Showing posts with label bruschetta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bruschetta. Show all posts

Blomidon Inn (Wolfville)


If the walls could speak at Blomidon Inn, I’m sure it would have stories to tell. From its construction as the Burgess family’s private home in the late 1800s, it has gone on to serve as apartments, the residence for Acadian University girls, before finally becoming the current inn in 1980.

The main floor of the ornate inn is largely used as the dining area for their restaurant. Where you can enjoy a 3-course meal ($62.50). Or add an extra $2.50 to receive a small salad course between the main and dessert. For those want a smaller dinner, dishes are also available a la carte (prices reflected in this post).

Their tomato bruschetta ($14) uses a decadent whipped ricotta as the base, building upon the classic ingredients of cherry tomatoes, herbs, and a balsamic reduction. With tons of flavours and not as messy to eat, this was a wonderful starting bite.



Arriving as a big chunk, the maple smoked salmon ($14) could benefit from a bit of preparation to present it in a crostini form. The candy sweet salmon was powerful on its own but balances out with the maple yogurt sauce and baguette. A bit of pickled red onion and/or arugula would add some freshness the dish needs.  

Save some of that bread for the steamed mussels ($14), classically prepared in a white wine and garlic broth. I rather enjoyed the bell pepper used throughout for colour and added flavour. The mussels just needed to be soaked longer as they were still several gritty crustaceans.

You can’t go wrong with seafood in Nova Scotia. The pan seared halibut ($37) was perfectly cooked to a flaky and moist consistency. The thick meaty piece could use more seasoning but if you get enough of the ‘hodge podge’, a medley of vegetables cooked in a cream sauce, onto the fish it helps to add flavour.

The scallops in the scallops picatta ($37) were beautifully seared and just cooked through. The natural sweetness of the seafood was also prominent since the lemon caper sauce used with the pappardelle wasn’t too strong. With a touch more salt, this dish would have been perfect.

While the lobster linguine ($44; $7 supplement with the prix fixe) smelled good, the dish was majorly lacking on taste. The spaghetti was overcooked, and everything screamed for more seasoning, butter, and acid. My nose was more impressed than the tongue.

The grilled filet of beef ($44; $7 supplement with the prix fixe) was a touch over cooked but nevertheless tender and did have a nice crust. I just found the sides of mashed potato and carrot date puree to be too similar and soft. And the red wine jus and bourbon bacon butter was non-existent on the dish. Like the other mains, it was bland.

If you still have room for dessert, I’d recommend the fruit cobbler ($14), which contained tons of berries while still leaving the sweet biscuit on top not overly soggy. Served warm, the vanilla ice cream adds a lovely cooling sensation and creaminess as it melts into the dessert.

Blomidon’s crème brûlée ($14) had a nice thin sugar crust and was flavourful of its own. The side of lemon curd was a nice touch, so you can combine into the brûlée to help balance out the sweetness.

If you like graham cracker crust, you’ll love the blueberry cheesecake ($14) since it has a thick portion of the pastry. The cake itself was a nice balance of sweetness and thickness. In the end, a solid cheesecake with plenty of blueberry flavour.

How anyone could even manage to eat a quarter of the chocolate mousse cake ($14) is a mystery. I could only manage one bite, the cake so thick and dense it’s like eating the chocolate ganache centre of a truffle. The intensity certainly didn’t make it very mousse like. Pack this up and you can have a couple bites per day to get a chocolate fix.

While the food wasn’t the greatest at Blomidon Inn, after a day of wine tasting, it was a treat to not have to leave the inn after showering and relaxing. Plus, after the filling meal, we could easily just roll into the sitting room to continue our conversation. After just spending a day in Wolfville, we had our own new stories to tell. 

In a nutshell... 
  • Must order: tomato bruschetta, pan seared halibut, fruit cobbler
  • Just skip: lobster linguine, chocolate mousse cake

Overall mark - 6 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Wolfville, Canada
 Address: 195 Main Street


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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


Is That It? I Want More!

