Fitzroy
The south Sherbrook area of the Wolseley neighbourhood is enjoying a lovely boom recently, with the opening of new living and dining spaces. As my daughter-in-law and I took a short cut alongside the outdoor patio of Stella’s, we could not help but notice that there was not a table to be had. The newly opened Fitzroy is almost next door and will likely enjoy the same popularity once word gets around.The food section of the menu, which is delivered on a metal clipboard, divides the small plates into Savoury and Sweet sections. Our helpful server suggested that they could be ordered separately, as courses, or to share. I love this style of dining-we called it “grazing” in the old days.
My daughter-in-law had been to the restaurant before and knew immediately what to select. Her choice was unappetizingly called Salt Beef. Don’t let the name dissuade you, because the carved beef which is stacked high on City Bread Rye, is melt-in-your mouth delicious and is actually less salty than most smoked or cured meats you may encounter. This is achieved when the meat is slow cooked in a piece of high-tech equipment which is a steam cooking system. The soft rye from Winnipeg’s own City Bread has long been my favourite. The Keg Steakhouse has served it as their bread preference for decades. The glass cylinder of cucumbers that accompanied the sandwich aren’t quite pickled enough to be called pickles but are lightly marinated. They were crunchy, different and delicious.
I had already heard from my husband, who grew up noshing on Captain Crunch every Saturday morning, that the cereal was a key ingredient in the Crunch Chicken. I could only detect a hint of sweetness but enjoyed the guilty pleasure, simply because I have long been a good old fried chicken lover. The spicy dipping sauce and marinated watermelon sides provided a satisfying taste combination when all three were speared together as a forkful. Rounding off our lunch was a chopped salad with a lemon and olive oil dressing and just a hint of Korean “gocho”, which I mistakenly thought was going to be spicy.
The dining room is pristine and uncluttered. The look is appealing but as a result, there is nothing to buffer the music system and therefore I found that it was a bit hard to hear my soft-spoken lunch date. Go for the food and have that intimate conversation some other time.
Kath’s quote: “On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally’s cellar.” –Thomas Jefferson
Love-that is all.
