As featured in the March 8, 2012 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record
Marisol’s elm dining tables tell a story about this Old-World Mediterranean restaurant: solid and once rough-hewn, they’ve been fashioned to a truer beauty over time by passion, skill and mastery.
For Chef Jeff Ward, opening Marisol (pronounced mah-RIH-sul) last September in his Kitchener hometown was the culmination of a 20-year journey fuelled by dedication and hard work. Trained at the Stratford Chefs School, Ward apprenticed at Langdon Hall while studying at Humber College. By 1991, he was Toronto-bound to work at the prestigious Auberge du Pommier. Over the course of 17 years, he cooked his way up the leading ranks of Canada’s culinary elite, working for Canoe, Jump, Biff’s Bistro, O&B Canteen and the Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill.
This refined experience came through in our recent Marisol meal. We started with a smoked trout pâté ($12), which was light, fluffy and full of flavour. Smoking the fish on the bone enhances its flavour while retaining moisture. Potted in a ramekin and preserved with a thin layer of clarified butter, this elegant first course was served with rustic garlic focaccia toasts and a side plate of pickled vegetables.
My husband had the beef tartare ($18). Shallot, parsley and capers flavour this hand-cut Wellington County beef tenderloin, fleur de sel gives it crunch and Dijon offers heat. It was served with quail yolk inside its preserved eggshell, which was artistic and an unusual treat for us. And it arrived with more of those savoury garlic focaccia toasts. Exquisite.
For the second course, I had the chicken supreme ($28): wing bone in, it was pan-roasted with crushed garlic and rosemary and served with sautéed farro (barley) and Swiss chard. It was earthy, simple and satisfying.
My husband had the hazelnut-crusted sea scallops ($32), pan-seared to perfection. These firm, fresh, slightly sweet and translucent morsels were drizzled with hazelnut pesto and nestled on a bed of sweet potato and sautéed mushrooms. So delicious, we’re still reminiscing about them days later.
For dessert, we had the lemon posset ($6): a refreshing pot of cold custard bursting with ripe blueberries and absolutely heavenly. We also tried the crème catalana ($6), which was a Spanish-style crème brulé and quite good, although the real star was the incredible almond shortbread that accompanied it. Desserts are prepared in-house. Marisol’s sous-chef is also a pastry chef and it shows.
For several years now, urban gentrification has been infiltrating downtown Kitchener, yielding cultural marvels such as the Conrad Centre for Performing Arts, the Museum, the Tannery (and the genius it houses), the 41 Gastropub and now Marisol Restaurante. It’s been a slow journey but as the Spanish proverb suggests, “la diligencia es la madre de la buena ventura.” Diligence is the mother of good fortune. It seldom happens over night, but hard work, persistence and vision will get you there over time.
www.marisolrestaurante.ca
Hours
Monday to Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday and Friday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Washrooms are not accessible.
Cuisine
Old world-inspired Mediterranean restaurante, where rustic meets sophistication.
Reservations
Recommended
Atmosphere
Interesting industrial art warmed with dark wood floors and furniture, modern décor, clean lines and sparkling with candles.
Menu
An exotic Mediterranean-inspired menu from earth and sea. Decadent desserts prepared in-house.
Drinks
Interesting selection of red, white and rosé wines by the glass ($9-$12) or bottle ($36-$125). Several Mediterranean varieties along with a few labels from Chile, Niagara, Prince Edward County and Washington State. Beer, martinis, mixed drinks, sparkling water, specialty coffees and tea.
Service
Charming, humble and knowledgeable. However, with only two servers (one in training) working eight or so tables the evening we visited, they were a bit slow to clear our plates.
The bill
$137.86 (including tax, before tip) for two glasses of wine, two first and second courses and two desserts.
In a nutshell
A must-try, especially for foodies.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
No place like Ethel's
As featured in the February 16, 2012 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record.
Walking into Ethel’s Lounge can be a bit intimidating. To get to the seating area, you need to pass an L-shape bar lined with two dozen bar stools — most of which are occupied by regulars whom the bartender knows by name and preferred pint. A stare-down from this motley crew is probable, but not to worry — they won’t bite. Just give them a nod, have a seat on a retro diner chair and get acquainted with the back page of the menu entitled, “Everything you wanted to know about Ethel’s but couldn’t give a damn.”
The first thing it’ll tell you is “prices are subject to change at the drop of a small business loan interest point.” If you’re not smiling yet, it adds, “no fancy schmancy maître d’ will rattle off a bunch of soup du jour or pea-sized portions of Cornish hen in a light cream sauce.” And if a chuckle still impends, it warns, “if you’re expecting someone to pull out your chair, lay a linen napkin across your lap and compliment your penny loafers and argyle socks, you better just pack up the kids in the Volvo wagon and don’t look back.”
Glad I don’t drive a Volvo.
So we started with beer and the tapas platter ($9.99): a tasty sampling of barbecued pork quesadilla, antijitos, pita triangles with roasted red pepper dip, tri-coloured tortilla chips, fresh salsa, chipotle mayo and thick sour cream. Like a fiesta on a plate, this platter was fresh, bright and fun for the senses.
We could’ve stopped there but we had work to do! My husband couldn’t decide between two mains, so our server suggested a combination. Ethel’s is all about made-to-order. So my better half had the better half of the rajah ($11.99): roasted sweet bell peppers stuffed with chorizo (from the chorizo flambado dish), covered with a medley of cheeses and baked. It was topped with a spicy cream sauce, served with refried beans and a side of tangy slaw. It kinda looked like my Grade 5 Mount Vesuvius science experiment, but tasted delicious.
I had the Saturday special: chicken enchiladas ($8.99) topped with melted cheeses, chipotle sauce and served with sour cream and fresh salsa. Now ground meat of any kind freaks me out, both in terms of texture and surprise factor, so I was relieved to learn that Ethel’s uses only fresh chicken breasts. No complaints here.
Except that we were so full it felt like we swallowed sombreros. So we decided to take home what we couldn’t finish. And this is how we came to know the brilliance of Ethel’s service. After clearing our plates, our server returned with a takeout container and confession. “I dropped one of your containers,” she said. “It stayed intact, but I’m not going to give you something that fell on the floor. So I can either remove it from your bill or if you can spare a few minutes, we’ll prepare you a new one.”
That’s good service. And could explain Ethel’s faithful following over the past 18 years. Good service, good food, good prices and let’s face it: there isn’t a place like it. Where else will you find a shrine of ancient CKCO-TV memorabilia, a Colonel Sanders doll (this was the home of Canada’s first KFC in ‘61, don’t you know), an authentic Charlie’s Angels pinball machine, a Ms. Pacman arcade, two guess-your-weight scales, and walls of framed concert posters ranging from Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison and George Carlin to Kiss, Yes, Anne Murray, Genesis and the Blue Oyster Cult.
