Nov 26

E.R. Bradley’s Saloon in West Palm Beach

E.R. Bradley's Saloon in West Palm BeachHopefully, my regular readers will forgive me for not having a catchy headline and my usual limerick. To tell the truth, I am way behind with my posts and if I hope to make them even remotely recent, I need to get my butt into gear. I am writing this particular post sitting in the airport in Charlotte, awaiting my connection back to Ottawa having spent the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday with my good friend Mike in the Palm Beach area. He picked me up from the airport at Fort Lauderdale this last Monday and this was the first of our dining experiences.

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Where we went: Having arrived mid-afternoon and having a 90 minute drive North to Port St. Lucie where Mike lives, we decided to stop to eat en route since my only sustenance thus far had been a banana and handful of trail mix since leaving the freezing rain behind in Ottawa at 6AM that same morning. Mike had frequented E.R. Bradley’s on several occasions over the years and selected it because one could dine al fresco facing the water and he knew that he would find something other than seafood on the menu.

What we ordered:  I selected the blackened mahi sandwich on flatbread served with black beans and rice with mango salsa, with a Corona to wash it down.

What we got: Our server came back to inform me that the kitchen staff felt that the flatbread was not up to par and suggested I select and alternative. I chose pita instead which proved to be a good choice since it was fresh and moist and perfectly complemented the relatively dense texture and spiciness of the mahi-mahi. Perhaps it was just because I was hungry but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

Worthy of note: I didn’t really miss it but if the mango salsa that was advertised was actually on my plate it was well disguised, since I did not detect it. Also, mid-afternoon, the restaurant was not overly busy, so service was perhaps brisker than it might otherwise be.

Summary

  • Positives: In spite of reviews to the contrary, I did not find the prices out of line and the food was excellent.
  • Negatives: None found but to be fair, we did not have a full meal to base our opinion on. 
  • Recommendation: Based on this one limited experience, I would recommend giving it a go! If I am back in the area, I will certainly visit again! 
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality *** Good
Price $$$ In the ballpark
Decor *** Bright airy and modern
Service **** No complaints
Overall Rating *** Not enough data!


E.R. Bradley's Saloon on Urbanspoon

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Nov 16

Meals at Montana’s were merely meh!

Montana's Gloucester Centre Ottawa

Is it the Moose that makes Montana’s?

You know, it’s getting harder and harder to find rhymes,
And what’s more to Montana’s we’ve been a few times

Week in and week out,
We sure get about!

So, I’m sorry for not having new lines ;( 

This was one Friday night when we did not have to decide on a venue for our usual evening out. It was Amber’s 12th birthday celebration and she had picked Montana’s at the Gloucester Centre in Ottawa’s East End as her restaurant of choice.

Where we went: Personally, I don’t see the attraction of standing up wearing grubby moose antlers whilst being serenaded by a bunch of out-of-tune, somewhat less than enthusiastic servers. The kids though, seem to love it! The thing with kids, when they pick a restaurant, it is rarely the food that is their prime consideration! Plus, they seem to have short memories when it comes poor food and/or service! Anyway, Montana’s must at least be pleasing some of the people some of the time because today, just like all our other recent visits, was a packed house and a LOOONNG wait to be seated.

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What we ordered: Like so many other restaurants of its ilk, Montana’s offers a fairly standard menu of chicken, ribs, burgers and fajitas! Since none of those grabbed my fancy, I went out on a limb and ordered the pot roast with Yorkshire pudding. I should perhaps taken a hint from the fact that traditionally, Yorkshire pudding would be served with roast beef, not pot roast. Where would they get the drippings to give the batter that extra zing? Also, the idea of mash potatoes in addition to the Yorkshire seemed like a little too much starch for me, so I opted for the corn as a replacement. In a somewhat atypical move, Dorothy also ordered the same dish but stuck with the mash (pictured below). 

