This weekend January 14 - 15, 2012 take a drive to Jordan Village or the Niagara Region in Ontario. It's the annual Twenty Valley Winter Winefest and Niagara Icewine Festival!
The Twenty Valley Winefest takes place on Main Street in Jordan Village. What an great opportunity to mix great wine, food and entertainment. On Saturday evening starting at 5:00 pm the food trucks will also be open for service. It's your chance to sample great gourmet street fare from El Gastronomo Vagabundo, the Toasted Tangerine, Blue Donkey Steatery, Gorilla Cheese and Cupcake Diner.
The Niagara Icewine Festival has several events taking place from January 13 to 29, 2012. Buy a Discovery Pass for $30 and you will be able to partake of 6 great wine and food pairing experiences at different wineries throughout the Niagara Region. Wine and food pairings are $10.00 without the Discovery Pass.
In her opinion:
What better way to get rid of those winter blues then with wine and good food. I plan to be in Jordan Village on Saturday afternoon that way I can take full advantage of the food truck offerings (which I plan to blog about soon). I am seriously thinking about doing the Discovery Pass and trying some of the great offerings at the different wineries throughout the Niagara Region.
In his opinion:
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the village of Jordan; let's change that please, and in a hurry. It is home to award winning Cave Springs, one of the great Wineries in Ontario and the fabulous Inn on the Twenty Restaurant (former baking spot of Anna Olson, plus a multitude of other culinary, shopping and accommodation wonders). The events happening the next couple of weekends are just another reason to visit this pretty small village and the Region of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Besides, how can you say no to wineries/food trucks combo? It's the best of 2 worlds coming together just for your pleasure. A foodie's dream...
We attended a similar event last year (the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival) and let me assure you that it is as good as it sounds. So...after you finish reading this, get on it and plan your next 2 weekends. We are...Cheers
Monday, 9 January 2012
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Authentic Mexican Food in Cambridge, Ontario!!
Latino America Unida Mexican Restaurant -
18 Concession Street Unit 101, Cambridge, ON
519-267-3634
In her opinion:
I love Mexico. I love the people of Mexico. I love Mexican music. But I love Mexican food the most. Corn, cilantro, chorizo, peppers, etc. combining together in one form or another make me happy. Lately, my little city has been blessed with a couple of authentic Mexican restaurant/grocery store combos - El Rinconsito Mexicano and Latino America Unida. Both are in downtown Galt (for those of you that don't live in Cambridge, it's made up of three distinct towns; Galt, Preston and Hespeler) and both restaurants are great. Tonight we decided to have dinner from Latino America Unida. This restaurant/grocery is run by a lovely Mexican family - Guadalupe, Mauricio, Mauricio Jr. and Ernie. They have been friendly and very informative about the different Mexican products that they sell.
18 Concession Street Unit 101, Cambridge, ON
519-267-3634
In her opinion:
I love Mexico. I love the people of Mexico. I love Mexican music. But I love Mexican food the most. Corn, cilantro, chorizo, peppers, etc. combining together in one form or another make me happy. Lately, my little city has been blessed with a couple of authentic Mexican restaurant/grocery store combos - El Rinconsito Mexicano and Latino America Unida. Both are in downtown Galt (for those of you that don't live in Cambridge, it's made up of three distinct towns; Galt, Preston and Hespeler) and both restaurants are great. Tonight we decided to have dinner from Latino America Unida. This restaurant/grocery is run by a lovely Mexican family - Guadalupe, Mauricio, Mauricio Jr. and Ernie. They have been friendly and very informative about the different Mexican products that they sell.
Mauricio, Guadolupe, Mauricio Jr. & Ernie.
The grocery store and restaurant.
The menu is not huge but what they have is excellent. They have burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, sopes and huaraches. Pricing is extremely reasonable. Buritos (pollo, chorizo, cochinitas, etc.) are $4.99 for a small or $6.99 for a large. Three tacos (carnitas, chorizo, dorados, etc.) for $6.50. Quesadillas for $4.50 and huaraches for $4.50 or with meat for $4.99. So we decided to get our favourites for a quick take out dinner. Our order consisted of burrito de pollo and tacos de chorizo.
