One of the highlights from Jenkins and my previous trip to Montreal was our visit to Schwartz’s. I have to admit that as the years passed, I kind of forgot how great Schwartz’s was. I remembered it being great and being the best smoked meat I had had but how good can it be anyway? I knew I would really regret it if I didn’t stop by before we left Montreal though so Jenkins and wandered over there a couple of days before it was time for us to leave the city.

There was quite a line-up on the restaurant side of Schwartz’s so Jenkins and I decided to do takeout instead. We lined up for about 15 minutes and since there turned out to be some bar seats at the back of the takeout restaurant, we were even able to sit down.

I ordered my smoked meat sandwich medium fat, which was just right for me. One bite into my sandwich and I was instantly reminded of how enamoured I was the first time I ate a smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz’s. The meat was fatty but not overly so, super moist, and heavily seasoned without being too salty. There was just the right amount of hot mustard to give the sandwich an extra kick. I could have easily eaten another sandwich if Jenkins didn’t stop me.

To accompany my sandwich, I also picked up a couple of pickles. I’m usually not a huge pickle fan but I really liked the super crunchy pickles at Schwartz’s. It was salty and pickly and cut through the richness of the sandwich nicely.

I had a great time at Schwartz’s and wish I was in Montreal for a longer period of time so I could make a repeat visit back to Schwartz’s. Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to, I consoled myself by picking up some of the Montreal steak spice that was sold there.

Details:
3895 Boulevard St-Laurent, Montreal
Tel: 514-842-4813

Summary:
Food: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Service: n/a
Price: $

Our next stop after Montreal on our Eastern Canada tour was Toronto. Even though I’ve flown through Toronto a few times, I had never actually stopped to check out the city before this trip. Our time in Toronto was fairly limited but luckily, Jenkins and I were able to meet up with our friend Karen, who had recently moved to the city. I asked if we could meet at Pizzeria Libretto, as I had heard it was the only pizzeria in Canada certified by the Vera Pizza Napoletana Association as making authentic Neapolitan pizza. Since I knew that Nicli Antica was hoping to get the same certification, I wanted to do a comparison of the two places to see how they stacked up.

The space at Pizzeria Libretto is pretty small and despite it being a weekday evening, it was quite bustling so we waited about 15 minutes or so before we could be seated. While we were getting settled, we were presented with some focaccia and regular bread along with some olive and chilli oil with balsamic vinegar. I liked the focaccia bread quite a bit but overall, it was fairly standard fare.

We decided to share a couple of appies and started with the bruschetta of the day, which happened to be creamy goat cheese with poached pear and microgreens. The flavours were very familiar but the sharp creaminess of the goat cheese went really well with the sweet pear. The toppings provided a nice texture contrast to the crispy pieces of toast.

We also decided to try another one of the daily special appies with the risotta balls, which came on a bed of a slightly tangy tomato sauce.

This was pretty different from the regular risotto balls that I had tried before and came stuffed with a lot of vegetables as well, including olives and tomatoes. The creamy richness of the filling was cut by the tangy tomato sauce and although this dish was pretty decadent, it did a great job of whetting my appetite for the upcoming pizzas.

I decided to go with a classic and chose the margherita pizza. The crust was thin and crispy and the light smattering of toppings really served to highlight the crust. I would have liked if there was slightly less cheese and slightly more basil but I really enjoyed the tomato sauce itself. The sauce was tangy yet slightly sweet and actually quite similar in flavour to the tomato sauce used for the risotto balls. I thought it went really well with the crust.

Jenkins ordered the Ontario prosciutto, which was basically the same as my pizza but had some fresh prosciutto on top as well. Jenkins always likes to have a little bit of meat on his pizza and he really enjoyed this pizza. He liked how the prosciutto was cut quite thin so it added just a hint of saltiness, which balanced nicely with the tomato sauce. As I mentioned before, Jenkins is fairly picky about his pizza and he thought the version here was pretty close to the pizza we tried during our Italian travels.

