What restaurant do you want to try next? [General]
2009 Oct 31
I haven't had the money to try a lot of local places, so these would be my picks:
222 Lyon Tapas
Wellington Gastropub
Play
Vina del Mar
Habeshea
Allium
Juniper
The Works
Whalebone Oyster
Monkey feet- There are two veggie places which you have incorporated into one name- The Table- which in on Wellington and Holland and The Green Door- which is on Main st.
I haven't tried either but would also like to check them out.
222 Lyon Tapas
Wellington Gastropub
Play
Vina del Mar
Habeshea
Allium
Juniper
The Works
Whalebone Oyster
Monkey feet- There are two veggie places which you have incorporated into one name- The Table- which in on Wellington and Holland and The Green Door- which is on Main st.
I haven't tried either but would also like to check them out.
2009 Oct 31
PAN BAGNAT - Thank you! I had a feeling it was just "The Table". And "The Green Door" sounded like an older movie that I was supposed to watch when I was younger. But I will definitely try The Table.
And if you ever go to The Works, One of my favs is the five herb burger with a side of sweet potato strings.
And if you ever go to The Works, One of my favs is the five herb burger with a side of sweet potato strings.
2009 Nov 2
If you really want a dining experience, head to Las Vegas, get a room at the MGM Grand and get a dinner reservation at Joel Robuchon. Order the tasting menu.
www.foodeeze.com
www.foodeeze.com
2009 Nov 2
Wow...there is so many...
Atelier
Navarra
Allium
Juniper
went to Wellington last week for lunch...very very good, and very reasonable. Fish cake with spaetzle, bacon and squash with roasted garlic and sesame aioli.
Fraser cafe brunch is the best in the city by far.....Eggs benedict and the BURGER!! wow. Had Breakfast sandwich yesterday..only thing i like my egg to be runny when i bite into it!!
Atelier
Navarra
Allium
Juniper
went to Wellington last week for lunch...very very good, and very reasonable. Fish cake with spaetzle, bacon and squash with roasted garlic and sesame aioli.
Fraser cafe brunch is the best in the city by far.....Eggs benedict and the BURGER!! wow. Had Breakfast sandwich yesterday..only thing i like my egg to be runny when i bite into it!!
2009 Nov 5
Farbs Kitchen on Beechwood was on our Must Try list and we did the deed last night. Although there wasn't much of a crowd (I always like a bit of bustle to get me in the going out mood), it was still a nice evening. I decided to do 3 appetizers and my partner went for a main. I loved the homemade onion herb bread with homemade butter. I didn't catch the name of the amuse-bouche but I think it was a rabbit meatloaf. Just a mouth size cube and it too was delicious. My appetizers were the soup of the day - potato and garlic with truffle oil, and the fish cake (crispy halibut cake, Jerusalem artichoke – cauliflower puree, wilted greens and fried capers)and the Asian salad (Crazy Dave's Asian Greens - freshly picked, with crispy shallots, roasted peanuts, Thai spiced vinaigrette, pickled ginger, and black sesame seeds). All perfectly prepared and a great balance of flavours. I was just wowed at how fresh (and unusual) the greens were in my salad. My partner's main was the duck confit which came with lima bean cassoulette, cherry tomatoes, and wilted greens. He was pretty happy. And he enjoyed his duck with a Church Key beer. How do you get better than that. First time experiencing it in Ottawa and probably beats Beaus he says. High praise. He has been to Campbellford to the Church Key brewery and this just made those good memories come back. What a find. No room for dessert but they presented two wonderful homemade truffles to finish. What a delight to have such a solid and complete experience with everything done so well. I hope if you try it, you too will have the same WOW. It is definitely a restaurant worthy of a spot on the Places to Watch list.
We also want to get out to the new Fraser Cafe, Murray Street and Black Cat Cafe. Time to create some more things to celebrate.
We also want to get out to the new Fraser Cafe, Murray Street and Black Cat Cafe. Time to create some more things to celebrate.
2009 Nov 15
Locally, like many others I would go with:
Whalesbone
Atelier
To those two I would also add Play which sounds fun from what I have heard.
Internationally, there are too many to name:
Unrealistically, but number one would be: El Bulli
Unfortunately, I don't have the budget and luxurary to time a holiday if I happen to get lucky enough to get a reservation.
On the more realistic but still high end front:
Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck which I hope to get to in 2009 if I make it to the UK
Jean Georges in NYC (I have been to both Daniel and Per Se and this is the next one up of the 3 stars in NYC though Daniel only had 2 the two times I was there).
On the not local, but much more realistic: Au Pied du Cauchon in Montreal
Amuse Bouche:
Some unsolicited advice. In November 2008, I went to Guy Savoy. It was good and glad I did it but it was not over the top outstanding all of the time. When I went, we chose to go for lunch because the dinners at 3 stars in Paris are completely insane in terms of prices. It looked like we would have to spend $1300-$1500 to do the tasting meal and have some great wine and that was too much for me. Essentially, some Chow Hounders told me at the 3 stars in Paris you are paying for the Paris rent more than anything else.
