I visit all of The Keg locations often at lunch time because I think that it is the perfect place to conduct a short business meeting.  When I am host for a lunch date, I know that the food quality will be consistently high and that service will be prompt, polite and non-obtrusive.  Although I love to eat steak and other beef selections, I do not often do so at lunch time unless I am planning ahead and not intending to have supper that evening, as is sometimes the case.  Recently while at the Southside Keg, I spied a new steak addition on the lunch menu.  The Manhattan Cut New York is a seven ounce portion which would definitely hold me over if I had an early teaching gig in the evening.

More often though, I choose the hearty Sante Fe Chicken or Cobb Salad.  The latter is topped with chicken in addition to avocado, bacon, hard cooked eggs and crumbled Bleu cheese!  I look forward to going back soon to sample the Lobster and Shrimp Salad which enhances the subtle shellfish tastes with black beans, corn, cremini mushrooms, avocado, mango sesame dressing and pine nuts.

I also spied the new Lobster Mac & Cheese which will also have to wait for a future visit.  On this day we started by sharing Tuna Tacos.  The mixed cabbage slaw was punched up with jalepenos and a side of Sriracha sauce but in my mind the sleek, subtleness of the ahi tuna was fine with no accoutrements.  The quality of the tuna was exceptional: ahi is another name for yellowfin tuna and is widely used in raw fish dishes, especially sashimi.  For a fish to be served raw, the quality of the flesh must be exemplary.  The filets had a dusting of creole seasoning and had barely touched the grill-just the way I love it.  As a result the meat was cool and silky, like a cold drink on a hot day.

I am a fried chicken lover from a way back when my grandma would serve just “caught” chickens for lunch.  I know that the thought may be disturbing to some, but the taste of a fresh, free range chicken is like no other.  Even though I was a city girl, I spent summers on the farm and the practice was just a part of everyday farm life.  But I digress, the only way that I have found to achieve this same kind of tenderness is by marinating the chicken first.  Buttermilk is the best manner because the mild acids that it contains, tenderizes the meat.  The Keg’s version then coats the hearty portion with a unique blend of seasonings.  I found the crust to be a bit on the salty side but not in an unpleasant way.  I am supposed to be conscious of reducing my salt, but I could not help going back to the delectable tastes over and over again in the same way that I crave kettle potato chips and buttery popcorn.  The chicken came with a choice of side and I selected the coconut curry soup which was delicious in itself, but offset the chicken in a lovely manner.

My lunch mate chose a half of the Brie Chicken sandwich with a salad and after I tried unsuccessfully to make it through the portion on my plate, I may opt for this lighter fare another time.

Business was conducted and the meet up was a success in all aspects.

Kath’s quote: “A cook she certainly was, in the very bone and centre of her soul. Not a chicken or turkey or duck in the barn-yard but looked grave when they saw her approaching, and seemed evidently to be reflecting on their latter end; and certain it was that she was always meditating on trussing, stuffing and roasting, to a degree that was calculated to inspire terror in any reflecting fowl living.”-Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)

Love-that is all.

D and I would like to publicly say in this space, that we are lousy at keeping in touch with friends that have moved away.  We declare that we are going to try harder and change our ways but then, time keeps slipping, slipping, slipping into the future…  I suppose it could be considered a good thing that we live in the moment and do not try to hold onto or recreate times gone by.  Happily, many of our out of town friends do a better job of staying connected with us, than we do of them.  Other times, we encounter loved ones who are just as inadequate in this area as we are.  This creates major regret on our part.  The last two points are absolutely true of our friend Perry Johnston who owns the Stone Road Grille in Niagara on the Lake with his wife Heidi.

We had been recently informed by mutual acquaintances about Perry’s stellar success in the restaurant business.  The food, as you will learn is assembled from the best ingredients that the community has to offer but even more so, the hospitality was big and boisterous like we are familiar with on the prairies.  Perry spies his guests from behind the bar where he is helping out, then he bounds for the door to embrace you with bear hugs and kisses.  We thought that this greeting was reserved for us being old friends, but oh no, everyone familiar to him and almost everyone was on this evening, received the same warmth.

We read the accolades that are posted in the hallway of his establishment, to see that the rumours were absolutely true.  Perry and Heidi loved to spend weekends in Niagara-on-the Lake and when Heidi called it quits to her career as a flight attendant, they made their dream, a reality.  I absolutely know that D and I are especially intrigued by our friends’ story because we have talked about doing exactly this, many, many times and have never had the guts to take the big step.

The food was exquisite, I mean absolutely sublime. Unfortunately, I had taken so many photos of the vineyards of wine country that afternoon that my battery had run down and then catastrophe struck (for a travelling food blogger at any rate), when I realized that my charger was on the fritz as well.  We made due with an IPhone but these photos absolutely do not do the food justice.  Post script, the next morning I was on my way to St. Catharine’s to pick up a brand new charger.

