Sitting at the table…

So, you may recall, that a post or two ago, I mentioned (or whined?) that I really missed eating at restaurants that served charcuterie.

And I guess T. got the hint. Or maybe I expressed my opinion loud enough. Maybe he read the blog post. Who’s to know? However it happened, we went out to dinner last night. To a place where the list of what you can get on the charcuterie platter ran the whole length of the large blackboard in the dining room.

But we called kind of late to make a reservations. (Did you hear that TO restaurants? Winnipeg is a civilized place where one can make a reservation for dinner.) And we could only get in at about 9 pm. Although the hostess said there was a slight chance that we could sit in the lounge a little earlier than that. We had stuff to do, and we’re not over the hill just yet, so although 9 pm is a little late for dinner, it was worth it to eat at a place where we knew the food was good. (And not something that you can just make at home, you know?)

We arrived at 8 pm. And I could tell that the hostess had a little panic attack when we said our reservation was for 9 pm. But she was classy about it, not really letting the panic show. She said she’d see what she could do, but “didn’t think our table would be ready”. No kidding.

We sat at the bar while we waited and ordered cocktails. It was heavenly. The restaurant was full, loud and very bustle-y. It would have been fine to sit there for dinner. But we were in for a treat. The lovely hostess came back to us not 15 minutes after we arrived and said that they’d had a cancellation at the chef’s table. Would we mind sitting there?

Of course not.

Perhaps this is the most amazing place to sit? You see, the chef’s table at Bistro 7 1/4 is a bar height counter that surrounds the open kitchen. This means you can watch the chef and his 2 assistants cooking the food you (and others) are about to eat. And seriously, it’s amazing. Like a well-oiled machine.

But of course, it made it really hard to order dinner. We saw just about everything on the menu coming out of that kitchen. And it all looked and smelled stupendous. It definitely leads to impulse eating. Especially at 8:30 pm.

We started with a bacon appetizer. I had the duck. T had the beef tenderloin. And wine. For dessert, we ordered oatmeal raisin cookies with butterscotch dipping sauce. And cappuccinos.

We left feeling stuffed and sighing happy sighs.

It was the perfect way to start the weekend.

J.

Stranded and hungry…

No. I’m not either of those things. Well, I’m hungry. But my truck is parked in the driveway. So maybe this particular piece should be called “Lazy and hungry”? But then of course, none of you would read it. Because it would sound like complaining…or something.

But I digress…

I don’t live in the backwoods. Trust me.

I live three miles (here in the country everything is measured in miles – even though we are Canadian – because our roads are laid out – for the most part – in mile grids) from the nearest grocery store, butcher shop and even a specialty store or two. This isn’t the Canadian hinterland that everyone thinks it is. Like I can go and get a fancy (and delicious) specialty coffee any day of the week until like 11 pm. (I cannot however buy a bottle of wine. I have to go at least 10 miles for that. It’s a hard-knock life. I know. But please don’t pity me. It was my choice.)

And I could buy everything I need for a fancy charcuterie plate at one of these stores. Although I imagine if I asked the butcher for some nice meat for a charcuterie plate, she would look at me like I was nuts. I think around here we just call it sausage. And bread. With pickles.

I guess we’d call it faspa. The only difference being that faspa is something that you eat at home. Charcuterie is too fancy to eat at home. It must be ordered and eaten at a restaurant. With thick wooden harvest tables, dim lighting and a whole crowd of hipsters lined up outside because this particular restaurant does NOT, under any circumstances take reservations.

Do I need to explain faspa? Probably.

Faspa might be one of my favourite types of meals. It’s a light supper eaten typically on Sunday evening because you’ve had a large noon meal and no one is hungry for a large supper, too. (Grandma, you can feel free to comment if this is untrue.)  A typical faspa menu would include: homemade bread or rolls with butter, jam and honey, cold meat (often ham or sausage), pickles, cheese and usually a fruit preserve of some kind (my favourites include: cherries, peaches, or raspberries). Is your mouth watering yet? I could eat it every day.

And I guess, I’m still digressing…

You see, the whole point of this post is that there are a few things I miss about living in a big city. And here they are in no particular order:

1. Wood-fired pizza. We can get a few different kinds of pizza here. We have to pick it up of course and it’s all pretty casual pizza. What I would like to eat is neopolitan pizza made by a chef with large globs of homemade burrata cheese, with chili-infused olive oil to dip the crusts in. And the ability to order a nice charcuterie plate as an appetizer.

