Sanafir - Passport Quest

Glowbal Passport Quest. As part of the promotion that Glowbal Group ran in February - March 2012, I visited all seven of the restaurants. Here is my post of Sanafir.
I also have posts for:
Glowbal Grill
Society
Coast
Italian Kitchen
Trattoria
Black and Blue

Because I haven't had much success with the menu at Sanafir, and also because they have a new chef in Ray Bear, We decided to try the tasting menu and placed our trust with him. Our first course was Prosciutto Orange Watermelon starter. The freshness of the fruits with the saltiness of the prosciutto works really well and definitely served to whet the appetite

Our next course was a Just warmed lobster on a bed of mango chutney. On the other side of the plate was a Scallop ceviche with avocado and beet/olive dust. Though not a fan of avocado, once you peel back the layers of avo, you are treated to a ceviche at its best. 

For our main, we got the Pork cheek done as a confit in duck fat,  as well as the Pork Belly. This was served with a side of Poached Shrimp, some fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprouts. I guess this is Surf and Turf, Ray Bear style! Loved how everything went together in this dish. 

Already full from our first three dishes, Chef brought out our "last course", pre-dessert. This was as Pineapple Glazed Ahi Tuna over a bed of Duck Fried Rice. This was beautifully plated with some root veggies and a spear of pineapple. Really outstanding. Probably my favourite of the night. 

And to top it all off, we got a lovely Creme Caramel with Strawberries and Passionfruit coulis. Although the portion is quite large, you can polish this dessert off easily as the texture is really light and it's not overly sweet either.

Italian Kitchen - Passport Quest

Glowbal Passport Quest. As part of the promotion that Glowbal Group ran in February - March 2012, I visited all seven of the restaurants. Here is my post of Italian Kitchen.
I also have posts for:
Glowbal Grill
Society
Coast
Trattoria
Sanafir
Black and Blue

One of the best thing they do at Italian Kitchen is their Burrata. And this one was a special made for us by the chef...featuring cured meats with prosciutto and braseola, this was amazing. Rounding it out was a side of Beef Tartare, a smattering of olives and a lightly dressed arugula salad. This is why I love Chef Craig.

And how are you supposed to eat all this goodness? With their forno grilled bread of course! I like the rustic feel of the food being served on a wooden board, seems to enhance the freshness of the ingredients somehow. 

On another occasion, we had a starter of Brushchetta with a tomato basil topping, again with the cutting board!
Another all-time favourite of mine is Bone Marrow, and here at Italian Kitchen, they do it well! You get two large slabs of bone marrow, a heaping pile of beef tartare, some lightly dressed greens and a few garlic crostinis. If you are having this all by yourself, this is probably enough for a meal. It's not a lot of food, but it's rich. Best to share with a friend so you can have something else too! 

Starting from the left, the Pasta Platter consists of a Braised Veal Cannelloni (not part of their platter anymore), a Lamb Sausage Pappardelle, a Rich Truffle Cream Sauced Spaghetti with some of their famous Kobe Beef Meatballs, as well as a bit of Ragatoni Pomodoro at the far right.

We also got the Pappardelle with Lamb Sausage. I love the thick flat noodles and usually try to eat them one at a time. The sausage is the same that is on their pizza, with a nice texture and a subtle gamey flavour.

Another favourite is their Garganelli. I am a sucker for this pasta and again, I eat this one at a time too. Actually, I try to uncurl them before I eat them. It comes with oven roasted chicken, sun dried tomatoes and a sprinkle of peas. Love this dish!

Another friend ordered the Linguine Carbonara, done in the traditional style with pancetta, green onions and egg with a dusting of parmesan, pure comfort food. 

Fans of the Glowbal Group will no doubt recognize these Zeppole di Cioccolato - powdered sugar dusted doughnuts with chocolate ganache inside, ready to burst into your mouth once you bite into it. Make it extra rich with the side serving of cream anglaise.

Coast - Passport Quest

Glowbal Passport Quest. As part of the promotion that Glowbal Group ran in February - March 2012, I visited all seven of the restaurants. Here is my post of Coast.
I also have posts for:
Glowbal Grill
Society
Italian Kitchen
Trattoria
Sanafir
Black and Blue

Usually, with seafood,we crack open a bottle of Pinot Grigio, but we just could resist starting with a cocktail. I mean, how can you resist a Caesar with a jumbo prawn as a garnish? With a sprinkle of horseradish, this little baby is spicy! 

We got one of their Signature Platters - this is a shot of it. We love our lobster, salmon sashimi and fresh oysters, so this is the chilled platter. It also comes with more jumbo prawns, in case the ones in our Caesar weren't enough, a few mussels and a spicy tuna roll.

Although there were three of us, we got the platter for two, since there were some other items that we wanted to order. Beware, orders for more people causes this platter to grow exponentially...

We also got a bit of an amuse bouche to start, a little bit of Ahi Tuna with some seaweed and a rice paper crisp on the side. I love the little roe they sprinkled on top and bottom...yummy!

Ahh...yes, more oysters please! I think the platter comes with 4 or 6 when you order it for two people, but that's never enough! We went for another dozen of the Kusshi, and I think that really hit the spot.

