Abigail's Tea House

2 Main Street South
St. George, ON

519-448-3999

In her opinion:
I am always on a proverbial hunt for a tea house so that we can enjoy a lovely high tea. This last Saturday, my darling husband suggested that we find a place and go for high tea...but where? That is always the question. After a little bit of research I found out about Abigail's Tea House in St. George. There mobile website really didn't offer too much info other to show a few pictures of what they had in store for us. But that was enough to grab my attention.

When you arrive at the beautifully painted green door be prepared to enter an Alice in Wonderland tea parlor...or at least that's what it felt like to me.  The room is a mix of hot pink, green, yellow, peacocks and chandeliers hanging inside bird cages. Perfect!

We were greeted by Ivine who owns Abigail's along with his lovely wife Lorene. It was named after their daughter Abigail. He showed the three of us (yes, our child loves tea and has been going for High Tea since he was in the womb)to a lovely table for three and took our drink orders.  It was my usual Earl Grey for Ethan and me.  After reviewing the menu, we opted for High Tea (really what else would we get).

Our High Tea included:
-A lovely pimento cheese spread with assorted crackers

-A chicken waldorf salad served with cucumbers

-A three tiered tea tray with assorted sandwiches...these included roasted beef and Havarti mini wraps, smoked salmon cream cheese pinwheels, egg salad on molasses bread (a recipe that Lorene informed us has been in the family for decades), tramezzini ham and cheese sandwiches, cucumber and smoked salmon cream cheese sandwiches and strawberry/chocolate cream cheese heart sandwiches. This tea tray also included fluffy scones with Devonshire cream and preserves and finally an assortment of baked goodies including caramel squares, empire cookies, tiny butter tarts and pinched triangle cookies with strawberry filling. There was also in season fruit adorning the tea tray.

The pimento cheese spread was so good and the curried chicken salad was delicious with its dried apple slice and vidalia dressing. But as I quickly finished up this portion of my high tea, I waited patiently for the tea tray. I love a beautiful tea tray with its dainty sandwiches and lovely desserts.

When Lorene brought us our tea tray, my eyes shone in delight. It was gorgeous and it definitely did not disappoint. Everything was delicious. All the sandwiches were excellent but I need to give a shout out to the smoked salmon cream cheese pinwheel with the sweet pickle centre on white and the strawberry and chocolate cream cheese heart sandwich which was so decadent that I truly had a tear running down my face.

The scones were on the sweeter side and fabulous. The Devonshire cream and fruit preserves were the right heavenly touch.  I was too full after the assortments of sandwiches and scones so I asked for a take out box in order to bring the squares and cookies home.

The squares and cookies were a nice little snack later that night. Everything is home baked and so so good.  I would recommend Abigail's Tea House to anyone that loves High Tea! Or even as a bridal or baby shower location...they do large party reservations on their days off (Sunday and Mondays).

In his opinion:
In the main street of the quiet town of St. George sits a house that stands out from the rest. The vibrant green door is a perfect prelude for what awaits you inside. The setting of the tea house might as well be a backdrop for Willie Wonka's chocolate factory. It is vibrant, colourful, fantasy like even but above all, very classy and warm. The menu has quite a few choices for tea packages but we had only one thing in mind and it was High Tea.

Before I had a chance to even look at the menu, I ordered Egyptian Chamomile tea for myself. It was clearer than I remembered from the last time I had it which was I believe at Langdon Hall. My tea came in a mirrored teapot that I found out was the teas house's latest acquisition in their vast array of colourful and stylish tea pots.

We started off with a pimento cheese served with a few assorted crackers. The cheese was extremely good, with the expected spice from the pimento but it never felt too spicy. The spread worked well with all the crackers provided.

Next, we were presented with a serving of chilcken waldorf salad with cucumbers. This was not my favourite part of the meal, the spice in the chicken salad was spot on, but I didn't enjoy the texture of the salad at all, and the cucumbers did very little to add to it.

