Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

A Night Out in Toronto

One of the nice thing about the slowtravel community is the phenomenon known as the GTG (get together). This is when a group of slowtravelers, often instigated by someone from visiting the area, suggest a dinner out or some other form of social fun. People from the area (or who are also visiting) jump on the bandwagon and soon a party of sorts is being planned.

GTGs can be fancy like Palma's famous Desert GTG, or casual and relaxed, like the GTG we enjoyed with Ron and Wendy in Carmel last March. We have enjoyed GTGs in Rome, Venice, Montespertoli, Chianti, Carmel, Paso Robles, Pasadena, Palm Desert, and San Francisco. I suspect that Paul believed GTGs all happened somewhere else. Last night I proved him wrong when we enjoyed a GTG in Toronto.

We started off by heading to the ROM. Marion is a member and was able to bring three guests in with her at no charge. We are always up for a visit to the museum so we jumped at the offer. The idea was to experience the beauty and diversity of the South Asian sub-continent. The newly opened Sir Christopher Ondaatje South Asian Gallery contains over 5,000 years of history which is revealed through a beautiful collection of religious objects and sculpture, decorative arts, arms and armour, miniature paintings and textiles.  We all thought that the new exhibit needs some work; there is no flow and the displays seemed incomplete. Hopefully this is just one step on a larger transition.

After we had had enough of March Break at the ROM (think lots of children) Marion suggested heading up to the new restaurant at the ROM c5 (on the fifth floor of the crystal, hence c5) for a pre-dinner drink. Who were we to refuse?

The lounge at c5 is a chic location in the city to unwind. Soft leather lounge seating and original glass art installations set the mood, while the superb wine list, great bar menu and signature ROMtini make it the ideal destination for intimate social gatherings and private parties.

We order our martinis. Paul a Purple Haze made with Ketel One Vodka, Crème de Cassis, Citrus. Marion ordered the winner of the ROM Martini contest - the ROMtini which is mixed from Grey Goose Vodka, Hypnotique, Splash of Scotch. I decided upon the Maple Leaf which is made from Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey, Maple Syrup, Lemon. Our drinks were wonderful; it was such a civilized way to start our evening, wonderful people, a beautiful setting, well-made drinks and the late winter sun pouring in from outside.

We thought that we might need to order some nibblies to go with our drinks; it just would NOT do to show up tipsy at the restaurant! Marion suggested the Charcuterie Plate which was an assortment of Niagara cured meats, olives, froie gras, smoked lake Ontario trout, sweet cured straw mushrooms, and a pear gelee with brioche. She also suggested the frites which were served an Espellete Aioli. WOW this was an incredible start to an evening which promised more good food.

After enjoying our drinks and snacks, we grabbed a cab to the restaurant where we were meeting  Marg, Doru, and his wife Josette - Tutti Matti. This is one of our favourite restaurants in the city. The chef serves traditional Tuscan cuisine which is made by using only fresh seasonal ingredients. Everything is made in house, including the fresh breads and pastas. They carefully preserve the simple, hearty, robust flavours for which Tuscan food is known.

We were seated at the front of the restaurant away from some large parties at the back, however it was still challenging to hear one another. Marg had brought a very beautiful self-published photo album, "Roma e Napoli", over 190 pages of photos with captions from her recent trip to Rome and Naples. She had had it published through Blurb. I was amazed at the quality of her photos and the book itself.

The food was excellent as always. Our waiter was from near Sant' Andrea della Valle area in Rome and he was shocked to learn from Doru that his favourite childhood bakery had been remade into an Internet cafe. Apparently even eternal Rome is not protected from the fast pace of change.

The food was excellent and after dinner a photo shoot-out took place between Marg, Marion and myself. I have to say though that viewing Marg's photos has just reinforced for me that I need a new camera! I think I will order it tomorrow.

Marg, Doru and Josette

Paul and Marion

Shooting the shooter

It was a wonderful evening - thank you Marg for initiating it!

