The Ladies Who Lunch (Part 2)

[Anna N]

 There is a restaurant in Oakville that I have wanted to go to since the day it opened many years ago. I have stood outside many times reading the menu and trying to get a glimpse inside.   One of the owners is Michael Bonacini. He was one of the chefs who appeared on the long ago and almost forgotten show on Canadian Food TV "Cook Like a Chef".  I do not think I have an ounce of celebrity worship in me but I always enjoyed watching him cook.   Well today I stepped over the threshold and into his restaurant (he now has a number of them)  after suggesting to Kerry that we have lunch there.  Link to website. 

 

 I started with a beer after a discussion of the offerings with the server. We forgot to take a photograph of it but it was a very forgettable beer!

 

 

 

 An overview of the table with two preparations of calamari. We just could not make up our minds which one we wanted!

 

 

Grilled calamari. The sauce that accompanied this was divine (despite the anchovies).

 

 

 Salt and pepper calamari with a spicy mango sauce.

 

 

Gnocchi with a selection of mushrooms and some truffle oil for Kerry. 

 

 

A Lambwich for me.  Menu details are on a the website. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[demiglace]

Chef Bonacini always comes off as a gentle soul. I enjoy watching him cook as well. Food looks great. I don't know if I will ever get back to ON but if I do I'll check out one of his restaurants. Thanks for posting.

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, demiglace said:

Chef Bonacini always comes off as a gentle soul. I enjoy watching him cook as well. Food looks great. I don't know if I will ever get back to ON but if I do I'll check out one of his restaurants. Thanks for posting.

I could not have said it better myself. Whether or not a "gentle soul"  has what it takes to run as many restaurants as he does I leave open but he certainly came across that way in the TV show.  

[Tri2Cook]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

 He was one of the chefs who appeared on the long ago and almost forgotten show on Canadian Food TV "Cook Like a Chef".

They show 2 episodes of Cook Like a Chef every morning at 5:00 and 5:30 am (central) on the Gusto channel (channel 619 on Bell Canada satellite, not sure about other providers). I sometimes have it on while getting ready for work.

[robirdstx]

One of my lady friends and I got together for lunch today at Rudy and Paco in Galveston.

 

I had the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake (served over Chipotle Cream Sauce) appetizer as my meal.

 

 

And my lady friend had the Pollo Carmelo (Grilled Chicken breast in a white wine lemon butter, topped with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes).

 

 

We each had a glass (or two) of white wine with our meal!

[Okanagancook]

Great looking meals AnnaN and robirdstx.  That sauce on the crab plate looks to go well with the crab cake.

My two neighbours and I went to a local winery bistro last week for a ladies lunch.  I had the marguez pasta dish as did one of the others but with corn pasta due to being Celiac.  We both got about a 1/3 of a cup of oil in the bowl...perhaps from cooking the sausage.  It made mine, to me, almost inedible.  I didn't want to make a fuss so I just fished out what I could, drained off as much oil as I could before eating it.  The other lady didn't seem to have an issue with the oil and happily ate about half of it and asked for a doggie bag.  I did comment as the waitress took my 1/2 eaten plate away that I found it to be overly oily to the point of inedible.  Nothing was done, no apology.  This was probably because my table mate had no issue, oh well.  $55 for that and a 6 oz glass of Pinot Noir.  Won't be back for quite some time.  

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Okanagancook said:

Great looking meals AnnaN and robirdstx.  That sauce on the crab plate looks to go well with the crab cake.

My two neighbours and I went to a local winery bistro last week for a ladies lunch.  I had the marguez pasta dish as did one of the others but with corn pasta due to being Celiac.  We both got about a 1/3 of a cup of oil in the bowl...perhaps from cooking the sausage.  It made mine, to me, almost inedible.  I didn't want to make a fuss so I just fished out what I could, drained off as much oil as I could before eating it.  The other lady didn't seem to have an issue with the oil and happily ate about half of it and asked for a doggie bag.  I did comment as the waitress took my 1/2 eaten plate away that I found it to be overly oily to the point of inedible.  Nothing was done, no apology.  This was probably because my table mate had no issue, oh well.  $55 for that and a 6 oz glass of Pinot Noir.  Won't be back for quite some time.  

So sorry your meal was disappointing. 

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, Okanagancook said:

Great looking meals AnnaN and robirdstx.  That sauce on the crab plate looks to go well with the crab cake.

My two neighbours and I went to a local winery bistro last week for a ladies lunch.  I had the marguez pasta dish as did one of the others but with corn pasta due to being Celiac.  We both got about a 1/3 of a cup of oil in the bowl...perhaps from cooking the sausage.  It made mine, to me, almost inedible.  I didn't want to make a fuss so I just fished out what I could, drained off as much oil as I could before eating it.  The other lady didn't seem to have an issue with the oil and happily ate about half of it and asked for a doggie bag.  I did comment as the waitress took my 1/2 eaten plate away that I found it to be overly oily to the point of inedible.  Nothing was done, no apology.  This was probably because my table mate had no issue, oh well.  $55 for that and a 6 oz glass of Pinot Noir.  Won't be back for quite some time.  

 

Reminds me of the time when I was a lowly student in a C.A. firm.  I got sent out to work up some financial statements for a paving company.   Their office was in their house.  The wife of the owner sat across from me for the whole week or whatever it was, I guess to make sure they didn't get stiffed on my hourly rate.  The only time she disappeared was one time towards the end when she showed up with a bowl of soup.  It had a slick of oil on it that must have been an inch deep. Gag city.  I had mercifully forgotten about that until your post.  My sympathies.