2. Being able to walk (almost) everywhere. I got a lot more exercise last year. Now I have to work at it a little harder. Good thing the cross-country ski trails are close by (1 1/2 miles away, in fact).

3. Getting groceries on Sunday. This seems like a HUGE luxury now that it’s been taken away from me. And I have to be a little more organized, too.

But really, if these are the only things I really miss (aside from friends, of course!) I think I’m doing all right.

Wouldn’t you say?

J.

 

 

 

A little piece of heaven…

So yesterday was the first day that I actually just wandered around in the ‘Peg since moving back. It was awesome. Seriously.

T and I had some wonderful friends in town this weekend to celebrate the launch of the Spectator Tribune, an online magazine dedicated to the thriving cultural and unique political landscape that exist here on the Prairies. (Check it out by clicking here.) I of course have a special vested interest as my dear T is the man behind the scenes. And I of course, am VERY proud.

And so, wanting to show the best that Winnipeg has to offer (according to us and knowing our friends), here’s a little glimpse into our day…

Hoopers

Some of our favourite pieces of furniture have come from this particular store. Basically, it looks like the set of Mad Men in there. Mostly furniture with a few odds and ends in terms of home accessories, jewellery and stationary, this store just goes on and on. The main level was packed with beautiful pieces. The basement (and the cave that extends past the basement) was no exception. I was definitely eyeing a couple of lamps and a night table. We’ll see.

Rhymes with Orange

This jam-packed vintage shop is worth it every time. From the beautiful displays to the sweet little wooden signs to the clean and pressed clothes (not something you see in every shop, that’s for sure) this place exudes the positive attitude of its owners. And the collection is well curated. T found shoes. Our friend found some great glasses. And I was definitely considering a black and white knit skirt. Next time, I’m picking up a fur wrap for sure. If you can’t use one of those in Manitoba, you can’t use it anywhere. Seriously. I mean it.

And no Winnipeg excursion (with close friends) would be complete without a trip to an iconic Winnipeg location. And no, I don’t mean the Forks. After a few more stops including Parlour Coffee (amazing), Antiques and Funk (brilliant book selection) and gazing longingly at cupcakes through the window at Cakeology, we were ready for some libations.

Rae and Jerry’s

If you haven’t been to the lounge at this time-capsule of a Winnipeg steakhouse, in my opinion, you have not lived. Basically, when you’re sitting in the red club chairs in the low-lit, dark-panelled, 1950-s throwback (and like seriously, it isn’t designed to look the 1950’s, it is actually from the 1950’s, as are some of the waitresses and most of the clientele) you feel as though you’ve gotten into a time machine and travelled to Vegas in it’s mob heyday. And I’m not exaggerating.  The drinks are classy and well-made (shaved ice in a Manhattan, if you can believe it) and the food actually tastes good. Order the deluxe burger with cheese. And it will be one of the best burgers you have ever enjoyed. You can also order a side of tomato juice that comes in the smallest little juice glass you’ve ever seen. And the bread baskets come with the tastiest, salty bread sticks and tiny pats of ice cold butter. A must visit in my opinion (if anyone was asking me to write a travel blog about Winnipeg that is).

So if you visit any of these places, tell them I sent you:)

Not that they’ll know who I am or anything….

J.

 

 

 

The hostess with the mostest…

I may have mentioned once or twice that there are very few restaurants to choose from around here. I may have mentioned that none of the them have a good beer or wine selection, that is if they serve wine or beer or cocktails at all. Sure, we’ve got a pretty decent pizza restaurant. And there’s a good drive in, a Dairy Queen and a restaurant that serves traditional Mennonite food that has just been renovated. And from all reports is quite “fancy”.

So I’ve gotten to be fairly familiar with the local butcher. (Nothing but success in the steak department thus far. And I’m trying out the stewing beef tomorrow. Always flavourful and the girls that work the counter are VERY knowledgeable. Plus they’ll cut your steaks to whatever thickness you want. It’s the little things that really make the difference, you know.) And our neighbour from across the road kindly butchered us a pig a couple of weeks ago, so we’re good for pork, too.

I’ve scoured the aisles of Superstore and the local Co-op grocery store. And I’ve invented a few things too.

That’s because hosting is really the only option out here.

