Dinner Time!

http://bobofeed.tumblr.com/day/2012/11/07

Lunch Time!

http://bobofeed.tumblr.com/day/2012/11/07

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do you celebrate Thanksgiving on Sunday or Monday? Do you go all out with turkey and the trimmings?

We were fortunate to have been invited to a party out of town on Sunday, in a setting resplendent in autumn colour. We celebrated with old friends, a few acquaintances and a host of newly-met friendly and interesting folks. The spread was abundant, locally farmed and super-delicious! The gathering reinforced the message that we truly do have so much to be thankful for!

We hope you're having a great Thanksgiving weekend. If you're on the road visiting friends and family, go safely!

seen...corn wagon

Picking corn fresh from the farm

Armstrong's Sweet Corn, 

2089 Pembina Hwy.

Winnipeg

Tuesday Travels...Marché Saint-Hyacinthe

A broad fertile plain sweeps from west to east on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River beyond the bedroom communities of Quebec's largest city. Although there are centers of gastronomie scattered throughout the Monteregie region, the indisputable agricultural capital of the Rive Sud is Saint-Hyacinthe, a city of 50,000 that lies approximately 40 kilometers to the southeast of Montreal. Home to one of Canada's premier veterinarian colleges, as well as a huge annual fair focused on all things farmed, Saint-Hyacinthe has long been a commercial centre for the buying and selling of food.

On a recent visit we engaged in a little of that commerce ourselves, stopping by the old market at the heart of downtown to sample the early August bounty. Things were a little quiet mid-afternoon on a Friday, but the selection was terrific and the vendors friendly.

Inside, the building is arranged as one long narrow aisle lined on each side with permanent shops- butchers and charcuteristes, fish mongers, a patisserie, and the usual dry goods and spice purveyors.

Outside, of course, is where the seasonal farmers' market activities take place, and at this time of year the vendors are numerous. We love the building's wide eaves, constructed with beautiful arching rafters, which provide shelter from the elements. Beyond those eaves are awnings with translucent panels, which keep the place from feeling claustrophobic.

The selection of locally farmed food was excellent. We picked up some amazing strawberries, the best tomatoes we've tasted so far this year, and some of the delicious corn that seems to be growing everywhere in the fields surrounding the town.

It's no secret that we love food and travel in equal measure, so it's always a treat for us to discover a thriving local market when we visit a new place. That a small city in the Quebec countryside can support one as charming and vital as this is very satisfying.

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Marché Saint-Hyacinthe

rue des Cascades entre avenue Saint-Simon et avenue Saint-Francois

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View Larger Map

Buca, di nuovo

A recent birthday was all the excuse we needed to pay a return visit to one of our favourite Italian eateries, Buca Osteria/ Enoteca in King West. On previous occasions we'd found it impossible to pass over the pizza, and had always sworn that next time we'd try the pasta, for which they're quite renowned. As luck would have it, we'd indulged in our own home made pizza the evening before, so on this night we were both game for some noodles.

Of course, one can't visit Buca without first rewarding Chef Rob Gentile for all his hard work in the house salumeria, so we kicked things off with a couple of glasses of lovely prosecco and a 5 Salumi Platter. The platter, as always, presents an array of cured meats ranging in texture, fattiness, spiciness, and of course, flavour. And we dare any of you to remember the names of the salumi a day after your visit (no stealing of menus allowed!) Here's our best effort:

• salsiccine- dark, hard, spicy, delicious bits
• sopresetta- you know this one- elongated cross section, firm and pliant, picant, and delicious
• something round, smaller, softer in texture, moist yet seemingly less fatty,...and delicious
• something prosciutto-like, a bit pale in colour, melts in your mouth, delicious
• something else prosciutto-like, darker in colour, doubly delicious

The platter also serves up 3 condiments to compliment the cured meats, in our case a very red pickled radish dice, tiny slices of pickled asparagus, and some paper thin rounds of pickled scape. Each is served in a wee bowl, each has its own distinct ratio of brine to sugar, and each in its own way magnifies the deliciousness of the already delicious salumi! Did we mention that everything was delicious?!

Photo of 3 salumi platter courtesy Sifu Renka on Flickr

A wine we'd enjoyed on a couple of previous visits is no longer on the list, so our server helped us find a suitable alternative that would pair nicely with our dinner choices. His suggestion was Mutro' from producer Val di Neto in Italy's southern Calabria region. It proved to be delightful.

