Cheesewerks

http://www.cheesewerks.com/

On an unusually warm January Friday evening we made our way to the recently opened cheese themed restaurant at the footing of Bathurst street.

APPEARANCE
attractive golden-straw colour, clear and chilled
Yellow colour dominated the outside appearance through the huge glass panels and neatly designed signage compensated for somewhat generic looking building above the restaurant. Bathurst is somewhat darker in this area, across the street from Thompson Hotel so the bright yellow spot was definitely standing out.

NOSE
pear and citrus aromas, a bit of cinnamon smell
A bright open concept space with a lot of light and a TV screen occupying the wall. The place did create an initial impression of an excellent chillout spot for a group of friends or strangers to come together and do something social. To no surprise, right underneath the TV panel (which was tuned to Food Network channel), there were board games for everyone’s use. Posters on the wall also told us about game nights and trivia challenges occurring there quite frequently. Great idea! We were trying to make our way to Snakes and Lattes with friends for quite some time with very limited success rate – the place is always booked. Maybe we will end up here instead.

SWIRL
pear and more citrus, added notes of vanilla
A lot of distractions around almost made us forget why we came here. Eating a four course cheese meal was the goal. A pleasant waitress sat us down in the corner giving us few minutes to accommodate ourselves. The place was empty and felt colder because of that. We briefly talked about the cute water bottle and called the waitress to start us up.

PALATE

light on the tongue, some crisp acidity

Two grilled cheese sandwiches with a mix of smoked and aged cheddar made their way to our table within 5 minutes. It would be great to get a lengthier explanation of why these cheeses were chosen, but the waitress did tell us the dish is called Cookies and Milk. The grilled cheese sandwiches were accompanied by a side of rustic tomato soup. Two glasses of wine – red and white – also were poured for us to enjoy. Once again, it would have been amazing to get a bit more background into why those were the wines chosen for the pairing. We have been to Sandbanks winery last year, but could not recall anything specific about their wines. The red was Baco Noir and the white was simply called Dunes, we presumed it was a mix of Gewürztraminer and maybe a Chardonnay. While instantly regretting for not bugging the waitress about the wines, we turned our attention to the meal. The sandwich bread was nicely textured and almost felt homemade. The soup was very enjoyable as well (maybe could have used a bit of onion powder). I was a bit distracted by the radio playing in the background and the Food Network showing a documentary about Red Path sugar plant.

When we were done, an emmental and white wine fondue arrived along with a large selection of condiments. Very nice and enjoyable meal, maybe there could be a bit more cheese – we ran out with half a tray of goodies still left untouched.At that time we were already starting to feel a bit full, but Shanghai macaroni with asiago cheese plates came along. Pork and garlic flakes with some chives inside – a very hearty meal which ma Cherie could not find strength to finish unfortunately. So I had to help her out. No big deal since I found the meal delicious anyway. To top it all up, two plates with three pieces of cheesecake each were served shortly thereafter. The pieces were perfectly shape and hopefully made on premises although the waitress did not share any info on that with us on that.

FINISH

a bit heavy, with great potential

We were exceptionally pleased by the food and the place itself. It did fill up pretty quickly and by the time we were leaving, there was no empty tables left. It definitely became a lot warmer (both physically and metaphorically speaking) with more people around. We loved it and are thinking of potentially brining our friends over at some point.

PS: I would still take down the TV and turn off the radio not to spoil the aftertaste.

Overall, an unoaked Chardonnay that could use some finishing depth. A bit heavy, but with a great potential.

Le Canard Mort

http://lecanardmort.ca/

Waiting the regular Lady Marmalade line, we couldn't ignore the duck gesture sketch logo next door. So we made a reservation on their half-price drinks day - Wednesday.

APPEARANCE
dark plum purple
Big open door-windows, flowers, white, careless, handwritten type on black background with a spiral, gold, duck sketch on the door.

NOSE
rip black cherry and berry aromas
It was empty and kind of spacious inside - dark red and green tones all arround, felt very right. We were the first people to come in at 6:30. The waiter, greeted us and asked to pick our spot. We sat by the window, where you can hear the busy queen street. He instantly offered to close the large windows, but they added a nice fresh breeze I wasn't willing to give up.

SWIRL
honeysuckle, prune, trces of oak
He handed us two pieces of paper each (not the weight a menu deserves) with their duck logo nicely screened back in the background, as well as the restaurant name (fighting a bit with the items). Reading through the simple, well-spaced type, we decided to try many appetizers because they seem to be the playground for chefs. The main courses are somewhat typical due to their price and portion. That, and some wines. Asking for their wine selection, the waiter read a few off a private list and I asked to take a look at that used-up paper.
After his attempt to explain to me what is a Charminer variety, I decided to order it. Cheri asked for their Primitivo wine.
To start, we ordered their Duck Confit Poutine and Tomatoes Grilled Asparagus & Chevre Salad
(due to their beet, pear salad being out).