And (not that I’ve counted) I would say that I’ve hosted friends and family more times in the last few weeks than I ever did in the whole year and a bit I spent in TO. I mean, that apartment was NOT cut out for hosting. What with the kitchen being at the other end of the hall from the dining/living room.  And there was no counter space. And we were worried about being too loud too late. And the staggering amount of restaurants that existed within a one/two block radius of our nicely located apartment. There was no need to host.

Here, we’ve got none of those worries (and none of the perks, either). The living room, dining room and kitchen are all open concept in the same room. Unfortunately, that means guests have to stare at the dirty dishes while we ignore the fact that the kitchen is a mess and sit and chat in the living room. I of course, don’t care about this, knowing full well that I’ll take care of the mess in the morning. I could care less about cleaning up when I’ve got guests over. I’d way rather sit and chat while letting the food congeal on the plates and in the serving dishes than make my guests clean up. I also scold them for helping (so consider yourself warned if you come to visit).

And I may have mentioned the dishwasher before. Like maybe once or twice. And it is a lifesaver. Or rather a host saver. I probably wouldn’t be so quick to enjoy hosting if I didn’t have one.

And I just have to say that the pizza crust I made yesterday was stupendous. And the chocolate fondue for dessert was a perfect denouement.

And I’ve ben bookmarking recipes all over the place to try for the next time I host. Tomorrow we’re having Indian food. And believe it or not, I could find everything I needed here at the grocery store.

So if you smell curry as you drive through town, you’ll know where it’s coming from…

J.

Would it surprise you?

So I was in Yorkville this weekend. Was it by accident or on purpose, you ask? It was on purpose, but it was a spur of the moment decision to take a visitor there after a baseball game. We were motivated by the fact that it was raining and knowing we could go in and out of shops and perhaps find something to eat afterwards. And really, that Williams Sonoma is something else. I’d be curious to know who much actual product they move out of that gigantic store on a weekly basis.

And I know, Torontonians complain that there aren’t many (if any) mid-priced restaurants of any value in Yorkville. Obviously, I can’t comment on more expensively-priced fine dining experiences there, having never actually had any myself. And of course you can find McDonald’s (although a little swankier than my neighbourhood location) and BBQ Express. (Please tell me if you’ve eaten there. The signage always kind of makes me think that they send out packages of BBQ in FedEx boxes. They probably don’t, but I think it would be kind of awesome.)

So after our brief foray into the shops of Yorkville (because by the time we got there it was 4:30 pm. On Sunday.) we were sort of starved. Popcorn and over-priced baseball beers doesn’t really make for a satisfying lunch. We were on the hunt for real food.

We settled on Hemingway’s. If you live here, I’m sure you’ve walked past it. What drew us in was the relative cheapness of menu and the fact that the patio was heated. (It was sunny, but not that warm.) The menu was limited, which was fine. The Butter Chicken was described as the “chef’s specialty” which I was of course skeptical about. First of all, this did not look like the sort of restaurant that had a “chef” but rather a food preparer who warmed/fried/baked pre-packaged frozen items. Secondly, the menu was all over the place in terms of food style, which always gives me a little cause for concern. However, the server was quick to point out that the Butter Chicken was one of the best things on the menu and was definitely worth ordering.

The food came out fast! And the BC (Butter Chicken) was AMAZING. Although the portion size could have fed all three of us comfortably. But who am I kidding, I was starved and ate most of it. The sauce was creamy and flavourful. The chicken was tender. The mango chutney was a perfect accompaniment. I was so thrilled that the server had not led me astray. I pretty much raved about the BC after every bite. It probably really annoyed my dinner companions, but they were polite enough not to say anything disparaging.

So while the atmosphere was somewhat lacking, the food was decent. I may not go there again on my own free will, but I would tell other people to go and order the BC (only available after 5 pm).

Apparently you can find food in Yorkville. It’s not all just flagship stores and Starbucks…

J.

The journey is long and the way rough and steep…

I’m on a quest, friends. And as you can imagine, it’s not nearly as serious as the title suggests. Basically, I’m on a quest to find the perfect summer patio.

Here’s what I’m looking for:

1. Low traffic volumes.

And by this, I mean vehicular traffic. It’s important for me to be able to “people watch” on the patio, but I’m not particular interested in sharing my conversation with sports cars and harleys. I want to be able to hear the words my dinner/drink companion is speaking, not have to intuit them from lip reading and hand gestures.