Anyway, Guy Savoy at the time had an internet special whereby one table was served lunch each day for 100 Euro each not including wine and drinks. If you want to try the Paris experience, its a good deal and I would do it over again. I would highly recommend the oysters. Each shell contained an oyster prepared 3 different ways and it all worked together wonderfully. The picture that was featured on their site did not do it justice. One other word of caution: Guy Savoy exemplified the "hovering" form of service that Paris is somewhat known for in its high end restaurants. Example, the waiter was a stone's throw from our table the entire time watching over us. I happened to spill something on the table cloth. I forget what but it was but it was far from a massive spill -it really was the minor stains that happen to us folks who are challenged in terms of dexterity and coordination. Most other restaurants would not have noticed and if they did would not have done anything. They came by with a piece of frabric, that matched the table cloth, to cover up the spill. Presumedly, it was to not let anything interfere with the enjoyment of the meal. I am glad I did it but I certainly understood what people meant about the hovering afterwards. This is not to knock them. Its the way they do things but I think a lot of North Americans find it a little too much. My wife certainly did. I kind took in as a new experience but its not something I would want to experience most of the time even when its at high end restaurants.
The restaurant I would really recommend in France is Arnsbourg which is tied with Per Se for the best meal I have ever had in my life. Its located about an hour or so from Strasburg. Per Se's very best food was a little better than Arnsbourg but Arnsbourg was very, very close to that level. What distinguished it was that Arnsbourg's food was consistently at the same high level for every course. Loved Per Se and hope to go back but it was not nearly as consistent as Arnsbourg was. There every single course and amuse bouch was incredible. If you do go, you will want to stay at Hotel K which owned by the same people. Not surprisingly, it was expensive but they don't nickle and dime you. I drank beer that was in the bar fridge and was told after it was all complementary. They offer you a drink when you arrive and I would urge anyone to go to accept. We did not thinking we would get dinged for it but my guess based on the bar fridge policy is that it was complementary.
The restaurant itself is literally in the middle of nowhere - its like driving along in the rural part of the Ottawa Valley and all of a sudden there is a 3 Michelin Star restaurant that appears in the middle of nowhere. www.arnsbourg.com/
Great topic. Cheers
Whalesbone
Atelier
To those two I would also add Play which sounds fun from what I have heard.
Internationally, there are too many to name:
Unrealistically, but number one would be: El Bulli
Unfortunately, I don't have the budget and luxurary to time a holiday if I happen to get lucky enough to get a reservation.
On the more realistic but still high end front:
Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck which I hope to get to in 2009 if I make it to the UK
Jean Georges in NYC (I have been to both Daniel and Per Se and this is the next one up of the 3 stars in NYC though Daniel only had 2 the two times I was there).
On the not local, but much more realistic: Au Pied du Cauchon in Montreal
Amuse Bouche:
Some unsolicited advice. In November 2008, I went to Guy Savoy. It was good and glad I did it but it was not over the top outstanding all of the time. When I went, we chose to go for lunch because the dinners at 3 stars in Paris are completely insane in terms of prices. It looked like we would have to spend $1300-$1500 to do the tasting meal and have some great wine and that was too much for me. Essentially, some Chow Hounders told me at the 3 stars in Paris you are paying for the Paris rent more than anything else.
Anyway, Guy Savoy at the time had an internet special whereby one table was served lunch each day for 100 Euro each not including wine and drinks. If you want to try the Paris experience, its a good deal and I would do it over again. I would highly recommend the oysters. Each shell contained an oyster prepared 3 different ways and it all worked together wonderfully. The picture that was featured on their site did not do it justice. One other word of caution: Guy Savoy exemplified the "hovering" form of service that Paris is somewhat known for in its high end restaurants. Example, the waiter was a stone's throw from our table the entire time watching over us. I happened to spill something on the table cloth. I forget what but it was but it was far from a massive spill -it really was the minor stains that happen to us folks who are challenged in terms of dexterity and coordination. Most other restaurants would not have noticed and if they did would not have done anything. They came by with a piece of frabric, that matched the table cloth, to cover up the spill. Presumedly, it was to not let anything interfere with the enjoyment of the meal. I am glad I did it but I certainly understood what people meant about the hovering afterwards. This is not to knock them. Its the way they do things but I think a lot of North Americans find it a little too much. My wife certainly did. I kind took in as a new experience but its not something I would want to experience most of the time even when its at high end restaurants.
The restaurant I would really recommend in France is Arnsbourg which is tied with Per Se for the best meal I have ever had in my life. Its located about an hour or so from Strasburg. Per Se's very best food was a little better than Arnsbourg but Arnsbourg was very, very close to that level. What distinguished it was that Arnsbourg's food was consistently at the same high level for every course. Loved Per Se and hope to go back but it was not nearly as consistent as Arnsbourg was. There every single course and amuse bouch was incredible. If you do go, you will want to stay at Hotel K which owned by the same people. Not surprisingly, it was expensive but they don't nickle and dime you. I drank beer that was in the bar fridge and was told after it was all complementary. They offer you a drink when you arrive and I would urge anyone to go to accept. We did not thinking we would get dinged for it but my guess based on the bar fridge policy is that it was complementary.
The restaurant itself is literally in the middle of nowhere - its like driving along in the rural part of the Ottawa Valley and all of a sudden there is a 3 Michelin Star restaurant that appears in the middle of nowhere. www.arnsbourg.com/
Great topic. Cheers
2009 Nov 24
Looks like Atelier is on a lot of wish lists! Mine too, and we're finally going to do something about it - we have a reservation for next week.
After Atelier is removed, my wish list will be headed up by Zen Kitchen, followed by Farbs, Allium, and maybe the Black Cat Bistro. And, it's just about time to get back to Le Café, after an absence of many years, to check out the Blackie makeover.
After Atelier is removed, my wish list will be headed up by Zen Kitchen, followed by Farbs, Allium, and maybe the Black Cat Bistro. And, it's just about time to get back to Le Café, after an absence of many years, to check out the Blackie makeover.
Amusebouche