Just don’t go looking for Elvis or Marilyn — this is not your typical 50s-diner-in-a-box. It’s much grittier. Much cooler. Much more ‘Ethel’s.’
Hours
Monday: 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Tuesday to Friday: 11:30 to 2 a.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Breakfast served on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wheelchair accessibility
Not accessible.
Menu
Mostly Tex-Mex and bar food (but nothing deep-fried) along with a few specialties such as the meat loaf, pulled pork on a bun and hand-prepared burgers. Daily specials, including popular $2 taco Tuesdays (after 4 p.m. with a drink order). Hangovers lay to rest here. Takeout available.
Reservations
Not necessary.
Atmosphere
The anti-50s-diner-in-a-box. One of a kind. Great (and I mean “enormous”) summertime patio. Pool table. Plays the kind of blues music that makes you happy.
Drinks
Beer: More than 20 varieties in bottles, seven in draft. Cider, coolers, hard liquors, a couple wines. Fountain drinks galore.
Service
Our server was tough as jerky, smart as a whip and funny as hell. What’s more, she admitted she dropped our takeout container, intact, on the kitchen floor and offered to either remove it from our bill or have the cook make us a new order.
The bill
$49.86 (including tax, before tip) for two pints, a tapas platter, two mains and a side of slaw.
In a nutshell
Ethel’s is an experience and a K-W landmark
Walking into Ethel’s Lounge can be a bit intimidating. To get to the seating area, you need to pass an L-shape bar lined with two dozen bar stools — most of which are occupied by regulars whom the bartender knows by name and preferred pint. A stare-down from this motley crew is probable, but not to worry — they won’t bite. Just give them a nod, have a seat on a retro diner chair and get acquainted with the back page of the menu entitled, “Everything you wanted to know about Ethel’s but couldn’t give a damn.”
The first thing it’ll tell you is “prices are subject to change at the drop of a small business loan interest point.” If you’re not smiling yet, it adds, “no fancy schmancy maître d’ will rattle off a bunch of soup du jour or pea-sized portions of Cornish hen in a light cream sauce.” And if a chuckle still impends, it warns, “if you’re expecting someone to pull out your chair, lay a linen napkin across your lap and compliment your penny loafers and argyle socks, you better just pack up the kids in the Volvo wagon and don’t look back.”
Glad I don’t drive a Volvo.
So we started with beer and the tapas platter ($9.99): a tasty sampling of barbecued pork quesadilla, antijitos, pita triangles with roasted red pepper dip, tri-coloured tortilla chips, fresh salsa, chipotle mayo and thick sour cream. Like a fiesta on a plate, this platter was fresh, bright and fun for the senses.
We could’ve stopped there but we had work to do! My husband couldn’t decide between two mains, so our server suggested a combination. Ethel’s is all about made-to-order. So my better half had the better half of the rajah ($11.99): roasted sweet bell peppers stuffed with chorizo (from the chorizo flambado dish), covered with a medley of cheeses and baked. It was topped with a spicy cream sauce, served with refried beans and a side of tangy slaw. It kinda looked like my Grade 5 Mount Vesuvius science experiment, but tasted delicious.
I had the Saturday special: chicken enchiladas ($8.99) topped with melted cheeses, chipotle sauce and served with sour cream and fresh salsa. Now ground meat of any kind freaks me out, both in terms of texture and surprise factor, so I was relieved to learn that Ethel’s uses only fresh chicken breasts. No complaints here.
Except that we were so full it felt like we swallowed sombreros. So we decided to take home what we couldn’t finish. And this is how we came to know the brilliance of Ethel’s service. After clearing our plates, our server returned with a takeout container and confession. “I dropped one of your containers,” she said. “It stayed intact, but I’m not going to give you something that fell on the floor. So I can either remove it from your bill or if you can spare a few minutes, we’ll prepare you a new one.”
That’s good service. And could explain Ethel’s faithful following over the past 18 years. Good service, good food, good prices and let’s face it: there isn’t a place like it. Where else will you find a shrine of ancient CKCO-TV memorabilia, a Colonel Sanders doll (this was the home of Canada’s first KFC in ‘61, don’t you know), an authentic Charlie’s Angels pinball machine, a Ms. Pacman arcade, two guess-your-weight scales, and walls of framed concert posters ranging from Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison and George Carlin to Kiss, Yes, Anne Murray, Genesis and the Blue Oyster Cult.
Just don’t go looking for Elvis or Marilyn — this is not your typical 50s-diner-in-a-box. It’s much grittier. Much cooler. Much more ‘Ethel’s.’
Hours
Monday: 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Tuesday to Friday: 11:30 to 2 a.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Breakfast served on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wheelchair accessibility
Not accessible.
Menu
Mostly Tex-Mex and bar food (but nothing deep-fried) along with a few specialties such as the meat loaf, pulled pork on a bun and hand-prepared burgers. Daily specials, including popular $2 taco Tuesdays (after 4 p.m. with a drink order). Hangovers lay to rest here. Takeout available.
Reservations
Not necessary.
Atmosphere
The anti-50s-diner-in-a-box. One of a kind. Great (and I mean “enormous”) summertime patio. Pool table. Plays the kind of blues music that makes you happy.
Drinks
Beer: More than 20 varieties in bottles, seven in draft. Cider, coolers, hard liquors, a couple wines. Fountain drinks galore.
Service
Our server was tough as jerky, smart as a whip and funny as hell. What’s more, she admitted she dropped our takeout container, intact, on the kitchen floor and offered to either remove it from our bill or have the cook make us a new order.
The bill
$49.86 (including tax, before tip) for two pints, a tapas platter, two mains and a side of slaw.
In a nutshell
Ethel’s is an experience and a K-W landmark
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Third time's a charm for King Street Trio Uptown
As featured in the February 2, 2012 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record.
In 1996, when three owners decided to open a restaurant on King Street in Kitchener, it only made sense to call it King Street Trio. Of course, they didn’t anticipate a move to University Avenue in Waterloo four years later, or the subsequent awkward patch to its name: King Street Trio on University. But as of April 2011, the rebranded King Street Trio Uptown is back on King, hipper than ever, and amassing the best of old and new.
Just step inside the revitalized 1903 building and you’ll see what I mean: a jaw-dropping wood ceiling emulating the railway tracks outside, a wall of original tin tiles, bar and tables made of reclaimed wood from Listowel-area farmers, and a gorgeous slate kitchen counter — a pool table in a former life — harmonize with modern décor to create a fresh urban vibe.
The menu is also reminiscent of some old faves with a new earth-and-ocean twist. House specialties include certified Angus beef, handmade pasta and a variety of fresh seafood dishes, clearly influenced by sister company, King Crab Oyster Bar and Grill in Kitchener.
