416 274 8766  |   $17-34  Mains

Does King West have enough restaurants? Yes. Does it have enough good restaurants? Debatable. East of Spadina? There’s serious room for improvement.

While Weslodge isn’t precisely east of Spadina, it’s close enough to get folks who work downtown excited. I kept hearing people say they wanted to try the place with ‘the big yellow doors’, so I decided I’d head there and sample it. 

Food

A drink is definitely food, so I’ll start with what I drank. The mixed drink menu is a fair size and kinda pricey, and since this is a saloon, I felt compelled. 

The drink above was entitled the Gentlemen’s Quarterly. Quite strong, really pronounced herbal/licorice flavour. At first I was surprised at the size for $16, but it packed a punch.

After a few sips, our two starters arrived. The first, a scotch egg surrounded by chorizo with tomato jam and truffle. While quite tasty, the best thing on the plate is the jam. Chorizo and truffle felt like it was missing unfortunately.

Next up, awesome garlicky snap peas. If you want to start with something green, this will be a great choice. The parmesan and radish are fairly subtle, but these are just really fresh and delicious. We should have ordered two of them.

Our first main was the fried cornish hen with chantrelles, corn, and black kale. The sauce had a bourbon note to it which was great and the hen was quite moist. The breading was a bit thick and maybe lacked a bit of crunch, but I think the dish fell short due to lack of salt. It just felt under-seasoned and the flavours didn’t pop.

This dish was terrific. The veal cheek was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, but the balance of this dish was what sold me. The white bean puree provides a good hearty base, the escarole has a great sharp vinegar taste, the dates were just sweet enough, and the bacon adds just enough pork to round everything out.

We also ordered a side of carrots with harissa, yogurt, and crispy carrot tops. This was an unfortunate miss. It looked cool, but was ultimately more about harissa than carrot. I also thought the tops didn’t work given their lack of flavour and toughness.

Thankfully, the dessert was really creative to end the meal. It’s a cherry sorbet, with a machego cheesecake, melting chocolate bits and crumbs of condensed milk (I’m guessing) for texture. While the cherry wasn’t super pronounced, the machego cheesecake DEFINITELY tasted like manchego and the texture was really close to melting cheese. It’s hard to describe, but I think it’s a really unique composed dish.

Service and Ambience

It’s clear a ton of work went into to creating the vibe of this place. I’m terrible with describing these types of things, but the three words I’d use are old-fashion, ornate and open. I’ll say you can’t help but just look around for the first 10 minutes or so. 

Our service was great for the most part. The server was very personable, helped speed up our meal so we could make a flight, and ensured we had everything we needed. He did miss the carrots when we ordered it, but was apologetic and got an order to us right away.

The Reco?

I would definitely recommend this place, but I think there’s attainable room for improvement. The veal cheek, snap peas, and dessert were real highs, and a few other dish concepts are inches away from that same territory. With an already impressive dining room and charismatic servers, this isn’t so far from a 3.5/4 in my book. 

 blogTO   |    dine.TO

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Sep 17, 2012

416 214 2252  |   $19-25 Pasta/Risotto, $25-50  Mains

Eating in the financial district during weekdays is usually an exercise in banker avoidance. When the business model is built around alcohol sales on the patio, it’s hard to find somewhere that puts great emphasis on food. I was skeptical about Vertical for this very reason, but I think it’s safe to say you can eat well here even surrounded by our suited friends.

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

A read through the menu shows you this is more than a bar. It reads very modern Italian with everything you’d expect to find in the apps and pastas, along with some mains that veer away from the traditional. 

The four of us decided to start with three apps that we all agreed were the highlights of the meal.

The lamb meatballs in tomato sauce (above) were delicious - juicy and full of lamb flavour you’re looking for when you order lamb. I also enjoyed the focaccia with it to sop up all the leftovers. 

Next up were the five balls of arancini (above) filled with saffron risotto and fontina cheese. I will always order arancini when I see them on a menu because, when perfected, nothing is more addictive. That, and they’re usually tasty even when botched.

That said, I thought these were pretty darn good. If you don’t like saffron, avoid these, because the risotto is rife with it. I enjoyed the bold flavour, along with thin exterior and accompanying sauce. Just a touch more fontina would have won it for me. I’m very picky.

This was a dish that tasted as good as it read on the menu. Seared scallop, watermelon, speck, corn and watercress. Watermelon and corn makes sense. Speck and scallop makes sense. Fresh, juicy, porky goodness.

