Chococrepe
Posted on August 4, 2012 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Trinity Bellwoods
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4 Stars
- Crepes aren’t just for dessert folks. That’s what Dewey Truong, owner of Chococrepe wants you to know. Yes, they are paper thin, but they aren’t as one dimensional when it comes to their meal potential. Walking into the Queen West restaurant on a hot summer day, the last thing that I wanted to eat for lunch was a Nutella and chocolate smeared crepe, so it’s a good thing there was so much more on the menu.
Don’t let the name fool you. At Chococrepe, the menu is divided into savoury and sweet options. So yes, they do offer the obligatory Nutella crepe along with a slew of other sinfully sweet creations, but they also have an impressive selection of crepes with fillings usually associated with sandwiches or wraps.
To start off we had the Pesto ($9.25) which came with egg, mozzarella , pesto and arugula served on a buckwheat crepe. Now I’m not an eggs anytime of the day person as I lump them into the breakfast only category, so this probably wouldn’t be my go to crepe, but it was tasty nevertheless. The egg was fluffy, the pesto made its presence known without stealing the show, and arugula is never a bad idea.
All of the savoury menu items come served on buckwheat crepes which are a bit similar to whole wheat wraps in their texture and consistency. Despite the name though, it’s interesting to note that buckwheat is gluten free, so while I can’t speak for the filling, the crepe itself is a good option for those who are at least sensitive to gluten.
To round out our savoury options we tried the Country and the Chipotle Chicken (both $9.25). The Country comes stuffed with cheddar and punctuated with wood-smoked bacon and caramelized pear. I’m not even a huge fan of bacon (I know…sorry) but I loved this crepe. The saltiness of the cheddar, the smokiness of the bacon and the sweetness of the pear blended so nicely into a ménage a trois of flavour. (What? It’s French…like crepes…)
The Chipotle Chicken though, with a generous amount of tender chicken breast, mozzarella, arugula, and chipotle mayo, might have been the winner, but I like anything that comes served with a side of heat.
At this point it’s fair to say we were beyond full, and I was convinced that yes, crepes could be lunch, but it wouldn’t be fair of us to ignore the dessert crepes completely. So we tried two. The Berry Banana ($8.75) is the Platonic ideal of a dessert crepe. Covered with sliced strawberries and bananas, then drizzled with dark and white chocolate, it looks like art (think Jackson Pollock). This crepe had a nice balance of tart, thanks to the strawberries, and sweet, thanks to everything else.
Our last crepe of the day came in the form of Crunchy Pear ($8.50), also beautiful in design with sliced Bosch pears, a generous sprinkling of crushed almonds, and painted with milk chocolate, it was a bit sweeter than the Berry Banana due in part to the milk chocolate, but won in the texture category.
All of the dessert crepes here are made with the typical sweetened wheat flour and served open-face which gives diners the artistic license to fold, roll, or just dive in as is. And it just looks prettier.
Oh, and I should mention that all of the crepes are huge, taking up plates that are larger than your average plate. My suggestion is to bring a friend, or two, and sample multiple crepes like we did.
Did I forget to mention the hot chocolate? Oh yes, we sampled a couple. They take their hot chocolate seriously here at Chococrepe. All flavours are made with melted Valhrona chocolate and you can have your choice of having it made with dark or milk chocolate (and in some cases, white) and with cream or milk. We really wanted to try the popular Fleur de Sel Dulce de Leche made with dark chocolate, but sadly it was unavailable, so we went with the Pumpkin and the Coconut. The Pumpkin ($5.95) was made with milk chocolate, so as not to overpower the spice and milk instead of its heavier counterpart. It was tasty, but I would liken it more to a chai latte than a hot chocolate.
The Coconut (also $5.95) however, made with white chocolate and cream was something else. It was rich without being cloyingly sweet and the coconut flavour came through nicely. I can definitely see myself going back for one of these once the temperature starts to drop, but if you’re craving one now, Truong just installed a brand new air-conditioning system that he’s very proud of.
