Beautiful atmosphere, i had a great time. High ceilings, stone and wood decor, massive central fireplace, lounge and restaurant. We sat in the lounge, felt very comfortable, drinks were good, little pricey. We had live jazz which was nice, not too loud, so we could still have a conversation.
Food was yummy, steak sandwich with fries, juicy, hot, well seasoned steak, home cut fries, delicious garlic toast. A Duck burger served on an onion cake, quite unique.
Service was great, couple mistakes but nothing to make a fuss over. Would love to sit in the restaurant next time, however the dinner menu is very expensive, $34.50 for 7oz tuna, $36.25 for rack of lamb.....i saw some of the plates they looked good but for that price in Edmonton, it is a bit much, so maybe we will go for a special occasion and stick to the lounge for more reasonable prices. Our bill came to $55, that was with calamari appetizer, two mains, two gins and a beer, so thats pretty good.
There were lots of yummy things to choose from such as, Alberta Bison Maki Rolls, Lamb Lollipops, Bison Guiness Chili and Parsnip Fries.....Yup will definitely be back.....
Natasha :)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Holt Renfrew, Edmonton, Alberta
Holts Cafe, run by Executive Chef Corbin Tomaszeski; who also oversees Toronto, Montreal and Quebec city Holts Cafes.
Um cute atmosphere, busy everyday, been around for many years. It was my very first time today, it was alright. I had the Holts Cobb Salad which i believe unfortunately sat in the kitchen too long while waiting for the protein to cook. I think it was butter lettuce, but im not sure, with globs of creamy tarragon dressing, some tear drop tomatoes cut in half, avocado, feta and a dry breast of chicken. This salad has potential, it just needs a bit more respect. Mums Herb Crusted Scallop and Prawn Salad was definitely more successful, fresh cucumber and corn with champagne vinaigrette. Beautifully cooked scallops and prawns. We also shared the Foccacia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, it was good, bread a bit dry.....
Nice service, reasonable prices. I would give it another shot, perhaps on a better day....
Natasha :)
Um cute atmosphere, busy everyday, been around for many years. It was my very first time today, it was alright. I had the Holts Cobb Salad which i believe unfortunately sat in the kitchen too long while waiting for the protein to cook. I think it was butter lettuce, but im not sure, with globs of creamy tarragon dressing, some tear drop tomatoes cut in half, avocado, feta and a dry breast of chicken. This salad has potential, it just needs a bit more respect. Mums Herb Crusted Scallop and Prawn Salad was definitely more successful, fresh cucumber and corn with champagne vinaigrette. Beautifully cooked scallops and prawns. We also shared the Foccacia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, it was good, bread a bit dry.....
Nice service, reasonable prices. I would give it another shot, perhaps on a better day....
Natasha :)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Moriarty's Bistro/Wine Bar, Edmonton, Alberta
I was expecting a lot more, but unfortunately it was just alright. The ideas with the food are unique, however dont really work....perhaps we just had poor execution that night. I had the Root Beer Short Rib with gin and cumin glazed golden beets and coffee porcini mashed potato. First off everything on the plate was barely warm, the potato's had a dark crust on them from sitting to long, the rib was literally one tiny rib, dry, couldnt taste the affects of the root beer and the beets were highly under seasoned. Joe had Flank Steak Pinwheel with duck and black trumpet mushroom perogies, early grey creamy demiglaze, coleslaw. Also barely warm, flank was rolled up into medallions which shouldnt be done with this cut of meat because it is quite tough and should be sliced thin, perogies were bland, coleslaw was sour tasting. Our company ordered the Mushroom Barley Risotto and Clubhouse, both of which were also bland. It just seems like each item is described with so many different ingredients and preparation, that sound really appealing, but the outcome is a let down.
I was happy about the Innis & Gunn beer and a decent wine selection, but maybe too much BC selection.
Dessert, Sweet Pastry Flatbread with maple syrup, smoked gouda, pear and walnut, again great idea, sounds yummy, but it was dry and visually unappealing, the cheese was no good, and smoked gouda is one of my favorite cheeses, but it was pasty...
Decor is nice, black and white with a classy old school style. I think that if i went back it would be to the bar for a drink.....
Natasha :)
I was happy about the Innis & Gunn beer and a decent wine selection, but maybe too much BC selection.
Dessert, Sweet Pastry Flatbread with maple syrup, smoked gouda, pear and walnut, again great idea, sounds yummy, but it was dry and visually unappealing, the cheese was no good, and smoked gouda is one of my favorite cheeses, but it was pasty...
