To start off the night, we decided to get a bit of carbs into us...so we ordered their B+B Cheese Bread. Nothing amazing here but it does the job.
Another amazing appetizer? Their Yorkshire Pudding stuff with shaved prime rib. It's a perfect little bite, well, perhaps a three-biter...
We also received an Amuse Bouche, essentially a little salad on a Toast Pointe. This was actually quite good, and I did like the drizzle of olive oil. But all neither of the two dished are why you would go to Black and Blue. You're here for meat, so let's get to that!
If you like poutine and you like meat...then you must try this Short Rbi Poutine. And yes, it's as delicious as it sounds. Crunchy fries smothered with gravy, cheese curds and short rib...doesn't get much better than this.
We also went for one of their other appetizers, the Stuffed Mushrooms. If you've been to The Keg before and tried their version of the same, you'd be in for a surprise here. This is one gigantic portobello mushroom stuffed with crab meat and bernaise sauce. Disregard the pluralization in the menu...you are getting one BIG mushroom. Served piping hot in its own skillet, this is decadent, riche and meant to be shared.
Because we had a visitor from HK with us, and because we didn't know how to order, we asked the chef to come and help us. We wanted to try at least two types of meat, but didn't know how to make it so everyone could try a bit. What he came up with was pure genius! He arranged for us to try the Angus (pictured above) three ways, and then also recommended that we try the PEI Blue Ribbon (pictured below). For the Angus, we got to try the Tenderloin and the New York Strip. All done to a perfect medium rare, just the way I like it. Now, onto the PEI Blue Ribbon. We went whole hog on this one and had the Tenderloin, New York Strip as well as the Bone In Rib Eye. Carnivores unite This is as good as it gets. It was done just a touch rarer than the Angus, but it was great. Nice juicy meat and super tender.
Now man cannot live on meat alone...so we decided to order a few sides...first to arrive was the Creamed Spinach. Never something I would order, but if someone else does, I'm duty-bound to take a scoop.
To satisfy our carb cravings, we got their Mac and Cheese Sticks. It's a brilliant invention, a three cheese mac and cheese made into 2 inch long rectangles and then breaded and deep fried. Um, it's fries on a whole new level.
Their signature dessert is the B+B Butter cake with a chantilly cream and a rich caramel sauce. I don't have a sweet tooth and delightfully, this wasn't too sweet. It's lighter than it looks and is a good way to finish your meal.
On their dessert feature that night was their 10-layer chocolate cake, apologies for the blurry picture, but there really were 10 layers of cake and frosting here. It's a thin slice, but it's big enough for two!
Ano no meal at Glowbal Group is complete without my Cocoa Nibs...fresh honeycombs dipped in a rich milk chocolate. Get this to go and enjoy!
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 Trattoria. For reviews of the other restaurants, click the restaurants below: Black and Blue Coast Glowbal Grill Italian Kitchen Sanafir Society We started of meal off with an Amuse bouche of Burrata with house made lardon and garlic chips on a crostini. Seriously good and very fresh. I love burrata and they do it right here. Thanks so much to Chef Chuy!
For our appetizer, to further satisfy my craving for burrata, we got their Prosciutto Burrata with grilled bread. This was good on so many levels. Thinly shaved parmesan, a nice scoop of burrata and an abundance of grilled pizza dough. This would be a dream lunch dish all on its own.
We had a child with us tonight, so we started him off with a simple Pomodoro pasta, but instead of spaghetti or penne, we opted for the Garganelli. He loved it and probably polished off 2/3rd of this dish. I found the sauce a touch too sour, but evidently, he didn't. I really do love Garganelli...on the menu, there is a Spaghetti Bolognese with braised beef, but I asked them to switch up the pasta and give it to me with garganelli instead. They were happy to accommodate and this is the happy result. Fresh, al dente garganelli with a richly infused sauce. This made me happy!
We also tried their Linguine alla Vongole, and I was delighted to see that this was served in a tomato based sauce, instead of the usual garlic & olive oil based sauce. I like that the shells were included and the portion was big. Hard for one person to finish!
And although I am not a dessert person, I really enjoyed this Tiramisu. It sits atop a bed of coffee bean infused creme anglaise and is served with a biscotti and a fresh strawberry on the side. Thick rich layers of lady fingers soaked in coffee and liquor, and then layered with mascarpone and egg yolks. A fine dusting of cocoa powder completes the whole thing. Rich, light but delicious!
And you've heard me talk about the Zeppole before...loaded with chocolate ganache, these little doughnuts are totally addictive. Try it with the creme anglaise for full effect.
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.
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.
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 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.
