Neurotic Nibbler

MS Walk 2012

2012-04-18T18:36:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I'm going to use the lamest excuse ever and say it's because life got in the way. Going through the wedding, honeymoon, and just enjoying life as newlyweds - can a girl ask for anything more? It's truly been a wonderful 2012 so far.

I promise that I will get back to food posts - there is so much I want to share with you all! From delicious to even-more delicious; I will go back to writing about food; this I promise!

However, today I come with a personal request. You see, my oldest and dearest friend has MS and every year, I pledge to do the MS Walk to raise money for this horrible illness. This year, with life moving so fast, I actually forgot when it was - and just remembered to register today...and the walk is 4 days away. That doesn't give me much time to fundraise, but every dollar counts - just like every step I take on walk day counts.

So please, click here to donate to a cause that means so much to me, and help us get closer to finding a cure.

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T22:58:00.000-05:00

2011 was full of wonderful memories and meeting new friends. I have been lucky to not only discover a lot of great new restaurants, but have also met a lot of amazing people in the process. For something that started off as a whim one afternoon just over a year ago, this blog has been something I've really enjoyed updating. Who knew that my love of food would lead to the opportunities that I've been so blessed to experience? I truly am a lucky girl.

Looking forward to what's to come in 2012, I am anxiously awaiting the next chapter in my life, and discovering more gastronomical delights along the way. I can't wait to share my adventures with you, and thank you for your support.

A few days late, but I just wanted to wish you a very, very happy new year.

Bistro Chezanne

2011-12-06T13:03:00.004-05:00

Do you Twitter? You should. Especially if you’re a restaurant – in fact, it’s one of the first things I look for after a website. It’s a great way to let potential customers know what your daily special is, what entertainment you have going on, etc. Speaking as someone who used to hate the idea (“who is so self-centred enough that they feel the need to update the world on everything they’re doing every five seconds?” Oh, that’d be me? Well, then!) it's actually a great place to meet like-minded people. Oh, and let the world know what you're doing every five seconds.

Actually, I like it because it’s quickly become my source for news and information. We actually found Bistro Chezanne through Twitter because someone on my list mentioned that she had an amazing meal there the night before, and we just happened to be near it the following day.

The address is Mississauga, but it’s actually in Streetsville, which is a small section of Mississauga. Right on the corner of Queen and Main, it’s a fairly new restaurant that serves up French food in a cozy atmosphere.

The decor is subtle with pretty art on the walls and candlelight on each table. The front dining room has a big bay window that overlooks the street, but it’s close to the front door so I was afraid it’d be drafty. We were seated at a table in the back dining room by the bar, and found it much quieter back there. The tables have dark linens (a nice change from the white you see everywhere) and ridiculously comfortable chairs. It was all very cozy and intimate.

Our server brought us water in a carafe (nice to have at the table so you don’t have to keep asking for refills) and we ordered a bottle of white wine while we mulled over the menu. Though not a large menu by any means, the dishes were all described in such delicious detail it was hard to narrow down our choices.

We started with the Escargot de Bourgogne ($11) which came out piping hot and cooked in the shells. One of my biggest complaints with escargot is when they are drenched in butter so it’s a greasy mess that you lose the essence of what you’re actually eating. The ratio of butter and garlic to escargot was perfect and made an excellent light start to the meal.

Jersey has never tried frog legs before, and our server recommended the Grenouilles ($14) for him. Served in a tarragon brandy cream sauce with a taste of warm tomato salad, it was fabulous. The legs were cooked so the meat fell off the bone while bursting with flavour in each bite. The sauce...oh my goodness, the sauce...we had to have a second bread basket so we didn’t leave a drop of it. Creamy, flavourful, seasoned perfectly – if I could bottle that sauce and drink it, I would have.

We really struggled with what to order, so we again turned to our server for help in suggesting her favourites. I often ask staff what they recommend and have generally been pleased with their help, so it’s something we do often. Turns out our server had only been working for a little bit, but she had been able to try about 1/3 of the menu and was able to answer our questions based on her own experience. I loved that! I cannot stress the importance of this enough: let your staff eat your food so they can tell customers about it. If they like something, it will come through and make me want it more. It’s a win-win!

Back to the dinner, she suggested the Beef Bourguignonne ($22) because the kitchen had said earlier in the evening that it was the “best batch” they had ever made. Well! That’s a bold statement to make, so we had to know what all the excitement was about, so Jersey ordered it for his entree. Braised beef short ribs with bacon, mushroom and onions with a side of potatoes and vegetables were beautifully plated and served to us. We could actually smell it before it reached our table, and were drooling in anticipation for the meal. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender and seasoned well. Though I didn’t find much bacon in the dish, there were hints of smokiness that came through every so often. The vegetables were cooked to a crisp and the mashed potatoes were creamy with a hint of goat cheese.

One of my weaknesses is lamb – if I see it on a menu, I have to order it. The Lamb ($28) here was served as two medallions over a bed of mashed potatoes and served with grilled zucchini. There were crispy parsnip chips and a fantastic sauce that was sweet with a hint of smokiness. I’ve tried lamb from many places, but this was hands down, the best lamb I have ever had in my life. My life!!

Both entrees were so delicious that Jersey and I actually split them both so we could savour the different tastes and textures. It was no easy feat pulling that lamb away from me though, let me tell you.

Finally, we ended with the daily dessert special which was a Pear Tart that was extremely sweet, but served over cinnamon unsweetened yogurt. I am not generally a fan of yogurt, but it cut the sweetness of the tart so perfectly that I needed it with each bite. The yogurt is actually a fantastic alternative to the usual whipped cream you so often find on desserts these days.

Overall, this was one of the best new restaurants we have been to in the past while. The attention to detail in the food, and the impeccable service made it a wonderful evening. If you are looking for an intimate night where you can linger over a fantastic meal, I highly recommend Bistro Chezanne. I believe the winter menu is now available, as is a Prix Fixe menu that offers a three course meal for only $32.

Bistro Chezanne
209 Queen St. S, Mississauga
www.bistrochezanne.ca

Neurotic Nibbler: Print Edition

2011-11-15T10:32:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was approached by the owners of The Purple Heather to write a short piece for an upcoming issue of a local magazine focused on Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga.

Flattered, I happily accepted and we went to the restaurant for dinner one evening. Sampling a few items from the current menu to getting a sneak peek at the upcoming winter menu, I even got to meet the chef! Armed with a full belly and a Blackberry full of notes, I went home to put all my thoughts into coherent words.

I'm so very pleased to say that you can now see what I wrote in the November/December issue of West of the City - available at Chapters/Indigo and Whole Foods. I'm on page 145!

So thankful for the opportunity and so happy with the result! Amazing what an impulsive idea a year ago has given me!

Kelsey's

2011-11-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

I think one of the main attractions to chain restaurants is a sense of consistency – in menu offerings, decor/ambiance and service. When you go to one location here, you kind of know what to expect if you go to another location there. We’ve never had any major issues with Kelsey’s, so when we were out and about in Milton, we decided it would be a pretty safe choice for dinner.

First off, this particular location is probably one of the nicest looking Kelsey’s that I’ve been in. I assume that it’s pretty new, or it has recently gone under major renovations, because it’s gorgeous in there. They have certainly upped the classiness factor in their decor and layout of the dining room.

The night we went happened to be their wing promotion night – half off wings all day – so the restaurant was loud and busy. We were seated pretty quickly and managed to get a table in a small dining area apart from the main room (so that made it a bit easier to have a conversation over the loud drone in the big room). Our server was friendly and we placed our order/got our drinks surprisingly quick.

We decided to share a few items instead of getting larger entrees, and we started with the Ranch Chips. The description promised crispy, hot chips drizzled with ranch sauce, bacon and cheese – kind of like a baked potato but with chips. What we got was a greasy mess that was almost inedible. The chips were soft, cold and soggy with oil, made soggier with a disturbing amount of ranch dressing. There was hardly and bacon, but what was there was cold as well. I really didn’t enjoy this – and according to the menu on the website, it’s no longer a menu item. To that, I say, good riddance!

Another item we ordered that I can’t find on the online menu was the Pulled Pork Pizza: thin crust with barbeque sauce, pulled pork, cheese and chives. The sauce was overwhelmingly sweet, and the pork was sparse. It wasn’t horrible, but it got tiring very quickly because it was so sweet. Although not on the current menu, there is a Barbeque Chicken Pizza in its place. I would clarify that the sauce wasn’t the same before I ordered it, though.

Of course we couldn’t go on wing night and not order wings, so we tried the Honey Garlic. The wings came out lukewarm (not hot at all, but not quite cold) with a sliver of carrot and a sliver of celery. They were coated nicely in the sauce so that the whole wing was saucy without it being so sticky you didn’t want to touch it (even though I eat my wings with a fork....what? Normal people do that!!) They weren’t anything earth-shattering, but they were decent.

Until a couple of wings into our order I bit into a wing and realised that it was a little too pink for my liking. So I put that wing down and tried another...and it was maybe even a little more pink than the first one. I am all for a bit of pink in red meat, but chicken scares me, and I wasn’t comfortable eating anymore wings after that. To Kelsey’s credit, our server was very apologetic and took away the wings immediately. A manager came by and also apologized and took them off our bill as well.

Since the service was quite good and they sincerely apologized, the next time we were in Milton we actually decided to go back for a second try. Again, the restaurant was extremely busy as it happened to be a Thursday again. Unfortunately, this time we didn’t get too far past our appetizer because of two reasons:

1) The service was really, really slow. It took nearly an hour for us to get our appetizer after waiting for nearly half an hour for a table. There were lots of staff walking back and forth and apologizing for the wait, but nothing seemed to be coming out of the kitchen in a timely manner.
2) When we finally received our order (7 Layer Dip) it was cold. Not room temperature or lukewarm, but straight-from-the-fridge cold in the middle and the cheese on top was actually starting to harden. Not sure if they pre-make the dips and pop them in the fridge, but someone forgot to put ours in the oven to warm up.

