Showing posts with label lounge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lounge. Show all posts

Indulging in the Early Mercy Experience

Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2016 by
Early Mercy Toronto
Descriptions such as welcoming, laid-back, or whimsical rarely comes to mind when envisioning nightlife in the King West area. Rather I think back to evenings of waiting in line wearing hemlines that were embarrassingly short, hoping a stern looking bouncer or person holding a clipboard is in a good mood.

Early Mercy TorontoHence, when Early Mercy’s media invite arrived with images of its brightly lit rustic environment, I was intrigued and happy to see that it wouldn’t be another so-called exclusive and dress-code driven establishment.

The bar is huge and situated squarely in the middle of the room. With the ample frontage, the wait was never more than one person deep and I didn’t see people trying to wedge their way between others to claim real estate on the bar’s ledge.

Although I’m glad my dating days are behind me, Early Mercy would be a great venue for first dates: there are plenty of elements in the room to keep conversations flowing. For example, the word wall where sayings such as “in your wildest dreams” can be deciphered or you can start a drinking game using the portraits of Che Guevara, Mahatma Gandhi, John F. Kennedy and Winston Churchill hanging above the plaid booths (thank me later for giving you four to start).

Early Mercy Toronto - wall of sayingsEarly Mercy Toronto - famous plates

Of course, when all else fails, knocking back a few of their easy-going cocktails, named after famous personalities, can help boost your courage and keep things interesting. The Lincoln is a vodka lemonade that’s spritz up with ginger ale.

Early Mercy Toronto - drinks

Under normal circumstances, Early Mercy will have a rotating menu curated by Toronto caterers and on a weekly basis invite in local food trucks. For the event, Provisions served up small easy-to-eat bites where you could quickly pop it in your mouth and get back to mingling. Their take on popcorn shrimp (a fritter laced with pieces of shrimp and spices) and deep-fried grilled cheese (a crunchier mozzarella bite) were fantastic and had me reaching for more.

Early Mercy Toronto: Provisions popcorn shrimpEarly Mercy Toronto: Provisions deep fried grilled cheese

The venue is also available as an event space for corporate and social functions – the 3,500 square foot lounge area holding up to 400 and patio squeezing in another 150. As for the food, you’re welcomed to use one of Early Mercy’s preferred caterers or bring your own.  

Once Toronto enters into the summer months, I can’t wait to go back and check out their large street-side patio. People watching with a cold drink in hand sounds so enticing right now.

Early Mercy Toronto - patio

Early Mercy’s name stems from the establishment’s motto: sunrise forgives. With that in mind, listen to the word wall and “push your luck” and “try to forgive” when someone admits that they “crashed your party”. After all, who knows what exciting things will happen that night? Remember, if you make a fool of yourself and no one catches it on their phone, the sunrise does forgive.

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 540 King Street West

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog


Early Mercy Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: Fring's (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, November 14, 2015 by


Fring's Toronto

When the star-studded “opening” party of Fring’s made its way into the media in late September, news of the Drake and Lee collaboration swept the foodie scene by storm. There were tons of photos of the Toronto rapper, Susur, Kai, Levi and even Jada Pinkett-Smith … just no shots of the food itself. In fact, in all the coverage, the menu was under wraps; who knows if the burger, salmon tartare and fries served at the party was even on it?

Fast forward a month and the restaurant actually opens. The spacious two floor establishment is dark and has a modern cabin vibe. If you look carefully, you’ll get a glimpse of it right after leaving the entrance: a short hallway before the dining room showcases stuffed birds behind metal panels. When you sit down, you may even feel it: from the soft chairs adorned with horse hair.

Nonetheless, the woodsy lounge atmosphere still doesn’t describe their menu. After perusing through the one pager, I can best sum it up as “diverse”. Salmon crudo comingles with mom’s homemade meatballs and there’s rigatoni, steak or fried chicken. To start, there’s even a whole section dedicated to toast; the crispy carb adorned with mushroom, meats, cheeses or avocado.

The wild mushroom and prosciutto toast ($10) had a generous toppings to bread ratio: the soft crunchy toast smothered with gouda and crème fraiche, plump meaty mushrooms and slices of dry cured prosciutto. It’s a delicious combination: some briny bite from the meat, juicy caramelized mushrooms and then an unexpected rich creamy finish.