Karen decided to also have the margherita pizza but substituted the regular mozzarella with some Ontario mozarella di bufala. Interestingly, it came in a big scoop right in the middle of the pizza so she had to spread it around the pizza herself. It did make for an interesting presentation though. I tried a little bit of this and the fact that the cheese was not cooked gave the pizza a sharper flavour than the melted mozarella in my version. The only criticism about this pizza was because the cheese came scooped right in the middle, the crust directly underneath got soggy rather quickly.

Overall, we had a great time at Pizzeria Libretto. If I had to choose, I would say that I still prefer the pizza at Nicli Antica more…but only slightly more. I found that the pizza at Nicli tended more towards the traditional fare while Pizzeria Libretto seemed slightly more adventurous in trying new combinations in addition to some of the tried and true. The crust was top notch though and in general, Pizerria Libretto is a great option for Napolitano pizza in Toronto.

Details:
221 Ossington, Toronto
Tel: 416-532-8000

Summary:
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$

The last time we were in Montreal, we didn’t get an opportunity to check out two of the city’s most famous bagel institutions. They were a little out of the way from where we were staying and the weather wasn’t very cooperative so we just never made the trip. I would have to say that it was one of my biggest regrets from that trip so this time around, I knew I’d have to pay a special visit to at least Fairmount or St Viateur to check out their bagels.

We decided to check out St Viateur first.

We arrived just as they were pulling fresh bagels out of the oven and the delicious smell filled up the entire shop. Jenkins and I picked up a bag of sesame bagels and were directed by the lady at the counter to eat our bagels at a coffee shop down the block.

The coffee shop was filled with like-minded people like us and many were enjoying bagels that they must have picked up at either St Viateur or Fairmount (which was just a couple of blocks away as well). I ordered a couple of lattes for Jenkins and I and we opened our bag of bagels.

I had noticed that St Viateur had some Liberté cream cheese in their fridge so we bought a tub to go with our fresh bagels.

It’s hard to beat a freshly made bagel and the sesame bagels at St Viateur were generously coated with toasted sesame seeds on both sides. The outside was lightly crispy and the inside yielded a slightly chewy and warm centre. It may sound a little crazy but Jenkins and I ate two bagels each for breakfast with a generous dollop of cream cheese and scarfed down another bagel en route to our next stop. That’s how good they were!

The next day, Jenkins and I made the trip out to the same neighbourhood again, this time to Faimount Bagel.

We ordered another bag of sesame bagels so we could do a proper comparison with the St Viateur bagels from the day before. To keep things consistent, we also went to the same coffee shop and ordered a couple of lattes to go with our bagels and cream cheese.

I’ve spoken to many Montreal friends who ardently support either Fairmount or St Viateur bagels but in my layperson’s opinion, I thought both bagels tasted quite similar. I thought the St Viateur bagels were a tad chewier, which I liked so if I really had to pick, I would prefer the St Viateur bagels more due to their texture but taste-wise, they were basically the same to me. In any case, I would have nothing to complain about if I had access to freshly made Fairmount or St Viateur bagels in Vancouver, which I think are the best bagels I’ve ever had.

One interesting thing to note is that when I went to Toronto a few days later, we picked up a bag of St Viateur bagels from a local grocery store. Although still tasty, they were not as good as the fresh ones in Montreal so I have a feeling that even if I order some from Montreal to ship to Vancouver (which they actually do), something will be lost during transport. It also didn’t occur to me until I left Montreal, but I think these bagels and cream cheese would have tasted fantastic with some smoked salmon so I will need to remember that the next time I’m in Montreal!

Details:
St. Viateur Bagel:
263 Rue Saint Viateur Ouest, Montreal
Tel: 514-276-8044

Fairmount Bagel:
74 Ave Fairmount Ouest, Montreal
Tel: 514-272-0667

Summary:
Both places were so similar to me that I rated them pretty much equally.
Food: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Service: n/a
Price: $

Before our trip to Montreal, I canvassed a few friends who grew up there to ask them about some of their favourite places to eat. The first time Jenkins and I went to Montreal, we tried poutine at several places, including La Banquise, which was rated quite highly in many of the reviews that I had read. I mentioned this to Carl and he said that La Banquise was definitely a good poutine place but his favourite was Fameux, which was actually across the street from where he used to live.

