![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92){kind=small}
pony_head
Oct. 20th, 2006
05:52 pm - SHARKS!
here's the quick rundown on my recent trip to myrtle beach (south carolina). J and i drove down on the 6th, getting stuck in the worst toronto traffic ever, and arrived at the beach the next night. his parents have a condo right on the beach and are great hosts. the weather was mostly good; usually a bit cloudy in the mornings and then warm and sunny for the rest of the day. it only rained 1 day, which--for the end of hurricane season--ain't bad at all. i only swam in the ocean once though, because there were sharks in the water. SHARKS! for real--you could see those creepy dorsal fins circling around just past where the waves were breaking, and it was scary. there are no life guards on the beach (it's the off-season now) so we thought we'd stay safe on shore instead of risking it. but it makes for an okay story, eh?
what else? in a crushing defeat, i lost the crown for mini-putt champion of the universe 3 games to 4. i did have one game where i got 3 hole-in-ones though, which is pretty amazing. can't wait for the rematch next year.
besides all the mini-putting (we went every day, to a different course [but at least 4 of them were pirate-themed, go figure]) we had a great thanksgiving dinner with J's fam, he did a lot of golfing, and we did some shopping.
the night before we were to leave, there was a freak snowstorm in buffalo and they closed the border. hundreds of thousands of people lost their power, and it was pretty chaotic. most of the trees still had their leaves, which meant that the snow accumulated on branches instead of falling off, and this caused a ton of branches to crack and even whole trees to fall over, wreaking havoc on the power lines. by the time we drove through buffalo on sunday, the border was reopened and most of the snow was gone, but the devastation was still very apparent. there were branches, trees and debris all over the place, and still tens of thousands of people with no electricity or water. it was quite a contrast to the sunny beaches of myrtle, but i was still glad to be getting home.
in other news, i'm applying for a temporary, more senior position at work and the whole process is really stressing me out. i think i'm on step 17 out of 41 so far, at least that's how it feels. it will be over soon, thankfully, and hopefully i'll get it. if not, i still have my own job, but i think a change of pace would be pretty great. fingers crossed...
stressedOct. 1st, 2006
08:32 pm - machinations
looking back, i just now realized that the last time i posted was the day of the parkdale-high park provincial by-election. i rode my spiffy little bike on over to the polling station (where i was casually asked if i had voted elsewhere previously that day) and had a small part in getting the ndp candidate, cheri dinovo, elected. and what was with the liberal smear campaign? random and messy. and just mean. i'm really glad dinovo's in. she performed the first same-sex marriage in canada! how cool is that? and i got to meet her at my subway station too. that was a nice touch, being there in person after the election to hand out her contact info. rock on.
yeah, so that happened. the next day, J made his amazing hotel pancakes for breakfast, and then left for work. i blazed and then met up with my mum at the jays' game. not the greatest one-two punch sequence of events ever, but the 'skywalk' from union station down to the (ahem) rogers centre field is quite the experience. the weather was perfect and sunny, the dome was open, the jays won--but most importantly, in rapid time. we were out of there by 7pm and i went back home to more heavenly spruce meadows on cbc. i am so addicted, and so stoked that they are showing equestrian events almost every saturday this month.
sunday was a fabulously lazy day at home with jim. how telling is it that every time i catch myself just unabashedly enjoying a moment, i always feel like i did when i was having moments in montreal? it makes me miss that life so much, but it also makes me happy that i still get those moments, and i get to live with jim in toronto. being close to my parents and brother is key, and i think there is change on the horizon. but i digress, big time. sunday was really great. we walked down to queen's pasta cafe for dinner (cannot even tell you how amazing my gnocci with mushrooms and gorgonzola sauce was). i'm not sure, but i think i might not know how the hell to spell gnocchi. right?
sunday was also the day my friend flew to scotland for school. had a classic horrible airport story which made me feel so bad for her when i found out.
on monday j and i finally had another date night. we had dinner at montana's (oooh, i know) and saw 'the last kiss' which i loathed. zack braff, you disapoint me. but we'll always have 'garden state'.