The Bright Pearl - Dim Sum

Yesterday we had our hearts set on a Dim Sum feast after visiting the ROM. Paul insisted that we go to a dim sum restaurant where they wheel the food around the restaurant on a cart (as compared to the restaurants where you actually place an order). It makes for a fun experience. You signal to the server that you are interested in somethng on the cart. She places it on your table and marks off your bill. often you don't have a clue what you're getting . . . this becomes the adventure!

I suggested that we go the Bright Pearl, a Toronto chinatown landmark. Alongside Kensington Market, this majestic eatery contains its own fish tank. Filled with live lobster, Vancouver crab, and bass, it reflects the fresh seafood offered here. The dim sum is another all-day staple, although early morning and mid-afternoon happy hours offer freshly steamed shrimp or pork, beef balls or ribs, steamed BBQ pork chicken or sticky rice and spring rolls. 

After being seated in the expansive dining room, we listened to the chatter of happy customers and the clicking of china and chopsticks. Once our cups were filled with soothing jasmine tea the fun began. Luckily there was a visual dim sum pamphlet at our table, which helped us identify some of the selections.

This is what we enjoyed:

Beef balls with bean curd skin, shrimp balls, and scallion pancake

BBQ Pork buns (my favourite)

Spicy shrimp

Steamed shrimp dumplings

BBQ pork

Fried shrimp balls

Shrimp spring rolls

Steamed pork buns

Fried shrimp dumplings

crispy chicken wings

Lemon chicken

When the time came to leave we paid the bill ($ 73) and rolled ourselves out to the car. We were stuffed but happy!

Coras

a shameless self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 16 out of 464 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

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She got her start in Montreal in the '80s, making fruit-laden crepes, shakes and French toast recipes and hasn't looked back since. Cora Mussely Tsouflidou, a hard-working single mom saw her restaurant dream to fruition in La Belle Province, opening a chain of successful restaurants and breakfast has never been the same.

Cora's came to Ontario a few years ago and for that we say, merci . I can remember our friends Ruth and Catherine talking about special trips just to have breakfast. This is unheard of! They even declared that were they to wine a lottery the first purchase would be a Cora's franchise!

Usually packed, the restaurants have a country kitchen feel. Expect warm, yellow-painted walls with specialty dishes etched on the walls. Service is cheerful, though depending on how busy the place is, can be slow. Whenever I have been to the ones in the Toronto area the line-up has been to the door.

The menu is huge with a wide array of breakfast items, making it hard to narrow down to just one choice. Recently seen on the menu: Cora's Special (eggs, bacon, ham, sausage and crepe) $8.45, Eggs Ben et Dictine (two poached eggs, English muffin, with hollandaise, potatoes and fresh fruit) $10.45-$11.35, Crepes $7.95-$9.45, Rosemary's Sunday $8.25, Surprise (egg, ham and Swiss cheese sandwich with fruit) $8.35. Menu selections change regularly depending on the season and each dish has its own tale to tell.

Earlier this week when I was in Ottawa I discovered that there was a Coras near the hotel in which I crached for the night. I found my way there at 6:30 am (ready to beat the morning rush) and had a wonderful breakfast. I decided upon the special of the month which was a breakfast paninni stuffed with a ham and cheese. The paninni was grilled and served piping hot. On the side was a huge serving of fresh fruit. This truly was an incredible way to start off the day.

 

Urban - Restaurant Review

a shameless self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 15 out of 464 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

---

One of the most challenging aspects of our theatre evenings out is where to go for dinner pre-theatre (live is difficult isn't it? *smile*) We have to balance 6 different tastes, budgets, and varying degrees of food snobbery (OK, I'll admit that I am the food snob). Ruth suggested going to a restaurant close to the theatre that we had not tried - Urban.

