over to XocoCava for desert. 

Enjoy! 

Lucien

A few months ago en route magazine names Lucien as one of the top 10 best restaurants in canada...so I naturally added it to my list. It took me a while to get there, and after a few tries (always ended up thinking it was likely too stuffy and fancy for the evening) made it out last week. It was a sweltering evening, so sitting inside was lovely (there is no patio).

• Relish: We lucked out and caught the restaurant full swing into summerlicious, so for $45 per person, you could choose from 3 options for each of 3 courses. Unfortunately, no other options were available, so I couldn't use my Groupon, but the choices were pretty good. Arguably the starters won the show - we had a chilled pea soup with snow crab, pickled radish and wasabi that was perfectly chilled with a gorgeous sweet pea flavour, and a heirloom tomato salad with house-made burrata, watermelon, basil and mint where each bite was full of fresh, sweet tomatoes. The main was atlantic cod with fingerling potato, house-made chorizo, pimento and arugula - although the taste was great, the fish was a bit overdone. The desert was incredibly creative, super sweet Ontario strawberries with tonka bean panna cotta, basil and black pepper, and a chocolate beetroot brownie with marshmallow, cherry, malted milk and black walnut. Have the strawberries, and pass on the beetroot brownie. 
• Quaff: An interesting wine list, with the standard grapes by the glass, but not from producers that I've seen a lot of. We opted for a bottle of chilled white at the recommendation of our waiter. I wish I could remember the name, but I can't...I need to write these down more judiciously! Either way, it was an excellent recommendation. 
• Feel: It is always hard to get the true feel for a restaurant during summerlicious - but Lucien did strike a nice balance between being classy yet unpretentious, in a way where you knew you would be well-taken-care-of. I love the jazz music, chandeliers and open window to the kitchen, and this would be a great place to pull up a stool at the bar. I am a little bit confused by the fact that despite its high ranking among restaurant aficionados, it never really seems to be busy when I walk by - but I will be back to try it sans-summerlicious and with my Groupon! 

I would recommend it for a quiet date night or a business dinner. Enjoy!
w: http://www.lucienrestaurant.com/


photos: http://greatlighting.com/index.cfm?DocID=14561

Sidedoor

Asian-fusion-tapas is the main focus at Sidedoor. A recommendation from a colleague, it's tucked in the alley (or courtyard) off of York street in Byward market, just in beside the restaurant Eighteen. This makes for a very cute little spot surrounded by old stone buildings. The patio has a mix of wooden tables, trees and lounge tables with couches.

• Relish: The menu here is all about sharing plates, tapas-style. The highlights: the crispy fish tacos with trout, coriander, avocado and jalapenos, the steamed shrimp dumplings packed full of shrimp, and the 'melt in your mouth' braised beef with curry and roasted peanuts over rice. Other honourable mentions: the papaya salad, stacked with mango, papaya, mint, thai basil, and the broiled black cod with butter lettuce wraps and home-pickled pickles. Not worth a mention was the tuna sashimi - too much seasoning drowned the tuna.
• Quaff: A great wine by the glass list, with 3 oz and 5oz options. Some very unusual grape types available by the glass - a white auxerrois, cortese, ribolla gialla, chardonnay musque, and a red agiorgitiko from greece. I kind of want to go back and try all of these interesting grape-types! Decent beer choices, although the focus is definitely on wines and cocktails. The agiorgitiko was more complex than I expected, a bit of a 'cherry bomb' off the nose, but serious undertones of leather and cedar helped mellow the mouthfeel. Low tannis and average alcohol - I would definitely pick up a bottle and pair with spicy foods - it was great with the braised beef. (Agiorgitiko, 2009, Gaia, Nemea, Greece).
• Feel: Relaxed and enjoyable. The patio was cute, surrounded by old stone walls, but maintaining a modern feel due to the different table styles and leafy trees, while the inside of the restaurant felt a bit imposing, but multiple levels and exposed stone made it classy yet relaxed. Lots of groups of 6+ sitting at larger boot-like tables, while on the patio most of the tables were dates or smaller groups of friends. Made me feel comfy - and I would happily have stuck around for a second glass of wine and relaxed after dinner. 

