It is one thing to have such a good time that you would want to repeat it. The time I had was SO good, that I would put it on a loop, to be able to relive it over and over and over again!
After picking up my man at the airport on a Thursday, we made a beeline to the Aloft, our new favorite getaway. Because we were only going to be in Montreal for about 2 1/2 days, it was a flurry of activity. We squeezed in a trip to Lafleur's (a Montreal boy needs his fix, after all!) and two visits to his babcia. We brought her homemade borscht, which she wolfed down, explaining that the food at the Polish home lacks seasoning. Another evening, we headed to Old Montreal and ended up at Papillon, a sweet little place serving French and Italian food. The food was pretty good but the place was ... well, because my honey and I are hooked on the Food Network's Restaurant Makeover show, we had ample opportunity to 'make over' this restaurant. (Top of the list? Ditch the paper napkins and table covers for cloth and get rid of the individual plastic butter containers too!) That Sunday, we hit the road for Toronto. Never have 5 1/2 hours flown by so quickly or so enjoyably! While I will spare you all most of the details of the rest of our trip (mainly because my kids and my dad read my blog!), here are some of the highlights:
My honey made sure to feed my craving for Chipotle, as he always does. I have come to realize that he is like a drug dealer - first, he gets me hooked on the place and he is now the one who takes care of getting me my fix. (By the way, here is a really cute video that explains the Chipotle ideal.)
Our pizza-and-Rummy-500 night saw me get a promotion; I went from having my first win be an 'isolated incident' to now having my second win be a 'coincidence'. One more win and I become a 'trend' ... and then the Rummy 500 crown will be mine. Mine, I tell you ... all MINE! *insert evil cackle here*
Our trip would not have been complete without seeing my Robbie. Our toothsome threesome took place that evening at Fabbrica, While a little too much time was given discussing the perceived weirdness of the men's washroom (don't ask!), the food was terrific. The guys swarmed over the three types of crostini; I was saving my appetite for my orecchiette with rabbit and rapini. (It was divine!) We laughed and drank and laughed and ate and laughed s'more. Budino di cioccolata (a flourless chocolate cake) and cappuccinos were the perfect ending to a perfect evening.
Time to pull out all the stops (and the high heels!) because it was 'Date Night'. And OH ... EM ... GEE ... what a date night it was! We head to the TD Bank Tower and up to the 54th floor. (I love a good elevator ride, don't you?) As the doors open to Canoe, there seems to be a change in the atmosphere - this place is posh with a capital WOW! We are led to the bar while they ready our table (restaurantspeak for 'please spend money at our bar'). Reading the drink menu, I am tempted by the suggestion of a chocolate martini and order one up. HOLY SMACKAMOLY! Two sips into the delectable concoction, I decide that when I die, I want to be embalmed in this heavenly elixir. Someone needs to expand the English language, because there are no words to describe how succulent this drink is!!! Eventually, we are led to our table where we sink into incredibly comfy club chairs. The view is simply spectacular and we soak it all in as we finish our drinks. Our server appears and we settle on the tasting menu, something my guy and I have both become enamoured with of late because it allows you the chance to sample a wide variety of dishes without become overly stuffed. And because we choose to go all in with the wine accompaniment, we are virtually assured of perfect pairings throughout the meal. Here is what we had (wines are indicated in brackets):
At some point during this trip, my guy decided he needed to extend his stay (yay me!) True, it was sort of a working vaykay for us both but I was not at all disappointed to see a 9 day trip turn into 14 days of togetherness. *happy dancing*
Another evening, my guy whisked me off to Unionville, a charming place I definitely want to return to see during the day. We walked through the doors of Il Postino, where we were immediately greeted as though we were family (I love that about Italian restaurants!). The service there is so attentive and friendly, all without being overbearing. From the roasted butternut squash soup (I had to hold myself back from licking the bowl!), to the snow crab ravioli in a lobster cream sauce (it was so scrumptious, I almost licked my plate!) to the (and I quote) 'traditional cheesecake with a touch of maple syrup, served with a warm, wild blueberry compote spiked with a splash of Grand Marnier'. OY! I begged my honey to look away so I could (you guessed it!) lick my plate, but he wanted to watch ... so out of embarrassment, I refrained. *sigh*
On our last evening in TO, we headed out to Al Casale. Located in a home originally owned by an ancestor of today's Rogers family, the restaurant dishes up really good Italian food, served by an older waiter who fawned shamelessly over me and jokingly glared at my date. Veal marsala, a nice bottle of Chianti, cheesecake and cappuccino ... and the greatest dinner companion ever. What else could a gal wish for?
The next day, I popped off my honey at the airport and headed back to Montreal. Amazingly, I didn't snare myself a speeding ticket thanks to my decision to make use of the cruise control. (Be warned: the Ford Edge is VERY sneaky because it makes 140 kms feel like a mere 100!) Before I knew it, I was back in la belle province and reacquainting myself to driving on snow covered roads again.
Comme dit Gilles ... 'Mon pays, ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver.'