Burrito de Pollo
Tacos de Chorizo
Both are excellent. The burrito has chicken, cheese, black beans, rice, sour cream, onion, cilantro and lettuce. Mexican hot or mild is optional. The tacos consist of chorizo (Mexican sausage, cheese, onions and cilantro. Mexican hot or mild sauce is served on the side. These are both authentic tasting Mexican dishes that help me recount my various trips to the Mayan Riviera.
Tonight we had an extra surprise. Guadalupe was trying something new to add to the menu - Churros. All I can say is that she would be nuts not to add them.
Churros with an apple filling.
She gave my husband two to try. These were excellent. Just like the ones we had in Mexico. I hope she certainly does add them to the menu. I know I'll be ordering them.
I love this place. I hope more people go and try their food and keep them busy so they are around a very long time.
In his opinion:
This piece of Latino flavour with great Mexican food tucked away and can easily be passed by if you don't know it's there. It's your typical Latin American Tienda (store) with a very small kitchen in the back, cooking amazing food.
The owners are extremely friendly. They are the ones that staff the restaurant with the warmth and joy that we have come to expect from our happy neighbours to the very south.
In our continuous search for good/ethnic food in our city, we try to experiment with many small, family run restaurants. We have loved this one since we first tried it. The menu is very Mexican and has many of the "expected" items of a Mexican restaurant in Canada.
This evening I drove down to pick up some chicken (pollo) burritos and chorizo tacos. The burritos are very tasty with choices of sauces from the sweet/tangy kind to the habanero type which is super spicy or maybe it's just my plain pallet that thinks it's deadly. The chorizo tacos are amazing........double wrapped with Mexican tortillas, you get 3 per serving with a choice of sauce as well.
The good: You truly feel that you are arriving at their home for lunch, not their restaurant and the food is prepared in plain sight. It's always very fresh and tasty.
The bad: Many of the best things are still not on the menu as they are still experimenting with what clients want and what they can add. Ask what they also do that might not be in the menu.......well worth it.
Verdict: Great place.....friendly, convenient, you can do some shopping for Latin cooking items as you eat or pick up lunch or dinner. It's all very accessible in price.
I give it a 3 out of 5 olives as rating.
In his opinion:
This piece of Latino flavour with great Mexican food tucked away and can easily be passed by if you don't know it's there. It's your typical Latin American Tienda (store) with a very small kitchen in the back, cooking amazing food.
The owners are extremely friendly. They are the ones that staff the restaurant with the warmth and joy that we have come to expect from our happy neighbours to the very south.
In our continuous search for good/ethnic food in our city, we try to experiment with many small, family run restaurants. We have loved this one since we first tried it. The menu is very Mexican and has many of the "expected" items of a Mexican restaurant in Canada.
This evening I drove down to pick up some chicken (pollo) burritos and chorizo tacos. The burritos are very tasty with choices of sauces from the sweet/tangy kind to the habanero type which is super spicy or maybe it's just my plain pallet that thinks it's deadly. The chorizo tacos are amazing........double wrapped with Mexican tortillas, you get 3 per serving with a choice of sauce as well.
The good: You truly feel that you are arriving at their home for lunch, not their restaurant and the food is prepared in plain sight. It's always very fresh and tasty.
The bad: Many of the best things are still not on the menu as they are still experimenting with what clients want and what they can add. Ask what they also do that might not be in the menu.......well worth it.
Verdict: Great place.....friendly, convenient, you can do some shopping for Latin cooking items as you eat or pick up lunch or dinner. It's all very accessible in price.
I give it a 3 out of 5 olives as rating.
Friday, 6 January 2012
Flashback: Auberge du Pommier - Winterlicious/2011 - February 5, 2011
In her opinion:
So in light of the fact that I blogged about Winterlicious yesterday and probably got some of you thinking about possibly experiencing this great opportunity. I decided to share one of my favourite Winterlicious 2011 moment.
My husband's favourite restaurant in Toronto and maybe the world is Auberge du Pommier. This is an Oliver and Bonacini Restaurant and serves some of the best modern French food outside of well, France. It's described by the restaurant itself as the "original jewel in the Oliver and Bonacini crown" and what a jewel it is!
