Mercer, Edmonton Alberta

Named after the builder John B Mercer, built in 1911, this 101 year old building (which also survived a fire) has been revamped for our enjoyment.
High ceilings, private nooks, open tables, creating a lofty, loungy, pub feel. It was a great first impression walking in.
You can feel the history yet enjoy the more modern ranch style.

Small batch brewers and a tasty wine list as well as their own classic cocktails some include Horses Neck, with Cognac, Ginger Ale, Bitters and lemon. Maple Manhattan, with Whiskey, Vermouth, Maple Syrup, Bitters, lemon and cherry. Crisp and simple.

Charcuterie board, Turkey sage sliders, AAA burgers, halibut and chips, house made ice cream! A twist to your typical pub fare. All prepared fresh with local ingredients.

I had Vegan Shepherd's Pie, with green lentils, spaghetti squash, smashed yukon gold potato, sweet corn, peas, wild mushrooms, toasted pine nut crust. Very tasty, great textures i would order it again.
Also had a Welsh beer, Celt gold organic Ale! Never heard of it before but was excited to try it and it was very good

Their motto is "Simple" which is what i am always looking for through my food journey.

I only had a small taste, but can not wait to head back for a casual yet superior dining experience...

Natasha:)


http://mercertavern.com/

Cibo Bistro, Edmonton, Alberta

Ahhh I have finally been inspired to blog again!  Thank you Cibo!
Tucked away in Oliver Square, this small, chique, cozy kitchen is a gem.
I was welcomed as soon as I walked through the door, my reservation was acknowledged and our table was waiting, with menus, water and candlelight.

Our Server was very sweet and welcoming, I had a drink within 5 minutes of being seated. A very fresh well made martini which is hard to find, which had extra olives without even asking! Sold!

Umm fresh local food, almost everything made in house, cheese, cured meats, pasta....very impressive.

I had Insalata Di Rucola, wild arugula, Barlett pear, shaved candy cane beets, toasted pistachios, tartufo (black Truffle) vinaigrette, Pecorino (Italian Romano). An amazing salad, so fresh and piled high, such a great balance of sweet, savory and zesty.

I then had the Filetto di Maiale, Smoked Pork Tenderloin with chick pea and cannellini beans and rosemary reduction. The pork was nicely smoked, not overwhelming, very good reduction added some sweetness, healthy touch with the beans.

My friend had some fresh, plump olives to start and a delish creamy gnocchi as her main, Gnocchi Alla Panna, with goat ricotta, shallots, candied pears and Gorgonzola.

We also had dessert which was very good, clearly made in house. I had the Panna Cotta, honey custard, Sambuca stewed figs and apricots, toasted walnuts. So creamy very delightful. My friend had the Chocolate Mousse, Tazza Di Cioccolato, chocolate hazelnut mousse, salted hazelnuts & Braida marinated black berries. Quite rich but still very yum!

Overall a great experience, good wine selection, fair prices and to top it off they have an Espresso machine!!

Natasha:) xoxo



http://www.cibobistro.com/

Jane's On The Common, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Great Brunch! Jane's over looks the Halifax Common, which they refer to as "that great green space in the middle of the city" haha. So very quaint location, older houses but mostly maintained, big beautiful trees, nice neighborhood.

Having survived a massive snow storm and a hurricane, if this little restaurant could talk...Jane has come a long way and has a very interesting story about the opening of "Jane's on the Common" on her site.
They do not take reservations, which i approve of, makes everyone feel equal;)
They strive on "real food", which is what i live by. All fresh, local and made from scratch yummy meals.

Joe had Maritime Breakfast, breaded line-caught Haddock Fillet, two eggs, apple-cranberry chutney, roasted baby red potatoes, sassy baked beans and sourdough toast. Really fresh and very tasty, not heavy at all.
I had the Huevos Divorciados (yup divorced eggs, no worries, everything is fine:p) corn tortillas, two poached eggs, avocado, black beans, roasted tomatoes, white cheddar, salsa verde and cilantro-tofu cream. So light, and tasty, not your typical greasy spoon Sunday brunch that give you nothing but regrets...
We sat up at the counter which was fun for a change. I had a yummy smoothie made with fruit juice, yogurt and Nova Scotia honey, very good.
Service was nice, friendly and prompt. They are definitely doing well, and feeding lots of people.
They also just opened Jane's Next Door, where they have, sandwiches, baked goodies and frozen meals to take home. Have to check that out next time we happen to be in the neighborhood....

Natasha:)

http://www.janesonthecommon.com/?q=node/11

Sabor, Edmonton, Alberta

Sabor is downtown Edmonton, located in the Boarwalk buliding. They do lunch and dinner, desserts coffees and drinks. Very welcoming, warm open atmosphere. The tables are well placed so that it feels private but not hidden. First impressions are, ooohh kinda fancy, but its not too fancy once you get situated.
We did lunch, coffee was good, fresh and plentiful! Waiter was in a hurry for something not really sure what...

So i ordered the Piri Piri, garlic chicken, which is a Portuguese style of cooking. Basically Piri Piri is a hot chili pepper. This came with home cut fries and salad. Chicken was good, didn't like the soft skin on top though, no skin or crispy skin is preferable. Fries weren't as good as i had hoped, for home cut, i think its the potatoes they use...salad was fresh and tasty.