Relaxed upon entering this unique and bustling space, date night commenced with a glass of sauvignon blanc, fresh Italian bread and a shallow dunking dish of olive oil, balsamic and sundried-tomato chutney. It was Friday night, the kids were at grandma’s, Ella Fitzgerald played in the background and everything was right with the world.
Moving onto appetizers, we were tempted by the calamari flowers but opted for the panko-crusted crab cakes ($12), which combined blue crab with red pepper, roasted garlic, fresh chilies and cilantro, crowned with ancho-pepper aioli and fresh tomato. Now I’m pretty particular (read: snobby) when it comes to crab cakes, having tasted amazingly fresh varieties as I overlooked the Atlantic Ocean along Cape Breton’s Cabot Trail. These were better. Hard to believe, I know, but go taste for yourself.
We also tried the walnut-crusted Camembert ($11), which was predictably good and served with grilled flatbread, apple preserves and delicious shaved fennel.
For mains, my husband had the earth and ocean dish ($39): Certified Angus beef tenderloin grilled to his preferred medium rare. It was served with jumbo prawns, which were wrapped in bacon and stuffed with blue crab. While my husband belongs to that minuscule population of men who aren’t big on bacon, this was, hands down, the showstopper for him. I rightly concur. And they were massive!
I had the almond-crusted pickerel ($24), served on a bed of white-wine and asiago-infused risotto (amazing) with sautéed market vegetables and finished in a fiery raspberry coulis. Writing about it five days later has me salivating.
For dessert — because you have to have dessert, especially when they’re made in-house — my husband had a rich chocolate flourless torte ($8), served with Chantilly cream (that’s French for vanilla-flavoured whipped cream) and macerated (that’s fancy for drunk) strawberries.
I had the best vanilla crème brulé ($8) I’ve ever had: vanilla-bean-infused custard with the perfect candied crust, served with berry compote, Chantilly cream and a tulle cookie. Extraordinary.
Brian Plouffe, now sole owner of King Street Trio Uptown, has jazzed up King Street yet again, enhancing uptown Waterloo’s happening new vibe and confirming there’s truth to the saying, “third time’s a charm.”
Hours
Lunch: Monday to Friday starting at 11:30 a.m.
Dinner: Monday and Tuesday, 5 — 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday, 5 — 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 5 — 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, 5 — 9 p.m.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Accessible.
Cuisine
Specializes in certified Angus beef, handmade pasta and fruits de mer. An in-house smoker generates flavour intensity for varied dishes. All desserts are prepared in-house. An open-concept kitchen allows you to witness the culinary mastery yourself. Restaurant accommodates food preferences and allergies.
Reservations
Recommended.
Atmosphere
Fine-dining meets green. Owner Brian Plouffe collaborated with Graham Whiting of Whiting Design, who specializes in sustainable design and green building architecture. Also on the project was building landlord and Uptown Waterloo developer, Jeff Zavitz, who also developed Princess Twin Cinemas, the Waterloo Entertainment Centre, and the Regina Street Commons.
Drinks
Selection of red, white and sparkling wines from Ontario, California, Argentina, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Available by the glass ($6 — $11), half-litre ($17 — $32) or bottle ($25 — $225). Icewine ($12-$50), grappa ($5), brandy, cognacs and ports ($5-$15). Seventeen ‘twisted’ martinis ($8-$12), 14 creative cocktails, including a daily special ($7), house and premium pours ($5 — $14), lagers, ales and coolers ($4-$8), specialty coffees ($7) and designer water ($3-$8).
Service
Servers and staff performed a graceful ballet around us — pulling out chairs, filling water glasses, gliding platters beneath our eyes, all while mindful of not interrupting conversation.
The bill
Expensive, but worth the splurge. $140.12 (including tax, before tip) for two glasses of wine, two appetizers, two mains and two desserts.
In 1996, when three owners decided to open a restaurant on King Street in Kitchener, it only made sense to call it King Street Trio. Of course, they didn’t anticipate a move to University Avenue in Waterloo four years later, or the subsequent awkward patch to its name: King Street Trio on University. But as of April 2011, the rebranded King Street Trio Uptown is back on King, hipper than ever, and amassing the best of old and new.
Just step inside the revitalized 1903 building and you’ll see what I mean: a jaw-dropping wood ceiling emulating the railway tracks outside, a wall of original tin tiles, bar and tables made of reclaimed wood from Listowel-area farmers, and a gorgeous slate kitchen counter — a pool table in a former life — harmonize with modern décor to create a fresh urban vibe.
The menu is also reminiscent of some old faves with a new earth-and-ocean twist. House specialties include certified Angus beef, handmade pasta and a variety of fresh seafood dishes, clearly influenced by sister company, King Crab Oyster Bar and Grill in Kitchener.
Relaxed upon entering this unique and bustling space, date night commenced with a glass of sauvignon blanc, fresh Italian bread and a shallow dunking dish of olive oil, balsamic and sundried-tomato chutney. It was Friday night, the kids were at grandma’s, Ella Fitzgerald played in the background and everything was right with the world.
Moving onto appetizers, we were tempted by the calamari flowers but opted for the panko-crusted crab cakes ($12), which combined blue crab with red pepper, roasted garlic, fresh chilies and cilantro, crowned with ancho-pepper aioli and fresh tomato. Now I’m pretty particular (read: snobby) when it comes to crab cakes, having tasted amazingly fresh varieties as I overlooked the Atlantic Ocean along Cape Breton’s Cabot Trail. These were better. Hard to believe, I know, but go taste for yourself.
We also tried the walnut-crusted Camembert ($11), which was predictably good and served with grilled flatbread, apple preserves and delicious shaved fennel.
For mains, my husband had the earth and ocean dish ($39): Certified Angus beef tenderloin grilled to his preferred medium rare. It was served with jumbo prawns, which were wrapped in bacon and stuffed with blue crab. While my husband belongs to that minuscule population of men who aren’t big on bacon, this was, hands down, the showstopper for him. I rightly concur. And they were massive!
I had the almond-crusted pickerel ($24), served on a bed of white-wine and asiago-infused risotto (amazing) with sautéed market vegetables and finished in a fiery raspberry coulis. Writing about it five days later has me salivating.
For dessert — because you have to have dessert, especially when they’re made in-house — my husband had a rich chocolate flourless torte ($8), served with Chantilly cream (that’s French for vanilla-flavoured whipped cream) and macerated (that’s fancy for drunk) strawberries.
I had the best vanilla crème brulé ($8) I’ve ever had: vanilla-bean-infused custard with the perfect candied crust, served with berry compote, Chantilly cream and a tulle cookie. Extraordinary.
Brian Plouffe, now sole owner of King Street Trio Uptown, has jazzed up King Street yet again, enhancing uptown Waterloo’s happening new vibe and confirming there’s truth to the saying, “third time’s a charm.”