Among a string of restaurants in the Theatre District along King West, sits this metropolitan diner. The  Executive Chef Michael Harbour oversees all work in the kitchen, providing an eclectic collection of dishes. With a Mediterranean theme, the restaurant features pasta, pizza, omelettes and seafood for lunch. The dinner menu includes cashew-crusted halibut, pan-roasted Muscovy duck breast, and Australian Big Eye lamb chops. The casual, contemporary diner adds the touch of comfort for colder evenings with a wood-burning fireplace.

The restaurant was featuring a three course prix fixe menu for $ 35. Most of us elected to give that a whirl.

I started with the duck spring rolls. The order came with three crispy spring rolls stuffed with duck confute. The hoisin sauce was laced with freshly squeezed lime juice which provided a nice counterpoint to the duck. The flavors in this starter came together quite nicely.

For my main course I decided to try their take on Osso Buco. The traditional veal shanks were braised and then slowly cooked in a red wine tomato based sauce. They were served with with fondant potato and sauteed french green beans. This was a good dish but not a great one. Both Paul and I agreed that the recipe that Jane shared with us and we made in the spring was far tastier!

For desert I selected a pear and cranberry crumble. This was classic fall fare as far as I was concerned. served with creme anglaise this desert was full of fruit and the wonderful flavours of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves. YUM

All in all it was a great meal. The food was good, prices reasonable, and the wine list passable. The only drawback was the service. While it started off well it went downhill. Now in fairness, this seems to be a pattern for the Toronto theatre district. For some reason whenever we go out to dinner prior to a show the waiter is reluctant to bring the damn bill when we want it. In my mind it is inexcusable to take 45 minutes to bring the bill - when people ask you for it bring the flipping thing!

a shameless self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 15 out of 464 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

---

Lunch with Rose at EastDell Winery

Have you voted in the photo contest yet? Remember a 10 is good! *smile*

Last week I posted about the day in Niagara wine country that I enjoyed with my sister who was visiting from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. I mentioned that we stopped for a nice lunch but haven't said anything more since then. Today is review time.

Part of EastDell's claim to fame is that Dan Akroyd is a part owner. We had a wonderful lunch there. The VIEW Restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows provide a picturesque view of rolling vineyards and Lake Ontario shimmering in the distance. Our guests enjoy the natural ambiance of rustic wood and stone décor in a casual and relaxing atmosphere. Patio deck dining is available in summer and, in winter, guests can cozy up to the warmth of a roaring fire in the large Escarpment stone fireplace

We both decided upon sandwiches. Rose enjoyed the VIEW burger which is described as Wine country’s premier burger, homemade with Ontario ground beef topped with melted Swiss cheese and mushrooms sautéed in Chardonnay. She agreed that it was incredible.

My choice was the Cabernet Beef Tip Sandwich.  It was made with Cabernet marinated Beef Tips which were topped with marinated red peppers, caramelized onions and “cream du village” cheese. Both our sandwiches came with a great salad.

We both decided to throw caution to the wind and order dessert. Rose odered a raspberry mousse cake which was served under a 'bowl' of spun sugar. I ordered a blueberry gelatin which was studded with lemon zest, blueberries, and flavoured with subtle hints of lemon thyme. It was topped with whipping cream and gold flake. YUM!

Jamie Kennedy's Kitchen

Toronto golden boy chef Jamie Kennedy launched his own experiment a few years back with the wildly popular JK Wine Bar, where tapa-sized dishes are paired with splashes of rare wine.  Now he’s opened an adjacent restaurant with a more standard three course menu format based on his love of local organically produced, hearty ingredients.

The minimalist dining room feels like a Scandinavian designer’s loft, with plenty of well thought out space using just the right wood touches.  At the centre of it all, a giant cube of sandwiched dark plywood layers has tables backing onto three sides, the seats built right into the sculpture. Giant low hanging blown glass orbs bathe the rest of the wooden tables and chairs in soft white light, providing an airy yet intimate atmosphere.

As with the wine bar next door, the sommeliers have paired the courses with apropos picks from the encyclopedic wine cellar.