The first main that caught my eye was the halibut over spinach, with a fennel and star-anise puree along with a porcini and potato ’crochetta’. In theory, sounds like a really smart flavour profile. 

The good: Most of the fish was perfect, with an excellent crispy layer on top and moist, flaky interior. Spinach was a nice strong compliment. The mix of textures throughout the dish was really successful.

The not: The puree was ultra mild to the point where it was hard to say what it tasted like. The filling of the crochetta didn’t yell porcini either.

I think this dish has huge potential, but I really missed the promise of fennel, star-anise and porcini.

You may think the above is a ravioli, but this stamp-shaped pasta is called Sfoja Lorda. Vertical fills it with halibut and services with lobster, tomato, and wild fennel. I’ll say the star of the dish was the halibut filling, which I’ve yet to have in a pasta dish. My issue was the lobster is overwhelmed and the fennel flavour was missing again.

The last dish looked beautiful. The risotto of the day was also lobster, so we said why not?

The mouth feel was great and the flavour was pleasant, but I really wish something had stood out. Lobster meat is really quite subtle so anything to dial it up is appreciated and I just felt like I was missing it again.

The last dish of the night was the dessert above. I can’t seem to find that night’s dessert menu online, so I’m not going to take wild guesses at the ingredients. What I do remember is that the cake fell apart really easily, got sopped up in the sweet sauce below and turned into a bit of mess with the cocoa-flavoured sauce.

Dining Date Night

You may have heard me mention this service before, but I’m just going to reiterate how useful and easy it is. 

It lets you make a reservation at some solid restaurants for $10 during off-peak nights (usually excludes Fridays & Weekends) for up to six people. In exchange, they give you 30% off the entire bill including alcohol. The four of us save $40+ and turned this pricier place into something pretty affordable.

Click below to sign up. Highly recommend it:

Service and Ambience

So here’s the obvious part: during weekdays in the summer this is a bar for business people in the financial district (and those eager folks that pursue them). If you don’t like that atmosphere, you may be put off. If you’re not and don’t mind a lively patio in a great location, this is your scene.

On the service side, I was impressed. The great thing about these restaurants is that the kitchen isn’t particularly bombarded with orders so your food comes out pretty quickly. Our server was also very attentive and was always around when we needed her.

The Reco?

This was a really tough one. The apps were great and definitely reco-worthy, but the mains and dessert all had some issues that held them back from fully delivering on the menu’s compelling promises.

Without the 30% off, I’ll say Vertical borders on being too rich for what it delivers. That said, the apps give me faith that there’s more delicious food to be had here, and with the available discount, there aren’t enough reasons not to come back.

Other reviews:
 Food Junkie Chronicles (tasting menu)   |   Toronto City Gossip

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited August 2, 2012

647 352 7476   |   $10 - $22 Mains

Where in the city can you find a beer menu like this? I counted 99 on the menu online and found several of my favourites including Schneider Weisse. I’m truly a sucker for wheat beer and it looked like some effort was being put in to avoid settling at mediocre ‘pub food’. For those reasons and more, I dropped by this spot just before Spadina on King West.

Photo Credit: David Ort, Post City

Beer

Before we talk food, let’s talk beer. This place is all about it.

I’m not a connoisseur by any means, but I’m fairly confident there are at least a handful on this list that you can’t find in any other restaurant in the GTA. It’s comprehensive to the point of being obscure, which is kind of fun to be honest. You could keep coming back just to try bottles at random.

I ordered the Denison’s Weisse (never heard of it). More or less like a Weihenstephaner, but apparently made in Toronto. Learn something new every day.

Food

The food menu itself is a little all over the place to be honest: Italian, Mexican, an entire mussels menu, oysters, schnitzel, and chili among other things. You can either look at it as (1) all your favourites or (2) what on earth is this place doing?

I decided to reserve judgement and jump right in.

We jumped right in with some bar hop pops (above), essentially tempura-crusted meatballs on a stick with a parmesan marinara sauce. The batter was pretty thin and lacked crunch, but I found the meatballs quite flavourful. That said, $9 for four the size of Ikea meatballs isn’t what I call good value.

Next up were two orders of mussels, one of the lager & jerk persuasion, the other a green curry and lemongrass version. Both had bold and aggressive flavours that partially overwhelmed the mussels, but were particularly awesome for dunking the limitless supply of bread. 