Again, our server was apologetic and the manager came by to give us the meal on the house as well as his personal card with an offer for free wings next time we came back. I can honestly say that although they are apologetic, that was two incidences that I’m not sure warrants a third – free wings or not. A good restaurant should have good service, absolutely – but to consistently have to apologize for the kitchen? I’d say there are bigger problems that need to be addressed there. So, thank you for the free wings Kelsey’s – maybe one day. Maybe.

Kelsey’s
45 Chisholm Drive, Milton
www.kelseys.ca

Jack Astor's

2011-10-12T18:01:00.001-04:00

A friend of ours lives around the Eastgate Square area in Hamilton, and we’re always struggling to find something to eat when we come to visit. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that it’s always ridiculously late for dinner and nothing is open? That can’t be it. (If you know the area and have recommendations, I’m all ears.)

The night we came, the place was busy, but there was no wait and we were seated right away in a booth along the wall. It was after the mall had closed (it’s actually in the mall parking lot, but I don’t think it’s actually attached to the mall? I could be wrong, but really. Who cares that much, right?) Apparently this post is all about writing in brackets. It’s like...split personality-two conversations at a time-goodness. Awesome. (Totally makes up for the fact I write like.....once...a month....right? This counts as two posts? No? Ok. Fine. Tough crowd.) I always find Jack Astor’s to be dark, and this one was no different. I actually had to strain to read the menu because the lighting was so low. (Don’t you dare make an old joke.) The dining room was loud because there were a few large groups of people by us, and it felt more like a bar than a restaurant. If that’s the atmosphere they were going for, they totally nailed it.

Our server was...interesting. He looked and acted like a Jersey Shore character (Gym, Tan, Laundry, anyone?) and I’m pretty sure he was hitting on me. Not that I’m complaining, but most people don’t do that when I’m sitting next to my husband-to-be. He was extremely attentive at the beginning and was quick to bring us our drinks, but after our food came, the service dropped off and we didn’t see him much until we were ready to pay.

As an appetizer, our server suggested one of the seasonal items, the Baked Brie with Garlic and Berry Compote. I’ve mentioned it before, and I’ll say it again – I love brie. I had high hopes that it would be good because the description sounded safe, but I was disappointed. It came out very hot but looked completely unappetizing. The cheese itself was over-heated and was a gooey, unattractive mess with a thick film of grease on the top. The compote had spread everywhere and mixed with the grease, so it was almost inedible unless you wanted a heart attack. Roasted garlic was scarce and there were only a couple of cloves on the top. My favourite part of the dish was the crisp bread. Overall, it was a very disappointing start to the meal.

You can’t go to Jack’s without getting Pan Bread – it’s like going to a seafood place and having the chicken. You just have to have it, and you have to have it with cheese. I mean, if you’re already eating a skillet of butter, what’s a blanket of cheese really going to do? Go big or go home, my friends. This Pan Bread did not let us down; it was hot and crispy around the edges with a soft, fluffy middle. Plenty of butter sat on the bottom (made me think of a guy I knew in high school who would lick the parchment paper to get every drop of butter), and lots of gooey cheese on top.

I went with the Duelling Sausages Pizza which had both chipotle chicken sausage as well as shitake mushroom chicken sausage along with roasted red peppers and onions. Unfortunately for me, it looked better than it tasted. I found the dough to be too bread-y and was not a fan of the tomato sauce at all (it was too sour for my liking). The key players, the sausages, were bland and I had trouble distinguishing the flavours they were supposed to be. I pouted a lot when I ate it, and could only get through a slice before I gave up. (Side note: when I got the takeout box back from our server, he wrote on the top “a delicious bedside treat for you” .... weird, right???)

Chicken Fettuccine was also on the seasonal menu (how is that a seasonal item? I don’t get it.) and was average. The sauce was creamy but bland and the chicken didn’t have much flavour to it. You could probably do a better job of it at home yourself. Jack’s, if you’re reading this – a little bit of salt goes a long way. Just saying!

The best entree of the night was the Figgin’ Good Burger with a side of fries (someone told me once that it wasn’t very fig-y, so if I ever had it I should order it with extra fig sauce. Thank goodness I remembered because it made a huge difference). Aged white cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, Thai ketchup (couldn’t even taste that) and fig sauce are piled on top of a thick, juicy patty. After the addition of a significant amount of fig sauce, this was one tasty burger! Sweet, salty, juicy, crunchy...all the flavours went fantastic together. It will probably be the only thing I eat from Jack’s from now on, considering the fails we had with the other entrees and how good this was.

All in all, it was a pretty disappointing meal. Bread and a burger don’t seem worth it to go to a restaurant when there are so many other places out there (although I can’t seem to find any around the area I haven’t tried/want to try). Probably not on my “have to go back there soon” list anywhere in the near future.

Jack Astor’s
75 Centennial Parkway North, Hamilton
http://www.jackastors.com/index.aspx

The Keg

2011-10-04T21:54:00.009-04:00

I go through phases with my cravings where I only want to eat one kind of thing, and I’ll keep eating it until I’m positively sick of it – then I won’t want it for a long time afterwards. Lately, it’s been steak. Steak on a bun, steak on salads, or just a large portion of steak-y goodness with some mashed potatoes. We happened to have a gift certificate for The Keg, so we decided to go for a little drive and ended up at the Waterdown location.

Have you been along Dundas towards Clappison’s Corner lately? Having lived in Burlington for most of my life, I’m amazed at how quickly things get built up these days. Where did all these stores and restaurants come from?? I feel so old when I turn to Jersey and say things like, “I remember when all this used to be fields!”

I’ve noticed that over the past couple of years all the Keg locations have been renovating to a sleeker look than it used to be, and Waterdown was no exception. Tall ceilings, muted colours and dark furniture – it’s all very chic, but it’s starting to get a bit old. All the chain restaurants these days seem to be going the same route (Moxie’s, Keg,...even Turtle Jacks at Mapleview thinks it’s all fancy now). I’d love to walk into a restaurant and see something different and fresh.

I digress. The night we went was particularly busy and we had to wait almost 30 minutes for a table. Guess being kind of in the middle of nowhere isn’t hurting business. Not bad for a weeknight. We were seated in a cozy corner booth and enjoyed some wine while we waited for our appetizer.

Crab Cakes were described as “sweet Jonah and lump Dungeness crab” but when we asked our server what Jonah crab was, he wasn’t sure. In case you’re wondering, it’s very similar to Dungeness crab but from the East coast. Served with a dill caper mayo, they looked better than they tasted. Two fair-sized cakes come to an order, but I was disappointed with the lack of crab flavour. It was more filler than anything, and to make matters worse, they were cold. Not lukewarm around the edges, I’m talking straight-out-of-the-fridge cold in the middle. To give our server credit, he was very apologetic and took it off our bill.

My favourite menu item here is the Teriyaki sirloin, and I ordered it in a dinner with mashed potatoes and vegetables. An 8 oz. portion of tender, marinated steak was cooked to a perfect medium (I know, I know. Steak lovers are looking at me and shaking their heads in disapproval right now. I can’t eat it any rarer, but be proud that I’ve moved up from a well done!)

Jersey ordered the normal 8 oz. sirloin with a baked potato and said that it was also cooked perfectly to his medium-rare liking. Both dishes came out piping hot with crispy vegetables and delicious potatoes.

Our server felt so bad about the crab cakes, he offered us dessert on the house to make up for it. Not ones to turn down sweets, we decided on the Sweet Minis Trio – strawberry shortcake, s’more and a passion brulee. They weren’t kidding when they say “mini” because each type was only 2-3 bites. It was fun to share, but nothing was very exciting.

Overall, I’d say our experience was okay. The entrees were good, but the appetizer was disappointing and the dessert was okay. The best thing about the night was the service, as our server was really fun and personable with us the whole night. Even though it was busy in the restaurant, he was attentive without being irritating and made our experience a good one. We even ran into the manager on our way out and made it a point to stop and tell him what a great server we had. So often, we are quick to speak up when we’re unhappy, but I think it’s just as important to speak up when we have good things to say as well. No one wants to only hear bad news, so we always make it a priority to share our good experiences too. Not only do we appreciate it as customers, but I’m sure the people we’re recognizing appreciate it too. Anyways, my point is, we didn’t have a perfect meal, but we’ll be back purely because the service was good and we’ll give them another try.

The Keg
36 Horseshoe Cres., RR 2, Waterdown
http://www.kegsteakhouse.com/en/locations/ON/waterdown/waterdown-keg/

American Nibbles

2011-09-11T22:02:00.000-04:00

I've been travellling a lot lately for work - I've basically been gone every week since the beginning of August and have only been home on weekends. I used to think work trips were fun and exciting, but doing it as much as I have over the past while, I'm exhausted. All I see are hotels, airports and meeting rooms.

One of the advantages to travelling is being able to try new restaurants, and that's what I want to talk about today. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of any of the food (mainly because I didn't want my boss to think I was weird for whipping out my camera at every meal), so these are just my general musings from the places that stuck out in my mind.

The majority of the restaurants we ate at are fairly well-known American chain restaurants, but I did try to steer our decisions to places that we don't have in Canada. One place that I didn't get to try was Ponderosa. Every time I saw one and suggested it, anyone I was with groaned in chimed in with a variety of protests. So, to any American readers I might have on this blog I ask - is it really that bad? There seem to be enough of them around that they can't be so horrible, right? I admit I am curious. The adamant refusals to step foot inside of one makes me want to try it even more. Stubborn? Me? No, why do you ask?