1/2 Rack ribs, corn & caesar salad

1/2 Rack of Ribs

Pot Roast, mash & Veggies

Pot Roast, mash & veggies

What we got: I wouldn’t say that our meals were horrible but nor were they great. The Yorkshire pudding looked good but was a little tough. The beef  was a little bit dry and tough and lacked a little on flavour. The truth is that when the get-together is a birthday celebration, the food is almost an afterthought compared to the companionship. Nobody in our very large group had any major complaints and perhaps that is what Montana’s is doing right! Since I am not a huge fan of most birthday cakes, I took a chance on the ‘individual indulgence’ of fudge brownie. To say that it was a disappointment is an understatement. It was really more like a square of chocolate sponge with a dollop of ice cream and a squirt of chocolate sauce. More of an imposition than an indulgence as was attested to by the fact that Dorothy was not too eager to help me finish it.

Amber celebrates in style

Worthy of note: There is no doubt in my mind that since recently frequenting such establishments as Cordon Bleu Bistro, Wellington Gastropub, Fraser Café and the like, I now use a slightly different yardstick than heretofore. The popularity of Montana’s in general is evidence that all is not bad here. I would temper this observation with the unusually low rating this particular location receives on Urbanspoon (see below). In any event, Amber’s birthday party went well and she wore the moose antlers with aplomb!

Summary

  • Positives: Good atmosphere. Great for kids! Prices are not out of sight. 
  • Negatives: Food is so-so, wait times can be excessive.
  • Recommendation: Hung jury! Some love it. We find it just OK but not outstanding! 
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality *** Average
Price $$$ Acceptable
Decor **** Fun
Service ***** Blah
Overall Rating *** Nothing special

 

Montana's (Gloucester) on Urbanspoon

 

Frivolous Foodie Facts

•One of the biggest racks of antlers ever found was 81 inches across!
•One of the heaviest racks of antlers ever found weighed 77 pounds!
•A bull moose looses his antlers each and every year!

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Nov 15

Make friends with the Pillsbury Dough Boy!

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls Pillsbury Pop-overs – Three ingredients, three minutes prep time!

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Perhaps like me, you occasionally have a brain-freeze and have a hard time deciding what to make for lunch when you are just looking for something simple but different. As I get older, I find that I am no longer satisfied with the same old, same old! And yet, it can be quite a challenge to come up with something new and different.

Thus it was that on a recent Sunday morning, I was racking my brains looking for something to rustle up for lunch. I knew that we had a couple of packages of Pillsbury Crescents in our fridge that were approaching their best before date. We buy them to make a sinful dessert that we learned from our friend Murielle in Montreal. Today, however, I was not looking for a dessert and did not simply want to make up simple croissants. Nor did I want to go to a lot of hassle. So here’s what I came up with:

Pillsbury Pop-overs


I decided that I would turn the croissants into pop-overs by filling them with something savoury. I went looking in the cupboard for flakes of ham but came up with chunks of chicken, so I chose that. Then I grated about 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese. Finally, I took a beaten egg. I laid out the dough flat and placed either cheese or chicken in the center and brushed the edges with a little beaten egg. I then pulled the pastry up over the filling . I brushed the pockets with a little more egg to make them extra brown after baking. Finally, I put a few strands of cheese on the cheese pop-overs to distinguish them from the chicken-filled ones and put them in a 375F oven for 13-15 minutes.


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Frivolous Foodie Facts

The “birth” of the croissant itself – that is, its adaptation from the plainer form of kipferl, before its subsequent evolution (to a puff pastry) – can be dated with some precision to at latest 1839 (some say 1838), when an Austrian artillery officer, August Zang, founded a Viennese Bakery (“Boulangerie Viennoise”) at 92, rue de Richelieu in Paris.

Nov 09

The Un-Chef meets Cordon Bleu Bistro!

A taste of the Good Life in Ottawa!

When the girls are away, it’s our chance for fine dining

And for the Cordon Bleu Bistro, it’s a while we’d been pining?

Though they’ll let you wear jeans, it just won’t feel right…

With that decor and food it would be a real slight!

It’s not for you, if you’re into nickel and diming! 

It really is astounding how we can live in a city for most of our lives and still be blissfully unaware of many of its hidden secrets. A case in point was our ignorance of the fact that Ottawa is one of only a handful of cities around the world that boasts its own bona fide Cordon Bleu cooking school. It came to our attention by accident when Gregory, one of our Supper Seven noticed it tucked away at the end of Laurier Avenue just beyond Ottawa University. One evening, when we were otherwise engaged, he took his wife there and gave it rave reviews. Since that time, we had been waiting for a suitable occasion to try it out. When we got a call from the Girl’s father saying that they were going to a pumpkin patch, we knew that our chance had arrived. 