We started with a charcuterie of in house prepared and cured meats including saucisson sec, chicken liver mousse, pistachio mortadella, maple smoked ham , pimento espalette pork crackling and wild boar croquette.  Every bite was complex and satisfying.  We especially enjoyed the melt in your mouth ham and the slightly gamey croquette offset by a delicate crispy coating.

I had carried a hankering for pasta with me from home and wanted a smaller entrée so that I could keep pace with the pleasures yet to come, so I selected the house-made linguini, tossed with pepperoncini, basil and Stone Road’s own pancetta.  The dish perfectly heralded the oncoming fall with husky and deep spicy tones.

D neglected to share a taste of his pan-seared halibut because it was consumed too quickly.  I do recall his exclamations as he did so.  Also on Stone Road’s autumn menu were a local farm’s pasteurized chicken with roasted cashew and zucchini curry in addition to a local lamb in the form of braised lamb ravioli offset by a spicy North African Merquez sausage.

By this time we had switched gears towards dessert: a chocolate tart topped with marshmallow and ice cream, both made in house.

The last of the Niagara fruit harvest was lovingly crafted into sorbets of blackberry, blueberry, golden plum and raspberry.  The perfect way to end a perfect evening.  But, we were far from done.  First we got a tour of the kitchen so that we could congratulate the chef in person for our wonderful fare.  We witnessed how every conceivable space is utilized for in-house preparations in a self-sustaining manner.  The fresh scraps are even collected to be become feed for the pigs that will eventually “pull their last shift” as Perry puts it, in their restaurant.

We were so impressed with the camaraderie amongst the staff, fostered I am sure by Perry and Heidi themselves.  Perry has included a special opportunity on the bottom of his Niagara only wine list so that you can thank his staff in a meaningful way, by purchasing a six-pack for the kitchen. When the staff had made their way home, we lingered, listening to Sinatra tunes and absorbing every nuance we could about Perry’s passion for the vinters, produce growers and farmers of his little corner of paradise.

Perry is definitely a person that you want to spend time with and we were reticent to leave, not knowing when we would be together again.  Perry gave us a special salute as we drove out of the parking lot.  If you are ever in Niagara-on-the-Lake and I absolutely encourage you to go, visit the Grille marked by the name “Rest” on the outside of the building and ask Perry about it.

Kath’s quote: “To make people who have no appetite eat, to make the wit of those who have it sparkle, to enable those who want these qualities to find them — this is the supreme science of a gastronome-host.” Lucien Tendret (1825-1896)

To you Perry, we wish you love-that is all.

I am often sent invitations to events where the details are on the mysterious side.  Such was the case, with the recent event hosted by Scotiabank.  There was no mention that food would be offered and yet I should have known with Deseo Bistro being the venue.  With D out of town and my wanting to get caught up on some culinary visits, I asked Sister #3 to join me for the evening.  Our first destination was a new restaurant in the neighbourhood for one writing assignment and then desert at another place for a different writing commitment.  By the time we arrived at Deseo, we had already enjoyed a wonderful evening filled with delightful tastes and good fun.  Little did we know that there was considerably more of both to come.

The cross Canada bloggers meet up was to engage us with a new travel rewards card from the Scotia Amex folks.  I am definitely going to explore applying for the card.  The food theme for the evening was regional tastes from all the participating provinces.

First up was BC smoked salmon topped with creme fresh and caviar (although it looks as if the caviar was not present on this later offering).  The salty smokiness and richness of the salmon was beautifully offset by the buttery cream and caviar.  The latter was lightly applied which was appreciated because although I enjoy the intense taste of caviar, too much could have overpowered the star of the appetizer-the salmon.

Lobster croquettes topped with blueberries, representing Nova Scotia came around next.  I adore the taste of lobster and found that the fieriness of the ingredients which were intended to enhance the sweet shellfish, may have actual masked the delicate taste.  I will happily eat lobster at every opportunity and this is certainly not a criticism, just my preference.

The Alberta beef tenderloin took on a Korean influence with a topping reminiscent of kim chee.  The treat took two bites to eat and was wonderfully messy.

Two delicacies were appointed from Quebec-poutine and foie gras.  Fingerling potatoes contained a scoop of delicate duck liver.  Oh my!

My two favourite tastes are pictured here: from Ontario and Manitoba.

Representing Ontario: baby cobs of corn were wrapped in prosciutto and then grilled.  There were so much fun and equally delicious.

From Manitoba: Omgoodness-the pork belly was sublime!  The strip of natural fat stayed firm until it entered your mouth and then it just melted way into sheer loveliness.  Chokecherries provided that salty/sweet taste that I constantly crave.  Heaven, I’m in heaven…..

