It' Dog

Got to try It' Dog tonight.  Was very excited to try it. And it was absolutely excellent!  Loved it!  Everything was great except the poutine.  We asked for and paid for the Bulgogi poutine but we just received a regular poutine which was less than standards.  I'd suggest skipping the poutine - especially with a great poutine option right across the street.

As for the hot dogs - amazing!  I had the It' Dog and it couldn't be better.  The toppings were amazing and I absolutely loved the pretzel dog bun.  I'm not a big eater so it took me three meals to finish the dog and it was still great and sturdy later that night and even for lunch the next day!  The shrimp on top was amazing and stayed absolutely crispy throughout my three feedings of the dog.  Delicious!

As for the Korean Fried Chicken faze across the street - this place has it right!  We loved it!!  Particularly amazing was the Soy Garlic Sauce - my favorite.  It was delicious.  And I would go back for this.  Having been to CoCo's in the last week, I would say this is a better option just because of the soy garlic sauce.  They both have incredibly crispy chicken with a juicy center - but, oh, that sauce!

Tonight was another first for us - Bulgogi.  We loved it. 

Packrat Louie

When I go out for the evening for a nice dinner the last thing I normally think about is pizza but boy am I glad we had the wood fired pizza at Packrat Louie!

We started out with two appetizers - the Duck Carpaccio and the Pork Belly and Scallops. The Pork Belly and Scallops were absolutely excellent. The duck was very good as well. Knowing I wouldn't be able to eat a full dinner as well, my husband and I opted to share the Prosciutto pizza. What a delight! It has prosciutto, spinach, mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella, egg, and it is topped with an aged balsamic. What a winning combination! The flavours were just excellent. We will return for this pizza for sure.

It was Monday night so wine bottles were half price which was really nice. But as an added bonus we had a Groupon and they honoured both the Groupon and the half price wine night which was great.

After dinner we headed across the street to check out "MEAT" - and had dessert! All in all a great evening.

Ayden Kitchen and Bar

 

The last time I was in Saskatoon I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Ayden Kitchen and Bar.  This place is just a real treat. It was amazing. I had so much fun! And such great food!!

My friend and I shared four dishes - prawns, scallops, duck confit and asparagus. Each were just delectable. The scallops were just superbly prepared. The asparagus had an egg on top that was just divine. The prawns and duck were similarly excellent. Great preparation and presentation. Our service from our waiter Jared was exceptional. The ambiance and the vibe were just perfect (even though it was a little loud and I would have preferred to have a table facing the kitchen so I could watch all the action - I would recommend asking for such a table when making your reservation).

       

Then the top of my night was when Chef Dale came out, specifically to our table, to introduce himself and say hello. He even endulged me with a few pictures which I quickly posted to BBM (which I since lost when I changed phones otherwise you know I'd be posting those pics!!) A totally fun night of great food. Will come back the next time we are in Saskatoon.

Glenora Bistro

So after reading all the great reviews of this place, particularly about their excellent Eggs Benedict, we made an immediate plan to visit. We are huge Eggs Benny fans and are always on the hunt to find the best in whatever city we are in. We have lived in Edmonton for five years and have never been here, nor was it on our radar, until we read their reviews.

Both my husband and I ordered the Alaska Eggs Benedict (with crab and asparagus). A woman at another table had Eggs Benny as well and I said to my husband that the hollandaise sauce didn't look great but we went there to try it so we ordered it anyways.

It was hands down the worst Eggs Benny we've ever had. My eggs weren't cooked and the hollandaise sauce with thin, bland, and tasteless. It was terrible.  They looked nothing like these which clearly show perfectly set eggs (I can tell).

 

I never complain though so I didn't say anything. Way too late in our meal the waitress finally returned to ask if everything was good. We didn't reply. She asked again and neither my husband or I said anything. The raw egg was clearly apparent on my plate. She kept pushing and finally I told her that my egg wasn't cooked. She went on to argue with me and "assure" me the egg was cooked and that it was just water in the egg because it was poached! I couldn't believe it. I told her that I wasn't going to argue with her and that I wasn't asking for my meal to be replaced. But I shook my plate and showed her that the remaining untouched egg was loose and wobbly - clearly a sign of an undercooked egg. I like my eggs runny but I don't want the whites undercooked to the point of salmonella. She again argued with me that the eggs were cooked. I have never had that happen before.

Later, a couple of ladies at another table asked whether they were growing coffee beans in the kitchen. She said "we don't grow coffee beans". The women continued to try and approach the fact that they ordered coffee and she hadn't brought it to them in a humorous way and she replied that she didn't know what they were talking about. They stated that they had ordered coffee some time ago and she hadn't brought it and she argued with them as well! They continued to attempt to convince her that they ordered coffee and said that she even asked them if they took their coffee with cream and sugar and she argued with them saying "I have no recollection of that". Just quick arguing with the customers and go and get the coffee already!