And the other things we had to save room for? Dessert of course! Front and center is the mango cheesecake...decadent, rich, dense with just the rice amount of tartness from the raspberry coulie and the fresh blueberries.

Also lovely are the little dessert poppers. There are three kinds, two on the side have “pop rocks” on the outside, and one has nutella inside the chocolate, and the other has peanut butter. Oh both are quite good and just a pop is all you need. The middle one is the white chocolate cheesecake, but after the yummy NY style slice we all had, this was over the top for us!

But my favourite dessert here, and I think they are available at all Glowbal Group restaurants are their honey comb nibs. Made fresh, the honey comb is crunchy but not hard, and the chocolate coating is thick but not heavy. I could easily eat half a dozen of these at a time.

Society - Passport Quest

Glowbal Passport Quest. As part of the promotion that Glowbal Group ran in February - March 2012, I visited all seven of the restaurants. Here is my post of Society.
I also have posts for:
Glowbal Grill
Coast
Italian Kitchen
Trattoria
Sanafir
Black and Blue

If Kobe meatballs are synonymous with Italian Kitchen, then these little Deep Fried Macaroni Balls share the same iconic status here at Society. Of the three of us, one of us was actually going to order Mac and Cheese as our main, but with these babies to start, maybe things will change...

One thing that did catch our eye was the Lobster Shepherd's Pie. Beneath this mashed potato crust was a few chunks of lobster, and a lot of celery and carrots. The texture was creamy but the lobster to veggie ratio seemed off. It will fill you up, but won't thrill you. (*note: this seems to be off their new menu now.)

For me, I always associate Society with Burgers, see my post from a 3-hour lunch there last year. And this visit was no exception. I ordered their burger, but added a fried egg (see the runny yolk?) and also asked for sauteed mushrooms. Although it's not listed on their menu, if you ask for it, the chefs are fairly accommodating and will try to satisfy.

And although we did get the Mac and Cheese balls to start, one of us couldn't resist getting the BIG Mac and Cheese entree. And if a platter of mac and cheese wasn't enough, they really carbo load you with a slice of garlic bread too. Served with a nice gratin on top, this mac and cheese is rich and unctious. Unless you are really hungry, this would be hard to polish off in its entirety. The slight truffle aroma comes and goes, but the creaminess of the cheese and the comfort food factor is what really makes this dish great. 

Glowbal Grill - Passport Quest

Glowbal Passport Quest. As part of the promotion that Glowbal Group ran in February - March 2012, I visited all seven of the restaurants. Here is my post of Glowbal Grill.
I also have posts for:
Coast
Society
Italian Kitchen
Trattoria
Sanafir
Black and Blue

I went with a foodie friend, Stephanie, because we were both trying to finish off the passports. She started off with the Caprese appy, loaded with yummy burrata cheese and veggies. I probably could have used more bread, but that's just me!  

I've always been a fan of Glowbal Grill's satays appetizers, because they really allow you to try a ton of things without getting too full. So this time, I tried tow that I hadn't had in a while. On the left is the fried oyster, and next to it is their yummy Short Rib. Served with a little salad and a mustard sauce and a creamy ginger soy sauce.

I saw the Charbroiled Trout on the menu and was immediately intrigued. Back in December, I visited a Tom Douglas restaurant in Seattle and they served the trout, head and tail! So I asked the server if that was they way they do it here, and he asserted yes. Unfortunately, when the trout came, he was only half right...there was a tail but no head in sight. Ah well, what we were served was delicious. The skin was amazingly crispy while the flesh was moist and juicy. Accompanying the dish were some potatoes as well as a sauce with a sun dried tomato base. This was a light and delightful dish and I'm glad I gave it a shot. Next time, I'l insist on getting the fish with "head on".

Stephanie ordered their Ahi Tuna, which I've never tried before. As you can see, there is a perfect sear to the fish, with a bright pink centre. This was a tasty dish...something in the crust for the tuna was really good. Also, I like the baby bok choy they served with the dish. Three chunky pieces of tuna were rounded out nicely with the veggies, and made for a fine entree.

Appy Hour at Joe Fortes

I've always been a fan of Joe Fortes for lunch because they are quick and they're good. The weekday Blue Plate specials (scroll towards the bottom) for $9.95 don't hurt either! But now, they've come up with something fun for after work too! From 4-6 daily and in their bar area only, it's their Happy Hour! And there are some great deals to be had! $5 glasses of wine (Jackson Triggs, I think), Buck a Shuck oysters and half price on all appies! There are a dozen items on the menu with a good mix of raw, cooked and carbs. I've been a few times and have tried quite a few. 

Oysters are a must, and if they are only $1 each, how can you say no? The question should be, How many? So we started off with a dozen. Served with their seafood cocktail sauce and some horseradish, these arrived quickly and were nice and briny. Just a squirt of lemon, mix some tobasco into the cocktail sauce and slurp! 