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Signatures has now become 'The Bistro at Signatures'

Where we went:It seems that there is already some history behind this restaurant, since until recently, it was the only restaurant in the city to have received Michelin’s coveted 5-Star award. It seems to me that many years ago, the ‘Ruisseau’ dining room in a hotel in Hull that has changed names so many times, I don’t remember what it was called, also earned that accolade! For some reason, The Cordon Bleu Institute decided to ‘downgrade’ the restaurant formerly called ‘Signatures’ to ‘The Bistro at Cordon Bleu’. They now emphasize that they offer casual dining at a more affordable price. I would have liked to have visited before the switch, though my wallet probably would not, since, even now, it could not be considered inexpensive.

When we entered, there was no one to greet us and we were beginning to have some doubts until someone finally appeared and offered to take our coats. From an inauspicious beginning, things then improved immeasurably!

Chateau de Courte 2008 Bordeaux

Château de Courte 2008, Bordeaux, France

What we ordered: Gregory recalled that the wine that he and Norma had ordered on their previous visit had been particularly good but could not recall its name. Our waiter, also named Gregory, took pains to help him select the correct one. The Château de Courte 2008 is what we finally selected and we were very happy with our choice. Both Dorothy and I elected to go with an appetizer, she the cheese soufflé and I the snails. While we waited, we leisurely sipped our wine and snacked on warm, fresh artisanal bread.

What we got: Rather than attempt to give you a blow by blow, I will let the pictures do the talking. I will say that the snails in a bread basket was probably the best I have ever had! Dorothy also let me taste her cheese soufflé and it melted in the mouth. Clicking on each photo below will give you the description of each dish. Because portion sizes are moderate, we were able to order appetizer, main and desert and still not feel overfull. There are a few things to point out where the pictures do not tell the full story:

  • The duck leg served in a pastilla is not visible but it is chopped finely and served in a phyllo pastry shell and reminded me of our recent visit to the Kasbah Village.
  • The cake served with the coconut ice cream was definitely not chocolate lava cake though we never determined exactly what it was. (Norma ate it all, so I assume it was good anyway!
  • Someone at a neighbouring table ordered the Steak and fries and although it was, in comparison, a large portion of food, the chef managed to make something relatively mundane seem exotic!
cordonbleu_03
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cordonbleu_07
cordonbleu_08
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[Show slideshow]

Worthy of note: The fact that this is turning into the longest restaurant review that I have ever written, is testament to how much we enjoyed the evening. Still there are additional points that I would be remiss if I did not highlight:

  1. The reservation system was a little unusual since you are required to leave a message on an answering machine and then receive a call back to confirm!
  2. A large part of the overall experience is the opulence of the surroundings and the quality of table linens, glassware and cutlery.
  3. As with many finer restaurants, the full  menu and wine list are available on-line. Be aware though that items may change due to availability of ingredients. 
  4. To cap our evening off, our head waiter took us on a full tour of the facility including kitchens, private dining rooms and classrooms. I must admit that it was a little humbling to think of the Un-chef’s own lowly culinary efforts when compared to this industry icon! It was truly an evening to remember! 

Summary

  • Positives: The food should be and was the highlight but service and ambiance was second to none.
  • Negatives: The only negative was that the evening came to an end!
  • Recommendation: Save this location for that special occasion when you really want to wow your guest(s)!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality ***** Top Notch
Price $$$$ Not cheap
Decor ***** Exquisite
Service ***** Attentive
Overall Rating ***** Gets 5 from me!


Bistro Cordon Bleu on Urbanspoon


Frivolous Foodie Facts

While Le Cordon Bleu culinary school remains a Parisian icon, the school now operates 30 schools in 15 countries, offering classes in cities as diverse as London, Tokyo, New York, Ottawa and Sydney. According to the school’s website, over 18,000 students from more than 70 countries now attend Le Cordon Bleu each year.

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Nov 02

Coconut Lagoon, a hidden Oasis in Ottawa’s East End

Coconut Lagoon

We’ll go back soon to Coconut Lagoon!