Then came the main attraction, the beautifully decorated, colourful, eye popping three-tiered tea tray. It was a work of art in a lot of ways and looked so nice that as I took the pictures I almost thought it was too perfect to eat but thankfully my stomach prevailed over my eyes and off I went.

The delicate and fluffy scones were terrific and when especially tasty when they meet the spread of fruit preserves or Devonshire cream supplied. Along with those came some fruit (grapes and fresh cut strawberries to be exact). On top sat an assortment of delicious cookies and squares...unfortunately, I left those for last and couldn't finish them in that sitting.

On the bottom tier sat the highlight of the day. An assortment of finger sandwiches, mini wraps and beautifully crafted hors d'oeuvers. Special mention goes out to the heart shaped mini sandwiches that were a delight at every bite. These sandwiches were filled with chocolate, topped with cream cheese and fresh strawberries on top and very few words if any, fit the bill to describe them.

Another special mention goes to the egg salad on toasted molasses bread. All in all, they were all very good and filling as well.

The Good: Beautifully decorated and inviting room that is complimented so well by the specially crafted sweets and sandwiches served, and topped by the kindness and warmth of the owners.
The Bad: Wish it was in a bigger city or closer to me but the small location does add to its charm.
The Verdict: As far as Tea Houses are concerned, this is maybe the one that impressed me the most lately. Everything looks and feels so perfect in the room. The experience can be described as an effortless but intentionally choreographed service that never feels uptight or rigid but just right and effective. I strongly believe that the right formula has been found for the perfect Tea House in a small town such as St. George.

I give it 4 out of 5 Olives as rating.

Del's Enoteca Pizzeria

2980 King Street East
Kitchener, Ontario

519-893-2911

In her opinion:
Del's Enoteca Pizzeria was formerly known as Del Dente. It is part of the Charcoal Group and a personal favourite of mine. Once upon a time in our desolate region there was even less choice then there is now and Del Dente was the place to go to for all those special occasions...birthday, engagements, anniversaries, etc. But as new and different restaurants opened up...it got placed in a small recess of my brain. So this last week when we were trying to figure out where to have dinner with friends and little light bulb went off and I remember Del Dente...only it's not called Del Dente anymore!

Del's Enoteca Pizzeria is the reincarnation of Del Dente...it has a new menu, new look but it has kept the tried and true features. When I called to make a reservation for 7 people on Friday night at 6 pm, I was initially told that they couldn't accommodate us until 7:30 pm but when I explained that we had children and that time wouldn't work...they bent over backwards to make it happen. I was very impressed. 

When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was that the wonderful sign that hung facing King Street East with the kitchen utensils was gone. I was a little disappointed since I had always loved that sign...however, when we parked I noticed that they had recycled part of the old Del Dente sign and had indeed used the utensils near the entrance. The interior is also new and nicely decorated. Loved the vespa parked by the washrooms. 

We were shown to our table and were greeted right away by our server Jesse who was friendly and prompt. She filled our water glasses and asked if we wanted anything else to drink. After discovering that they served Coca Cola products, I ordered my usual Diet Coke.

We were then visited by the Manager, Jesse. It seems that Jesse plays soccer with Edgar...it really is a small world. Our server brought over the famous flower pot bread and a couple of savoury butters and the manager Jesse sent over a couple of appetizers for us to try.  The first one was the Mozzarella Frico. This which consisted of crisp mozzarella, tomato sugo, olive oil and fresh herbs.

This was really lovely. The mozzarella had the right amount of gooey goodness and the tomato sugo was delicious.  

The other appetizer was the Bruschetta. This consisted of artichoke, oven dried roma and fresh cherry tomatoes, red onion, arugula and grilled focaccia.

This was also really good. The flavours worked well together and there was a gorgeous stream of balsamic vinegar trying the whole thing together. Just excellent.

After studying the menu, I had opted to try the Veal Marsala. It is described in the menu as veal cutlets, caramelized onions, mushrooms, wilted baby spinach, spaghetti with garlic oil and fresh herbs with marsala cream sauce.