Hours
Lunch: Monday to Friday starting at 11:30 a.m.
Dinner: Monday and Tuesday, 5 — 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday, 5 — 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 5 — 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, 5 — 9 p.m.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Accessible.
Cuisine
Specializes in certified Angus beef, handmade pasta and fruits de mer. An in-house smoker generates flavour intensity for varied dishes. All desserts are prepared in-house. An open-concept kitchen allows you to witness the culinary mastery yourself. Restaurant accommodates food preferences and allergies.
Reservations
Recommended.
Atmosphere
Fine-dining meets green. Owner Brian Plouffe collaborated with Graham Whiting of Whiting Design, who specializes in sustainable design and green building architecture. Also on the project was building landlord and Uptown Waterloo developer, Jeff Zavitz, who also developed Princess Twin Cinemas, the Waterloo Entertainment Centre, and the Regina Street Commons.
Drinks
Selection of red, white and sparkling wines from Ontario, California, Argentina, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Available by the glass ($6 — $11), half-litre ($17 — $32) or bottle ($25 — $225). Icewine ($12-$50), grappa ($5), brandy, cognacs and ports ($5-$15). Seventeen ‘twisted’ martinis ($8-$12), 14 creative cocktails, including a daily special ($7), house and premium pours ($5 — $14), lagers, ales and coolers ($4-$8), specialty coffees ($7) and designer water ($3-$8).
Service
Servers and staff performed a graceful ballet around us — pulling out chairs, filling water glasses, gliding platters beneath our eyes, all while mindful of not interrupting conversation.
The bill
Expensive, but worth the splurge. $140.12 (including tax, before tip) for two glasses of wine, two appetizers, two mains and two desserts.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
It's not folklore: Raintree Cafe has healthy eats
As featured in the January 19, 2012 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record.
If you intend to keep your resolution to eat healthy beyond the New Year – even when dining out – add the Raintree Café to your list.
Upon entering the split-level eatery near King and University in Waterloo, ignore the whimsical décor; it might have you questioning whether a garden gnome will seat you (service is quirky, but not that quirky). Instead pay attention to the Eat Smart! award of excellence on the wall, the tried-and-true menu – perfected over the last 14 years – and the continuous stream of fresh, fragrant and colourful dishes that fly out of the kitchen like magic carpets.
Our New Year lunch started quite healthily with spicy chicken satay ($12.45): five skewers of incredibly tender chicken marinated in a symphony of Thai spices and served with artichoke and asiago ‘venus dip’ (it’s all about moderation, people). Select the ‘greens’ accompaniment instead of focaccia, and it’s served atop an artistically presented salad of fresh mesclun mix, red and yellow peppers, cucumber, tomato, carrot, radicchio and alfalfa sprouts. Our server recommended the lime-ginger dressing, a concoction so good it will leave you wanting more. In fact, for $4.50, the restaurant will sell you a cup of any of its homemade dressings to take home. The portion of this appetizer is more than ample for lunch. But to satisfy your curiosity, dear reader, we needed to forge on.
We also tried the trailblazer salad ($4.95) – predictably good and chockfull of apples, trail mix, and shredded carrots amidst greens. The citrus mango poppyseed vinaigrette was enough to blaze the trail for me. Two checks for healthy eating. Practically deserving of reward, don’t you think?
Our server’s description of the pasta special ($13.99) sealed the deal: spinach and ricotta stuffed ravioli, asparagus, baby spinach, mushrooms, cooked tomatoes and asiago in a delicate tomato cream sauce. So Jenny Craig might not agree, but I was certainly won over. It had vegetables! Come to think of it, I have no idea how Raintree found such fresh-tasting asparagus in January. The vegetables’ natural flavours came through beautifully in this dish, which made it seem healthier, save the carbs and cream sauce.
Should her current job not pan out, our server could easily excel in sales. Mere suggestion that the steak sandwich ($13.45) was the best in town practically had my husband scribbling down his own order. One bite confirmed it. He was particularly impressed with how it “wasn’t all gooped up” with ingredients. Served open-faced and topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms, melted cheddar and a pickle on the side for good measure.
Now many of you won’t be interested in hearing about dessert, but important information to know should you ever be questioned. First I must convey my dessert philosophy, which is, quite simply: don’t mess around. Enjoy it in all its full-fat glory, embed it in your memory for the non-dessert days that follow, and move on (by way of treadmill).
One glance at the dessert menu and I knew we were kindred spirits: 11 varieties of Dufflet desserts, Illy coffee, brewed in a Bunn – that’s how it’s done.
My husband chose the squirrel tart ($3.50): a gratifying chocolate crust layered with fudgy peanut butter mousse, caramel, peanuts and finished in a dark chocolate glaze. Nut-tacular. I opted for the raspberry chocolate truffle ($4.95): four luxurious layers of light chocolate cake nestled between raspberry and rich chocolate truffle cream. Snap! (Goes the belt buckle.)
So we skipped dinner. It was worth it. Eating healthy is easy at the Raintree Café. Harnessing your appetite is not.
Two and a half forks
Raintree Cafe
220 King St. N., Waterloo
519-884-4953
www.raintreecafe.com
Hours
Monday to Friday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9 p.m.)
Saturday: 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9 p.m.)
Closed Sundays
Wheelchair Accessibility
Inaccessible.
Cuisine
Kitchen staff didn’t just ride in on a turnip truck; they could run circles around the Mediterranean, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Cajun and American dishes they’ve perfected. What’s evident is their respect for freshness and the innate flavours of the carefully selected ingredients.
Reservations
Necessary, especially at lunch.
Atmosphere
Whimsical to the point that it needs an update (e.g. the toilets have instructions for proper flushing). Folklore meets industrial, warmed with wood. Eclectic? Bold blue walls filled with local paintings and photography, wood tables, sadly upholstered leatherette chairs. But the sari-like silk pillows lining the banquette seating always make me feel cozy. Live music some evenings.
Menu
Inventive homemade soups (‘license to dill’ caught my eye), four to five varieties each of zesty salads (with amazing homemade dressings), appetizers, wraps, sandwiches and entrees.
Drinks
Seven chalkboard offerings of local and international and wines by the glass ($5.95) and half-litre ($17.95). Nine varieties are available by the bottle ($25.95). Several local and imported beers in bottles and draught-style cans as well as hard liquor and liqueurs. Variety of lattes, teas, juices and natural soft drinks.
Service
Friendly, quirky, informative but I felt a bit rushed.
The bill
$75.65 (including tax, before tip) for a salad, appetizer, two entrees, two desserts, two glasses of wine and a coffee.
In a nutshell
This place has mastered its dishes. They don’t change often, but they’re consistently good.
If you intend to keep your resolution to eat healthy beyond the New Year – even when dining out – add the Raintree Café to your list.