I would also be remiss not to comment on the excellent service at Chococrepe. Truong himself is a living doll, and he goes out of his way to make your experience at Chococrepe a memorable one. He obviously loves what he is doing, and says that he wants eating at his restaurant to be a comfortable and social experience, not to mention a delicious one. Check, check, and check.
Footnote: Why doesn’t the saying go “as flat as a crepe”? Let’s face it, in comparison, the crepes pancake cousin from the West has a bit of a weight problem.
- Rebecca
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Interview with: David Lee and Yannick Bigourdan of Nota Bene
Posted on May 9, 2012 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Interview with
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Nota Bene has been a fixture on the Toronto dining circuit since 2008, and it was even voted as one of Canada’s top ten new restaurants by Where Magazine. Despite those accolades and all of the success that comes with it, co-owners David Lee (DL) and Yannick Bigourdan (YB) took some time out of their hectic schedule to answer a few questions for TOFoodReviews (TO).
David Lee
TO – How important is sourcing local ingredients to both you and to Nota Bene? How does that build relationships in the community?
DL – It’s very important to us to support the local community, and the food tastes better when you can buy local.
I feel like buying local contributes to a history; my grandmother planted her own vegetable garden and raised chickens. It was just understood that you would eat food that you grew. It is a normal and natural practice. I feel like it helps teach the younger generation the value of sustainability for decades to come.
I have great relationships with farmers and we rely on a forager who sources things like wild leeks and mustard leaf. I have been out foraging for fiddleheads and things like that with my family. I think it is important to have a respect for the food and the ingredients, and a connection with the land and soil.
But I don’t cut out the rest of the world, especially because of the people I am cooking for. There are countries that produce great food, for instance California peas, but we support local farmers as much as possible.
TO – Can this be a challenge in winter months?
DL – January and February are the most challenging months in terms of creativity with the food and menu. You are antsy for spring to arrive, and looking forward to green asparagus, and things like that. I have so many ideas that I want to try. This spring has been particularly difficult as the weather has been so back and forth. It was so warm earlier in the year, so the menu has been changing a lot.
TO – What are some of the trends in the industry that you see right now, and how do you feel about following trends?
DL – Mexican food is a huge industry trend right now, growing out of the taco scene. It seems that down-to-earth and fun to eat food is coming back. But take something like pizza, it has always been there, but the trend comes from the ingredients being used, where are you sourcing the tomatoes, the buffalo mozzarella? What new and creative toppings are you using?
Trends are important to follow in terms of providing the guest with something new to try, but I always come back to the value. I want to make good food that is a great value to the client.
TO – Your restaurants have received a lot of recognition in terms of industry awards and accolades. What does that mean to you?
DL – I consider myself a very humble person, and I have never focused on achieving accolades, I focus more on the attitude that I bring to work each day, and my team. What can we do today to be better than yesterday? How can we please the guest? I still get butterflies when I go to work, because everyday is a new day to try and be better than the one before.
I think the recognition does show that we are serious about our business and the restaurant. It shows that we are always trying to be better in a very competitive industry.
TO – How would you describe your menu in three words?
DL – Ingredients. Passion. Values
TO – What is your favourite neighbourhood in Toronto to spend time in and to shop?
DL – I love to spend time at farmer’s markets, to shop for food and to take my family there, as well. I like Wychwood Barns, but I love to explore.
The great thing about Farmer’s Markets is that you are teaching a respect for food to the public. It is what I call the ‘second notion’ of the food, the person who has grown the food, and selling it, and the ‘first notion’ is the actual planting, the soil and the earth. It gets you closer to the food.
TO – What is your favourite food to cook when you are at home with your family?
DL – I love slow cooking. I would probably cook something in the Green Egg, spare ribs or something like that. I like to cook meat.
TO – What would be your “last supper?”
DL – Lobster and Frites.
TO – How important are wine pairings to you? Do you spend a lot of time planning your menu and your wine list to work with each other?
