hot arab-latina+campari= heaven
Friday, May 25, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Second Visit to Colborne Lane
I made a second trip. I have enough info for a definitive rating.
This is the post that has the details on my first visit
http://big-bunny-bigbunny.blogspot.com/2007/05/drinks-at-colbourn-lane.html
I went on a Friday and sat in the main dining room. The place was pretty busy, we got there at about 10:00 or so.
They had a guy working the front. Either they got rid of the blond hostess that bugged me from the first visit or she wasn't working. I hope its the former.
There were quite a few people at the bar and the table separated from the main dining room. The main dining was still pretty full, when we got there. The crowd was pretty diverse. Some older people, some cougars and some people in their 20's and 30's. Overall, the crowd consists of more of the younger demographics than the older ones. What I like about the place is that chicks go there on there own, they aren't arm candy like in some other places. We had a table of 4 asian chicks next to us, they were all pretty decent looking.
The main dining room has a real industrial feel to it. The ceilings are really high -- they have to more than 15 feet. The left wall has a banquette that runs down the length of the dining room and the back wall. There's a communal table that runs almost the length of the dining room just a little off centre. The tables are really nice: they're real hardword. You often don't see stuff like this around. The banquettes are comfortable. But there something a little off about them. I think they don't have enough stuffing in them, so while they might be OK right now they might not so when they get worked in a bit. They have a really dope wall treatment next to the stair case that goes down to the kitchen. Its got a red background and there are these coils that snake across it, with some back lighting. You don't see stuff like that in Toronto. The back of the dining room has these really big windows and they have this lighting in the lane way so you can see the wrought iron fire escape through the back. Really dramatic. I've mentioned this partition that separates the dining room from the bar area. I'm not sure how I feel about it. The positive is that it creates a sense of exclusivity to the dining. The negative is that isolates the bar area from the rest of the bar.
The place doesn't have a DJ, but I guess they have some programmed music. The selections are pretty eclectic mix of things. So you don't have to worry about listening to that Top 40 crap or cheesy jazz when you go there.
In terms of the service. The waiters are professional and polite. They have a sommelier, which is good because the red wines on the wine list are a little tough to work with. I'd recommend getting the sommelier's help to finalize any pick. The chef/owner also dropped by our table to say hi. He asked about the service and was ready to go ream out his staff, until we told him we weren't really waiting all that long. The chef has a real dedication to quality, so the place gets bonus points for that. One thing that I like about the place is if you don't order a course, they bring you a more full-size plate. This makes it easy to share things, because the the little bread plate is probably not suitable for taking food from other people. The true marker of a high-end restaurant service is also present here: the waiter folds your napkin when you leave the table.
The wine. The wine list is a lot bigger than I thought. It folds out into two narrow sheets. They set aside the higher priced bottles in the first sheet, where you'll be looking at $200 or more. They keep the more reasonably priced stuff on the second sheet. There is a good balance of stuff from Canada, California, Australia and Europe. I think the best values in terms of quality for dollars spent are in the whites. They have some really nice Canadian whites at a decent price. The reds are a little tougher. I kind of struggled with the wine list. A lot of the stuff is more recent vintages from vineyards I wasn't really familiar with. I would have preferred to go with a white, but the majority voted for a red. It was between a Beaujolais from Moulin-a-Vente and a few pinot noirs. I settled on '05 Pinot Noir from California, it was about $95. It was OK. I think at that price point the wine should be better than OK. At $50-60 I could probably tolerate something like this. Either they drop the price or improve the quality of the wines. Overall, this seems like a place where the markups on the wine are pretty steep. So you might catch a bit of break on the food, but your going to pay a lot for some wines that are not that not really worth it.
I wasn't overly hungry. I just had the octopus. It had an asian fusion thing going on. It was a little on sweet side, with some subtle flavours mixed in. It was really tasty. I also tried a bit of the ocean trout. It comes with this lemony tasting cream that you use to cleanse your palate. I tried the trout with a bit of this vanilla jelly. This is another winning combination of flavours. Everything was plated well. The chef is really good at coming with these subtle combinations of flavours. Nothing is overwhelming in terms of the flavours. This is food made for savouring, so you can get all the subtleties and nuances.
The deserts are really good here. I ordered one and sample parts of three others.