Ruby Tuesday's
Probably my favourite place out of all the restaurants we went to, mainly because they have a pretty extensive salad bar that was well stocked. After eating out 3 meals a day x 329847234732 days, I craved fresh and healthy food and the salad bar was my haven. We liked it enough we tried it in two different states (NY and CT) and it was consistent in service and quality. The Watermelon Fizz was a good drink too: fresh chunks of watermelon and soda with mint leaves (with free refills!) - made it a nice change from pop or water. I also really liked the choices for side dishes becaue it went beyond fries and baked potatoes - I tried the roasted asparagus, the spaghetti squash and the roasted green beans, and all were done beautifully. There are the typical steaks, burgers, pastas etc. on the menu, so it's not an exotic menu by any means, but it was full of vegetable options to make whatever you choose feel healthier. It was exactly what I needed after many exhausting days.

P.F. Chang's
My boss really likes Asian food, so we found a P.F. Chang's one night and decided to try it out. The decor is very trendy with fountains and statues everywhere, along with chic young servers inside. I've heard a lot of people say that it's not authentic Asian food, it's not good, blah blah blah - but I actually didn't mind it. It's a lot better than the Mandarin buffet here, and the menu was extensive with lots of choices. We went for the prix fixe menu for 2 ($40) and it came with a full sized appetizer, two entrees, rice and dessert. As is typical for Asian fare, the portions were large, but everything came fresh and steaming hot to the table. Was it my mom's cooking? Not even close. Was it passable for a chain Asian restaurant in North America? You bet. I'd go back if I was craving Asian and saw one around.

The Elephant Bar
Another chain, with most locations in California, the menu here was as thick as a novel. There was everything from fancy meal-sized salads to Asian stir-frys to fajitas. It was overwhelming to go through the menu and I'm glad I had time before we were seated to look through the menu so I didn't feel too pressured when our server came to the table. One of the worries I have with restaurants that try to do too much is that they can't master their dishes and they bite off more than they can chew. Thankfully, that was not the case here because our table ordered from each of the menus (Asian, seafood, salad) and we were all happy with our choices. I do have to note that the Warm and Spicy Artichoke Dip was way better than any artichoke dip I've had here. When I mentioned this to the server, she said that the artichokes were local grown and bought fresh - my goodness, what a fantastic difference it makes! Eating fresh produce has never tasted so sinfully good.

There have been plenty of other places I got to try, but these are the ones that stood out in my mind as something I thought I should share here. Next week, I'm in Winnipeg - maybe I'll get to bring back a good story from there!

Julia's Ristorante

2011-08-10T06:04:00.000-04:00

A while back I had written about an Italian place on Dundas, and how I found my experience there to be...disappointing to say the least. Julia is a restaurant on Lakeshore that is the creation of the same owner, and my experience at Julia was night and day.

Julia is a beautiful location on the corner of a block on Lakeshore with a large patio in the summer. I would describe the decor as elegant chic with eclectic light fixtures and art on the wall. The restaurant is dimly lit with candles on each table to give it a cozy feel.

The menu is a bit more upscale with an Italian/Latin fusion, and there are some really interesting choices. Our server was incredibly patient with us and knew the menu inside-out. She helped us pick between the dishes we were debating and her suggestions turned out to be exactly what we were looking for.

As we were waiting for our food, fresh bread was brought to the table (in a colander instead of a basket) and we nibbled on it with fresh oil and vinegar. The bread was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, but it was cold so that threw me off – not room temperature, but actually cold as though it was from the fridge. I found that odd.

We started with the Fondue which was a mixture of sharp cheeses that was kept warm over a tea light and served with cubes of bread and blanched asparagus and green beans. The vegetables were served cold, but nice and crisp, and their sweetness cut the creaminess/saltiness of the cheese nicely. It was an okay dish and fun to eat, but it wasn’t amazing.

Seafood Bouillabaisse was full of fresh seafood simmered in a flavourful tomato broth. There were crab legs, fish, mussels, clams, scallops and shrimps that were all perfectly cooked and tasted fresh. Nothing was over cooked or tough, and there was no fishy smell, to any of the meats. The broth was sweetened from the seafood and there was a slight kick from the seasonings that blended everything together into a delicious combination. Served with slices of bread for sopping up the broth, the dish was extremely filling and I would recommend it only if you’re very hungry or sharing!

Lamb Osso Bucco was a nice change from a standard osso bucco. It was served with polenta and grilled rapini which added delicious textures and flavours to the dish. The portion of lamb was huge and fell off the bone into tender, flavourful pieces. The sauce was tangy and slightly sweet with mixed well with the mild bitterness of the rapini. The creaminess of the polenta tied everything together wonderfully.

The food was delicious, and service was attentive without being overbearing. Our server knew the menu well and listened to our needs to make excellent recommendations. I would come back solely because the service was so excellent.

Julia's Ristorante
315 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville
http://www.juliasristorante.com/main2.html

Adobo Mexican Grill

2011-08-08T08:45:00.002-04:00

Downtown Burlington has so many interesting and unique restaurants; I don’t think I’ve even been to half of them in all the years I’ve lived here. Jersey and I were out walking along the lake one night and decided to try out Adobo for some Mexican food.

On John St., Adobo is a small restaurant with a small patio and bright, inviting lights. We were greeted warmly when we arrived and ordered a carafe of sangria to cool off while we browsed the menu. Fresh fruit, plenty of ice and a generous portion of wine made it a delicious and sweet drink on a warm summer night.

The menu is by no means long, but the options are all made fresh in-house. We decided to share a couple of appetizers before dinner, so we opted for the Guacamole ($4.49) with fresh corn chips as one of our starters. The portion wasn’t big, but it tasted fresh and had large chunks of avocado and tomato in it. The creaminess of the guacamole was a perfect way to cut the saltiness of the crunchy corn chips. There were no preservatives, and the guacamole started to turn brown when we were nearing the end.

Ceviche ($7.49) is a dish of fresh fish that is “cooked” with the use of lemon juice (and in this case, lemon juice mixed with olive oil). Big cubes of fresh white fish and tomato were simply tossed in the lemon/oil mixture with a dash of cilantro. The fish itself was delicious. Extremely fresh (no “fishy” smell at all) and meaty without being tough or chewy, the flavour was phenomenal. Served with fresh chips, it too was a small portion but a neat dish to share.

After our appetizers I wasn’t overly hungry so I opted for the Tacos with shredded pork ($7.79). When they brought it to the table, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting because it looked like a small salad served with a basket of tortilla shells. The idea is to use the shells to wrap the salad mixture into a soft taco/fajita. The shells were warm, fresh and delicious. They were corn shells, so there was a slight grittiness to the texture, but they didn’t taste like the shells you buy from the grocery store. The mixture included lettuce, cheese, pork, sour cream, salsa and diced jalapeno. The pork was tender and flavourful when eaten on its own, but I found that the taste got lost under the salsa and cheese when I ate everything together. The menu said that it came with two flour shells or three corn shells, and I found three corn shells perfect for the amount of meat/salad mixture they gave me.

Jersey wanted something different, and the owner recommended the Pork Mole ($14.99) as one of his most popular dishes. A homemade mole sauce covers a portion of pork so tender it can be shredded with your fork when it comes to the table, served with a side of rice and baked beans. The sauce was delicious. With each bite we tried we could pick out a different spice or flavour, and there was such depth to the dish it kept us wanting more. The pork was tender without being dry and soaked up the sauce beautifully. The rice was rice, and the beans had an odd taste that we didn’t quite enjoy, so we just focused on the pork and sauce.

Overall, it was a great dinner with personalised, friendly service. It was nice to sit in a place that isn’t a chain restaurant, and really enjoy our experience. The prices are reasonable, the food was fresh and tasty, and we had a really nice dinner without feeling rushed or crowded. We will definitely be coming back when we’re in the mood for Mexican. Ole!

Adobo Mexican Grill
399 John St., Burlington
www.adobo.ca

The Purple Heather Gastro Pub

2011-07-22T12:47:00.000-04:00

One of the latest fads in food these days seems to be the emergence of more and more gastro pubs, so naturally, when I heard that Burlington was getting one, I started counting down the days. A gastro pub is basically a mixture between a bar and a restaurant – so you’ll see bar food on the menu, but it’s usually kicked up a notch and made fancier. For example, you might have a burger and fries, but the burger has brie and foie gras on it, or something to that effect.

The Purple Heather opened a while back at the corner of Walkers and Dundas and is on the ground floor of a large building beside a lighting store. The ceilings are super high, and it looks like an upscale pub. There is a large bar and plenty of cozy tables and booths surrounded by televisions.

We have actually visited on a number of occasions, and I even coordinated with the staff to throw Jersey a surprise birthday party a couple months ago. The staff members we have dealt with have all been amazing. They have been extremely knowledgeable about the menu, what beers go well with what types of food, and just all around friendly people. In fact, when we came in after we were engaged, our favourite server gave us champagne to celebrate because she was so excited for us. Again, I cannot stress how important it is to have good customer service because it makes such a difference in whether or not people will want to continually come back.

Just a disclaimer before we get to the food: these are pictures are from a few visits; I did not eat all of these in one sitting....though I could probably try (and fail miserably, but be really happy trying).

For those of us who like to try a few different things at once, there is a Tapas, Charcuterie and Cheese platter where you can choose 1, 2 or 3 items. Obviously it’s me, so we chose three: beef wrapped asparagus, seared tuna and pate. Of those items, I think the beef wrapped asparagus is the only item still on the tapas menu, with other things substituting the pate and seared tuna. I will say that the seared tuna was by far, my favourite thing from the platter. The tuna was fresh and the crust was salty, crunchy and delicious. The pate was creamy, fatty and rich – just as a good pate should be. Finally, the beef wrapped asparagus was a little disappointing. Aesthetically, it was lovely to look at, but the taste was bland and it was cold. The beef was tender though, but again, there was lack of flavour.