Jenkins, Grick, Snoopy, and I ended up at Fameux for a late lunch one afternoon. I actually remembered this place from my last visit when we were in the Rue St-Denis area and I had no idea that it housed a poutine institution. We perused the menu and decided to share a poutine and a pizza.

Carl told me that poutine is best enjoyed out of a takeout tin but we decided to eat in the restaurant that day. We ordered his favourite, which was the bacon poutine. This was definitely the best poutine that I had tried in recent memory, if not one of the best. The fries were perfectly cooked, being crispy on the outside but still soaking up the flavourful gravy, which was not too salty. The cheese curds weren’t too melted by the gravy and still had a bit of a squeak, which contrasted with the salty and crispy bacon. We gobbled this up in record time and would have ordered a second plate if we weren’t totally stuffed already.

We probably should just just ordered two orders of the bacon poutine but we decided to opt for variety instead, and ordered a mushroom pizza for our second dish. The pizza turned out to be surprisingly good although the poutine was definitely the better dish. The dough was a little thick but it was still crispy on the bottom and not too greasy. There was also an abundance of mushroom and mozzarella cheese, that worked pretty well with a pizza made in this style.

Grick still talks about the poutine we had here even though it’s been quite a few months since our trip. During our meal here, Snoopy said she had an epiphany as she didn’t see what the fuss was about when it came to poutine until she tried it at Fameux. As you can see, we really enjoyed the poutine at Fameux. Too bad we weren’t in Montreal long enough for a repeat visit.

Details:
4500 Rue St-Denis, Montreal
Tel: 514-845-8732

Summary:
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$

One of the restaurants that I was really happy about scoring a reservation for in Montreal was Au Pied de Cochon. I’ve been a fan (without actually trying the food) for quite a while and seeing the restaurant featured in various No Reservations episodes and hearing stories from friends only piqued my interest even more. We arrived around 8pm or so and after a bit of a wait, we were shown to our table at the back.

After settling down with some bevvies, we perused the menu. I pretty much knew what I was going to order but my dining companions weren’t as well prepared as I was.

Snoopy really enjoyed the tomato tartlet and so did I. The tomatoes were fresh and very sweet with hardly any acidity to them. Small sprinkles of thyme highlighted the flavour somewhat but the tomatoes were definitely the star of the show. The light yet buttery puff pastry shell served as a really tasty base and added some nice richness to the tart.

Grick decided to order some pork rinds for us to share. To me, this was like a gourmet version of the pork rinds that you buy from the supermarket. It was a bit indulgent and I couldn’t eat more then a couple of pieces but Grick enjoyed this quite a bit.

Jenkins and I decided to split the crispy PDC salad.  It was my attempt at eating healthy before I really started digging into the mains. The salad had a really nice mixture of greens, tomatoes, and crispy onions and pork rind-type bits. In a salad, I thought the rinds were a lot more successful than on their own. This probably wasn’t the healthiest salad but was definitely one of the tastiest that I had. The lemony vinaigrette did a nice job of melding the flavours together and adding some nice acidity.

I was well aware of the huge portions at Au Pied du Cochon so Jenkins and I decided to share stuffed pied du cochon with fois gras. It’s a bit difficult to see just how ridiculous the portion size is from the picture below but the plate was large enough to comfortably hold two regular sized chickens. The lobe of fois gras you see on top there was about the size of my palm and Jenkins was nice enough to let me eat almost the entire thing. The creamy fois gras had a nice crispy sear on the inside and melted away to a flavourful and rich interior. The stuffed pig leg itself had a slightly breaded exterior and was generously stuffed inside with vegetables and mushrooms. Looking back, I don’t know how we managed but Jenkins and I finished this entire thing and it was definitely the best pig leg I’ve ever had.