First up for me was the famed 'Streets of Toronto': an appetizer tasting trio of Italian meatballs in a zesty tomato sauce, a freshly prepared ceviche, and a miniature grilled cheese sandwich made with artisinal cheeses. While we waited for our first course we enjoyed our wines and a wonderful aracinni made with lobster - WOW!

My entrée was the mixed grill which consisted of a long skewer with chunks of perfectly seasoned and grilled meats. I was served a plate of sauteed mushrooms glistening in a rich red wine reduction, the server removed the meat from my skewer onto the mushrooms and served the warm cornbread on the side. As she did so she explained what each of the meats was - por, lamb, beef, smokey bacon, and pork liver. The combination of flavours was amazing. The rest of the party enjoyed the black cod, pork tenderloin and the rib eye steak - all pronounced their meals to be incredible.

For dessert I enjoyed the sparkling sorbet - three freshly made sorbets in a large martini glass. When it was served there was no sparkling . . . 'what gives?' I wondered. Well the sparkle started when the waitress filled the glass with champagne. It was a great finish to the meal.

When I paid the server brought still more treats - miniature lavender truffles and mini trail mix cookies.

It was an incredible meal - well-prepared foods, impeccable service, and well selected wines. If you want a splurge to try this restaurant!

Jamie Kennedy Kitchens

Tuscan Thursdays at the Grinning Gourmand

Last week our friend Catherine suggested that we go to a 'Tuscan Thursday' event tonight. The Grinning Gourmand, a gourmet food shop here in Burlington that generally sells gourmet foods and light lunches, has recently started opening up on Thursday evenings for this special event. The shop is run by a personable young couple: Paul is the chef and his wife Cary does much of the greeting/serving.

Dinner is served outside on a lovely patio nestled between the shop and the building next door. The wall of the shop is covered with ivy so it made for a very peaceful and relaxed setting - it actually reminded me of one of the restaurants where we had dinner in Rome (although without the extremely insistent rose seller but that, as they say, is a tale for another day).

The menu is simple: three salad choices, an antipasto platter, two pasta dishes, two meat dishes, and two desserts. There was a limited wine and cocktail list.

I discovered thaat the food wasn't traditional Tuscan food (having been to Tuscany last year I am of course an expert!), it was more a fusion of Italian regional tastes with a North American twist. It was, however, extremely tasty, freshly prepared, and served in an efficient and friendly manner.

We started off with cocktails (I had a limoncello with soda which was an amazing drink for a summer's evening!). For our appetizers we ordered salads (a caprese for me). The caprese was unusual in that it wasn't made with roma tomatoes and it had a dressing instead of the usual simple olive oil, salt, and pepper dressing. It also had thin slices of cucumbers and baby leaf lettuce. However where it lost points on the 'traditionality' scale it gained because it was so fresh and flavourful; one of the servers actually gathered the basil for the salad from a tiny herb garden beside our table after we had ordered.

The antipasto platter was brilliant! It had three types of cured meats, three cheeses, roasted garlic, a wide variety of house cured olives, and roasted red pepper and eggplant. This thing was HUGE! I could have happily had this for my meal.

For the main courses Ruth and Catherine both ordered a pasta dish which came with roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, in a tomato and herb sauce. It smelled wonderful. Paul and I both ordered Chicken Saltimbucca which was nothing like the saltimbucca in Rome (which as you know is the Saltimbucca capital of Italy!) It was really a chicken cutlet with fresh sage and prosciutto, breaded and served with a tomato sauce and cheese. Like most North American Italian restaurants it was served with pasta, and a vegetable (roasted peppers, onions, and zucchini). OK, so it was not traditional in any way, but it was good! The portions were huge so I have lunch for tomorrow!