Overall, this place is place is a must eat. The design of the place is really cool, this is not your typical boring Toronto restaurant. The food and service is really top notch. The only shortcoming in the place is the wine list. You can spend a lot on a wine and probably just get something that is OK. This is a 2 bunny establishment.
Rating: 2 Bunnies
Notes on the Bunny Rating System:
This is the post that has the details on my first visit
http://big-bunny-bigbunny.blogspot.com/2007/05/drinks-at-colbourn-lane.html
I went on a Friday and sat in the main dining room. The place was pretty busy, we got there at about 10:00 or so.
They had a guy working the front. Either they got rid of the blond hostess that bugged me from the first visit or she wasn't working. I hope its the former.
There were quite a few people at the bar and the table separated from the main dining room. The main dining was still pretty full, when we got there. The crowd was pretty diverse. Some older people, some cougars and some people in their 20's and 30's. Overall, the crowd consists of more of the younger demographics than the older ones. What I like about the place is that chicks go there on there own, they aren't arm candy like in some other places. We had a table of 4 asian chicks next to us, they were all pretty decent looking.
The main dining room has a real industrial feel to it. The ceilings are really high -- they have to more than 15 feet. The left wall has a banquette that runs down the length of the dining room and the back wall. There's a communal table that runs almost the length of the dining room just a little off centre. The tables are really nice: they're real hardword. You often don't see stuff like this around. The banquettes are comfortable. But there something a little off about them. I think they don't have enough stuffing in them, so while they might be OK right now they might not so when they get worked in a bit. They have a really dope wall treatment next to the stair case that goes down to the kitchen. Its got a red background and there are these coils that snake across it, with some back lighting. You don't see stuff like that in Toronto. The back of the dining room has these really big windows and they have this lighting in the lane way so you can see the wrought iron fire escape through the back. Really dramatic. I've mentioned this partition that separates the dining room from the bar area. I'm not sure how I feel about it. The positive is that it creates a sense of exclusivity to the dining. The negative is that isolates the bar area from the rest of the bar.
The place doesn't have a DJ, but I guess they have some programmed music. The selections are pretty eclectic mix of things. So you don't have to worry about listening to that Top 40 crap or cheesy jazz when you go there.
In terms of the service. The waiters are professional and polite. They have a sommelier, which is good because the red wines on the wine list are a little tough to work with. I'd recommend getting the sommelier's help to finalize any pick. The chef/owner also dropped by our table to say hi. He asked about the service and was ready to go ream out his staff, until we told him we weren't really waiting all that long. The chef has a real dedication to quality, so the place gets bonus points for that. One thing that I like about the place is if you don't order a course, they bring you a more full-size plate. This makes it easy to share things, because the the little bread plate is probably not suitable for taking food from other people. The true marker of a high-end restaurant service is also present here: the waiter folds your napkin when you leave the table.
The wine. The wine list is a lot bigger than I thought. It folds out into two narrow sheets. They set aside the higher priced bottles in the first sheet, where you'll be looking at $200 or more. They keep the more reasonably priced stuff on the second sheet. There is a good balance of stuff from Canada, California, Australia and Europe. I think the best values in terms of quality for dollars spent are in the whites. They have some really nice Canadian whites at a decent price. The reds are a little tougher. I kind of struggled with the wine list. A lot of the stuff is more recent vintages from vineyards I wasn't really familiar with. I would have preferred to go with a white, but the majority voted for a red. It was between a Beaujolais from Moulin-a-Vente and a few pinot noirs. I settled on '05 Pinot Noir from California, it was about $95. It was OK. I think at that price point the wine should be better than OK. At $50-60 I could probably tolerate something like this. Either they drop the price or improve the quality of the wines. Overall, this seems like a place where the markups on the wine are pretty steep. So you might catch a bit of break on the food, but your going to pay a lot for some wines that are not that not really worth it.
I wasn't overly hungry. I just had the octopus. It had an asian fusion thing going on. It was a little on sweet side, with some subtle flavours mixed in. It was really tasty. I also tried a bit of the ocean trout. It comes with this lemony tasting cream that you use to cleanse your palate. I tried the trout with a bit of this vanilla jelly. This is another winning combination of flavours. Everything was plated well. The chef is really good at coming with these subtle combinations of flavours. Nothing is overwhelming in terms of the flavours. This is food made for savouring, so you can get all the subtleties and nuances.
The deserts are really good here. I ordered one and sample parts of three others.