My friend ordered the Panini with chicken, spinach, portabella and feta, she got a soup instead of salad on the side. Her soup came out first..kinda disappointing, soup and sandwich should always come together as a team! The sandwich was very tasteless, zero seasoning, very dry, no love...too bad, it was a good thought..
So dessert, Tiramisu was "tastes like it came out of a box" hehe, kinda over cheesy tasting...we also had the Leite Creme, was really nice and creamy, its a Dulce de leche Portuguese dessert, has a creme brulee theme going on, with the burnt sugar on top.
So...i am thinking that perhaps Sabor roars better at night, for dinner, i think i will try going back to see what else they have to offer...
Overall it was still a nice visit with a good friend, but maybe next time without the launching of her latte across the table hmmm......

Natasha:)

http://www.sabordivino.ca/

Tide & Boar Gastropub, Moncton, New Brunswick

Love!! this place. Great open and yet intimate atmosphere, fabulous food and wonderful drinks, (the best martini olives). So this pub is on Main Street, in the beautiful city of Moncton. Tide & Boar really helps to brighten up the sort of quiet that lingers through this town. Always busy, and welcoming, its perfect for everyone. They also have a nice big patio.

So what have we eaten, well number one i would say is the Chowder, Atlantic Tide Chowder, with smoked Haddock, salmon, mussels, shrimp, fennel and dill. So creamy and hot every time i get it, its so fresh.

Polenta Fries, so they mix polenta and Asiago bake it then cut the polenta into fry shapes then fry them and serve it with a basil, salsa verde aioli. Very unique, and simple tasting. 

They have OMG oysters, yup that's what they are called, Parmesan, bacon, salsa Verde and crispy capers, all melted on top of each oyster. Very yummy, but perhaps a bit better with larger oysters.

Hmm what else, stuffed chicken wings, Chorizo sausage, smoked Gouda, and apple cider buffalo sauce served with a Belgium blue cheese dip. These are very tasty, just need a bit more stuffing, but the wings are so crispy and fresh, and the cider buffalo sauce is yummy.

Roasted cauliflower with kimchi puree and walnut salt. Great combination, roasted cauliflower gets a nutty flavor, and then the sweet kimchi and salt just create a wonderful flavor combination, I would prefer a larger portion af cauliflower though, i mean come on its cauliflower tehee.

Great free-range beef burgers, not too big, just the right size. Grilled fresh, topped with white cheddar, balsamic onion, dill pickle and their homemade Tide ketchup. There salad is great to have with the burger, artisan lettuce, shallot dressing, roasted root vegetables and toasted granola.

The Boar Poutine! haha what a fun thing to have for your meal, well it was for Joe, he really enjoyed it. Chicken and boar gravy, hand cut fries, caramelized onions and of course cheese curds. So good, creamy toppings and fresh homemade fries, so delish!

Rolling Rock Battered Haddock, fresh and crispy, not greasy at all, served with lemon tartar sauce and fennel slaw.

We had a couple other things but im tired of writing...haha, just go, its good everytime. Service was always done with smiles.....we will be back......

Natasha:)

http://www.tideandboar.com/

Blackfin Pub, Comox, BC

Cozy, welcoming and home style meals. Nice place to come when you want a night off from cooking, which even Chefs need once in a while:)
So while living in Comox for a month, this became our regular spot. Yummy french onion soup made with caramelized onions, roasted garlic, Guiness, Parmesan, Swiss and garlic Focaccia.
 Unique appetizers like fresh kettle fried Fanny Bay Oysters, and crispy Phyllo wrapped Asian Shrimp bundles with Wasabi mayo and sweet chili dip.
We also had their AAA Sirloin Burgers on whole wheat buns with roast red pepper Aioli, and big crispy fries. Also the Seafood Pubhouse, toasted triple decker, snow crab, shrimp, bacon, lettuce, tomato and dill mayo. The menu is a bit overwhelming from too many yummy choices, i do not like huge menus because its too hard to make a choice. I had the bacon wrapped scallops and they were not very nice, highly unlikely that they were made in-house, they were dried up and not very fresh.
We unforgivably did not order any desserts, but they looked wonderful.
Did i mention the view? Mountains and ocean, too bad it wasn't a bit warmer we would have sat on their balcony right over the marina.
Great beverage selection, and very nice service. Blackfin helped us feel at home......

Natasha:)

http://www.blackfinpub.com/

RView Lounge, Seattle, Washington

Fabulous! Located downtown Seattle on the 28th floor of the Renaissance hotel.
Go on up and grab a seat by the window and enjoy the views of downtown Seattle and Elliot Bay.
 Have a cocktail, we enjoyed a couple martinis which were delish! I had a Cucumber Gin Martini - Hendricks Gin, fresh squeezed lemon juice and cucumber, so fresh and yummy:)
 Joe had a Classic 1950s Martini - Belvedere Vodka, dry vermouth and olives, very good.
We simply shared their Bruschetta, grilled sourdough, fennel, tomato, white beans & capers. It was the most unique bruschetta i have tried, the main ingredient was white beans instead of classic tomatoes and the capers really finish it off.
Such an enjoyable and romantic spot, a must if you are in Seattle, we went back the next night for another round of martinis!! If only they were open a bit later, 11pm doesn't do it for me....We will be back.....

Natashaaaaa:)

http://www.wix.com/rviewseattle/rview#!about