I'll absolutely be back - both the wine and the food were delicious!

w: sidedoorrestaurant.com

Lady Marmalade

photos: www.ladymarmalade.ca

Sunday. 12:00pm. Brunch time. Lady Marmalade is clearly in the running for the best brunch in the city. A small, bustling, bright spot on queen east in leslieville, it seems that there is a constant lineup of hungry leslievillians waiting for their dose of the delicious brunch and lunch options.

• Relish: Sweet or savoury? Such a tough choice here...about 6 eggs benny combinations, savoury waffles, banana nut french toast (changes daily!), mexican style eggs, crepes, paninis....so many delicious and creative options! I had the avocado, bacon and brie eggs benedict - served with crisped potatoes and a small salad...heavenly. It's pretty self explanatory, although the combination of the perfectly poached egg, crispy bacon, generous slices of ripe avocado and brie, all piled on top of the toasted and warmed english muffin made it the best eggs benedict I have ever had, hands down. I don't love hollandaise, and so had it on the side, but I did taste it and it was lemony goodness.  The buckwheat crepe filled with fresh seasonal fruit, granola and honey was devoured to the absolute last morsel - a testament to its yummy factor.
• Quaff: A latte made with beans from a local coffee roaster down the street completed a delicious brunch. They also had some gorgeous looking lemonades and juices.
• Feel: bright, sunny, bustling spot filled with all shapes and sizes - young families, friends of all ages catching up, mostly groups of 2-4. A happy spot that made it hard to not grin and get enthused by the contented and cheerful buzz in the place!

Don't get discouraged by the lineup - it's worth the twenty minutes for the brunch heaven that follows. 

w: www.ladymarmalade.ca

Gazela Vinho Verde

On Friday I received a text from a friend asking for the name of the wine we had shared at a restaurant in Ottawa about a month ago. It was a delightful Vinho Verde - and the first time he had tried one. I thought 'hmmm. maybe it's time I start putting up a few wine reviews as well..after all, the blog is called 'Relish and Quaff' and I've been primarily focusing on relishing at this point'!




A year ago I started to take some of the wine courses at George Brown College. I would highly recommend them for anyone even remotely interesting in drinking wine - they opened my eyes to the wonderful differences between all types of wine, and gave me a much better appreciation for what I like. So I'll try my best at putting some of my learnings about seeing, smelling and tasting delicious wines into practice!


The first wine I'll review is a Vinho Verde - as immediately after I replied to the text I thought 'that would be the perfect wine for a sweltering Friday night in Toronto'. I stopped at an LCBO en route to a friends place, and picked up the Gazela Vinho Verde. I tend to have a love affair with Portuguese Vinho Verde in the summer, as it is perfectly light and almost spritzy to the taste - what I would call a 'thirst quenching' wine, which during the summer months in Toronto becomes a staple on my patio.

• Perfect for: A sweltering summer evening aperitif on a patio
• Notes: Very pale straw colour with a hint of green, green apple on the nose, followed by an almost spritzy mouthfeel of summer melon (honeydew). A bit sweeter, but the spritz cuts this. Light on alcohol (less than 9%), but a nice balanced acidity as well.
• Pairings: on its own, or with lightly grilled (and minimally seasoned) fish or shellfish
• Price: $8.95!!!! Great value! General list at the LCBO

Other Vinho Verde reviews are likely to come (and if you're looking for some others, a slightly more elegant one is the Quinta de Aveleda, also general list at the LCBO). 

link to Gazela producer specs

Blowfish on Bay

I discovered a new 'working-lunch' spot, the bay-street outpost of the hyped Blowfish (on King west). I read a while ago that this place had opened, and literally have walked by it about 40 times in the past few weeks to get to work, and had no idea that it was there, or open. No major signage outside, it's tucked on the ground floor of the new Bay-Adelaide Center.