- apple strudel, cinnamon foam, vanilla ice cream; this is the one I ordered. It was pretty good, but the others are a lot better.
- spiced chocolate fondue; i sampled this one. like everything else, the spice in chocolate is really subtle. i guess spicing chocolate is a Mexican thing. every time i've had the Mexican version I think why do they do this -- it never really tastes right. After trying this one, I understand why -- the Mexicans should take note.
- frozen lavender and honey parfait, olive oil cake; i also sampled this one. this was really good. it was a real parfair too, not like one of the fake ones that are often served in this city. it would be tough to pick between this one and the chocolate one-- they were the best ones.
- lemon tart; i also sampled this one. this was also really good. the lemon flavour really comes out well.
Overall, this place is place is a must eat. The design of the place is really cool, this is not your typical boring Toronto restaurant. The food and service is really top notch. The only shortcoming in the place is the wine list. You can spend a lot on a wine and probably just get something that is OK. This is a 2 bunny establishment.
Rating: 2 Bunnies
Notes on the Bunny Rating System:
- 0 or no Bunnies, it's a waste of time; don't go.
- 1 Bunny, the place is worth checking out.
- 2 Bunnies, you should go out of your way to check out the place; the food is really good and the place is cool.
- 3 Bunnies, you absolutely have to go there; the food is exceptional and the place is really cool
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Recent Pickups: Vans Old Skool and Era
I couldn't decide which pair I liked so I bought both -- they weren't overly expensive. I like both of them becuase they're plain and simple.I was into the era's more when I was in the sotre. But I'm lucky that I bought both because I think the old skool's are a better shoe. I find that my A.P.C. Rescue's break over the old skools much better. The way the rescues break over the era's isn't as nice. At first I thought that I could cuff the rescues with the era's, but they look a little off.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Sugarcane 1955: Update
I took some update shots of my sugarcane '55s . These are taken in natural (late-afternoon) light. They don't have much more wear than the pictures I took in January. They were shelved in January and February to protect them from the salt. I wore them maybe 2 or 3 days a week in March and April. They look a little grimy. That's because I put them down on the concrete, but the concrete has all the dust and dirt from the winter. I took the back shots first, which explains why the front of jeans look dirty. Oh well ....You can really see the colour and fading here. The lap fade isn't really intense yet -- I think it would need another couple of months of almost daily wear. However, there's a lot of high contrast fade happening around the crotch and the front pockets.
These are close ups of the crotch and pocket areas. As I said there is a lot of high contrast fade happening.
The honeycombs behind the knees are also be seen more clearly with the natural light. They extend for quite a bit on the legs.
I'm not sure that these will get much wear before the fall. I've been wearing a new pair of A.P.C rescues the last few weeks and they'll be my main pair on the days it doesn't get too hot and humid. I figure my worked in pair of A.P.C. rescues will the primary hot weather jean because they are light weight denim and they aren't as dark. I could wear these canes, but I'd like to bring out the lap fad a and the honeycombs little more. This means I should put off washing them, which will be hard to do if I wear them on those really hot and humid summer days.
An American Apparel Style Random Picture
The bikinis have an American Apparel feel to them, but these girls don't look like they work retail.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Drinks at Colborne Lane
Went on a Saturday Night. We got there at about 10:30 or so. It was still pretty busy but not wall to wall people. We sat at the bar and I haven't gotten a really good look at the dining room. The look of the dining room is kind of industrial, but the bar isn't as much. The bar is pretty long, something like 30-40 feet long, will a marble surface. Behind the bar is a big wall treatment. The background is white, with some black patterns on it. I like it. I think it matches the counter. I has a really contemporary look. I don't think you'd see many places that look like this in Toronto. There are two small tables behind the bar, seating about 4 and 5. They look like they're douglas with fir, with a natural looking stain. Even though the place is like a big open space, there is a like a small partition that works to separate the bar from the dining room. The floors are hardwood, probably oak, with a dark stain. The dark stain really complements the room's feel.
The crowd is relatively young. I would say its probably late-20s and people in their 30s for the most part. Its relative casual. Most jackets and trousers and chicks in cocktail dresses, although you do get some jeans and dress shoes in the males, and jeans and heels for the chicks.
