Showing posts with label salad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salad. Show all posts

Les Café Des Chats (Montreal)


Up until recently, I was living a bleak life – without a creature comfort that I always yearned for. Yes folks, I was cat less. So, when a trip to Montreal with the girls was planned, visiting one of their cat cafes was a top priority.


Without the strict laws that constrain Toronto counterparts, at Les Café Des Chats the feline are allowed to roam around the two-roomed establishment freely, and if they’re experiencing too much human contact, duck into a separate cozy sleeping area that’s customer free. Some sill like to stay with the crowd and sit atop high shelves so they can sleep just beyond arm’s reach.


Unlike the bad press that has plagued Toronto’s TOT Café, in Montreal, they don’t have kittens who require more sleep and are less likely to defend themselves against pesky children. Moreover, the larger space allows Les Café Des Chats to have more cats (there was about ten) so each one isn’t constantly being harassed by multiple hands.


For the most part, all the cats were friendly and playful – especially a white one that I named Snowball who loves belly rubs and stayed steadfastly by the window watching people pass by. But, there were a couple who rightfully would be annoyed when children pet them while sleeping. Is it mean to say I also loved watching them swipe at the small hands or bite the air beside them as a warning?


The food and drink offerings aren’t bad either – had I known they served soup and grilled sandwiches, I would have had lunch there! Instead, at first, I resigned myself to hydration only, sipping on a refreshing iced tea ($4.25) and then when the air conditioning became too much, cups of the hot Moroccan mint and cream of earl grey versions ($4).


Since it was a rainy afternoon, with no desire to trudge around the city with wet shoes, we stayed at Les Café Des Chats for almost four hours! Dividing our time between petting cats, taking videos to flaunt to my husband, and just sitting around chatting.

Feeling a little guilty for staying so long and only having drinks (although the staff there were nothing but patient and kind), I ordered a house salad ($6.50). The bowl of lettuce free chopped vegetables (tomatoes, cucumber, purple cabbage, and corn) sure hit the spot … the garlicky lemon vinaigrette a great dressing.


Some would view a rainy afternoon while travelling as a terrible affair. For me, it gave us an excuse to stay at Les Café Des Chats just a bit longer. After all, as the Cat in the Hat would say about sitting around on a dreary day:
>br<
“Why do you sit there like that?
I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny.
But, we can have lots of good fun that is funny!”


How To Find Them
 Location: Montreal, Canada
 Address: 3435 Rue Saint-Denis

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Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


Les Café Des Chats Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


The Drake Hotel (Toronto)

The Drake Hotel has a cool vibe, a varied crowd that seems chic but comfortable, and even as you make your way to the impossibly small single-stalled bathrooms, the rooftop Sky Yard catches your attention. I don’t have to go back down just yet, do I? Everyone looks like they’re having so much fun!

It’s a great place for lounging and having one too many drinks. Perhaps, a pitcher of wildly refreshing white wine sangria ($35) - the cubes of watermelon, citrus, and grapefruit soda makes the wine, tequila and Cointreau go down like water.


While the restaurant satisfies with cocktails and scenery, their food is another story. My friend’s lobster tempura maki ($16) were cold, soggy and mushy… what I get for lunch from the food court under my building is better than this.

My own flat iron ($26) steak wasn’t that much better. The tougher cut wasn’t improved in any way so the beef remained chewy. Aside from the small dish of chimichurri (this was quite tasty), the meat comes alone; a side of forgettable green salad ($6) was required to round out the meal.


If I ever return, I’ll stick with the Drake burger. That I’ve eaten - it’s a burger, it’s fine. Or likely the Drake will just remain a place for drinks only.

Overall mark - 6 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1150 Queen Street West

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____________________________
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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


The Lounge - The Drake Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Taverna Mercatto (Toronto)



If it weren’t for Taverna Mercatto’s proximity to work, the ACC, and Roger’s Centre, I wouldn’t have found the spacious restaurant. Their shaded patio is popular for after work drinks and unlike other Financial District places, you don’t need to get there before 5pm to secure a table. Needless to say, I’ve had my fair share of wine at the place.

Whereas it’s an excellent location for liberations, their food leaves me wanting. Their appetizers aren’t bad and I could make a light meal from the arancini ($11) and misticanza ($9); the later a spring mix salad with celery, radish, and an amazing salty aged sherry vinaigrette. The arancini has a nice crispy crust, is stuffed with provolone cheese, and smothered in a thick spicy tomato sauce. Although the cheese is melted, the risotto ball could be hotter.   