Decor is nice, black and white with a classy old school style. I think that if i went back it would be to the bar for a drink.....
Natasha :)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Evelyn's Coffee Bar, Banff, Alberta
On our way home from Lake Louise we stopped in Banff for some breakfast, neither of us felt like greasy spoon food that morning, so we decided to try and find the cafe we went to last time we were in Banff. We found it no problem on Banff ave, one of the main streets.
So our options were, giant home made cookies, huge pieces of cake or pie, muffins, scones, fresh sandwiches.....and a few other goodies. I got a yogurt parfait with fresh fruit salad and granola, it was very good, creamy and healthy.
My latte was so beautiful i almost couldnt drink it, the guy who made it took the time to drizzle a leaf with the sexy foam. (You know that milk foam thats smooth and creamy, as appose to the foam thats chunky and bubbly more like a meringue....well i refer to the smooth creamy foam as sexy foam, and its much appreciated when i get it). So great coffee. We finished with a large piece of pumpkin pie, with a dollop of whipped cream, yum.
Nice guys, good food, good atmosphere, will definitely be one on my list of places to revisit....
Natasha:)
So our options were, giant home made cookies, huge pieces of cake or pie, muffins, scones, fresh sandwiches.....and a few other goodies. I got a yogurt parfait with fresh fruit salad and granola, it was very good, creamy and healthy.
My latte was so beautiful i almost couldnt drink it, the guy who made it took the time to drizzle a leaf with the sexy foam. (You know that milk foam thats smooth and creamy, as appose to the foam thats chunky and bubbly more like a meringue....well i refer to the smooth creamy foam as sexy foam, and its much appreciated when i get it). So great coffee. We finished with a large piece of pumpkin pie, with a dollop of whipped cream, yum.
Nice guys, good food, good atmosphere, will definitely be one on my list of places to revisit....
Natasha:)
Duchess Bake Shop, Edmonton, Alberta
A definite must! I was there recently, finally, i have been meaning to go for months now, so on a very indecisive, restless day, Duchess was the answer.
They bake daily from scratch, fresh high quality ingredients like imported butter from New Zealand and Valrhona chocolate from France.
Just an amazing variety of baked goods, cakes, pies, tarts, pastries, cookies and even croissant sandwiches. I had the miniature Duchess cake, it has chiffon cake, pastry cream and raspberry, topped with vanilla bean whipped cream and a marzipan shell.....just soooo good. Joe had a Rhubarb Crumb Galette, beautiful flaky pastry loaded with fresh fruit and sugar.
To top it all off, the coffee......very good, from local organic roasters in St.Albert.
The seating is very limited, i guess they dont want to become a restaurant, and i think strive for people to take a box of baked goods home, and perhaps stop for a quick coffee. I do wish there was more seating, because to me this is a place i could spend the day with good company or maybe a good book, tasting different treats and sipping on lattes.
I will warn you, it is very overwhelming entering this store, the choices are endless and all so beautiful, so bring a friend to help you choose or that is willing to share a few choices together.....
Natasha:)
Cafe de Ville, Edmonton, Alberta
Downtown Edmonton. Very sweet, welcoming place. Service was wonderful, our server kept refering to me as "my lady" it was kind of cute. The chef has combined foods from Europe, India and the far east, which has created a unique yet simple menu. They strive in fresh, from scratch items. I went for lunch, had the quiche special, it was very creamy, and rich, good crust, could have perhaps been a bit more generous with the vegetables in the quiche. It came with a beautiful green salad and a tasty herb vinaigrette. It was $15.00, kind of pricey, but considering the labor for house made food, its acceptable. My brother had a delicious seafood pasta, full of flavor. I would like to go back and try something else, perhaps for dinner, it seems to be a cozy place in the evening.....
Natasha:)
Natasha:)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Citrus Restaurant, Toronto Ontario
Located in The Grand Hotel & Suites. Citrus has a beautiful atmosphere, nice light dinning room and lounge, lots of windows and comfy seats. The service is hit and miss, some of the servers are great others not so much.
Lunch was good, pizza, pasta, club sandwiches. Everything was fresh and well presented, flavors were alright.