We were hosted with other lovely treats besides food, including a cocktail dubbed the Lumberjack which was like a whiskey sour made with a maple infusion.  One lucky attendee walked away with a $400. Travel Voucher!

Thanks Ben from Scotiabank for hosting us for this fun and delicious evening.

Kath’s quote: “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill.

Love-that is all.

On a weekend where we had already gathered for a casual help-yourself breakfast, been out for a dim sum lunch and had plans to celebrate a monumental birthday in the evening at a cocktail party reception, we decided to assemble for a supper of salad at a neighbourhood restaurant.  We have dined at Ferraro many times over the years that Bro D has lived in midtown Toronto and we have visited and stayed with him.

All the ingredients that are assembled into salads, pastas and pizzas are hand-made on premise with a light tough.  Their tomato sauces as I recalled and then tasted again that evening allowed the fresh tomato taste to shine through,  without masses of garlic and/or herbs.

There was no tomato sauce on our salads, but one member of our group couldn’t resist his favourite item on the menu and ordered the Pescatore Spaghetti.  This is how I got to sample the delightful sauce that I remembered.  Pescatore means fish and this dish was chock full of mussels, calamari and shrimp.

When Bro D drops in for a quick salad dinner, they often select the Griglia con Pollo.  We are crazy for grilled red peppers and zucchini that provides the base of the salad. The addition of chicken tossed in balsamic vinaigrette with more dressing on the mixed greens provides deep and pungent flavours.

Montagna is another of their favourite.  Black olives, roasted red peppers & feta cheese are also tossed in balsamic vinaigrette before being laid a top of more mixed greens.

I knew that the Eggplant & Arugula would be my favourite taste of the evening as soon as I spotted it listed in chalk on the black board and my hunch was right.  The thinly sliced, crispy breaded and lightly fried eggplant was a delight when complemented by freshly sliced tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella.  The dish was a bit like Eggplant Parmigiana meets Caprese Salad.  I was in heaven.

Kath’s quote: “When I was alone, I lived on eggplant, the stove top cook’s strongest ally…. “-Laurie Colwin

Love-that is all.

I have had a few more occasions to visit Deer + Almond this summer and I continue to enjoy the food and atmosphere of this trendy little tapas restaurant in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. 

My bestie was in town to celebrate her 50^th so I thought Deer + Almond would be a place where she would enjoy the food and we could have a leisurely visit with a couple of cocktails.  As usual our dinner started with a bowl of seasoned popcorn, an on-the-house amuse bouche to get your appetite going as you review the menu.  From the regular menu we tried the house salad of thinly sliced beets, creamy goat cheese, mixed greens and pecans in sherry vinaigrette.

I have long wanted to try the grilled zucchini which in reality has very little zucchini but lots of hummus, tabouleh salad and tzatziki sauce.  It is served with lightly toasted pita, which we could of used a few more slices of to scoop up all that goodness.

From that night’s special board we selected a prawn dish cooked with cilantro and tomato and served with garlic toast.  I liked it but long for the return of Chef Mandel’s Sultry Prawns. We also tried the steamed pork buns which I thought rivaled any I have had at a dim sum house. 

Being a special occasion we had to finish with dessert.  The sound of the affagato appealed to my friend so that is what we ordered. Although this dish of ice cream with crumbled amaretto biscuit and espresso had an enjoyable flavour, it is not an easy dish to share as by the end it is more a coffee drink than a dessert.  

My most recent visit to Deer + Almond was for lunch.  Members of our department are spread out among three hospitals so we often meet in the Exchange District as it is a central location. The gang was looking for recommendations, so this was my recommendation. The tastes and levels of adventure when it comes to food are diverse in this group, so my hope was this place would offer something for everyone.  I must say I was impressed with the value at lunch. 

The sandwiches and wraps included your choice of house salad or grilled corn on the cob. 

My boss tried the soba noodle salad which proved to be too much food for her but was apparently still delicious as lunch the next day.

A few of my coworkers had the smoked lamb pita which they thoroughly enjoyed.  A few of us had the chicken salad sandwich. Chunks of chicken with grapes, cherries and walnuts, however I could not find any cherries.  It was topped with alfalfa sprouts and served on delightful toasted pumpernickel.  Others had the pulled pork wrap from the daily feature board which met more mediocre reviews than the regular menu items.

The dish that most intrigued me was the sprouted pulse ancient grains salad.  A mix of butter lettuce, radish, beets, carrots and grapes, enoki mushrooms with hemp and chia seeds in a goji dressing.  It is then topped with a soft boiled egg that has been soaked in beet juice making this a visually stunning plate.  I can’t wait to try it on a future visit.  

Kath’s quote: “As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after thee”.- Martin J. Nystrom

Love-that is all.