For my main, I went with the pork schnitzel with mac & cheese and greens (above). I was hoping for a bit of a guilty pleasure, but it fell short in a lot of areas. Mac and cheese was overdone and mild in actual flavour, greens were overdressed, and the schnitzel was a bit too thin so it dried out. A bite of all together was a bit better actually, but every element could have used improvement.

Even though I was full, I acted against my better judgement and ordered the beeramisu (above) because it sounded fun. My biggest complaint about tiramisu is usually that it’s not light enough, so one made with a porter wasn’t likely to impress. It was definitely heavy, but you could pick out the beer which is a positive.

Service and Ambience

One thing I really like is the location of this place: situated on King West just outside the entertainment district, but you don’t have to walk all the way to Portland to find something worth walking into. It’s also got a little patio that makes for great people watching.

I really liked our server. He was friendly, easy-going, and checked back on us frequently to ensure we had everything we needed (bread refills especially). I think part of the charm of this place is that it’s not ‘trendy’. If that’s something you don’t like about Bier Markt, I think you’ll like it here.

The Reco?

If this place didn’t have a killer beer menu, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it very much. The food was decent, but disappointing on more than one occasion. Even though that usually prevents me from recommending somewhere, I’d probably go back and try out more beer and give another dish a shot. Worst case, at least I get a great brew. I’m fine with that. Cheers.

Other reviews:
 Caroline’s Culinary Delights

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited July 12, 2012

416 703 4222   |   $9-$32 sharing plates

Niagara Street Cafe occupied this same spot just off King West for years, but as of about a month ago, it was reborn as Edulis. What does Edulis mean you ask? It’s a type of porcini mushroom. Who knew? Learn something every day!

The new menu caught my eye, so I decided to bring eight friends to descend upon the restaurant and chow down. Here’s how it went.

Photo Credit: Facebook Page

Food

The changing menu not only features some great shrooms, but offers an eclectic mix of Spanish, French, Italian and more that I’ve yet to find downtown. You’ll see things like paella, sweetbreads, foie gras torchon, lamb neck, ceviche and veal belly among other things, which really makes this menu stand out. Generally, I’m wary of too many cuisines on one menu, but everything just sounded so good.

We were graciously presented with a couple servings of this traditional ‘pintxos’ (spanish amuse-bouche/snack if you will) of olives stuffed with anchovies and spicy guindillo peppers (above). Very traditional salty, spicy, fishy combo with some bread to balance it out. Perfect little bites.

Had some fresh greens (above) to start off with. Not much to say here other than the menu reads ‘Soiled Reputation Greens’, which is just a reference to the name of the farm in Stratford where the greens come from. You won’t get any soil =P

Next up was the foie gras torchon with fresh oregon porcinis stacked with toasts and a pinenut vinaigrette (above). I stay away from foie personally, but my friends quite enjoyed the dish. Fresh, earthy, and nutty are words they uttered along with ‘mmm’. So far so good.

The next dish we ordered was the BC spot prawn ceviche with aji amarillo and cripsy corn. I was an idiot, and mistakenly deleted the picture of my favourite dish of the night. The juicy chunks of prawn were great, but the star was the really bright spicy peruvian chile pepper along the bottom of the plate that brought the dish to life. I’m also a sucker for corn nuts, so the cripsy corn was a great touch for taste and texture. Excellent dish.

Next up was the lamb neck with chickpeas (pieces and puree) and a simple carrot, onion and parsley salad (above). I quite enjoyed the lamb neck and the accompaniments. I’m not sure if it was too simple or I’m just being picky, but I feel like one more element (acid? extra seasoning of some kind?) could have made it just a bit better.

Then came the veal belly that many folks around the table quite enjoyed. I’d never had it before, but it’s like your pork belly texturally, but remove the bacon quotient from it. This dish was also clean, fresh, and straightforward.

A friend of mine wanted a healthy fish dish, so we got her the salmon cooked in cedar leaves with butter poached radishes, wheatberries and pea shoots. The preparation of the salmon was rare and you could really pick out the cedar flavour. That said, she was really hoping for crispy-seared skin on the top. Thought $24 for this portion size was also a tad pricey.

A new item on the menu that night was the soft shell crab ‘schnitzel’ with a fried egg and a bacon salsa verde…how can you not order that? All the combos made sense: deep fried, egg, bacon, seafood, fresh. The bacon flavour wasn’t quite as forward though, so if that’s what caught your attention on the menu, don’t expect tons of bacon. The portion overall is generous though, so you should get your fill of crab.