Grick and Snoopy had their hearts set on the Pig’s Head for 2 but unfortunately, they had run out for the evening. Instead, our server recommended that they try the Guinea Hen for 2. Grick and Snoopy thought initially that this was just a regular hen but they ended up thoroughly enjoying the hen, where each part was cooked using a different preparation from the legs to the breast to the wings and then reassembled. The chicken was topped with a bunch of vegetables, which basically lost all their healthiness when they were cooked in the rich chicken gravy and soaked up all the delicious chicken fat.

My parents decided to share the PDC’s Melting Pot, which looked pretty unassuming compared to the other dishes we ordered but was a delicious stew of root vegetables, blood sausage, and various cuts of pork including pork belly. Similarly to the pied du cochon and the hen, the veggies soaked up all the delicious pork juices. We used the bread that was provided to soak up all the delicious juices from the dishes we ordered.

I forgot to take a picture of what my grandparents ordered but they decided to share the Happy Pork Chop. What the menu failed to mention was that this was basically equivalent to at least 5 thickly sliced pork chops for a normal person. My grandparents very happily shared this and despite the thick pork roast (because that was basically what it was), it was actually very juicy and flavourful despite being a bit leaner than some of the other dishes we ordered.

Even though we all shared our mains, we were still intent on ordering dessert. My parents and grandparents decided to bow out so between Snoopy, Grick, Jenkins, and me, we decided to share two items. The pouding chomeur was described as a maple syrup pudding and even if it didn’t look very enthusiastic, the pudding was buttery and moist and would appeal to any maple syrup fan. I was afraid that it would be too sweet but it worked for me.

We also wanted to try the sugar pie but unfortunately, they were also out of those. As you may know, I am a huge lemon dessert fan so we ordered the lemon meringue pie. The crust was quite light and the lemon flavour was quite prevalent but I felt that both the pie and the pudding took a backseat to the main dishes, which are clearly the stars at Au Pied du Cochon.

By now, it was starting to get late, especially for my grandparents so with quite a bit of effort, we got up from our table and slowly rolled ourselves out the front door. Despite the late hour and the fact that the restaurant was supposed to close in about half an hour, it was still packed with happy and stuffed patrons. We had a fabulous time at Au Pied du Cochon and we all admitted that we actually enjoyed the food and our meal here more than Garde Manger, even though it is difficult to really compare the two. I’m not sure when I’ll be back in Montreal again but if I am, Au Pied du Cochon will definitely be on my list, mainly so I can attempt to take on the pig’s head.

Details:
536 Avenue Duluth Est, Montreal, Quebec
Tel: 514-281-1114

Summary:
Food: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Service: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$$

While we were planning our trip to Montreal, one place we really wanted to check out for dinner was Garde Manger. My mom is a huge fan of Chuck Hughes and his show Chuck’s Day Off on Food TV so I tried to call in about a month before our trip to make reservations. Unfortunately, our visit coincided with a long weekend and the small size of the restaurant was also unable to accommodate our party of eight. However, once we arrived in Montreal, my parents happened to be wandering past the restaurant and my ever so persuasive dad wandered in and was able to finagle a reservation. The only caveat was that we’d have to split our party up and go on separate nights. It would have been nice if we could all go together but we decided that it would be an ok compromise to split up so we’d have an opportunity to eat at Garde Manger.

Jenkins, Grick, Snoopy, and I ended up visiting on the first evening and we almost walked past Garde Manger’s non-descript entrance (above). Luckily, there is a mini chalk board in the foyer that confirms you are at the right place.

While we perused the chalk board menu, both Snoopy and I decided to indulge in the (non-alcoholic) drink of the day, a fizzy ginger lemonade. It was pretty refreshing and had a nice balance of ginger and lemony flavour.

We decided to order a bunch of dishes to share. First came the jerk crab. The crab was sweet but it was actually a little hard to pick out the crab flavour since the jerk flavour was really strong. This was a really spicy and in-your-face dish which had us reaching for our drinks to wash down the spiciness. The all spice was really evident here and I think this seasoning would have went well with almost any type of meat but Jenkins felt that the jerk seasoning here overwhelmed the delicate flavour of the crab.

