The little terrace courtyard, tucked in at the back of Bistrot by Basil on Osborne has always been my favourite in the city.  When the Tap and Grill had to close due to a water main break, we eagerly awaited it’s reopening.  We were not among the first to give it a try and had heard some rumblings on Urbanspoon.  In our opinion, the rustic and simply prepared food is almost exactly as we remembered and loved it.

This was a very special night for us.  The evening took a lot of co-ordination because we were dining with four couples who all have young children and whose babysitting resources overlap.  In the end, it all came together.  We were celebrating a special friendship shared amongst these folks and the bittersweet departure of one of the couples for Seattle.  I use that descriptor because our lives are all the richer for having come together, but we are sad that we will no longer see them and their gorgeous children on a weekly basis.

Dinner started with cocktails and some wine and then we got around to ordering.  Actually, one person volunteered to show our server (Vicki, I think her name was) the tapas menu and he said: “Please bring everything from this item down to the bottom of the list”.  And so it was that the small plates started to arrive.

There was such a vast variety and every item equally good as the one before, that exclamations will be difficult for each one, so I will let the pictures do the talking:

Baked Brie with an Orange Fig Compote & topped with Seasonal Berries

Grilled Prawns

Breast of a Bird on a Stick

Sweet Peppered Feta -The sweetness deriving from a drizzle of honey contrasted by a crust of black pepper.  This one might have well been my favourite.

Calamari

Eggplant and Zucchini Chips

Grilled Vegetable Medley

Grilled Pita Platter with Baba Ganuosh, Spicy Feta, Hummus and Tatziki Dips

Grilled Peppers

Classic Fresh PEI Mussels

AND when that had not proven to be enough food:

Baby Scallop (and Pancetta) Pizza,

Classic Margarita Pizza

Siciliano Pizza

For the sweet tooths (teeth?) in the crowd there was

Cinsation Cinnamon Torte

and Five Layer Chocolate Cake

It states on Basil’s menu that tapas is perfect for friends to share and we certainly regard ourselves as close, close friends.  The sharing of food in this manner at this extended table, sealed the bonds of our friendship in a special way.  Hilarity prevailed and we all remarked that our cheeks and our sides were sore from laughing.

Kath’s quote:

“Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Can’t believe the hopes He’s granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we’ll keep you close as always
It won’t even seem you’ve gone
‘Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong”

-Deborah D. Smith

Love-that is all.

I am in brainstorming mode for our Long weekend at the cottage.  This is a special weekend and not just because it is Canada Day. Two families share our little place at Lester Beach: Sister #2 and I (Sister #1).  Between us there are 13 adults (including significant others) and three dogs that occupy 500 square feet!  Yes, we really must love each other if we can go for extended time without driving one other wingy.  This weekend some key family members are jetting off to Montreal so we will not be a full house, but there is a brand new person who will be there and I must admit, I am brainstorming extra hard to impress him with our family cooking.

He is a rugby player from Australia and this is his first look at Lake Winnipeg.  A far cry from the from beaches of Australia but hopefully he’ll find something pretty to gaze at.  That will likely be our niece, who we are welcoming home from an extended stay Down Under.

So I am thinking about this recipe for a number of reasons:

1) What says Canada more than Canadian Beef? Especially when accompanied by other truly Canadian ingredients  like honey, canola oil, mushrooms, corn and pasta made from Canadian wheat.

2) The weekend is going to be a sizzler but this one plate dinner can be made without turning the stove on.  I’ll barbeque the meat in the cool of the day and can even prepare the pasta on the side burner of the barbeque.  After a hot day at the beach, this cool concoction washed down with ice cold beer courtesy of J1 and his customed brewed keg, should do the trick.

3) The new gent (a pro athlete) has just undergone shoulder surgery and the medicinal benefits of beef are sure to help his healing process.

So without further ado:

I found this recipe on this great beef website beefinfo.org.  There are tons of delicious looking beef dishes and many cooking tips-a great resource just in time for summer entertaining and barbeque season.  I have just become a Canadian Beef Brand Ambassador (with good reason I think)-I love Canadian Beef!

Kath’s quote: “My favorite animal is steak.”-Fran Lebowitz

I think that this is Sister #3’s final Isla installment for a bit.  But fear not for she is off to Montreal and NYC this summer! 

“When I am on Isla Mujeres for my winter vacation I tend to eat a lot of fish and seafood. But once in a while a girl has gotta get her meat fix.  While the chicken is lovely and finding a decent piece for beef is to be celebrated, the pork is a sure bet and always outstanding. Here are a few memorable pork meals from this trip.

A weekend favourite is a stop at Tino’s for ribs. Once only known as “the Rib Man,” this place went for years with no signage. It is on a side street, a bit off the beaten path, but if you follow your nose you’ll find yourself at Matamoros and Medina in front of Tino’s.  It is only open on Saturdays and Sundays and stays open while supplies last.  The ribs (I like to order the boneless variety – oxymoron I know) are BB-Q perfection.

Served with grilled onion, rice, pico de gallo, lime, and hot sauce that you stuff into soft tortillas, these are perfect to pick up and go.  This year I started my week flying solo on the island by stopping to pick this up for lunch.  I got the smallest portion available and it fed me lunch for three days. 

Walk down Hidalgo and you will come across the owners of Asia Caribe handing out samples of their sticky ribs to passers by.  I went to sample an Asian inspired noodle dish this year but could not resist ordering the appetizer size of the ribs, half of which came home with me for lunch the next day. 