Yet again, we found ourselves in a usual plight….
All our favourite spots were packed on this Friday night!
From Wild Wing we flew ’cause vacancies were few
For a while, the Supper Seven were in a right stew!
But Coconut Lagoon was nearby so it turned out alright!

You would perhaps have thought that we would have learned our lesson by now. After all, we’ve been going out to eat in Ottawa on Friday nights for quite a few years now. Although the Pizza Huts and Swiss Chalets will usually have little problem finding a table for seven with a minimum of fuss and waiting time, most other dining establishments, the majority of which will not accept (last minute) reservations are more often problematic. Thus it was that we found ourselves, tonight our ranks swollen to nine people at Wild Wing at on St. Laurent Blvd. facing a 40 minute wait. Even adults may have a hard time facing such an eternity with a growling stomach, but our 3 angels, Fayth, Lara and Amber are just not up to it.

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Where we went: Fortunately, one of our group recalled that there was an Indian restaurant in the neighbourhood that we had not frequented for quite some time. Indeed, it had been so long that none of us could really recall what our impressions of the establishment were! Even though there was no space in the small parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, we parked on a nearby street and decided to take a chance. Although this restaurant was also full, the host/manager assured us that they could make space for us in the back room and that although the wait for our main course might be longer than usual, he would rush through our order for any starter to tide us over.

Carib is West Indian not South Indian beer!What we ordered: Now I am not generally a hard person to please and even when I am impatient and hungry, I can be easily mollified with the appropriate liquid inducement. Although the exterior sign claimed that the house specialty was South Indian dishes, the name reminded me rather of the Caribbean and this impression was strengthened by the presence of Carib beer on the menu. Ian and I got into the Island spirit (?) right away! Taking up the solution proffered by our host, we promptly ordered soup and samosas to get started and then ordered a variety of dishes to be shared by all. 

Coconut Lagoon PlateWhat we got: As promised, the soup and samosas arrived in short order and were quickly devoured and declared delicious by all and sundry. At this point, the level of hunger was such that  cardboard and dishwater would likely have met with decent reviews. However, even when the edge had been taken away, as the main dishes arrived, we were not disappointed. Although we had ordered medium-spicy or mild, some of the dishes were on the hotter side. Nevertheless, on the whole, everyone was satisfied.

Worthy of note: When we eat Indian food, we will tend to measure it against that of  The Pearl of India which we particularly like. Although comparable in quality and price, quantity was less which meant that we had none to take home for Saturday lunch as we normally would at the Pearl. Also, rather than serving Naan bread, which is  particular favourite of all three girls, Coconut Lagoon serves Paratha bread. It is flatter and a little bit greasy (see on left of plate pictured) but it was almost as good.

Summary

  • Positives: They say: “the devil drives when needs must!” but we were happy to have taken the chance. The attention and service we received made us promise ourselves and our host that we would be back in the not too distant future. 
  • Negatives: None really except the lack of excess food for doggy!
  • Recommendation: Definitely worth a try if you like Indian food! Even if you think you don’t, you might be converted! 
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality *** Good
Price $$$ moderate
Decor *** Average
Service **** Above average
Overall Rating *** Deserves a try



Frivolous Foodie Facts

Falling coconuts kill 150 people every year – 10 times the number of people killed by sharks.

 

Coconut Lagoon on Urbanspoon

Nov 01

Joanne’s Blueberry Yoghourt Pot cake – Un-Chef Style…

BlueBerry Yoghourt Pot Cake - Un-Chef Style!

There are a lot of would-be cooks who shy away from making cakes because they believe it is either too time-consuming or the results are likely to disappoint! Recently, I was sent a recipe from my son, Ian with the claim that it was both easy and tasty. We took up the challenge and had no idea what to expect other than the fact that the recipe originated from my sister Joanne who spent much of her career as a catering manager in a college cafeteria, so I could guess that its chances of success were reasonable.

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The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity: Mix six ingredients together, put them in a cake pan, cook at 350C for 40 minutes. That’s it, you’re done…..