We also had to try that lobster poutine since that was one of Chuck’s winning dishes from the Iron Chef America show. The gravy here was slightly milder so it actually went well with the meaty lobster and the fries were crispy on the outside yet soaked up the gravy flavour. The cheese curds were all pretty melted but also went nicely with the lobster.

The duck breast was nicely seared and came medium trending medium rare.  To me, the real star of this dish was actually the creamed corn, which was buttery and creamy without overpowering the sweet and slightly crispy corn. The corn wasn’t really crispy but I liked how it was perfectly cooked without being mushy…you know what I mean. If I could have ordered the corn on its own, I definitely would have.

We also ordered a fried cod, which came with a vinegary coleslaw and some type of peach chutney. The breading on the cod was thicker than I was accustomed to but it made the exterior super crispy and protected some of the moisture in the fish. However, as with the duck breast, I actually enjoyed the coleslaw side more, which had a terrific crunch and a slightly mustardy vinaigrette dressing.

For dessert, we decided to share a couple of items as well. We had really wanted to order more but we had already spent the entire day stuffing our faces so there was only so much we could cram in at dinner. First came some cinnamon sugar doughnuts with some whipped cinnamon mascarpone cream and a hint of lemon. The doughnuts were fried perfectly and the crispy exterior gave way to a moist and airy inside. I dolloped healthy amounts of the delicious mascarpone cream onto my doughnut and thoroughly enjoyed each bite.

We also decided to indulge in a deep fried Mars bar, which also came with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. The batter on the Mars bar was similar to what we had in the cod but the thick crust seemed to work better with the chocolate bar than the fish. The crust actually tempered the extreme sweetness of the Mars bar, which was nicely melted inside but not searing hot, like I thought it would be. Compared to the chocolate bar, the vanilla ice cream didn’t seem sweet at all but I think that worked out well in this case.

We quite enjoyed our meal at Garde Manger but perhaps because we were so hyped to go, we were surprised to find that some of the dishes fell short of expectation. For me, I actually enjoyed my desserts much more than the appetizers and mains but I’m not sure if that’s attributed to the dishes we ordered. That being said, we were told that the jerk chicken and lobster poutine were some of the most popular items on the menu. Service was excellent and very attentive throughout the evening though. As a side note, when my parents went the following night, they reported that they enjoyed the dishes that the ordered and service was also great for them.

Details:
408 Rue St-Francois-Xavier, Montreal
Tel: 514-678-5044

Summary:
Food: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Service: 4 out of 5 stars
Price: $$$$

For our first breakfast in Montreal, my family decided to eat at Chez Cora before we all went our separate ways for the day. Jenkins and I had gone to Chez Cora the last time we were in Montreal based on my cousin’s recommendation. Although it was a different location we had gone to, we remembered that we quite enjoyed it and that the food was pretty fresh and tasty. The location we chose was only a few blocks away from our hotel so it was easy for us to walk to. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait for a table and they seated us right away.

Jenkins’ meal came with a coffee and since mine didn’t come with anything, I decided to order a grapefruit juice.

I was pretty hungry that morning so I ordered a fairly comprehensive breakfast, as you can see below. The blueberry pancakes were thinner than I was used to but were loaded with blueberries and actually quite tasty. That was probably my favourite part of my breakfast. I found the eggs to be a bit bland and the bacon was quite soggy and greasy. There were also some home fries under the bacon and if you missed them, it’s probably because they were quite pale and didn’t look like home fries at all. They could have benefited from more time in the frying pan, seeing that they weren’t crispy at all.

Jenkins decided to try something different and ordered the ham and egg crepe omelette. Basically, the omelette came rolled in a thin crepe and then was doused with hollandaise sauce. I didn’t end up trying this but Jenkins noted that the hollandaise was a bit thin and wasn’t as rich as he would have liked. He would have preferred for the hollandaise sauce to be served on the side in this particular case.

