TicTac

It's too bad the local forums are not used as much - this place is so much better than those 'other' local food boards. Figured I would try to do my part - Now that I have made a few visits (the latest being last night) I thought I would share a few thoughts on Alo, using last nights menu as talking points. Overall it was a very enjoyable evening, the location is interesting (as discussed with Amanda, Toronto will continue to see restaurants rise up in the sky as real estate becomes tougher; or just more expensive, to find), the room is nice, very subtle, and well laid out. Service was very good, all staff friendly and astute of their duties. The sommelier was an interesting fellow. Took a bit of time to warm up to (and get warmed up) but after I guessed the grape and region of one of his pairings, perhaps he took me (I am in my mid 30's, often vinophiles judge this book by it's apparent age!) more seriously. Onto what matters; food. By in large many hits, but a few misses. We had: - Amuse - small pastries filled with cheese, jalapeno, and dusted with caramelized onion powder & Foie Torchon w/ hearts of palm and passion fruit. Quite possibly 2 of the best bites of the evening! - Venetian Caviar, Potato - Nice execution of the potato using the ISI to foam it out. - Celery root, black truffle (substituted for my wife as she cannot eat fish eggs) - Mildly cured white fish with melon balls, beets and some other accompaniments which were less than memorable. This was the biggest miss of the night. Lacking both seasoning and depth, nothing about this dish interested let alone excited me. - Pain au Lait - Here is the pairing mishap, after both a glass of Cremant and Moshchofilero, they paired this with some Madeira. Far too sweet, and quite frankly should have gone with the amuse or dessert, if anything. - Veal Sweetbreads, black truffle, Taleggio cheese - the cheese was slightly overpowering (but delicious) and unfortunately the sweet breads were vastly overcooked. Unfortunate as I adore SB's! - Quebec Foie, sunchoke, hedgehog shrooms & chicken jus - excellent! - Pacific halibut, chestnuts, endive, parsnip. Another example (similar to the other fish dish, perhaps a trend?) of under seasoning and again, lacking much depth/layers to the dish. - Rack of Pork, cabbage, walnuts, mustard. V. good. - Beef Ribeye, onion, matsutake, bernaise. Also V. good. Hard to screw that combo up! - Pear, Caramel, Amaranth - interesting, the first glimpse of the pastry chef showed a very creative mind and dept hand. - Apple dessert (they called it a tart tartin, but it was nothing close) - very seasonal and fresh...basically a decomposed apple pie. - Dark chocolate, mint. - My wife's favourite, again, demonstrating a very skilled pastry chef. The mint ice cream was fantastic. Certainly far more successful executions than not, but room for improvement none the less. We will continue to return, as the menu changes often and I want to see how Chef Kriss continues his evolution of Alo. Now if only it wasn't so far and getting there in rush hour wasn't so painful!

Warmer up there than it was down here this morning! Though it is slowly warming up and will be a gorgeous day today. Can't beat 20 degrees in the middle of October up in the Great White North!

Love the copious grinds of pepper you use, Anna. I too am a big fan. Especially with meat. It is a nippy morning in Thornhill, so I can only imagine how cold you gals are up North! Any white stuff yet!? Safe travels.

If they felt REALLY sorry they would have given you Tetley's

I am not a fan of bottom feeders to begin with, so I am perhaps not the best person to ask. And I used the term 'digestive tracks' in lieu of the more specific term which I am sure (aka hope) many can ascertain on their own.

You may wish to remove the 'digestive track' from the shrimp (that black line along the back) - - Unless of course you like that sort of gritty stuff!

Beneficiaries of not one but TWO Cumbrae steaks!? Someone must like you two ladies a whole lot - Cumbrae's is easily my fav butcher in town. Thanks for the blog - much fun to follow along.

I think I know who you are talking about!

Fantastic thread - thank you! Interesting color variance in the different types of duck's meat. Do you confit any of it and store for longer term use?

I am also not a fan of boiling them. Part of why I prefer my preparation, a part from the ease factor, is the onion flavour which is still present. Boiling inevitably reduces that. Salting does as well, but less so. For context, I have tried the method of preparation but not their spice mixture or perhaps quantities.