My favourite dish of the evening was the grilled wild king prawns ($29). The humungous butterflied prawns were fleshy and sweet, there was a Creole influence with the spicy pineapple mango salsa and beurre blanc sauce. Butter and shrimp go so well together, but then it’s elevated with a tangy sweet salsa, which ends with a twinge of heat.


When a chef names a burger after themselves, it makes me want to try it. The Susur burger ($20) follows the trend of making a better “Big Mac”. Two rich beef patties are cooked medium and smothered in enough cheddar cheese to make mice rejoice. It’s all finished off with crisp lettuce, a Thousand Island type mayonnaise and a soft egg bun.


It’s good, but unless Susur loves McDonalds, I can’t decipher the connection to him. There wasn’t an ounce of his famed Asian or European influences, except maybe the dusting of rosemary that covers the hot and crispy Jamie Kennedy fries.


With only four dessert options, the caramel monkey bread ($14) holds the most interest. This pull apart cinnamon bun with caramelized apple slices, hazelnut ice cream and drizzles of English cream & salted caramel is heavenly. Just be sure to share as it’s fairly sweet and decadent.


Fring’s menu probably best embodies Toronto. We’re a city that has a diverse food offering, which most dwellers try regularly. Here is a restaurant that allows you to eat different cultural dishes simultaneously.

Visiting during the third week Fring’s opened, I found the service a little off. Everyone was friendly and our drinks well looked after, but the key transition points during the meal were missed. After our mains and dessert, the empty dishes languished for almost half an hour before they were finally removed. We were actually considering stacking the dishes in the centre to make it more obvious. In the end, there’s a long lag between dessert and getting the bill, causing our low-key Wednesday dinner to become a 3-hour affair.

Perhaps, it was because by the end I just wanted to leave. Unknown to me, Wednesday is also live band night. Don’t get me wrong, they were good. But, there are times when I want to listen to music and others when I’d rather converse with a friend. Little did I know, that eating on Wednesday meant finishing off the meal at a concert (tip: ask to be sat in the depths of the bar section, it’s further from the music).

It’s inevitable, Fring’s will be a boozy hip lounge where conversing is difficult: after all, it’s on King West and Drake needs a place to lounge with his possé. Thankfully, it’s not all about the atmosphere, the restaurant also serves up some great food! You just won’t be able to tell your companion how impressed you are after 9pm.  

 Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 455 King Street West

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

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You're Invited to Party with The Addisons

Posted on Tuesday, August 04, 2015 by

The Addisons Toronto

The Addisons Residence has taken over C-Lounge and gutted the interior to make it into a retro Beverly Hills home. Although it still looks industrial-like from the outside, upon entering you can see the transformation. The changes are courtesy of designer Lisa Ho, of Lisa Ho Studios. The entrance resembles a foyer with a bright LA feel.

The Addisons Toronto: foyer

As you wind through the hallway you end up in a large kitchen & dining room area, which inevitably like all homes is the area people like to conjugate in and mingle. Other rooms to the venue include a large living area and rec room.

The Addisons Toronto: kitchen

Opened Wednesday to Saturday, the venue offers their own events (karaoke Wednesdays, DJ Thursdays, live band Fridays and party Saturdays) or can be rented out (by room or the entire venue) for private events.

It’s an interesting concept for this new King West lounge: you’re invited to an awesome house party and the back story is that the Addisons throw spectacular parties. It’s a grown-up house party complete with delicious cocktails but still playful enough that the “rec room” has a foosball table and shuffleboard.

The Addisons Toronto: rec room

During their launch party, I was able to try a couple of cocktails. An easy going drink for the summer months is their strawberry sangria ($50 for a punch bowl) made with white wine, rum, strawberry lemonade and cut up fruit. Sweet and refreshing, you wouldn’t think you’re even drinking alcohol.

The Addisons Toronto: strawberry sangria

For something interesting, try the Smoked Heat ($13) made with mezcal, grapefruit juice, lime and bitters and then spiced with jalapeno. It also starts off easy as the citrus taste is apparent first, but then the bitter and spicy elements hit for a unique finish.

The Addisons Toronto: jalepeno cocktail

The patio will be transformed into a backyard oasis. Unfortunately, it wasn’t opened during the launch party, but the Addisons notes they will be offering slushy drinks to help beat the rare Toronto heat waves.

