Charcoal Steak House

2980 King Street East

Kitchener, ON

519-893-6570

Photo property of  the Sign Depot.

In her opinion:

My nephew recently celebrated his First Communion and the luncheon that followed was at the Charcoal Steak House. We are huge fans of the Charcoal Group and visit their restaurants quite often both for celebrations or everyday dining. So it wasn't too surprising that my brother and sister-in-law choose one of their restaurants to hold my nephews' First Communion luncheon.

When we arrived, we were shown to a private room set up for the 16 guests invited to celebrate my nephews' special day. The room was cozy and perfectly decorated. The service was exceptional. There were 3 servers assigned to our table. They made sure that drink orders were taken care of and water glasses constantly filled.

The menu consisted of three appetizer choices - daily soup, Caesar salad or spinach salad.  I picked the daily soup which was a carrot ginger soup.

This soup was thick...not baby food consistency thick but thick enough. The flavour of the carrot was the star of the soup with a little complimentary flavour note provided by the ginger. It was served with a couple of toasted pieces of focaccia bread. All in all a very good soup for a Spring day.

We also had a choice of three mains to pick from - the sirloin steak, brie stuffed chicken or trout with quinoa.  I opted for the sirloin steak which was served with mash potato and roasted veggies (beets and carrots) and green beans.

I had asked for my steak to be cooked medium and it arrived cooked to perfection. It was well seasoned. The mash potatoes were fluffy and flavourful; as were the carrots and green beans. But for me, the star on the plate besides the meat and potatoes were the roasted beets. I am a sucker for a good roasted beet and these were no exception. Sweet and succulent. Really really good main.

For dessert we were served the First Communion cake which was sliced and served by the Charcoal but not made by the Charcoal. It was made by Lina's Speciality Cakes. 

I was impressed that the Charcoal allowed an outside vendor's product to be served. This illustrates how easy they are to work with for those special occasions. 

Overall, I thought that the food and service was excellent. As it always is afterall. The Charcoal Steak House is an institution in Kitchener-Waterloo and it is easy to see why.

In his opinion:
It may seem strange that with all my visits to the Charcoal Steak House through the years, I seldom remember having actual steak, the dish they are known and famous for in our region. I know I have had it at some point, but the menu always seems to evoke a different tasty delight in every visit.

This time we were there for a first communion event , admittedly different than a romantic dinner a deux! Would the service, food and overall experience be of the same caliber as we are used to in the dining room? Good questions that were about to be answered.

We had a private room waiting for the event attendees and we were led to it by a wonderful hostess that ensured everyone was following her, from the front all the way to the room. Tables were nicely set-up as expected with the same feel and ambiance as if you were in the main dining room.

I glimpsed at the menu that was specifically prepared for this event, including a picture of the "boy of the day" himself, which was a nice touch by the way. All the options, seemed great and appetizing not making my job of choosing easy. I opted for the spinach salad to start and the brie stuffed chicken for my entree.

The salad was fresh with fresh spinach, a light vinaigrette dressing and apples sliced thinly throughout. It was delicious and I particularly liked the lightness and not overpowering taste of the vinaigrette. The staff were always there for any needs and were efficient but not rushing in their control of the finished plates.

The brie stuffed chicken was perfectly done. The skin was packed with flavour and just crispy enough to offset the moist tender meat beneath it. It was a delight at every bite and I kept wishing it wouldn't end. It was served with lightly roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes.

The Good: Great atmosphere whether you are in the dining room or a private room. The food and service were good, delivering on their promises. The staff were very attentive and made the group feel special.
The Bad: The drawback of being there for an event with a set menu is that it excludes you from the rest of the menu, which is a shame.
The Verdict:The great reputation of Charcoal Steak House is present even in a small gathering as this one. Staff was great, the food was impeccable and made for a great event. Highly recommended for small events.

I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 Olives as rating

Food Truck Eats - Peller Estates 2013

Food Truck Eats - Peller Estates 2013
Peller Estates Winery
290 John Street East
Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON

1-888-673-5537 ext. 2

Photo property of Peller Estates

Just wanted to let everyone know about the Food Truck Eats event taking place at Peller Estates this long weekend. It's on Saturday, May 16, 2013 (1pm to 6pm) and Sunday, May 17, 2013 (6pm to 10pm). I believe that the Saturday, May 16, 2013 event is already sold out but tickets are still available for Sunday, May 17, 2013. 