And the six ingredients are:

  • 1 pot of yoghourt (approx 175 ml size)
  • 1 pot of oil
  • 1 pot of sugar
  • 2 pots of flour (plain)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp baking powder

I have every reason to believe that this recipe would have worked exactly as written. However, being the Un-Chef that I am, a few adjustments were made. Firstly, my pot of yoghourt was very small, only 100ml, and I think that this would have made the cake too small and changed the ratio of ingredients. Therefore, I added some plain yoghourt and used a 2/3 cup measure as my ‘pot’ for the remaining ingredients. Also, since my yoghourt was blueberry flavoured, I decided to add a pot of frozen blueberries (thawed to room temperature).

They say that the proof of the pudding is in the eating and I must say that this proved to be totally delicious! Should you be the kind of person who requires a little more in the way of instructions, we have given you some additional guidelines in the pictures below:

Ingredients for recipeBlueberry Yoghourt Pot cakeA slice of Cake

Frivolous Foodie Facts

If all the blueberries grown in North America in one year were spread out in a single layer, they would cover a four-lane highway that stretched from New York to Chicago.
(The Great Food Almanac) 

You will find many other recipes as simple as this in our Un-Cookbook which is now generally available for sale. You can buy it direct from our publisher, through many on-line retailers or order it from your local bookstore!

Click for more info or to purchase

Click for more info or to purchase

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Oct 22

The Gun Pub at Chiddingly: out of the way but out of this world!

The Gun Pub at ChiddinglyPerhaps it is because pub food here in Canada generally tends to be somewhat ho-hum that I was consistently surprised at the quality of food served in many of the pubs in England. On a recent trip, we ate in almost half a dozen different pubs over a ten day period and each was at least good and one in particular was outstanding. We were nearing the end of our trip and we invited my brother and sister for a farewell supper. I suggested to my sister Joanne that she select a location. She asked me if I remembered The Gun at Chiddingly. I didn’t even have a clue where Chiddingly was, even less any of its pubs. In my youth, I would have known it for sure, since I spent a lot of time travelling the highways and byways of East Sussex. For those in the know, Chiddingly is located off  Upper Dicker on the London Road North West of  Hailsham in East Sussex.

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This evening, I had decided to leave my camera behind and had no intention of writing this review. I was going to take an evening off, just relax and go with the flow. However, the locale, the food and the service changed my mind. By the time we got to dessert, I felt that it would be an injustice not to make mention of this particular meal, since it was one of the best that we had during our visit. Thus I belatedly borrowed my wife Dorothy’s camera and took a couple of shots of our desserts since they were one of the best parts of the meal.

The Gun Pub East SussexIn real estate, they say that the most important features are location, location, location. Well, in this instance, it is perhaps a double-edged sword. Chiddingly is definitely somewhat out of the way! However, the pub itself is quite charming and the drive is bearable.

I cannot go into chapter and verse about the food, since as I mentioned earlier, I didn’t take pictures before dessert but I will simply say that the food was good and that you should try it for yourself.

The Banoffee pie was to die for!

Café Gourmand - Three mini desserts!

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Oct 19

Wilfrids at Chateau Laurier has Ottawa’s best Sunday Brunch

The Ottawa brunch that packs a punch!

I know that it’s true that I’ve waited a bunch
Before giving you the low-down on Ottawa’s best brunch
The staff were top notch and the food was superb
On Sunday, nowhere’s better, your hunger to curb
If you go once, you’ll go twice, I’ve a hunch 😉

I must admit to being remiss in not posting this at a much earlier date. I could make all kinds of excuses but none of them would be valid and you don’t really want to hear them anyway. However, since this blog is principally about dining out in and around Ottawa, it would really be somewhat of a travesty not to describe one of the best experiences that we have had this year.

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Where we went: In January (yes January – I told you I was remiss 😉 we needed a facility to accommodate a get-together to celebrate our daughter and son-in-law’s recent marriage – last July in France. Although there was a large contingent from Canada present at the Wedding itself, many close friends were unable to attend and since Christa & Mikaël were going to be here for the Christmas holidays we wanted to have a reception for them. We spent a lot of time and energy trying to find both a suitable location that would not break the bank and also someone who would make us a wedding cake. Without boring you with all the specifics, let me just tell you that what seemed like it should be a fairly straightforward task turned out to be virtually impossible. Either the locale was unsuitable or the price was too high. As for the wedding cake, the first week of January is not a good time to be looking for one and often prices were sky high!