DL – Wine pairings are very important. Our guests know a lot about wine, so we like to ensure that we have some great matches. We serve such a variety of food at Nota Bene, we have some Asian dishes, and pastas, tuna tartar and steak, we need to have a variety of wines. Ultimately, people will drink what they like, and what they are in the mood for.
TO – What are some of the most difficult challenges you deal with being a restaurant owner and chef, and the most exciting?
DL – The most difficult part of owning and operating a restaurant is the time I miss with my family. At the same time, I love the excitement of the restaurant. It is one of my greatest satisfactions to stand by the dish bin and watch the plates come back empty. It means people loved their meal, and that makes me happy.
Yannick Bigourdan
TO – Tell me a bit about your history, and how you found yourself in the restaurant business?
YB – I come from a family of chefs. My father and uncle were chefs in France, but I always said to myself, ‘I will never cook.’ But, I was 16 or 17 years old when I said that, and when I started thinking about university, somehow I found myself interested in Hotel Management. I travelled to Switzerland for school, and received a degree in Hotel Management. From there, I was asked to work at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles. After a few years there, I was given the opportunity to join the Four Seasons in Toronto, and that is how I came to Toronto.
After my time with the Four Seasons, David and I opened Splendido in 2001. It was a very successful restaurant, and we learned a lot, but we realized that we wanted to reach a different market with Nota Bene, that we weren’t able to reach with Splendido. Splendido was a very upscale restaurant, and I think we were missing out on a huge market in that sense, and that is where Nota Bene came from.
TO – What are some of the many hats you wear being a restaurant owner?
YB – Every day when I come in, I am never sure what to expect, some days you are dealing with HR, guiding your staff, enforcing policy. Other times you are an engineer of food and beverage. I spend time with my staff, training managers, and things like that. This industry requires some of the most social people, so I like to get to know everyone.
Day-to-day things are more focused on the food, for instance what promotions are we running? The sequence of service, that do we need to change on the menu? Things like that.
TO – What is your secret to keeping customers coming in?
YB – Bringing people into the restaurant is the easy part. Bring them in twice is difficult. People are naturally curious, and want to try new places, new restaurants and food. What we try to achieve at Nota Bene is great food at a good price. Consistency is important, that is what delivers a great dining experience time after time. That is why people return. They have confidence that they can bring their family here, or their clients, and they know they will have a great experience.
At Nota Bene, we wanted to be the best ‘mid-range’ restaurant in Toronto, we had a very specific goal, and we have worked hard to maintain that. Sometimes we miss, we all make mistakes, but we try to satisfy our guests every time. That is why people return, that is the secret.
TO – What have been some of your most successful promotions, and where do they originate?
YB – In the beginning, we rely on print advertising; we advertise in the Opera or Ballet Program, but print advertising is not sustainable. Print is great for something new. Our marketing has evolved with the business. We focus our public relations on social media; we are active on Facebook and Twitter. We also rely on food critics and some traditional press. Our most successful marketing is recommendations; friends tell friends to come and try Nota Bene, and a great word-of-mouth reference is the best way to keep guests coming in.
TO – Describe the community at Nota Bene, and what charities the restaurant has become involved with.
YB – The restaurant is a public space, it attracts people to come together and to discuss, interact and exchange ideas and opinions. Our patrons influence us by what interests them, and what projects we may want to help with. That is how we came across our involvement with Bloorview Kids, Movember, and Second Harvest. If it is important to our patrons, it is important to us. We are so proud of the work that we did at Bloorview Kids Rehab Children’s Centre. We have raised $1.5 million.
TO – Describe your menu in three words.
YB – Fresh. Eclectic. Canadian.
TO – What is your favourite neighbourhood in Toronto to spend time in and to shop?
YB – I love St. Catharine’s market, and other farmer’s markets. They are a lot of fun, and the food is great.
TO – What is your favourite food to cook when you are at home with your family?
