4/5 stars
725 Osbourne Street
Pre-visit
We were going to go to La Petite France for dinner as our last 'date night' before I leave for Thailand but since we were going out on Good Friday, they were closed. In order to stick with the French cuisine theme, my partner chose Bistro 7 1/4. I had heard mixed reviews of this restaurant because of the open kitchen concept but I liked it, and so did my partner - so you'll have to make that decision for yourself. I can say that I would not choose to sit at the chef's table, which is modeled after a bar except instead of talking to the bartender, you're talking to the cooks.
The restaurant is not very large, so you definitely want a reservation. Apparently they will be knocking down the wall to expand next door to it (currently an empty second hand clothing store), but I'm not sure about this so don't quote me. The noise level is louder than some might like, especially at the front of the restaurant, but if you get a table closer to the back it is quite romantic and you can easily hear each other without straining yourselves. This is where we were so I was happy with the experience.
As for the appearance of the restaurant, it was quite warm - less cafeteria like than the first floor of Inferno's Bistro. The tables are a dark wood, as is the floor. One wall is turquoise with mirrors that reflect the opposite wall - a chocolate brown with light-coloured paintings. This has a neat effect in somewhat opening up the restaurant since it is narrow.
The Meal:
NOTE: This restaurant is not one for people who are on low-sodium diets.
Appetizers:
We did not order the cheese platter that they are well known for, although we did see it and it looked fantastic. It is a selection of cheese (you can choose from a long list of cheeses or let them pick for you - that's what we would have done I'm sure), served with various homemade crackers, french bread, and fruit. Alternately, we both ordered the French Onion Soup - as it is probably in both of our top 5 favourite soups. It was DELICIOUS. The chefs did a great job of not having too much cheese on the outside of the bowl, instead it was all in the soup - so good. The onions were browned much darker than you usually see at restaurants - making the flavour of the soup even stronger. PS - this soup is made in house.
You are also provided bread before your meal (are you surprised?). Instead of just being given butter, you have a number of options to try on the bread. There is a citrus salt that you can put on it, a home-made tomato jam, or in-house whipped butter - or a combination of these. The jam sounds crazy, but it was actually very good - I recommend it.
Entrees:
This was a difficult decision - especially since we were trying to choose well since this whole weekend we were going to be eating. They have a section called 'small dishes' that consisted of salads and other meals that made me think of entree-sized appetizers. They also have a section of gnudi - a food that is similar to gnocci, except that the main ingredient is ricotta cheese - and a section of muscles and fries with all sorts of sauces to have the muscles cooked in. I ordered from the large dishes section - despite the desire to not eat a lot.
I had the goat, opting for something completely different since they had such a variety of unique items. Again the meat was a little salty for my taste, and I probably wouldn't order goat again because it was tougher than I'd like, but it was well cooked to a medium rare - just as I asked. This meat was served with figs and walnuts which complemented the flavour of the meat quite well. Also, the goat was served on a bed of couscous, prepared with peppers and snow peas mixed in. I have an affinity for couscous so it was nice to see it on a menu. This also complemented the meat, but contrasted the flavour of the fig and walnut so I would not recommend having it all in your mouth at once.
My partner had the dinner special - beef tenderloin, served with a fried egg, sweet potato hash and a salsa butter. The tenderloin cut was cooked perfectly again, and was very tender. The butter enhanced the taste of the egg and hash.
Dessert:
By this point we were so full that I didn't even have the stomach to look at the dessert menu. From what we saw being walked past our table, they clearly have a chocolate cake which is served with raspberries. There was also a lemon tartlet (or at least that's what it looked like) that was topped with a variety of berries.