tuesday was a fun and exciting day in apartment six (or rather, for its inhabitants). j got a new car at a dealer's auction. yeah! it's a 2001 silver jetta and i love it! i really love it. it's not standard, so i can drive it. yay. j drove us out to oakville for a little test drive (stopped for some good ol'swiss chalet) and i got to drive home. j got to doze. i love the car.
wednesday i had to work insane overtime (3 hours) at work on a ridiculous project. see, i'm shaking my head, that's how bad it was. i crawled home, had a shower, j made these kickass salads and sandwiches, and then i went to bed. the next day was brutal.
it was "payday". you know, the day you've been eagerly awaiting for the past 10 days or so, counting down to the swell in your bank account, and then ZOW!!! no full paycheck for you, little cog. only 75% of that paycheck. you're short. and we won't fix it til next paycheck, or the one after. have a nice day! so i'm ass broke. only 4 more days til payday though.
friday j and i had thai at this little place up the street, hit the library, and on the way home my friend bought me one of those little cabbage plant trees. it's awesome. love it.
sat. was yet more spruce meadows on cbc--a full day's worth. almost too much. but oh was it good. cross-country eventing from germany, dressage and show jumping. getting really excited for the royal winter fair here in nov.
sunday, did some shopping and then drove (!) to burlington for a friend's birthday dinner at west plains bistro. but it was closed, so we went to the keg. but the wait was too long so we went to tony roma's. and that was good. steak! with mushrooms, garlic green beans and gooooooood mashed potatoes.
tues. i drove a friend to ikea to return some stuff and deck out her new kitchen. i really love how it smells in the warehouse area, with all that wood and cardboard. oh man. you know, like how great gas stations smell? the collateral damage to brain cells is worth it, i feel.
wed. evening was really great. a friend from mcgill was in town (on business! very grown up) and i hadn't seen her in 2 years, and it only felt like it had been a few months when i met up with her. we walked along queen street, stopped in at a cafe for drinks and just talked. later we met up with three other mcgill friends at east! which was good! the menu is huge (it features a section of 'street food') and my tom kha soup was really wonderful. it did have a thick tomato slice lurking at the bottom that seemed pretty out of place, but the broth was superb. it was quite the gaggle fest, but i had a great time. every once in a while it's fun to spend time with old friends you don't see often. shake things up a bit.
thurs. i went to a work event that was a speech from one of the brains behind the stupid.ca anti-smoking campaign. it was good, reminded me of a few classes in uni, and it was a good little brain squeeze.
friday i had lunch with a coworker at the king of salad after a totally painful hour long training session related to the united way charitable campaign. that night was the engagement party for my bro and his fiancee. friends of our family hosted the party at their home in rosedale (don't need to tell you how gorgeous it was, really big and beautifully restored) and the turnout was ouststanding. i got to catch up with people i haven't seen in years, and also realized that the percentage of engagement rings and buns in the oven (ovens?) was extremely high. perhaps uncomfortably high. but anyway, it was a gas and a good time was had by all that i could see. seems like more proof that it will be a fun wedding too.
today i woke up with a migraine and had to retreat back to bed. now i just have a really bad headache, so i guess things are better. j came home from work and we took in another ep of the last season of '6 feet under'. i keep having crazy deja vue while watching, but i'm not sure why. anyway, j just totally busted in on me while writing this so i gotta go. awkward!
indescribableSep. 14th, 2006
12:39 pm
arg! i've been meaning to post for so long, but things have been pretty busy lately. so ironic: life is really busy, have lots of things to write about, and yet no time to do that because stuff is always happening!
going back to labour day wknd, stupid "ernesto" totally ruined my saturday. the so-named tropical storm brought a 20+ hour deluge of rain, making the outdoor ben harper concert something i paid to see but didn't go to. i was supposed to go with a friend from oakville, but she wasn't inclined to drive downtown in the rain and then stand out in it for several hours--go figure. so that was a bummer, but at least i've seen ben live before (although, conversely, that makes me aware of what i missed, and i'm sure it was great).