Tickets are $15 per person (children are welcome and they are free) and include a souvenir event glass and a glass of wine.

This is a great opportunity to experience 20 Food Trucks + 20 Wines in a great lively environment.

Don't miss out on the biggest food truck event in Canada!

Triana Tapas and Flamingo

251 Racinto Sur
San Juan, Puerto Rico

787-725-8819

In her opinion:
On this particular night in San Juan, proximity to our condo was a major deciding factor in our dinner choices. As we walked across the square filled with music, people and the smells of street food, we knew exactly where we were going...Triana Tapas and Flamingo.

We were greeted by a young inexperienced host who showed to two different tables before we were served. He brought us three glasses of water and disappeared. After about ten minutes of waiting we summoned him over and asked him about the paella and if it would actually take 45 minutes to prepare. He was unsure and thought it would only take 25 minutes. We told him we were ready to order so he sent our waitress over who never introduced herself. But was good enough to tell us that the paella took 45 minutes to prepare...so much for that.

We ordered a 1/2 jug of traditional sangria and checked over the menu again. She brought out a basket with three warm buns and the most delicious house-made garlic butter to nibble while we looked over the menu. She quickly brought out the sangria which was reminiscent of the ones I had had in Spain. Good flavour and it went down easily.

We decided on tapas. I picked two and Edgar picked two and we would share. For my picks, I chose "Fabada Asturiana" and "Camarones al Ajillo".

Fabada Asturiana is Asturian beans and sausage. Very similar to the Portuguse style of beans with linguica. These were extremely tasty, although, I must say that the portion was rather small for the price (but that seemed to be the theme with this place).

I love shrimp and garlic and these definitely did not disappoint. They had large pieces of garlic in the sauce and the shrimp themselves were large and perfectly cooked...my only complaint was that you only got 4 shrimps with an order...definitely not enough to satisfy a shrimp craving!

I also shared "Chorizos al Vino" (Spanish Sausage in Wine) and "Callos Madrilenos" (Tripes in Slightly Spicy Sauce). The sausage in wine was delightful. I really enjoyed this typically Spanish dish. The tripes in sauce was a little stretch for me. As a child, I would watch my mother cook this and I was turned off completely...but I was brave and had some of this dish...it is different from the Portuguese dish as it is cooked with chick peas rather then white beans...but it still had the sausage in it and it was rather delicious!

Overall, it was a very nice dinner...my complaint was the fact that it was expensive for what you actually got but that is life!

In his opinion:
At first glance this place screams tourist trap, with its hostess dressed as a flamenco dancer and the front door adorned with Spanish memorabilia, mostly artifacts from Seville and its Flamenco motif. As you walk in, the very spacious room opens up to a lot more Spanish style sights and trinkets. From fake Spanish balconies to Flamenco outfits and Real Madrid Football scarves, there is a little bit of Spain in every corner.

The appeal here is definitely the daily tapas and the Flamenco shows that run Fridays and Saturdays. On those days it is hard to find an empty seat throughout the day and night. It seems kind of confusing as those two are from very different parts of Spain but it goes well with the "confused", everywhere in Spain motif of the restaurant. 

We ordered half a Sangria pitcher which was pretty traditional but lacking the usual "punch" that you would find in traditional Spanish or Portuguese Sangrias. Nevertheless, it was perfect for a hot evening in San Juan, quenching our thirst quite well. The bread was served to us still warm from baking, with an extremely tasty garlic butter that made for the perfect spread.

 

For my tapas choices, I decided on "Chorizo al Vino" and "Callos Madrilenos". The "Chorizo" (Spanish sausage) in wine was absolutely delicious with curled up slices of chorizo cooked to perfection and a healthy dose of wine breathing through its pores. This tapas dish was very fulfilling and reminiscing of some of my favourite chorizo dishes.

 

For my second tapas dish, I ordered Callos Madrilenos, a typical winter dish in Spain which consists of cow tripe cooked in a spicy sauce. I'm a sucker for a good plate of tripe, reminiscing of my younger days in Europe where this dish is a staple in many households. This tripe was well cooked, great consistency but lacked a bit in flavour. Being coked in a "slightly spicy sauce", you would think that the flavours would be abundant but it was quite the opposite. Although well prepared and cooked but lacking in flavour.