2. A good mix of sun and shade (bonus points if there is actual greenery incorporated into the patio itself)

In the early spring, you want as much as sun as possible but as soon as the weather heats up and the smog and humidity start to rear their ugly heads, we are all looking for shade. A good patio should have a tree or two to provide the needed shelter.

3. Servers who take your drink/food order and then ignore you.

There is this great patio in my old Winnipeg neighbourhood that has decent food, fairly good drinks and lousy service. They take your order when you get there. And they bring your food out to you in a decent amount of time, but then they ignore you (unless the server is going off shift). It’s great. You can sit there all day and don’t feel like you’re wasting the servers time by continuing to order only tap water long after you should have left. And I have sat there all day. With a rotating group of friends some days.(I think my record might be 4 hours – at one time. I basically lived there during the last FIFA World Cup. I would occasionally go home to let T know that I was still alive.)But it’s important for people who live in apartments who don’t have a yard/patio to enjoy outdoor space, to know of a patio or two that won’t kick you out for lingering and enjoying a nice summer day/evening.

4. Good snacks/food

Obviously, this is a no brainer. And yet, tonight, I went to a (new-to-us) place in our ‘hood that didn’t really have good snacks. I don’t really want to eat pasta with my beer, thanks. I think one or the other is enough carbs for one meal. Having both together is overkill. And it doesn’t have to be pub grub either. It doesn’t have to be greasy or unhealthy. It just needs to be enough to share with at least one other person.

So far, there are a couple of places that cut the mustard in my opinion: The Press Club (haven’t tried their menu yet, but TPC is good on all other accounts), The Ballroom, The Town Crier (although they don’t have a ton of shade), Kalendar (have I mentioned my love of this place??), Caledonia (I don’t know if they even serve food, but the atmospheric patio is superb) and The Last Temptation.

So definitely check these out and let me know if you’ve got other suggestions. If you’re into patios that is. And I get that it’s not everyone’s thing. Some people hate eating outside. And that’s weird, but I try to keep an open mind. (Also if you grew up in Manitoba, you might be averse to eating outside on particularly badly mosquito-infested summers.)

And don’t forget your sunscreen and hat!

J.

On the same note…

I last wrote about food. And folks, that is also what I am writing about now. There are just a few places that are awesome. They are not special. They are not “it” places. They are not frequented by the “glitterati” or hipsters of Toronto, and maybe as a result they are my favourites. So far, in no particular order:

1. Kalendar

I can’t remember if I’ve written about this place before, but every time I go here, I am reminded of why I love it. The lighting is soft. The service is friendly. The food is delicious. Get the scroll (like roti, but with VERY different insides) with roast beef, havarti and mushrooms. It’s #6 I think. You will not be disappointed, unless of course, you are a vegetarian. And Kalendar has many vegetarian options so you can go there with ALL of your friends. Not just the meat-eaters. Oh and the apps are delicious. And so is the brunch (but they don’t open until like 10:30, at which point I am a ravenous, ill-behaved beast, so I always pre-eat.)

2. Little India

This does not refer to the entire neighbourhood known as “Little India” which I have yet to visit. No. This refers to the restaurant on Queen St that serves scrumptious food from Northern India (which is information I gleaned from perusing their website, as I have very little knowledge of Indian cooking. Although I am learning). I LOVE their Palak Paneer. (Who knew spinach could taste so good?!?) I also highly recommend the Chef’s Special, which is a CRAZY amount of food for one person. They will allow you to make limited substitutions. The wine and beer are cheap and the service is GREAT! I mean the waiters apologize if they notice that your water glasses are empty and then they fill up the glasses from THIS gorgeous copper pitcher. And it so COZY! The walls are painted an orangey-yellow and the table clothes are red which creates such a warm glow. The food is flavourful and the portions are always generous. Better yet, the leftovers are still delicious the next day (which is always a true test  of a food’s quality for me).

3. Caplansky’s

If you can go there for breakfast on a weekend, you should. And you should order something that has brioche or challah. If what you order comes with toast, ask for challah toast (although the rye is delicious too). You should also order the smoked meat hash. And you should go early (at least early for bunchers here in TO) because if you don’t go at 10/10:30, you may not get a table. The place smells like my grandma’s borscht (one of my favourite scents). The service is so GREAT! (Have you noticed a theme?) And on a VERY important note, the coffee is VERY tasty. This is unusual in places that serve great breakfast. It’s like so many places spend so much time worrying about the food being somewhat decent that they forget to think about the coffee. Also, the first time we went, the server convinced us to get dessert after our breakfast. And even though we were both pretty full, we found room for a lemon square.