sunday i had a nice at-home visit with a close friend from mcgill--one of my movie buddies. we did the whole pizza and movie thing, and it was just what we both needed. she's heading off to scotland soon for school, and i'm going to miss her like crazy!
monday i went to the parents' for the inaugural memorial corn roast (aka bbq with corn on the side) in honour of my late grandfather. and it was cornalicious! my dad had dug out all these super old photos from corn roasts from his childhood, and we all marvelled at what people were wearing and how young my grandparents looked. it was a really nice evening, and hopefully next year we'll have an even better turnout, and the dog won't steal so many cobs of corn. stupid dog.
last wknd was also jam packed. i went to my bro's and hung out with him and his brand new fiancee (!!), we had burgers and watched as the canadian showjumping team won the nation's cup for the first time EVER. it was amazing! i am a giant horse nerd, so i was totally stoked, and i'm so glad i got to see major showjumping history made. woo!
that sunday, a bunch of friends and i took the ferry over to toronto island for day 2 of virgin fest (nothing to do with virgins, sorry folks). it was a giant outdoor concert sponsored by virgin mobile (hence the name) and the lineup was SICK. i got to see wolfmother, sam roberts, the strokes, and the raconteurs play live, and each set was better than the last. man, it was awesome. it was the perfect day weather-wise too, and sitting on the grass in the sun with friends was heavenly. yay! and double yay for me making it off the island cell phone free, still. i am officially the only person i know who does not have a cell phone.
i guess that's about it, news-wise. my brother being engaged is so huge. the wedding is set for this jan., so things are moving at warp speed. i really can't wait for it--friends and family are coming from around the world and it will be so great to see them all! it will be the first wedding in our family, he's the first grandkid to tie the knot (though not the first to get engaged...)
it's been a bit tough for me to adjust to the news, i guess i just worry about not seeing him as much as i'm used to, and with the wedding so soon that's all anyone can talk about. i miss just hanging out with him, but life goes on. i know he's still my bro, but i don't feel as close to him as i used to. it's a bit of a bummer, but he is deliriously happy and that's the most important thing.
that's all for now, whew! consider yourself updated.
hungryAug. 28th, 2006
03:19 pm - 5 whole years
it's true. i've been with my boyfriend, J, for 5 whole years as of this saturday. it's so hard to believe (i checked the math a few times, but it's right) because it really doesn't feel like that much time has gone by since we started dating. we met the summer after my first year at university. i had gone back to the nest to get a summer job, and ended up with a bizarre 'general labourer' job at this warehouse, working on the trade show that would accompany that year's major league baseball all-star thingy. exactly. i did a lot of painting. anyway, that's where we met--J was working as a carpenter on the same show, and as the only female in the entire building, i guess i caught his eye. the funny thing is, as i write this, i realize that we probably have some different ideas about how we got together, but the main thing is that we did and we're still going strong.
in order to celebrate, we each planned part of friday evening. J made us dinner reservations at this restaurant i found, called the rosebud (at queen and bathurst), and i had booked us a room at the gladstone hotel. unfortunately, for pretty much the first time ever, i had to work late unexpectedly and nearly missed dinner. that was unpleasant, but i extricated myself from the mail-out project from hell just in time to go home and change for dinner, and pack a bag for overnight.
dinner was stellar. really, really above and beyond my expectations. the place is so tiny--really long and narrow--and lit mainly by candles on each table. hello, romantic. it's a la carte style, so you can order more dishes and sides also, and share. we had some garlic bread to start (which wasn't even on the menu, but there was some confusion when J meant to order 'grilled artisan bread' and said 'garlic bread' instead. without batting an eye, our server made it happen) and it was tasty.
for starters, i had beets with hazelnut-coated goat cheese and greens, and J had some grilled veggies on a salad. we both preferred my dish, but that's only because beets and goat cheese are such a great pairing. they really compliment each other well.