The servers seem to be knowledgeable about the food and friendly. I would say that there is certain degree of formality to the service, which I think is appropriate because I would consider this to be more high end dining. The only thing that I would trash in a major way is the hostess. She's fine in terms of interacting and stuff, but to me see looks out of place. The hostess/manager/maitre d' is probably the first person you see when go into a place, so they should make an impression. She doesn't. It's not like she's unattractive or anything, but she to my taste she seems out of place. She's too short and she's not dressed in a way that I think conveys fine dining. I would say put a guy in a suit there, or get an exotic lookin' chick (i.e., not blonde) that's at least 5'6", without heels, and dress her up and you would put a totally, and more appropriate, vibe to the experience.
I had a soup for myself and I shared three dishes. They don't distinguish between mains and starters, all the menu items are tapas-style. The price ranges from the low-teens to high-20s. A dinner would probably be 3 to 4 dishes.
I had the corn soup first. They actually come and pour it for you -- nice touch. The soup came with a chorizo dumpling. The chorizo had a very smoked flavour that really complemented the corn. I think when most people think of corn soup they think of something green giant (at least i do), but this has to be one of the tastiest soups i've had. The person I was with commented that the pea soup was the best soup he's every had.
I shared the lobster service, the lamb chop and squab breast. The food is plated really artfully. You get the main thing that is the centre of attention and then you get some really interesting things that accompany it. So this is not like the typical restaurant where the lamp chop comes with mash potatoes or something like that. Here the accompanying items are unconventional, but really good matches or complements to the flavours in the main part of the dish. If I had to compare the style of the food, I think the most appropriate thing would be the tasting menus that they have at Splendido. Similar servings sizings, but they come at a much lower price point at Colborne lane.
The squab breast came with this foie gras shavings. It was the most expensive thing on the menu. It came with a lot of things that you could sample as well and there were some really interesting things to taste one the plate. The lamb chop was served to me in front of the chef. As I was cutting into it, I could tell that it was really dry. The chef then had it sent back (i didn't complain) because it was overcooked. That's what you call quality control. As I waited for the new lamb chop, they served the lobster seviche. This was really tasty. It came with I guess what they call a puffed corn noodle, but reminded me of a pork rink. This was an excellent accompaniment to the seviche. I would've have said that this was tastiest dish I had that night until I tried the lamb chop. The lamp chop was cooked beautifully. It almost melted in your mouth it was so tender.
We had a glass of wine with dinner. I didn't pick it. I haven't seen the wine list they have. But I'm guessing that they would be the sort of place with a much smaller wine list because they don't seem to have a great deal of storage. The wine that was served was a little too tannic for my taste. It had a nice bouquet, but it needed to age a little too smooth it out. I thought that it was a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the waiter who picked it said it was an Australian-style Bourdeaux. I'm going to assume that he is really naive and is just repeating what he heard the wine salesman told him and the rest of the staff. [The likelihood that this wine would age like a Bourdeaux is so close to zero that it would be like wishful thinking for anyone to suggest it could happen with a moniker "Australian-style Bourdeaux". The Bourdeaux's mature from their tannin heavy youth into something that is recognized to be one of the best wines you can have with food. Given the amount of oak that was in this wine, it's highly unlikely that it would mature into something like that. It would be better after aging a few years, but not much more than that. But I digress ....] I've heard it said that most restaurants in Toronto sell wine that is too young. Perhaps there are a lot of drinkers out that would find this wine to be perfectly fine. But then they've probably never had a properly aged wine, so its hard for them to offer an informed opinion.
Overall, I'd have to say that I was quite impressed. I came in with high expectations and I wasn't disappointed. I would say that the quality of the dishes and presentation rival that at Splendido. To me the places are really similar because they're about creating interesting flavours, using seasonal ingredients, experimenting and plating the dishes really well. This is opposed to the typically restaurant that is more concerned with feeding you. The big advantage for Colborne Lane over Splendido is the price point. The entry level menu at Splendido (3 courses plus a series of hors d'oeuvres) is almost $100, desert is extra and add the wine on top of that and your looking at $160-$170 a person for dinner. I think here you could do 4 dishes and desert for well below that. You could even go old-school French style and have the cheese plate and still have some change to spare. I still don't have the full experience, so I don't think I've seen enough to give it a complete rating. Based on what I've seen, I think it's at a minimum a 2 bunny and maybe a 3 bunny place. But I would need to have a closer look to know for sure.
Notes on the Bunny Rating System:
The crowd is relatively young. I would say its probably late-20s and people in their 30s for the most part. Its relative casual. Most jackets and trousers and chicks in cocktail dresses, although you do get some jeans and dress shoes in the males, and jeans and heels for the chicks.
