nsequitur
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Posts posted by nsequitur
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Checked out so far for Miami Spice 2007:
Escopazzo: always a favorite, during the promotion or not. Lots of choices (I think as many as 6 mains!). I went with the risotto of the day and was not disappointed.
Bouley: wanted to try given the ordinary high prices. The limited choices (2 app, 2 main, 1 dessert) were not very inspired. Bottom line: glad I tried it at the $35 price tag. Highlight: truffle bread rolls. Biggest disappointment: wines by the glass priced as high as wines by the bottle anywhere else (and forget buying wine by the bottle altogether). The $35 corkage fee, if I'd opted to exploit it, would have been a bargain.
Tomorrow: Palme D'or at the Biltmore
Later: Chef Allen's. It's fallen from grace the last few visits, but on the last wed this month they are doing the $35 menu, WITH WINE PAIRINGS. A rare good deal at Allen's (the last one was a mango dinner with pairings and a martini he did years ago when the book was released, which I think was $45).
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Wow, it's hard to choose from that list!
We'll probably be going. I need to spend more time in Dade County. I think it's great that the Visitor's Bureau has this organized for the off season.
The only place on your list that I am familiar with is Mark's - always good. But hopefully I'll know more in the near future@
Nobody needs to spend time in Dade County
(those of us who live here never seem to want to go to South Beach's gridlock).
But Chef Allen's would be an easy place to go to from South Broward.
The event is pretty well-publicized this year, even though its the 6th year. I actually saw a tv commercial yesterday morning.
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And yes, Sydney should hang their collective head in shame for not being able to put forward a decent - mid-level - dining experience. However, in Boularderie, off the TC highway, there is the Cedar House restaurant and bakery which has excellent fish and chips as well as fish cakes.
The Cedar House was also recommended by someone I met in Sydney, NS (as a place you could take kids, was good, and affordable), so I can second that recommendation by proxy.
The same person said the place I was staying at (Gowrie House) was a 'top table' in Sydney. Unfortunately, at $55 pp (price fixe), plus HST plus tip, and no high chairs (not that I'd want to bring kids anyway), I never got to find out for myself. I decided to wait until returning to miami for fine dining (since miami has $35 dinners at all the best places in August/September).
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Island sunset beach resort at Margaree Harbour, lobster pound at the wharfa s well, well really Belle Cote I guess, fish shack in Cheticamp, a fresh mussel pound at a house just before the turn to Dingwall...right on the highway....fresh farmed trout at Margaree Forks--just ask at the Irving tell Mr. Lush fred says hi--freddychef
I googled "lobster pound" and I think that is exactly what I was looking for. Island Sunset has 2 locations, and it's the kind of no-frills picnic table thing I think I need. I've noted the others as well. I'll let you know how it goes!
I've returned from my trip, and the best meal I had was at the Lobster Pound at Island Sunset. It was as easy as 1. pick lobster, 2. wait 20 minutes for them to cook it, and 3. sit at picnic table with supplied nutcrackers and eat. Excellent crab legs as well.
I didn't find the place at the bottom of the ski hill near Ingonish, and I was really looking.
Runner up best meal was at the Chowder House in Neil's harbour, where I had the best seafood chowder ever, and excellent haddock & chips. I went in not that hungry, and still thought it was amazing.
After that, most of the trip was gastronomic denoument: Sydney was a wasteland, but the guy next to Mac's selling cooked lobster was a godsend (just wish there was someplace to eat it).
In Halifax I was disappointed by the much-recommended Piccolo Mondo (italian), where my sole was not completely deboned. Better bet was the widely available donairs - why aren't these sold throughout the US and Canada? It's like a gyro (mystery meat cooked on a rotating spit), served with a few sauteed veggies and a sweet white sauce - incredibly tasty.
I found a place selling bubble tea a few doors down from the Alexander Keith's brewery (1/2 price after 5pm!), called Mulan. And the Garrison Brewery was excellent (no tours, but good tasting and $2 bottles of raspberry and blueberry wheat ales - didn't like the sound of it but loved the taste).
I learned you will never find bluefin served nearby the waters from where they are fished - just too expensive not to fly them immediately to Japan and elsewhere.
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Non-locals monitoring this board should make note of August/September "Miami Spice" event in Miami-Dade county. Every year, more restaurants participate, and this year there is 80 restaurants (up from 70 last year). Also up this year is the price of the 3-course prix fixe lunches and dinner: lunch was $20.06 last year, $22 this year; Dinner was $30.06 last year, $35 this year.
A list of all participating restaurants, including their event menus, are at "ilovemiamispice.com" (for some reason, the website describing the event also changes every year - guess someone in the tourism bureau is too cheap or lazy to renew the prior year's domain name).