YB – My wife is a professional chef, so when I cook, it is very determined. I love to grill; I would probably make pizza in the wood-burning oven, or BBQ something. I also like smoking in the Green Egg, something Southern style, game meet and other things like that.
TO – What would be your “last supper?”
YB – Mushroom risotto or pasta, with a beautiful piece of caribou.
TO – How important is the wine list, and the relationship with the menu?
YB – Our wine list is food friendly. People dictate what kind of wine they want to drink. Our partner, Franco Prevedello, has been in the wine business for 40 years, so his passion with wine and influence are very important.
We are really open to any good wine. The price has nothing to do with the taste or quality of the wine. An inexpensive wine can be fantastic. What is more important in deciding on which wine to drink is the time of day, the company you are with, the mood and the atmosphere. Drink what you like, that is the best wine for you.
TO – What are some of the most difficult and exciting parts of being a restaurant owner?
YB – The most difficult part of my job is when you can see guests not enjoying themself. At Nota Bene, we put so much effort in to the guest experience, so it is difficult to see that.
The most exciting part of the business is meeting all the extraordinary people. I have the opportunity to communicate and to share ideas with interesting people, people of influence and the community here in Toronto. I love that part of my job. I am surrounded my youth and energy, and it allows me to work hard at the restaurant and enjoy the experience.
- Janine
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Visit Nota Bene at 180, Queen Street West, Toronto.
(Not sure what the ever so popular green egg is? Neither was I. Check out www.biggreenegg.ca to learn more about what the green egg is and where you can purchase one.)
TOFoodReviews will be visiting Nota Bene for dinner soon. Stay tuned for our review!
Grand Electric
Posted on January 22, 2012 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Parkdale
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5 Stars
- Let me start by saying I am truly a Latin American food snob. I am fortunate enough to know what the good stuff – the real stuff – tastes like, and I resent those who do it poorly. It’s not difficult food to make, but it takes both time and love to create great Latin American dishes, and it frustrates me when I see melted cheese from a jar smeared on store-bought chips that are passed off as “Mexican food” in restaurants. So it was a relief and a thrill to hear that the head chef from The Black Hoof was helming Grand Electric and promised, “Mexican food, craft beer, brown liquor and loud music.”
I met my dinner companion across the street at The Mascot at 5:45 and watched as a line started to form outside Grand Electric. The Mascot’s baristas suggested that we get ourselves over there before the line up got too long, warning us we’d be eating at 9pm if we didn’t get it in gear. We dutifully lined up at 5:50pm behind two parties. Within five minutes the line had extended half a block behind us. At 6:02pm, the doors opened and people flooded inside. We were shown to a table for two and marveled at just how quickly the small space filled up. Tables were gone by 6:05 and the bar was full a minute later. Music blared, servers started making their rounds and Grand Electric was off and running.
The bar is quite the thing to behold. Bourbon-heavy, it is run by enthusiastic and well-informed staff. It towers over patrons and is a great focal point for the restaurant. In addition to bourbon, you can try several craft beers including Churchkey and Canucklehead cask ale. Both are excellent, but if you haven’t tried a cask ale, you should know it’s not carbonated. Don’t let that dissuade you from checking it out, though, as it has a fruity and slightly bitter taste. You’ll be hooked after your first taste.
The menu for Grand Electric located at the back of the restaurant on a giant chalkboard. It is split up into appetizers, tacos, specials and dessert. Given the advanced buzz that’s been generated, we opted to try as many dishes as possible. We had the guacamole and nachos (an excellent test of a Mexican restaurant’s mettle), tuna ceviche, chicken frito appetizers, one of each taco, and in the end, we went for the key lime pie for dessert.
Beers in hand, we eagerly awaited our food which came out surprisingly fast considering the kitchen must have gotten just crushed with all of us arriving at once. First up came the guacamole and chips. The dip was generously salted and had lots of lime juice, essential elements both. Without enough of those two simple ingredients, guacamole falls flat, but this was the best restaurant-made I’ve ever had (oh, and it comes with a huge serving of light-as-air pork chicharron as a garnish; a great aesthetic touch as it towers over the guacamole & chips). The fresh corn tortilla chips were also both well seasoned and delicious.