Wine:
I cannot say enough good things about the bottle of wine that we had. It was the Alamos Seleccion Malbec and it was fanominal. It had a strong aroma that smelled of oak and the flavour was full of different fruits. It was very dry (just the way we like it) but still quite smooth. I highly recommend it but if you don't like dry wine or reds, there are a number of other wines available by the glass or by the bottle.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Fresh Cafe
4/5 stars
775 Corydon Avenue
Previsit:
I always forget that this place is even on Corydon, although I always notice it when I'm walking down there. You've probably seen it - it's the wood building next to the 7-11. Since it's not exactly a typical restaurant I felt a little awkward walking in but the girls at the front were very helpful in directing us up to the restaurant part of the set-up (upstairs). It's not a very big venue so I would recommend timing your arrival not too close to breakfast but before the usual lunch rush - we got there at around 11 or so and it was great. One thing that was a little lacking was service in terms of checking on the food and taking payment (although I could always go for not paying).
The Meal:
What's so cool about this restaurant is that it is (a) vegan friendly, and (b) fresh! (as you may have guessed).
I ordered the eggs and meat - that's how it was described on the menu. The eggs were great - I think they might have been the kind that have extra omega-3 - and they have a variety of toast (whole wheat multigrain, white multigrain, sourdough rye, etc.). You get the choice of sausage, so I got bison sausage - it was quite flavourful and much leaner than the usual breakfast sausage. I also got pan-fried potatoes that were done with rosemary - my least favourite spice - but it was done well so the flavour wasn't overpowering.
My partner got the eggs benny (benedict), which were served on scones instead of an english muffin. The hollandaise sauce was rich and the bacon was crispy. This dish was also served with potatoes and Scott agreed that the rosemary was a nice touch - you could barely taste it.
Drinks:
We ordered the hot chocolate which was made from scratch I'm pretty sure. At the same time, I would definitely order one of their juice combo drinks next time - they sounded tasty (and again fresh).
775 Corydon Avenue
Previsit:
I always forget that this place is even on Corydon, although I always notice it when I'm walking down there. You've probably seen it - it's the wood building next to the 7-11. Since it's not exactly a typical restaurant I felt a little awkward walking in but the girls at the front were very helpful in directing us up to the restaurant part of the set-up (upstairs). It's not a very big venue so I would recommend timing your arrival not too close to breakfast but before the usual lunch rush - we got there at around 11 or so and it was great. One thing that was a little lacking was service in terms of checking on the food and taking payment (although I could always go for not paying).
The Meal:
What's so cool about this restaurant is that it is (a) vegan friendly, and (b) fresh! (as you may have guessed).
I ordered the eggs and meat - that's how it was described on the menu. The eggs were great - I think they might have been the kind that have extra omega-3 - and they have a variety of toast (whole wheat multigrain, white multigrain, sourdough rye, etc.). You get the choice of sausage, so I got bison sausage - it was quite flavourful and much leaner than the usual breakfast sausage. I also got pan-fried potatoes that were done with rosemary - my least favourite spice - but it was done well so the flavour wasn't overpowering.
My partner got the eggs benny (benedict), which were served on scones instead of an english muffin. The hollandaise sauce was rich and the bacon was crispy. This dish was also served with potatoes and Scott agreed that the rosemary was a nice touch - you could barely taste it.
Drinks:
We ordered the hot chocolate which was made from scratch I'm pretty sure. At the same time, I would definitely order one of their juice combo drinks next time - they sounded tasty (and again fresh).
Bellissimo Restaurant and Lounge
3.5/5 stars
1-877 Waverley Street
Pre-visit:
I have been to this restaurant before, but not for a very long time. I was apprehensive about going here because I know someone who got food poisoning from chicken at this restaurant on a previous occasion. This place is pretty popular so I highly recommend having a reservation - especially if you have a group larger than 4. It is a business casual atmosphere, so don't show up in sweats but you don't need to dress up to go. Also keep in mind that the lighting is dim plus the walls are a darker brown so it can be difficult to see the menu - perhaps don't take your grandparents here.
The Meal:
The menu is quite extensive with a large variety of appetizers, salads, pasta dishes and other entrees.
Appetizers
I highly recommend the Pane Fritto if you are wanting an appetizer. It is a dish consisting of a number of small pillows of cooked dough seasoned with butter and garlic, served with a bowl of warm marinara sauce to dip the dough in. If you like garlic bread or pizza this is most definitely the appetizer for you, and it's great for sharing because it's a very large portion. Just keep in mind that you also get bread before your meal so save room! We also had calamari to start. It was tasty but it wasn't any more spectacular than any other restaurant in my opinion.