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Amalfi Coast Ristorante (Thornhill)

Whenever I’m asked about the best pasta consumed, I’m transported back to a pier in Positano. Tired from hours of walking along the hilly landscape, we settled into a random restaurant and decided to split a seafood spaghetti and drinks. My expectations were tempered, given we were on the pier where cruise ships drop off guests, thinking it’d be a tourist trap. One swirl of the pasta in the light flavourful sauce and I was in heaven. The meal was before my blogging days so the exquisite pasta was never documented, a distant memory that I’d love to experience again.

Hence, when I heard about Amalfi Coast Restaurant, I could taste the al dante pasta and garlicky tomato wine sauce right away. Of course, there were some differences: the restaurant is in Canada, the dining room more opulent, and I didn’t need to walk for hours before dining.

Then again, the chittarra pasta allo scoglio ($25.50) wasn’t even close to the quality of the Positano restaurant. While the spaghetti noodles were homemade, it’s also means the pasta is too soft and doughy. Perhaps, it sat too long at the pass, but the dish could be hotter and there was little left of the olive oil and wine sauce. The pasta needed more salt and didn’t contain any clams (as noted on the menu), but at least what was included was cooked decently.


If you’re ordering pasta, stick with the scialatielli allo stile amalfitana ($22). The creamy tomato vodka sauce is thicker so doesn’t soak into the thick homemade egg noodles and the flavours go well with the plump tiger shrimp.  


Their burrata di bufala ($15) was creamy and buttery, but served too cold and didn’t incorporate enough olive oil or salt. Nonetheless, for the price, you received a surprisingly large portion of the burrata, which also arrives with ample slices of cured bresaola and a simple arugula and torn radicchio salad.


Amalfi’s margherita pizza ($14.50) incorporated enough toppings – sweet tomatoes and a relatively thick layer of cheese – which also has the downfall of rendering the centre of the pizza soggy. Luckily, the crust had a nice smoky essence and a nice chewiness.


Personally, I preferred the bruschetta ($3), each crispy piece of olive oil covered crostini topped with garlicky tomatoes, oregano and cheese.


What stops me from awarding Amalfi a 7 (out of 10), is their service. While everyone was friendly, they just weren’t attentive, despite checking in so often. Some suggestions, to the restaurant:

  • Avoid having staff remark to dinner guests, “You’re all finally here”, especially when they’re only late by 10 minutes and another employee has already said something similar. It’s awkward for everyone at the table.
  • Limit the people approaching a table with questions to two individuals. We had at least three people asking similar things throughout the meal that it was annoying being interrupted so often.
  • If someone is training, make sure someone is around to teach them. While the trainee was bubbly and nice, she was so nervous and hesitant that it made the experience awkward. Especially, stopping our conversation every time she refilled the water by asking each person whether they wanted more – just re-fill it.
  • If there’s a private event, bring in more staff or don’t take reservations. Our waiter wouldn’t let us order appetizers first (while deciding on the mains), stating that they were too busy and he wanted to put everything in at the same time. It’s a bit rude, especially since the dining room was only 70% filled.
  • Most importantly, have someone keep track of whether tables are getting what they ordered. After finishing all the appetizers, our drinks still didn’t arrive. I finally had to follow-up with someone, even with two people coming by and asking about the food. Why did no one notice we were without wine and beer?
Unfortunately for my taste buds, the Amalfi Coast Restaurant is no match to a random restaurant by the Positano pier. 

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Thornhill, Canada
 Address: 8020 Bathurst Street

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


Amalfi Coast Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Shore Grill & Grotto (Mississauga)

Shore Grill & Grotto


“Port Credit's finest. See for yourself...” This challenge left on the Shore Grill & Grotto’s website was accepted. Let’s see what the finest of the town has in store for us. Certainly, it’s one of Port Credit’s largest restaurants: the abundant store frontage provides a huge patio; that’s even before considering the cozy lounge (with live music), huge dining room and private dining area.     

Their bruschetta ($8.71) is best described as garlic bread with cheese topped with sliced tomatoes – good if you want garlic bread, but disappointing if you’re expecting bruschetta. The dish was missing that freshness from the herbs, tanginess from a bit of citrus and overall lightness that makes it the famed bread for me.


Consider sharing the cashew-encrusted goat cheese ($12.71) with a table of four as its sheer size would be a handful even for two. I wasn’t enthused when I read its description: cheese with nuts is understandable, but did it really also require roasted garlic and raspberry coulis (two flavours that shouldn’t work together). Yet, it all combined nicely, especially if you love contrasting dishes: the creamy smooth goat cheese with crunchy cashews, enhanced by the savoury sweet garlic and a pop of refreshing berry sauce.