I cannot recall how we decided to check out the Chateau Laurier but we were certainly glad that we did. We were given two options: 1) We could rent a private room and have a buffet brunch catered or 2) We could use the private room located right beside Wilfrid’s Restaurant and have our guests help themselves to the buffet. We checked out both options and decided on the latter. During our tour of the facility, we were introduced to Jimmy, one of the chefs, who absolutely brimmed over with enthusiasm. He assured us that if we selected the Chateau, we would not be disappointed. The room we were offered (at no extra cost above that of the buffet) seemed perfect for our needs so we made a deposit. We asked about the possibility of a wedding cake but were told that they no longer offered that service although they would check with the Head Chef. The very next day we were contacted and told that they would make an exception and do a cake for us!

Wedding CakeWhat we got: Trying to describe the buffet in terms that will do it justice is like trying to carry water in a colander. We’ve all been to buffets and if you have been following this blog for a while, you will know that I am not generally a fan. It takes a lot of skilled kitchen staff to mass produce food for potentially hundreds of people and have the majority of it turn out appetizing. The Chateau obviously has that staff because everything was fresh, attractively presented, not where it needed to be and, last but not least, tasty. Our new friend Jimmy was there manning the omelette station and was just as peppy as at our first meeting. As is my wont, I first cruised the dessert table. One of the first yardsticks I apply to buffet is to determine whether desserts are made with real dairy cream as opposed to synthetic gunk. I also need to decide how much space I need to leave in my stomach, since I am not a big eater, which is another reason that I do not generally frequent buffets. I do, however have a sweet tooth and this day my worst fears were realised. There were at least half a dozen sweet treats softly calling to me. What was I to do? And we had our own cake too…..

Worthy of note: The food was not of primary importance to most of the people attending, however, I did not hear a single complaint from any of our guests. On the contrary, many remarked that the food was only surpassed by the attentiveness but unobtrusiveness of the staff. The cake was the final touch that added the icing, so to speak. In France, our daughter had not been able to get the exact cake that she had wished for simply because the caterer felt that he knew best and ignored her specific instructions! The one supplied by the Chateau was precisely what she wanted!

Summary

  • Positives: The food, the service, the surroundings.
  • Negatives: none of consequence!
  • Recommendation: Try it for yourself!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality ***** Outstanding
Price $$$$ Worth every cent
Decor **** Superior
Service ***** First Class
Overall Rating ***** My second 5 Star

 

Wilfrid's Restaurant on Urbanspoon


Frivolous Foodie Facts

There is a version of the Chateau Laurier called “Hotel du Canada” at the Canadian Pavilion at Epcot, in Orlando, Florida.

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Oct 15

Wellington GastroPub doesn’t disappoint – nor does it really shine!

Ottawa's Wellington Gastropub

Pretty Good Grub at Wellington Gastropub!

A gastropub is about gourmet food and great beer,
And if that’s the case, you’ll find both are right here.
The decor is quite cozy and the food’s above par
Though to find one that’s better you won’t have to go far
But still I conclude that this one is Top Tier.

Within the last couple of months, we have frequented three of Ottawa’s most highly regarded eating spots: Fraser Café, Petit Bills Bistro and Wellington GastroPub. In our opinion, all three are deserving of their reputation but we would probably have to rank Wellington GastroPub behind the other two based on our personal experience and taste.

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In case you are wondering exactly what a gastropub might be, you are in good company. I took the trouble to look the term up and found out that it is an establishment that serves specialty beverages along with gourmet food. 

Where we went: The Wellington Gastropub, located on Wellington in Westboro Village, had been on my wish-list for quite some time now. Often having had the intention to sample their wares, something always seemed to intervene to prevent it from becoming a reality. The most recent occasion had been for Dorothy’s birthday and we had invited friends to join us. Unfortunately, but in line with our previous contention, they were unable to attend, so we decided to have a romantic supper at home instead. However, as luck would have it, Dorothy had to be in the West End of Ottawa the very next day and decided that we should take advantage of the situation. Although it may look somewhat sparsely populated in the picture above as Dorothy enters the establishment, in fact it was completely full and of course we had no prior reservation. Fortune was smiling down upon us and we were told that there was a final table for two available provided we agreed to be finished by 7:30 (it was now 5:30). We acquiesced with alacrity! 