Another must order on the menu seemed to be the baby octopus paella for two. The chef clearly likes his Spanish food, and I’ve been longing for a great paella in Toronto to bring back memories of Valencia and Barcelona. Unfortunately, two critical things that make paella great were missing: (1) the soccarat and (2) perfectly cooked seafood (found the octopus to be chewy). The soccarat is the carmelized, crispy rice layer on the bottom that forms to give paella its trademark texture. It wasn’t there on arrival, so we let it sit for a while in the hopes it would develop - still no dice. Maybe it’s the pan or something, but it was disappointing for sure.

Next were the sweetbreads with porcini, asparagus and nettle-parsley pesto (above). I enjoyed the deep-woodsy green flavours in this, but found my sweetbreads chewier than I’d like. In my experience, great sweetbreads are juicy, tender, and taste reminiscent of a chicken’s dark meat. Didn’t quite get that here.

While the savoury part of the meal ended on a bit of sour note, I had faith some sweets could resurrect it. Our first order was baba au rhum. I’d never heard of it, but the description of fluffy, semi-rum-saturated cake with whipped cream was enough for me to order it. I’ve read reviews saying they didn’t ‘get it right’, but I really enjoyed it. Nice punchy, deep rum flavour with light cake and cream was just swell for me.

The last bites of the night were taken from a lemon tart with a brunoise of rhubarb and some crunchy crumble (above). Pastry was well done, lemon tart was clean and bright, and the little juicy rhubarb cubes and crumble provided the ideal textural mix for the topping.

Service and Ambience

I love how it feels to sit in this place. It’s homey, comfortable, and looks distinctly like a rustic french cafe/bistro. The polished stone tables give it a bit of class as well that you could say bridge into the somewhat less rustic food preparations.

Photo Credit: Facebook Page

I thought service was great. This was the night of the Union flood, so a lot of our party arrived sporadically late. Thankfully, our server had no problem explaining the menu items and concepts to everyone multiple times, and kept our courses coming out at a pleasant pace. I was also particularly pleased that upon our arrival, we were offered some wines by the glass that are usually only available by the bottle. I happily ordered a spicy Hungarian red on the server’s recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Reco?

I think it needs to be said this menu is ambitious; the scope and depth of European cuisines presented here aren’t easy to pull off. The place is also just a month old, and with more feedback, I believe you’ll see more and more home run dishes being put out of the kitchen. While you might get a miss, you’re also sure to be wowed and I think that’s a real reason to come back. I sure will.

Other reviews:
 National Post  |    dine.TO   |    Cookbook Store Blog

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited June 1, 2012

416 504 9669   |   $12-$15 Pizza and Pasta  

I’ll be the first one to admit I’m wary of ‘trendy’ new Italian restaurants in King West. As the area gets more and more saturated with restaurants, I get increasingly skeptical. A friend of mine said she’d enjoyed her last visit, so I brought of bunch of friends to check it out on a Friday night.

Photo Credit: Toronto Life

Food

The menu features everything you expect to see: fritti, insalate, antipasti, pasta, pizza, a few mains, and contorni. The variety is solid and the prices are surprisingly reasonable across the board which is refreshing given the area. 

We started with smoked eggplant and prosciutto on three large crostini (above). I don’t know if it was the campfire scent coming from the nearby pizza oven, but there was smokiness here and the simplicity of it was appealing and delicious.

Next was the calamari (above), which is always a good test. Definite pass with really tender, lightly battered rings. The roasted garlic aioli on the right tasted great too.

What I really didn’t understand was the pickled cucumber and jalapeno salad in the middle along with the balsamic reduction. The presentation was confusing since I was eating the calamari ‘chips-and-dip’ style, so I had to cut up the salad and use a fork to combine it all…at which point the flavours just didn’t make sense to me.

Another ‘gotta try’ item was the arancini (above). I order them every time I see them because I’m always in search of perfection. Even when they come up short, it’s hard to make them taste bad. To me, it’s gotta be thin and crispy on the outside filled with a 1/3 melted cheese, 2/3 risotto mix.  

These had a thin outer layer, but no crispiness. The inside wasn’t cheesy enough, although the mushroom and fontina risotto had good flavour to compensate.

For the mains, the table had two pizzas. The first was their classic prosciutto (above). For those of you who like crispier/floury crusts, this will be to your liking. I was also fond of the tomato sauce.