Not sure it is necessary to go through all the work in the zuni recipe listed above. We have been making variations for years - the basic is the same however: - Slice onions, sprinkle with coarse salt & let sit for an hour. - Drain onions - Create a vinegar/water mixture that is to your liking (we prefer it more tart) - I also prefer white wine vinegar and a bit of apple. - Add in seasonings, hot pepper, coriander seed, you name it. Let sit for a few hours and its ready to enjoy.

Okanagan - curious about why you drain out the blended basil leaves? Nyleve - we have been making oils for years (primarily Ramp) and freeze them - we are still enjoying the '15 vintage. In the fridge it will last for 6-8 weeks easily. I agree about not using olive oil for this, but rather a more neutral flavored one.

How about searing fish, or some meats? How about a high sear for mushrooms (as high as your pan goes - want to see some serious smoke? Toss in some olive oil!) Surprised that you need to ask the question. Perhaps your mind is too ensconced with medieval castles and their defenses at the moment! McGee is comparing sunflower oil to Extra Light (not virgin) Olive Oil, which is not something you will find in my kitchen, at least.

That's awesome, gfron, thank you. I grew up picking edibles and enjoying what nature had to offer, but only recently did I get more involved as I learned about wild mushrooms (Elm Oysters to be specific - nothing as amazing as a FRESH wild mushroom) and edible greens like garlic mustard, wood sorrel, wild grape leaves, and many other edibles that Southern Ontario has to offer. Keep doing what you are doing!

Olive Oil is at the average spectrum when measuring the smoking points of oils. Extra virgin olive oil has an even lower smoking point. http://cdn3.chartsbin.com/chartimages/l_1962_2ebaff3ba6c573dd3b932e84ee6910b9 As eluded to, I prefer Rice Bran for med-high heat cooking, Olive oil I will use, but not for high heat applications.

This question for some, might hold near and dear; What was the first edible that spurred your desire to forage, or what did you see in the woods that you learned was edible and ignited your foraging desires?

Not sure what type of french olive oil you are getting, but olive oil around these parts surely does NOT have a high smoking point. Quite the opposite in fact.

Wayne, Can you tell me more about this 'weed'? I believe I have some of it out of the cracks of my driveway and throughout some beds - being near you (Southern Ontario) it is quite possibly the same beast. Curious as to your method of identification, whether you are aware of any 'dangerous' plants with similar attributes and how you enjoy them (and if you are aware of the health benefits I would love to hear more). I have lately gotten into foraging and there is quite the variety (some amazing) that one can find in this region.

You don't need much besides a fire pit and a pot. The rest mother nature will provide) - the best scallops, clams, lobsters, crabs and mussels you can imagine!

Oh joy! A Newfie blog - how exciting! I know their cuisine can be quite unique and I hear they are some of the nicest people in the country (and that says a lot for us as we are a nation known for our friendliness!). Looking forward to this one.

I would Love to see a Newfie blog! My folks just got back from PEI and raved, I have been to Nova Scotia myself, and NFLD is supposedly just as gorgeous! And the people are a hoot....it's hard not to be after a few shots of SCREECH!

My wife makes a similar sauce for her grilled salmon (I call it her crack sauce) - she substitutes on occasion vinegar (or sometimes adds, depending on fancy) for Ontario maple syrup.

Interestingly enough I have a bag of mung beans I purchased after some friends of our made it at a party. Is there any other method of preparing (sprouting) that might be easier/less time consuming?

Great looking dumplings, my 2 little ones gobble them up - would be interested to hear your wrapper recipe; perhaps for when I am feeling adventurous. I hear you on the long work days, that's about when I smartened up, went out and started my own gig, and now I am working 14 hours a week and happier than ever!

I recall when we dined there 5 years ago, we too were not impressed. Case in point, look at those scallops, totally inconsistent sear, and not even much of it at that! I recall we had a fantastic meal at Koi and a few sushi spots as well.