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.