Our conference dinner was a different story, we started with an Arugula, spinach & mixed greens salad, with sweet roasted peppers, strawberries and grapefruit, with a citrus herb vinaigrette, phew, lots to say. So it came out wrapped in a cucumber ribbon, which to me ive done and seen too many times, but to those who dont work in the industry im sure appreciate it very much. Im not a fan of mesculin mixed greens, i just dont like the really bitter leafs with the really sweet ones, i prefer a lettuce with a crisp crunch. The fruit was nice, dressing was good. Missed the forgotten peppers
Next for our entrée we were served broiled chive jumbo tiger shrimp...umm how does one over cook shrimp to chewy and tough but still manage to have some raw grey bits on the shrimp...hmm i think that they were originally undercooked, and then sat in a warm place for a while, hence the crunchy yet brown asparagus.
Grilled beef tenderloin, "natural reduction" with citrus roasted potato and asparagus spears. The tenderloin wasnt too bad, just a bit gamy, citrus roasted potato was not citrus but came with half a lemon beside it...please dont tell me natural juices when they clearly are not, it was definitely helped along with some box mixture.
Be careful when creating these Table D'Haute menus, the salad and main all contained citrus, take it easy on the same flavorings, it becomes too much. Also i suggest starting with some small and savoury to induce the appetite, then have citrus to cleanse the palate.
The dessert, mini Dulce de leche cheesecake with espresso syrup. The cheesecake was store bought but still tasty, the Dulce needed some more caramelizing, the syrup was nice, however the presentation was brown and unpleasant, not to mention the real daisy shoved into the cake, thats gross so many bugs in the centre of those flowers. All items on a plate must be edible.
So after that dinner we left the conference room and went to the restaurant. My appetite wasn't satisfied and i was curious about the menu. So i ordered crab cakes with aioli and Le Haut-Richelieu Quebec goat cheese, melted with tomato relish and crostinis. This was more like it.
We ordered a bottle of red wine from Spain and two desserts to go, the brown butter banana tart with toasted marshmallow was divine, along with the warm chocolate cake with creme fraiche ice cream.
So quite the experiences, all so different from the same kitchen. Just one thought, please please please, do not advertise and offer 24hr room service and then tell us the kithcen is close when we phone....
Natasha:)
Lunch was good, pizza, pasta, club sandwiches. Everything was fresh and well presented, flavors were alright.
Our conference dinner was a different story, we started with an Arugula, spinach & mixed greens salad, with sweet roasted peppers, strawberries and grapefruit, with a citrus herb vinaigrette, phew, lots to say. So it came out wrapped in a cucumber ribbon, which to me ive done and seen too many times, but to those who dont work in the industry im sure appreciate it very much. Im not a fan of mesculin mixed greens, i just dont like the really bitter leafs with the really sweet ones, i prefer a lettuce with a crisp crunch. The fruit was nice, dressing was good. Missed the forgotten peppers
Next for our entrée we were served broiled chive jumbo tiger shrimp...umm how does one over cook shrimp to chewy and tough but still manage to have some raw grey bits on the shrimp...hmm i think that they were originally undercooked, and then sat in a warm place for a while, hence the crunchy yet brown asparagus.
Grilled beef tenderloin, "natural reduction" with citrus roasted potato and asparagus spears. The tenderloin wasnt too bad, just a bit gamy, citrus roasted potato was not citrus but came with half a lemon beside it...please dont tell me natural juices when they clearly are not, it was definitely helped along with some box mixture.
Be careful when creating these Table D'Haute menus, the salad and main all contained citrus, take it easy on the same flavorings, it becomes too much. Also i suggest starting with some small and savoury to induce the appetite, then have citrus to cleanse the palate.
The dessert, mini Dulce de leche cheesecake with espresso syrup. The cheesecake was store bought but still tasty, the Dulce needed some more caramelizing, the syrup was nice, however the presentation was brown and unpleasant, not to mention the real daisy shoved into the cake, thats gross so many bugs in the centre of those flowers. All items on a plate must be edible.
So after that dinner we left the conference room and went to the restaurant. My appetite wasn't satisfied and i was curious about the menu. So i ordered crab cakes with aioli and Le Haut-Richelieu Quebec goat cheese, melted with tomato relish and crostinis. This was more like it.
We ordered a bottle of red wine from Spain and two desserts to go, the brown butter banana tart with toasted marshmallow was divine, along with the warm chocolate cake with creme fraiche ice cream.
So quite the experiences, all so different from the same kitchen. Just one thought, please please please, do not advertise and offer 24hr room service and then tell us the kithcen is close when we phone....
Natasha:)
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