Food for Pleasure: glamorous

Showing posts with label glamorous. Show all posts

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

THE ROOF LOUNGE

The Park Hyatt Hotel, 4 Avenue Road, Toronto, On., M5R2E8, (416) 925-1234, Open for Lunch, Dinner and Late Night

Went to the roof lounge for drinks after a nice meal in Yorkville. We arrived at the 18th floor bar and were quickly seated in the leather couches in the bar area. Our waiter handed us a menu of drinks available.

We ordered some wine. After the wine we had several elderflower martinis, pairing Grey Goose La Poire with St. Germain artisinal elderflower liqueur, finished with prosecco and a sliver of bosc pear. They were absolutely wonderful!!

Once a space was available on the outside patio we were seated at a view that is nothing short of spectacular. It is very mesmerizing and beckons one to linger!!

After our drinks we were shown the cigar menu! Tom had one of the shorter cigars - a nice touch!!

If you find yourself near Bloor and Avenue Road, we recommend you have a libation at the Roof Lounge it is well worth the visit!!
http://parktoronto.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining/TheRoofLounge.html?itemDesc=fboutlet&itemId=1003224

Sunday, 5 January 2014

BRAVI RISTORANTE

40 Wellington Street East, St Lawrence Market /Old Town, Toronto On., (416) 368-9030, Open for Lunch and Dinner Mon. to Sat.

On late Saturday afternoon, after visiting St. Lawrence Market, I and my son Mark (http://www.markallenrealty.ca/) discovered Bravi Ristorante in the area. It was around 4:30 pm and they were not opening until 5:30, however someone noticed us at the window and came to tell us to come back after 5 and they would open for us. So we went across the street and had a drink at the Flat iron Firkin and came back to Bravi for dinner.

The inside is quite classy yet warm and spacious.

There are a couple of wine walls dividing areas within the restaurant.

We decided to try their house Merlot, and it was smooth and delicious.

Before we were finished looking at the menu a wonderful basket of fresh crisp bread and warmed olives arrived accompanied by a complex olive oil dip. Yum.

We decided to share a salumi board, which consisted of a variety of cured meats and pickled vegetables.

For my main I chose the grilled Atlantic salmon, with garlic sauteed rapini, cherry tomatoes and black olives in lemon butter. The salmon was nicely grilled and the rest of the dish went very well with the fish.

Mark had the gnocchi gorgonzola, with gorgonzola cream, toasted walnuts and caramelized pears. It was very good and he really enjoyed this dish.

The service was very good and friendly, the food was delicious and the wine was reasonable. We will definitely return to try some other Tuscan inspired dishes here (although the menu is somewhat limited) . It has a comfortable, romantic feel to the space and well worth a visit.
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Well, we came back a couple of weeks later on a breezy February Saturday after another visit to St. Lawrence Market. We met the same friendly waiter and were seated at the window where we could see the street and park. This time I came with my wife and son Mark to try some other dishes. My wife tried the special; grouper with a risotto type mixture made with white beans and other ingredients that tasted scrumptious.

Mark tried the Scallop Risotto that included pan seared scallops, double smoked bacon and saffron. He really enjoyed it.

I stuck to the same dish I had the last time here - their grilled Atlantic salmon with garlic sauteed rapini, cherry tomato and olives. It is very good!!
My wife and son finished with the tiramisu. It came covered in cocoa and in a large cup and was smooth and delicious. I just kept drinking the wine - a nice California Cabernet.

http://www.bravi.ca/index.php

Monday, 3 December 2012

SPIGA RISTORANTE ITALIANO

1228 Collins Ave. Miami Florida, 33139, Tele. (305) 5342465

Having researched some South Beach restaurants we decided to try Spiga on a hot Sunday night in December. We made reservations for 7:30 and arrived to find the restaurant quite full for a Sunday evening. After reviewing the menu we decided to each try something different from the menu. We started with a great bread selection with a herb infused olive oil.

Then we ordered a nice reasonably priced Merlot.

For appetizers one of us had the grilled vegetables, including grilled artichoke heart, zucchini, eggplant and tomato.

Two of us had the insalata dello chef salad which included barbecued shrimp and palm hearts and tossed romaine lettuce and cherry tomato.

One of us had insalata di spinaci, indivia e gorgonzola which included baby spinach, endives and gorgonzola cheese with walnuts.

For our mains one of us ordered the homemade fettucini with, shrimp, garlic and white wine sauce, asparagus, fresh tomato and olive oil. It was a perfect combination of flavours.

One person ordered the sauteed pork tenderloin with peppercorn and brandy sauce. It had a tart and tasty finish. It was accompanied by seasonal steamed vegetables and roasted potato.

Third person had the charcoal broiled new york sirloin angus 10 ounce, medium rare and it was delicious and substantial. It was also accompanied by steamed seasonal vegetables and roasted potato.

I had the veal scallopini with prosciutto and sage in a white wine sauce, also accompanied by vegetables and roasted potatoes. It was delicious.

We all decided to share a large tiramisu. And ended with a rich cappuccino.

It was a surprisingly great meal in a busy tourist area of South Beach. There is a wonderful patio on the front of the restaurant and a small bar area inside. It was a fabulous evening with my wife, her sister and husband (who are snowbirds spending the winter in Fort Myers). The service was quick, however they seemed to be running around the restaurant like bees. A warning though - be careful in Florida, most restaurants include the tip in the final total and you have to be careful not to double tip by mistake.

http://www.spigarestaurant.com/html/index.html

Monday, 22 October 2012

SPENCER'S AT THE WATERFRONT

1340 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1B1, (905) 633-7494, Mon - Sat 11:30 to close, Sunday 9:30 to close

Went to Spencer's at the waterfront in Burlington for my son's birthday. There were five of us Monday for dinner. We have been here before for drinks and apps, but never for a full dinner. We arrived at about 7 and the restaurant was more than half full. We were ushered to a banquette table which was comfortable for five people. I ordered a couple of bottles of french Merlot wine and we began ordering apps, including the warm olive selection, lobster dumplings kaffir lime caramel, scallops and pork belly cider braised fennel. They were all absolutely scrumptious! We slowly savoured the apps and ordered our mains. My son (birthday guy) and his girlfriend ordered the red fife and ricotta gnocchi with cauliflower chantrelles, poached egg, brown butter. My wife and other son ordered the arctic char with cauliflower risotto, chorizo and brown butter. I ordered the heritage chicken with salsify, gnocchi, sweetbread, maitake, brussel sprouts. All of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals.

For desert my sons and my wife ordered the smores cheesecake covered in a chocolate shell. My son's girlfriend ordered the sorbet. They raved about the delicious desserts. My wife and I had the cappuccino and it was delicious.

The ambiance of the restaurant and its location added to the enjoyment of the evening. Monday night when every one moved a little slower, made it enjoyable and calm, which allowed us to enjoy each other's company with no rush.