I'd like other locals to comment on where they will be heading, particularly those who have experienced miami spice in prior years (this is the 6th year of operation).
My tentative 'sure thing' picks are:
Bouley (because I've always wanted to go, and now can afford to)
Escopazzo (because it's good, and a 'special occasion' spot for my wife and I)
Chef Allen's (because it's close to where I live)
Then I'm kind of torn. I can't go out an unlimited number of times, since I have 2 kids and babysitter money negates the value of Miami Spice! The next tier of choices are:
Mark's South Beach (which I enjoyed before, but was hard to get to)
Blue Door at the Delano (enjoyed very much before - food and setting)
Vix (no nothing about it)
Table 8 (again, don't know anything about it)
The link to all participating restaurants is: http://www.ilovemiamispice.com/participants.htm
Recommendations?
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Island sunset beach resort at Margaree Harbour, lobster pound at the wharfa s well, well really Belle Cote I guess, fish shack in Cheticamp, a fresh mussel pound at a house just before the turn to Dingwall...right on the highway....fresh farmed trout at Margaree Forks--just ask at the Irving tell Mr. Lush fred says hi--freddychef
I googled "lobster pound" and I think that is exactly what I was looking for. Island Sunset has 2 locations, and it's the kind of no-frills picnic table thing I think I need. I've noted the others as well. I'll let you know how it goes!
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Give us an idea where you are headed. Are you looking for the best of restaurant fare, or steaming mussels yourself on the beach, or both?
Get the province's "Doers and Dreamers Guide" at the welcome building as you enter Nova Scotia (by car) or from the info booth at the Halifax airport. There are tons of seafood festivals everywhere all summer.
Peter: I'm headed to Mabou (SW CBI), then up to Cheticamp, around the trail to Neils Harbour, and down to Sydney.
I have that guide, but no festivals fall on my dates.
I'm looking for no-frills seafood. Ambiance need not apply; rather, I want butter and lobster dripping down my face. Put away the candelabra and pass the clawcrackers. That's what I'm looking for.
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Of course it all depends on what part of Nova Scotia you are heading to? If Halifax well there are a couple threads outlining the restaurants there....off the beaten track....if you want to do the Cabot Trail (really a must) try something rustic like Aspey bay oysters up around Dingwall, Cape Breton, also in Pleasant bay you'll find snow crab, Cheticamp fresh local mussels....Margaree try the Normaway inn for local CB fish--but all ahead and ask since they often have a set menu......local lobster is everywhere....same witha lot of fish......freddychef
freddychef: as noted in the title, I'm looking specifically at Cape Breton Island (Cabot Trail: yes!)
Specifically: Mabou, then up to Cheticamp, around the trail to Neils Harbour, and down to Sydney.
Coveted bluefin tuna is caught in these parts, but maybe it is too valuable to remain locally (sent instead to NYC, Japan, etc)?!
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The only good discussion thread I found after searching was at:
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Although the board is very MTL-centric, I'm hoping some members may have some tips for me as I head to Nova Scotia July 17-24.
Specifically, I'm looking for everything dragged out of the water: halibut, bluefin tuna, crab, scallops and of course lobster: where best to eat it, and find it.
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My hidden gem contribution is INDIA HOUSE on Oakland Park Blvd, a block or 2 east of I-95 (563 W. Oakland pk). It is zagat rated, and my family drives up from Miami every 2nd weekend for the lunch buffet, which is a rediculous bargain. I understand from my frequent visits that their lease may be up in the near future (landlord looking to double rent), so I don't know where they'll move, but I hope its further South.
For BBQ, I think Tom Jenkins (on US1 in Ft. Lauderdale) is generally regarded as the tri-county favorite. I recommend everything but, surprisingly, the ribs (which others rave about, but which I found dry and chewy - not fall off the bone). Collard greens, chopped pork and beef are all excellent.
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Love Lick's - miss them terribly in my new home down south, and in my summer stay this year I've already gone twice (Pickering Location) and very satisfied on both visits.
Let's face it: a mom-and-pop will always be our individual faves, but on the larger scale Licks is the goods. Big reason why is in the toppings: nice sour pickle strips (not pickle nickels), and that marvelous Guk - mmm.
As for one-offs, not impressed at all with perennial favorite Johnnies. Master Steak in Missassaugua (401/Dixie) is my pick, especially for the inner-tube onion rings on the side.
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was the Zagat price in US dollars?
No. The preface indicates that the dollar figure is supposed to reflect, "in Canadian dollars, the price of dinner for one with a drink and tip"
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I called the restaurant just now and confirmed that there IS wine pairings, from about $65-75pp. Still pretty rich, but I think I'd rather do that than attempt to pair one bottle with the vastly different courses.
