Dom’s Chopping Block: Toronto Edition, Le Rossignol

Last weekend my girlfriend Jenny and I made our way up to visit our friend Shauna. Knowing how much I love food, she suggested we go to a new restaurant in Leslieville. She had heard good reviews about this little French bistro-style resto and made reservations right away.  We all dressed to impress (well, the best we can do considering it was minus 40 out) and stumbled our way into the dimly lit doorway of Le Rossignol. Upon entering, I was a bit shocked at the size of the venue. The entire resto was the size of my living room, which is not necessarily a bad thing as I felt at home and was ready to enjoy a savory French cooked meal. We began the night with a wonderful bottle of Merlot. The full body flavors danced around my mouth with excitement and I was now ready for my appetizer: Escargot. This being a very common appetizer in France, I had to give it a try. After a small wait, a plate bowl of five piping hot juicy garlic infused escargots topped lightly with cheese were presented to my friend and I with a small basket of crostinis on the side. These little delicacies were cooked so tenderly and left my mouth watering for more, but I was sharing so I had to limit myself to two. It was now time for my main and I was overwhelmed by the delicious sounding options! “What do I choose?” The braised wild boar shank with saffron risotto? Or how about the seared wild pacific salmon with rapini, lima beans and saffron jus? I decided to turn to our lovely waitress Veronique (born in France, grew up in Montreal, then moved to Toronto…yes, I got the whole life story) who suggested that I give the Cassoulet a try. When I asked her what it was, she explained it in four  simple words: “You will love it”. When the dish was presented to me I was a bit thrown off, as I was expecting a stew-like meal. To my surprise, there lay a beautifully tender leg of duck, over a bed of white navy beans, nestled in the comfort of a lightly spiced Tuscan sausage. The aroma and steam that were being released from this French traditional meal were mouthwatering. Needless to say, I ate every last bite of this meal. It was only afterwards that I noticed how salty the food really was. I felt parched until early the next morning (no, it was not due to the excessive alcohol intake…)! Oh wait, I almost forgot the best part! The Dessert… Crème Brûlée infused with cardamom. Cardamom is a very aromatic spice with a unique taste that adds zest to any dessert, making this hands-down, the best Crème Brûlée I have ever had.   The sound of my spoon cracking through the glass-like caramel shell, revealing the smooth milky custard, was simply unforgettable. There is something so soothing about a creamy light custard dessert. It may have been the living room like atmosphere, but while scraping the last bite of this warm dessert, I suddenly had the urge to slip into my PJ’s and curl up on the couch to some Motown classics.

DOM’S CHOPPING BLOCK RATING:

Presentation: 4/5

Service: 3.5/5

Quality: 3.5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

75 % Just made the cut!

PRICE: $10-$30

                                                              Garlic Escargots

                                                              Duck Cassoulet

                                          Crème Brûlée infused with Cardamom        

Dom’s Chopping Block: Marche 27 'A Tar Tar Haven'

Well, finally it’s Friday. This was without a doubt one of my longest, most stressful weeks in memory, but all my headaches were put to rest once I hit my front door and realized what Friday meant: good eats, good drinks and more importantly, great company. I am not going to lie, I have been to Marche 27 (27 Rue Prince-Arthur West, Montreal, 514-287-2725) multiple times (6 to be exact!) and have fallen in love with it over and over again. I am a huge Tar Tar fan and was surprised that I had never noticed this hidden gem right off St.Laurent and Prince Arthur, in the heart of Montreal. It is time that I enlighten you all with this special little cafeteria-style Tar Tar haven. When you walk in to this little joint, it is surprising to see how busy it is as the windows are tinted making it seem like there is no action indoors. Let me tell you this is very deceiving! There are booths lining the left side of the resto and a nice little bar on the right with 4-5 stools, making it a very cozy and intimate environment. The menu is fun because you get the option of choosing your meat/fish and your sauce (mix and match to please your appetite!). My top fave is the Tuna Tar Tar (100 grams) with the Italian dressing which consists of: parmesan, truffle oil, shallots and chives. The earthy taste of the truffle oil and strong flavors of the parmesan cheese compliment the Tuna perfectly, while the shallots allow ones palate to dance with its mild garlic/onion flavor. And, did you know that Truffles are an aphrodisiac? The aroma is sensual enough for anyone to enjoy this meal to the very last bite. I promise you will find yourself wanting to lick the plate clean. This delightful dish is also served with a trusty amount of lightly garlic buttered Crostinis, and if you desire more, the service there is amazing and they are more than willing to provide you with another basket! Don’t worry for you non tar tar eating people; they have options to fill your bellies as well! Top this meal off with a bottle of Chianti and you will be going home with a happy belly and who knows what else ;)

DOM’S CHOPPING BLOCK RATING:

Presentation: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Quality: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4.5/5

85 % Hungry Brownie stamp of approval. Seconds? YES PLEASE!