 





 

The Good: If you are in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico looking for a Flamenco show and some tastes of Spain in the form of tapas this might be the place for you. 

The Bad: Mostly distasteful decorations and staff that wasn't engaged at all makes for a long night, especially if on day without the "show".

The Verdict: There are many other choices that come to mind for a good meal, better tapas even in San Juan than this restaurant. Having said that, it wasn't a bad experience overall but lacked a bit in every aspect of a good experience. Serves the "clueless" tourist very well... 

Toro Salao

367 Calle Tetuan
San Juan, Puerto Rico

787-977-3886

In her opinion:
I couldn't have asked for a better first meal in San Juan! We were not sure where we wanted to eat our first supper so we just started walking and walking and walking unto we got into the SoFo area of Old San Juan. There we were greeted by a slew of restaurants...one after the other with menus outdoing themselves as we went along the street.

After much perusing we decided on Toro Salao...a tapas place with a great outdoor seating area. We were shown to our seats on the patio by the awesome Daniel.

Our waitress Nicole was equally awesome and attentive. I asked for a glass of water and the Ibiza Sangria Fizz.

This was a white citrus sangria. It was light and refreshing. I really enjoyed this glass of sangria which help highlight my food choices.

We decided to order a few tapas to share. We ordered "Batas Bravas con Aioli de Chorizo", "Croquetas de Bacalao con aioli de limon" and a "Coca Mediterranea".

We have had batas bravas in Spain in many different shapes and sizes but this version was spectacular. It was so tasty due to the chorizo aioli which added an unexpected flavour kick. 

Being of Portuguese culture; salted cod runs in out veins and I was a little hesitant to try a salted cod dish on a Caribbean island. But I have to say...I was not disappointed! These croquettes were incredibly delish. Crispy on the outside with a delectable soft centre. The "aioli de limon" was the perfect accompaniment!

The "coca Mediterranea" was the feature Spanish flatbread pizza for the night - it consisted of hummus, shrimp, chorizo, spinach, red onion and feta cheese. It was so incredibly good! I'm glad that our fabulous waitress, Nicole really described how good this was.

The manager, Violeta came out to talk to us about the restaurant and how it is a part of a 6 restaurant group including Dragonfly and Aguaviva. Her enthusiasm is unwavering. She is a fabulous spokesperson for this restaurant group.

As Nicole delivered our bill, she also delivered a delicious "Espresso Cheesecake" compliments of the house for us to take home. This was delectable. We couldn't have asked for a better first night restaurant. We felt truly welcomed by the Puerto Rican food scene...what a great start to a wonderful holiday!

The Food:

 

In his opinion:
As it happens in most of our travels, our dining choices usually come from a combination of prior research and also just wondering the streets perusing and talking to locals. Toro Salao had come up in our research and was in the back of our minds as we strolled the streets of Old San Juan. In this section of a few blocks of this lovely city, the possibilities for dining are truly infinite with choices for everyone and restaurant that cater to both the food lover or the tourist/cruise ship type.

Toro Salao is part of a company that runs 6 restaurants in the area but on this day our attraction to this restaurant had a lot to do with one word...tapas. Oh yes... those "appetizer" size portions of delicious food that make up such a big part of the Spanish food scene. How true to Spanish tapas can a restaurant in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico be?

 

I always make a point to not compare the tapas that I'm about to try to some amazing food nights that I have had in both Madrid and Barcelona. But it is hard not to. Nevertheless I try to remain unbias as much as possible. Toro Salao is located in the middle of a bustling street of good restaurants and of course, Starbucks.

The staff was great, starting with Daniel that was so courteous to us even when we were just walking by, undecided on where to eat. He was equally helpful as we returned to make Toro our stop for the evening and made us feel right at home. Our server Nicole was also very attentive and quickly took our drink orders. Having had a "fun" day already in the land of Bacardi, I opted for a regular coke as the walk back was still significant.