This restaurant is located at the top of Yonge Street just south off the 401 and it was constructed using two 1860's woodcutters cottage. It is simply beautiful. But what's more important is that it serves simply beautiful modern French cuisine.
So getting back to Winterlicious 2011 - we called and reserved February 5, 2011 for dinner. This was a Saturday and we made it a part of an early Valentine's weekend celebration. And what a weekend it was; we dined at both Auberge du Pommier and Canoe (but we'll talk about Canoe some other time). We had a choice of 3 courses to pick from including an appetizer, main course and a dessert. Here were my choices:
 |
| My appetizer - Potage de Pois Cassés et Jambon (smoked ham and split pea soup with parsley). |
 |
| My entrée - Boeuf Grillé au Poivre (peppered Wellington County beef with warm ragoût of butternut squash, pearl barley and sunchokes). |
 |
| My dessert - Mousse au Caramel Salé (salted caramel mousse with caramelized white chocolate torte, banana and chocolate sorbet). |
The potage or soup was excellent and in the middle of Winter it just fit the bill. I remember that my main was amazing. The beef was cooked to perfection and the accompaniments were excellent. Finally, the dessert was unbelievable. I love anything with salted caramel and this combined well with chocolate and banana...just incredible.
I loved this dinner. Everything about it was perfect from the attentive waiter, to the delicious food to the perfect atmosphere! Auberge du Pommier is also one of my favourites but ssshhh...don't tell Edgar!!!
In his opinion:
Auberge du Pommier.......what can I say about this truly amazing place. Regarded as the best modern French food restaurant this side of the Atlantic and in my opinion only maybe rivalled by The French Laundry in Yountville. This 19th century cottage is where Chef Jason Bangerter serves some of the best meals I have ever had. Maybe the only restaurant that I have ever been in my life where the food, service, ambiance and taste is always consistence (hence why I keep going back, something I don't usually do).
On this particular day, we went for dinner with the same expectations we usually have and we were not disappointed a bit .
Walking under the white trellis in front of the cottage you know that you have found a gem among the concrete surroundings of tall buildings that circle around you. Open the double doors to the cottage and you feel like this formal, warm and very welcoming "Auberge" could be in Alsace, Bourgogne or Provence.
We were lead to our seats in the back dinning room, down a few steps and into a cosy corner with beautiful over-sized chairs. The wait staff is courteous, knowledgeable but at the same time, unpretentious.
I start with a glass of Pinot Noir while I make my prix fixe selections. What to have? Everything seems so good but I must make a choice (bummer).
For appetizer: I ordered a serving of Crevettes Marinees (sweet shrimp cocktail with orange, cucumber, tarragon and dill).
I'm usually not one for cold seafood but this combination of salad/shrimp cocktail was subtle enough just to highlight the shrimp.
For entree: OMG...one of my favourite dishes in the world..Coq Au Vin (boneless chicken marinated in red wine with pommes puree, smoked bacon and button onions)...and it didn't disappoint!
The chicken was perfectly cooked, juicy and full of flavour. The chicken was is usually marinated in red wine, seared in ft and slowly simmered until tender. I could really have this dish any day and everyday of my life! That's how much I love it!
For dessert: Gateau aux Epices (warm spice cake with creme Anglaise, Armagnac macerated prune, langue de chat biscuit and vanilla ice cream). Great contrast with the moist warm cake and the ice cream...divine!
After dessert: Some treats. Chocolate mint meringues courtesy of the chef. Nice touch by the way.
The good: If you are a "lover" of French food like myself, it doesn't get any better than this. The coq au vin was beyond good. Absolutely perfect.
The bad: A meal at this restaurant is usually predictable, but only in the best possible sense. Great food and service is what you should expect every time you dine here.
Verdict: I have dined at all of the Oliver and Bonacini restaurants, including the "holy grail", Canoe numerous times but Auberge du Pommiers is without a doubt my favourite. It's simply the best!
I give it 5 out of 5 olives as a rating.
In his opinion:
Auberge du Pommier.......what can I say about this truly amazing place. Regarded as the best modern French food restaurant this side of the Atlantic and in my opinion only maybe rivalled by The French Laundry in Yountville. This 19th century cottage is where Chef Jason Bangerter serves some of the best meals I have ever had. Maybe the only restaurant that I have ever been in my life where the food, service, ambiance and taste is always consistence (hence why I keep going back, something I don't usually do).
