Chez Laurent

Someone had brought me here years ago but all I could recall is walking into someone's house for italian-french dinner and having escargot for the fist time. Finally, I found it again - a house on Yonge street, surrounded by higher, newer buildings.

This time, I was sending cheri away for a week, so I needed a homy and comfortable spot to give us peace. There is something about this place that drew me and promised that ambiance.

APPEARANCE

intimate, dark ruby red

From the outside, a short fence with plants on the floor, followed by small white pillars and white frames on the brick house, welcomed us. Thank god for the restaurant sign, so we don't look we are trespassing. The sign was long and rectangular, with an older feel of elegance to it.

NOSE

berries and oak

We entered and saw two ladies informally sitting down in a room on the left side. Turns out one was the owner. She asked us for a reservation, but I didn't realize I should've made one. She checked a small telephone-like book in a dark corner (reminded me of my grandma). We were lucky to arrive right after work, so she said that if we are done by 7:30 we have a spot. We agreed and took a seat in the second room, on the left side, passing by the kitchen and the stairs. 

Wooden, italian-romantic hunchback chairs with a bordeau cushion tops matched the tablecloths topped with white shorter squares. The simple white walls, wooden frames and white curtains gave a middle-class family living room feel.

SWIRL

ripe blackberry, sweet cedar, earthy

And so we took a look at at the menus. Even though they were only two pages, it was enough to get us excited. Marble-like covers, transparent pockets inside, the text was cluttered with a lot of dots between plates and their prices. 

After our keen, young waiter listed their specials and checked on us a few times, we made up our minds. I asked for their Boscaiola Salad while cheri got their home-made Cheese Ravioli with portobello sauce. Their wine menu looked affordable and definitely worth trying, but we were both driving our separate ways this night. We, instead, asked for two glasses of their fizz (I believe), which I was told is a light mix of a sparkling white wine with cassis juice.

PALLETE

medum-bodied, smooth, rich

Our glasses arrived with a "Pardon My Reach" used without mercy by our waiter that evening. 

Slices of fresh bread arrived at our table - some kind of brioche-like shape with lots of air. Packaged butter on the side, we finished the bread in no time. Both our plates came pretty quick and, as always, our waiter asked if we would like some freshly ground pepper. I tend to agree (depending on the plate) and wait to see if the waiter will pick the amount for me. Rarely do they stop at my word, just like this young guy who made a few twists and obviously felt nervous. My Boscaiola Salad looked messy and colourful. Topped with slices of ham, marinates artichoke hearts, green olives and grated mozzarella, it was a big fiesta. The vinaigrette was rather simple and plain. It would've been nice to get some herb in there. Under were hiding tomatoes, onion, cucumber and peppers. It was a decent size.

Cheri's ravioli were crying for a heavier red wine. The portobello sauce had chunks of them, to cheri's disappointment, but it had a great thick texture and smoky feel. His favourite part was the fact that the ravioli themselves were not tightly stuffed but rather thin and long triangles. They were a few, but very flavourful. 

We asked for their dessert menu, which came out on a loose piece of paper. We decided to have Creme Brule and Creme Caramel, side by side for testing purposes. Their descriptions sound rather confusing and fancy, but in reality not that hard to figure out. The Creme Brule came in a small curly casserole, with a crusted sugar glaze on top. It was warm and had an obvious egg in the creamy mixture. The Creme Caramel is the one that is flipped at the end with the brown caramelized sugar on the top. It is milk based and solid. It has a bit of a darker sauce from the bottom. I always assumed the two terms are used interchangeable, as my mom made a mix of the two and called it Creme Caramel. Anyways, now I know that the traditional Creme Caramel is my favourite. 

FINISH

a bit too strong of an aftertaste, hint of caramel

We had a very cute dinner. I wished we had more time to order a bottle of wine and start by trying their onion soup and antipasto misto.

Lastly, we both explored the house on our quest to the washrooms. Surprisingly the entire dining room is on the bottom floor.

As our hand-written bill came, with its carbon copy, I made a conversation with the owner lady - who, as any classic french boss would collect the money. I asked if this is Laurent's house and who he is. She dearly said it was her husband. My curiously got to me and I also asked if he is the chef. She boldly stated he was diseased and died, however her daughter is in the kitchen.

I apologized for asking and thanked her for the evening. It made me feel a bit uneasy.

overall.. a natural blend Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc

Manastirska Magernica

http://www.magernitsa.com/

We went on a Sofia Tour around the city and ended up at their Tourist Information. We asked for a traditional restaurant and the lady quickly circled on the map for us one not too far.
We got a bit confused and walked all the way down the street to see there is no such place, then walked back and decided to re-interpret the map and ask for directions. This is always hard to do on on an empty stomach.


APPEARANCE
traditional, dusty bottle, intense ruby colour
Small cobble stone road lead to the stone-looking fence, traditional red ceramic roof and wall of folk images. The restaurant wordmark is in old-cyrilic style alphabet, wooden letters not op of a wooden plank in a classic rainbow.

NOSE
herbs, red forest berry fruits
Ok, we entered someone's backyard patio. Trees, umbrellas, red granite chunks  pavement, white table cloths, metal ornamented chairs, folk rugs on the walls and other random homy ornaments here and there.