 Image courtesy diekonkreteutopie.de

On to the pasta! Jay chose the daily Orecchiette: on this night a bowl of house made pasta "ears" served with cherry tomatoes, crispy fried zucchini blossoms, a huge portion of chunked Nova Scotia lobster, and finished with Ottawa Valley butter and summer herbs. Light yet sumptuous, this dish was superb!

 Orecchiette (with different ingredients): photo courtesy Sifu Renka on Flickr

Bee opted for the Bigoli, which it turns out is Buca's signature pasta dish. It features house made pasta (made using duck eggs!), duck ragu, mascarpone cheese, venetian spices (cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg?) topped with a fresh basil leaf. The texture of the pasta was incredible and the mascarpone, while somewhat rich, was not overly so, and it allowed the ragu to adhere to the noodles. The spicing added an exotic touch, but never overpowered the dish's finely tuned balance.

Bigoli photo courtesy Sifu Renka on Flickr

Buca was, of course, very busy on the Saturday night of our visit. We had a late-ish reservation at 9:30, so we watched the place transition from its earlier comfortable dinner crowd of married downtown couples into a later night assemblage of King West scene-sters, many appearing to have driven in to the city for the evening. A curious highlight was a foursome of visiting Italian gentlemen who sat down beside us late into our meal. They spoke to each other and to their servers only in their native tongue (all the staff at Buca seem to be fluently bilingual in Italian and English), ate and drank with gusto, and generally had us feeling by the time we left that perhaps we'd been magically transported overseas for a brief while.

Speaking of servers, our one and only quibble comes on this front: Patrons are attended to by a plethora of staff, and it can lead to some confusion on both sides. Our first waiter offered drinks. We discussed options with him, then he left to look after an adjacent group. A second waiter approached to discuss the dinner menu, and asked in passing if we had been offered drinks. We had to admit that we weren't sure whether an order had actually been taken, and upon checking he informed us that nothing at the bar was destined for us. Throughout dinner service various combinations of runners and waiters brought dishes, cleared dishes, and attended to wine and water. In short, Buca's service aspect is lacking in personal attention. Sure, you're well looked after, but there's no sense of commitment. Maybe it's an old-fashioned concept, but when you're dropping a few bucks it's nice to feel at least a little bit doted-upon.

Distractions on the service front notwithstanding, Buca is one fine osteria. If a restaurant could be a person, this one would be the full package: sexy, smart, and with impeccable taste!

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 Buca
604 King Street W.
Toronto
(416) 865- 1600

Agave y Aguacate- Oro Puro in Kensington!

 Update: Restaurant Closed

This, admittedly, is not the kind of shop entrance to entice the unadventurous: a hodgepodge of banners and signs, most of them in a language many would recognize as Spanish but not necessarily understand, in a riot of distracting information, followed by the sight of two or three miniscule food stands if one dares to stick head through door. Unless you know there's a good reason to cross the threshold and mount a few steps that lay ahead you would probably be tempted to keep on walking. But you mustn't. If you pass this by you'll miss out on one of the city's richest treasures laying buried within.

Once home to El Gordo's excellent empanada shop, the so- called Latin American Food Court on the west side of Augusta just north of Baldwin now has seven or eight food vendors in its cramped quarters, but the anchor tenant is without a doubt Agave y Aguacate.

No larger than its neighbours, it is nonetheless a standout, firstly because of its vibrant orange wall adorned with a sunburst of Mexican motifs, secondly because of the lineup of patrons patiently waiting to place their orders, and thirdly (and most importantly) because of the amazing food being meticulously served up.

Owner/ Chef Francisco Alejandri, who hails originally from Mexico, is both a graduate of Stratford's prestigious chef school and a veteran of numerous Toronto high-end kitchens. His pedigree is on display as he works, often single- handedly, to prepare each order. Precision, fussiness over detail, and fastidious cleanliness are his hallmarks.

Below he's making Agua Chile. A half cucumber is peeled & seeded, drizzled with lime juice and seasoning. Half a tomato is sliced super-thinly and nestled in the cucumber. The cooked shrimp bathed in Aguachile is piled on top and dressed with sliced red onion. A touch more seasoning to taste and you're set. Absolutely delicious, especially on a day as scorching as the last time we visited.

One thing we were completely impressed with while watching Chef Alejandri work was how he constantly tasted then adjusted the ingredients. He keeps a small spoon in his sleeve pocket, he uses an additional implement to drop the food on his tasting spoon, then after tasting cleans his spoon and returns it to his pocket. The tasting spoon never comes into direct contact with the food you will be served. This is indeed the mark of a well trained professional! A small sink behind his counter is also continuously used to clean his implements. Like we said earlier, he's fastidious.