We all had Caesar salad in addition to these appetizers. The dressing had a large amount of garlic in it, but the salad was well put together with not too much dressing. Something different about their Caesar salads is that they are served with grape tomatoes and olives as garnishes which changed the flavour of the salad but still worked.
Entrees
My partner had the vitello parmigiana (veal parmigiana) - a standard Italian entree. The veal was massive! It took up the majority of the plate. Even though it was so large, the meat was well cooked. The marinara sauce used was rich in flavour, and was also used on the pasta side dish served with the meat. If you do order this, just be prepared to bring some of it home.
My brother ordered the spaghetti with meatballs. The pasta was cooked well - as it should be in an Italian restaurant - and the marinara sauce made another appearance on our table. The stand-out part of this dish is was the meatballs which had a 6-8 cm diameter! It was quite funny when the dish came out because you could barely see the pasta because the three meatballs were covering the majority of the dish. You may question the quality of such large meatballs but they were very tasty with just the right combination of seasoning. Again, a portion of this dish came home with us.
My mother had the Pesce Asiago, which is a seafood pasta dish. Although this dish had a lot of flavour, it was not something that stood out as being different/original.
My step-father had the Pollo Marsala - chicken breast stuffed with spinach, caramelized onions, and bacon, which is wrapped in prosciutto. This sounds really good to me, and I will probably order it next time I go there if it is still on the menu. My step-dad does not share my enthusiasm - he won't order it again, he's going back to the veal parmigiana. I think that it might have been the sauce that took away from this dish - a marsala wine sauce. An alternative idea could be that the designated side dishes would have better complimented the chicken done like this. It is supposed to be served with potatoes and vegetables. In place of this my step-dad got the penne with marinara sauce (which I have now decided is probably their specialty based on the number of times appeared on our table).
Finally, I ordered the Pollo Ripieno - chicken breast stuffed with asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, onion and chevre cheese. The chicken is also crusted with pecans (yum) and then topped with a caramelized honey sauce. Thus far the description is probably sounding pretty good and it was tasty. My issue with this dish were that I couldn't really taste the stuffing or the pecans due to the copious amounts of honey sauce. Also, the sauce started to harden on the plate which made it harder to function. The side that came with the chicken was a pasta, vegetable stir-fry. I wasn't a huge fan but my partner said it was good - perhaps it's just because I had a whole lot of sweet stuff in my mouth.
Dessert
Again, we didn't really have a lot of room in my stomach for dessert, and neither did everyone else.
1-877 Waverley Street
Pre-visit:
I have been to this restaurant before, but not for a very long time. I was apprehensive about going here because I know someone who got food poisoning from chicken at this restaurant on a previous occasion. This place is pretty popular so I highly recommend having a reservation - especially if you have a group larger than 4. It is a business casual atmosphere, so don't show up in sweats but you don't need to dress up to go. Also keep in mind that the lighting is dim plus the walls are a darker brown so it can be difficult to see the menu - perhaps don't take your grandparents here.
The Meal:
The menu is quite extensive with a large variety of appetizers, salads, pasta dishes and other entrees.
Appetizers
I highly recommend the Pane Fritto if you are wanting an appetizer. It is a dish consisting of a number of small pillows of cooked dough seasoned with butter and garlic, served with a bowl of warm marinara sauce to dip the dough in. If you like garlic bread or pizza this is most definitely the appetizer for you, and it's great for sharing because it's a very large portion. Just keep in mind that you also get bread before your meal so save room! We also had calamari to start. It was tasty but it wasn't any more spectacular than any other restaurant in my opinion.
We all had Caesar salad in addition to these appetizers. The dressing had a large amount of garlic in it, but the salad was well put together with not too much dressing. Something different about their Caesar salads is that they are served with grape tomatoes and olives as garnishes which changed the flavour of the salad but still worked.
Entrees
My partner had the vitello parmigiana (veal parmigiana) - a standard Italian entree. The veal was massive! It took up the majority of the plate. Even though it was so large, the meat was well cooked. The marinara sauce used was rich in flavour, and was also used on the pasta side dish served with the meat. If you do order this, just be prepared to bring some of it home.