While still munching away on this, our tuna ceviche arrived. Beautiful pieces of citrus-cooked fish were piled on a fresh tortilla and topped with cilantro and lime juice. My dining companion and I split the tender tuna, staring at each other, and not believing how good such a simple dish could be. The two appetizers were done so well that we were even more eager to try the tacos we had coming our way.
A plate of three tacos was delivered to us, and we hung on every word our server said as she explained which taco was which. The first three were the sweet pork belly al pastor with pineapple, the fried queso (cheese) and spicy arbol chicken. It’s not that spicy, I promise, especially considering some of the other choices. Of these, the only miss was the queso which I thought could have benefited from some salt. Having said that, the other two were simply wonderful, especially the pork belly. We also tried the Baja fish taco, a lightly breaded tilapia fillet topped with bright, fresh cabbage. The textures of the soft tortilla and the crunchy, crispy toppings had us grinning from ear to ear.
Also on the menu that night were shredded beef cheek and cochinita pibil, a traditional Mexican dish of slow-cooked pork cooked in a banana leaf. Both were winners; tender and tasty with some nice heat on the pork taco. A server helpfully suggested we try the homemade sauces to either amplify the heat or cut it depending on our tastes and the particular taco. Given how busy the restaurant was, I was impressed at how calm, cheerful and helpful the serving staff was throughout the night.
Not-to-be-forgotten is the chicken frito dish we ordered: a mound of crispy, fried chicken pieces slathered in a sweet and citrus-y coating and sprinkled with healthy doses of cilantro, jalapeno peppers slices and little, red, evil chile peppers. I like heat, but skipped over the red chiles in favor of the jalapenos. Sweet, sour, spicy, juicy, crispy, hot…there was nothing about this dish that should be changed. Ever. I will most definitely be ordering this one again.
But let us not forget about dessert! When the small glass jar filled with buttered graham cracker crust, rich, tart lime custard and whipped cream topped with lime zest arrived, my friend and I looked at each other and snickered. “This isn’t going to be big enough for two of us,” we commented. We each grabbed a tiny spoon and dug in. Grand Electric has now spoiled key lime pie for me as this was the best I’ve ever had. Rich, tangy, buttery, creamy and utterly delectable, this dessert truly one of the best I’ve had. Though we contemplated getting a second, our stomachs finally caught up to our eyes and we decided to call it a night.
Overall, this was one of the most fun and delicious meals I’ve had in Toronto. The atmosphere is supercharged in the restaurant, filled with happy customers taking pictures of and devouring the food coming out of the kitchen. While you can hardly say that each dish on the menu is truly, authentically Mexican, it hardly matters when it’s this good. A word to the wise: go early or you will be waiting for hours for a seat, but even if you do end up waiting, it’ll be worth it. There is no other place in the city putting out food like this.
- Carolyn
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Terroni Queen West
Posted on October 25, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in West Queen West
4 stars
- So lately I’ve been on a bit of an Italian kick. Maybe its the changing of the seasons, and I’m subconsciously trying to carbo-load for the winter months ahead and preparing for hibernation. Whatever it is, this past Monday I was looking for just that at Terroni on Queen West.
The camp is divided on Terroni. People either rave about it or complain about the pretentious servers, the ‘no-substitution’ rule, or the slice-it-yourself pizza. Being a fan of this place, I have a rebuttal for each of these complaints.
While (some of) the servers may seem a bit curt at first, I owe this to the fact that Terroni is busy – always busy – and their no-nonsense attitude is often mistaken for pretentiousness. Our server, although brusque, took our order diligently while complementing our choices, had our wine to the table in no time, and managed to pour two glasses of the stuff from the awkwardly shaped porcelain decanter without dribbling it everywhere (which is something we later failed to do).