You can see from the picture above just how tiny the food prep area is at Agave y Aguacate. The young lady is standing at a counter atop a fridge. The three induction hot plates are used to cook anything that requires heat. It can be a slow process, but there's the theater of the kitchen to keep you enthralled while you watch your order (and those of several folks ahead of you) being prepared. Inevitably the waiting patrons break into conversation: "Oh, that looks amazing! What did you order?"

Here our Anita Tostada is being readied. Avocado (aguacate) is scooped in flat segments to create a layer atop the fresh tostada. A generous portion of cooked beans and chorizo (again, tasted and seasoning- corrected  by chef) is ladled onto the avocado, drizzled with crema, topped with queso fresco which quickly wilts from the heat of the beans, and finally finished with a smoky sultry chile sauce. This plate is divine!

On another visit we tried the Chicken Pipián. The chicken is juicy, tender, and oh-so flavourful. But of course this dish is all about the mole. Our quick research tells us that Pipián is often a green sauce, but that Pipián Rojo, the red version, is a variety from central Mexico. In all its permutations pumpkin seeds seem to be the constant and essential ingredient, but we also came across recipes using sliced almonds, sesame seeds, or various combinations of all three, plus (of course) the building block of all moles, smoky chili. We're not sure of how Chef Alejandri builds his personal Pipián, but we're here to tell you it is sensational!

In the confusing space that is the Latin American Food Court it's not obvious that there might be seating on a bright hot patio out back. There are indeed a half dozen tables, though, with tablecloths barely hanging on in the breeze, and no shelter from the sun. Somehow, the blazing heat and the infectious salsa music coming from the adjacent parilla stand (barbeque, which we plan to try on another food court visit) whisk you to an imaginary place way down south. As you tuck into your fabulous fresh food, all is immediately right with the world.

You may or may not be familiar with celebrity chef and crusty New Yorker Anthony Bourdain, or his current Travel Channel TV series The Layover, but recent word is that he will be covering Toronto in the show's second season, now being shot. Apparently when presented with a short list of locations to visit, the man who travels the globe looking for "real" food put Agave y Aguacate at the top. 

In the time before the Toronto episode airs we suggest you visit this hidden gem. The lines are already long enough; why wait till the rest of the world discovers it?!

Image courtesy Now Magazine

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Agave y Aguacate

214 Augusta Avenue, Toronto 

 (647) 208-3091

Agave y Aguacate blog

Spiral Cut Wieners...one more important thing you need to know!

We were prepared for this to be totally lame, but in fact it's brilliantly functional! We'll have to give it a go:

Enoteca Sociale

The first thing that must be said about Enoteca Sociale is that it's good. Very Good. The second thing that must be said is that it can be frustratingly difficult to get the opportunity to eat there. That's because it's so damn popular. It's a smallish place, so seats go fast. If you're planning a visit we'd suggest making your reservation about 30 days in advance. Maybe it will be easier over the next few months- they have a beautiful side patio that looks as if it about doubles their capacity, plus it's usually easier to get a table anywhere during our summer months when there's that great migration north to Cottage Country. But maybe not...the Saturday evening we went, the Saturday of the Victoria Day long weekend no less, when everybody should have left town, the patio was in full operation (and fully occupied) and in the main room the place was mobbed throughout our stay.

Top photo- pretty patio via Toronto.com

Lower photo- the small comfortable dining room via Toronto Life

Enoteca Sociale is brought to you by the same folks as Pizzeria Libretto, so you go expecting pretty honest Italian fare, and that's exactly what they deliver. Grant van Gameren, former co-owner of The Black Hoof is currently executive chef, but he came to what was already a smoothly running operation and has apparently only tweaked things a bit rather than re-inventing the wheel. (Read Joanne Kates' take on things here)

It was difficult to choose from the tempting menu (view here) which we perused while sipping a delightful prosecco and nibbling rustic pane dipped in excellent olive oil. 

We settled on a couple of delicious appetizers to start and shared a dish for two as our main course. Jay began with fiddleheads, fresh local morels, lardo (chunked bacon), breadcrumbs & crotonese cheese. Bee opted for the dandelion & chicory salad, which included sauteed jerusalem artichoke, pancetta, and grated pecorino. Both were stellar.

We shared a hearty rabbit stew for two which was delivered to the table in rustic crockery adorned with a whole leg. The stew featured delicate house-made rabbit sausages and fregola (pasta that bears a visual resemblance to chick peas) with a chunky mirepoix of vegetables and a smooth rich tomato sauce. It's hard to say enough about the sauce; only in Italy have we previously experienced tomato sugo as sultry- almost creamy in texture, not a hint of acidity, barely sweet without being sugary. Bellissimo!