Thai Tuna Lettuce Rolls was a do-it-yourself appetizer with fresh cubes of marinated raw tuna, boston bib lettuce, mango coleslaw and a wasabi/salt sprinkle. It was served with a side of hot sauce and Thai sweet chilli sauce for dipping. Oh my goodness, this was delicious. It was recommended to us by our server for the evening, and it was a fresh and yummy appetizer on a hot summer day. The fish was incredibly fresh, and all the flavours combined to make a taste explosion with every bite. I highly recommend this dish as a starter if you are a fresh fish fan (woohoo, alliteration for the win!).

I’m not generally a cheese fan (I know it’s hard to tell because all of my posts have cheese everywhere, but I swear, it’s not usually something I gravitate towards) but I love brie. What can I say? It’s the princess in me. So the Baked Brie with roasted garlic, chutney and bread is a must have when we come. The two large heads of roasted garlic + a tower of crispy crustini + a whole wheel of brie = heaven. The chutney added a sweetness that cut the creaminess of the cheese, and the whole garlic was a great touch.

One of my favourite things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruit in salads. Watermelon is one of my all-time favourite fruits, so the Watermelon and Beet Salad with beets, watermelon, tomatoes and goat cheese sounded delicious. The salad is really light and refreshing, and drizzled with a balsamic reduction, so it doesn’t overpower the taste of the ingredients. The crumbled goat cheese added a sharp creaminess that worked really well with the watermelon.

Moving on to mains, a popular dish they offer is the Beef Bourguignon Pie – an impressive looking pastry shell stuffed with braised tenderloin, bacon, mushrooms and whole pearl onions in a red wine demi. A side of vegetables accompanies it for a very filling meal. Though pretty, and overflowing with meat and vegetables, I found the pie to be lacklustre in flavour. The red wine didn’t shine through, and there were a lot of pearl onions, so I got tired of those really quickly. The beef was tender and cooked well, but again, the flavour was missing. I’m not sure I would get it again.

Jersey’s always wanted to try haggis, so he was pretty excited to find it on the menu, even though it’s not done in the traditional sense. Heather Haggis is duck, lamb, bison and oats (none of the scary stuff in normal haggis) with potatoes, turnips and vegetables. It actually reminded me of meatloaf when I tried it. It was good for a meatloaf, but I’m not sure if I’d say that was distinctly haggis-y.

Chicken Prosciutto and Asiago Melt is a focaccia sandwich with salsa and mayonnaise. The chicken is grilled and marinated so that it is still juicy, and the prosciutto and asiago add a salty depth to the whole package. For an extra amount of money you can upgrade your side to the Duck poutine (duck confit, cheese and duck jus) – and I highly recommend you doing so if you like duck. The poutine is phenomenal and there is a good portion of cheese and duck with every bite.

Shepherd’s Pie is one of my favourite comfort foods, but the Heather’s version includes braised lamb and bison – taking this comfort food up about a thousand notches. The meat isn’t ground as I would have expected it to be, but had more of a pulled pork texture. The pie looks small and unassuming, but I could only eat half of it when I ordered it.

One of the items that I wish they would bring back is the Fish Pie – kind of like a shepherd’s pie but with seafood. In the portion we received there was plenty of seafood with large shrimps and mussels. It was creamy and reminded me of seafood chowder mixed with shepherd’s pie. Hey Purple Heather! If you’re reading this, please bring back the Fish Pie! Thanks and love you lots, xoxo – Neurotic Nibbler

On Wednesdays, they have a special where you can get a schooner of domestic and a pound of wings for $14.95. Do you know how big a schooner of beer is? I didn’t. For those of you like me who don’t know, it’s 32 ounces. Thirty. Two. It’s basically a bucket. On a summer day, it’s a pretty welcome bucket, let me tell you. Paired with a pound of crispy fried wings – I like them to be tossed in the hot sauce and then coated in the dry Cajun spice, personally. Yum. Perfect after work treat.

For desserts, one of the most popular (and most amazing) offerings is the Sticky Toffee Bread Pudding topped with the house-made toffee sauce. Warm, gooey, sweet and full of carbs, it’s a treat that needs to be shared. You won’t want to, but you should. Trust me. Your thighs will thank you.

Or another delicious option is the Phyllo-Wrapped Cheesecake with the fresh cream and summer berries. I am drooling as I’m thinking about this because it was...ridiculous. If you’ve never had cheesecake wrapped in phyllo pastry, then you haven’t lived. I thought I knew cheesecake, but this....this, was beyond amazing. Creamy, smooth, flaky, buttery – I could use more adjectives, but you get the point. Just try it.

Finally, what’s a good pub without some good libations, right? I tend to like sweet white wines, so we discovered Strewn – Riesling and generally get it by the bottle when we’re out with friends. For only $30, it’s a cheaper option and it’s light and summery. I won’t mention how much of the bottle I can drink at a time, because I’m a lightweight, but let’s just say that it is yummy and it goes down much too easily.

So is a gastro pub that different? I’d say so. It’s casual enough that you can go for drinks and chill out with friends in your flip flops and beach clothes, or it’s nice enough to take someone on a date – it all depends on what you want to make of it. The food has high and low points, but for the most part, I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve tried. The service has been wonderful and we have had a good time with every visit. It’s definitely a comfortable atmosphere and somewhere you can consider the local pub. If you come and I’m there, say hi – I’ll probably be the one with the mountain of food in front of her!

The Purple Heather
3600 Dundas St. W., Burlington
www.thepurpleheather.ca

Sokratis

2011-07-21T17:36:00.001-04:00

I’m adventurous when it comes to eating, and I am the kind of person that likes to go to a restaurant not only for delicious food, but for the experience. I like to try new things, especially if it’s something that I can’t make at home myself.

I heard about Sokratis offering what they call a “Cyprus Traditional Meze” which is a set meal of many different items so you get to taste a little bit of everything. At $21.99 per person (minimum of 2 people must order at a time) and 16 different items, I took Jersey to see what this was all about. We should have been warned when the menu itself says, “a warning though must be attached to this culinary experience – the quantity and variety of dishes is immense, a true assault on your taste buds.” Instead of being intimidated, I took it as a challenge and decided that my taste buds needed assaulting.

Sokratis is in the West end of Burlington, in the heart of Aldershot. Over the years I have known it to be a Greek restaurant, a breakfast place, and now, back to a Greek restaurant again. There is a large patio outside and plenty of parking around the building. Walking in, there are murals on the walls and a cozy atmosphere with lots of seating.

Since we ordered the Meze, there wasn’t really a need to look through the menu considering we were about to eat the world. However, the menu was extensive and when I come back, there are definitely items there that I want to try (mmm, moussaka). It was also this outing that I learned Jersey had never tried the flaming cheese before, so we ordered it in addition to our meals just so he could experience pyrotechnic dairy.

Saganaki Opa! ($9.99) is a triangle of keflotyri cheese that comes out on a small frying pan (apparently saganaki is Greek for “little frying pan”) that is held by the server. The cheese is flambéed at the table and the flame is doused with lemon. The cheese itself tastes a bit like hardened feta, very mild and a little salty. Being in the hot frying pan, the outer layer is crispy and the warm inside is softy and goeey. It’s a fun dish when you’re out with people to yell OPA! when the cheese is lit on fire.

The food for the Meze came out quickly (I’ll number them so you can appreciate how much food there is), and at first, we thought we had this one in the bag – small ramekins of (1) fresh Tzatziki – creamy, cool and garlic-y, (2) Hummus – smooth and full of garlic with a drizzle of olive oil on top (3) Eggplant Dip – by far my favourite dip, with big chunks of mashed eggplant, tomato and onion and (4) Beet Salad – sweet and tart slices of beets with oil and vinegar, were served with a plate of (5) crispy, warm Pita bread. The dips came at the same time as the (6) Cyprus Village Salad, which was a fresh Greek salad without the lettuce and lots of cheese. Served extra cold and crisp, this was a delicious start to the meal.

This was followed closely by (7) Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions and (8) Homemade Dolmades – stuffed leaves filled with ground beef and pork, and rice in a lemon-cream sauce. I don’t normally like stuffed leaves because I find the leaves extremely tough and the filling bland, but these were delicious. The leaves melted in my mouth, and the stuffing was perfectly seasoned with plenty of meat.

Next up was the (9) Halloumi – two very generous V’s of grilled Cypriot cheese served with fresh tomato slices. Think of it as a salty mozzarella, with a soft texture. It was delicious, but at this point, I was beginning to wish that we didn’t order the Saganaki Opa because I was getting a little cheesed-out.

(10) Grilled Eggplant in tomato sauce with feta cheese on top reminded me of eggplant parmesan, but the sauce was a little bland for my liking. The eggplant itself – I love eggplant – was grilled perfectly and didn’t have the chewy outer layer that sometimes comes with over-grilling.

(11) Smoked Sausage was a few slices of delicious grilled sausage that had the perfect amount of moisture in them. I hate when sausages are over-cooked because they get dry and lose all flavour.

Now, at this point, I will be honest and say that both of us were full. Normal people would have stopped at this stage because there was no need to keep eating. However, with the meal, our server came out and said, “Hope you’re ready, because here comes the big stuff!” I’m pretty sure we both looked at her like she was nuts ... big stuff? We had no idea what we were in for.

She came back with a huge platter that held the rest of the food from our meal: (12) Pork Souvlaki – perfectly seasoned, moist cubes of pork, (13) Grilled Chicken Breast – one for each of us that was grilled well, but I found it to be lacking in flavour, (14) a mountain of sliced Gyro meat that was probably my favourite I’ve ever had because it was so tender and well seasoned, (15) Roasted Potatoes that were almost the size of my fist (though with how full I was it felt like they were basketballs, and finally (16) fluffy Rice to add to the assault. Though delicious and we tried valiantly to try everything, we barely made a dent in half of the platter before waving our white flags in surrender.