The food choices were obviously tapas and we ordered one of our favourite tapas, "Batatas Bravas". We also ordered "Croquetas de Bacalao" and we were sold on the night's special, "Coca Mediterranea" that sounded very appealing from Nicole's description. Coca is in actuality a Spanish Pastry with a variety of toppings but the final results look a lot like a pizza. The batatas bravas were delicious...the Aioli de chorizo  sauce although different than the more traditional paprika based sauce, was excellent in its own right.

The croquetas de bacalao is something I'm very familiar with and part of my Portuguese heritage cuisine. This one was lightly battered on the outside, full of flavour on the inside and the aioli de limon was a perfect pairing for it.
The Coca Mediterranea was quite the highlight. The portion was very generous, the toppings were fresh and flavourful from the chorizo, red onion, feta cheese to the shrimp and humus.

We got a chance to speak to the long time manager of this restaurant, Violeta and it was easy to see that her passion for food and this restaurant were quite high. She was a delightful addition to our night. The Espresso Cheesecake dessert she offered us was divine to say the least, and completed our night perfectly.

The Good: Great spot with tasty tapas, amazing atmosphere and excellent staff.
The Bad: No bad at all, maybe just my usual line of...wish it was closer to my house...In Canada.
The Verdict: This restaurant is a must try when in Old San Juan, it has everything to make your food experience a great one. Be sure to find them among all the other restaurants along the way, It's well worth it. 

Rainbow Caribbean Cuisine

29 King Street East
Kitchener, Ontario

519-579-2618

In her opinion:
I have wanted to try this restaurant for a while now. I have never had roti and have been curious about it for some time. So Rainbow Caribbean Cuisine was the place to experience this specialty. 

We walked into a large, very clean room filled with people clearly enjoying their meals. This is a cafeteria style restaurant manned by four lovely West Indies ladies who made running this restaurant look like a well choreographed dance.

After scouting the menu for a couple of minutes, I knew exactly what I wanted...roti of course. But what filling? After a little chat with one of the staff, I picked the beef curry filling. I ordered a side salad with it - my choice was the macaroni salad!

It was a large "pita or wrap" style sandwich. The roti itself was delicious. Definitely more flavourful then a regular tortilla or flatbread. The filling was out of this world good. It was reminiscent of all my Caribbean holidays and brought back very good foodie memories! The flavours of the East and West combine in a delicious expression of flavour! The roti was served with two sweet fried plantains. So so good! The macaroni salad was excellent. Again transporting me back to many Caribbean holidays. 

Rainbow Caribbean is a cheap alternative to having exceptional Caribbean food without actually taking a holiday in the Caribbean! I would recommend Rainbow Caribbean Cuisine to anyone who enjoys the food of the West Indies. It provides fresh, good food at very fair prices.


In his opinion:

If you ever need to experience the full Caribbean warmth and hospitality, as well as some of its food but the bank account doesn't allow for international travel...we have the right alternative. Rainbow Caribbean Cuisine is the answer to all of the above. 

The most important thing about Rainbow Caribbean is that eating here is much more than just a good Caribbean meal, it's an experience! The staff is super friendly and attentive and make you feel like you are a regular even if it's your first visit.

The ambience is unapologetically West Indies with all its colour, vibrance and welcoming. Last but not least the food is authentic and done just like it's prepared in the many Caribbean islands that I have had the pleasure of vacationing in.

This restaurant is set-up in a cafeteria style with a large extensive menu on the wall behind the counter and the prepared food displayed behind the glass. One of the attractions is definitely the roti which has its own section on the menu. Roti (wrap/bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour) is traditionally a South Asian dish, predominantly from India and surrounding countries but this version was the Caribbean one, most likely from Trinidad and Tobago.

The menu also boasts other Caribbean traditional flavours like jerk chicken, goat and beef curries, Jamaican patties, oxtail, lots of plantain and beef with cow foot soup! Regardless of some of the oddly named dishes, there is something for everyone in this infinite selection.

I decided to have the "Small Plates" special with jerk chicken, served with hot sauce all over the chicken, rice and beans, plantain and the staff even included a piece of oxtail, just enough to get a taste. The chicken was full of flavour, not extra spicy like I remembered from having it in Jamaica but with enough kick for the average person. The rice with beans was absolutely delightful, light and full of flavour helped with a healthy dose of sauce covering it. The plantain was perfectly cooked and the macaroni salad was unfortunately the only disappointment of the meal. Honorable mention goes to the oxtail, majestically cooked and one of the best ones I have ever had.