next came kobe beef for J and veal medallions for me, and a giant bowl of saffron risotto to share. it was heavenly; cheesy and the smokiness of the saffron really came through. J was in heaven with his kobe and my veal was good (if not politically correct). it was a truly great meal, and the service was what knocked it out of the park. the servers went above and beyond, and really made us feel like royalty. i'd asked for a mojito, and the server sadly informed me that they'd had to stop serving them because they took too long to make (in such a tiny place, they can only handle a minimum of staff, and each person there was really busy). he was really apologetic, and then changed his tune and said he would go look for some mint and make me one. when no mint was to be had, he offered to make me a martini, which i was hesitant about. i'm not a drinker at all, and don't enjoy strong, boozy drinks. if you're gonna get me liquored up, you have to disguise the alcohol with some other flavour. i explained my aversion to booziness, and he said "leave it to me, i'll invent something that you'll love". he reappeared moments later with a giant martini glass filled with a pinkish liquid. i couldn't quite figure out all the ingredients, but it turned out to be vodka, lime juice, campari, pineapple juice and something else. it was delicious! and i really appreciated the care taken by our server.
the only downside to dinner was that we were so full of risotto we didn't have room for dessert. oh well, i'll have to go back sometime and save room; a couple of their offerings were pretty tempting.
we did a bit of window shopping at a couple nearby home decor shops, and then headed over to the gladstone. J and i had been a few months before for an afternoon during 'doors open toronto' and were really in love with the place. it was recently completely renovated and turned into quite a cool place. there's a bar on the main floor, and then the first 2 floors have been turned into gallery space. instead of individual rooms, it's a bunch of tiny galleries for local artists. very cool. the next 2 floors are rooms that have each been designed by a different team of artists/interior designers. each room is unique and some are really beautiful and innovative. our room is too hard to describe, but we loved it. it was a really great setting for our night, and i'm really glad that i thought of it. the disappointing thing was that there was a wedding taking place on the second floor the next day, so we couldn't look at the mini galleries, which was my main reason for choosing the gladstone in the first place. it was a bummer, but no way around it.
the next day we had a yummy breakfast downstairs, read the paper, and then went out to take some photos and explore the area a bit. queen west west (as some call it) is a bit of a contradiction in terms of storefronts and inhabitants, but it made for some interesting people watching and photo ops. did a little bit of shopping and then headed for home.
it was the best anniversary so far, i'm sad that it's over. i absolutely love celebrating things and i wish we could prolong it for a while. but then it wouldn't be as special, so i guess i'll just have to wait for next year. i wonder what we'll come up with that will top the rosebud and the gladstone..?
jubilantAug. 22nd, 2006
05:49 pm - funeral, montreal
lots going on, as usual. just got back from a 5 day trip to quebec, which was really bittersweet in a lot of ways. J, me, my bro and his g/f piled in the car early wed. morning and drove to hudson, quebec, for my grandfather's funeral. it was a really small affair at the church in his hometown. my father had asked me to speak at the service, something that i really really didn't want to do. but how can you say no to a request like that? i couldn't, so i agonized for a few days about what to say, and then completely re-wrote the whole thing in the car on the way down. i totally choked on the delivery (as i knew i would) but did manage to get through it. one of my aunts followed up with a much longer and more detailed eulogy, which was a relief. the service was short, we all cried, walked to the plot and did the burial thing, and that was it. later that evening we all had dinner together at the local inn, and it was nice to catch up with family and people i hadn't seen in years. J and i spent the night at the inn and then got a ride into montreal the next day with my aunt.
it was too early to check into our hotel, so we checked our bags and took our cameras out for a walk. got a few good shots at this giant, crazy vintage clothing/prop/costume store, but for some reason the owner/manager lady barred us from taking photos upstairs. infuriating, since the upstairs had room upon room of all kinds of junk; old movie theatre seats, dozens of mannequin legs (i did sneak a photo of these) and heads, washing machines from the 1930s and a million other things. we split and continued walking the streets downtown, taking more photos, doing some shopping and having a bite to eat in a really busy park. we headed back to the hotel and had a delicious nap, then went out for sushi and a movie. it felt so normal to be back in my old city (i've lived there for a combined total of 12 years so far) and the streets were teeming with people--the night life in montreal is impressive.