The venue also offers food, courtesy of the Food Dudes, so while you rest in one of their many sitting areas you can enjoy a bite. At the opening party, they featured a hearty spread of juicy fried chicken, aromatic pierogies, chicken wings and tons of delicious salads.

The Addisons Toronto: food dudes fried chicken

There’s a grown-up feel to the lounge and the home environment offers an inviting and relaxing feel. And like a house party, I've been advised there will be no cover charge or dress code at the Addisons. Welcome to the neighbourhood!
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 456 Wellington Street West


 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog



&Company Resto Bar (Mississauga)

Posted on Sunday, March 22, 2015 by

&Company's entrance is eye catching with its hulking door flanked by fire, imagine Spiceroute moved to the suburbs. Inside the restaurant is massive filled with plenty of tables (great for large parties) and booths that will soon be converted for bottle service patrons.

But on this visit I was here to try their revamped menu, made by Executive Chef Ron Stratton, which has took a traditional turn towards starter, main and dessert options. With his 20+ years of experience in the restaurant industry, he wanted the menu to offer familiar options but elevated to a higher gastronomic level.  Whatever you order, portion sizes are generous so lends itself for sharing as well.

The pappardelle ($19) is a perfect dinner to have before transitioning into their night time entertainment. The house made egg pasta was just al dante enough and comingles with ribbons of zucchini and carrots in a savoury oven-roasted tomato sauce. The dish is hearty enough to counteract vodka bottles yet light enough to help you avoid a food gut afterwards. I enjoyed the thinly sliced Fresno chilies sprinkled on top adding a hint of heat without overpowering the dish itself.


On the other end of the spectrum is the hickory smoked burger ($27), a mammoth 8oz stuffed beef patty topped with an egg, onion frizzles and thick slices of candy coated smoked bacon. With the thick wedges of crispy potatoes on the side this is filling and may leave some breathing heavy but likely very satisfied. In my opinion, it would have been better if the fries were thinner and less dense to contrast the heaviness of the burger. But, despite their large size, they still had a nice crunchy coating on top.


In the middle of the patty is a sizeable portion of hickory smoked mozzarella that simply oozes out of the juicy meat. Eat through it or swirl it around the fries, this is definitely a burger for cheese lovers.


&Company also has a variety of appetizers that make great shared plates. The duck confit poutine ($18) comprised of potato wedges covered with marinated cheese curds, tons of tender pulled duck, crispy onion frizzles and enough tarragon gravy. I enjoyed that it wasn’t overly salty but could have been even better if the cheese were sprinkled between the fries to give them more heat to melt. When I have poutine it’s the gooey mess of cheese with gravy covering the fries that I crave.


For dessert, my friend and I shared the espresso vanilla beignets ($11) and sharing is a must for this dessert as they arrive five to an order. At first they looked ominously big and dense, not like the pillowy ones I recall from Café du Monde. 


Upon biting into the pastry I was pleasantly surprised to find the light airy centre, perfect for dipping into the thick espresso crème anglaise on the side. &Company should consider dusting these with powdered sugar in lieu of the granulated sugar as the larger granules just don’t stick quite as well and leaves a gritty texture against these delicate desserts.


After finishing the meal around 9:15, plenty of patrons were only entering to start theirs. With the friendly service we received that night, we realized that the restaurant transforms into a club around 10 with salsa dancing on Wednesdays, top 40 on Fridays and throwback top 40 Saturdays catering to a mature crowd. 

 &Company has a great mantra “Life’s better when you’re in good company”. I completely agree with this as a meal just isn't the same if you’re not with loved ones. So, after a delicious meal, what could be better than enjoying some drinks and dancing the night away with friends to burn off those excess calories?

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Disclaimer: The meal was provided on a complimentary basis, but rest assured the opinions are honest.
How To Find Them
 Location: Mississauga, Canada
 Address: 295 Enfield Place

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!




The Wilcox Gastropub (Mississauga)

Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2015 by
At the corner of a suburban plaza stands a stone house that’s distinct and unexpected. Co-owner Daniel Nguyen tells me that it's not just any house, it may be possibly one of the oldest one in Mississauga (built in 1850). So, when taking over the property, they really wanted to keep the character of the landmark, reviving it and naming it after builder Amaos Wilcox.