Taverna Mercatto’s pizzas, on the other hand, is a mess. Like their Eaton Centre location, the margherita ($15) arrives looking promising – wonderfully thin, golden toasted edges, and a fair amount of toppings (in this case fior di latte and basil). However, as soon as you reach to grab a slice the centre barely holds together and the waterlogged crust is evident. Good luck eating this without a knife and fork. 


Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 120 Bremner Boulevard

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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


Taverna Mercatto Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

CLOSED: La Tasca (Edinburgh)

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Address: 9 South Charlotte Street
Type of Meal: Dinner 
 



La Tasca isn’t anything fancy, but if you’re looking for reasonable prices and a low-key but not family restaurant environment, this UK chain is a great option. The menu is quite extensive with tapas, paellas, whole fish and simple salads; items we tried are unfussy and reminiscent of the tastes of Spain.
One of the better dishes of the night was the calamares (£4.60) a simple fried calamari dish.  Cut into thicker slices the squid tastes fresh and tender.  The crust is crispy and thin with just some sea salt, although the dish does have a spicy aioli sauce on the side if you need a bit more flavour.


The langostinos (£5.95) was a good value dish comprised of four large tiger prawns – heads on for some who may be squeamish.  Grilled on a flat top so that juices are retained but without charring the shell, the prawn is delicious and maintains its natural flavours.    
A dish with some kick were the empanadas de carne (£4.35) filled with spicy ground beef and regato cheese wrapped in a crunchy yet soft coating.
If you want something more filling the flatbread for two (£6.95) may be the dish for you – certainly sufficient for us to share even amongst a table of four.  Arriving on a wooden platter the bread is not exactly flat but rather like a thick crust vegetarian pizza. Topped with roast peppers, tomatoes, cheese and onion it’s a dish built for sustenance.
The gratinado verduras (£3.75) is for individuals who like their vegetables hidden under a layer of cheese and mixed into cream.  Garlicky creamed spinach sits on the bottom with a scalloped potato layer on top.
After my visit to La Tasca, I’ve learnt that “salsa” essentially translates to “sauce” - not the tomato Old El Paso variety available in mild, medium and hot but just “sauce”.  When the pollo con salsa (£4.95) arrived we were a little surprised that the chicken was sitting in a creamy sherry sauce, we should read the menu carefully. But, the dish was still good with the pieces of white meat mixed with mushrooms.
I enjoyed the variety of salads on their menu; by this point in the trip I was craving something simple and healthy. We ordered a regular green house salad (£2.95) as well as the beetroot, carrot and butternut squash salad (£4.80). Personally, I enjoyed the simple green salad more as I’m not a huge fan of sweet squash dishes.
La Tasca has a fair variety of beers and wine on their menu. Choice is abundant with wines offered in 125ml, 250ml, half bottle and full bottle options with a 250ml will glass setting you back about £6. So, if you’re tired after walking through Old or New Town, this is a good choice to stop for a bite where you can likely comfortably feed two with £20 without having to eat a burger.
Overall mark - 7 out of 10


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____________________________
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!
  •   

Champany Chop and Ale House (Linlithgow)

Location: Linlithgow, Scotland
Address: Part of the Champany Inn in West Lothian (EH49 7LU)
Website: http://www.champany.com/chop-and-ale-house/
Type of Meal: Lunch 
 


Located in a secluded street in Linlithgow, Champany unfortunately doesn’t have a street address so if you're interested in visiting please either contact the inn or hire Discreet Scotland Tours to find more exact coordinates.



Aside from the Chop and Ale House, Champany Inn also houses a separate fine dining restaurant, a wine shop with extensive offerings (for consumption off premises) and an inn if you need a longer break. The Chop and Ale House is eclectically decorated with low ceilings, homely wooden tables, a seemly gigantic stone fireplace and trinkets galore on every surface possible.  Even their toilets offer an opportunity for discussion with its pull flush handles. 

But, the rustic environment isn’t what brings visitors to the Champany Inn; it’s the highly regarded steak and burgers that draws the crowds. I opted for their cheese burger (£13.50) made from with Scotch beef formed into a large plump patty.  The beef is juicy and tender but less flavourful than the Canadian Black Angus counterparts. Personally, I found the beef was overpowered by the generous amount of shredded sharp cheddar topping the patty; this isn’t necessarily bad just a matter of preference as to what you want to stand out. Overall, it was a good hearty burger and what may be thought of a “man’s” burger – simply made with a thick patty, tons of cheese and ketchup all on a soft sesame bun.