PALLETE
gentle, fresh, medium body, round
Our wines made their way quickly. My Charminer (which is really a bled of Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer) turned out to be fruity, light with a bit of a zing - exactly what I felt like having. The Pimitivo was a heady deep red.
The music playlist was a bit random, but as couples started arriving - it was getting really cute and cosy.

The Duck Confit Poutine arrived in a deep bowl-like dish. The shredded duck was a bit on the dry side, but the brie in cognac made up for it. Topping it with mushrooms and peppercorn really work well. The Salad was not too special, the asparagus was a bit too raw, but the balsamic vinegar and chevere made it work.
As we lingers on our plates, we heard our waiter recommend a few wines to the side tables and also talked about their sweetbreads. So we asked for their Estrada Creek Chardonnay and Cab Franc/Merlot with our sweetbreads. The Chardonnay was clean and crisp (not too impressive). The CabFranc/Merlot was great - oaky and a bit spicy. The Crispy Fried Sweetbreads also made their way. We picked the blue cheese aioli option, which was a great contrast with the sweet, slightly hot and garlicky bread sauce. The breads themselves were nothing special, they looked like fried chicken balls and came with a lovely arugula salad.

FINISH
good mouthfeel, easy-drinking style
For dessert (there was no menu) we took their cheesecake, as the waiter recommended. It was kind of neat - a build-it-yourself style cheesecake. Cream cheese paste surrounded by a cranberry-raspberry filling and pie crumbs on one side. Not presented very cleanly, but really fun to eat.

overall.. a tasty Petite Syrah

West Seventy6 Grill

http://www.west76grill.com/

I was invited me to come in as they re-designed their menus since the beginning of the year. To be honest  would've probably made it at West Seventy6 Grill sooner or later, judging by their substantial urbanspoon score.

APPEARANCE
a rich yellow-gold, with some legs
Its a tricky entrance - from of the Marriott Hotel and then to the left. An orange wordmark screen next to a bright entrance welcomed us with menus and wine bottles on a barrel to the side. I do think the wordmark can use a 3D signage treatment, though. There is something about spelling out a number which feels right and the elegant sail illustration - varying line thickness gives it a passionate feel.

NOSE
honey, oak, peechy
We entered the main, spacious room - stone bar base, maroon curtains and chair pillows, dark wooden floors and tables with glasses and white napkins waiting. For a second there, we both thought we are completely under-dressed, however as we joined the crowd outside, we realized there's nothing to worry about. We were instantly greeted and asked to take a seat. A small table waited for us with chairs angled towards the lake.

SWIRL
earth hints, strong character
My prejudice for a restaurant inside a hotel by the lakeshore, would be that it is snobby and overpriced. I was more than pleased to see that stereotype get blown away, with the pleasant light breeze on the terrace. The lunch menu was a single page - clean and simple. The classy drinks menu stood up waiting - black scratch-textured skin with the logo screen-printed in the middle. I was curious to ask for the chef's special. My mouth watered as I listened, so I went with their Farmer's Field Salad. Cheri being a Pulled Pork fan, decided to give it a try, eventhough he was tempted by a few other dishes. I wanted to try a glass of the Baco Noir, and we decided to ask for a recommendation to go along with the pulled pork. The trick was that we wanted a white one. Our waiter recommended a Pinot Grigio, and so we followed his advise. The bit of the parking lot in our view was easy to forget, as we watch people go along the green lakeshore.

PALATE
full-bodied complex and smooth
Our wines arrived. We sipped them, both light with interesting bouquets, sitting in the shade with a flower pot on the side. It was quiet and peaceful as the time slowed down. You can only hear people's quiet chatter, as if everyone was careful not to ruin this precious moment. Our only wish was for a soft sound, perhaps a light wooden wind-chime to make these moments even better.  Our dishes quickly arrived . My salad was a piece of art - vibrant colours and textures painting the white plate. Tender salmon over a bed of arugula leaves, covered with apples, and.. I though macadamia nuts. I asked a waiter about the spicy sauce and this mystery nut and he informed me it was peanut salsa. Cheri's pulled pork came on a pretzel baguette with a side of thinly slices fries. The pork was cooked perfectly - in a chipotle, coke braise. It was a bit on the sweet side but it was beautifully complemented with mango coleslaw and onion.

FINISH
evolving and interesting - deepening the experience
As we finished licking our fingers we asked for the dessert menu. The waiter, who mentioned it was his first day, was perfect in his descriptions. We decided to try both dessert options: whisky-maple creme brule and the lemon, mint cheesecake. Both presented beautifully and making my tastebuds purr. On top of that, since I was curious how the whisky-maple was worked into the creme brule, the chef himself came out to explain his secret to me - how exquisite! He also is a big fan incorporating the local market produce into his dishes.
Dave, the restaurant supervisor, came to let us know that dessert was complimentary. I have to say, no matter what that number at the end was, it was definitely worth it.

overall... an intimate, complex Chardonnay