My brother ordered the spaghetti with meatballs. The pasta was cooked well - as it should be in an Italian restaurant - and the marinara sauce made another appearance on our table. The stand-out part of this dish is was the meatballs which had a 6-8 cm diameter! It was quite funny when the dish came out because you could barely see the pasta because the three meatballs were covering the majority of the dish. You may question the quality of such large meatballs but they were very tasty with just the right combination of seasoning. Again, a portion of this dish came home with us.
My mother had the Pesce Asiago, which is a seafood pasta dish. Although this dish had a lot of flavour, it was not something that stood out as being different/original.
My step-father had the Pollo Marsala - chicken breast stuffed with spinach, caramelized onions, and bacon, which is wrapped in prosciutto. This sounds really good to me, and I will probably order it next time I go there if it is still on the menu. My step-dad does not share my enthusiasm - he won't order it again, he's going back to the veal parmigiana. I think that it might have been the sauce that took away from this dish - a marsala wine sauce. An alternative idea could be that the designated side dishes would have better complimented the chicken done like this. It is supposed to be served with potatoes and vegetables. In place of this my step-dad got the penne with marinara sauce (which I have now decided is probably their specialty based on the number of times appeared on our table).
Finally, I ordered the Pollo Ripieno - chicken breast stuffed with asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, onion and chevre cheese. The chicken is also crusted with pecans (yum) and then topped with a caramelized honey sauce. Thus far the description is probably sounding pretty good and it was tasty. My issue with this dish were that I couldn't really taste the stuffing or the pecans due to the copious amounts of honey sauce. Also, the sauce started to harden on the plate which made it harder to function. The side that came with the chicken was a pasta, vegetable stir-fry. I wasn't a huge fan but my partner said it was good - perhaps it's just because I had a whole lot of sweet stuff in my mouth.
Dessert
Again, we didn't really have a lot of room in my stomach for dessert, and neither did everyone else.
Step'n Out
5/5 stars
157 Provencher Boulevard
Previsit:
Unlike Hermano's, I had heard a lot about this restaurant before we went their. The neat part about this restaurant is that the menu always changes so the food described in this blog may not be available to order when you go:) You will most likely need a reservation - I made sure we did (it was a special occasion). To do this, call and you will probably get their answering machine - just leave a message with your name, plus the date and time you want to book; you will get a call back confirming. Be aware though, the restaurant is run by a couple and so they do take holidays (for example, around Christmas time). Also, the place can be booked, which puts restrictions on when you can get a reservation.
Ambience:
I really liked the atmosphere in the restaurant, it was quite quaint. The entrance is not very big, but once you get into the restaurant the tables are well spaced so you don't feel like you're sitting on someone else. The walls are covered in photos and memorabilia to do with shopping, France, shoes, movies, etc. Also, the colours are warm - dark red and cream coloured (patterned) fabrics with hardwood floors. There is also an upstairs, but we didn't get to see it.
The Meal:
Appetizers
I started with the raspberry, goat cheese and almond salad - it was great! The goat cheese was served warm in small disks coated in sliced almonds, which was a big selling point for me - so creamy. Despite this, the best part of the salad was the raspberry vinaigrette which was homemade. It was delicious and not too potent in comparison to the usual vinaigrette that you buy in the store.
Another of the appetizers that we had was the spicy chicken gumbo. Be aware, when they say spicy, they mean it - it will definitely clear your sinuses. There were several slices of different peppers (especially banana peppers) in this tomato-based soup in addition to the chicken and chunks of other vegetables.
Entrees
My partner had the tenderloin steak, which seems to be a staple on the menu because he had had it the last time he was there. The meat was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and the quality of the cut was fantastic. For the steak lover, this is a great dish to get - safe and satisfying. It comes with potatoes and asparagus as the sides which were also cooked well. Especially considering that asparagus can be touchy, they did a very good job of ensuring that the hard parts of the end were not included in the dish.