As we sat and digested this insanely yummy but could-feed-a-small-country feast, our server came back and said that the chef wanted to treat us to a Cyprus treat that he just made – a delicious citrus-y cake topped with coconut. Well, no one needs to twist my arm to eat cake, so although I was pretty sure I was going to explode, somehow the whole piece of light, and not-overly-sweet cake (we shared one!) disappeared. The citrus was actually the perfect end to our meal because it was light and sweet and helped with the digestion. Or so I tried to tell myself. Either way, it was delicious.

If you like Greek food, and are looking for something a little different, try the Meze. You can’t beat the value for how much awesome food you get, and it’s a fun experience to share with friends. Next time, I probably won’t take warnings as personal challenges, although it was fun to try!

Sokratis
437 Plains Rd. E., Burlington
http://sokratisgreektaverna.com/

Pluckers Wing and Crab Shack

2011-06-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

One of the first reviews I wrote on this blog was for JTPluckers, back before I thought to bring my camera when we went out to eat. Thankfully, Pluckers recently opened a new location in town, and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to redeem my blogging ways and go back. I would have gone back to the original location I reviewed on Walkers Line, but it closed for renovations (though I have it under very good authority that it is re-opening soon).

The new location is in Aldershot, an older part of Burlington that seems to be rejuvenating itself with the addition of new stores and restaurants. I hope the area is revitalized, I grew up in the area, and the church I’m going to get married at is also in the area. It deserves attention – North Burlington’s been stealing the thunder for too long, and it’d be nice to see the area West of IKEA get a facelift.

But I digress. The new Pluckers (notice that the JT has mysteriously dropped from the name) is where the old Chaps used to be, and has been given a pretty sophisticated makeover. There are no chickens flying airplanes here, but there are lots of televisions, a gorgeous bar and an even more gorgeous fireplace. They’ve really classed it up, and it now looks like a modernized sports bar.

On the night we came, the place was full of people watching the hockey game and a few local softball teams as well. That being said, we were seated right away, and the service was friendly and timely. We had a fantastic server, and although I don’t remember her name, she was awesome. She knew the menu inside-out, and was attentive to our every need.

To go along with the new decor, the menu has been amped up significantly as well. There are still the same items as before, but there are some neat additions like the Lobster Poutine – which we had to try. When our server brought the dish to our table, I was shocked at the size of it. Plated on a long rectangular plate, there was a mountain of fries, light peppery gravy, plenty of cheese curds and a surprising amount of lobster and crab. The fries were hot and crispy, so the cheese melted into delicious strands as you pulled it away from the plate. The sweetness of the seafood, the saltiness of the cheese and the pepper in the gravy made this a fantastic dish. I have never seen a seafood-based poutine before, and after tasting this one, am waiting to see it start popping up on menus everywhere. It was delicious and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes poutine.

An order of Cheese & Bacon Biscuits came four to an order with a side of same gravy used in the poutine. For under $2, we thought that it was good value and ordered it for fun. Unfortunately, the biscuits were a disappointment as they were dry and crumbly. My idea of a perfect biscuit requires it to be buttery and flaky, and these missed the mark. The taste was odd; almost like a dried herb seasoning was heavily mixed into the batter, and there was no cheese or bacon to be seen.

Remembering how much Jersey liked the wings on our last visit, we ordered a pound of wings in the House sauce, and a side of their hottest sauce, Mayday, on the side. The wings were large with just the right amount of breading on them to give them a slight crisp but not overwhelm the meat. They were juicy and came to the table piping hot in a mini fry-basket. The sauce was as good as we remembered; slightly sweet, smoky and peppery. Mayday sauce was indeed spicy, and even I couldn’t have more than a few tastes of it. I’m glad we asked for it on the side because I have no idea how someone could order their wings tossed in that. It makes my eyes water just thinking about it.

We wanted something different and our server recommended the Po Po Boy: hollowed out baguette halves stuffed with fried seafood, coleslaw and a mayonnaise-based sauce. The dish comes with a side, and we asked for a garden salad, but alas, the salad never did come. (So if I ever get scurvy, you can’t say I didn’t try.) The sandwich was sadly, our least favourite item of the night. Jersey was sad at how few ingredients were used to stuff the bread, as there were maybe three chunks of fish per half loaf. I was more disappointed in the bread, which tasted stale to me due to it being hard and tough. With so many other items on the menu that caught my eye, this will be a dish that I will pass next time.

Finally, I have to mention the fantastic service we received – not from our server, but from the owner of the restaurant, Todd. He came by when he noticed I was taking pictures and we had a nice chat about how the new place was going, plans for the Walkers location, and so on. When the food came, he made it a point to ask us how things were going, and I was honest with my feedback. Here is where I was really impressed: instead of making excuses or placating me, he took my feedback humbly and openly. He didn’t try to tell me I was wrong, or that it must have been a bad night because they’re always perfect, rather, he took what I said and really listened. It was probably the most sincere reaction I’ve received when giving feedback, and I appreciated it. Now, will changes be made because of me? I don’t know, but I am so impressed that he took the time to genuinely care and want to listen to what I had to say. That, my friends, is good management and great customer service.

Pluckers Wing and Crab Shack
355 Plains Rd. E., Burlington
www.pluckers.ca

Cafe du Lac

2011-06-27T00:07:00.003-04:00

We wanted to celebrate our engagement/anniversary by going out for a nice meal, but Jersey (aka the boyfriend aka the fiancé – figured if we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together and I keep blogging, I should give him a name) said he would surprise me by picking the place. Not one to turn down a gastronomic surprise, I was curious and excited to see where we were going to end up. No pressure on him or the place of course, but it better be special and awesome because it was going to be etched in my memory forever. My great-grandchildren were going to hear about how their great-grandfather took me to such-and-such a place after he proposed, and I really don’t want to crush my fictional great-grandchildren’s views of romance by saying that it was a horrible restaurant. But again, no pressure on my soon-to-be-betrothed or the unsuspecting establishment; you know, just the mental stability and view of love by our future lineage. No biggie.

Anyhoo, knowing my love for foie gras – no, I don’t want to think about how it’s made and how bad it is for me, because it’s delicious and I love it – he took me to Cafe du Lac, a restaurant that specializes in Quebec-style French food. I am embarrassed to say that I don’t know the difference between Quebec and France style food, but I think it has to do with the addition of poutines and the use of maple syrup in Quebec? Someone correct me if I’m wrong?

Cafe du Lac is on the Lake Shore, tucked in a row of numerous other shops and whatnot, with a small patio outside its front door. It doesn’t look fancy-fancy, but I don’t know if I’d walk in there in shorts and tank top. The restaurant itself is long and narrow and seats about 40, with a long bench along one side of the wall with pretty cushions for extra comfort and pizzazz. Tables are situated fairly close to each other, and it could get pretty loud if there were a lot of people. It slightly deterred from the romance of a quiet, intimate place.

There was one server on the night we went, and she also happened to be the owner. Extremely helpful for us because I always have lots of questions about the menu, and she was able to let us know of dishes that were available but not on the menu. She also told us the ingredients were sourced fresh and they never froze their meat. Throughout the night, she made sure to talk to every table as though we were all her friends, and you could really tell she was passionate about her business. That in itself makes for good service in my opinion.

The menu is simple and changes with the seasons, and written in both French and English. This is not a place to go if you are meticulous about counting calories, FYI. This is a place to go if you want to splurge on creams, cheeses, foie gras and decadence.

As we waited for our food, we munched on fresh bread, baked in-house and served with a creamy, soft herb butter (one of my biggest pet peeves in the world is hard butter that mutilates the bread). Crispy on the outside with a soft, doughy inside, we were off to a good start. It was so good in fact, we asked for seconds. And by “we” I mean me. I love bread. Don’t judge my carb intake.

To start, we shared the “all-dressed” poutine: cream sauce, pulled beef short-ribs, cheese curds and foie gras on top of a bed of fresh-cut fries ($20). This is not your average poutine. The cream sauce and the cheese and the fattiness of the foie gras makes it very rich, and I definitely recommend it as a sharing plate because I’m pretty sure although we shared it, we ate enough calories to feed a large third-world country for about a week and a half. The fries were fresh, but not as crispy as I would have liked – keeping in mind that I have a very high crunch-quota that needs to be filled. The sauce although creamy, had very little other flavour to it, but it was aided by the flavours of the other ingredients. There were surprisingly few cheese curds and I wish there were more because the saltiness would have cut the creaminess of the sauce a bit. The beef was delicious and plentiful, sweet from some sort of flavour I couldn’t quite place, maybe maple syrup? Lastly, the foie gras was perfect. A petite portion perched precariously (how’s that for alliteration?) on top of the mountain of fries, it was seared on the outside and soft and rich on the inside. I love foie gras, and this poutine delivered it well.

Jersey opted for the Wild Boar Tenderloin ($27) which came with a sweet potato mash, veggies and crispy radish chips on top. The mash and veggies were ok; not overcooked and mushy but nothing overly special either. The meat was perfectly pink in the centre and tender – not tough as I was expecting game meat to be. The seasoning was subtle but really brought out the flavour of the meat itself. It was juicy and the crispy radish chips – which I have never seen before – were a great addition with the different texture to the dish.

One of the specialties at Cafe du Lac is the Duck in a Jar ($36), normally only available on weekends unless ordered ahead. I was lucky that night and they had a few already made so I decided it was a sign that I should have one too. It sounds too interesting to not try, “foie gras stuffed duck magret immersed in a port reduction with savoy cabbage, leeks and Berkshire pork double smoked bacon served on a bed of rustic mashed potatoes.” Damn you, foie gras, and your delicious temptation. So, although it was a going to be a long wait (upwards of 30 minutes) I just had to have it, or else risking the rest of my life thinking of what could have been.

Why no, I am not melodramatic, why do you ask?