As for the no-substitutions rule, if you want to choose your own toppings, then head on down to that infamous sub-par pizza joint (you know the one…with its orange boxes and redundant title) and stuff your crust while you’re at it. Since when did slicing pizza become a chore? Just a few simple back and forth motions with a knife and voila! Freshly sliced pizza.
Regardless of the division, Terroni is always packed. Monday at 9:00 found us one free table upstairs, which was where our preference lay anyway. Although I do love to pull up to the bar, it tends to get a bit clustered on the lower level, and while the upstairs isn’t exactly quiet, shouting across the table isn’t required.
Our waiter promptly brought us the menus and we poured over the apps and the twenty-nine – yes, twenty-nine – pizzas they have to offer.
We started with the Funghi Assoluti ($12.95): breaded and baked oyster mushrooms served on arugula, sprinkled with parmesan, and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. It was superb, but sharing proved to be problematic, not because the portion wasn’t large enough, but because we simply didn’t want to. Social graces saved us, but I had visions of the two of us in an Animal Planet-esque showdown… circling the last mushroom with fangs bared and hackles raised.
We chased all of this down with a velvety Piemonte that was oddly served in a jug, which made it difficult to pour. Our server made it look effortless, but us? Well, we just made a mess. I did manage to solve the problem however (pour from the side, and not from the oddly shaped lip) and fortunately for us we had a seemingly bottomless half litre.
No sooner had we finished sharing the last ‘shroom was our pizza delivered to the table. We went with the Primavera ($15.95) to contribute to our daily recommended dose of veggies and to somehow convince ourselves that we were being healthy. All of the pizza at Terroni is thin crust and ours was weighed down heavily with tomatoes, red pepper, (more) mushrooms, and artichokes with a few black olives decorating the centre of the pie.
Now when I say thin-crust, I mean it. Maybe I’m just speaking for myself here, but I have absolutely no difficulty finishing a whole pizza without any assistance at Terroni. I’m a big fan of folding slices before biting into them, and the crust at Terroni is so thin and pliable I always envision myself folding a whole pizza in half,…and then in half again…and then having my way with it. Once again, as with the sharing, social norms seem to get in the way…
- Rebecca
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La Hacienda
Posted on August 28, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Trinity Bellwoods
1 star
- Meh. You’d think that there wouldn’t be much to be said about greasy Mexican food, but that doesn’t seem to be true in La Hacienda’s case. Not on my part though; they’ve got a pretty decent reputation online, particularly where weekend brunch is concerned. The Internet is full of lots of reviews, lots of check-ins, and lots of positive feedback.
I’d say most of that good stuff online about them is dead wrong.
La Hacienda is a decent little place at first walk-in: cozy, dimly lit, mismatched old furniture, the kinda place you’d expect to find on this stretch of Queen West. With a mostly-covered back patio full of comfortable seating and nicely placed greenery, it seems like the perfect place to hide on a Sunday afternoon.
But one thing is for sure, it isn’t the perfect place to eat. The menu is mostly unimaginative with few signs of thought or effort. Boring chicken and beef burritos and greasy chorizo hash is what you’ll be eating. Almost everything comes with a side of their store bought corn chips and homemade salsa, but again, that salsa isn’t made with any degree of love or passion either; just a bunch of cubed tomatoes with little seasoning. La Hacienda sure doesn’t have the fresh-chopped tomatoes, bright cilantro, spicy peppers, and killer guacamole you’d expect of a Mexican joint. There’s barley anything authentically Mexican at all.
Perfect for a hot, Sunday afternoon, they also serve in-house made Sangrias by the glass or pitcher. Unfortunately, they’re far from perfect too. Cheap red wine, mixed with pre-frozen orange juice, and few bits of floating fruit, it’s again, a big miss from the freshness most people associate with Sangrias. Call me crazy, but for 6 bucks a glass, I want some fresh-squeezed orange juice and fresh slices of orange and limes cut specifically for that purpose. I want the red wine in my Sangria to have flavour that compliments citrus, not just be whatever is laying around and was recently opened.