Really there are three simple things that will get me to come back to your restaurant to eat your food. Great food. Friendly service. Cozy, comfortable environment.

Enough said.

J.

 

Expect the unexpected…

So, one of the perks of being married to the managing editor of a TO publication is that there are, in fact, perks. Remember the Winemaker’s Dinner the other night? A definite perk.

So when T asked me to be his plus one at another event last night, I was happy to oblige:)

Parts and Labour, a very “it” restaurant right now in Toronto (so they say….I’ve never been there myself….usually when a restaurant is an “it” place here, it means that they don’t take reservations and you have to wait for three hours to get in….and that waiting happens outside in the cold. This is not my (or T’s) idea of a fun way to spend a Friday night. So we don’t really go to these kinds of places.) Anyway, Parts and Labour specializes in making street food from around the world, tacos, noodles, hot dogs, ceviche, etc. And now they’re starting up a catering division of the restaurant (which would actually be very cool for a wedding. Imagine serving street food at a backyard garden wedding. That’s my kind of event.) And to launch this new venture, they threw a party. And we got invited.

Having exactly no experience with this kind of thing, I was very unprepared for what I would find. I figured the event would be casual. I mean, it is street food after all. And there were people in jeans, to be sure, but the event was not casual. Lots of high heels, blouses and bling. Oh and big hair. (Ummm the eighties called….they want their hairspray back. Seriously.) Not fancy per se, but definitely no casual.

We went early so I didn’t think there would be that many people there yet. Wrong again. When we arrived (about an hour after the event opened) the venue was approximately 2/3 full. Crazy. Don’t people work? By the time we left, about an hour and a half later, the venue was packed!

Also there was a DJ on a stage with full on turntables and everything. And two photographers with those flashes that actually looked like light bulbs on their cameras.

But the most unexpected? Free drinks. Wine, beer, spirits and of course pop and perrier, all free of charge. “How can this be?” I asked T. He looked at me like I was ridiculous. “Don’t they have liquor laws in this crazy province?” says I. He shrugged and went back to drinking his rye and ginger, obviously not interested in my discussion of liquor licensing in the province of Ontario.

How was the food?? Well, that’s my one complaint about the event. There was a lot of lining up. The food could all be somewhat customized and so you had to stand in line to place your order and get your food. But the thing of it is, that standing in lines makes me nervous. Not at the grocery store or at the airport, but at an event when you can’t tell who’s in line and who’s just standing close to the line because that’s where they happened to meet up with their friends? That makes me tense. So we ate the cheese course and had some spring rolls (all of which was great). But we left before much of the other food came out. It smelled amazing, but both of us were unprepared for such an event (T was under the weather and I’d had a long day at work.) So we decided to go home.

But we’ll be ready for the next one. I promise.

J.

 

Get him to the Greek…

Last week T sent me an email, asking if I was interested in going to a wine tasting dinner. His boss was going to arrange for tickets if we were interested. I said “YES!”, despite the fact that I had to work until 8pm on Monday night. The dinner started at 7, but I thought, if it wasn’t too awkward, I could just slip in late. I also that if it would be super awkward, T could text me and I could just go home and he could tell me all about it later. Obviously, I was hoping for the former option, but I didn’t have a choice, as you just can’t skip work willy-nilly.

When T got there, he texted me to say that it was assigned seating (like our name cards were on the tables!) and the guy who planned the event, was very worried because, while he knew that both T and I were going to be there, someone else sitting at the head table had brought someone unexpectedly. Suddenly, the head table was going to be over crowded and there were no other seats. But the problem was solved and it was no problem for me to show up late.

The dinner was held at Valos Estiatorio, a Greek restaurant downtown. We were there to taste wines from a Greek winery and the winemaker, herself was at the dinner. There was a different wine for each course (I showed up for the second of four courses so missed the first wine, but did get to taste the sparkling wine everyone had pre-dinner. Also a lovely waitress brought me the amuse bouche from the beginning of the dinner so I could taste that too.)