For closure on the issue, there was pairings available on my visit (they appeared on the bill priced by the glass), and the wait was not agonizing, proving that my earlier visit must have had a fluke (I had ordered the 6- or 7-course menu, while at the first seating, which must have done it).
I also bought a Henry of Pelham cuvee catherine for $60 (retail price $30), which is in keeping with restaurant mark-ups generally. I also saw a $50 bottle of 2000 bordeaux, and given the vintage that is a decent buy as well.
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This past weekend I visited Susur for the first time. It was, in a sense, a much needed meal; my girlfriend and I had recently had some awful experiences at Toronto restaurants. Still, this was really insignificant compared to a positively disastrous dinner my parents had a Scaramouch. Thankfully, the dinner was excellent. My dad, who was making his third visit in two months, claimed it was the best meal he’d had there yet. After the meal, we were offered a tour of the kitchen and private dining room. Susur was in house and made a number of appearances in the dining room. The private dining area was gorgeous and the kitchen was active even at that late stage of the night. Fort he meal itself, instead of giving a blow by blow of the meal, I thought I’d offer some observations about Susur’s cuisine.
1. The structure of the meal was interesting. I am still split on whether I like the ‘backwards’ format. I enjoy that the dishes get lighter in flavour, if not size, as the meal goes on but I think I prefer having stronger flavours later and the climax of a more traditional menu. Also, instead of there being a relationship between courses (like at Toque! in Montreal), the focus was on the interactions of the multiple elements on a given plate.
2. Dishes were composed with reference to various styles and areas of the world. Flavours, techniques and compositions gave the menu a really global feel while remaining very personal to Susur’s cooking. I really enjoyed that. Ingredients were fantastic and flavour combinations were often ingenious. When well executed, such as during the caviar and fish course, a variety of flavour served to accent the flavours of one or two star elements in this case ,house smoked salmon and caviar.
3. More critically, some dishes lacked focus. Often, a plate featured one element that seemed either out of place or was poorly executed. The squid ink ravioli in the Spanish inspired shellfish course was one such element. Some courses were just too busy and not really unified. I also thought that the saucing was fairly weak. But, to be fair, the saucing was hardly the point.
4. To my surprise, while the flavour combinations were adventurous, the technique was rather conservative. There was little cutting edge technique. Not a criticism, just something unexpected.
5. Finally, wines were prohibitively expensive. Thank god I was dining with my dad. Lots of tables were just ordering water and there were few bottles in the below $100 price range. I don’t think that there were any less that $60 or 70. While I wish I could spend over a hundred dollars per head on wine, it just isn’t feasible. A $50 per head wine pairing option would be greatly appreciated.
I know this review may sound a little critical, but it was an absolutely wonderful meal. It’s just that a restaurant with such high aspirations deserves a close examination. And, to hopefully alleviate some concerns, the dinner took about 2.5 hours and there were no long waits between courses. Service was great. Our French waiter was really excellent, putting up with my dad’s good natured ribbing after he (rightly) recommended a St. Estephe over a Barolo. I think the joke had something to do with a soccer game played a few weeks ago…
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5. Finally, wines were prohibitively expensive. Thank god I was dining with my dad. Lots of tables were just ordering water and there were few bottles in the below $100 price range. I don’t think that there were any less that $60 or 70. While I wish I could spend over a hundred dollars per head on wine, it just isn’t feasible. A $50 per head wine pairing option would be greatly appreciated.
I totally agree - wines are too expensive.
On my visit, we bought a bottle anyway, only to watch it warm in the agonizing waits between courses (which I'm told were a fluke).
I called the restaurant just now and confirmed that there IS wine pairings, from about $65-75pp. Still pretty rich, but I think I'd rather do that than attempt to pair one bottle with the vastly different courses.
As noted in an earlier post, the restaurant IS in fact closed in August, and I'll be checking it out this Friday, the second last day of service until September!
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What would Michelangelo do if someone handed him a chunk of marble, a jack hammer, and told him to finish in 60 minutes? Not produce David or the Pieta ... we know what Susur is capable of ... we don't need ICA judges to tell us.
I was going to say something along the same lines, but not as charitably as you put it. Something like "given that I once waited 1hr20 between one of the courses, I don't think a 60 minute battle is his forte".
I'll be dining there again later this month, so we'll see if that's improved.
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Notably absent from the book: Via Allegro (no mention of it at all).
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I would love to go to Eigensinn but factoring in the $300 per person plus one night at a B&B (if they do not try and get a minimum 2 nights out of you if its a weekend) in the area and related travel and other costs (although I would bring my own wine that was bought years ago I still consider this a cost) makes it a very hard choice every time I think about it.
The Zagat review (see separate thread) indicates that dinner for one with one drink (doesn't apply here I guess) and tip is $166. That's not right, is it? Isn't it more like $250?