This was blow your mind good! Best veal marsala that I have had in a really long time. So incredibly tender and delectable. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly and the marsala cream sauce was just so lovely. It was well worth the $24 price tag. 

I wasn't planning on dessert as I was incredibly full but Jesse sent over a sample dessert platter for us to sample what they had available. This consisted of the lemon tart, the house made Sicilian cannoli and a scoop of raspberry sorbet.

The sorbet was light and lovely. The cannoli was so fresh and delicious. But the show stopper was the lemon tart. The best lemon tart that I have ever had...definitely the stuff of dreams or at least my foodie dreams!

I loved our dinner at Del's Enoteca Pizzeria! What a great dinner...it won't be ages until we return again.


In his opinion:

Revamping an old classic is always a tall order and I'm sure re-inventing the early success of Del Dente was on the forefront of The Charcoal Group's mind with this make-over. The restaurant now called Del's Enoteca has a totally different feel than it did before even though the space still kept the familiar layout and overall look. It feels fresher, more sophisticated and brighter.
Bringing Mark Andrew Brown (Chef de Cuisine) with his experience from the Breadalbane Inn and from teaching at Stratford Chef School is a great move and probably the reason that the focus is so high on local fresh ingredients.

We were shown our table quickly and the waitress was prompt in welcoming us and taking our drink orders. As I looked around, the room was filled with people enjoying themselves and that seemed somewhat oblivious to the background music that was a bit loud for regular conversation. After our drink orders went in, I had a chance to take a better look around and admire the nice new decor.

As I was browsing the menu, it was nice to see that not everything was changed in this restaurant. The hot bread in the clay pot survived the renovation and that was motive for joy, I really enjoy that bread and especially with the variety of spreads available for it. We were treated to some appetizers by the manager Jesse Corrall and that started our night off on the right foot. "Mozzarela Frico" with tomato sugo. This crispy mozzarella was perfect in consistency and the tomato sugo was very good. This was a bit different from the normal typical Italian sauce that we are used to but just as good. Olive oil and fresh herbs topped the plate for added taste.

For my entree, I ordered one of my favourite not Italian (but sounds like it should be) dishes, the Tetrazzini. Luisa, the Italian Opera singer for which the dish is supposed to be named after would have been proud. This was also the dish that I cooked when I proposed to my wife, so it holds a special place in my heart.

The dish was well presented, smelled great and completely covered in Parmesan at my request. This dish was made with fettuccine, generous pieces of herb roasted chicken, a combination of portobello and cremini mushrooms, fresh herbs, marinated tomatoes and a creamy yet subtle cream sauce. The pasta was perfectly cooked. It wasn't stuck together even though large amounts of Parmesan were present. I truly enjoyed this dish and it will rank up there with some of the best tetrazzini's that I have ever had (but slightly below my own of course)!

As I had devoured endless bread with my large portion (you get a choice of small or large size) of pasta, I had no room for dessert. Jesse was kind enough to send us a treat for dessert and it was much appreciated. It consisted of a small Sicilian cannoli, a lemon tart and a scoop of raspberry sorbet. I enjoyed the cannoli, brought me back to our old traditions of getting cannolis while watching episodes of the Sopranos but enough of Italian American references for this blog.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the pizza this time around but the reviews I heard about the "Stone Heart Oven" pizza were very good. A must for our next visit.

The Good: Well made food, very good service and an ambiance to match.

The Bad: Background music was a bit loud and I missed the old "Learning Italian" tapes playing in the washrooms.

The Verdict: Successful renovation with a great injection of life into a tired concept. The place feels alive and the change in cuisine, concept and ingredients add to the success of this place. The atmosphere is lively yet refined enough for a date night.

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

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Le Prieuré

7 Place du Chapitre
30400 Villeneuve-les-Avignon
France

In her opinion:
When we booked our South of France trip, we knew perfectly well that we would be adding some new posts to this blog! Afterall, French food is incredible and we wanted to share with our readers why we love it so much.