The other pizza was the Da Dee with thin slices of sweet potato topped with spanish onions, lots of crispy kale, and some cow milk mozzarella. It was pretty tasty, but I felt like the bitterness of all the kale wasn’t quite balanced with enough salt or cheese. 

We finished off with two pastas: a mushroom fettuccine and rigatoni with lamb shank. I thought the fettuccine was passed al dente, but what it didn’t lack was earthiness. It’s packed with portobello, oyster mushrooms, porcini AND truffle paste. That plate needed a green or something because that was intense.

The rigatoni was well-received around the table and the lamb was tender and not particularly gamy. 

One last thing, the dessert menu is pretty limited and there’s no beer on tap (only a few bottles available). The wine menu is quite extensive though and there’s even wine on tap. I had a cabernet sauvignon-malbec blend that was simple and fruity; it’s pretty good value too at only $1/oz.

Service and Ambience

From an interior design perspective, I really liked the grunge/loft feel. My guess is it used be a garage (there’s a big garage door at the front). Much of that ‘bricks and mortar’ style remains, and all the sunlight that seeps through from the front really lights up the place on a nice day. There’s a patio out front too, but it doesn’t yet have a liquor license if a drink in the sun is what you’re in the mood for.

On a busy Friday night, the staff managed to hold a table for six of us by turning two tables sideways. The improv was smart and worked for us. Our server was also knowledgeable about the menu and called all the women at the table ‘senorita’ (most of them enjoyed this). 

The Reco?

Toronto has yet another casual but authentic Italian restaurant that you’ll probably enjoy. Nothing on the menu wowed, but it all tasted reasonably good and the service along with the ambience charmed me. Couple all that with the fact the prices are reasonable and the location is central, and it’s a decent choice downtown.

Other reviews:
 blogTO  |    Foodies Inc.

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited May 4, 2012

416-979-1990   |   $13-29 ‘mains’

Yes, I know the title is cheesy and ridiculous, but I really really like this place. I went for my birthday a few months back and everything  I tasted made me smile like a complete goof. Having finally returned, I’m happy to write this review and spread word about this spot you aren’t likely to walk into unless you know it’s there.

Photo Credit: Marben Site

Food

Generally speaking, the menu is built for sharing but can be tackled the conventional ‘do you want a bite of MY food’ kind of way. I wouldn’t say it’s a french menu, but there’s a healthy dose of it throughout with added touches of Italy and east Asia here and there. The menu also changes quite frequently, and on my last visit featured ceviche, cotechino, plus other items not represented on yesterday’s menu.

This time I started with a side of the sage and brown butter gnocchi (above) with brussel sprouts and some crispy shallots and nuts on top. Gnocchi were soft and the brussel sprout (if you’re a fan) is always a welcome green taste. The crunch on top with the delicate pasta pillows below was well-paired. My two friends had the butternut squash soup, which they both heartily enjoyed on a very chilly night.

Next up were the mains. I’ve heard great things about the burger before arriving and had that reinforced when my friend commented the juiciness and fantastic sauce that dripped into the soft bun. She was very complimentary.

My other friend had the smoked pork chop (above, apologies for the candle-litness) with apple puree, caramalized onions, sage and pork jus. Suffice to say, it was obvious this would taste good before it came. Conventional flavour pairings worked well, but the execution of a beautifully smoky and juicy pork chop made this an even more successful dish.

My main was the sous-vide rainbow trout (above) topped with threads of fried leek and a barigoule sauce (essentially an earthy, vegetable-filled sauce). The great thing about a sous-vide protein is it creates a uniform texture throughout, so my fish had a great rare, buttery texture to it that made it melt in your mouth. The leeks on top (described as leek fries) didn’t really come off as leeks and I thought there could have been more of the vegetables from the barigoule on the plate. Still a tasty dish with great textures that I’d happily eat again.

Finally, we finished with desserts. We ordered two of the apple puddings (above) topped with mascarpone creme, some bailey’s caramel, and a touch of salt. The baileys was subtle but present, the apple pudding was warm, soft, but not falling apart, and the salt on the end was a smart finish. 

The other dessert was an earl grey creme brulee that was probably my favourite bite of the night. Even though I had a cold and needed to work a bit to find flavours all night, the earl grey was easy and delicious. Loved this dish.