On this particular day, we went for dinner with the same expectations we usually have and we were not disappointed a bit .
Walking under the white trellis in front of the cottage you know that you have found a gem among the concrete surroundings of tall buildings that circle around you. Open the double doors to the cottage and you feel like this formal, warm and very welcoming "Auberge" could be in Alsace, Bourgogne or Provence.
We were lead to our seats in the back dinning room, down a few steps and into a cosy corner with beautiful over-sized chairs. The wait staff is courteous, knowledgeable but at the same time, unpretentious.
I start with a glass of Pinot Noir while I make my prix fixe selections. What to have? Everything seems so good but I must make a choice (bummer).
For appetizer: I ordered a serving of Crevettes Marinees (sweet shrimp cocktail with orange, cucumber, tarragon and dill).
I'm usually not one for cold seafood but this combination of salad/shrimp cocktail was subtle enough just to highlight the shrimp.
For entree: OMG...one of my favourite dishes in the world..Coq Au Vin (boneless chicken marinated in red wine with pommes puree, smoked bacon and button onions)...and it didn't disappoint!
The chicken was perfectly cooked, juicy and full of flavour. The chicken was is usually marinated in red wine, seared in ft and slowly simmered until tender. I could really have this dish any day and everyday of my life! That's how much I love it!
For dessert: Gateau aux Epices (warm spice cake with creme Anglaise, Armagnac macerated prune, langue de chat biscuit and vanilla ice cream). Great contrast with the moist warm cake and the ice cream...divine!
After dessert: Some treats. Chocolate mint meringues courtesy of the chef. Nice touch by the way.
The good: If you are a "lover" of French food like myself, it doesn't get any better than this. The coq au vin was beyond good. Absolutely perfect.
The bad: A meal at this restaurant is usually predictable, but only in the best possible sense. Great food and service is what you should expect every time you dine here.
Verdict: I have dined at all of the Oliver and Bonacini restaurants, including the "holy grail", Canoe numerous times but Auberge du Pommiers is without a doubt my favourite. It's simply the best!
I give it 5 out of 5 olives as a rating.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Winterlicious 2012
So it's about that time of year when food gods and goddesses (or simply put restaurant owners/chefs/etc.) make it possible to experience some of Toronto's best restaurants at a fraction of the cost. From January 27 to February 9, 2012 you will be able to enjoy a fantastic lunch or dinner at one of these restaurants without hurting your wallet. Winterlicious is an opportunity! It is a chance to enjoy a 3 course prix fixe menu for either lunch or dinner from $15 to $45 dollars per person not including drinks, taxes or gratuity. Lunches are $15, $20 or $25 depending on the restaurant. Dinners range from $25, $35 or $45 again depending on which establishment you pick. Along with the prix fixe menu offered at 175 of Toronto's best restaurants, there are also several culinary events planned which you can enjoy. These events range from $38 for Guilty Pleasures (described as Toronto's favourite fashion brunch) up to $125 for such events as Decanting the Castle: Myths Uncorked (a wine pairing event at Casa Loma).
Tickets for the culinary events are already on sale. Ticket information is available on the Winterlicious site. Reservations for the prix fixe lunch or dinners will begin being taken on January 12, 2012. Again the phone information is available on the website. So click on the Winterlicious Restaurant List 2012 and get started thinking about where you want to eat during this event.
Don't miss your chance to take part and truly enjoy a food experience within reach at a place that may not be...
In her opinion:
Do it! Oh, you so want to do it! It is worth it. We have been going for several years since we first heard about it on CityNews and we have never regretted it! Enjoy!!!
In his opinion:
There is no better chance to taste culinary excellence at a fraction of the cost. Whether you like restaurants that are trendy, fine dining, ethnic, seafood or steakhouses; there is a selection for every taste. It's a great way to indulge without breaking the bank.
Currently, in its 10th year (wow ten years already?), Winterlicious grows every year in popularity and more restaurants are added in each edition. I can personally attest that this is my favourite time of the year, aside from Summerlicious (more on that later in the year). Go on and make reservations to some of the best restaurants in Toronto and "preview" them at a fixed price (prix fixe). January 12th........book it on your calendars.