Although it is some version of fast food, Caribbean Style, this restaurant boasts enough warmth and excellent choices to make it an honorable mention in the downtown Kitchener food scene, giving it the "spice" it needs.

The Good: Great authentic Caribbean food with bursts of flavour in every bite, coupled with wonderful staff and atmosphere.
The Bad: Gets busy quick, line ups can be long and if you are familiar with  "Island Time", speed of customer service can be daunting.
The Verdict: A definite change from the mundane usual downtown spots. The authenticity and warmth of the food and people will ensure the line-ups continue on end. It's good to have so many good, tasty choices at your finger tips. Great spot for eat in or take out.

I give it 2 1/2 out of 5 Olives as rating

Eataliano Panini & Pasta Ristorante

255 King Street North
Waterloo, Ontario

519-208-9000

In her opinion:
I love Italian sandwiches...I remember there was a time when you could only get them in Toronto but not anymore...I'm super excited! I know I have said many times that Italian cuisine is not my favourite but I'm a sucker for veal sandwiches, good meatballs and lasagna. Eataliano is not a place to get fancy Italian food...if you want fancy Italian go to Eatalia in Burlington but rather this is just good, simple Italian food at its finest! And that's just what I like.

We decided to visit for dinner. We arrived to an empty restaurant and were warmly greeted by the assistant manager who was overseeing the entire restaurant. We ordered our sandwiches...a veal sandwich with provolone and hot peppers and a meatball...which we were told that they had run out of meatballs...so we got the chicken sandwich with mushrooms and provolone (he was nice enough to charge me the meatball sandwich price since they were out).

Both sandwiches were huge. The chicken had a crunchy breading exterior. While the chicken itself was moist and delicious. The provolone added the right amount of strong flavour and the mushrooms were the perfect partner for the cheese. Overall, a delicious sandwich.

I shared half of the veal sandwich. It too was really delicious as well. The veal was perfectly cooked and the breading kept its crunchiness as well. I had to remove some of the hot peppers as it was a little too much warmth for me...but the provolone, tomato sauce and a few hot peppers made this a kick ass sandwich.

I hope that Eataliano has much success...this is a great place to eat simple Italian favourites. I need to return and try their pastas as well.  Definitely give this place a try. 

In his opinion:
Sometimes things are not exactly as they appear! At first glance, Eataliano looks very much like some cheesy Italian fast food franchise (maybe a step up from a mall food court type of restaurants) but I assure you that those are only appearances! Behind the odd larger than life pictures of the old Italian Man on the wall and beyond the "East Side Marios-ish" decor lays what truly separates this place from others. THE FOOD...

As the latest off-spring of the people that brought us the "The Grill Burger Kitchen', Eataliano serves good Italian paninis and pasta, served fast. There are absolutely no previously frozen items in this restaurant, everything is fresh, from the cuts of meat, to the toppings for the sandwiches. All is fresh and carefully chosen. This is already a huge step up from most sandwich places that I have encountered and deserves a good mention.

I had the pleasure this day of trying out 2 sandwiches, the "Veal Sandwich" and the "Chicken Sandwich". First thing worthy of mentioning is the size of the sandwiches which are very large. I mean, its highly impossible to take a bite holding on with both hands large. The meat in the sandwiches is also generous.

The veal sandwich ended up being my favourite. I topped it with hot peppers and provolone cheese and those toppings worked quite well with the sauce. The veal cutlet had a surprisingly crunchier than usual coating which I enjoyed very much.

The chicken sandwich was equally large, shared the same sauce as the veal and it was very tasty. The chicken portion was again very generous, a bonus for the meatatarians in search of their fix. In my opinion, it didn't display the flavour impact of the veal but still a good sandwich nevertheless.

The Good: Fresh, tasty Italian food done well and served in a fast food manner. Huge sandwiches and very friendly staff (Assistant Manager).
The Bad: Limited menu to choose from and they had run out of meatballs early in the afternoon.
The Verdict: The restaurant and the food pleasantly surprised me as I was expecting a "California Sandwiches" clone. I did not have a chance to try their pastas or meatballs but plan to go back and try them. Overall, seems like a good option for a quick fix of Eataliano food, especially when time is limited.