To be honest, I actually kept French food as my number two favourite foreign food after Spanish cuisine (of course it goes without saying that Portuguese food is what I consider food of my homeland and my overall pick) until I had lunch at Le Prieuré. When I was doing research for our trip, I stumbled upon Le Prieuré in the town of Villeneuve-les Avignon across the river from its famous neighbour Avignon. The setting is what captured my attention. It looked gorgeous and I wanted to eat there. I should also mention that this is a Michelin star restaurant...so, of course I knew that the food would be excellent as well. And it put French food back on top as my favourite type of foreign food.

Getting to Le Prieuré which translates to the priory was not an easy feat but when we reached the parking lot, I looked around and smiled...it was so worth it. The sweetly scented garden leads you to a gorgeous manner house which houses the hotel and restaurant. We were met by a hostess that seated us inside the beautiful dining room. We were then served by a team of 5 wait staff.

I began with a glass of Clos des Cimes "Prieuré". I have grown to appreciate a good glass of red wine. I had always heard that as your palate matures that you will grow to like a bolder red. I have steered away from tannins in the past but this wine was magical for a lack of a better word! The finish was chocolate...I have never had a better glass of wine in my life!

As we were studying the menu, a waiter brought over some hors d'oeuvres for us to munch on while making our choices. 

These included a lovely fried risotto ball, the most delicious salmon and citrus cream bite and a carrot wafer. This was a lovely start to our meal.

After inspecting the a la carte lunch menu, this is what I choose:

Amuse-bouche: 
The kitchen sent out a gorgeous gift - a "Cream of Fennel Soup".

This was rich, creamy and almost sinful. Just a wonderful tease of what lay ahead.

For my appetizer:
Dublin Bay Prawn Cannelloni and Fresh Crab
(Thin Shellfish Jelly, Acidulated creme from Bresse)

This was delectable. It was served cold. The sweetness of the prawns and crab worked very well with the saltiness of the caviar. It felt decadent eating this appetizer and every single bite was pure pleasure.


For my main:
 Milk Fed Lamb from Pyrenees Region in 3 Ways
(Grilled Chop, Candied Breast and rolled Saddle, eggplant cannelloni with mint and sweet garlic)

I was a little worried after I picked this main. Although I enjoy lamb...I like it when it's done right. Why was I even a little concerned? This was perfection on a plate. The lamb was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed the eggplant cannelloni which was sweet and lacked any of the bitterness that can be associated with eggplant.

For my dessert:
Coffee and Calamansi Dessert
(Crispy Meringue and Smooth Caramel)

We had been warned by one of the wait staff that the dessert would be the show stopper. And it did not disappoint. Calamansi is a type of citrus often used in Asian desserts. It resembles a tiny decorative orange but the flavour is similar to lemonade with a tangerine essence. This was a chocolate, coffee and citrus masterpiece. I think I shed a tear or two as I enjoyed this beautifully presented piece of culinary art.

One of the sommeliers had suggested a sparkling rose to go with the dessert.

This was a perfect choice. It was the perfect accompaniment for the chocolate of both desserts.

With our bill, we were presented with a beautiful little gift of sweets. This consisted of coconut marshmallows and beautiful cherry bonbons.

Absolutely wonderful. This is why this is a Michelin star restaurant. It's little unexpected things like this that make meals unforgettable. 

I will go out on a limb and say that this was the best meal I have ever eaten in my entire life! I will never forget it as long as I live. Le Prieuré was perfection. I had very high expectations when I visited and it definitely did not disappoint.


In his opinion:
I find it hard for once to put into words the amazing experience that was dining at Le Prieuré. If I could plan and dream about the perfect lunch in the perfect small town in Provence, France, I'm sure it would be very close to what I actually saw, ate, drank and experienced in the town of Villeneuve-les Avignon.