I didn’t take pictures of what everyone ate since there were so many of us, but the general consensus was that the breakfast was decent but not great. Service at this particular location also seemed to be a little on the slow side, despite the restaurant being fairly empty when we were there. The Chez Cora that Jenkins and I had visited during our previous trip was on the other end of downtown Montreal so I’m not sure if the location we visited this time around was a bad anomaly or if the original location we visited was a good anomaly. Either that, or our tastes have improved drastically since our last trip to Montreal!

Details:
3465 Avenue du Parc, Montreal
Tel: 514-849-4932

Summary:
Food: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Service: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$

This has been quite the year for me in terms of mini trips. Earlier in the year, Jenkins and I went with my family to a trip out to Eastern Canada. It was my first family trip in a while and it turned out better than I expected. Our first stop was in Montreal. Jenkins and I had travelled there a few years back and I was hoping to revisit some of our favourite places from our last trip as well as try out some new places that cropped up on my radar.

Due to flight delays and other unpredictable events that often come with travel, we didn’t arrive in Montreal until pretty late and after we checked in at our hotel, it was already 9:30PM local time. I had a feeling that we’d be arriving in town pretty late so I had found a suitable dinner location ahead of time. Jenkins and I had tried Reuben’s during our first trip to Montreal and thought it was decent and another plus was the fact that it was fairly close to our hotel.

Since it was fairly late in the evening, we were able to find a table quite easily for our party of 8. Since I was in Montreal, I decided to order the Montreal smoked meat sandwich. If it looks a little small to you, that’s because I ordered the smaller version because I didn’t want to go to bed on a full stomach. The meat was quite flavourful and fairly juicy but I would have liked for it to be slightly fattier. I asked for my meat to be medium fatty so the fattier version potentially could have had the extra flavour and fat I was looking for. The accompanying coleslaw was lightly dressed with a vinaigrette dressing rather than mayo-based, which I liked.

Believe it or not, but Jenkins actually isn’t a huge smoked meat fan so he opted for a regular clubhouse sandwich. As you can see in the picture below, it was quite a generous serving size and although it tasted pretty standard, Jenkins noted that it was still pretty good. Jenkins’ order also came with the same coleslaw that I had in my smoked meat sandwich and a side of fries. The fries could have been fried a bit longer but other than that, nothing much to comment about.

Even though it was late and we were all pretty full, my brother convinced us to share some dessert. We opted for the strawberry cheesecake, which was also noted on the menu as a Reuben’s specialty. The cheesecake was probably the one downer of our meal. I thought it was too dense and even dry for my liking although the strawberries were surprisingly sweet and flavourful. I’m fairly particular about my cheesecake and although the taste was alright, I didn’t like the texture at all.

My family’s introduction to smoked meat sandwiches at Reuben’s was just enough to whet their appetite. As was with our previous visit here, the food at Reuben’s is pretty good but I definitely prefer the smoked meat at Schwartz’s, which you’ll see in a later review.

Details:
888 Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montreal
Tel: 514-861-1255

Summary:
Food: 3 out of 5 stars
Service: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$

Gigi’s note: Another guest post today, this time from Pick! Thanks Pick for taking on the tough job of going to Hastings House on Saltspring Island for me to do this review

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HoYummy was invited to the Hastings House, Country House Hotel on Saltspring Island for the Chefs Across the Water 2010 event, and I was fortunate enough to go. Hastings House has been consistently rated as one of the top small luxury hotels in Canada, and boasts a variety of awards and accolades from Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report, Zagat International, and others. Also in attendance for the evening’s dinner was Brian Webb (@br_webb); Mijune Pak from Follow Me Foodie (@FollowMeFoodie); Chris Parks, director of sales and marketing at Hastings House (@hastingshousess), and my evening’s plus one.

The evening began with a goat cheese tart for the amuse bouche  (excuse the photo quality, the liquor had hit by the time I started eating). The pastry was fluffy and the cheese flavors mixed well with the tart. This wasn’t something remarkable, but my bouche was amused.