Another half price appy is their Jumbo Tiger Prawn Cocktail. You get three large prawns (three-biters for me) along with more cocktail sauce and a bit of endive. I wouldn't say these are so massive as to require a knife and fork but at half price, these are well worth it. The last cold appy I tried was their Beef Carpaccio. Thinly shaved beef with a bit of roasted to buttery softness garlic, some grainy mustard and a few greens. There was some grana padano as well, but they were really thickly cut, just a touch too thick for my taste. And yes, some crispy capers sprinkled the dish too. Ask for the bread basket to eat this with and you'll be a happy camper. 

The first "hot" dish we had were the Cheeseburger Sliders. And they were exactly as you would expect, mini patties topped with cheddar, a few thing slivers of pickles and a coleslaw like you would find in a fish taco. This helped to lighten up the dish, so it was appreciated. The bun was soft and very smooshable, a trait I require with sliders.  

So you've seen the Prawn Cocktail earlier, so take a look at the cooked version, their Tempura Prawns. Again, you have three of them, but these are lightly battered and served with a slightly spicy mayo. The crunch from the batter was good, and not too oily. As you can see, the batter is fairly "non-oily", there's nothing on the paper lining the dis. And if you were concerned that the batter was contributing to the size of the the tempura prawn, wonder no longer. Look at the size of the prawn. These babies are addictive!
Fulfilling the tradition of getting cold appies "made hot", we decided to try the Fried Oysters. Battered in something completely different than the Prawn Tempura, this batter was reminiscent of panko crumbs, or something just as airy. These oysters were so juicy on the inside, once you get past the phenomenal crunch of the crush outside. They were served on a bed of tartar sauce so some of the bottoms got a bit soggy, but nothing a simple request of "sauce on the side" wouldn't fix. 
Taking into account the 50% off, none of the dishes see here are over $8, other than the oysters of course. Makes it easy to wash down with those $5 glasses of wine, doesn't it? 

Scarfing down at Scarpetta

Located at the Thompson Hotel in Toronto, Scarpetta is the brainchild of renowned New York chef Scott Conant, but Chef Michael Hunter is the Chef de Cuisine now. The room is sleek, modern and loaded with semi-circular booths.

First to land on our table was the triple threat of olive oil, marinara and butter, with a sprinkle of salt. The tomato based sauce was a bit sour for my liking, but to be honest, their bread basket didn't need any accompaniments.

There was an assortment of warm sliced bread topped with one large slice of a soft multigrain. But don't just nibble at the basket. Go right down to the bottom for their Stromboli, or as our waiter called it, the meat and cheese bread.

This is a poorly lit picture of the sliced Stromboli, but you get the idea...meat and cheese baked right into the bread! So good, so soft and chewy, and a lovely way to start the meal.

Before we settled on a wine, we all ordered a cocktail to start. I stuck with my tried and true....Negroni, complete with a orange rind. 

My appetizer was the Beef Short Ribs,on a bed of farro risotto...the beef rib was super tender; the knife on the table was purely for looks. The risotto was more barley-like, but cooked slowly to just the right consistency, with a little bit of a chew left. 

Another appy we had was the Tuna Susci...essentially a tuna sashimi with marinated veggies cut into matchsticks inside. The tuna was a bright red and the crunch of the carrots is a perfect foil to the fresh fish. 

Well-known as one of the best dish he ever made, we had to try Scott Conant's Creamy Polenta with Truffled Mushrooms. Served in two dishes, one with polenta and a silver dish with the truffled mushrooms. The server then starts you off by spooning some of the mushrooms onto the polenta. Eat the mushroom topped part,and then add some more to the polenta. Repeat as needed until you are done. Then grab some bread and sop up all the remaining mushroomy goodness. 

Sorry for the blurry photo, but this is another signature dish, the Agnolotti Dal Plin with Braised Short Rib, Bone Marrow and horseradish. All smothered with a brown butter sauce. Since all the pastas are made in house, the first thing you notice is the delicateness of the pasta, and how plump each morsel is. 

We also got the Pappardelle with pork ragout, pine nuts and some wined braised prunes. It looks a lot spicier than it really is, in reality, the prunes adds a nice rich sweetness to the dish. Long flat noodles are cooked to a perfect al dente, and you can really taste the richness of the ragout.

The one non-pasta main course we got was the Mediterranean Branzino with mussels, kale and a side of salsa verde. The skin on this was amazingly crispy, really really crispy! The fish itself was moist and the filet hides a few mussels underneath. 

I really like Cavatelli which should have come with carpetto, broccoli rabe & goat cheese, but I didn't feel like goat cheese that night. Instead, I asked for the pork ragout sauce that comes with the pappardelle, and they were happy to indulge. This pasta is similar to shell pasta but s bit denser and more curled into itself more than your regular shells.

We finished off dinner with two desserts, the first to arrive was the Cheesecake with lemon curd and basil granita and black pepper streusel. Creamy, crumbly, and crunchy with a nice tart and tangy creamy curd.

The other dessert was on the other end of tart, we tried the Caramel Budino with a deep, dense mousse topped with fresh whipped cream. To the side, there are wafers made with salted caramel and peanuts. A rich way to end a very satisfying meal.

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