The setting is perfect even as you drive into the parking lot. The tree shaded lot serves as a preface to what hides behind the walls surrounding the actual hotel and restaurant that sits where an actual Priory did in the 1300's.
The walk to the restaurant itself is magnificent as you stroll through the immaculately kept gardens, the pool and the outdoor sitting portion of the restaurant.

Every detail is carefully tended to and perfection seems to be the norm at every table and place setting. From the embroidered napkins, to the silver utensils, you feel that you are somewhere special even before the first bite. 

As we perused the menu, we received an incredibly beautiful treat in the form of hors d'oeuvres. Fried risotto balls, carrot wafers and a delicate bite of salmon and citrus. The presentation was great and the taste surpassed it. (Image shown above on blog.)

My appetizer of choice this day was the "Half Brittany Blue Lobster Roasted in a Shell then crusted with a slightly Salty Butter (Borage flower and sauteed spinach, reduced juice)" As much as the picture depicts the colour, complexity and beauty if this dish, it unfortunately does not do it justice compared to seeing it and tasting it in person.

Generous bits of lobster submerged in reduced juice and foamy spinach surrounded by edible Borage flower seemed complex but yet so simple. Textures dominate the palate and the flowers added to the extra sensory experience.

For my main dish, I opted for the "Filet of John Dory slowly seized with Olive Oil (Fennel mousseline and French caviar, Abers shellfishs)".

Again, the presentation was flawless and extremely appealing. The fish was so soft and moist that it melted in your mouth with every bite. The slightly pan seared exterior of the fish didn't take anything away from its softeness inside and the Albers shellfish as a topper was divine . The French caviar sat on a bed of pureed fennel and potato complimented the fish perfectly both in texture and flavour.

For dessert, the selections seemed to be all around chocolate, more chocolate and with more hints of chocolate. I chose the "Pure Caribbean ganache served in a Chocolate Case (Exotic fruits and lime bitter cocoa sorbet)". As the picture shows this was a work of art and highlights the restaurants reputation for elaborate desserts. The lime bitter cocoa sorbet had edible gold leaf on it and the passion fruit jus surrounding the chocolate base was a punch of flavour. The surrounding chocolate case completed the look very well.

As we enjoyed a lovely glass of sparkling rose recommended by our sommelier, our bill arrived with yet another treasure from the kitchen (pictured above). There were bites of coconut marshmallows and beautiful cherry bonbons served in spoons.

The Good: Impeccable customer service, amazingly executed dishes and flavours to match are a rare winning combination that this restaurant exudes so effortlessly.

The Bad: It's expensive (but well worth it) and the waiter failed to tell us that we couldn't have the lunch special (prix fix) because it was a bank holiday.

The Verdict: One of the best gastronomic experiences of my life. This bucolic restaurant sets a standard that is hard to beat or even reproduce. Using only seasonal produce they serve artistic yet simple dishes that are executed to perfection. Customer service and the setting are for lack of a better word, out of this world.


I give it 4 1/2 out of 5 Olives as rating

Upcoming Event - Feast of Fields 2014

25th Annual Feast of Fields
Sunday, September 7, 2014
1 - 6 pm

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Organic Advocates Feast of Fields Organic Food Event.

We just wanted to advise everyone of a great upcoming event that celebrates everything organic! Organic Advocates presents their 25th Annual Feast of Fields event. The event is being held at Cold Creek Conservation Area in the Township of King. Directions are here.

This is a fabulous opportunity to experience different organic foods and drinks prepared by fantastic chefs, breweries, wineries and artisans. Check out the list of exhibitors here. Ticket are $100 a piece or $90 a piece for groups of 10 or more (online or by phone) to the event and included admission to the event, all day sampling from the different chefs, breweries and wineries. It also includes farmers market admission where you able to do further sampling and purchase goods. There is all day entertainment. This year a silent auction has also been added. Each guest will receive a gift bag which includes coupons, magazines and the Feast of Fields annual cookbook. Purchase your tickets here. 

Here are some names that will have all you foodies jumping at this opportunity...Anna Olson, Suman Roy, Emerie Brine, Ted Reader (labeled by GQ as the Crazy Canuck Barbecue Kingpin), Wanda Beaver (Wanda's Pie in the Sky fame) and more.