After picking up my man at the airport on a Thursday, we made a beeline to the Aloft, our new favorite getaway. Because we were only going to be in Montreal for about 2 1/2 days, it was a flurry of activity. We squeezed in a trip to Lafleur's (a Montreal boy needs his fix, after all!) and two visits to his babcia. We brought her homemade borscht, which she wolfed down, explaining that the food at the Polish home lacks seasoning. Another evening, we headed to Old Montreal and ended up at Papillon, a sweet little place serving French and Italian food. The food was pretty good but the place was ... well, because my honey and I are hooked on the Food Network's Restaurant Makeover show, we had ample opportunity to 'make over' this restaurant. (Top of the list? Ditch the paper napkins and table covers for cloth and get rid of the individual plastic butter containers too!) That Sunday, we hit the road for Toronto. Never have 5 1/2 hours flown by so quickly or so enjoyably! While I will spare you all most of the details of the rest of our trip (mainly because my kids and my dad read my blog!), here are some of the highlights:
My honey made sure to feed my craving for Chipotle, as he always does. I have come to realize that he is like a drug dealer - first, he gets me hooked on the place and he is now the one who takes care of getting me my fix. (By the way, here is a really cute video that explains the Chipotle ideal.)
Our pizza-and-Rummy-500 night saw me get a promotion; I went from having my first win be an 'isolated incident' to now having my second win be a 'coincidence'. One more win and I become a 'trend' ... and then the Rummy 500 crown will be mine. Mine, I tell you ... all MINE! *insert evil cackle here*
Our trip would not have been complete without seeing my Robbie. Our toothsome threesome took place that evening at Fabbrica, While a little too much time was given discussing the perceived weirdness of the men's washroom (don't ask!), the food was terrific. The guys swarmed over the three types of crostini; I was saving my appetite for my orecchiette with rabbit and rapini. (It was divine!) We laughed and drank and laughed and ate and laughed s'more. Budino di cioccolata (a flourless chocolate cake) and cappuccinos were the perfect ending to a perfect evening.
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| One of the new loves in my life ... Chocolate Mmmmmmartini! |
- Amuse Bouche (Izumi Jaja-Uma 'Crazy Horse' Saké, Ontario Spring Water Saké Company, Toronto)
- Qualicum Beach Scallop Ceviche, Apple Cider Seaweed, Horseradish, Fresh and Preserved Apple (Tawse Quarry Road Vineyard Reisling, Vinemount Ridge, Ontario 2010)
- Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, Crispy Artichoke, Sunflower Seed Oil, Maple Braised Pork Belly (Antolino Brongo Cryomalus Iced Apple Cider, St-Joseph-du-Lac, Quebec, 2010)
- Intermezzo (this was a serving of palate cleansing granité, presented in a Japanese soup spoon but I can't remember what flavour the granité was)
- For the main course, I chose to have the Purdy's Deep Water Char, Molasses Glazed Salsify, Cookstown Beets, Cranberry Shallot Compote and Borscht Jus (Keint-He Vineyards Pinot Noir, Prince Edward County, Ontario, 2007) ... my date chose to go with the Green Alder Roasted Venison, Spaghetti Squash, Chestnut Tourtière, Huckleberries (Stratus Cabernet Franc, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, 2007)
- Caramel Poached Niagara Pears, Birch Caramel, Almond Cookie, Pecan and Wild Flower Ice Cream (Cave Spring Vineyard Reisling Icewine, Beamsville Bench, Ontario, 2008
- Petit Fours
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| The view from Canoe Restaurant, Toronto, Ontario |
Another evening, my guy whisked me off to Unionville, a charming place I definitely want to return to see during the day. We walked through the doors of Il Postino, where we were immediately greeted as though we were family (I love that about Italian restaurants!). The service there is so attentive and friendly, all without being overbearing. From the roasted butternut squash soup (I had to hold myself back from licking the bowl!), to the snow crab ravioli in a lobster cream sauce (it was so scrumptious, I almost licked my plate!) to the (and I quote) 'traditional cheesecake with a touch of maple syrup, served with a warm, wild blueberry compote spiked with a splash of Grand Marnier'. OY! I begged my honey to look away so I could (you guessed it!) lick my plate, but he wanted to watch ... so out of embarrassment, I refrained. *sigh*
On our last evening in TO, we headed out to Al Casale. Located in a home originally owned by an ancestor of today's Rogers family, the restaurant dishes up really good Italian food, served by an older waiter who fawned shamelessly over me and jokingly glared at my date. Veal marsala, a nice bottle of Chianti, cheesecake and cappuccino ... and the greatest dinner companion ever. What else could a gal wish for?
The next day, I popped off my honey at the airport and headed back to Montreal. Amazingly, I didn't snare myself a speeding ticket thanks to my decision to make use of the cruise control. (Be warned: the Ford Edge is VERY sneaky because it makes 140 kms feel like a mere 100!) Before I knew it, I was back in la belle province and reacquainting myself to driving on snow covered roads again.
Comme dit Gilles ... 'Mon pays, ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver.'