Service and Ambience

On both my visits, I found our servers very friendly, laid-back (but attentive) and really knowledgeable. I liked how they let you know the cooking techniques behind some of the dishes when ordered, because there’s a big difference between a crispy, seared piece of trout and one that’s been sous-vide. 

From an ambience perspective, this place is…woodsy and warm. There’s wood everywhere: tables, walls, floors, in paintings, you name it. But once you get over it, it’s a very comfortable and lively atmosphere. The open kitchen with bar seating at the back of the room is also a nice touch.

The Reco?

If it’s not obvious by now something is wrong with you. You should definitely go. I’ve yet to have something I don’t like here, and it’s very unique in this city to have the range of comfort food to haute cuisine this place does at very reasonable prices. It’s not perfect, but it’s hard for me to name another place I’d rather have in my neighbourhood. Enjoy.

Other reviews:
Globe & Mail    |     National Post    |     Toronto Life 

Posted by: Jacob, Visited Jan 5, 2012

416-865-1600    |    $21 -$70+ mains

I’d be very surprised if you haven’t heard of Buca yet. The Jamie Oliver tweet, the constant praise, the mysterious alleyway on King West. I’m embarrassed to say yesterday was my first time, but having lost my Buca virginity, here’s my lengthy take on the experience.

Right side photo credit: Ian Mile Design

Food

You’ll notice that there’s no menu link in its usual spot, that’s because it changes daily (and gets stamped to prove it) and is not published online. It’s too bad the lighting wasn’t better because it’s a beautiful menu: unique snacks, fried goods (fritti), starters, salads, pasta, carne, pesce, pizza. It’s not a small menu and it’s kind of bewildering at first.

We started our meal with four plates to get the variety the menu merited:

• Nodini (below): A suggestion from our server, these little freshly made bread knots with a strong garlic and rosemary flavour are just awesome. Mildly crunchy outside, soft inside, really addictive.
  Photo Credit: Sifu Renka 
  
  
• Lamb brains alla saltimbocca with caper agliata (below): Texturally, a very unique dish with the creamy lamb and crispy pork wrapping. We found the agliata to have much more parsley flavour than any hint of caper. Overall a nice snack of something very different for only $8.
  
  Photo Credit: Joseph Mallozzi 
  
  
• Mixed kale salad with ripe persimmon, chocolate red wine reduction, macerated almonds and a lardo vinaigrette: This was a beautifully balanced salad. Kale gave it great texture, persimmon a unique sweetness, light dressing of chocolate wine reduction added the unusual, and the lardo vinaigrette gave you that meaty flavour without the meat. Can’t find any mention of this online, not a usual menu item.
  
  
• Eggplant parmigiana (below): A staple on the menu, this small stack is classic and the very fresh basil on top sets it off. It’s tough to wow with this dish, and I don’t think it did. That said, it’s still good.

We had a difficult choice with the mains, especially turning down the pizza (served with pizza-cutting scissors), but we decided other things on the menu were more compelling.

An orecchiette dish was my favourite of the night (a different variation with scallops below). The subtly sweet brininess of BC mussels, the bitter green of brussel sprouts, the texture of al dente cannellini beans, and the salty,crisp pancetta make this a fantastic dish. One of the better pasta dishes I’ve ever had.
Photo Credit: Foodies Inc.

The other main was cripsy prosciutto-wrapped sweetbreads over lentils with poached duck egg, and marjoram agliata (above). Nicely balanced dish with rich, earthy flavours, crispy pork, and some fresh agliata to cut it all. 
Photo Credit: Buca Twitter Feed

To finish, naturally we needed to sample some desserts. The first we selected was an olive oil cake, topped olive oil gelato, quince, and a beautiful pouring of olive oil over top. Despite all this all olive oil, the only time it really came through was when you got some of what was poured on top. The gelato was nice and creamy, and cake moist, but neither really conveyed olive oil. I think less cake would have prevented muting of the other elements.

The second desert I labeled a “mindfuck” when reading. A chocolate…and pork blood…tart topped with espresso soaked figs, macerated almonds and a creme anglaise (below). Unfortunately, I didn’t get the use of pork blood; it seemed to be used as a thickener, but I don’t think it added anything and I felt kind of tricked into ordering it. I thought the fig and espresso flavours dominated the dish.

Photo Credit: Globe and Mail

Service and Ambience

From an ambience perspective, Buca is impressive. The height of the room, the amount of exposed brick, the displays of Italian fare - all of it makes the experience special. The only thing that threw it off a bit was the classical orchestral tunes. Is it purposefully pretentious? Maybe so, but it didn’t fit for us.