Next up, we had the wild pacific salmon tartar, a parsnip chip, with fir tree honey and parsley oil paired with the sparkling 2005 Blue Mountain Rose Brut (80% Pinot Noir and Chardonnay). The tartar had a fresh salmon flavor and even texture, and the chip offered a crunchy contrast. I also appreciated how this dish (like many of the other dishes) were beautifully plated with extra color from around the garden, and how all of the dishes used local ingredients with some directly from the herb garden out back.

The caramelized onion and apple bisque with a goat cheese crouton, paired with the 2009 Salt Spring Vineyards, Blattner White came next. This soup was probably my highlight of the evening. All the flavors blended together perfectly, in addition to the flavors of the wine pairing transforming the tastes in my mouth. Soups are something I like to order at every restaurant, which makes me rather picky about soups – this soup tops my list!

Following the soup, we had seared local pine mushrooms, bright farm leek, orchard pear and smoked albacore tuna ragout paired with the 2006 Mission Hill S.L.C. Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon. After one of the best soups of my life, I unfortunately did not feel as ecstatic about this dish as I had hoped. The flavors were great, but unfortunately, something felt lacking in this dish – I can’t quite put my finger on it. I did however, really enjoy my wine pairing.

For my entree, I had the grilled salt spring island lamb with rosemary rosti potatoes, served with a grainy mustard jus and paired with the 2004 Osoyoos Larose. This could possibly have been the best lamb dish I have ever tried. The mustard jus had a slight spicy tang to it that meshed well with the natural flavors of the lamb. I traded some of my lamb for some of Mijune’s sablefish, and she noted that the lamb did not taste gamey at all. The lamb was tender, moist, and rich in flavor; everything perfectly cooked lamb should be.

Finally, we had the garden quince soufflé with grand marnier crème anglaise, paired withe the 2008 Elephant Island Apricot. Although you can’t see the un-punctured version of my soufflé, I was very impressed by the rise of a perfect peak on my soufflé. It was so beautiful that my heart broke a little watching our server dutifully puncture each soufflé to fill them with the crème anglaise. I’m a dessert fiend, and it’s rare I find such perfect soufflé, but that night on Saltspring Island, I found it.

I cannot wait until my next trek to Hastings House, for some more of the culinary delights that chef Marcel Kauer has to share. The entire trip was a perfect getaway from hectic city life with excellent service and pampering from everybody at Hastings House. We also had fresh cranberry muffins delivered to our doorsteps in the morning, which I unfortunately devoured in the morning without even thinking about photographing them! Needless to say, they were delicious.

Details:
160 Upper Ganges Road, Salt Spring Island, BC
250-537-2362

Summary:
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$$$

Edmonton is pretty neat in that in most major buildings downtown, there are food courts set up for people to quickly order lunch from. I suppose because it is so cold there in the winter, it is way easier to grab lunch downstairs as opposed to braving the elements. Mabel, Dallas, and some others had been telling me about Chicken For Lunch, a Chinese fast food eatery in the Scotiabank food court. This place seemed to be famous for its good food, a lady who remembered everyone’s orders and names, and a huge lineup that circles around the food court at lunch. Mabel and I got there just after 12pm and there was already a long line formed.

Both Mabel and I ordered the medium size lunch for $6.50. For this price, you get rice, noodles, veggies, two types of chicken, and a spring roll. The price was more than reasonable and the portion sizes are pretty huge.

I settled on the lemon chicken and the hot and dry. Hot and dry is a bit spicy but is also the one that came most recommended when I was trying to decide on what to order. The lemon chicken was pretty tasty and had a nice lemony flavour. There was also quite a bit of sauce so it went nicely with my rice. As for the hot and dry, it was pretty good but I’m not much of a fried chicken lover so I wasn’t completely sold on it. It was very crispy though and was spicy without being overwhelmingly so.

Chicken for Lunch was not bad although I have to say I am surprised that people are willing to lineup so long to eat it…sometimes every day! I suppose I am probably spoiled by the great food in Vancouver so it takes a bit more to really wow me. The food was a great deal though and there was a lot of variety in the types of items you could order.

Details:
10060 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, Alberta
Tel: 780-425-9614

Summary:
Food: 3 out of 5 stars
Service: n/a
Price: $