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!

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

DEQ at the Ritz

DEQ is a little patio hidden away behind the new Ritz-Carleton hotel downtown - a great spot for an afterwork (or pre-Munk debates) glass of bubbly. Walk through the impressive main lobby, out to the back bar, and you'll discover a little semi-oasis in the city. Oh, and one of the best parts is that you get to say 'meet me at the Ritz' - so fabulous.

• Relish: Great smaller sharing bites to accompany the bubbly / wine / cocktails, pretty standard selections (bruschetta, flatbreads, sliders, charcuterie), but executed nicely. The crab dip was warm deliciousness of crab with super-thin crispy pita crackers. 
• Quaff: This is where DEQ makes me happy. A great selection of bubbly by the glass, and some pretty interesting ones that you don't find at the LCBO. The wines by the glass are also impressive, and they have a good selection of cocktails - enjoyed lounging in the couches by the open air fireplace just makes everything taste even better!
• Feel: It reminds me of the patios at bars in Cape Town -only surrounded by tall buildings. Great staff, different sizes and shapes of tables and lounge chairs and couches, open fireplaces and greenery...all filled with people enjoying being beautiful. It has a bit of an 'i'm seriously chic' attitude, but with the right company, that blends into the background and becomes a fun people watching spot.  

Totally recommend it, although I think it has it's right time and place. I'm not sure I would want to spend the whole night there, but a drink or two before moving on to a night out or a restaurant is ideal. Great after work spot. 

Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill

Whenever my Dad (who also loves food) comes to visit Toronto, we tend to have a conversation that sounds a lot like this:

Me: "So, where should we go for dinner tonight?" 

Dad: "I don't know, you seem to have some good recommendations, I'm up for anything - why don't you pick?" 

Me: "Ok, so how about we try (insert name of new restaurant), I've heard it's awesome and I think you'll love it." 

Dad: "Well, are you sure? [pause. pause. pause]...I might actually be in the mood for some oysters" 

Me: [usually with a grin on my face by this point] "ok, how about...Starfish then? 

Dad: "Oh, well if you insist...but we did go there last time I was in town...but if you're ok with that...I would LOVE to!"

Luckily, I share my Dad's love for Starfish. I think it's the combination of the fresh oysters (shucked in front of you if you're lucky enough to nab a spot at the bar), the incredible creative seafood mains, the mussels and delicious belgian-style frites, the crisp white wines - all served with a certain panache that make this a phenomenal spot. 

• Relish:Oysters. Fresh, delicious oysters. They come with three homemade sauces, fresh horseradish...could you ask for anything better? Mussels & frites are stellar, as are all of the mains of super fresh seafood with creative accompaniments. 
• Quaff: Wine. White if possible. An overall solid wine list, and a few good glass options as well (although you'll probably need a bottle as the meals here are never quick)! 
• Feel: On a busy night it's packed with a varied crowd truly enjoying wine, great food and good company. Some booths, a few high tables and a great bar all add variety. I wouldn't say that the feel is spot on (the tables may be a bit too big and square for a more cozy feel) but it has a bit of an aloof "you're here for the oysters right?" feel. The bar is definitely the best spot.

It is slightly out of the way, but I think that actually might add to the charm. It's definitely a gem that you would walk by a thousand times and never think twice about...so please make sure you stop next time!
Enjoy!


w: Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill

L'Unita

L'Unita is one of my all-time favourite restaurants. It has just a few redeeming factors: gorgeous northern Italian food, a phenomenal wine list that changes regularly, a great bar where you can sit and enjoy silent Italian black and white films, sexy lighting, awesome staff, and finally - it just so happens to be walking distance from my home. 

• Relish: The food here is consistently great. I've tried quite a few things, on quite a few of the menu iterations, but would highly suggest ordering a variety and sharing plates. Every once in a while I dream about their northern woods mushrooms, braised beef short ribs, pasta 'fatti in casa' with rabbit ragu....mmm. Oh, and please do try the cannoli...I didn't like canoli until I tried them here. I may now be close to addicted.
• Quaff: Amazing. Wine. List. A massive number of Italian wines, and consistently ~15 options by the glass. They're also great at letting me try a taste before selecting a glass, which is pretty awesome. I know they serve other beverages, but to enjoy your meal without a glass of one of their Italian reds would be a shame. 
• Feel: This is possibly what pulls it all together for L'Unita. Low lighting, small tables, big mirrors, exposed brick walls and space constraints makes this place feel intimate and special - which it is. Check out the postcards too. 

I'm thinking I might be due for another visit soon...

Enjoy!

w: L'unita italian restaurant