Tickets for the culinary events are already on sale. Ticket information is available on the Winterlicious site. Reservations for the prix fixe lunch or dinners will begin being taken on January 12, 2012. Again the phone information is available on the website. So click on the Winterlicious Restaurant List 2012 and get started thinking about where you want to eat during this event.
Don't miss your chance to take part and truly enjoy a food experience within reach at a place that may not be...
In her opinion:
Do it! Oh, you so want to do it! It is worth it. We have been going for several years since we first heard about it on CityNews and we have never regretted it! Enjoy!!!
In his opinion:
There is no better chance to taste culinary excellence at a fraction of the cost. Whether you like restaurants that are trendy, fine dining, ethnic, seafood or steakhouses; there is a selection for every taste. It's a great way to indulge without breaking the bank.
Currently, in its 10th year (wow ten years already?), Winterlicious grows every year in popularity and more restaurants are added in each edition. I can personally attest that this is my favourite time of the year, aside from Summerlicious (more on that later in the year). Go on and make reservations to some of the best restaurants in Toronto and "preview" them at a fixed price (prix fixe). January 12th........book it on your calendars.
Monday, 2 January 2012
Kids Eat Free on Mondays!!!
It's our last day off before we head back to work and the routine of life in 2012! So today after doing a little (and I mean a little) shopping, we decided that East Side Mario's was a good lunch/dinner options. We didn't know that on Mondays kids eat free if one parent buys a dinner entree. This was a nice surprise and great if you have a couple of kids dining with you.
In her opinion:
We started with the Sizziling Calamari Al Diavolo. Calamari with garlic, onions, sweet and hot peppers in a tomato broth. This is one of my personal favourites. Love the tenderness of the calamari and the spiciness of the sauce.
I ordered the Baked Penne Bolognese. This is penne pasta tossed with beef bolognese and alfredo sauce, tossed in tomatoes and cheese blend and oven-baked. This is served with the usual all you can eat soup or salad. I had the Italian Minestrone Soup. One of my favourites. Overall, I wasn't in love with this pasta...it was my first and last time ordering it from the menu.
My little guy ate for free after I reminded the waitress that it was Monday and she nicely had her manager remove his meal from the bill. We ordered the Cheesy Penne Alfredo but asked for linguine instead of penne. He ate part of his pasta and lots of the free home loaf (one of his favourites).
For dessert he was presented with the kid's trio of ice cream. One of my favourites...a banana cherry ice cream.
Overall, I like East Side Mario's. It's one of are standby go to places when we have no ideas about where to go. Dining there Mondays makes a lot of sense if you have kids.
In his opinion:
Well, what to do on a bitter cold day when your Christmas vacation is coming to an end and thoughts of going back to work the next day are flashing in your mind? But of course, go shoe shopping with the wife...and at the Mall? Yay, how exciting(not really!)
Good thing is that while ping ponging from shoe store to shoe store, I do get a whiff of food...East Side Mario's...mmmmm.
Although not quite Via Vennezia or Campo Fiori quality (more like the equivalent of the Mandarin for Italian food) it does hit the spot sometimes. And it did!
I followed the over exaggerated Italian/American props to a nice little booth table and sat down looking at the statue of liberty holding a huge tomato. WOW, I almost felt like I was in Manhattan's Mulberry Street, almost...oh yeah ...on to the food.
For appetizer: Started with the best thing on the menu (in my opinion), the Sizzling Calamari Al Diavolo (pictured above). Rings of tender spicy Calamari with garlic, onions, sweet and hot peppers in a spicy tomato broth. You can never go wrong with this appetizer, a must have!
For entree: I was trying really hard to stay away from my usual ESM predictable main course (Linguine Chicken Tetrazinni- my favourite pasta dish), so I find myself on the sandwich/panini section and how can you go wrong with a panini...
I had the Roasted Chicken & Provolone Panini-spit roasted chicken, provolone cheese, roasted garlic aioli, roasted red peppers, fresh Basil and spinach served on a grilled Ciabatta bread (pressed panini style).