As you enter the Wilcox Gastropub, their interiors are definitely contemporary in nature with the mix of wood, leather, tree trunks and antler chandeliers. You sort of get the feeling of being in a hunter’s lodge that’s been turned into a lounge.

Wilcox’s menu doesn’t follow the Canadiana theme. Rather it’s a mix of shareables (sliders, nachos, etc), tapas type dishes, salads, burgers and larger composed dishes. Essentially, there’s something for everyone and enough sides to customize to one’s content. The owners wanted to offer Mississauga a menu that patrons may not find locally and also uses fresh in-house prepared sauces and ingredients.

The menu is developed by Chef Humberto Sanchez and his Spanish/Mexican influences were apparent in the starters. Especially in my favourite dish of the night, the fish tacos ($14). Yes, fish tacos are on everyone’s menus making it hard to stand out. Wilcox’s steps away from the typical baja style (albeit still has pico de gallo and guacamole) and instead incorporates great Mexican sauces (a tart tomatillo and fiery roasted poblano crema) as well.


Certainly, the dish does not shy away from flavours as the sauces were abundant and with each bite you experience refreshing and spicy properties. The deep fried fish was relatively neutral allowing the sauces to shine. Thankfully, Wilcox uses as chewy soft tortilla/pita mix which is thicker and holds up against the sauces.

The pulpo con ensalada Rusa ($14) is also worth trying with the star being the tendril of grilled octopus. It’s meaty, tender and has a hint of smokiness without overpowering the seafood itself. Below is a vibrant Russian salad, a hearty mix of creamy beets and potatoes. If there was a touch of something stronger (perhaps finely chopped onions or maybe even pickled vegetables), I would have liked it even more.


Unlike the rest of the burger loving table, I ordered braised short ribs ($23). The meat was flavourful and tender sitting in plenty of black trumpet mushroom jus. The seasoning on the dish was done well – savoury enough without being overly salty. Sitting on a bed of roasted heirloom carrots and parsnips and topped with onion frizzles (great addition) it was a nice well rounded dish.  The duck fat roasted potatoes could stand to be cooked a bit longer as the larger pieces were a tad hard in the middle.


Burgers seemed to be the popular choice amongst patrons and indeed my table as well. My husband’s Wilcox Burger ($17) consisted of a pepper crusted chuck beef patty, crispy onions, roasted red pepper aioli, goat cheese, arugula and crowned with a sunny side egg. Somehow it wasn’t a mess to eat as the egg was cooked just enough to allow the brioche bun and rest of the ingredients to soak it up. Perhaps it’s due to eating many flavourful dishes before trying a bite, but even with the plethora of ingredients I found it needed more seasoning (either in the meat itself or in the aioli).  


The California burger ($16) used the same patty but was topped with double smoked bacon, tomato, corn, salsa fresca, sour cream, pickled jalapenos and melted cheddar cheese. Again, I found the flavours to be somewhat muted, perhaps if the sour cream was substituted with the roasted poblano crema instead it may be even better.


As a matter of taste, I’ve really liked that most gourmet burger joints now serve their burgers slightly undercooked. Some may be squeamish about a slightly pink patty, but the end product is much juicier and flavourful. Wilcox Gastropub still follows the traditional thoroughly cooked method, which is fine and has its supporters but perhaps offering customers a choice of doneness would be nice (especially since they use fresh in-house ground patties).

To clarify, the burgers were good and everyone at the table enjoyed them (in fact inhaled them). But, for me, if two small changes were made they could be even better. The fresh potato fries were very good, I couldn’t help but steal more than my fair share off of my family’s plates.

Wilcox Gastropub’s menu is varied and extensive. Chef Sanchez, although proud of the entire menu, has a few favourite dishes including the ceviche, Scotch egg, Wilcox burger and duck confit. Alas, I didn’t know this before we ordered, but just a few more suggestions for readers if you need them. Service is friendly and attentive (our drinks were refilled with such rigor) and the atmosphere comfortable yet still providing you with a feeling that you’re “going out”. My suggestion is you make reservations as The Wilcox was packed on our Friday night visit and seems to be embraced by the community already.