Like I said, we took most of our dinners home (except for Paolo AKA the finisher!) This allowed us room for dessert. Tonight they were featuring a baked chocolate and banana tarte and a biscotti plate. Paul, Catherine and Ruth ordered the tarte and I ordered the biscotti. The tarte looked amazing and apparently tasted even better. The biscotti was unusual, there were two types: fig and chocolate. The crisp cookies were softer than I remembered. Cary commented that it was because they replaced some of the flour with almond flour. Even though I know some Italians fine it 'gauche' I missed dipping them into a glass of vin santo! YUM

The bill for the four of us was $ 224. This included four cocktails, a bottle of wine, a bottle of water, four salads, the antipasto platter, four mains, two tartes (Ruth and Catherine shared) and my biscotti platter. It was a nice evening; great food, better company, and the house did not need a second mortgage to pay for it all!

Maine Trip Eats

When I reflect upon our recent trip and think about the food (doesn't everyone do this? No? Perhaps I am a tab obsessed) there are four 'restaurants' (I used quotations for fear that a fellow foodie will flame me for calling a quintessential Maine Lobster Shack a restaurant!) which come to mind:

Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse, NY

246 W. Willow Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
315-476-4937

You may wonder about BBQ. It isn't the normal high end food that appears on the pages of food magazines, however there is nothing like the taste of amazing BBQ! We Canadians love our BBQ and we just can't get good BBQ at home (unless we're cooking it in our backyards). We found the restaurant (thank you MapQuest), parked ($ 2) but there was a wait for a table. Even though it was after 8, we waited: the smells wafting out from the door were that good.

When we got in we enjoyed one of the best BBQ meals we had ever had. Inside the restaurant had a décor that screamed roadhouse, some of the clientele were ‘rough around the edge' but this is what we have come to expect from a BBQ joint.

We decided to try an order of fried green tomatoes something we had never had before. We split a sampler platter as an appetizer (fried green tomatoes, chicken wings, boiled shrimp, and deviled eggs).

There was a slight incident when Paul ordered his mug of beer  . . . the waitress thought he wanted a bucket! Mom and I were amused even if Paul wasn’t.

For our main course mom ordered ½ a rack of ribs, Paul a brisket sandwich, and I ordered the granddaddy sampler platter – a 1/3 rack of ribs, ¼ chicken, and brisket. Mom and I also got two sides and cornbread with our meals. Paul received fries, pickles, and cole slaw with his. We all loved our meals and shared with one another.

Dinner (appetizers, mains, 4 beers, and root beer for mom) was amazing and only $ 66 with drinks etc!

 

BGs Boathouse in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

191 Wentworth Road
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 431-1074

BGs doesn’t look like much from the outside, nor does it look like much from the inside, yet the place was full of folk from the local area who clearly knew where to go for good seafood. We sat out on the deck overlooking the water and watched boaters pull up in their boats, tie them up, and come up to the restaurant for dinner and drinks.

Our waitress brought us some drinks and we ordered. As soon as she left mom was convinced that she had ordered the wrong thing and wanted to change her order (the sight of the guy next to us having the seafood platter delivered to his table convinced her that the baked haddock wasn’t what she really wanted! LOL). Alas, it was too late for her to change.

The appetizers came quickly, buffalo chicken tenders which were crisply fried with a light breading and a zesty buffalo sauce and crab cakes. We devoured them. I don’t know where this appetite came from because all we had done all day was sit in a car, eaten, and shopped. It must have been the sea air.

Our main courses arrived shortly after – baked haddock stuffed with crab and zucchini for mom and Paul and a lobster roll for me (I thought for my first lobster of the trip I wanted someone else to break it out of the shell). It was amazing! Normally lobster rolls are made with leftover bits of lobster but this one had the equivalent of ½ a pound of lobster meat – including my favourite claw meat! It was lightly mixed with mayo, some lemon juice and I think tarragon. YUM

After dinner we were far too full for dessert. We paid the bill ($ 96 for 4 beers, 2 appetizers, and three mains). More expensive than last night but still below $ 35 a person – you can’t get food this good at home!