PRICE: $15-$25

              Italian Tuna Tar Tar on Crostini                                Inside View

 

                                             

Holiday Madness: Goodbye 2010 Gluttony!

The past two weeks were quite the battle for me. Self- Control vs. Pure & Utter Gluttony. Guess who won? I am sure I am not the only one sitting here with a pair of jeans on about to pop and searching for comfort in an oversized hooded sweater… Ok, it’s time to drop the self pity party and get on to the good stuff! Let’s talk holiday meals…On the night of the 23^rd my roommates and I had this fabulous idea of inviting my father, his wife and my niece over for an early Christmas dinner. The only problem being: NO MEAL IDEAS!!! I had borrowed the Julia Child Cookbook from a girlfriend at work, and found this great recipe including cream, mushrooms, chicken, shallots and LOTS of butter!! But I was quickly shot down as my sister’s special friend is anti-mushrooms (poor deprived Arman). So, it was back to the drawing board for me! As I walked into work that morning, my head was spinning with ideas and stress due to my time constraints. How in the world was I to pull it together for 6:30 pm??? And that is when my amazing co-worker, Lisa, came to the rescue! She quickly sent me a no mess, no stress, deliciously tantalizing beef tenderloin recipe! I am telling you, this simple meal was a HIT! I served this amazing dish below with a side of grilled asparagus, steamed carrots, seasoned roasted potatoes, and roasted garlic cloves. Mmmmmm…and let’s not forget the appetizer of brie cheese crusted with rum soaked cranberries and pecans baked in the oven to perfection, served with ciabatta baguette. Let’s just say, nobody left this dinner party hungry!!! YESSSSSSSSSS. Success J

Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Shallots (adapted from: allrecipes.com)

Tools Needed: pie pan, large saucepan, whisk, large roasting pan, thermometer, aluminum foil, large frying pan, hand blender, small bowl

Ingredients:

¾ pounds of shallots (around 3 bags) cut in half

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and Pepper Mix

4 cups of beef broth

¾ cup port wine

1 ½ teaspoons of tomato paste

2 pounds of beef tenderloin roast (trimmed)

1 ½ teaspoon of dried thyme

6 slices of bacon

3 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of all- purpose flour

Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a pie pan coat the shallots with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast shallots in the oven until soft and brown, check and move around occasionally (35-40 mins)

2)      In the large saucepan, combine the beef broth and port, bringing to a boil. Continue to cook on high heat until reduced by half (25-30 mins). Whisk in the tomato sauce and set aside.

3)      Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper and thyme, rolling over to ensure all sides are seasoned. In large frying pan, fry up 3 slices of bacon until brown and then transfer to plate covered in paper towel. Then, add beef to pan and brown all sides on medium heat.

4)      Transfer the beef to the large roasting pan with all oils from the bacon. Take remaining 3 bacon slices and cover the top of the beef with them and put into the oven. Roast the beef until meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 125 degrees F (50 degrees C) about 25 minutes for medium rare. Transfer the beef to your serving platter and tent loosely with foil.

5)      Simmer broth mixture adding left over fat from the roasting pan. Mix 1 ½ tablespoons of butter and  flour in a small bowl to form smooth paste and whisk into the broth mix, continue to simmer until thickens. Whisk in remaining butter. In hand blender, blend the roasted shallows with the bacon that was set aside. Add to broth and season with salt and pepper.

6)      Cut beef into slices and spoon on the blended sauce. See below for yummy sidekicks!!

Roasted Lemon Herb Potatoes

Tools Needed: 9 x 13 pyrex pan, aluminum foil, medium size bowl

Ingredients:

8-10 broiling potatoes

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

2 teaspoons lemon pepper herb mix

4 ½ inch slices of half the salt butter

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons of olive oil

5 cloves of sliced garlic

Salt and pepper to season

Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line pyrex pan with aluminum foil.

2)      Wash and cut potatoes (skin on) into half inch cubes. Toss in a medium size bowl with olive oil, dried thyme, lemon pepper mix, cayenne pepper, garlic, and salt and pepper.

3)      Dump potatoes into the lined pan and spread evenly. Add butter slices evenly throughout potato mixture. Seal potatoes with foil and put into the oven for 45 mins to an hour, stirring potatoes occasionally to ensure that they are evenly cooked.

4)      Remove from the oven and uncover. Turn oven onto BROIL and put potatoes in for 5 mins on HIGH BROIL. Remove, toss and follow this step again until all potatoes have been browned and a bit crispy on the outside. Serve as a side dish or enjoy alone…with sour cream J