The fries tasted like crispy cardboard but the sandwich was actually very good, bread nice and crispy and chicken tasted really good complimented by the basil and spinach. Oh forgot to mention the yummy bread rolls (always good) and yes...bread/carbs overload. Well it is still Christmas season right?
To Finish off my sons meal comes with the very famous 3 little ice cream cones( banana cherry ice flavour) so, trio of miniature ice creams + a kid that doesn't like ice cream cones + 3 of us = No need for desert. Great!
We usually go to the East Side Mario's on Gateway Drive (yes, it's open again) but this Mall location was good for the day! I give it 2 1/2 olives out of 5.
In her opinion:
We started with the Sizziling Calamari Al Diavolo. Calamari with garlic, onions, sweet and hot peppers in a tomato broth. This is one of my personal favourites. Love the tenderness of the calamari and the spiciness of the sauce.
I ordered the Baked Penne Bolognese. This is penne pasta tossed with beef bolognese and alfredo sauce, tossed in tomatoes and cheese blend and oven-baked. This is served with the usual all you can eat soup or salad. I had the Italian Minestrone Soup. One of my favourites. Overall, I wasn't in love with this pasta...it was my first and last time ordering it from the menu.
My little guy ate for free after I reminded the waitress that it was Monday and she nicely had her manager remove his meal from the bill. We ordered the Cheesy Penne Alfredo but asked for linguine instead of penne. He ate part of his pasta and lots of the free home loaf (one of his favourites).
For dessert he was presented with the kid's trio of ice cream. One of my favourites...a banana cherry ice cream.
Overall, I like East Side Mario's. It's one of are standby go to places when we have no ideas about where to go. Dining there Mondays makes a lot of sense if you have kids.
In his opinion:
Well, what to do on a bitter cold day when your Christmas vacation is coming to an end and thoughts of going back to work the next day are flashing in your mind? But of course, go shoe shopping with the wife...and at the Mall? Yay, how exciting(not really!)
Good thing is that while ping ponging from shoe store to shoe store, I do get a whiff of food...East Side Mario's...mmmmm.
Although not quite Via Vennezia or Campo Fiori quality (more like the equivalent of the Mandarin for Italian food) it does hit the spot sometimes. And it did!
I followed the over exaggerated Italian/American props to a nice little booth table and sat down looking at the statue of liberty holding a huge tomato. WOW, I almost felt like I was in Manhattan's Mulberry Street, almost...oh yeah ...on to the food.
For appetizer: Started with the best thing on the menu (in my opinion), the Sizzling Calamari Al Diavolo (pictured above). Rings of tender spicy Calamari with garlic, onions, sweet and hot peppers in a spicy tomato broth. You can never go wrong with this appetizer, a must have!
For entree: I was trying really hard to stay away from my usual ESM predictable main course (Linguine Chicken Tetrazinni- my favourite pasta dish), so I find myself on the sandwich/panini section and how can you go wrong with a panini...
I had the Roasted Chicken & Provolone Panini-spit roasted chicken, provolone cheese, roasted garlic aioli, roasted red peppers, fresh Basil and spinach served on a grilled Ciabatta bread (pressed panini style).
The fries tasted like crispy cardboard but the sandwich was actually very good, bread nice and crispy and chicken tasted really good complimented by the basil and spinach. Oh forgot to mention the yummy bread rolls (always good) and yes...bread/carbs overload. Well it is still Christmas season right?
To Finish off my sons meal comes with the very famous 3 little ice cream cones( banana cherry ice flavour) so, trio of miniature ice creams + a kid that doesn't like ice cream cones + 3 of us = No need for desert. Great!
We usually go to the East Side Mario's on Gateway Drive (yes, it's open again) but this Mall location was good for the day! I give it 2 1/2 olives out of 5.
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Happy New Year!!!
Well, 2012 is finally here. I hope this year brings lots of prosperity, happiness, love and health to everyone. 2011 was a tough year for a lot of people in our lives, so here's hoping that this year is a major improvement.
Cheers!
In her opinion:
Today we decided to take it easy and enjoy a quiet day watching movies. However, that does not mean that we can't have something fabulous to eat and drink.