The Whale's Rib in Deer Isle Village, Maine

20 Main Street,
Deer Isle,
Maine 04627
1 888-778-7505
207-348-6615

We had made reservations at the Whale’s Rib for 7 pm so we changed and headed out. The restaurant is located in an old Inn which was originally built in 1793 and has been an Inn since 1899. We had been warned that you can wait for a table even if you have reservations; I take this to be a good sign because in my mind it means people don’t want to leave!

We were seated in the dining room which is rustic and has about 15 tables. It was everything you would expect from a dining room in a 200 year-old inn to be. Most of the menu items were seafood but there were some non-seafood appetizers and entrees to please the 'landlubber.

Mom and Paul ordered the Maine Peekytoe Crab Cakes and I ordered the Calamari. Each was perfectly cooked; I believe calamari is a good judge of a kitchen’s skill: unskilled chefs will turn out calamari which is like eating a large rubber band; this calamari was perfect with the squid tender and the batter crispy.

For our main courses Mom ordered a grilled tuna special which was served over tender spears of asparagus and a Tuscan bean salad. The Tuna was marinated in flavours similar to those in the salad so the tastes were perfectly paired. I ordered the seafood casserole which arrived as a large dish full of scallops, lobster, crab, and haddock in a zesty cream sauce, covered with buttered bread crumbs and broiled until brown. YUM Paul ordered broiled haddock which was perfectly cooked and served on a medley of vegetables and rice.

I didn’t eat all of my dinner because I knew I wanted some dessert; it was to be our birthday dinner courtesy of mom. Paul ordered a chocolate peanut butter pie and it was so good that he practically inhaled it before I could snap a picture of it for the blog. Mom and I ordered a strawberry rhubarb crisp which was delicious.

I can see why this restaurant does so well. The food is incredible; while the service isn’t what you would expect to find in high-end restaurant in the city it was friendly and warm. On of the best things was the price – dinner for three (appetizers, mains, dessert, sparkling water, a bottle of wine, and coffee) was only $ 133!!!!!! Before we left we were already making plans to return!

Bagaduce Lunch in Brooksville, Maine

19 Bridge Road
Brooksville, ME
04617
207.326.4729

This classic lunch counter had been written up in one of the guide books as ‘absolutely the best spot fro seafood baskets and burgers’. Who were we to ignore this recommendation? Of course, the fact that they have been serving up seafood delights since 1946 was convincing evidence as well.

There were tables scattered over the lawn overlooking the reversing falls and the Bagaduce River. Mom secured a table in the shade while Paul and I ordered our lunch: a large scallop basket (I managed to secure the LAST of the scallops SCORE) which came with fries and cole slaw, a cheeseburger for Paul (apparently he was all 'seafooded' out by this point - his mom would be shocked that this would happen to anyone related to her! *smile*), an order of onion rings, an order of fries, and two diet Pepsis (I know – why bother with diet with all of that fried stuff?) The total was about $25. When your order was taken you were given a number, when it was ready they called out your number and you were able to pick it up.

The seafood was amazing. My scallops were huge and there were about 25 in the basket. Luckily mom and Paul were ‘willing’ to help me out because there was no way I could have eaten them all on my own! By the time we were ready to head out again there was a huge line up of people waiting for their lunch – obviously this place was well known and for good reason!

Happy Birthday to Moi!

Today marks the 43rd year since dad dropped off mom at the hospital and went off to work. Not long later a little Jerry was born.

I once used to think I had an issue about age and getting older. I really don't though. I am content with my age and the freedom it brings. Of course - I notice things like thinning hair, slowing metabolism, fumbling fingers when I try to do up the tiny buttons on my shirts but I weigh that with the good things (own a house, great job, family and friends whom I love, and so on) and guess what, it is all good!

Last night Ruth made plans to go out for dinner with us to a Thai restaurant here in Burlington called My Thai (how cute is that?) by the Lake. Yes, it is located by the lake at the base of a large condo looking out over the water. When I first moved to Burlington Thai restaurants were not to be found - they were far too exotic I guess. Now ten years later they thrive!