On this particular day, La Hacienda was brutally understaffed with one server and one cook; hardly enough to accommodate the back-patio alone, nevermind the front of the place. While still friendly, the server was obviously struggling to keep everyone happy; never returning to check on how people liked their food, which I assume they didn’t. She was so busy in fact, that I didn’t even have the heart to tell her how crappy everything was for fear that one misguided detail like that would throw her off her game completely.
Seriously, this place is should be on your avoid list. There is absolutely nothing special, or Mexican for that matter, about it at all. It’s just greasy, over-priced, ‘Mexican’ themed food served in a hipster shop on Queen West. If you’re looking for authenticity, you’ve got a ton of other way-better options in this city.
- Andre
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Parkette Kitchen and Bar
Posted on March 19, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Liberty Village
4 stars
- If you venture away from the downtown core, just outside the hustle and bustle of the 9-5 crowd, the theatres and skyscrapers, you might just find a restaurant that is surprisingly unique and that shows some real passion. You can still see the CN Tower, but it all seems far removed from the tourist-focused mentality. Preparing food requires creativity and there is no better place for the chefs of Parkette to find artistic inspiration than on Queen West beside Trinity Bellwoods Park.
A very tiny restaurant, Parkette offers an equally small, very succinct menu with starters, second courses, salads, pasta, pizza mains and desserts. The server tells me, “our dishes are meant to be shared, like family-style,” and so we did.
A meal for two should typically be made of three dishes; a starter, a salad and a main or a “second” and two mains, and so on. They offer, what I would call, up-to-date traditional Italian food. Our starter of mussels in tomato broth, topped with fennel and white beans ($10), was just light enough to leave room for the heavier mains of beef cheeks on bed of polenta ($16) and ricotta gnocchi with oxtail ($14). The beef was tender enough that only a fork was needed to pull the pieces apart and, though not experienced with polenta, I thought it was appropriately soft and that it held up to the rich beef.
As mentioned in previous reviews, I am a new gnocchi-addict. Parkette’s was not so dumpling-like as I’ve had before and it was certainly not topped with your typical pasta sauce. Little packets of tender potato, assumingly kept so soft by the ricotta, were paired with oxtail and sun-dried tomatoes in more of an aus jus, than a sauce. I think I had a bit more than my fair share of that dish – at a $14 price-point, this was the best of the night. The ingredients are bold, but the layered flavours hold up perfectly.
Humble, but delicious, Parkette offers carefully prepared food in a great atmosphere; natural woods, stemless wine glasses and paper napkins prevent the tiny interior from becoming claustrophobic. Parkette does almost make you feel like you’re having a lovely dinner in the park.
- Nicole
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416 Snack Bar
Posted on February 5, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Queen Street West
- Offering up “snacks and libation” from 5pm to 2am, Monday to Saturday, this brand new spot just north of Queen proves to be a great and funky stop to grab a little bite.
There are three reasons why this new restaurant appealed to me…
First, the atmosphere is very cool and casual – there really is no theme or décor; it almost looks as though they opened before they were done decorating, but in a charming way that allows it to become almost homelike in its honesty. Even the menu is printed on a piece of lined paper that remains set on the table on a (mini-sized) clipboard.
Second, someone here has tapped into that great ordeal; you have already eaten dinner, but the energy spent on socializing has left you feeling a bit ravenous. The problem is that you don’t want to go out for a whole second meal. The answer: Snack Bar. The small, inexpensive portions are a perfect pairing with after work drinks (you won’t ruin your dinner appetite) or a nightcap (you won’t stuff yourself to the point of uncomfortable).
Third, they understand that “snack” to food-lovers means more than grabbing a granola bar or settling for a muffin for satisfaction. They have nibble-sized some of your favourite late-night snacks, including a grilled hot dog, pork belly on a bun, Jamaican beef patties and pizza pockets at an appetizing price-point of $3 – $6. There are a few other items, like oysters (coming in at $6 – $7) and latkes with gravlax, to give the menu some oomph.