So back to the duck in a jar...it’s actually pretty neat, and I could smell it before I could see it. And. It. Smells. Amazing. Words cannot describe how awesome this dish smells, but know that as I type this sentence, I am drooling like one of Pavlov’s dogs thinking about it. The dish actually comes to the table with the jar still on the plate, and the server unveils the deliciousness with a flurry of panache and a quick lift of the jar to keep the meat-tower intact underneath. After the jar is lifted away, the smell literally fills the whole restaurant (plus as the dish is being unveiled, the restaurant stops to stare at the wondrous concoction, so be prepared to have everyone looking your way with envy in their eyes). There is a thick layer of fat on one side – do not be alarmed, because it helps to add such wonderful flavour and moisture to the meat. The duck itself was a little tough and a bit rarer than I was initially prepared for, but the flavour was intense. The foie gras in the middle was plentiful and added a subtle creaminess with every bite. I am sad to say that I wasn’t able to distinguish any bacon, but the onion and cabbage mix was soft without being mushy and soaked up the juices perfectly. The potatoes, though simple, were actually the best choice for a side dish because it really let the juice of the duck shine through. Overall, it was a fantastic dish that I would not hesitate to order again.

Upon hearing that we were celebrating our engagement/anniversary, Kathryn, the owner, did the following:

1) Took our picture
2) Tweeted about us
3) Congratulated us and all-around made a big fuss over us so that I felt super-duper special
4) Asked the kitchen to whip up a gigantic dessert platter for us

Like the bread, all the desserts are made in-house by the talented team in the kitchen, using fresh and seasonal ingredients. We were treated to an intensely rich, chocolate cake that tasted like it was pure cocoa. Very chocolate-y with the slight bitterness of pure chocolate, you could taste the quality of the ingredients that went into making it. The maple pie was Jersey’s favourite, and it was delicious. A maple filling on a thin, melt-in-your-mouth crust...we probably could have eaten a whole pie for dinner itself. Finally, the crème brulee trio was creamy with just the right amount of crunch from the burnt sugar on the top. All the desserts were fantastic – I just wish we weren’t so full from our dinners so we could have finished the whole thing.

So did he do well in choosing a place to celebrate a monumental step in our lives? Did he ever! It was a fabulous experience, the meal was delicious and I made a new Twitter friend. Cafe du Lac is not the place to go if you are in a hurry; our dinner took over two hours on a fairly non-busy weeknight. That being said, it’s not really a meal you would want to rush because you want to take the time to savour the different flavours and textures of each dish. If you’re looking to try it, and don’t want to spend quite so much money, I believe they have a number of different budget-friendly options such as a Prix Fixe menu and are a part of the Summer/Winterlicious promotions. Go. Enjoy. Just don’t count your calories that night.

Cafe du Lac
2350 Lakeshore Blvd W., Toronto
www.cafedulac.ca

Mickey's Pizza

2011-06-09T22:04:00.002-04:00

If you’ve ever doubted the power of word-of-mouth advertising, then I am here to prove you wrong. Case in point: Mickey’s Pizza. I hadn’t heard of it until someone on my Twitter account posted a picture of one of their pies, and my interest was piqued. A little bit of research and asking around the office and a few people mentioned that they heard about Mickey’s and how good they were. My interest piqued some more.

The website is interesting. Mickey’s has a “thing” for dragons and feeding them, and a cute story about the dragon fuelling their oven. There are cute videos on their website under “What’s with the dragon?” that had me hooked. That, and their guarantee that you’ll love their pizza or they’ll give you every penny of your money back, and I *had* to try it. Something that claims to be the “best tasting pizza you’ve ever had” is bold. Because I’ve eaten a lot of pizza.

We pulled up to the plaza one night when there were a group of boys playing hackey sack outside Mickey’s doors – kind of an inconvenience to walk around/through the group when the entire rest of the strip plaza was closed due to the hour, but I guess they liked playing with the smell of pizza wafting by. The store itself isn’t set up for dine in (no tables) and is brightly painted and lit. The walls are covered in quotes printed off from satisfied customers, and a chalkboard on another wall asks a question of the week where patrons can doodle their own answers with the available chalk.

There is a long counter of toppings behind glass (think a Subway or something like that) so you can see your pizza being made – or be like me, and ask for more/less toppings as they make them. A large round oven unlike anything I have seen before takes up a fair size of the space as well. It reminds me of a hair dryer you sit under at the salon, but I liked that it looked futuristic and it was completely open so you could see it. They were really nice at Mickey’s and even let me come behind the counter so I could get a good picture of our pizza while it was spinning around in the oven!

Speaking of really nice, the service here was phenomenal. Everyone was friendly and patient with all of the questions I had, and also with my indecision with what we wanted to eat. Although they have their version of a Chicago-style pizza, called the Killer King, we opted for the traditional crust (I couldn’t handle all that cheese so late at night) and went with their vegetarian pizza, the Green Dragon.

A large Green Dragon ($21) was enough to feed four of us, and was loaded with mushrooms, sautéed spinach, roasted red peppers, green peppers, caramelized onions and olives. We got a mixture of the kalamata olives and the black olives, and topped it off with goat cheese. We had asked for artichokes on it as well, but didn’t notice until we got it home that they forgot it. Regardless, it was still delicious. The dough was the perfect thickness so that it was a little crispy on the outside edges but soft in the middle. Actually, I would have probably preferred that it was cooked a little longer because the dough was so soft that the slices were a little flimsy with all the toppings, and could have stood a little more structure and crunch to it. That being said, the dough tasted fantastic. There’s a slight buttery smell/taste to it that really made it stand out. I know, buttery and pizza dough don’t usually go together, but trust me – it was delicious. The toppings were fresh and plentiful, and I’m glad we went with the goat cheese (feta or mozzarella were also options) because the bite worked perfectly with the subtle vegetables and buttery dough. Hands down, the best tasting vegetarian pizza I have ever tasted. The boyfriend (I guess I should call him the fiancé now) is normally a meat eater, but he remarked that there was so much flavour and texture happening, he didn’t even miss having meat on it. Now there’s endorsement, for you.

A gem in Clarkson, Mickey’s stands out from the mundane pizza places that sit on every street corner. It’s brought a touch of gourmet excitement to a market that has been saturated with mediocrity. You think you know what pizza is? You have no idea until you try pizza at Mickey’s. They’ve certainly awoken my dragon, and he wants to be fed!

Mickey’s Pizza
1900 Lakeshore Rd. W., Mississauga
www.feedyourdragon.com

I Didn't Fall Off the Face of the Planet

2011-05-17T13:27:00.000-04:00

I'm the worst blogger ever, I know. I haven't written in ages! In my defense though, life has been really busy and I apparently don't multi-task very well. First, I got pneumonia after dealing with the worst cold ever and that basically put me out of commission for 93823 days. Then work got really busy, and my sister moved home (*wave to my sister! Hello! So good that you're within the same area code now!)

Oh, and I uh, got engaged. This past Saturday, in fact. And well, who can write about food when there is something sparkly and shiny to serve as a distraction? I'm still totally freakin' out, so I'm not sure when I'm going to come down to earth enough to write about food. Though...let me tell you, the next few food posts are going to be delicious. Your taste buds will want to wait.

For now though, *squeeeeeeeeeee* I'm just too excited to sit still, let alone do a proper post. I know, I am a horrible blogger. But! I hope you can understand and be patient and join me in a little jig (omg, I'm engaged!!!)

Back soon with food posts, I promise. And I suppose I have to stop calling him "the boyfriend" too. Man. So many changes!

Thai Senses

2011-04-24T12:10:00.000-04:00

This is one of the restaurants that have been on my wish list to try for the longest time; mainly because friends in the area have sworn up and down that this is the place to go for Thai in the Halton region. We were out for a drive one afternoon along the lakeshore and decided to stop in on a whim to see what all the hype was about.

Situated right at the corner of Bronte and Lakeshore, Thai Senses is one of the bigger units in a plaza that faces Lakeshore, so it’s pretty easy to find. I’m not sure if there is a dedicated parking lot for the restaurant, but we found street parking without a problem.

Walking in, the restaurant is decorated with Thai-themed paintings and wall hangings, and there are tables set up in various corners with trinkets for sale: anything from jewellery to chopsticks. Although colourful and interesting to look at, I found it somewhat disruptive to have people lingering over the merchandise close to my table while I was eating. Perhaps if the restaurant centralized its wares into one area away from the dining patrons, it would be a better set-up.

The menu is extensive; and bound into a fairly thick book. We took our time looking through the various options and our server was helpful in answering any questions we had. Deciding to splurge a bit, we decided on two appetizers, two main dishes and a dessert – and we were more than stuffed afterwards.

The Roll Platter ($4.95) came first and consisted of a vegetarian cold roll that was packed with fresh vegetables and tofu, a vegetarian spring roll that had glass noodles, mushrooms and cabbage, and a shrimp roll. I admit I wasn’t blown away by the platter in terms of taste, but the cold roll was cold and fresh, and the hot items were steaming hot.

Mung Bean Noodle Spicy Salad ($9.95) we ordered purely because we had no idea what it was but it sounded interesting. Clear bean noodles are topped with a generous portion of chicken, calamari and shrimp (there were only two in the salad, but they were large) and then tossed with a spicy fish sauce. I liked this dish because of all the different textures and the freshness of it all. The bean noodles are very light – much lighter than a normal glass noodle, so the dish wasn’t as filling as you might think. The flavour was also light and could have used more sauce, but the spice level was impressive considering it was a salad.

I can’t go to a Thai restaurant without trying their Pad Thai ($11.95) and again, I was impressed at the amount of chicken and shrimp that came with the dish. The dish itself was cooked perfectly, the noodles were not overdone and there was no mushiness to be seen at all. The flavour leaned towards the sweet side with a healthy dash of tamarind to give it a tart taste. There were plenty of peanuts that came with the dish, and the crunchiness of the nuts added a nice texture to it all.