We were supposed to be there at 7:30 and at twenty after seven Paul came upstairs and wondered if I was soon to be ready (I was finishing up yesterday's blog). I pushed save and ran about getting ready to go. Then I lost my wallet. Then I lost my glasses. Yes folk, we were late! Quite late it turned out. Luckily everyone else was late as well.

The restaurant is located in an area of Burlington that has many restaurants and bars but also has little parking. I was delayed again while we tried to park. Finally I dropped Paul off and drove around until I had a spot.

There were six of us for dinner. Paul and I, Ruth, Dave, Rosanne, and Catherine. It was wonderful to see Dave and Rosanne because we so rarely get to see them (they live in Ottawa) and a surprise to see Catherine. Paul, Ruth, Catherine, and I all have birthday's with 16 days of one another so this was really our 'birthday dinner'. It was a shame we didn't know Catherine was coming because we would have brought her gift with us - oh well, she will get it on Monday when we go to our class at the LCBO.

The restaurant was full - I had never been there when it was this busy.  There were a number of large tables; it seems as if many people were celebrating birthdays! The waitress seemed a bit harried when she came over and took our drink orders. Ruth, ever the planner, also ordered our appetizers (2 orders of shrimp rolls, 2 orders of spring rolls, and 2 orders of soft spring rolls). Our drinks arrived followed shortly by our appetizers. We were so hungry that I didn't even have time to snap some pics before the plates were emptied.

For our main dishes we ordered 'family style'. Everyone ordered their favourite dish and we all shared. We ordered 2 mango salads, 2 cashew chicken, 2 basil chicken, Pad Thai, Red Curry Chicken, Pineapple Chicken, and Emerald Curry. Every one of the dishes was chicken (poor planning on our parts)! The waitress reminded us that we hadn't ordered rice and she suggested two large dishes of jasmine rice which was perfect.

The food was very well prepared. Good Thai food should have multi layers of flavours: sweet, salty, hot, and spicy. None of these layers should over-power the other. Dinner was perfect! We weren't able to eat it sll so Paul and I ended up with all of the leftovers (double yeah!)

The bill for the six of us with beer, drinks, and non alcoholic drinks for the non-indulgent types, was $ 180. It is rare to get a great meal such as this for $ 30 a person. Clearly we shall return, just not on a Friday night when you can hardly hear yourself talk to the person next to you.

After dinner Ruth invited us back to her house for drinks, coffee, tea, and cake. We knocked back a wonderful red wine from Australia that Ruth had in her wine cellar (good choice Dave)! and enjoyed cake supplied by Dave and Rosanne.

As always, the best part of the evening was the presents! Catherine had gotten me some wonderful sauces from a gourmet food shop here in Burlington. Ironically they were made by Stonewall Kitchens which we had visited in Maine. I had tasted these sauces but not bought them to bring home so this was a great treat! Dave and Rosanne bought me 2 months of the wine and cheese club. For the next two months I will receive a bottle of red wine selected by one of Canada's foremost sommeliers and a cheese perfectly selected to match it. They bought the same for Paul so this should take us through to November - what a great treat! Ruth bought me a wonderful piece of garden art, some aged balsamic vinegar, a cookie cookbook, some scented tea light candles, and an amazing looking chutney from Scotland. It is so great to have friends who know the things that you enjoy (art, food, and booze!)

At 11:30 we had to dash home because I was getting quite tired. Our plan was to go to the market today and if we were going to leave at 6:30 to beat the summer 'tourist' rush we could not have a late night!

Tonight Paul is cooking my birthday dinner and then it shall be more gifts. Yeah. It all makes getting another year older soooooo very worthwhile!

An Evening in Toronto

Well, last night was an experience. We had our last play in our subscription series (there is a group of 5 who goes). The play had received really bad reviews so we weren't looking forward to it (sort of like a root canal procedure). We all decided that we had to do extra things in an effort to counteract the horrible play we were to see (it never entered our minds to NOT go).