Waupoos Cider from Prince Edward CountyWhat we ordered: It seems only right that in a gastropub one should order some special kind of brew. As I was perusing the ‘specials’ board, I happened to notice a locally-brewed cider on offer. Over the last few years, I have taken a distinct liking to cider in its many iterations and Waupoos Premium Cider is now added to the list of my preferred beverages. It compares very favourably with England’s Strongbow probably the international front-runner. Dorothy ordered the broccoli, cheddar and ale soup  with apple butter to start and then Lamb Sirloin and belly pork with Fingerlings. Personally, I was happy with my cider to start along with the local artisan bread with dipping oil, so I went straight for the main and ordered the sea scallops with butternut squash puree and sautéed kale.

Broccoli Cheddar & ale soup with apple butterLamb Sirloin & belly pork with fingerlings and vegetablesea scallops with butternut squash puree fingerlings and vegetables

 

 

 

What we got: Dorothy allowed me to sample her soup and although I am not a huge fan of soup as a starter, this was really good and the touch of apple butter was a nice addition. The lamb and pork belly was an unusual combination and Dorothy did not rave about it although she had no specific complaint. On the other hand, my scallops were plump, tender and beautifully caramelised on top giving them a slight crunch. I still had room for dessert so I finished off with a Black Pepper Panna Cotta with fresh strawberries. It was delicious but a little runnier than it would normally be, almost more like a crème anglaise. I don’t know if this was deliberate but it did not detract from the experience.

Worthy of note: Our bill for two with only a single drink topped $100, so it is not inexpensive. The lamb was a substitution not  on posted on the online menu. Shortly after our arrival a couple were shown to the love-seat beside us and  ate their entire meal there, presumably because there were no more tables available!

Summary

  • Positives: Good food, good ambiance. Daily online Menu available
  • Negatives: No mint sauce available! Quite pricey
  • Recommendation: If you can afford it or want somewhere to take that someone special, Wellington Gastropub should probably be on your list!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality **** Superior
Price $$$$ High
Decor **** Cozy
Service *** Good, not outstanding
Overall Rating **** Recommended

 

Wellington GastroPub on Urbanspoon

 

Frivolous Foodie Facts

Farm workers’ wages in earlier times included four pints of cider per day. …

The biggest cider producers are England, South Africa, and France

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Oct 11

My Un-Chef toad-in-the-hole was a smash!

When you cook with glass, you could fall on your ass!

Today, being the day after our traditional Thanksgiving dinner, where we eat all the usual foods and fixings, when we had Kim and Alexandra over for lunch, we wanted to serve something a little bit different. Since I had just finished a post from our UK trip where toad-in-the-hole was featured, I guess that it had been on my mind. Also, we had just purchased an assortment of sausages from Costco so we were all set.

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For the uninitiated, this British dish is a combination of Yorkshire Pudding and sausages. There are many different recipes and variations but in essence, this is a simple meal to both prepare and cook. In my experience, there are two important aspects that will make or break the success of your efforts. The first is to add some flavour to the batter by using something other than oil as the fat. Typically, the English use reserved pan drippings from roasted meats but of course most of us don’t have this sitting in our refridgerators. For our part, we do normally have reserved bacon fat on hand and this is a perfect place to use it. The second secret is to make sure that the fat and pan are pre-heated to the point where the fat or oil is literally starting to smoke otherwise there is a good chance that the batter will not rise and become light and fluffy as it should.

This was probably my downfall. Following my own instructions, the bacon fat was indeed sizzling and just starting to smoke as I poured the batter into the Pyrex dish that had served us so well for the last 25-30 years and had turned out many a perfect toad-in-the-hole in the past. Then, all of a sudden I heard an eerie cracking sound and the dish disintegrated before my eyes. If you are wondering about the little specs in the picture above, I was trying out a new variant which included grainy mustard in the batter.

Being the consummate professional that I am (not), I quickly whipped up some more batter to replace that which you see spread over the top of the stove and used a metal baking pan to recover from the disaster. If you would like more detailed instructions on how to prepare this dish, the recipe can be found in our Un-Cookbook which will be available for both download and in hard and/or soft cover within the next few weeks.

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