The servers seem to be knowledgeable about the food and friendly. I would say that there is certain degree of formality to the service, which I think is appropriate because I would consider this to be more high end dining. The only thing that I would trash in a major way is the hostess. She's fine in terms of interacting and stuff, but to me see looks out of place. The hostess/manager/maitre d' is probably the first person you see when go into a place, so they should make an impression. She doesn't. It's not like she's unattractive or anything, but she to my taste she seems out of place. She's too short and she's not dressed in a way that I think conveys fine dining. I would say put a guy in a suit there, or get an exotic lookin' chick (i.e., not blonde) that's at least 5'6", without heels, and dress her up and you would put a totally, and more appropriate, vibe to the experience.
I had a soup for myself and I shared three dishes. They don't distinguish between mains and starters, all the menu items are tapas-style. The price ranges from the low-teens to high-20s. A dinner would probably be 3 to 4 dishes.
I had the corn soup first. They actually come and pour it for you -- nice touch. The soup came with a chorizo dumpling. The chorizo had a very smoked flavour that really complemented the corn. I think when most people think of corn soup they think of something green giant (at least i do), but this has to be one of the tastiest soups i've had. The person I was with commented that the pea soup was the best soup he's every had.
I shared the lobster service, the lamb chop and squab breast. The food is plated really artfully. You get the main thing that is the centre of attention and then you get some really interesting things that accompany it. So this is not like the typical restaurant where the lamp chop comes with mash potatoes or something like that. Here the accompanying items are unconventional, but really good matches or complements to the flavours in the main part of the dish. If I had to compare the style of the food, I think the most appropriate thing would be the tasting menus that they have at Splendido. Similar servings sizings, but they come at a much lower price point at Colborne lane.
The squab breast came with this foie gras shavings. It was the most expensive thing on the menu. It came with a lot of things that you could sample as well and there were some really interesting things to taste one the plate. The lamb chop was served to me in front of the chef. As I was cutting into it, I could tell that it was really dry. The chef then had it sent back (i didn't complain) because it was overcooked. That's what you call quality control. As I waited for the new lamb chop, they served the lobster seviche. This was really tasty. It came with I guess what they call a puffed corn noodle, but reminded me of a pork rink. This was an excellent accompaniment to the seviche. I would've have said that this was tastiest dish I had that night until I tried the lamb chop. The lamp chop was cooked beautifully. It almost melted in your mouth it was so tender.
We had a glass of wine with dinner. I didn't pick it. I haven't seen the wine list they have. But I'm guessing that they would be the sort of place with a much smaller wine list because they don't seem to have a great deal of storage. The wine that was served was a little too tannic for my taste. It had a nice bouquet, but it needed to age a little too smooth it out. I thought that it was a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the waiter who picked it said it was an Australian-style Bourdeaux. I'm going to assume that he is really naive and is just repeating what he heard the wine salesman told him and the rest of the staff. [The likelihood that this wine would age like a Bourdeaux is so close to zero that it would be like wishful thinking for anyone to suggest it could happen with a moniker "Australian-style Bourdeaux". The Bourdeaux's mature from their tannin heavy youth into something that is recognized to be one of the best wines you can have with food. Given the amount of oak that was in this wine, it's highly unlikely that it would mature into something like that. It would be better after aging a few years, but not much more than that. But I digress ....] I've heard it said that most restaurants in Toronto sell wine that is too young. Perhaps there are a lot of drinkers out that would find this wine to be perfectly fine. But then they've probably never had a properly aged wine, so its hard for them to offer an informed opinion.
Overall, I'd have to say that I was quite impressed. I came in with high expectations and I wasn't disappointed. I would say that the quality of the dishes and presentation rival that at Splendido. To me the places are really similar because they're about creating interesting flavours, using seasonal ingredients, experimenting and plating the dishes really well. This is opposed to the typically restaurant that is more concerned with feeding you. The big advantage for Colborne Lane over Splendido is the price point. The entry level menu at Splendido (3 courses plus a series of hors d'oeuvres) is almost $100, desert is extra and add the wine on top of that and your looking at $160-$170 a person for dinner. I think here you could do 4 dishes and desert for well below that. You could even go old-school French style and have the cheese plate and still have some change to spare. I still don't have the full experience, so I don't think I've seen enough to give it a complete rating. Based on what I've seen, I think it's at a minimum a 2 bunny and maybe a 3 bunny place. But I would need to have a closer look to know for sure.