We had a fabulous bottle of Yellow Tail Bubbles courtesy of our friends, the Calegari's. We ate PC Crispy Lollipop Shrimp, PC Creamy Havarti Shrimp Puffs and my friend Gabe's recipe for "Dates wrapped in Bacon". This is a simple recipe consisting of wrapping slices of bacon which have been cut in half around dates which have been soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and cooled for 5 minutes with wooden toothpicks. They are baked in a 425 degree Celsius oven for 22 minutes. Yum Yum Yum! The PC products are always great and these were no exception.
In his opinion:
Happy New Year everyone! Can't believe our last blog was last year...wow... LOL...well...you know! Anyway...
After a night of fun and champagne, how else to continue on New Years Day but to have some more bubbles (Yellow Tail this time).
To add to the relaxed and chilling atmosphere of the day, we paired the bubbles with some lollipop shrimp, creamy Havarti shrimp puffs and dates wrapped in bacon (very yummy) first 2 courtesy of President's choice. Damn that Gale Weston was right...
The Good:Wrapping the dates in bacon is brilliant (like we need another reason to love dates) Bubbles are always welcome as well.
The Bad: Ate way too much these holidays...really didn't need tasty stuff to start the year.
The Verdict: PC does it again...Shrimp/Havarti/Shrimp combo...how can you go wrong...on top of it...dates/bacon? Where do I sign up?
Cheers!
In her opinion:
Today we decided to take it easy and enjoy a quiet day watching movies. However, that does not mean that we can't have something fabulous to eat and drink.
We had a fabulous bottle of Yellow Tail Bubbles courtesy of our friends, the Calegari's. We ate PC Crispy Lollipop Shrimp, PC Creamy Havarti Shrimp Puffs and my friend Gabe's recipe for "Dates wrapped in Bacon". This is a simple recipe consisting of wrapping slices of bacon which have been cut in half around dates which have been soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and cooled for 5 minutes with wooden toothpicks. They are baked in a 425 degree Celsius oven for 22 minutes. Yum Yum Yum! The PC products are always great and these were no exception.
In his opinion:
Happy New Year everyone! Can't believe our last blog was last year...wow... LOL...well...you know! Anyway...
After a night of fun and champagne, how else to continue on New Years Day but to have some more bubbles (Yellow Tail this time).
To add to the relaxed and chilling atmosphere of the day, we paired the bubbles with some lollipop shrimp, creamy Havarti shrimp puffs and dates wrapped in bacon (very yummy) first 2 courtesy of President's choice. Damn that Gale Weston was right...
The Good:Wrapping the dates in bacon is brilliant (like we need another reason to love dates) Bubbles are always welcome as well.
The Bad: Ate way too much these holidays...really didn't need tasty stuff to start the year.
The Verdict: PC does it again...Shrimp/Havarti/Shrimp combo...how can you go wrong...on top of it...dates/bacon? Where do I sign up?
Downtown Bistro and Grill
Flashback:
Lunch at Downtown Bistro and Grill, Burlington, Ontario on December 30, 2011.
In her opinion:
We were headed to Toronto on a very overcast day when I changed my mind...after all, it's my prerogative! I thought Oakville was a better option. Edgar decided that a stop in Burlington was also a good idea. After giving it some thought, I decided that lunch at The Big Tomato was a great choice. Unfortunately, the pizza gods didn't think so since it wasn't opened for lunch. After checking out several options in the downtown Burlington area (or the block around Village Square)we stumbled upon Downtown Bistro and Grill. What a find. The place is not big...a good thing. We were met by the owner's stepson who was both charming and an attentive waiter...also a good thing. The food was delicious and plentiful...a very good thing.
Edgar and I shared an appetizer. We had the Calamari and it's described on their menu as "crusted with their signature breading and served with a side of roasted red pepper and garlic aioli". It was a huge serving, the calamari was super tender and it was delicious.
For my entree, I had the Pierogies, which were "pan flash fried and topped with caramelized onions and double smoked bacon." It was served with a house salad with a raspberry vinaigrette. I enjoyed these little guys. They were soft and delicious.
For dessert, we decided to share the Classic Creme Brulee. I liked it...but creme brulee is creme brulee.