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
* Disclaimer: Wilcox offered a 25% discount for the meal (prices above are the regular menu prices). Rest assured, I'll still be honest in my reviews.
How To Find Them
 Location: Mississauga, Canada
 Address: 30 Eglinton Avenue West

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


CLOSED: SpiritHouse (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, November 10, 2012 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 487 Adelaide Street West

SpiritHouse bar area (1)

Contrary to the typical financial district lounge where you’re standing around the bar like sardines and it takes half an hour to get a drink, SpiritHouse is refreshingly nice and unpretentious.  A short walking distance from the core at Adelaide and Portland my friend and I were able to grab seats at the bar when arriving at 7:30.  Sadly, the gentleman (possibly the manager) that was at the door was over optimistic and advised we’d be able to get a table “soon”.  By the time we left at 10:30 we still did not get a table.  But, we didn’t mind sitting at the bar and watching all the cocktails being made.

Their cocktail menu is extensive with throwbacks to the Mad Men era – bourbon, bitters and egg whites are abound!  I now understand why they drank so much; something about a hand-made cocktail with fresh ingredients really does shine. 

Our first drink was a Peroni Sour ($14) which was suggested by a friend.  They only had enough Peroni left to make one of them, but we shared it anyways.  The cocktail would be a great summer drink as it almost reminded me of having a spiked fresh squeezed lemonade.

 We also had an Original Cosmopolitan (circa 1988) ($12) which is nothing like the sweet cranberry mixed version you’re normally served at restaurants.  The sweet and tangy was well balanced to the point you couldn’t even taste the alcohol.  Perhaps that’s the scariest part; they taste so good that you can have many without feeling like you’re drinking.

 Now for the food … such a disappointment when the drinks and service are so good!  Whoever runs the kitchen needs to be better with managing their stock.  Considering the menu only consists of a dozen items, it’s pretty sad that they stock out of two key ingredients – duck confit and avocado.  Come on, we’re not talking about black truffles here… it’s only duck and avocado, order a little extra and risk some food wastage costs!

 Given fries are one of my favourite foods in life; we had to try the SpiritHouse poutine ($11).  On the menu it’s described as being topped with duck confit; upon ordering the poutine we were advised the dish would be delayed anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours as the duck was being cooked.  At 7:30 it’s inexcusable that the kitchen has already run out of an ingredient used on two menu items. Whoever was in charge of prepping would have Gordon Ramsey going crazy.  We ended up having the poutine without the duck and it was satisfying but not much better than a New York Fries poutine.

 The Whitefish tacos ($13) are definitely in need of revamping.  The fish itself is non-existent and over battered and fried.  Regrettably, it resembled a deep fried frozen fish stick to anything fresh. On that night, the chef chose to dress the tacos with radishes rather than the promised avocado on the menu.  This was a horrible decision!  Bitter radishes on a taco does not go well, can I suggest just using a tried and true coleslaw if avocados are not available?  The chipotle dill sauce drizzled on the cabbage was good, it just needed more of it to mask the bitter radishes and tasteless fish.

Brad, the mixologist serving us, was keen enough to ask us about the food. Upon hearing the mediocre fanfare he provided us a complimentary order of donuts.  Freshly fried timbits dusted with cinnamon & sugar, it arrived with a miniature bottle of caramel sauce.  A great gesture, but once again over fried so nothing I’d order again.

Overall, what makes SpiritHouse shine is their pleasant employees and the amazing drinks.  I would suggest staying away from the food - if you have to order something stick with the oysters.

 Overall mark - 8* out of 10

* Mark is solely as a place to come for drinks and not for the food.  I would definitely recommend SpiritHouse as somewhere to go for drinks before or after dinner.

____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

CLOSED: La Luna (Barcelona)

Posted on Saturday, September 29, 2012 by
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Address: C/Abaixadores 10





 We just happened to find La Luna while wandering around the Barri Gothic district in Barcelona before dinner.  

 The ambiance matched the gothic neighbourhood; La Luna's interior reminds you of a Medieval castle with exposed brick arches, wrought-iron lamps and warm wood furniture.  

 The bartender was kind enough to warn us, before we ordered anything, that the electric system was going to be reset and they'd be without power for 10 minutes.  We decided to stay anyways and he lit some candles for us.  It made us think how Medieval bars would have been like - drinks by candlelight.

We only had drinks here:
  • My husband picking through a selection of European beers
  • Me a glass of sangria which was much better than the glass I had earlier that evening.  The sangria was filled with fresh chopped fruits and followed a more authentic receipe - not overly sweet and much stronger 
Very affordable and great atmosphere; we had 3 drinks for 11€.


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