friday we had breakfast at chez cora and then headed to the mcgill campus to take some photos. that is one photogenic campus! the old buildings and detailed architecture are perfect for the black and white film i was packin'. it was really really hot and sunny, so after a few rolls we hit some stores to soak up some a/c. later, back to the hotel for a nap (best part about vacation, i say) and then we went to dinner with some friends at this amazing french restaurant that only serves 1 thing: steak. and it is the be all and end all of steak. afterwards, we walked back to the hotel through the campus and student ghetto, reminiscing along the way. J and i had a nice, luxurious movie-in-king-size bed night (another perk of vacations).
sat. we met up with a friend of mine for lunch and had these really crazy giant vegetarian sandwiches and milkshakes. good stuff. walked around for a bit, had some downtime at the hotel and then i did a bit of clothes shopping. that night we had an amazing italian dinner at one of my fave places in montreal. afterwards, J and i walked over to the tiniest dive bar ever to see a friend whose band was playing that night. it was pissing rain, and yet for some reason, we walked all the way back to the hotel. some ice cream and another movie rounded out the night.
sunday was supposed to be the absolute highlight of the trip--a day at the park. it's a montreal tradition during the summer to go to parc mont-royal and listen to the drummers, hang out, people watch etc. but no. it was raining. a lot. so devastating. instead, we went to the campus greasy spoon for breakfast. that brought back a lot of memories, and the feeling that i was about to see someone i knew (but i didn't). after eating, we went back to the hotel to wait for the rain to lighten up a bit (and because there was a big golf game on). some friends of mine picked us up at the hotel and we walked up st. laurent, did some window shopping, and had lunch at the famous schwartz's deli. we had just enough time to clean the mustard off our faces, grab a cab and catch our train back to toronto. i was sad to be leaving the city where i feel the most at home, but for right now i live in toronto. and i have to admit it was really nice to be on the train with j, heading to our home. while i was at school in montreal, we did the long-distance thing, and even after almost 2 years, the thrill of co-habitation still hasn't worn off completely.
the worst part of a trip? the unpacking and laundry. oh man. especially when you were super busy and hurried before leaving and the apartment is kind of post-hurricane-esque. sigh.
exhaustedJul. 25th, 2006
10:19 pm - new wheels
i got new wheels!!! i'm so excited, this bike is money all the way. it's a vintage-style cruiser bike, pale yellow with whitewall tires, sweet fenders and curved handlebars. i'll try and put a photo up soon, it's so sweet. J and i went out for sushi at our little nighbourhood place and then for our first bike ride in our hood. it was great, there are so many great streets around and we just rode up and down, checking out the houses and the set of a movie being filmed at a nearby school. yay! can't wait to go for a ride tomorrow.
happyJul. 21st, 2006
09:52 pm - last bloom
well, it's over. somewhere, a fat lady is singing (so the legend goes, anyway). i had my last summerlicious dinner tonight, with my mum and one of my favourite people in the world, M. she's pretty much my mum's best friend, and basically my fairy godmother. she rocks. anyway, i haven't seen her in quite a while so it was really great to catch up a little over a good meal.
as the name suggests, bloom has a flower theme to its small space, with a giant photo of an orange gerbera on the wall and buckets of different coloured gerberas at the front. for a small resto, they've done a good job at making it feel larger, with crisp white sheers placed around a few more private tables. anyway, enough of that! the food was great, as always. i've been twice before, seeing as it's right around the corner from my apartment, and will go back at the drop of a hat. a hat filled with cash, but still. it's worth it, in my book.
we started with a gazpacho, salmon carpaccio and poached pear with blue cheese. i had the pear and it was divine; its sweetness was the perfect match for the creamy sharpness of the cheese, and the greens underneath were a nice complement. the gazpacho was spicy and delicious, but didn't live up up to the soup-consistency promised by the waiter; it was pretty thick and gloppy. i didn't try any of the carpaccio, but M enjoyed it and it was well-presented.