I started with the pork belly on a bun, one of items I saw featured on their website – a delicious crispy pork morsel tucked inside a steamed bun, filled with Asian-inspired flavours (like Hoisin and chili sauces) and some leaves of arugula, making a wonderfully balanced salty treat.
Then, I rounded things off with a grown-up version of the nostalgia-inducing pizza pocket. This is really more likened to a mini-mini-calzone; it’s crispy and airy, stuffed with cheese and laid upon a bed of rustic tomato sauce. After the super flavourful pork belly bun this almost seemed bland, but it was perfectly cheesy and the crunch was on-point. My dining partner caved in and got the hot dog – it was smaller than expected, but hit the spot – followed by the Jamaican beef patty. Both were good, but the bun and pocket are a more interesting choice at the Snack Bar.
The drinks menu is very scant, but I won’t sneer at a cold beer. Overall, I think 416 Snack Bar is on its way to being one of those great spots in the city. I’m going to keep my eye on this one – it’s something new and unique and, I use the word again, honest. This could prove to be a new favourite for many a food-loving Torontonian.
- Nicole
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India Palace
Posted on January 22, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Queen Street West
3 stars
- Having a craving for something spiced and exotic and motivated by a friend’s comments that, “there is a good Indian place over on Queen,” I ventured out in hopes of finding something deliciously curried. Upon arrival, we found that this is an odd spot on Queen West where a string of three of four Indian restaurants are all lined up side-by-side, so which to choose?
One thing I love about Toronto restaurants that you won’t always find in smaller cities are menus posted on the outside of the building. Little India stood out for it’s well-organized, easy to understand and well-priced menu – in we went.
It is definitely an intimate spot, having no real capacity to hold very large groups, but was still quite comfortable for our dining duo. It was a cold Thursday night and not overly busy, so it did not feel crowded, and it gave the servers that much more time to be attentive.
The menu is substantial and has a variety of dishes. The price range is about $15 – $20 for an entrée, but be sure to ask which ones come with rice or Naan and which don’t so that you can order them on the side. First up was the mixed platter appetizer, which included samosas, onion bhajia, pakora and spring rolls. Everything was crispy, hot and just the right size for something before the entrée-and it came in at under $5.
For the main, I ordered the chicken kebab and my dinner partner had the Madras chicken. Fair warning: if they tell you it’s going to be hot, then it’s truly hot. We are all too accustomed to those Canadian-ized restaurants that tone down their spiciness to appease the masses, and it is arguable that Little India may do this too, but in any case, take the servers’ recommendations to heart. I do enjoy some heat, but my taste buds can’t handle extremes, so I steered clear on this occasion-except for a little taste of the Madras. For those of you who do like spice, you’ll love this! It has that heat that creeps up after a few bites, not that punch-in-the-face-burn that you might get from cheap chicken wings covered in Frank’s Red Hot. Our server did lean my friend toward the less-spicy of the dishes she was deciding between at first, much to her dismay, but as it turns out his suggestion right on. As for my tamer dish, it had more of a Mediterranean flavour to it; grilled, lemony and came with a cucumber salad garnished with cilantro. It was a happy reminder of summer while dining in the depths of winter.
One of the greatest things about this restaurant is something I was not even able to take advantage of: the lunch buffet. This is a bit of a hike from my own home and workplace, but for those of you in the area, I say go for it! Buffets have a bit of a bad reputation (and for the most part it’s well-deserved), but a small arrangement at a non-chain location like this can be a perfect opportunity to try a variety of what is on the menu, especially if it is food you’re mostly unfamiliar with.
Overall, I can’t leave you saying it was the very best Indian cuisine I’ve ever had, but I can say that I wasn’t disappointed, and I would go back again-especially for that buffet.
- Nicole
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