Ginger Beef ($10.95) was one of the best ginger beefs I have ever tried. Swimming in a sea of three kinds of mushrooms and vegetables, the beef was extremely tender and melted in my mouth. The ginger was generous and julienned into the dish, giving it an extra little spice with every bite. Though found under the “stir fry” section of the menu, the dish itself tasted light and not overly greasy.

To soak up the sauce from the beef, we ordered a single portion of Coconut Rice ($2.50) which was incredibly fragrant and fluffy. The creaminess of the coconut milk is absorbed into the grains of rice and made a perfect accompaniment to our dishes.

Lastly, for dessert we ordered Sticky Rice with Ice Cream ($6.95) which was a mound of sticky rice covered in coconut milk, topped with sesame seeds and cashews. We had a choice of ice cream and decided to stay with the coconut theme and asked for a scoop of coconut. Oh my goodness. If I could eat this all day, I absolutely would. Such simple individual elements come together in a fantastic combination of texture and flavour. The sticky rice was sweet with the creamy coconut milk that lent a touch of saltiness. The ice cream was creamy, coconut-y and made the whole dessert complete. So so good.

Overall, Thai Senses was good and we would come back again. The portions are generous, the ingredients are fresh and they know how to cook things properly. Service is attentive without being disruptive, and there are some amazing dishes to be had here.

One of the daily group buy sites has a deal on for Thai Senses until the end of today: $5 for $15 worth of food. If you’ve been meaning to try it, this would be a good chance to get some good eats at a good price. I bought a couple myself; anything to give me an excuse for more of that dessert. If you’re interested, here’s the link to the deal – expiring in 11 hours!

Thai Senses
2450 Lakeshore Rd. W, Oakville
www.thaisenses.ca

Neurotic Nibbler News

2011-04-21T10:53:00.000-04:00

Hooray for alliteration!

A few things have been going on behind the Neurotic Nibbler scenes - number one being I finally got an email address for the blog. Now, if you have suggestions for a review, or if you're a restaurant that wants to be reviewed, you can submit your requests to:

neuroticnibs@gmail.com

Secondly, and even more exciting, I now have business cards for the blog...and they are amazing, if I do say so myself! This way, when I leave a restaurant, I can drop my card off with the bill and the restaurant can visit the blog to see what I thought. Want to see what they look like? They're super cute!

Thank you so much to Melissa from iDesign for designing and printing off these beauties - and having to deal with my "I don't know what I like....pink?" indecisiveness. Highly recommend working with Melissa if you need any design work!

So! If you're a restaurant, be on the lookout for my card. You never know when you might be nibbled!

New York Fries - Poutinerie

2011-04-21T10:32:00.000-04:00

My very first request post (Hi, chilliwacklegend!) and I’m all too happy to oblige! Not sure if you’ve heard the ridiculously crazy/awesome radio ads for NYF’s poutinerie items, but they are pretty awesome. I mean, they got Gordon Pinsent to talk about denim-wearing kittens and unicorns – these poutines must be amazing, right? Besides, I like poutine, I like butter chicken, there really wasn’t much room for error...or was there?

Now, there are two camps of people out there – those who love the fries at NYF, and those who don’t. I fall into the in-between group, where I don’t mind them, but I don’t crave them like I crave fries from other places. I find them too...potato-y (and yes, I realise they are potatoes, but they’re too potato-y, and I’m sticking to it.) That being said, I like the rustic taste of them with the bits of peel still on, and the fact that they’re generally not greasy. Consider me the Switzerland of NYF if you will, neutral on all accounts (except for the gravy. I would bathe in their gravy.)

NYF Poutineries are select locations that have “special” poutine flavours in addition to the regular menu items: Braised Beef and Butter Chicken. The boyfriend and I purchased a small size of each while we were at Burlington Mall one day, and for just under $14 we had them both in our grubby little hands, ready to enjoy.

Butter Chicken (on the left) consists of the butter chicken sauce (chicken, tomato paste, cream, onions) and cheese curds over a bed of crispy, hot fries. The fries on this day were delicious. Crispy, hot and plentiful, they really filled the cup to capacity. There were curds, but they were drowned out by the sauce, so it was almost as though they weren’t there. The butter chicken sauce had potential, but I found it to be lacklustre in seasonings and heavy on the cream. The chicken in the pictures show large chunks that are bigger than the cheese curds, but the chicken was very minimal in our bowl, and was more shredded than cubed. That being said, the meat was tender when we could find it. Overall, it didn’t blow me away as I had hoped, but it wasn’t bad. Just needs a bit more seasoning and chicken.

Braised Beef (on the right) is described as “slow-cooked Angus beef, carrots, onions and mushrooms in a red wine sauce over real Quebec cheese curd and fresh cut fries.” Again, the fries were delicious and the cheese was minimal, but the braised beef and sauce was...interesting. The boyfriend liked this one better of the two, but I likened it to beef stew with a wine aftertaste. The beef was tender and the carrots and mushrooms were soft (not mushy), but the sauce just didn’t do it for me. I think it would have tasted a lot better if there was a stronger beef flavour to the sauce, rather than the sweetness of the wine.

New York Fries has a fantastic idea with the introduction of the poutinerie flavours, but the execution needs a little bit of tweaking to knock it out of the park. Off the top of my head, I would love to see a teriyaki chicken or meatballs in tomato sauce for something different. Pulled pork with sweet bbq sauce and cheese curds would make my day. For now though, I’m going to stick to the tried and true classic poutine with extra gravy.

www.newyorkfries.com

Recipe - Cheesy Potato Soup

2011-04-08T07:45:00.004-04:00

I am not a soup person. Well, let me clarify that. I am a lover of noodle soups (which is very big in the Vietnamese culture), but I am not generally a fan of soupy soups. You know, the kinds you find in cans in the grocery stores...not my thing. I want body and texture to my soups, not the watery bleh-ness that makes me think I’m eating a bowl of savoury tea.

That being said, the boyfriend loves soup. He could eat soup morning, noon and night and be happy as a clam. I think I found a solution to the great soup divide, and it all came about because I had a bunch of potatoes and carrots that needed to be used, and used in mass quantities. This soup has the substance I need with its chunks of vegetables and potatoes, as well as the warm comfort that the boyfriend likes from a hearty bowl of old fashioned soup. I like the simplicity of this recipe that yields such a deep flavour, from hardly any work at all. In fact, the basic ingredients when combined in this bowl of awesome, all lend such distinct flavours that it tastes much more complicated than it really is. Just be prepared for a lot of chopping (I hate chopping).

Cheesy Potato Soup

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 6 large)

4 Cups, chicken broth (low sodium)

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

2 Cups, milk

2 Cups, grated cheddar cheese + more for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

*Optional: chilli powder and garlic powder

1. Heat oil in large soup pot and cook onions and carrots until softened.

2. Add potato and chicken stock (should be enough stock to cover everything, if not, add more or water).

3. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender, approx. 20-25 minutes.

4. In separate pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, add flour to form a roux, whisking to combine. Cook for about a minute.

5. Add milk to roux slowly, whisking constantly to smooth out any lumps. Continue to heat while whisking until mixture thickens, approx. 5 minutes. (If mixture does not thicken, add a bit more flour).

6. Once it reaches the desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in grated cheese until creamy and smooth.

7. When potatoes are tender, pour the cheese mixture into the soup pot, stirring well to combine. Heat to simmer and cook until thickened. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. (For an extra kick, add chilli powder).

8. Sprinkle extra grated cheese on top and serve with crusty bread.

Makes 6 large servings. Freezes well.

Wild Wing - Oakville

2011-04-07T07:45:00.000-04:00

A while back, a few of us decided to go to Wild Wing in the AMC plaza close to our office for lunch. Wild Wing actually moved into a building that used to be an Irish pub that we had been to a few times before and always had a bad experience. We were optimistic that the bad luck from its predecessor would not rub off on its new inhabitant and we looked forward to an enjoyable meal.

Walking into a Wild Wing is like walking into a saloon in a typical western movie. The tables, chairs, floor and bar are all wood and there are horseshoes and other cowboy paraphernalia all over the walls. Wild Wing also has pictures up of suggestive cowgirls with the names of the wing sauces as decoration.

There were a few tables when our group of three walked in, and there was only one server working both the bar and the dining area, so our service was a little slow. We all ordered the lunch special of five wings and a side of fries for $6.49 and waited patiently for our meals.

After waiting nearly half an hour, our food arrived and at first glance, none of our orders looked appetizing. The wings were haphazardly tossed (two of our three orders, it looked like it was just poured on top, not even tossed) in sauces and our sides were cold as though they had been sitting out for hours.

Spicy BBQ was listed as bbq and hot sauces, but it tasted no different than the sauce you can buy in the grocery store. There was hardly any heat, and I would classify it as a medium on a generous day. The wings themselves were large in size with little breading, but they were soggy and lukewarm. The upgraded sweet potato fries were cold and stale.

Sweet Escape is honey garlic and gar par (their signature sauce of Caesar and parmesan) and it was a huge disappointment. Aesthetically speaking, this did not make any of us want to eat the wings. It looks like a blob of white goo was poured on the wings with some canned parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. The combination of Caesar and honey garlic did not taste good, and again, the food was cold.

Lastly, the Spicy Gar Par was no better than the rest. The same Caesar blob was on top of what was supposed to be hot wings, but I would consider them mild at best. To be different, this was with a side of the chips (which I’m told are no longer an option) that were actually the best part of all of our meals. They were crispy and not salty, which was as good as we were going to get at this point.

Halfway through our meal, our server came to check on us and we mentioned that the sweet potato fries were cold. She apologized and went to make us a fresh batch – this time, they were hot, but the majority of them were so burnt we barely ate them. Though the gesture was appreciated, new fries that are bad are still bad fries.

Sadly, we did not have an enjoyable meal this time around. The food was unappetizing and the service was super slow (it took us over an hour to get in and out). The only “wild” thing about this experience is if we decide to return.