I bet you’re thinking that perhaps Greece isn’t really known for their wines but the Master Sommelier  involved in the planning of the dinner  had recently visited the winery  where these wines had come from. And he was definitely interested in this wine. And he was right to be. The wine was delicious, the food was delicious and the pairing enhanced the taste of each. Even the little flute of dessert wine that was served with the baklava at the end of the evening was perfect and raisin-y tasting.

But more important than the wine and food, was the people. We had fun. I was a little worried that I might feel like a fish out of water, being wined and dined at a fancy event. But I shouldn’t have worried. The people at our table were so friendly and interesting. People kept coming around to see how we liked the pairings. People that T had met earlier in the evening were coming around to say hi and introduce themselves to me. And at the end of the night, a woman who I’d been chatting with for much of the night invited us to her wedding in June on the Island of Crete. And as we were leaving, there wasn’t just the usual handshake. Nope, it was full on hug and kisses from the people that I had only just met.

Can’t wait until the next one…

J.

Camping and trivia…

It seems that spring has arrived here in Toronto. What with all of the warm sunshine, the chirping birds and blooming spring flowers, it’s impossible not to feel a lift in our spirits and a spring in our step.

And of course that means we have to celebrate. And celebration usually means food of some kind, am I right?? So I met T after work and we hiked on over to The Drake Hotel.

Now the Drake is very cool. And believe it or not, I  mean that in all seriousness, without a hint of sarcasm. Their ever-changing dinner, decor and cocktails means that you’ll never have the same experience (well, you might I suppose, if you went two days in a row…but like, who would do that? Actually, there are people who do that. Never mind.) My one previous experience there was in the summer. In the “Sky Yard”. Which is cool, Drake-speak for “patio”. It is on the roof, though, so therefore, in the sky, so not a misnomer in the least. And it was a supremely enjoyable experience, albeit, rather hot due to the extreme summer weather.

Our hope this time around was once again to sit on the patio. (In MARCH?!? I know. But wait for it.) We had it on good authority, which was later confirmed by the super-friendly hostess, that the patio is in fact an all-season space and was heated and enclosed and therefore completely temperate and also really bright. (Something that cannot be said for the main floor dining area, unfortunately.)

We walked into the hotel and were promptly greeted by the aforementioned friendly hostess, who said we could try the patio, but it might be full. We went up, it was, so we walked back down. And while we were waiting to speak to the hostess, who was busy helping someone else, although she smiled at us and assured us she would be with us right away as she led another couple to their table, another person standing behind a desk (hotel staff?) asked us if we needed anything and made sure we’d been looked after by the hostess. We assured her that we had. And just as we were about to comment on how friendly everyone was, a third person came to find us a table. Not bad for such a “cool” place.

Unfortunately, that was where the good service kind of stopped. We were seated and a server came to take our drink order and fill our water glasses. We told her what we wanted and proceeded to wait an exceptionally long time for our beverages. This would have been all right, except that we noticed that people who had been seated after us and therefore ordered their drinks after us, got their drinks about five minutes after ordering. I would say that we waited about twenty minutes after ordering.

We ordered bread and dips to start. These were scrumptious!! The bread was all full of cheese and deliciousness. The dips added just the right flavours and the portion was perfect. For dinner, T ordered steak au poivre and I had steak frites (one of my favourite dishes!). Shortly after the arrival of our dinners, we each ordered a pint to go with our steaks as we both figured it would be the perfect touch to what were surely going to be fantastic dinners. And the dinners were fantastic. The steak was flavourful and melted in the mouth. My “frites” were just the right amount of salty and cripsy. T’s potatoes had been fried in duck fact. You can’t really wrong with duck fat. We were both very impressed.

But once again, we waited for our drinks. Now T and I are quick eaters, but we slowed down a little because we were waiting for the beverages. Unfortunately, the drinks didn’t show up at the table until the tail end of dinner. Thinking about it now, everything that our server actually brought us took forever. Things that other people brought us (our starters and our dinners), came in a very timely fashion. Interesting.

Maybe the dining room was the wrong choice. Maybe we had the unlucky fortune of having a server who was not at the top of her game that evening. Good thing the food was so delicious. And good thing there was a fairly relaxed vibe that evening. We didn’t feel like the staff was trying to rush us out We opted to skip dessert and savour the pints instead (seeing as they arrived in time for dessert).

So, I would highly recommend The Drake Hotel for their food and for the atmosphere. And expect friendly hosting staff. Just be aware that once you’re seated, anything could happen.

Still feeling full from dinner,

J.