Monday nights feature Jamaican BBQ at Mango Café and this year I sampled the pork.  I am never disappointed with the delicious food at this mid island destination and the meat was tender and tasty.  This year I ate at Mango three times and next year I need to go back to sample the chili rellenos.   

And finally, the pièce de résistance- Fredy’s famous two rib pork chop!  Fredy will tell you that he doesn’t think it is the best item on his menu, which just speaks to how amazing his menu is!  These chops are huge and the meat is perfectly seasoned and literally melts in your mouth!”

Kath’s quote: “Was I catching the contagious enthusiasm of this Canadian? Was I truly euphoric at the sight of fresh-grilled pork?”
-Professor M. Aronnax in Jules Verne’s ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’

Love-that is all.

 Another installment of Sister #3’s March Isla adventure:

“This year on isla I have eaten more dessert than is typical for me.  Traveling with a woman with a sweet tooth, who often opted for a much lighter meal in order to indulge in dessert, meant I was obliged to follow her lead. 

I discovered revisited some sweet treats that I have tried before and (unfortunately) found event more to tempt me on future trips to Isla. 

Marquesitas 

Imagine a waffle cone rolled like a burrito and stuffed with banana or sweet cheese and your choice of caramel sauce, dulce de leche or nutella.  Available at carts along Rueda Medina after 1:00 every afternoon for only 20 pesos! Yum.

Fayne’s 

Great music, lots of action on the main drag and delicious dessert, what could be better? The Pastel de Chocolate was huge, moist and had just enough salt to highlighe the chocolate.  My friend had the Plantanos Flameados which we didn’t realize came with a table side show.  Brandy and banana liqueur are flamed with sugar and cream then your banana is cooked in the sauce and finished with ice cream.  Too sweet for me, but perfect for my dear friend. 

Paletas tuggui 

Because I don’t love “overly- sweet” sweets, the homemade lime popsicles on Isla are a perfect treat for me.  The tangy citrus is the perfect refresher on a hot day.”

Kath’s quote: “Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold.”-Judith Olney

Sister #3 wrote these blog entries soon after her arrival home from Isla this past March.  I was getting ready to leave for Ireland and then took a long time getting caught up on a backlog of restaurant posts so I have been delayed in getting these published.  But just as our trip to Isla Mujeres every year is worth the anticipation and savouring, so too are these posts. I can just smell the sea air now and the faint scent of sea creatures even as I read and write this.

“Life on Isla Mujeres is all about the sea.  Swimming in it, sailing on it, snorkeling to explore it, and of course, fishing it.  Surrounded by abundant schools of fish and seafood, the locals have had a lifetime to master preparing the fruit of the sea. Here are my favourite fish and seafood delights from my most recent visit to the island of women (and fish).

Brisas Grill – Located on Medina this sea side restaurant lets you enjoy the sound of the waves lapping up on the sand accompanied by some very lovely local musician.  Here we enjoyed a Black Grouper Steak and crunchy, oversize, coconut shrimp with sweet mango sauce with just the right amount of kick.

Sunset Grill – located on Playa Norte (the North Beach). It had been a while since I had visited the grill but our hungry tummy’s got the best of us as we strolled the beach and we decided to get out of the heat and enjoy some lunch.  I was thrilled with my choice of fish tacos.  The fish was cut into chunks and marinated Yucatan style.  Served on three flour tortillas with pico de gallo, crema, and their fantastic guacamole.  I eat a lot of fish tacos on the island, but these were a little different and so far are my favourite.

Cockteleria Justica Social (The Fishermen’s Coop) located on Medina across from the navel base. Your fish is guaranteed to be fresh since this place represents many of the fishermen themselves.  My Parmesan fish was perfect! Piping hot, crunch, cheesy coating over flaky, moist fish and at 90 pesos (under $7.00 Canadian) you cannot beat the value.

Cockteleria Picus – also located on Medina. Eight years ago, this was my first ever cockteleria experience, I loved it then and I still love it today.  The garlic fish I had this time around was buttery, and melt in your mouth tender.

Fredy’s Bar & Restaurant – is located on the north end of Hidalgo.  Now all my friends will tell you that I love me some Fredy’s.  Both the man and the restaurant.  This year, because I was traveling solo for a week of my stay, I gravitated to Fredy’s so I could visit with my dear friend as I enjoyed my meal.  I am addicted to Fredy’s Mexican Plate, but on one of my visits I tried his baked shrimp.  The shrimp where big and juicy and full of flavour.  The rich, melted cheese, the delectable sauce… Fredy knows the way to a girls heart!

Angelo’s – also located on Hidalgo.  For years I have heard my sister rave about the Frutti de Mare at Angelo’s and this year I tried it. Now I know exactly what she means.   The pasta was perfectly cooked, the seafood was abundant and fresh, the sauce, the Parmesan, the wine. What can I say, it was one of the most delightful dishes of my trip.

But now my sister tells me there is a version of this dish at another place she likes even better, so add it to my list for next year.  After all, my flight is already booked.  Less than 300 more sleeps till Isla. Buen Provecho!”

Kaths’ quote: “With earth’s burgeoning human population to feed we must turn to the sea with understanding and new technology. We need to farm it as we farm the land.”-Jacques Cousteau

Love-that is all.