Upon entering the split-level eatery near King and University in Waterloo, ignore the whimsical décor; it might have you questioning whether a garden gnome will seat you (service is quirky, but not that quirky). Instead pay attention to the Eat Smart! award of excellence on the wall, the tried-and-true menu – perfected over the last 14 years – and the continuous stream of fresh, fragrant and colourful dishes that fly out of the kitchen like magic carpets.
Our New Year lunch started quite healthily with spicy chicken satay ($12.45): five skewers of incredibly tender chicken marinated in a symphony of Thai spices and served with artichoke and asiago ‘venus dip’ (it’s all about moderation, people). Select the ‘greens’ accompaniment instead of focaccia, and it’s served atop an artistically presented salad of fresh mesclun mix, red and yellow peppers, cucumber, tomato, carrot, radicchio and alfalfa sprouts. Our server recommended the lime-ginger dressing, a concoction so good it will leave you wanting more. In fact, for $4.50, the restaurant will sell you a cup of any of its homemade dressings to take home. The portion of this appetizer is more than ample for lunch. But to satisfy your curiosity, dear reader, we needed to forge on.
We also tried the trailblazer salad ($4.95) – predictably good and chockfull of apples, trail mix, and shredded carrots amidst greens. The citrus mango poppyseed vinaigrette was enough to blaze the trail for me. Two checks for healthy eating. Practically deserving of reward, don’t you think?
Our server’s description of the pasta special ($13.99) sealed the deal: spinach and ricotta stuffed ravioli, asparagus, baby spinach, mushrooms, cooked tomatoes and asiago in a delicate tomato cream sauce. So Jenny Craig might not agree, but I was certainly won over. It had vegetables! Come to think of it, I have no idea how Raintree found such fresh-tasting asparagus in January. The vegetables’ natural flavours came through beautifully in this dish, which made it seem healthier, save the carbs and cream sauce.
Should her current job not pan out, our server could easily excel in sales. Mere suggestion that the steak sandwich ($13.45) was the best in town practically had my husband scribbling down his own order. One bite confirmed it. He was particularly impressed with how it “wasn’t all gooped up” with ingredients. Served open-faced and topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms, melted cheddar and a pickle on the side for good measure.
Now many of you won’t be interested in hearing about dessert, but important information to know should you ever be questioned. First I must convey my dessert philosophy, which is, quite simply: don’t mess around. Enjoy it in all its full-fat glory, embed it in your memory for the non-dessert days that follow, and move on (by way of treadmill).
One glance at the dessert menu and I knew we were kindred spirits: 11 varieties of Dufflet desserts, Illy coffee, brewed in a Bunn – that’s how it’s done.
My husband chose the squirrel tart ($3.50): a gratifying chocolate crust layered with fudgy peanut butter mousse, caramel, peanuts and finished in a dark chocolate glaze. Nut-tacular. I opted for the raspberry chocolate truffle ($4.95): four luxurious layers of light chocolate cake nestled between raspberry and rich chocolate truffle cream. Snap! (Goes the belt buckle.)
So we skipped dinner. It was worth it. Eating healthy is easy at the Raintree Café. Harnessing your appetite is not.
Two and a half forks
Raintree Cafe
220 King St. N., Waterloo
519-884-4953
www.raintreecafe.com
Hours
Monday to Friday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9 p.m.)
Saturday: 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9 p.m.)
Closed Sundays
Wheelchair Accessibility
Inaccessible.
Cuisine
Kitchen staff didn’t just ride in on a turnip truck; they could run circles around the Mediterranean, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Cajun and American dishes they’ve perfected. What’s evident is their respect for freshness and the innate flavours of the carefully selected ingredients.
Reservations
Necessary, especially at lunch.
Atmosphere
Whimsical to the point that it needs an update (e.g. the toilets have instructions for proper flushing). Folklore meets industrial, warmed with wood. Eclectic? Bold blue walls filled with local paintings and photography, wood tables, sadly upholstered leatherette chairs. But the sari-like silk pillows lining the banquette seating always make me feel cozy. Live music some evenings.
Menu
Inventive homemade soups (‘license to dill’ caught my eye), four to five varieties each of zesty salads (with amazing homemade dressings), appetizers, wraps, sandwiches and entrees.
Drinks
Seven chalkboard offerings of local and international and wines by the glass ($5.95) and half-litre ($17.95). Nine varieties are available by the bottle ($25.95). Several local and imported beers in bottles and draught-style cans as well as hard liquor and liqueurs. Variety of lattes, teas, juices and natural soft drinks.
Service
Friendly, quirky, informative but I felt a bit rushed.
The bill
$75.65 (including tax, before tip) for a salad, appetizer, two entrees, two desserts, two glasses of wine and a coffee.
In a nutshell
This place has mastered its dishes. They don’t change often, but they’re consistently good.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Stamp your culinary passport at MeMe's Cafe
As featured in the January 5, 2012 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record.
If you can’t jet set to an exotic destination this holiday, you need go no farther than MeMe’s Café in New Hamburg to sample multicultural cuisine from around the world.
That’s right: New Hamburg.
Meredith Hagen, owner of MeMe’s Café, grew up in New Hamburg but later lived in Paris and spent time in Italy, Greece and the Caribbean along the way. In a post-review conversation, Hagen credited her travels to her expanded understanding of global cuisine, which often agrees with her food allergies and gluten intolerance. She came to appreciate the slow-food mentality of these countries: preserving traditional and regional cuisine and encouraging farming of the local ecosystem, ideally organically.
When Hagen returned home and opened MeMe’s Café in 2001, she envisioned merging local, mostly organic food with international recipes to provide wholesome, feel-good options for patrons, including those with food sensitivities. Her chef, Stephen St. Christian, lived most of his life in Toronto, where he was captivated by the city’s ethnic smorgasbord of culinary marvels. These memories continue to inspire MeMe’s constantly changing menu today.
Our epicurean adventure started with callaloo ($3.25), the Caribbean version of gumbo. Spinach lends this soup its rich green colour but takes a back seat to fragrant coconut milk, hearty plantains and a hint of that Jamaican secret ingredient: allspice. It was served piping hot with soft, oven-warm bread. Had my lunch ended here, I would’ve been quite content.
But we had barely left the runway. A tour of the Mediterranean followed with MeMe’s feta salad ($5.25), which I hear has hooked locals with its organic mixed greens, sesame and sunflower seeds, almonds, red pepper, raisins, marinated feta and honey Dijon vinaigrette. Delightful.
Next came an oversized bowl of Greek seafood stew ($10.25), which had me thanking Zeus for its savoury roasted tomato and fennel broth bursting with bites of fresh sole, shrimp and calamari. I’m a bit squeamish when it comes to squid but could’ve easily taken home another bowl had it not sold out.
