It was an excellent idea to start off the evening in Evangeline, the Ace Hotel’s rooftop patio, as it created a casual beginning. A tray of cava awaited as I exited the elevator and while mingling in a room of strangers, it felt like I was there for a dinner party.

Trays of canapés flowed throughout including a delicious rabbit croquette wrapped in a green goddess salad leaf. The pea and strawberry tart was sweet, tangy, and savoury but a bit too floral so the jamon Iberico became lost. Many dashed for the oysters topped with caviar and crème fraiche, alas once I got one mine was gritty. Yet, I was so chill and relaxed that I didn’t care nor wanted to take photos… at last, I ate first.

Drinks were flowing with more cava and two Herradura tequila cocktails available around the hour. The strawberry and shisho Cointreau mix sounded refreshing but was too sweet for my taste. As was the “cabana cocktail”, a concoction of tequila, cacao bitters, vanilla, coconut oil, toasted coconut, and wildflower honey.

But at least it got everyone buzzing. By the time the Herradura rep explain their logo, an inverted horseshoe, represented pouring out the last drop of luck for their customers, I felt like Don Draper was in the room.

Dinner was served downstairs in Alder and soon generous pours of Pearl Morissette wines came by. It made my evening hearing they were supplying the drinks as the limited bottles rarely circulate outside their winery aside from some Toronto restaurants.

Alder’s first dish was a hit. The Hokkaido sea scallop and sea urchin featured two barely cooked through poached scallops, shaved in half and served with smoked buttermilk that had a tartness that’s like adding lemon to seafood but finishes with a rich creamy touch. The uni was flown out the day before for the dinner, balancing the dish with sweetness.

Fat Rabbit’s beef tartare included honey and golden raisins, which gave it a sugary taste. The addition of pickled vegetables helped bring out some acidity, but it was the mint and cilantro blossoms that added a brightness that impressed.

I can see why they left the tartare less salted as the breaded and deep-fried Guernsey Girl cheese it sat on top was savoury. It was just a waste as it wasn’t hot, so the dairy felt hard and rubbery. A great idea to feature local ingredients from the Upper Canada Cheese Company, just not showcasing it at its best. 

Alder’s lobster raviolo was so good. The bisque-like sauce was bit salty, but the pasta was cooked to perfection and stuffed with large chunks of lobster, each bite bursting with flavour.

While the roasted pork collar was meaty and almost like a pork loin, it was a tad tough and likely would be better cooked as slices rather than a huge steak. Perhaps Fat Rabbit wanted something that would hold up against the spicy aji amarillo sauce? We all agreed the pancetta wrapped shrimp stole the show and would have been happy with two of these served with more vegetables.

A generous slice of coconut cream pie finished the meal; its crust made from toasted coconut meringue so it’s crumbly and a bit nutty. Despite not being able to finish my pork, I happily consumed the entire slice.

Since hearing about the Fat Rabbit, I’ve always wanted to try the restaurant. This Visa Infinite dinner was a nice compromise before heading out to St. Catherines. Chef Zach Smith also announced a second restaurant opening sometime in the late summer or fall. The fat rabbit becomes a warren. 

What makes a Visa Infinite Dinner different is the melding of acclaimed chefs from outside of Toronto with well known local restaurants. My first experience brought together the 30+ year institution, Auberge du Pommier, with Mastard of Montreal, which is part of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants. Together they created a food and beverage tasting menu ($282.50 per person inclusive of taxes and gratuities) combining the talents of two kitchens.

Don’t worry about arriving late to the weeknight dinner. With the 6:30pm start, the first bites of canapés didn’t start arriving until well past 7:00pm. And instantly I was intrigued on what the low-sided crystal bowl contained. The concentrated ham broth with cameline oil gave off a smoky ham-fueled flavour that was intense solo. But once I dipped a piece of brioche into consommé, the flavours mellow and combined nicely with the buttery toast studded with the sphere of meaty duck sausage.

Sweet and salty combinations run in the blood of both chefs. It’s evident in the brown cheese taco filled with whipped foie gras that creates a creamy and crunchy combination. It continues with the first taste of dessert, a spice cake that gets a savoury spike from black garlic emulsion. Get ready riders as we set off to Flavour Town.

Next station, a candied sockeye salmon that’s dense and chewy swimming in dill oil and dollops of smoked crème fraiche. I’m glad the dish incorporates a lot of green sorrel chiffonade as it helps neutralize the abundance of silky dill sauce. It’s a dish loved by the table, but I found it too oily (half the oil is sufficient) and salty.

Give me another slice of lettuce tart any day. Chef Simon Mathys undersells the dish as a mere combination of lettuce and caviar, but it’s so much more. The lettuce juice forms a silky custard with a vibrant green colour that screams of spring. They smartly went with a thin flaky tart shell that’s crispy and contrasts against the creamy centre. And of course, it’s finished with caviar, the saltiness complimenting the tart wonderfully.

Chugging along, the spring mushroom risotto was too overdone resembling a porridge packed with mushrooms, grilled wild onion, artichoke crisps, and first-of-the-season morels. Chef Kane Vane Ee notes how many contacts it took to source the morels, which were sublime and made the dish. Thank you for the hard work!

I enjoy dishes featuring different textures and enjoyed seeing the battered and deep-fried fowl in the quail and scallop. While the quail’s breast was a tad chewy, the drumstick was cooked to perfection and made me want to nosh through half a dozen more. The scallop was also seared nicely and paired well with the shrimp sauce, which had a bisque-like taste that made me wish I asked for a spoon.

A vibrant green tea opera cake finishes the luxurious spring menu continuing the lovely green colour palette. Thin even layers of almond sponge, chocolate ganache, and elderflower cream is painstakingly put together by Auberge’s new pastry chef. If you’ve read my historical visits to Auberge, I generally find the desserts boring and end with a cheese plate. That will change if the opera cake graces the menu.  

As the ride makes its way to the final stop around 10pm, the atmosphere has really shifted. They’re generous with the alcohol, regularly topping up wines and even the Diplomatico rum based cocktails for diners who want more. And with the liberal liberations, the once hushed diners start to let loose.

We almost don’t want to leave as the plate of petit fours are presented. I slowly made my way through the chewy pistachio macaron and sampled a bite from the two chocolates.

It could be due to the two extra glasses of Domain des Coutures L’Insolente saumur blanc kicking in, but it took me a couple of attempts to pick up the candied quince meringue… of course the top layer of cream can’t be held, move down to the crispy base instead! At last, the airy meringue, juicy cube of quince, and cool cream made for a great ending. Visa Infinite Dinner, until we meet again in June.