Our server was knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic, but knew how to keep his distance when he wasn't needed. (Or maybe it's fairer to say he was pretty busy but never failed to pay attention to us when we needed it!) We relied on his expertise to guide us in selecting a wine that would pair well with the rabbit and he steered us in the right direction. We had a lovely Tuscan rosso (Bolgheri Rosso "Poggio Ai Ginepri" 2009 DOC by Tenuta Argentiera), a delicious blend of cabernet, syrah, merlot.

Unfortunately, choosing a rich stew on a warm early summer night rendered us incapable of sampling dessert, but the espresso macchiati were top notch and they served to power us through a relaxing walk all the way home.

So, we heartily recommend that you plan a visit to Enoteca Sociale. It's relaxed, comfortable and serves up food that feels like someone's Nonna has been cooking all afternoon. Yet, beneath its down home veneer there's a subtle sophistication and even a couple of surprising twists that tells you this place is a little special. Set a date and make your booking. Then settle in for a period of delicious anticipation!

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Enoteca Sociale

1288 Dundas St West, 

Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1X7

416-534-1200

http://www.sociale.ca/

Acadia Restaurant...Go NOW!! (Updated 05.24.12)

Do you find yourself heading to a superlative-drenched hot spot with a certain amount of trepidation, afraid that reality won't match the hype you've been swimming in? Us, too. So it was with both hunger and a little anxiety in our bellies that we set out for Acadia on a recent evening. We needn't have worried, though. The food was so good that we are obliged to share with you two words of advice:

Go. 

Now.

 image courtesy Caroline Becker via urbanspoon

The reviews have been amazing. Acadia is Toronto Life's #2 Best New Restaurant for this year. How about this from Dine.TO's always blunt Alan Vernon:

Acadia [has] one of the smartest and/or [most]original menus in eons. Take the under-appreciated American South, tap into Canada's almost forgotten Acadian heritage and, voila, an eatery that celebrates the culinary heritage of colonial New France, from the Maritimes and Quebec down to Louisiana. This is truly what fusion was meant to be, not the mashing together of disparate cuisines just for the heck of it. A menu this innovative could only have come from seriously passionate foodies like Matt Blondin and Scott Selland who live, breathe and sleep gastronomie. And while the menu may seem a bit lean on selection, its array of unusual and intriguing ingredients make it exciting. Not since Bertrand Alepee and Jason Inniss has there been such a passionate duo to watch.

The menu is crazy inventive: Coturnix Quail with tamarind, sarsaparilla, duck sausage, pickled grapes, and kasha, anyone? We didn't sample that particular dish but each one we did have was incredibly inventive. Each one walloped you with intense and harmonious (yet disparate) flavours, and delivered a pleasing array of textures for the palate. On top of the food, the service was completely unpretentious, incredibly knowledgeable, and appropriately attentive. Guided by our fantastic server Lauren, we wisely opted for the Chef's five course Tasting Menu, giving the kitchen free reign to impress us.

We kicked things off with the amazing Green Garlic Soup (check the menu link for full list of components for each of the dishes), followed by the house's (deservedly) "famous" grits. Next up was Steelhead Trout from BC's Lois Lake, then a fork-tender Veal Cheek, featuring a coco rub! Finally came a dessert of deconstructed Carrot Cake featuring some of the molecular wizzardry that Chef Blondin likely picked up while working with local master Claudio Aprile.

The standout expereinces from each?

• Berkshire jowl bacon and a smear of black creme fraiche on the side of the bowl with the soup course.
• The oceanic depth of flavour of the ham hock comsomme that bathed the grits.
• The carmelized fennel, which provided the sweet component of the plate's salty, sour, sweet trinity, served with the Steelhead Trout.
• The bitter and surprisingly compatible coco that kissed the veal.

Grits image ^ courtesy scott via urbanspoon

Steelhead Trout (freshwater salmon) ^ image courtesy Toronto Life

 Veal Cheek ^ image courtesy Baby Hedgehogs Blog

Lauren, our aforementioned server, aside from being a great ambassador for the kitchen, turned out to be a very credible sommelier as well. While many tasting menus offer the option of wine by the glass accompanying each course this one did not. Not knowing what to expect from Chef, we sought our guide's advice, challenging her to suggest a wine that would take us through the entire meal. Boy, did she nail it! We were treated to a great Niagara find- a 2010 Viognier from Nyarai, a winery we'd not previously heard of. This baby had enough steely spine to handle all the savouries, but sufficient fruit to carry the sweets. It's a real winner!