We also paid homage to Germany’s quiche ($9.95), with a roasted apple thyme and swiss rendition. But it was served cold, which didn’t win me over, and its flavour paled in comparison to the other dishes.
Fortunately, dessert was its redeemer, and let’s just talk about MeMe’s heavenly baked creations: gourmet cookies the size of your head, pies, squares, tarts — all godsends. Makes perfect sense that baker, Kim Frere, is a local minister’s wife.
I confess that the dessert I selected was a little more sinful, entitled “tits of the Andes” ($2.75). I’m not kidding. Apparently, this is a commonly known dessert in parts of Europe. Large, chocolate-covered coconut macaroons with white chocolate peaks were va-va-voom. Now how often can you order something off a restaurant menu with a name like that? And gluten-free, no less!
On a more wholesome note, we also sampled a zesty lemon tart ($4), which reminded me of something my sweet little Irish grandmother would lovingly prepare. Lovely.
Now don’t be disheartened when you pull up to MeMe’s unassuming exterior (OK, the interior’s nothing to write home about either). Because you know that magic is bubbling over in the kitchen when a continuous stream of customers float in and out its doors, many hugging brown paper takeout bags and sporting anticipating grins.
Who needs airport lineups, jet lag and turbulence when you can enjoy this kind of hassle-free baggage claim?
MeMe’s Cafe
102 Peel St., New Hamburg
519-662-2828
www.memescafe.com
Hours
Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Sundays, and Jan. 1 to 9 for holidays.
Accessibility
One step up to the entrance makes this café not accessible.
Cuisine
Internationally inspired dishes with a local twist.
Reservations
Not necessary.
Atmosphere
A dim but homey café with barn-board floors and eclectic wood furniture amid retro Formica and aluminum tables and chairs. Walls covered with local artwork.
Menu
Soups, salads, sandwiches, quiches, entrees and many delectable desserts. Varieties change daily. Many marked gluten-free options. MeMe’s Café also has a catering menu for weddings, private dinner parties, corporate events and luncheons covering areas as wide as Stratford to Toronto. All culinary creations — including those served at the café — are prepared at its off-site industrial kitchen, also located in New Hamburg.
Drinks
Several varieties of Baden Coffee Company organic javas, dry sodas (in unique flavours such as rhubarb, juniper berry, vanilla bean and lavender), organic juices and all-natural sodas. Not licensed.
Service
Friendly (know most customers by name) and accommodating.
The bill
$40.06 (before tax, including tip) for an order of soup, a salad, two mains and two desserts.
In a nutshell
Excellent food, great value, charming little café. Two and a half forks
If you can’t jet set to an exotic destination this holiday, you need go no farther than MeMe’s Café in New Hamburg to sample multicultural cuisine from around the world.
That’s right: New Hamburg.
Meredith Hagen, owner of MeMe’s Café, grew up in New Hamburg but later lived in Paris and spent time in Italy, Greece and the Caribbean along the way. In a post-review conversation, Hagen credited her travels to her expanded understanding of global cuisine, which often agrees with her food allergies and gluten intolerance. She came to appreciate the slow-food mentality of these countries: preserving traditional and regional cuisine and encouraging farming of the local ecosystem, ideally organically.
When Hagen returned home and opened MeMe’s Café in 2001, she envisioned merging local, mostly organic food with international recipes to provide wholesome, feel-good options for patrons, including those with food sensitivities. Her chef, Stephen St. Christian, lived most of his life in Toronto, where he was captivated by the city’s ethnic smorgasbord of culinary marvels. These memories continue to inspire MeMe’s constantly changing menu today.
Our epicurean adventure started with callaloo ($3.25), the Caribbean version of gumbo. Spinach lends this soup its rich green colour but takes a back seat to fragrant coconut milk, hearty plantains and a hint of that Jamaican secret ingredient: allspice. It was served piping hot with soft, oven-warm bread. Had my lunch ended here, I would’ve been quite content.
But we had barely left the runway. A tour of the Mediterranean followed with MeMe’s feta salad ($5.25), which I hear has hooked locals with its organic mixed greens, sesame and sunflower seeds, almonds, red pepper, raisins, marinated feta and honey Dijon vinaigrette. Delightful.
Next came an oversized bowl of Greek seafood stew ($10.25), which had me thanking Zeus for its savoury roasted tomato and fennel broth bursting with bites of fresh sole, shrimp and calamari. I’m a bit squeamish when it comes to squid but could’ve easily taken home another bowl had it not sold out.
We also paid homage to Germany’s quiche ($9.95), with a roasted apple thyme and swiss rendition. But it was served cold, which didn’t win me over, and its flavour paled in comparison to the other dishes.
Fortunately, dessert was its redeemer, and let’s just talk about MeMe’s heavenly baked creations: gourmet cookies the size of your head, pies, squares, tarts — all godsends. Makes perfect sense that baker, Kim Frere, is a local minister’s wife.
I confess that the dessert I selected was a little more sinful, entitled “tits of the Andes” ($2.75). I’m not kidding. Apparently, this is a commonly known dessert in parts of Europe. Large, chocolate-covered coconut macaroons with white chocolate peaks were va-va-voom. Now how often can you order something off a restaurant menu with a name like that? And gluten-free, no less!
On a more wholesome note, we also sampled a zesty lemon tart ($4), which reminded me of something my sweet little Irish grandmother would lovingly prepare. Lovely.
Now don’t be disheartened when you pull up to MeMe’s unassuming exterior (OK, the interior’s nothing to write home about either). Because you know that magic is bubbling over in the kitchen when a continuous stream of customers float in and out its doors, many hugging brown paper takeout bags and sporting anticipating grins.
Who needs airport lineups, jet lag and turbulence when you can enjoy this kind of hassle-free baggage claim?
MeMe’s Cafe
102 Peel St., New Hamburg
519-662-2828
www.memescafe.com
Hours
Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Sundays, and Jan. 1 to 9 for holidays.
Accessibility
One step up to the entrance makes this café not accessible.
Cuisine
Internationally inspired dishes with a local twist.
Reservations
Not necessary.
Atmosphere
A dim but homey café with barn-board floors and eclectic wood furniture amid retro Formica and aluminum tables and chairs. Walls covered with local artwork.
Menu
Soups, salads, sandwiches, quiches, entrees and many delectable desserts. Varieties change daily. Many marked gluten-free options. MeMe’s Café also has a catering menu for weddings, private dinner parties, corporate events and luncheons covering areas as wide as Stratford to Toronto. All culinary creations — including those served at the café — are prepared at its off-site industrial kitchen, also located in New Hamburg.
Drinks
Several varieties of Baden Coffee Company organic javas, dry sodas (in unique flavours such as rhubarb, juniper berry, vanilla bean and lavender), organic juices and all-natural sodas. Not licensed.
Service
Friendly (know most customers by name) and accommodating.