Notes on the Bunny Rating System:
- 0 or no Bunnies, it's a waste of time; don't go.
- 1 Bunny, the place is worth checking out.
- 2 Bunnies, you should go out of your way to check out the place; the food is really good and the place is cool.
- 3 Bunnies, you absolutely have to go there; the food is exceptional and the place is really cool
Friday, May 4, 2007
Dinner at Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar
I went on a Monday night. It was pretty busy. They don't take reservations there, so you have to wait for a spot in the main room. We got there just after 7:00, it was like a 30-minute wait for something at the bar or one of the tables in the main room. Although we took a spot in the other room, I would think that it would've have been worthwhile to wait -- there's just so much going on in the main room.
The place is kind of set up with three areas. The main room with the bar and a few tables, a second area with a banquette/couch and a upholstered chairs along one wall and a large communal table along the wall opposite the couch and chairs. The third area is a formal dinning room, that borders the second area and faces the street (so it has windows). The area is separated from the space with the communal table by a wall. The dining room is technically the Jamie Kennedy Restaurant, while the first two areas form the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar. Although they're all located in the same spot, the menu differs between the two. The wine bar is tapas, while the restaurant is more like a traditional restaurant (starters and mains). The
We got a spot at the communal table in the second area. The loungy part opposite the communal table is where you can sit and wait for a table in the main room. They don't serve food if you there, but they do bring drinks. All the main room is where you want to be, the second area is still fairly crowed. There were like groups of people waiting there, and the communal table was almost at capacity. The table has a rustic look to it. It actual looks like its two tables pushed together so its pretty wide. It has enough spots to seat 14 and not worry about bumping elbows with someone sitting next to you. There were at least 9 people sitting there when we were there.
The place has got a nice look to it. I didn't have a close look at the main room. But the second area has a big wall treatment that's like a country road or something like that. It pairs well with the table. They have nice floors all the way throughout. They look like oak planks with a darkish stain, but not too dark.
The crowd is relatively young. I would say that most of it people in their 20's and 30's. I spotted a few cougars in the place, but they aren't like the haggardly old saber-tooth ones (like the ones you see at Coco Lezzone). They look good and dress well. Some suits from Bay Street and more casually dressed people as well. The music is pretty decent, it's not annoying or anything like that. With the big communal table, it was like you could hear everyone's conversation -- one of the guys sitting next to us laughed a few times after hearing what we were talking about. I didn't mind, it just reinforces the relaxed vibe that the place projects. If you want to have a private conversation this is not the place for you. I would guess that there would be the same sort of issues if you sit at the bar, but the tables seem to be a little more removed from each other (relatively speaking).
The waiters and servers are fine. I would say that the people that we interacted with were fine. I've been to the restaurant (see the review on Jan 31), where the service is substantially more formal. But the waiter we had answered questions and stuff, so I had no complaints.
The menu is tapas style. Small dishes, made for sharing. They also have smaller things to get you started that aren't the menu. From the bar tapas we had the spiced almonds, the marinated artichokes, the Yukon Gold frites and the chorizo. Of these I would probably take a pass on the spiced almonds. They're fine in terms of taste, but the problem with them is that they could clash with the wine because they have a really tangy after taste. I had to wash them taste out with the water. The best of the bunch is the Yukon gold frites. These are like the ones they have at Jamie Kennedy Gardiner, that everyone talks about. They give you a lot and they come with a mayonnaise dipping sauce. The chorizo is basically chunks of meat. The sausage they served has a subtle smoked flavour to it, so its not overpowering. The only negative thing that I would say about the sausage is that you don't get any bread with it and you have to by bread by the basket if you want it. The basket is tapas sized too, so you pay something $3.00 for like 4 pieces, which are halved slices. The reason I'm making a point about this in Mediterranean cultures that speak romance languages, bread with sausage is a big thing. You're supposed to eat more bread than sausage. If the sausage is really spicy, like Italian sausage which often includes paprika, black pepper, chili peppers and fennel, then bread is essential. You can get away with less bread with the chorizo because its not nearly as spicy. I guess a lot of people might notice this (no bread with the meat) because they don't come from a background like that.