I was slightly more daring when choosing my entree, although I went with a crepe (something that I love). The crepe in this case was filled with seafood and covered in a creamy mushroom sauce. I knew that this restaurant was classy but I wasn't sure what type of seafood would be in the crepe or how much. I was very surprised that not only were there shrimp and scallops in the crepe but also large pieces of crab and lobster - so tasty. The mushroom sauce seemed an odd compliment to this dish in my mind but when I tasted it, there was no doubt that it was fantastic.
Dessert
Unfortunately, we didn't have room to have any dessert. The menu looked delicious though and we could see them from our table so I can say for sure, they looked scrumptious.
Wine
There were a number of wines on the list that I wanted to try. We ended up choosing the Koonunga Hill by Penfolds - it's a red, and dry if you are wanting to try it.
157 Provencher Boulevard
Previsit:
Unlike Hermano's, I had heard a lot about this restaurant before we went their. The neat part about this restaurant is that the menu always changes so the food described in this blog may not be available to order when you go:) You will most likely need a reservation - I made sure we did (it was a special occasion). To do this, call and you will probably get their answering machine - just leave a message with your name, plus the date and time you want to book; you will get a call back confirming. Be aware though, the restaurant is run by a couple and so they do take holidays (for example, around Christmas time). Also, the place can be booked, which puts restrictions on when you can get a reservation.
Ambience:
I really liked the atmosphere in the restaurant, it was quite quaint. The entrance is not very big, but once you get into the restaurant the tables are well spaced so you don't feel like you're sitting on someone else. The walls are covered in photos and memorabilia to do with shopping, France, shoes, movies, etc. Also, the colours are warm - dark red and cream coloured (patterned) fabrics with hardwood floors. There is also an upstairs, but we didn't get to see it.
The Meal:
Appetizers
I started with the raspberry, goat cheese and almond salad - it was great! The goat cheese was served warm in small disks coated in sliced almonds, which was a big selling point for me - so creamy. Despite this, the best part of the salad was the raspberry vinaigrette which was homemade. It was delicious and not too potent in comparison to the usual vinaigrette that you buy in the store.
Another of the appetizers that we had was the spicy chicken gumbo. Be aware, when they say spicy, they mean it - it will definitely clear your sinuses. There were several slices of different peppers (especially banana peppers) in this tomato-based soup in addition to the chicken and chunks of other vegetables.
Entrees
My partner had the tenderloin steak, which seems to be a staple on the menu because he had had it the last time he was there. The meat was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and the quality of the cut was fantastic. For the steak lover, this is a great dish to get - safe and satisfying. It comes with potatoes and asparagus as the sides which were also cooked well. Especially considering that asparagus can be touchy, they did a very good job of ensuring that the hard parts of the end were not included in the dish.
I was slightly more daring when choosing my entree, although I went with a crepe (something that I love). The crepe in this case was filled with seafood and covered in a creamy mushroom sauce. I knew that this restaurant was classy but I wasn't sure what type of seafood would be in the crepe or how much. I was very surprised that not only were there shrimp and scallops in the crepe but also large pieces of crab and lobster - so tasty. The mushroom sauce seemed an odd compliment to this dish in my mind but when I tasted it, there was no doubt that it was fantastic.
Dessert
Unfortunately, we didn't have room to have any dessert. The menu looked delicious though and we could see them from our table so I can say for sure, they looked scrumptious.
Wine
There were a number of wines on the list that I wanted to try. We ended up choosing the Koonunga Hill by Penfolds - it's a red, and dry if you are wanting to try it.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Hermanos Restaurant and Grill
5/5
179 Bannatyne Avenue
Previsit:
I had not heard about this restaurant until a couple of days before we went there but it was reviewed by the Free Press last December so it has been around for a little while. The two worries that you have when going to this restaurant are parking and reservations. The good news is that they take reservations, even on Friday night, so that is one less thing to worry about.
The Meal:
Appetizers:
They have a wonderful tapas menu so there are plenty of appetizers to choose from. We didn't order any because none caught our eye but we did order soups to start.
Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque - delicious without too strong a tomato taste. chunks of tomato also added to the texture of the soup.