mains were veal striploin with tempura asparagus and some caramelized onions in a mystery sauce. oh dude. it was SO GOOD. the meat was cooked perfectly, the asparagus was awesome: very very lightly breaded and still crisp, and tasted like asparagus. perfect. the onions were heavenly. it was an absolute pleasure to eat. M had the striploin also, and my mum ordered the swordfish. i couldn't pass up the chance to give it a try. the taste i had was surprisingly great--swordfish is a very 'meaty' kind of fish, and it was cooked perfectly (not all the way through and still moist and tender). it was served on a crabcake that was also really tasty, thumbs up all around. so my first encounter with swordfish was a good one, and i think i'd even try ordering it on my own in the future.
dessert came to us in the form of 2 lemongrass creme brulees; which were not overly lemony (it was more of an aftertaste) and wonderfully custard-y, and a chocolate-raspberry ganache tart. it was unbelievable--the chocolate has somehow been infused with the raspberry, so both strong flavours came at you simultaneously, with sexy results.
(ah, sexy results. shout out to you mo, hope you're feeling better. we missed you today at the grindstone...)
anyway, that was it. the service was very capable, and when they gave us the boot after 2 hours so they could reset the table, the guy was really polite and apologetic. i much prefer that approach to telling us up front we have the table for an hour only in a threatening tone. that annoys me. so, yay bloom! can't wait to go back--must drum up some kind of special occasion that would warrant a fancy dinner. hmmm, maybe a 5 year anniversary with J perhaps...? that's so crazy it might just work!
fullJul. 20th, 2006
10:15 pm - mmm...snails
i took a culinary walk on the wild side, straight up. i went out for a summerlicious dinner with J on tuesday in our 'hood. we went to Boho, this tiny little place on roncesvalles and it was pretty good. it's quite small; long and narrow and a great burnt orange colour. we saw a glimpse of a patio out back, but nothing more.
for starters, i had the escargots. they were served in a big sort of phyllo pastry bowl with a ton of garlic and a few mushroom slices, but no other adornment or disguise. i mean, the little muscle-y lips that are the snails' mode of transport were clearly identifiable, and i was really grossed out. but they tasted fine, just like garlic. one of them was a bit tough and chewy (he musta been a real goer) but i managed to eat all five and live to tell about it. so put a little checkmark next to 'eat snails' on my to do list. and i think one checkmark will do me just fine, thanks. no need to repeat that experience.
J had the potato leek vichysoisse, which was pretty good but not spectacular. a little bland. for mains, he went with the rainbow trout, and the piece i had was really nice--great citrus taste and it was perfectly cooked. sadly, the same could not be said for my filet mignon--i'd asked for medium and it was way overcooked. also, it was the TINIEST thing ever, maybe not even 5 oz. it was a bit of a bummer, since they filled up the rest of the plate with a giant heap of overly-salty fries. the sweet potato fries that J had were great, seemed way less greasy and salty and had the nice sweet taste of yams. mmm.
dessert brought a tiny brownie with ice cream for J and maple creme brulee with a few blueberries for me. now, i love creme brulee, and the custard part was good, but it was totally ruined by all the pools of unmelted granulated sugar underneath the crust. big thumbs down. J's brownie was moist and tender, but a decent brownie is the very least i would expect from a 2.5 star resto. the service was very capable and unobtrusive, and the meal itself was relatively inexpensive. i will go back, but i'll have to remember to ask for my meat less cooked than i actually want it.
after dinner, we explored the street a bit--there are some really great shops and a couple other restos that look worth a try.
only one more summerlicious dinner to go!
tiredJul. 18th, 2006
04:40 pm - losing the will
i'm losing it. it being the will to keep posting. i get no love from y'all. if i were tinkerbell, i'd be dead. straight up. so if you're reading this thing, leave a comment already. jungle navigator is the only one who does on a regular basis, and for that i give her mad props. even if the comment is "you suck, stop posting about restaurants" or whatever, i'm curious how this whole thing is going over. let me know!
curiousJul. 17th, 2006
05:08 pm - batifole, flow, and noce
installment #2 re: summerlicious session.
last week on wed. i went to batifole with my brother and his girlfriend. billed as "the best french food in chinatown" the contradiction sort of sets the tone-it's a tiny french place on gerrard, in the 'other' chinatown east of the don. it was a weird location, but the interior was great; really interesting artwork and a cool mobile. however, i didn't love the food. or, to be more specific, i didn't love my food.