Of the main tapas menu we had yukon gold frites as a beef brisket poutine and Hokkaido scallops. The beef poutine I've had before in the Jamie Kennedy Restaurant, where it was a combo of three starters. This is like so good. I think that I would have it every time I go there. The scallops are really really good. They are so soft and tender. They serve them with bacon, so you get a really contrast in the two tastes. This is also a top-rate dish. We didn't leave anything in the plate because it was so good. Both the dishes are the kind that you would dip bread in to get every last bit.
The wine. I went light that night. I only had one glass of an Austrian Sauvignon Blanc. It was well paired with the things we had. It's taste didn't change after eating the almonds or the chorizo, which is good. I think they try different things with the wine, so it rotates. They had a few other Austrian wines on the menu (I originally ordered an Austrian Riesling, but it was sold out). Also the sommelier, gets bonus points for emphasizing things like the Sauvignon Blanc's and Riesling's, because they are good wines to match with food. So I think a lot of wine bars in this city would be heavy into in chardonnay's and pinot gris or grigo or stuff like that. Not that they necessarily bad wines, but they might not be versatile food wines.
After we finished with the tapas we went french style and had the cheese plate before desert. The cheese plate came with five cheeses ordered from the mildest to the sharpest. They paired the cheeses with a few "crackers" (long thin whole wheat triangles), a sliced apple and some walnuts. Unlike a lot of places, where you don't get enough stuff to spread or eat the cheese with, there was a really good balance here. The crackers worked best with the soft cheeses, while the harder cheeses were best paired with the apples and the walnuts. The combination of flavours between the cheeses and the apples and the walnuts was exceptional. The walnuts really brought out some of the flavours in the sharper cheeses.
For desert I had the creme brullee and a coffee. The coffee was really good. The creme brullee comes with a biscotti, it wasn't a real biscotti because it was short bread but it was a nice pairing with creme brullee. Of course the creme brullee was very good. The other person ordered the rhubarb trifle and was generally favourable to it, although it wasn't what he was expecting.
The bill came up to almost a $100 without the tip, and I was really full at the end of the night.
Overall, this place is first rate. The food and the vibe of the place make it more than worth checking out.
Rating: 2 Bunnies
Notes on the Bunny Rating System:
The place is kind of set up with three areas. The main room with the bar and a few tables, a second area with a banquette/couch and a upholstered chairs along one wall and a large communal table along the wall opposite the couch and chairs. The third area is a formal dinning room, that borders the second area and faces the street (so it has windows). The area is separated from the space with the communal table by a wall. The dining room is technically the Jamie Kennedy Restaurant, while the first two areas form the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar. Although they're all located in the same spot, the menu differs between the two. The wine bar is tapas, while the restaurant is more like a traditional restaurant (starters and mains). The
We got a spot at the communal table in the second area. The loungy part opposite the communal table is where you can sit and wait for a table in the main room. They don't serve food if you there, but they do bring drinks. All the main room is where you want to be, the second area is still fairly crowed. There were like groups of people waiting there, and the communal table was almost at capacity. The table has a rustic look to it. It actual looks like its two tables pushed together so its pretty wide. It has enough spots to seat 14 and not worry about bumping elbows with someone sitting next to you. There were at least 9 people sitting there when we were there.
The place has got a nice look to it. I didn't have a close look at the main room. But the second area has a big wall treatment that's like a country road or something like that. It pairs well with the table. They have nice floors all the way throughout. They look like oak planks with a darkish stain, but not too dark.
The crowd is relatively young. I would say that most of it people in their 20's and 30's. I spotted a few cougars in the place, but they aren't like the haggardly old saber-tooth ones (like the ones you see at Coco Lezzone). They look good and dress well. Some suits from Bay Street and more casually dressed people as well. The music is pretty decent, it's not annoying or anything like that. With the big communal table, it was like you could hear everyone's conversation -- one of the guys sitting next to us laughed a few times after hearing what we were talking about. I didn't mind, it just reinforces the relaxed vibe that the place projects. If you want to have a private conversation this is not the place for you. I would guess that there would be the same sort of issues if you sit at the bar, but the tables seem to be a little more removed from each other (relatively speaking).
The waiters and servers are fine. I would say that the people that we interacted with were fine. I've been to the restaurant (see the review on Jan 31), where the service is substantially more formal. But the waiter we had answered questions and stuff, so I had no complaints.