[Anna N]

 Yesterday Kerry and I return to the Spoon and Fork in Oakville for Japanese and Thai food. 

 

Ginger tea for Kerry. 

 

Sake for me. It was nestled in a pitcher of hot water when  it was served..

 

 

 We each enjoyed a bowl of miso soup. 

 

 

 Calamari and mixed tempura.

 

 

Inari and maki  roll for Kerry.

 

Breaded chicken with tonkatsu sauce for me.

 

 

Thai chicken fried rice. 

 

 

Coconut rice. 

 

 

Red Chicken curry. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Anna N]

 

 

 We returned to Kenzo today for some seriously good Ramen.

 

 

I

 

Chicken karaage was back on the menu.

 

 

Kerry's King Ramen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Tonkatsu Ramen. 

[robirdstx]

One of my lady friends and I got together at Cheddar's in Webster for lunch earlier this week.

 

I had the grilled tilapia with shrimp and mango salsa (served on a rice pilaf),

 

 

and my lady friend had the batter fried shrimp with carrots and broccoli cheese casserole.

 

 

[Anna N]

 So the ladies who lunch are back and lunching again.  On an incredibly hot and muggy day we returned to Sakai in Burlington. 

 

v

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Miso soup and salad for Kerry.   I also had salad. 

 

 

We shared these "shrimp rocks".

 

 

Then Kerry had bulgogi

 

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And I had Zazu soba.  Sorry the noodles or little blurry.

 

 

 

[robirdstx]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

 So the ladies who lunch are back and lunching again. 

 

 

Yay! Welcome back!

[Anna N]

 Yesterday Kerry and I returned to Rayhoon, perhaps for the last time.

 

we ordered the barbari bread and the three dips which we had enjoyed on previous visits:

 

 

 From left to right Rayhoon hummus, kashkeh Bandenjoon (eggplant) and Zeytoon Parvardeh (olives).  Sorry we had already started into the dips when we remembered to take a photograph.

 

Kerry ordered the Kebab Torsch

 

 

and this is when the meal began to go downhill. Kerry was just tucking into her meal when the owner (I am guessing)  stopped by our table and politely pointed to a small instructional card concerning the correct way to eat a Persian kebab.   He explained in detail, very politely and deferentially, that one must eat a selection of everything on the plate in every fork full.  Furthermore, once one had a fork full constructed then it would be good to dust it with sumac which he pointed out was in one of the condiment containers on the table.  He was polite throughout this explanation and was obviously very proud of his Persian heritage and wanted Kerry to get the full effect.  We both accepted  this interruption in our meal with aplomb until he began to pace back and forth apparently policing our eating habits. 

 

 Five minutes later as I was tucking into my stew, using some of the bread to soak up the gravy:

 

 

 

he once again paused beside our table. I had pushed my plate of rice aside having decided that I preferred the bread. Apparently this did not meet his criterion for the proper way to enjoy a stew.   He explained how the rice was cooked and that it was not heavy and I should not be afraid of it.   He conceded that it might be OK to use the bread but in a tone that made it sound as if only peasants would do so.   We both thanked him politely for his explanations but honestly neither one of us had much interest in our food anymore.  

 

I absolutely know his intentions were the best.  I even feel badly telling you about this but I'm curious to know how you might've reacted.  

[rotuts]

its a shame the meal was ruined

[Martin Fisher]

I certainly wouldn't return.

[gfweb]

The guy was a PITA.

[Smithy]

I'm giving myself about as much time to think as you had - that is, very little time, to avoid the benefits of hindsight. I think I'd have done the same as you: polite thanks, then hoping he'd go away.  If he didn't, I would have looked for a polite way to say, in effect, 'thank you for the instruction; I'll try it that way; if I try it but prefer it my way will you please not take offense?'  (Translation: 'I'll try it your way, but otherwise please buzz off'.)  I doubt I could bring myself to tell him, the proprietor, that his well-meaning behavior would probably keep me from coming back...although he needs to hear it from someone.  What a shame!

[gfweb]

It wasn't well-meaning, I think.

It was intrusive and bullying. I can imagine how he treats his staff.

Edited August 25, 2016 by gfweb (log)

[Shelby]

That would have made me extremely uncomfortable.  I'm shy anyway and someone watching me eat drives me insane.  I wouldn't darken his doors again.

[IowaDee]

I would have been tempted to ask for a "to go" box, pack up the meal and leave.  And like Shelby, don't want to be watched as I eat.  My inner slob tends to come out!

[Smithy]

36 minutes ago, gfweb said:

It wasn't well-meaning, I think.

It was intrusive and bullying. I can imagine how he treats his staff.

 

 

You may be right.  It's hard to know, without the body language, whether he meant it to be bullying.  Given the ladies in question who did see the body language (based on their screen personae, since I've never met them in person), I suspect the body language was ambiguous or benign.

[Kerry Beal]

1 minute ago, Smithy said:

 

You may be right.  It's hard to know, without the body language, whether he meant it to be bullying.  Given the ladies in question who did see the body language (based on their screen personae, since I've never met them in person), I suspect the body language was ambiguous or benign.

The word obsequious comes to mind!

[gfweb]

An obsequious bully.

 

Nearly an oxymoron.

 

Or very crafty indeed.

[Okanagancook]

The first polite interruption to explain would be ok with me but that's it.  Anymore is not appropriate.  And yes, wonder how he treats a staff member who does something incorrectly.

Food looked goo.  Was the kebab flavoured with tamarind and tomato?