SWIRL
a bit of spice and light oak, heady
We were told to sit where we wish. We picked a secluded sunny table by the house. The menus came - unique wooden covers with a second piece of wood glued on top and illustrated. They somehow gave cheri an English menu without even asking. So much to choose from..
The menu switches to older dishes half way, and prices grow. But overall, you can hardly find a dish as much as the regular $20CND.
The waiters were a bit serious but great. I asked if they could make us a mixed dish of appetizers and they were more than happy to create one for us.
We also ordered their 5 cheese mixed dish toped with honey and walnut, as well as a dish of beef tongue in butter.
We asked for their recommendations of wine in glass, but essentially we ended up ordering two smaller bottles for each one of us. I knew Muscat is famous for Bulgaria, but no idea what else..

PRE-PALETTE
unique, exciting, intimate
It took some time for the glasses to arrive. We ended up getting a dry red mix of Syrah and Merlot - a bit oaky, and light in fruit. The white one was a mavrud - nose of cherry and rose, but then rather crisp with a hint of frost berries.
Both of us tried to find the washroom, which is strategically upstairs on one end, so people can explore and get lost inside the adorable house. Once you go up the carpeted stairs you enter a big dark room with a pork chop roasting on ashes, kind of in the open (behind is probably the kitchen, I thought). Seriously, walking around was nosing around different private dining rooms with a table or two inside.

PALETTE
full-bodied, rich, elegant
Our appetizer plate arrived - full with colours and flavours - vegetables, mixed cream and marinate salads, cheese, olives (which to my surprise were not salty at all), some traditional dried meats… Not only did it look great, but everything had so much flavour, it was so real.
Briefly after came the cheese plate, all of them melted on their own side. I was able to pick out four type - an opinionated goat cheese, two cow ones, and hints of a blue one. The dish had two dried dark fruits in the middle, possibly plums.
Lastly the tongue made its way, in an interesting black pan with a very tall handle. It was hot, lightly greased in butter with paprika on top. It was beautifully tender and soft.

FINISH
the substantial tannins and alcohol made the aftertaste subtle and slow
Just like most Bulgarian restaurants the portions were large so we spent some time enjoying.
There was no music playing, it was serene. We also came at around 3, so we were one of the few tables there.. perfect

overall.. a one-of-a-kind Mavrud (from a family owned winery)

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

Ematei

Definitely a Japanese jewel. I mentioned it to my Japanese co-worker and she approved that this one of the few traditional places in Toronto.

APPEARANCE
dark, silky
This place is hidden in St. Patrick's street, so that only if you are looking for it you will find it, after you go slightly under the building in a dark foyer. I once read about Japanese aesthetics, this place is writing in real life.

NOSE
earthy, black cherry
We were quickly greeted by the chefs at the sushi bar and then another man slightly bowled and lead us in. Dark wooden floors, small tables, paper screen separators, quiet, at the end of the restaurant big rooms with screen doors and shoes waiting outside for traditional dining.

SWIRL 
complex, hint of rose petals 
Waitress was very polite, we were quickly given tea and
small chef's appetizers.
We ordered a warm sake and processed looking through the diverse menu. Even though it used Japanese terms, the begging of every section had a sentence or so explaining what the term means, very considerate and educational.

PALATE
delicate, medium bodied, smooth
We shared a beautiful baked eggplant with soybean sauce appetizer. Next, I had a soba noodle soup, which came with a hot sauce, while mon cheri had an awesome don buri - rice with thinly sliced seasoned beef, onions and a few veggies and a cracked raw egg.. it was unique and very delicious. There was no direct lighting on our table, which added shadows and tones creating this mysterious and intimate experience.


FINISH
complex, long, fruit bouquet
Half way through, we heard the background salsa music, which was rather quick, urgent and to say the least - non-japanese. But overall is was warm and private with a lot more to explore from the menu.

overall.. a delicate fine pinot noir.

Tabülè

www.tabule.ca

My sister has recommended that I try this middle-eastern place for a drink and an appetizer, a while ago.

APPEARANCE
light, white, easygoing
very friendly, fun typography outside on a warm yellow background

NOSE
citrus, floral
An intimate feel, warm orange walls and incandescent lights. We walked straight in, to the bar and someone sat us down. The second part of the restaurant revealed. It was on the quiet side, but may be because it was already 10pm..

SWIRL
tropical fruits, subtle
The chandeliers made the light spread into spots, which added to the intriguing feel. At the table, the menu was simple, but kept consistent. A tad of a confusion with what can be picked for the combination platter. They had a separate wine menu, where I saw the Narcissist Megalomaniac Riesling 07 and we had to get a 1/2 L.

PALATE
well balanced, medium dry, crisp

So we went for a three dip (combo) platter (babaganuj, humus, tabule) and a plate of Hallum Salad with chicken. The dips were good, nothing too special. They came with pita breads. The tabule dip, I was particularity excited about as I have not heard of it before - lots of parsley, lemon dressing, mint, a bits of onions and tomatoes - it was not too flavorful. But the chicken from that Hallum Salad was something else - cooked to perfection. It just melted in your mouth and worked beautifully with the rest of the green plate with subtle pomegranate dressing, and the cheese was there too.

FINISH
freshening, a light linger
We lingered eating and talking until about 11:30. I'd say, it won't be my last time there, there is more to try out from the menu. I also wander what this place is like in the daytime and during summer.

overall.. a light vidal