Don't miss this incredible opportunity.

Jake & Humphreys Bistro

196 Peel Street
New Hamburg, ON

519-662-1143

In her opinion:
It's always nice when you can have an adults only dinner with friends who appreciate food as much as we do! This last Saturday was adult date night. After some thought, I remembered that I had been wanting to try Jake & Humphreys Bistro in New Hamburg for some time.

The restaurant is housed in a old red house on the main strip in New Hamburg. As we walked into the old foyer, we were greeted by our server who showed us to our table. The restaurant was filled to capacity. But it did not seem crowded or too loud. I liked the ambiance of the room the minute I sat down.
Our water glasses were filled right away. I decided to have a glass of Megalomaniac Homegrown Riesling.

This is a gorgeous Riesling. Not too tart with just the right amount of sweetness. This is the first white I've had in a while and it was really good. Our waitress brought over some house made whole wheat and focaccia bread along with olive oil and balsamic for dipping.

For my appetizer, I decided to go with one of the feature appetizers. Six beautiful raw malpeque oysters with house made seafood sauce.

The best choice I could have made and probably the highlight of my meal. Super fresh. Super sweet. The seafood sauce was also delightful with the right amount of kick provided by the horseradish. Excellent!

I was debating about what to have for my main. I finally decided to have the "Poached Chicken Breast in a Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce". This was served with polenta and sauted vegetables.

The chicken looked bland on the plate...what did I really expect from anything poached? But the chicken breast was definitely moist and flavourful and the creamy mushroom sauce was really delicious adding the right amount of zing to the otherwise boring looking chicken! The polenta was okay...not super creamy. The sauted vegetable were excellent. Fresh and flavourful. Big shout out to the red cabbage which stole the show and I was a really good girl and finished every piece of vegetable on my plate.

I didn't leave any room for dessert.

Overall, a nice dinner...the company probably improved the experience by a lot but I would say that Jack & Humphreys is a good place for dinner with friends or for a romantic dinner for two.

  
In his opinion:
Every time I dine in New Hamburg I have a pretty good experience so I was expecting more of the same. I usually encounter great unpretentious food prepared with care and featuring a lot of local ingredients which puts the New Hamburg dining scene at par with other Ontario cities for local fare.

Jake and Humphrey's is your typical house adapted restaurant venue with a mix of charm and close quarters that add to the ambience and mystic of the experience. I ordered a Rickard's Red while browsing the menu, this was mostly because I did not recognize any of the featured craft beers explained by the waitress but I recall the list of availability seemed to be short.

For starters, I ordered the "Butter Seared Scallops with Julienne Vegetable Salad served in a sesame soy dressing". When encountering words such as butter sea scallops in the same phrase, it is hard to look at anything else and I was drawn to it automatically.

The scallops were seared to perfection and even the slight burnt marks on them didn't take away for their moistness and taste and it actually added texture. The julienne vegetable salad was arguably the best I have ever had and that's admitting that I'm not a huge fan of this salad usually. This dish was fresh, light and perfect for a hot summer evening in the country.

For my entree, I chose the "Braised Beef Ribs with Hoisin and Dark Beer Sauce". This dish was served with Fettuccine noodles contrary to the description on the menu that stated mashed potato. A vegetable medley rounded out the dish and did it in great fashion. The braised ribs were very flavourful and tender. The dark beer sauce acted as the coating on the meat and added both the flavour and texture.

As we were pretty full, we opted out of dessert but I must add that the options the waitress explained didn't seem to be calling my name either. As a nice touch, we received chocolate caramels with our bill.

The Good: Very good unpretentious food served in a cozy romantic setting.
The Bad: Service was a bit aloof.
The Verdict: Again the food speaks volumes in New Hamburg. Food selection was good and the food was well prepared and flavourful. A great place to visit and try some of the good dishes coming out of this kitchen.

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