Corn, Black Bean and Sausage Chowder - surprisingly light for a cream-based chowder. flavourful with a bit of spice thanks to the chorizo sausage. chunks of carrots and onions in addition to the corn, black beans and sausage makes the soup quite hardy.
Entrees:
There is a range of prices for the entrees, and a wide selection of options to accompany this. There are also items on the menu that are meant for sharing, which is different from a lot of other restaurants. We both chose to try something a little different from our usual and it paid off - mm-mmm good.
Paella (pronounced pi-yay-ah) - served in a skillet this dish is made up of rice, tomatoes, onions, red peppers, and a hodge-podge of meats including shrimp, chorizo sausage, chicken, salmon and mussels. it's spicy, so beware if you don't like a little fire in your meal, but if you like spice it is not at all overwhelming. The flavours in this dish mix really well, and it reminded me a little bit of cabbage rolls (with meat obviously). The jalapeno corn bread they serve with this meal is a nice compliment, but I have a bias toward corn bread. portion-wise, the small is large enough to have left-overs for lunch the next day!
Milanesa Especial - a chicken dish topped with country ham, provolone cheese, roasted red peppers and black olives. I didn't get to try it with the black olives due to the taste preferences of my partner, but it was still delicious. The chicken was very tender, and the toppings complimented each other well - especially the provolone and the ham. This dish was served with mashed potatoes and vegetables so you will be full by the end.
Desserts:
The dessert menu is not vast but it had some interesting items in addition to a couple of traditional ones. We shared the tempura banana split. I hadn't had fried bananas in ages and they are sooooo good. Instead of ice cream the banana split is made with gelato, and because of this the flavours are really rich.
Wines:
Hermanos has a decent variety of wine choose from. We went with an Argentinian wine, which I don't remember the name of but it paired well with the meal.
179 Bannatyne Avenue
Previsit:
I had not heard about this restaurant until a couple of days before we went there but it was reviewed by the Free Press last December so it has been around for a little while. The two worries that you have when going to this restaurant are parking and reservations. The good news is that they take reservations, even on Friday night, so that is one less thing to worry about.
The Meal:
Appetizers:
They have a wonderful tapas menu so there are plenty of appetizers to choose from. We didn't order any because none caught our eye but we did order soups to start.
Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque - delicious without too strong a tomato taste. chunks of tomato also added to the texture of the soup.
Corn, Black Bean and Sausage Chowder - surprisingly light for a cream-based chowder. flavourful with a bit of spice thanks to the chorizo sausage. chunks of carrots and onions in addition to the corn, black beans and sausage makes the soup quite hardy.
Entrees:
There is a range of prices for the entrees, and a wide selection of options to accompany this. There are also items on the menu that are meant for sharing, which is different from a lot of other restaurants. We both chose to try something a little different from our usual and it paid off - mm-mmm good.
Paella (pronounced pi-yay-ah) - served in a skillet this dish is made up of rice, tomatoes, onions, red peppers, and a hodge-podge of meats including shrimp, chorizo sausage, chicken, salmon and mussels. it's spicy, so beware if you don't like a little fire in your meal, but if you like spice it is not at all overwhelming. The flavours in this dish mix really well, and it reminded me a little bit of cabbage rolls (with meat obviously). The jalapeno corn bread they serve with this meal is a nice compliment, but I have a bias toward corn bread. portion-wise, the small is large enough to have left-overs for lunch the next day!
Milanesa Especial - a chicken dish topped with country ham, provolone cheese, roasted red peppers and black olives. I didn't get to try it with the black olives due to the taste preferences of my partner, but it was still delicious. The chicken was very tender, and the toppings complimented each other well - especially the provolone and the ham. This dish was served with mashed potatoes and vegetables so you will be full by the end.
Desserts:
The dessert menu is not vast but it had some interesting items in addition to a couple of traditional ones. We shared the tempura banana split. I hadn't had fried bananas in ages and they are sooooo good. Instead of ice cream the banana split is made with gelato, and because of this the flavours are really rich.
Wines:
Hermanos has a decent variety of wine choose from. We went with an Argentinian wine, which I don't remember the name of but it paired well with the meal.
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