my brother's starter and dessert were delicious.
we started off with 'Chilled Belgium Endive Vichyssoise Soup with Savory Foam' which was excellent. i had a plate of DIY hors d'oeuvres that involved tiny toasted slices of baguette, a kind of duck meat salad, sweet garlic tarragon mustard and gherkins. it was okay but not great.
the mains were chicken and sea bass. i had the chicken, which was roasted and served in a ridiculous ramekin that made it very difficult to cut into bite-sized pieces. the chicken was not white meat, and was really chewy and basically unrecognizable as chicken, with the herbs and whatnot. thumbs down. but the sea bass was pronounced excellent by my companions, although it too was served in the stupid inaccessible ramekin.
on the plus side, we were brought 2 huge green salads with vinaigrette and 2 plates of wonderful, thick french fries with tarragon mayo--very yummy.
dessert was either cognac "scented" creme brulee or icy-hot dark chocolate mousse. since i love creme brulee, i opted for that. but it was not good--extremely boozy (maybe they meant 'scented' as in 'doused with'?) and the custard itself was quite runny. however, the chocolate mousse was divine. way more solid than what i think of mousse as being, but tasty. the service was great, really friendly and enthusistic, and i would go back. but i wouldn't order what i had this time.
as for flow, i really enjoyed it. we had an early reservation, so the place was really quiet and mostly empty. we had mojitos that were just what the hot day called for, and our server made recommendations on what to order for dinner.
for starters, we both opted for the arugula, almond and apple salads (why is everyone making this salad?) which were good but uninspired. the bus boy must have been new because he came to clear the plates before we were even finished eating, which was really awkward.
the main course was divine. i had commented to my friend that it seemed odd we hadn't been asked how we wanted our steak cooked when we placed the order, but when it arrived, it looked so perfect that i forgot all about that. we had roasted striploin with yorkshire pudding and compari tomatoes, it was actually heavenly. not much conversation as we both just enjoyed the course.
for dessert, i had the plaintain rolls with white chocolate ice cream. they were unlike anything i had had, but i enjoyed them. my friend, not so much. she ordered the flow homemade ice cream sandwich, which had vanilla ice cream and 2 chocolate chip cookies. it proved nearly impossible to eat--the cookies were very thick and too hard to easily make into bite sized pieces, and the dish had been drizzled with chocolate sauce; yummy but messy and meant it couldn't really be finger food. so it was good in theory, but not in execution. she gave up halfway through. the small piece i had was alright, but not worth the effort at deconstructing it enough to eat.
the resto itself is beautiful--totally redecorated since being movenpick, it looks sleek and trendy, and the light fixtures are really intriguing.
lastly, noce. i went with my b/f last night, at 6pm. we were the only ppl in the entire place, including the patio, which felt like a bad sign. but the service was great, really jovial and polite.
to start, i had a wonderful arugula salad with parmesan shavings and cherry tomatoes. the balsamic vingaigrette was divine, i loved every mouthful. J had the gnocchi, and it was excellent. very tender and smooth and the meat sauce was delicious.
for mains, we both had the veal piccata. it was incredibly tender, but all i noticed was the explosion of lemon in every bite. piccata style is lemon, parsley and white wine (apparently) and it was so flavourful. my only complaint was that the sauce had been poured over the entire dish, so the side of asparagus, green beans and potatoes were also totally lemonized, and i would have appreciated some contrast to the flavour. it was excellent though.
dessert brought us both the bitter chocolate ganache tart, and it was incredible. usually i don't like dark chocolate, but it was so rich and with just a hint of caramelized oranges on top that it was exquisite. big crowd pleaser. and by crowd, i mean the 2 of us, as that was still the only table occupied in the whole place. not sure why it was so dead, it's a good location on queen at walnut, and the place is really welcoming and has a great big patio on the side. maybe sunday is just a slow night...
yay for summerlicious! only 2 places left to go...
goodNavigate: (Previous 10 Entries)