The bill
$40.06 (before tax, including tip) for an order of soup, a salad, two mains and two desserts.
In a nutshell
Excellent food, great value, charming little café. Two and a half forks
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Crazy for Stratford's Pazzo
As featured in the December 15, 2011 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record.
Stratford transforms into a charming Victorian Christmas card this time of year. Downtown gleams with wreath-encircled lampposts, white lights, garland and red velvet bows. Add gently falling snow, and your heart can’t help but ignite with the magic of the season.
Holiday shopping Stratford’s unique storefronts provides a refreshing alternative to the mall, and a great excuse to eat in a city known for award-winning cuisine. Having lived there several years, I had the privilege of enjoying numerous fine meals prepared by meticulous Stratford chefs, many of whom unite with local farmers to bring fresh, honest, intrinsically good food to your table.
I feel like a kid in a candy store when deciding where to eat in Stratford. But after a recent downtown shopping excursion on a blustery December afternoon, one comfort food came to mind: pizza. Specifically, the best pizza I’ve ever had, found at Pazzo Pizzeria.
Articulating its splendor should come easy to a writer. However, I’m not sure there’s an English word to do it justice. Let’s just say that ‘pazzo’ is Italian for ‘crazy’ and you’d be crazy not to go.
My recent Pazzo reunion started with an old-time favourite: Caesar salad ($9), which is nothing shy of extraordinary. Its tangy, from-scratch dressing has the perfect combination of garlic, anchovy, lemon and Worcestershire. Fresh bite-sized romaine hearts layered amidst crispy pancetta, quality parmigiano-reggiano and airy herbed croutons. You haven’t truly appreciated a caesar salad until you’ve tried this version.
My husband’s antipasti plate ($12) was an assortment of marinated olives, artichoke hearts, pickled cauliflower and beets, roasted shallots, goat cheese, mozzarella, prosciutto, spicy salami, capocollo and arugula. Its fresh, local, quality ingredients bellowed, “Welcome to la dolce vita!” on a plate.
I forgot to mention the bread. Spongy focaccia with a delicately salted crust (prepared at Pazzo’s Bakery next door) accompanies every meal along with a shallow dunking dish of fruity olive oil and syrupy balsamic, demonstrating again that ‘quality’ and ‘simplicity’ forge a powerful union.
Onto the main event: the thin-crust pizza, available in plain or whole wheat. A variety of cleverly named renditions – the don corleone, soprano, Vatican and marco polo, to name a few – are all virtuoso in their own rights. My favourite, the medici ($10), is a spicy little number with hot peppers, kalamata olives, diced tomato, pesto and buffalo mozzarella. The smell alone has imprinted my memory for dentist chair visits when I need to go to my “happy place.” What’s more, it sings ‘O Sole Mio’ when dipped in Pazzo’s signature chili oil.
My husband ordered the ricotta gnocchi ($13) after our server said she could eat it all day and all night. Now we get it. Tender pillows of potato perfection, drenched in a rich Gorgonzola cream sauce balanced with colourful grilled radicchio: delightful.
There was no turning back now so tiramisu with espresso cream ($7.50) and a flourless chocolate square with double-chocolate sauce ($7.50) followed. The quality of the chocolate and coffee percolated through each bite.
The pizzeria’s ambiance– Stratford’s oldest cellar transformed into a sleek but warm urban resto-lounge – is molto cool; yet not so cool that you couldn’t bring your kids. Our two-year-old always enjoys dining at Pazzo.
While we’re visiting family in Stratford this Christmas, I think we might grab a meal from the new ‘Pazzo to go’ take-out menu. Perfect for those frosty late-December days when you feel like eating like kings in the comfort of your own pajamas.
Pazzo Ristorante, Bar and Pizzeria
70 Ontario St., Stratford
519-273-6666
www.pazzo.ca
Pizzeria Hours
Sunday to Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Closed Mondays
Wheelchair Accessibility
Through the back door off Erie Street. Ristorante accessible through Ontario Street.
Cuisine
Simple, fresh, quality Italian food made spectacularly. Locavores live here.
Reservations
Recommended, especially during the theatre season.
Atmosphere
Pazzo is divided into two restaurants: the downstairs pizzeria is a swanked-up cellar that’s hip, casual and warm. Pazzo’s street-level ristorante (only open during the theatre season, although occasionally for New Year’s Eve) provides a stunning and formal atmosphere with a more adventurous menu. Take-out meals can be picked up at the Pazzo Bakery next door.
Menu
Amazing salads, appetizers, pizza, pasta, gnocchi and a few gluten-free dinner mains such as risotto, beef short ribs and olive brine braised chicken.
Drinks
An extensive drink list dominates the menu. A variety of martinis, manhattans, sparkling wines and cocktails, local and imported beers on tap and in bottles, premium and bar-brand liquors, selection of whiskeys. Wines are available by the glass ($6-$10), by 500 ml-, 750 ml- or 1,000 ml-carafes or bottles ($38-$75). Dessert menu features Italian liqueurs, grappa, sherry, port and specialty coffees. A few fancy non-alcoholic options as well.
Service
Down-to-earth, knowledgeable, easy-going and attentive.
The bill
$82.49 (including tax, before tip) for two glasses of wine, and two orders of appetizers, entrees and desserts.
In a nutshell
Three and a half forks.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Soup-to-nuts dining at The Cellar in Elora
As featured in the December 1, 2011 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record.
A cellar conjures all sorts of images: a fruit cellar sparkling with homemade preserves, a root cellar amassing harvested vegetables, a storm cellar providing shelter during inclement weather, and my personal favourite, a wine cellar, aging row upon row of Domaine Romanée-Conti pinot noir. A girl can dream, can’t she?
And then there’s the cellar (read: basement) you’d find in an old fieldstone farmhouse: home to a mishmash of soup-to-nuts sundries and wares with the odd hidden gem. This is what you can expect to find at The Cellar Pub and Grill in Elora.
Tucked behind a Mill Street jeweller, The Cellar’s entrance is authenticated by rickety stairs descending to what appears to be a pub, with exposed beams, wine barrels, a flatscreen and bar. But round the corner, and you’ve entered a dining space adorned with espresso tables, oversized chairs and contemporary art amidst gilt-framed landscapes, silk flowers and cascading ivy. Step onto the deck and you’re transported again, this time to a stonewall patio framing Grand River views.
The eclecticism continues on the menu: Smoked pork Kesseler, pad thai, salmon Wellington, chicken curry, jumbo chicken wings, Cajun calamari and Italian sausage penne to name a few.
While part of me wanted to embrace this eclecticism that’s quintessentially Elora, the Type A in me wanted to focus! What was this place all about – what was it known for? And who better to ask than our server, whose friendliness and wit made us feel like regulars.