Photo Credit: Fashion Magazine

On the service side, everyone was friendly and food came out of the kitchen at a pleasant pace given the number of dishes we ordered. I’d say the dishes were slightly ‘over-explained’ sometimes. I don’t mind some table-side romancing, but I think it gets excessive when there’s an agliata in a dipping bowl and two separate servers remind you to use the agliata for dipping. We get it.

The Reco?

On the merit of some particularly exceptional dishes, it’s impossible to give this less than 3.5 stars. The orecchiette and kale salad were perfect, and we really enjoyed most of the other dishes. There’s an uncommon level of precision and thoughtfulness here that blends with authentic Italian flavours, and I’d be crazy not to return here for more.

Other reviews:
 Globe and Mail    |    Toronto Life |    Food Junkie Chronicles

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Dec 18, 2011

416-362-0123    |    522 King Street West

Website’s not up yet at Alimento.ca so no direct links to menus or more information at this point in time. Will update once the website gets launched.

Been waiting for this ‘fine food emporium’ to open for a while now. A little less than a month ago it finally opened its doors to reveal the treasures within. I’ll focus this quick review on the lunch we ate, but I promise that the fine food/grocery area will please you.

Photo Credit: Gizelle Lao, Toronto Life

Food

The lunch menu is great, featuring authentic salads (don’t think lettuce please), mozzarella platters, pasta and pizza. This sounds plain, but its definitely not. Had a tough time picking what to eat, and am sure I missed other treasures. 

Started with the funghi al forno with hazelnuts, ricotta and chives (above). Mushrooms have great flavour, olive oil is spot-on, nuts are a great compliment. Only thing was I thought it could have used a pinch of salt, it felt under-seasoned to me given the lack of salt in ricotta.

Photo Credit: Gizelle Lao, Toronto Life

The other salad was the beet caprese (above), with tasty chunks of beets, fior di latte, and pistachios. Again very simple, honest, and tasty, but could have used salt. Also was looking for the cheese to have some added creaminess. We were served complimentary bread and much creamier mozzarella at the start of the meal that was perfectly seasoned and would have worked well with the beet dish.

For mains, my friend ordered the eggplant parmigiana that came in a napolean style (stacked more or less). She enjoyed, but again thought it was missing some seasoning.

I ordered the calzone calabrese (above) with house-made sausage, rapini, and a couple other ingredients I couldn’t remember/taste. First off, it’s enormous! I liked the dough/crust but I found the insides a little underwhelming flavour-wise. There’s also a significant part of it (the ends) which have none of the ‘toppings’, which makes for a lot of bread and cheese eating. This is typical of a calzone, but this was huge so it made the empty ends more pronounced. Servers should warn or it should be designated as a sharing plate.

Service and Ambience

First off, the place looks great, and after walking through the store side you’re very ready to try the ingredients. The dining area itself is a reasonably big space, but there isn’t a lot of seating so it could be difficult getting a table when busy.

Our server was an Italian from Napoli, which was a nice touch. Always adds authenticity. Still wish he would have warned me about the size of the calzone for lunch, but maybe he thought I could handle it.

The Reco?

While not everything was perfect, signs of finesse mixed with intriguing menu items makes me want to come back. I’m certain the rest of the menu holds gems and the store side alone makes this a worthy visit. 

Profiles of Alimento:
 blogTO  |     Toronto Life 

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Nov 24, 2011

647-352-6000    |    $10-$17 mains

I’ve been reading Scott Vivian’s tweets for a long time re: Beast, and the menus have always made my mouth water. Finally convinced a bunch of friends to head west to enjoy as many dishes as we could stomach.

Food

The menu at Beast changes quite a bit on a weekly basis, featuring dishes categorized into Vegetables, Fish, Meat, and Dessert. Thanks to the reasonable prices, moderately-sized portions, and DiningDateNight.com (30% discount), we were able to sample 12 dishes between the five of us, which is most of the menu. 

To avoid writing an essay, I’ll do quick hits below by Wow, Good, and OK. 

Wow:

Fried gnocchi, mushroom ragu, cheese curds, creme fraiche - A very loose take on poutine succeeds with dead-on crispy, pillowy gnocchi, great mushroom flavour, and melty cheese curds of course.

