Yesterday was G's birthday, and I have to confess that she did receive the very foodie-ish gift from me of Peugeot salt and pepper grinders. She's been wanting them since we saw them for the first time in France last year. For dinner, we made Summerlicious reservations at Mistura. This has to be one of my favorite restaurants in Toronto. The food is consistent, the wait staff (though a few hiccups last night) is generally rock solid, and the food is really excellent. It's the place that started us on our quest of making beet risotto. Oh yeah, it's that good!
So for those of you not in Toronto, Summerlicious is basically this: nice restaurants offer a set three course menu for $25 or $35. Most of the restaurants do require reservations, and you can get some really great deals. Last night's dinner was one of the $35 ones, and it was well worth every single dime and bite. We started off with a nice prosecco, and the food started coming.
For starters, I had the risi e bisi and G had the pappa al pomodoro.
OOH... pea-y.
The bowls really got the white-out from the flash. I must have taken twenty pictures with and without the flash, trying to make it not so bright. Didn't work. One of the things I am learning as I go. The good thing was we had this crazy corner half table so no one could see me taking pictures so there was no embarrassment for my dining companion.
Anyway... main course. G ordered the arrosto di agnello which looked absolutely delicious. She does love lamb, and I am not so fond, so we don't have it very often at home. I was not in the mood for meat, so I had the maccheroni e peperoni, which was delicious and very unusual tasting. The pasta was very al dente, and the sauce was heavy but really full of interesting.
Really nice, really brave, as Jamie Oliver would say. G's was on rapini with chickpeas, and mine had whole cherry tomatoes, peppers and ricotta salata on top. Yum.
Dessert. There were sweets. BUT, there was also a cheese plate. G and I both took advantage of the cheese...
The little brown bits were very thin toasts... amazing. The cheeses were a manchego, always good, a blue in the back that I didn't like and don't remember the name of, and an amazing cheese in the middle which I also don't remember the name of. It was soft, almost ricotta like in texture, fluffy but slightly nutty and sweet. Really crisp. And the little pot in the middle. IT WAS HEAVEN! It was a chutney made with peaches, plums, ginger and wasabi! It has such an amazing kick, and it coupled with the soft cheese was truly inspired. Kudos for the amazing combo!
So if you are ever in Toronto and want to have a good dinner, give it a try. The food is amazing, it's always fresh, they having amazing wine (I had a fantastic Riesling last night!) and a really really nice atmosphere. :)
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