Trusting her suggestions, we started with steamed mussels ($11), which were fresh, tender and soaked in a spicy white-wine garlic sauce. We also shared the baked goats cheese ($10), pursed in flakey phyllo pastry and floating in a delicate raspberry ginger sauce. I’m sure it comes as no surprise that this app was heady goodness, I mean let’s face it: when sweet seduces tangy and then rolls around in a blanket of phyllo, nothing short of magic happens on the palate.
Next came the suggested mains, along with my unfortunate desire to stuff them back into the cellar.
My salmon Wellington ($19) was a disappointment, especially since I was on such a roll with phyllo. Unlike the appetizer, this pastry wasn’t cooked evenly, causing the outside to appear very brown while the inside felt like raw dough. The salmon itself tasted burnt to me, and the criss-cross grill marks were quite black in parts. The saving graces for this dish were the chunky, steamed vegetables, fluffy basmati and scrumptious dill sauce that I could’ve quite easily bathed in.
My husband’s AAA NY striploin ($24) was a mixed bag. While he appreciated its simple seasoning and size (no man-versus-beast Medieval Times portions here), he was visibly bummed when it arrived medium, not his requested medium-rare. My husband will eat anything (except creamed corn), but couldn’t understand why this was considered a house specialty.
Then came the desserts: chocolate brownie torte ($6.25) and sticky toffee pudding ($6), both hidden gems, although I say this in trust because I didn’t actually taste the sticky toffee pudding (my husband devoured it quicker than I could say ‘Werthers’). However, he did offer this review: “It had raisins. And cinnamon?” Proof of its delectability was clearly in the pudding.
Now I’m a girl who’s sweet on the underdog, so while I long to write about a rare and magnificent find you must check out immediately, I would be remiss if I didn’t warn you of the unpredictability that lies within The Cellar. Treasures – such as those mouthwatering appetizers – are there, you just need to know which shelf of the menu to search.
The Cellar Pub and Grill
13 Mill St. E., Elora
(519) 846-1333
Hours
Monday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday and Thursday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – midnight
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Through the back patio doors.
Menu
Pub grub, barbecue, seafood, pasta, elegant-sounding entrees – a true mixed bag. Ignore the website’s drool-inducing gourmet pizza pics: pizza isn’t on the menu (at least not while I was there).
Reservations
The website recommends it. We made reservations but only two other parties dined while we were there one early Thursday evening in November, along with a few bar patrons.
Atmosphere
An exercise in juxtapositions. Go ahead and wear your jeans.
Drinks
Draft and bottled beers, selection of wines, cocktails, frozen drinks and teetotaler options.
Service
Friendly, attentive, anticipating your next need.
The bill
No pub change. $105.37 (including tax, before tip) for two glasses of wine, two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts.
In a nutshell
Two forks.
A cellar conjures all sorts of images: a fruit cellar sparkling with homemade preserves, a root cellar amassing harvested vegetables, a storm cellar providing shelter during inclement weather, and my personal favourite, a wine cellar, aging row upon row of Domaine Romanée-Conti pinot noir. A girl can dream, can’t she?
And then there’s the cellar (read: basement) you’d find in an old fieldstone farmhouse: home to a mishmash of soup-to-nuts sundries and wares with the odd hidden gem. This is what you can expect to find at The Cellar Pub and Grill in Elora.
Tucked behind a Mill Street jeweller, The Cellar’s entrance is authenticated by rickety stairs descending to what appears to be a pub, with exposed beams, wine barrels, a flatscreen and bar. But round the corner, and you’ve entered a dining space adorned with espresso tables, oversized chairs and contemporary art amidst gilt-framed landscapes, silk flowers and cascading ivy. Step onto the deck and you’re transported again, this time to a stonewall patio framing Grand River views.
The eclecticism continues on the menu: Smoked pork Kesseler, pad thai, salmon Wellington, chicken curry, jumbo chicken wings, Cajun calamari and Italian sausage penne to name a few.
While part of me wanted to embrace this eclecticism that’s quintessentially Elora, the Type A in me wanted to focus! What was this place all about – what was it known for? And who better to ask than our server, whose friendliness and wit made us feel like regulars.
Trusting her suggestions, we started with steamed mussels ($11), which were fresh, tender and soaked in a spicy white-wine garlic sauce. We also shared the baked goats cheese ($10), pursed in flakey phyllo pastry and floating in a delicate raspberry ginger sauce. I’m sure it comes as no surprise that this app was heady goodness, I mean let’s face it: when sweet seduces tangy and then rolls around in a blanket of phyllo, nothing short of magic happens on the palate.
Next came the suggested mains, along with my unfortunate desire to stuff them back into the cellar.
My salmon Wellington ($19) was a disappointment, especially since I was on such a roll with phyllo. Unlike the appetizer, this pastry wasn’t cooked evenly, causing the outside to appear very brown while the inside felt like raw dough. The salmon itself tasted burnt to me, and the criss-cross grill marks were quite black in parts. The saving graces for this dish were the chunky, steamed vegetables, fluffy basmati and scrumptious dill sauce that I could’ve quite easily bathed in.
My husband’s AAA NY striploin ($24) was a mixed bag. While he appreciated its simple seasoning and size (no man-versus-beast Medieval Times portions here), he was visibly bummed when it arrived medium, not his requested medium-rare. My husband will eat anything (except creamed corn), but couldn’t understand why this was considered a house specialty.
Then came the desserts: chocolate brownie torte ($6.25) and sticky toffee pudding ($6), both hidden gems, although I say this in trust because I didn’t actually taste the sticky toffee pudding (my husband devoured it quicker than I could say ‘Werthers’). However, he did offer this review: “It had raisins. And cinnamon?” Proof of its delectability was clearly in the pudding.
Now I’m a girl who’s sweet on the underdog, so while I long to write about a rare and magnificent find you must check out immediately, I would be remiss if I didn’t warn you of the unpredictability that lies within The Cellar. Treasures – such as those mouthwatering appetizers – are there, you just need to know which shelf of the menu to search.
The Cellar Pub and Grill
13 Mill St. E., Elora
(519) 846-1333
Hours
Monday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday and Thursday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – midnight
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Through the back patio doors.
Menu
Pub grub, barbecue, seafood, pasta, elegant-sounding entrees – a true mixed bag. Ignore the website’s drool-inducing gourmet pizza pics: pizza isn’t on the menu (at least not while I was there).
Reservations
The website recommends it. We made reservations but only two other parties dined while we were there one early Thursday evening in November, along with a few bar patrons.
Atmosphere
An exercise in juxtapositions. Go ahead and wear your jeans.
Drinks
Draft and bottled beers, selection of wines, cocktails, frozen drinks and teetotaler options.
Service
Friendly, attentive, anticipating your next need.
The bill
No pub change. $105.37 (including tax, before tip) for two glasses of wine, two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts.
In a nutshell
Two forks.
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