The burger is a filling meal served with a side dish of spring mix, tomato wedges & creamy coleslaw as well as a basket of chips (aka fries) to share amongst the table.  Not realizing that all burgers come with salad and fries, I had asked for my chips to be substituted for salad.  The outcome was another side of salad made with spring mix, cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds, which was strangely called a Greek salad despite not an ounce of feta in sight.

The Chop and Ale House offers reasonably priced drinks with pints at about £3.70 and a glass of wine for £5.  Surprisingly, this is almost the same price as the coffee which is £2.95, comparatively.

Although a very decent burger, it’s not one that’s worth the drive.  But, if you happen to be in the area it’s a great pit stop, especially since nothing else is in sight.

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10

Like the blog? You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - 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: G for Gelato and Espresso Bar (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 75 Jarvis Street
Type of Meal: Dinner



After hearing about G for Gelato and Espresso Bar from fellow food bloggers, I finally had a chance to try it when an Eat n Mingle meet-up was held there. Essentially, the group organizes events with a special fixed price menu and opens it up to all their members on a first-come first-serve basis. For $25, participants received a salad, pizza and two scoops of gelato - the full spectrum of G’s menu. Prices listed below are the item's regular menu cost. So, I found a friend and together we went to the meet-up and dined with over twenty other like-minded individuals.

Normally, I’d prefer Caesar salad ($9) on account of the garlicky dressing and parmesan cheese garnishing it. G’s was decent, but my friend and I both found the house salad ($6.75) more impressive. The ingredients within the salad itself (romaine, bell peppers, cucumber and tomato) aren’t unusual, but the light vinegar and oil dressing was fantastic. My friend put it best as to why we like it so much – it was so nice and salty to complement the neutral vegetables.



In most reviews I read, individuals tend to order and recommend their margarita or funghi pizzas. But, I stuck to the pizza al pollo ($20) which is more of my taste. The crust was thin and airy, with an ever so slightly blistered crust. But you definitely need a knife and fork, at least for the middle part, as the chef loads so many ingredients onto it. On top of the pesto sauce there was a generous portion of grilled chicken, caramelized onions, roasted red pepper and mozzarella. All ingredients tasted fresh and the pizza arrived exactly how I liked it – piping hot!


Luckily, my friend ordered the funghi pizza ($17) and we traded a couple of slices. Another white pizza with a faint truffle oil base, this was topped with big pieces of sautéed mushrooms, an entire salad’s worth of arugula, parmesan and fontina cheese. Perhaps it was due to the sheer amount of arugula but the pizza was a little bland, in my opinion. The mushrooms could benefit from a bit more salt and the addition of garlic. With less greenery and an extra drizzle of olive oil over the arugula it would be even better.



The best part of going to an Eat n Mingle event, aside from meeting individuals, is that everyone is friendly and welcoming. Moreover, since everyone loves food, people naturally want to try other things and are willing to share. So, I also had the opportunity to try a slice of the maialina pizza ($18) made to tomato sauce, spicy Italian sausage, spicy sopprossata, basil and mozzarella. The spicy meats definitely brought a zing to the dish but it wasn’t overpowering. A great pizza that was bursting with flavours.



You can’t go to G, named for their gelatos, without trying some ($5.50). With about 20 flavours to choose from I was torn. Especially when a special flavour, pumpkin pie waffle, was made especially for us that night (I snuck a spoon off of someone and it was delicious). 



We finally narrowed it down to London Fog (an ode to Earl Gray), rosewater vanilla, lavender blueberry and salted caramel. My favourite was the salted caramel a nice balance of sweet and savoury with a butterscotch like taste. Perhaps it’s due to trying it first, but found all the other flavours somewhat muted and hard to distinguish. I really couldn’t get a taste of the earl gray or lavender, which tend to be strong flavours. The rosewater in the rosewater vanilla did permeate through and reminded us of ras malai, the Indian dessert.  




Overall, it was a satisfying dinner. We all left stuffed with a bit of the sugar high. Drinks were ridiculously affordable with three glasses of sauvignon blanc totaling $17 (with taxes). G’s reasonable pricing and informal atmosphere makes this a great place for a low key meal. Of course, you could always also stop by for a quick breakfast, a scoop of gelato or even some pastries.



Overall mark - 7 out of 10



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
  • - 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!