I give it 3 out of 5 Olives as rating

Bread Heads

16 Duke Street East
Kitchener, ON

In her opinion:
This place has been on my radar for some time. I have seen it on the Urbanspoon's "Talk of the Town" list a few times and have even attempted to visit on a Saturday...before it was open on Saturdays. I finally organized a small foodie crawl for the Duke Street area in order to try a couple of places. 

This is a very small family run restaurant. They don't even have a phone number. There are probably 5 seats in the whole place. But none of this is important. The most important thing is the food...specifically the pizza. 

We ordered two of their pizzas as it was almost closing time and they had run out of bread for melts and sandwiches. I am kind of glad that they had run out since it allowed us to try two of their amazing pizzas.

We ordered two of their pizzas as I said...Breadheadigan and the Quattro Formaggi.  The Breadheadigan is described on the chalkboard menu as "pesto, fresh cherry tomatoes, Monforte Fresco cheese, balsamic reduction and fresh Parmesan". The Quattro Formaggi is described as "olive oil, mozzarella, asiago, ricotta, fresh Parmesan and white truffle oil."

These lovelies don't take long to make at all. But the flavours are outstanding. The Breadheadigan is absolutely delicious. The pesto and cherry tomatoes work extremely well together. The balsamic reduction is the piece de resistence tying everything together perfectly. Just an exceptional pizza.

The Quattro Formaggi was unbelievably good. My definite favourite of the two. These four cheeses are a perfect union of flavours resulting in a refined and delectable pizza. Just amazing!

I definitely want to return. Bread Heads is a little treasure with a beautiful Italian wood fire oven, an ingenious chef and a lovely family creating delicious pizza in the Neapolitan tradition. I do believe that they have indeed succeeded in giving pizza some dignity back!!!

In his opinion:
Stepping into this little gem you would think you are somewhere in Provence, France or in Cinque Terre in Italy, that's the feeling it portraits. Small, cozy and with a great lively feel. It gives you such a welcoming feeling despite the limited seating available for the customers.

This is not much of an issue as a good portion of the customers will order to go but for those that do stay, the opportunity to sit side by side, chat a little and enjoy their great food together is a definite plus. This place is a cross between a bakery/patisserie, a pizza place and cafe, all rolled up into one and delivering on all of them.

The menu boasts 6 choices of gourmet pizzas, 3 different melts, 4 types of sandwiches and there is a tray of fresh baked goods at hand's reach to entice the sweet tooth in all of us. The coffee station sits near the seating area, inviting you to make it as you like it. The pizzas are prepared and made, right in front of you in a brick oven and in record time as well, as fresh as it gets.

Since this was late in the day, we ordered pizzas only as they had run out of buns for the sandwiches. Sometimes those strange circumstances lead you to try more of one thing and in this case it was entirely true and a definite plus. We ordered the Quattro Fromaggi pizza and the Breadheadigan pizza. Let's start with the Breadheading pizza which had fresh parmesan covering a bed of fresh cherry tomatoes, balsamic reduction and Monforte Fresco cheese. This pizza was great in flavour and texture. The thin slightly crunchy crust is perfect for the Italian minimalist topping style of the pizza.

Quattro Fromaggi Pizza

The Quattro Fromaggi pizza was out of this world...easily in top 5 pizza's I have ever had. The combination of the 4 cheeses is perfect and they all give you something different, from texture to flavour and all the way to finish. It features Asiago, Fresh Parmesan, Mozzarella and Ricotta with topping like olive oil and white truffle oil...seriously? Yes, very serious and extremely tasty.

The Good: Great artisanal Pizzas and sandwiches, brick oven makes the difference and great service form the family ran restaurant.
The Bad: Limited seating and running out of bread early means pizza is only selection available. Also only 1 of the pizzas has meat (meatatarian drawback).
The Verdict: A true gem that seems to go unnoticed by many. The pizza is truly amazing and doubles as a coffee shop as well. I will certainly be back soon to try the sandwiches and melts and if they are anything like the pizzas, this can become a regular spot for me.

I give 3 1/2 out of 5 Olives as rating