Sea scallops, tripe stew, salsa verde, quail egg - Flavourful tomato stew with tender tripe (which I’ve yet to have until last night) complements the scallops and gets a smack of brightness with a big spoonful of salsa verde. Great balance.

Stick Toffee Pudding - Woooow. Liquid toffee seeps into a moist, cakey sphere and just destroys you. The toffee flavour is so pointed and wonderful. Describing this is making me hungry.  

Photo Credit: foodjunkiechronicles.com

Good:

Duck confit, farro, celery root, porcini mustard - Duck is perfect, farro risotto is dead-on, porcini mustard is a good idea. Needs something to cut this; it’ s very rich.

Strip loin of beef, romesco, tobacco onions - Great sear on steak, romesco is fresh, onions add crunch. Felt like some spice would have put this over the top.

Pastrami reuben, house sauerkraut, gruyere, 1000 island, rye - A great reuben. Didn’t blow me away…but it was delicious. 

Lamb neck terrine, membrillo, house mustard, marcona almods, crostini - Lamb flavour is there in the terrine, grain mustard with heat is a good twist, crustinis have big holes in them unfortunately. Good balance here though for sure.

Sweet potato wedges, pecans, maple vinaigrette, raisins - Tasty, all flavours work. Enjoyed my wedge.

Whitefish falafel, harissa mayo - Fish and falafel is a good new combo for me, a few of us found these a bit salty though.

Beet root, fennel, dill, sunflower seeds, sheep’s milk feta - A nice starter salad if you will. All flavours in harmony, dill and mild beets worked.

OK:

Arctic char, butternut squash puree, crispy prosciutto, raita - Tasted good overall, char skin was crispy, but I completely lost the fish in the prosciutto.

Cauliflower, banana peppers, pine nuts, mint, tahini - Little bland and bitter. Couldn’t taste mint. Not sure tahini and pine nut flavour stood out enough.

Service and Ambience

First thing I needed after walking on King for a half hour in the cold was something warm and alcoholic. Our server brought me a coffee with Baileys. Win.

On the more objective side of things, I thought our meal was well-paced given that we essentially ordered everything. Also, we appreciated the flexibility of adding another person to our table last minute in the middle of the meal.

Inside, it’s pretty small, nothing fancy, just cozy. Feels very much like you’re sitting in someone’s home. Someone weird though, because the two semi-nude human/animal paintings on the wall are just plain odd. Fits with the whole ‘beast’ thing, but some people at our table didn’t get it (it’s art, c’est la vie).

The Reco?

I liked this place a lot, probably more than others at my table. Very few misses on the menu, some high highs, and a lot of good options. You can get some very well-executed and complex food for reasonable prices in an unpretentious environment. Sounds like a good restaurant to me.

Other reviews:
 National Post  |     Globe and Mail    |  Toronto Life

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Nov 18, 2011

416-850-2855    |    $17-25 entrees

Food

It’s OK. Great selection of apps, tacos, enchiladas, margaritas, sangria, ceviches, and cocktails. Definitely a large menu.

The best thing we ate was Vuelve La Vida, a shrimp, octopus, and crab ceviche. All fish cooked well, bright flavours, probably a touch too spicy though.

My main, short rib enchiladas with a habanero salsa, refried beans and rice didn’t wow me. The habanero salsa had the right spice level, but lacked depth and tasted a little sour. When I had the short rib, I liked it, but it was hard to find in the enchiladas. Rice and refried beans were dry and needed seasoning or something.

My friend had the Barbacoa, shredded(ish) lamb in a banana leaf. It was well cooked, but there was no flavour outside of the lamb and generally the plate looked kinda sad.

I also tasted the Margarita de Pepino, a refreshing cucumber margarita. Couldn’t really taste the tequila, but I did like it.

Service

As we were seated, our host told us we’d love the food. ‘Some of the best mexican food in the city’ he said. We both felt he over-promised (don’t blame him though). The bartender waited on us, which actually turned out to be great. He was a little busy on Friday night, but helped us through the large menu, was very knowledgeable about the food, and was an all-around good guy.

The Reco?

Not awful by any stretch, but I can’t think of a good reason to revisit unless I’m really craving Mexican food in the entertainment district. The selection gives me hope that there are some gems on the menu, but I don’t think I’ll spend the $20 each to find them.

Other reviews:
Toronto Life     |     Globe & Mail     |     49 St. (video review)

Posted by: Jacob, Visited Sept 16, 2011