• Relish: Creative Sushi! We tasted a variety of rolls - spicy tuna, spicy salmon, a golden crab (with curry...interesting), a roll with salmon and mango, fish 'tacos', a black cod and some rock shrimp. The spicy tuna won the best roll competition. None of it blew me away, but it was tasty.
• Quaff: A cool selection of Sake's, and the fun saketini's and creative drinks could make this a good spot to grab an after work drink. A fun, unusual selection of wines by the glass. 
• Feel: A great spot for a business lunch - hip, but not too pretentious. One of the best parts is that it's actually quite quiet compared to many of the other lunch spots around, so helpful if you need to have a good conversation.

e11even

The new condo's around the ACC are providing some very interesting new options for the condo-land-condo-dwellers in the area.  E11even is a new-ish addition to the area, right by the ACC...and they've just added in a new patio...one of few in the area.

• Relish: Overall a pretty varied menu, steaks, fish, oysters, and some interesting looking salads. You could easily bring a group here and find something on the menu that would make everyone happy. A special summer '11 by 11' menu provided 11 sharing appetizer options each for $11 - the kobe meatballs were ok, but missing something...a bit bland. Mini grilled cheese with bacon were standard, although did not disappoint, and a chop salad was packed with yummy veggies and a deviled egg...just a bit too much dressing that masked the veggie flavours. I was excited to try the grilled artichokes, but they fully missed the mark (tasted a bit like soap). Overall, the food was good - not perfect - but good, and I would completely feel comfortable recommending this place to a group who was looking for something 'nice' like a keg, but offering more variety.
• Quaff: about 15 wines by the glass for both reds and whites, and some interesting and unusual options (a gruner veltliner, two reisling options, some unusual reds) . I especially LOVED that they served wine in the appropriate glasses, and the Carmel Road Pinot Noir was absolutely lovely. They also have the coolest wine list...ON AN IPAD! Make sure you ask to see it...they don't seem to bring it out to the patio unless requested. It was so much fun to play around with, and some great wine selection at decent prices. You should also check out the wine cellar en route to the washrooms - beautifully displayed.
• Feel: Big business bar is how I would describe the feel in this place. Big tables, high ceiling - it's a good pre-game or pre-concert venue, and a good option for a night out with a big group of friends. The patio is nice, but would suggest it for a weekend or well after rush hour, as it gets loud -  unfortunately not loud from great conversations - but from the construction cranes and cars driving by en route to the gardiner. That being said, it's a great new patio for the condo/acc area, and has a nice unpretentious but upscale feel inside.

I did really enjoy the beautiful lighting fixture right above the patio - reminded me of sparkling embers in a campfire...slightly mesmerizing. 

w: e11even

The Queen and Beaver

A sweltering summer evening deserves a great patio. This week I discovered The Queen and Beaver, a little gastro-pub nestled away on Elm street for late evening drinks with a few good friends. We sat on the upstairs patio, which has a lovely secluded feel as you’re just about at the leafy part of the trees from the street below. It’s a super cute, very ‘old english’ pub. Although it was a great patio, I’m putting this place on my list to try in the winter, when the cosy-comfy pub style would make for some nice evenings away from the cold.     

• Relish: The food looked fantastic, very gastro-pub-esque – something I’ve missed since London! Staples like mussels and frites, fish and chips, pot pie, and a smattering of salads and lighter options as well – I’m absolutely coming back here for dinner or lunch.
• Quaff: I had a lovely glass of Pinot Grigio, and they have about 5 whites and 5 reds by the glass. A nice mix of old and new world options, some of the usual with the whites (the Cave Springs seems to be the only Reisling option at restaurants in this city), but the reds were a bit more out of the ordinary. The cider or multiple draught options also looked delicious. 
• Feel: Even just walking through the pub to get to the patio, this place made you want to pull up a chair and sit down and have a pint. They had a big screen playing what else – soccer (oops – football), but it was positioned so tastefully over the fireplace, that it didn’t seem to detract from the warm and friendly feel. As I left, for a split second was able to pretend that I was coming out of a gastro pub in South Kensington...then jumped into the diamond cab and realized, nope – I’m still in Toronto.

It might be worth mentioning that this place was one of the ‘best new restaurants 2010’ by Toronto Life.

w: The Queen and Beaver Public House