The menu is tapas style. Small dishes, made for sharing. They also have smaller things to get you started that aren't the menu. From the bar tapas we had the spiced almonds, the marinated artichokes, the Yukon Gold frites and the chorizo. Of these I would probably take a pass on the spiced almonds. They're fine in terms of taste, but the problem with them is that they could clash with the wine because they have a really tangy after taste. I had to wash them taste out with the water. The best of the bunch is the Yukon gold frites. These are like the ones they have at Jamie Kennedy Gardiner, that everyone talks about. They give you a lot and they come with a mayonnaise dipping sauce. The chorizo is basically chunks of meat. The sausage they served has a subtle smoked flavour to it, so its not overpowering. The only negative thing that I would say about the sausage is that you don't get any bread with it and you have to by bread by the basket if you want it. The basket is tapas sized too, so you pay something $3.00 for like 4 pieces, which are halved slices. The reason I'm making a point about this in Mediterranean cultures that speak romance languages, bread with sausage is a big thing. You're supposed to eat more bread than sausage. If the sausage is really spicy, like Italian sausage which often includes paprika, black pepper, chili peppers and fennel, then bread is essential. You can get away with less bread with the chorizo because its not nearly as spicy. I guess a lot of people might notice this (no bread with the meat) because they don't come from a background like that.
Of the main tapas menu we had yukon gold frites as a beef brisket poutine and Hokkaido scallops. The beef poutine I've had before in the Jamie Kennedy Restaurant, where it was a combo of three starters. This is like so good. I think that I would have it every time I go there. The scallops are really really good. They are so soft and tender. They serve them with bacon, so you get a really contrast in the two tastes. This is also a top-rate dish. We didn't leave anything in the plate because it was so good. Both the dishes are the kind that you would dip bread in to get every last bit.
The wine. I went light that night. I only had one glass of an Austrian Sauvignon Blanc. It was well paired with the things we had. It's taste didn't change after eating the almonds or the chorizo, which is good. I think they try different things with the wine, so it rotates. They had a few other Austrian wines on the menu (I originally ordered an Austrian Riesling, but it was sold out). Also the sommelier, gets bonus points for emphasizing things like the Sauvignon Blanc's and Riesling's, because they are good wines to match with food. So I think a lot of wine bars in this city would be heavy into in chardonnay's and pinot gris or grigo or stuff like that. Not that they necessarily bad wines, but they might not be versatile food wines.
After we finished with the tapas we went french style and had the cheese plate before desert. The cheese plate came with five cheeses ordered from the mildest to the sharpest. They paired the cheeses with a few "crackers" (long thin whole wheat triangles), a sliced apple and some walnuts. Unlike a lot of places, where you don't get enough stuff to spread or eat the cheese with, there was a really good balance here. The crackers worked best with the soft cheeses, while the harder cheeses were best paired with the apples and the walnuts. The combination of flavours between the cheeses and the apples and the walnuts was exceptional. The walnuts really brought out some of the flavours in the sharper cheeses.
For desert I had the creme brullee and a coffee. The coffee was really good. The creme brullee comes with a biscotti, it wasn't a real biscotti because it was short bread but it was a nice pairing with creme brullee. Of course the creme brullee was very good. The other person ordered the rhubarb trifle and was generally favourable to it, although it wasn't what he was expecting.
The bill came up to almost a $100 without the tip, and I was really full at the end of the night.
Overall, this place is first rate. The food and the vibe of the place make it more than worth checking out.
Rating: 2 Bunnies
Notes on the Bunny Rating System:
- 0 or no Bunnies, it's a waste of time; don't go.
- 1 Bunny, the place is worth checking out.
- 2 Bunnies, you should go out of your way to check out the place; the food is really good and the place is cool.
- 3 Bunnies, you absolutely have to go there; the food is exceptional and the place is really cool
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Recent Pickup: Oni Blue
The Oni makes them look so satanic. I ordered these from Blue in Green in NYC. These have the new design on the back pocket. I probably would have preferred them plain, but if I can get used to thing on the Sugarcane Hawaii's these shouldn't be much of a problem.Although they are raw, Blue and Green offer a one-wash service where they get the maximum shrinkage to the tag size. I think they use some sort of industrial dryer or something after they soak them, because they really soft to the touch.
I also asked them to chain stitch the hem to length. I have to say I'm really impressed that they used some really thick and heavy duty thread. You can really see the slubbiness of the denim in the last two pictures.
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