Wild Wing – Oakville
2051 Winston Park Dr., Oakville
http://www.wildwingoakville.ca/
http://www.wildwingrestaurants.com/

Zellers Family Restaurant

2011-04-06T07:45:00.001-04:00

I always associate “family restaurant” with breakfast. I know there are other options, and they’re usually open all day, but the majority of the time that I find myself at one, it’s for breakfast – or they have an all day breakfast menu, and I love breakfast foods, so I’m ordering breakfast anyway. So. To recap: family restaurant = breakfast. That’s the kind of math I like.

We were out shopping early one morning and decided to stop into the Zellers restaurant for some quick breakfast because I remembered that it used to be pretty inexpensive when I used to go years back. I also remember liking their grilled cheese a lot, but for this trip, I really felt like breakfast.

The decor is a minty green and chrome mixture, which makes it look like an old-school diner. There is a children’s play area in one corner, and a large bar with stools along the back wall facing the kitchen. It was a seat yourself situation, so we found a small table since all the booths were either occupied or hadn’t been cleared yet.

The service here is friendly and genuine. There were two servers helping out the whole restaurant, and though it was a bit of a wait for our food, she kept refilling our drinks and apologizing for the wait since they were so busy. I didn’t mind too much since she kept us from feeling neglected, and I appreciated that she kept checking on us.

Eggs Zenedict ($8.99) consisted of poached eggs on a toasted scone with peameal and hollandaise. The hollandaise was supposed to have been sun-dried tomato, but they were out and gave us regular hollandaise instead. The scone was dry, but had no distinct taste, which made us wish we had ordered the regular Eggs Benedict instead. The egg was poached perfectly, and the peameal was average, but the hollandaise was creamy and warm. The dish was served with crispy potatoes and a fruit salad that looked more grey than it should have been (we skipped the fruit).

Seafood Crab Cake ($7.99) was a crab cake topped with a poached egg on top of an english muffin and smothered in hollandaise. This was the more disappointing dish of the two, since the crab cake had such a strong “fishy” smell to it that it really didn’t make it appetizing at all. The bright side is the egg was again, poached to perfection, and the english muffin was chewy and warm. I ended up removing the crab cake and just eating the rest on its own.

Sadly, this breakfast was disappointing on a few levels. The good part was the great service we received from the ladies that served our table. Next time, I’ll stick to the grilled cheese, please.

Zellers Family Restaurant
777 Guelph Ln. (Inside Burlington Mall), Burlington
http://www.zellersrestaurants.com/

Bombay Grill

2011-04-05T07:45:00.001-04:00

Years ago, my sister went on a kick where we tried various local eateries based on reviews (see, they work!) just to see if we could expand our horizons a bit. I had found positive reviews for Bombay Grill and we decided to try it out; however, when we pulled up to the plaza it was in, it looked like a ghost town and we were concerned. We tried it anyways, and haven’t looked back since – dare I say, this has been my favourite Indian restaurant in Burlington since that fateful day?

My sister was visiting and we decided to go to Bombay Grill for a late lunch one afternoon, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that there have been renovations to the interior since our last visit. There are booths lined up against the wall, and they have been busy painting the walls to freshen up the look. The tables are covered in deep red linen tablecloths and soft music play throughout the dimly lit dining room.

We started with the Papri Chat, a cold appetizer of crunchy wafers topped with chickpeas, potatoes, yogourt and tamarind. I love the crunch of the wafers and the softness of the potatoes and chickpeas and all the different flavours that are in this dish. It really is an explosion of texture and flavour with every bite – from the creamy tartness of the yogourt to the sweetness of the tamarind...I could eat this all day. Granted, it looks like a messy blob when it comes to the table, but the taste more than makes up for it.

Beef Curry consisted of large, tender cubes of beef simmered in a thick curry sauce and served in a little silver bowl. The meat itself was melt in your mouth delicious, and the sauce, though seasoned well, did not have an overpowering curry taste/smell. I liked it, but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.

My sister and I can’t go to an Indian restaurant without ordering Butter Chicken, and Bombay Grill does not disappoint with this dish. Moist chicken pieces swim in a creamy tomato sauce with the slightest hint of sweetness. The creaminess isn’t so overpowering that you tire of the dish, and makes for an excellent sauce for soaking up the naan and rice.

Speaking of which, the naan here is fantastic. Chewy and warm with crisp edges and brushed with the slightest bit of oil, one portion was large enough for the two of us to share along with the rice. A large plate of fluffy rice accompanied the curry, and I appreciated that it wasn’t greasy but was very hot.

Bombay Grill has a warm and inviting atmosphere, and the food tastes fresh and delicious. The service is attentive without being overbearing, and the prices are average for the quantity of food you receive. Tucked away in a retail plaza, it can get surprisingly busy around prime meal times, but it is definitely worth the wait. For Indian food in Burlington, I have always recommended Bombay Grill to people, and have never had anyone complain. Try it. You’ll see what I mean!

Bombay Grill
3480 Fairview St., Burlington
www.thebombaygrill.ca

Johnny Rockets

2011-04-04T07:45:00.001-04:00

I’ve always had a soft spot for diners and the nostalgia that they try to recreate through their decor and their menu offerings. Johnny Rockets is a good example of a restaurant that tries to bring out the theme of old fashioned malt shops with their jukeboxes and chrome/red interiors.

Though a little pricy compared to most hamburger restaurants, with their burgers averaging about $8 (no sides), they do offer some interesting choices aside from your standard burger. Plus, their staff will randomly burst into song, and that’s entertaining for anyone.

The boyfriend and I started with the Cheese Fries, which was pricy, but we split it between the two of us as a shared side with our burgers. When it came to the table, it wasn’t anything like I expected because the sauce on top was vaguely reminiscent of Cheez Whiz and looked almost plastic with its shiny coat. For the price we were charged, I was expecting something that looked and tasted like authentic cheese; not the sauce that was poured on. The fries themselves were hot and crispy, but the cheese sauce was so unappetizing we didn’t even finish the small portion we received.

The Patty Melt was my choice (grilled rye bread, you hooked me again) and it was a thick, juicy patty with a generous helping of grilled onions and cheese between two slices of crispy grilled rye bread. Though the sweetness of the onion complemented the creaminess of the cheese well, the meat was juicy but kind of bland. I found the burger to be pretty average, up until the point the filling began to seep through the bread, rendering it a soggy mess. If there was a way to prevent that from happening, this burger would have been better.

The Smoke House normally comes on a regular bun, but the boyfriend couldn’t resist the lure of the grilled rye bread either and asked for it on the rye instead. The burger itself consisted of bacon, onion rings and cheese, but what really made this burger better then a normal banquet burger was the bbq-ranch sauce. The sweetness of the bbq and the tanginess of the ranch tied all the ingredients together into a flavourful burger. The bacon was described as applewood smoked, but it tasted like normal bacon to me. Again, the bread got soggy by the end, so it turned a messy burger into an even messier burger.

Overall, the burgers here are good but not fantastic, and I would avoid the Cheese Fries if I came back here again. I just think for the price of the food, there are similar if not better places I can go and have a better meal. In my opinion, the best value for the meal was the nickel it cost to play a song on the jukebox.

Johnny Rockets
100 City Centre Dr. (Inside Square One), Mississauga
www.johnnyrockets.com

The Black Bull

2011-04-01T08:58:00.000-04:00

I’m on a wing kick these days, so much so that I crave them every day. Don’t ask me why now, but there’s just something about the crunchy, hot wing that makes my tummy grumble lately.

The Black Bull has wings for 49 cents on Wednesday, so I just had to go and get my fill. It was also PubStumpers night, so people are playing trivia as you sit in the bar area. Interesting element to add to any bar experience I would say.

The bar itself is split into a front room and a back room (where the trivia was being held) and then another back room with a pool table as well. The decor is dated, but somehow it actually lends to the quaint atmosphere of a cozy, neighbourhood pub.

The wing special requires that you order each flavour in quantities of five, and some sort of beverage (not necessarily alcoholic if you aren’t inclined). We also ordered a small order of Coney Fries ($5.49) based on the server’s recommendation. The fries were hot and crispy, but the chilli, although hearty, was skimpy and left the bottom of the dish plain and kind of boring. Our server noticed that our fries looked kind of naked and brought out an order of gravy for us which I thought was a really nice thing to do.

The Black Bull Butter wings were a tobasco base with a hint of butter. Generally I’m not a fan of tobasco sauces (ie. Frank’s) because I find them sour and not hot. I prefer the hot sauces that have the slow heat that builds instead. I also wish that there was more butter tossed with the sauce because it really didn’t have a butter flavour at all.

Dry Cajun wings had a nice saltiness without it being unbearable, but again, there was very little heat to the spice. I do tend to lean towards dry spices because I like the wing to be extra crunchy, but this seemed too mild for my taste.

Honey Garlic was one of the top sauces in my opinion. The wings were sticky, gooey and still kept the crunch from the deep fryer. There was a perfect blend of honey and garlic so the wings weren’t too sweet.

Jerk was the other winner of the night with its well seasoned, well flavoured spices. Again, the wings were still crispy even though it was a wet sauce, and there was a perfect amount of heat to them. I was impressed with the depth of the flavour as I ate these.

Lastly, the Lemon Pepper dry rub was average. There was a good lemon taste to the wing, with the slightest hint of cracked pepper mixed in. The spice was so mild though, it was lost in each piece, and needed a bigger punch. And yes, those are remnants of chicken feathers you see in the picture.

The price of the wings can’t be beat (it always hurts my soul to pay $10+/pound of wings) and the atmosphere is cozy. They have karaoke on the weekends, and that’s always a hoot if you’re looking for something fun to do as well. I come here when I want cheap, simple wings and friendly service, and judging from how busy it was when I was here, I’m not the only one who feels that way.

The Black Bull
1124 Guelph Line, Burlington
http://www.blackbull.ca/