Overall, I really enjoyed this place. After a long week of eating overpriced meals at mundane places in the KW region, it was nice to enjoy a really good bistro meal. I washed it all down with a glass of East Dell Riesling (not on the menu but offered as a choice by my attentive waiter) and I smiled ear to ear all day...I could go for that calamari about now...
In his opinion:
We stumbled upon this bistro while roaming The Village Square in Burlington. Inside. it is like an old charming house with pretty straightforward decor but very welcoming. Our waiter was pleasant and very attentive. The menu had nothing that our non-foodie son would want, so we just ordered him an orange juice (looked like a cocktail, cherry included) but even that wasn't to his liking.
Since the wine list didn't impress me much (no Pinot Noir), I decided to have a Stella Artois beer with my meal.
We shared the "Calamari Appetizer", it was big, the squid was tender and the dipping sauce was so-so......but tasted amazing on its on. (pictured above).
For my entree, I had the "Prime Rib Panini" (slow roasted, horseradish Dijon mayo, roasted red peppers and sauteed onions). The panini was great, bread was nice and crunchy and just enough prime rib in it not to come out of the sides when you bite into it.
We shared the Creme Brulee (pictured above) and it was very good. Our son had the strawberry from it and the wife and I devoured it pretty quickly because it was pretty good.
Good: The atmosphere, the food, awesome waiter, the price.
Bad: Creme brulee was a little soft on the inside and a limited wine selection.
Verdict: Will return for sure. The Thursday tapas sound amazing so maybe for that.
I give it a 3 out of 5 olives as rating.
Lunch at Downtown Bistro and Grill, Burlington, Ontario on December 30, 2011.
In her opinion:
We were headed to Toronto on a very overcast day when I changed my mind...after all, it's my prerogative! I thought Oakville was a better option. Edgar decided that a stop in Burlington was also a good idea. After giving it some thought, I decided that lunch at The Big Tomato was a great choice. Unfortunately, the pizza gods didn't think so since it wasn't opened for lunch. After checking out several options in the downtown Burlington area (or the block around Village Square)we stumbled upon Downtown Bistro and Grill. What a find. The place is not big...a good thing. We were met by the owner's stepson who was both charming and an attentive waiter...also a good thing. The food was delicious and plentiful...a very good thing.
Edgar and I shared an appetizer. We had the Calamari and it's described on their menu as "crusted with their signature breading and served with a side of roasted red pepper and garlic aioli". It was a huge serving, the calamari was super tender and it was delicious.
For my entree, I had the Pierogies, which were "pan flash fried and topped with caramelized onions and double smoked bacon." It was served with a house salad with a raspberry vinaigrette. I enjoyed these little guys. They were soft and delicious.
For dessert, we decided to share the Classic Creme Brulee. I liked it...but creme brulee is creme brulee.
Overall, I really enjoyed this place. After a long week of eating overpriced meals at mundane places in the KW region, it was nice to enjoy a really good bistro meal. I washed it all down with a glass of East Dell Riesling (not on the menu but offered as a choice by my attentive waiter) and I smiled ear to ear all day...I could go for that calamari about now...
In his opinion:
We stumbled upon this bistro while roaming The Village Square in Burlington. Inside. it is like an old charming house with pretty straightforward decor but very welcoming. Our waiter was pleasant and very attentive. The menu had nothing that our non-foodie son would want, so we just ordered him an orange juice (looked like a cocktail, cherry included) but even that wasn't to his liking.
Since the wine list didn't impress me much (no Pinot Noir), I decided to have a Stella Artois beer with my meal.
We shared the "Calamari Appetizer", it was big, the squid was tender and the dipping sauce was so-so......but tasted amazing on its on. (pictured above).
For my entree, I had the "Prime Rib Panini" (slow roasted, horseradish Dijon mayo, roasted red peppers and sauteed onions). The panini was great, bread was nice and crunchy and just enough prime rib in it not to come out of the sides when you bite into it.
We shared the Creme Brulee (pictured above) and it was very good. Our son had the strawberry from it and the wife and I devoured it pretty quickly because it was pretty good.
Good: The atmosphere, the food, awesome waiter, the price.
Bad: Creme brulee was a little soft on the inside and a limited wine selection.
Verdict: Will return for sure. The Thursday tapas sound amazing so maybe for that.
I give it a 3 out of 5 olives as rating.
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