If it really was $166, I think I'd drag the kids to the B&B after all!
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Never even heard of Oro or Celestine, anyone???
Other than that it looks pretty good!
Oro is: ororestauraunt.com (Elm st. between Bay and Yonge).
Celestin has no web address, but is at 623 Mt. Pleasant Rd (at Manor Rd E).
I hadn't heard of them either.
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And when you consider that Zagat comes out around 2 years between editions, it doesn't really make sense.
Zagat has problems, true (one is that reviewers have to score food, service and decor on a scale of 0-3, which doesn't give much flexibility), but the flaw you point out relates to the number of reviews submitted, and probably sales. Because not enough people submit reviews, the book is small and incomplete, and because of this it doesn't sell well. You see where this is going: less sales means the 2006 book (which has no date on the cover) sits on shelves long after new openings and closings, making it more unappealing which perpetuates the cycle.
If there were more reviews submitted, the book would be larger, and might come out yearly as it does in most other cities where it is compiled and sold. Then it would sell and generate more reviews.
I guess the point is: become a reviewer at zagat.com.
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So in today's mail I got the (undated) 2006 book (anyone who participates in the voting gets mailed a copy free).
For those not familiar, zagat is a rectangular red book that is 'the bible' in many US cities (the american equivalent of the michelin guide in europe).
The last Toronto edition was woefully outdated (pre-susur, to give a clue), so after much prodding from me, they finally opened the polls for diners like me to cast votes for their faves.
The unfortunate result was a very small edition - about 20% the size of my local Miami guide, and maybe 15% the size of New York City. So scaled down that it's not even rectangular for god's sake!
I guess this is the result of not enough input from the public (from whose votes the guide is compiled). As such, I'd encourage all to sign up for free at zagat.com, and vote when (and if) they ever do Toronto again.
And now, more importantly, here are the top ranked restaurants (top score is 30):
29 Sushi Kaji
28 Scaramouche
Chiado/Antonio
27 North 44
Hiro Sushi
Susur
Lai Wah Heen
Lee
Splendido
Oro
Bistro Thuet
Perigee
Celestin
Scaramouche pasta
26 George
Truffles
Canoe
Starfish Oyster
Boba
Opus
Il Mulino
25 Harbour Sixty
Mistura
Jamie Kennedy
Bymark
JOV Bistro
Mildred Pierce
Terra
Blowfish
Pangaea
[Eigensinn Farm, mentioned in the one page 'outlying areas' page, also got a 29]
Other interesting notes:
Top Decor (all received 26):
Canoe, Rain, Scaramouche, Truffles, Auberge du Pommier and Luce
Top Service
27 Scaramouche/Scaramouche Pasta, and Matignon
26 Truffles and Oro
Most popular (by number of votes submitted, not score):
1. Canoe
2. North 44
3. Scaramouche
4. Susur
5. Jamie Kennedy
To type much more would be copyright infringement.
Given that we are prone to gripe about bias in the only other real comprehensive examination (Toronto Life), Zagat is supposed to avoid this flaw by being a user rating. That being the case, do you agree with the guide?
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Don't know if this belongs in this thread, but I had a question:
LCBO controls what people buy and for how much. The internet is undeniably opening up opportunities south of the border. But cannucks can't ship wine (reliably) from a US-based internet seller and import it without getting whacked.
So the question is: has anyone had experience buying online and shipping to a storage facility in Buffalo or Rochester? Could that be a business opportunity?
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Stopped at Hillebrand to look at the restaurant's menu and ended tasting an amazing chardonnay, rich and creamy tasting like fresh churned butter and butterscotch.
Did you end up dining at Hillebrand?
If so, how was it?
I was thinking of stopping in at 2 or 3 icewine producers (recommendations welcomed), and doing lunch at Hillebrand, and would be interested in feedback.
Miami Spice 2007 ($22 lunch/$35 dinner)
in Florida: Dining
Posted
This was the best so far this year by far.
Menu: APPETIZER choice of
Lobster Bisque With Maine Scallop and Rosemary Ravioli
Wild Mushroom Cassolette Grilled Bacon, Creamy Spinach and Poached Quail Egg
[we both went with bisque, which had great tableside presentation]
ENTRÉE choice of
Maine Halibut Filet “Aux Aromates”, Mousseline Potato Provencal Herbs Chicken Jus; or
Seared Bufalo Tenderloin, Crushed Potato Leek Confit and Green Peppercorn Sauce
[both were great, but my preference was for the buffalo - the fish was not large, but perfect for my wife]
DESSERT choice of
Warm Chocolate Fondant with Sweet Orange Consomme Mixed Berries Compote
Basil Lime Sorbet and Strawberry Infusion Pistachio Mascarpone Mousseline
[both could have been a little larger, but were good palette cleansers]