Paul and I went into the city early to get a few things at the Distillery District. I realized that this was the first time I have been there when it was not sub zero outside. It was a very different place in the nice weather - patios with happy patrons sipping wine and martinis everywhere, outdoor musicians . . . I could have stayed there. There were many people there with the same idea - far more than the few brave souls we usually see when we show up in the winter.

Unfortunately it was to be a stealth visit for us; I just picked up my coffee I was running low on from Balzacs and went by my favourite chocolate maker (SOMA) to pick up on some chocolates as a treat for the play's intermission. There is nothing like a wonderful rich and decadent chocolate to ease the impact of a terrible storyline.

We met up with the rest of the group at Tutti Matti. Doru from the slowtravel message boards had recommended it to me and all I can say is WOW! Alida, the owner/chef, ran a restaurant in south Tuscany for 6 years before coming to Toronto and opening Tutti Matti. She clearly knows her stuff. It was an amazing dinner. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera as I feel a little strange snapping pics of my food when I'm out with friends (the picture at the left is form the restaurant's website).

Everything about this meal was wonderful. Alida came over and chatted with us (which I think had an impact on the serving staff who were very attentive). We ordered a bottle of Chianti wine and a bottle of aqua frizzante. Alida told us that they had a few bottles of Casa Emma wines in house (had I know that I would have ordered differently).

The pasta (all made in house) of the day was an asparagus ravioli stuffed with asparagus, goat cheese, and a hint of lemon. Believe it or not Paul and I were planning on making asparagus ravioli today for dinner so I had to order it to get the hang of it. I don't have a recipe so it was good to experience a 'real thing' as we get ready to play around. It was perfectly cooked in a simple butter and sage sauce. Paul ordered faggotini which was a Chickpea flour crepe stuffed with mixed mushrooms, asparagus and chef's mix of cheeses and truffle pate drizzled with truffle honey. They were both amazing!

For our main course we decided to split an order of porchetta. We had only ever tried porchetta on a bun when we were in Italy so this was a treat to try it more 'formally'. We received a huge, thick slice of roast suckling pig. It was covered by a wonderful gravy/sauce which was a mixture of sweet and savoury (like many Tuscan dishes). It had chestnuts, fresh herbs, and I thought I detected a hint of honey. WOW, WOW, WOW! Catherine and Ruth were thrilled with their meals as well.

We don't normally ordered dolce but we had time and everything else had been so good we thought we had to. Unlike a number of restaurants in the Toronto area all of these desserts were made in-house. I ordered a tarte which had a caramel filling topped with baked ricotta and marscapone. Oh my! Paul was equally impressed with his panna cotta. It came on a long plate, the panna cotta in the centre. On either side were two small jugs of caramel and chocolate sauce. He was purring!

The bill for four with wine, taxes, etc was $ 256 which we all agreed was a good bargain; I have eaten for more money and enjoyed the meals less!

The whole experience quickly had the effect of transporting Paul and I back to Tuscany . . . Paul said grazie and once I even let slip with a per favore! It was so amazing to be back in Tuscany, if only in a restaurant in Toronto. Later that night as we were driving home after our evening of food, wine, theatre, and brilliant company Paul looked over and said 'if we're in Toronto next year on my birthday (we will be in Maine this year) I want to go back there for my birthday dinner' (so noted) which is a mark of a fine meal in his book.

Then the evening took a turn for the worse. Good God the play was dreadful. We knew it would be though, the reviews were dismal. The theatre was half empty. lots of people got up and left. We stuck it out though . . . Luckily it was quite short and we had wonderful chocolates to nibble on during the intermission. It had originally been put on in 2004 to rave reviews by a small, 'fringe' theatre group. One can only say that it did not transfer to a larger stage and theatre well.

In the end it made for an enjoyable evening. In a perverse sort of way we enjoyed the play BECAUSE it was so bad, we were expecting it to be bad . . .