 Photo courtesy WinesinNiagara.com. Look for the same label for the Viognier.

Did we have any quibbles? A couple, sure, but they were so minor that they left no lasting negative impressions on the evening. First, the corn bread, which everyone receives, should have come before any of our tasting courses. Yes, we understand it's baked to order, but the bread is so custardy rich and the sweet potato/bourbon butter so sweet and irresistible that to have it arrive as you approach the end of a gustatory odyssey does neither the corn bread nor the flow of the tasting menu any favours.

Cornbread image courtesy Where Jess Ate via urbanspoon

Second, it must be said that the room (at least our room) was a little drab. It's not so much an ambiance thing- we've eaten in enough fluorescently blinding restaurants in France to recognize that mood lighting does not in itself equal character- but it lacked warmth. Think tile floors, creamy off-white everything else, all hard surfaces, but not in a slick modernist way, just kind of a Home Depot beige way. Perhaps if we had been seated in the room that shares space with the open kitchen then the personality of Acadia would have been felt as well as tasted, but where we were, in the large south room, there was the feeling of a hastily thrown together overflow space.

Remember how right off the top we said "Go. Now."? Well, as if everything we've just told you isn't reason enough, here's another: Chef Blondin will be leaving Acadia at the end of May, 2012. It seems David Chang has stolen him away to be a player on the A-team he's assembling for his trio of new Momfuku restos over at the Hotel Shangri-La. The management promises Blondin's replacement chef will be just as exciting. All the reason to pay a second visit, we say, but do yourselves a favour and eat there before the change.

Update May 24, 2012: Thanks to one of our readers (who wishes to remain nameless) for sharing a link to a Toronto Life article which came out just a day after we first posted this. According to the article Patrick Kriss will be moving over to Acadia from Splendido. It sounds like some positive tweaks are in the works. Read about it here.

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Acadia Restaurant

50C Clinton Street

Toronto, Ontario M6G 2Y3

(416) 792- 6002

Lunch is Ready- Come and Get It!!

We stopped by a cool new lunch spot the other day. It's on Spadina Av just north of Queen West. And, OK, we admit there is no shortage of sandwich shops in this part of town serving short ribs or pork belly these days, but what's different about this place is that it's a pop-up resto, here today and gone tomorrow. Or maybe this fall. Or next year.

Come and Get It only plans to be around till the demolition man comes calling. The site is slated to become yet another condo building, so owner Jon Polubiec rushed it open to make the most of its limited lifespan. And in the spirit of its short and sweet life expectancy, he kept things decidedly simple- from the decor to the menu.

 photo courtesy of The Grid- link below

The very basic interior has a splash or two of bright paint, fittings made of varnished chip board, and communal picnic tables at the back. The signage out front is by talented local graffiti artist Skam (don't you love that these guys have their own branded web pages these days?!) and is what really gives the place its vibrancy.

You choose from four ingredient combos (chipotle beef short ribs, Hawaiian pork belly, Granny Smith chicken caesar, or herbed crunchy green beans on the day we visited) and have your selection made up in either sandwich, salad, or poutine format. (Really?? Granny Smith chicken caesar dumped on an order of fries? Maybe we're missing something!) 

photo above courtesy Come and get It 416 Facebook page

We stayed pretty traditional and had the short ribs in the sandwich format and we stretched it with the salad and a drink combo option. It was pretty awesome! The rib meat is (understandably!) removed from the bone and bathed in the smoky chipotle sauce- not too hot, but great adobo flavour. It's topped with coleslaw and served on a fantastic ciabatta bun.

The vegetarian offering, herbed crunchy beans, looks pretty darned good, too!

photo above courtesy of The Grid- link below

And just because it's a throw away restaurant doesn't mean that they ignore concerns about waste management. We love that all their packaging is either recyclable (as in drink cans and bottles) or biodegradable. Corn bowls and potato forks!- how fantastic is that?!

photo above courtesy Come and get It 416 Facebook page

We'll be returning, for sure, to try the pork belly or to be tempted by any specials these guys have dreamed up on the day we drop by. Note to selves, though- don't leave it too long, or the only thing we might find is another big hole in the ground! 

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Come and Get It!

170 Spadina Avenue

Toronto, On M5T 2C2

(647) 344-3416

Article in The Grid here

Restaurant`s Facebook page here