As featured in the March 8, 2012 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record (photo credit: Marisol website)
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.