In true Italian tradition, the seafood linguine ($19.75) was huge (enough for a full plate of leftovers for my husband). There was also a good selection of seafood that were cooked well: large and meaty scallops given a light smoky grill, crunchy shrimp, tons of mussels, along with clams and calamari. Even the pasta was slightly al dante – the building blocks to what could have been a fantastic dish.


But then everything lacked flavour … unless you count a quarter-cup of olive oil a predominant taste. The pesto sort of peeks through, but the acidity from the white wine you’d want to cut through the greasiness is non-existent. Some say lower sodium is good for the health, but for me I want taste (or at least a shaker at the table so I can kill myself). And as much as I love roasted garlic, the sheer amount was overpowering having had a few of them whole after mistaking them as fallen crustacean.

For me, the Shore is definitely not Port Credit’s finest, although it wasn’t horrible either - the restaurant does have abundant portions at reasonable prices. Rather, I wish it relied less heavily on fats for flavours and more on herbs, citrus and salt. In the end, take inspiration from your name – the Shore: incorporate the salt of the sea and keep out the oil.

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Mississauga, Canada
 Address: 71 Lakeshore Road East

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



Shore Grill & Grotto Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

CLOSED: Alleycatz Live Jazz Bar (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 2409 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Dinner


Alleycatz has been an uptown locale known for its live music – a variety of jazz, R&B & funk and top 40 in between sets.  Having visited twice, both times I can’t help joining everyone on the dance floor after a bottle of wine. The crowd is always an eclectic mix, but everyone seems be there for a good time making it easy for us to let loose. It’s a bonus that the restaurant is a comfortable fullness so I don’t feel like I’m packed like a sardine and still enjoy my personal space while dancing.


During my first visit, some friends and I stumbled upon Alleycatz after dinner and stayed for drinks and live music.  After my friend heard about a Groupon promotion ($25 for $50), we decided it was a great opportunity to return and try their food as well.

Admittedly, I had low expectations after reading Urbanspoon reviews and seeing its dismal score.  But, we were both pleasantly surprised with their efficient & friendly service, respectable food and a good band that night that had us staying for longer than expected.

We decided to play it safe and stick with simple dishes; with only the mussels ($10) being a bit risky given non-fresh seafood could have dire consequences.  Indeed, the mussels were frozen and a smaller size but were a passable quality.  The spicy white wine sauce was flavourful (albeit more buttery than spicy) and was great for sopping up with bread; I just wished there was more of the cooking liquid and everything arrived hotter.  Perhaps they should consider serving it in a mini pot and lifting the lid at the table so that the mussels stay hot en route.

The bruschetta ($9) was also good with a well toasted baguette base, tons of tomatoes, garlic & red onions, a decent shaving of parmesan and a liberal drizzling of sweet balsamic glaze.  I would have liked to taste more of the basil, but then I do love fresh herb flavours.  The serving size was a little disappointing with only four slices, a tad expensive for $9.  

Having looked around, we found their mains to be quite large so decided to split the sexy spaghettini ($17).  Our waitress asked if we were planning to share the dish, then took the liberty to get the kitchen to divide the portion for us which is always appreciated (note, the photo shown is only a half portion).  Alleycatz makes the pasta in house so it’s softer and chewier (almost like a ramen noodle). 


The spaghettini thankfully arrived piping hot. So, perhaps Alleycatz has a problem with serving dishes in a timely manner, causing them to sit around (our mussels would have tasted much better if the temperature was the same as the pasta).  The spicy cilantro olive oil had a well-balanced heat to it, but if there were more pieces of roasted tomatoes chopped into the sauce to give the dish colour it would look “sexier”.  My friend and I each had a large tiger shrimp that was cooked well.  There could have been more grilled chicken as it was sort of lost it everything – I think I only had two small slices of it.

All in all, although the food is acceptable, Alleycatz won’t become a go to place for dinner.  I appreciate their attentive service, so would consider it a good option if you want to enjoy some live music, drinks and light bites.   
 

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10


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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!