All of that to say, we drove across town and were very excited to try the best Eggs Benny we've ever had. We were hugely disappointed. Maybe we just hit a bad day with a poor server.  Sadly, though we won't be returning given the distance to drive and our experience.

A Culinary Extravaganza Returns? Corso 32 - The Coveted Reservation!!

          

Tonight we were lucky to get a very coveted reservation at Corso 32 only a few days in advance.  Albeit the reservation was at 5:00 pm but still - we didn't have to wait the two to three months that is the wait time currently to get into this great restaurant.  And it worked out great for us cuz we hadn't eaten all day so we were hungry by 5:00 pm!

First, let me comment on the many reviews that suggest (ie complain) that this is a small restaurant and the closeness of the tables leads to a lack of intimacy (or more intimacy then you may want with your close neighbours!)  We found the restaurant to be beautiful with great ambiance.  It is in a small space - yes.  But to suggest tables are only six inches apart is just not true - they are at least 12 inches apart!  Now, granted, we grew up eating at the great Italian restaurant in Victoria - Pagliacci's - and there you're lucky to have an inch between you and your neighbor.  We love it!  The food at both places is just spectacular so I don't mind squeezing in.  But Corso 32 was spacious in comparison and honestly, we could not hear the couple's conversation next to us (now the table of four behind us is a different story - but they were having a great time which I really enjoy!) 

And before we get onto the food I'll also comment on the service.  It was excellent!  There were three servers working tonight and they were all excellent.  So unobtrusive and yet there as soon as our plates needed to be cleared or our waters needed to be refilled.  They really are professionals!

Okay onto the food.  What can I say? Absolutely sublime.  Excellent.  Everything we had was a masterpiece in our mouths.  I loved it.

To start we had the housemade Goat Cheese Ricotta.  Delectable.  Creamy.  Delicious.  Outstanding.  (Have I left any adjectives for the other dishes?!)

 

Next we devoured the Arancini.  This is a half order!  

 

The Arancini are creamy, filled with the earthy mushrooms tones - and then you hit the fontina in the center.  My husband's favorite dish! 

 

This is my husband's plate showing the Crostini with Goat Cheese Ricotta and the Arancini showing the mushroom and fontina centre.  (My crostinis were a lot more loaded with the Goat Cheese Ricotta!)

Next was the Egg Yolk Gnudo.  I love ANYTHING that oozes with a running egg.  I definitely have to get to Bar Bricca soon to try the Egg Yolk Raviolo.

 

And because my husband has the camera he takes another pic of his plate with all three antipasti:

 

Now onto my favorite dish (although it was a close call with several of them) - The Black Truffle Fonduta Ravioli:

 

 

This was easily the best pasta dish I've ever had.  I will continue to return for this dish - a lot!  I normally like my pastas drowning in sauce but boy when you have fresh made pasta, stuffed delectably with a delicious filling and then topped with the greatest sauce ever - you don't need it drowning in sauce.  And I must say this was perfectly seasoned - the pepper was definitely present which I really enjoyed.  The shaved asparagus was perfectly crisp and delicious.  A perfect dish!

 



My husband ordered the day's pasta special (he's such a great sport) and he absolutely loved it.  It was tortellini stuffed with sausage and mortadella in a sage and butter sauce.

 

And because everything was so good, we couldn't turn down trying the deserts (even though we normally never order desert).  From my online research I knew we had to try the Vanilla Panna Cotta and the Chocolate Torte.

 

This was another first - we had never had Panna Cotta before (and my husband is Italian!)

Corso 32 comes by it's excellent reputation honestly.  This is great food in the city of Edmonton!

 

A Culinary Extravaganza Returns? Second Visit to Ernest's

After over a week of being sick, has the Culinary Extravaganza returned?  Well, we've hit some pretty good spots in the last few days.

It started with a second trip to Ernest's and the Table d'Hote menu offered by Chefs Stephen Hlushak (of Corso 32) & Franz Navarra.  It was delicious - as usual!

Started with an Amuse Bouche as usual:

1st Course -

Egg Yolk Raviolo  house made ricotta filling |  fried sage | brown butter sauce

This was OUT OF THIS WORLD!  I've been waiting to try a similar dish at Bar Bricca.  Great job Chef Stephen!  One of the best bites I've ever had.

Oh, and even though I had the four course Table d'Hote menu I had to make it five courses and have that delicious Foie Gras - that wasn't on the menu tonight but they found some for me! 

2nd Course

Cornish Game Hen  apple | celery heart | celeriac | parsley salad chicken reduction glaze

Tender, juicy with crisp skin and a great reduction glaze.  Delicious!

3rd Course

14 day Dry Aged Striploin charred green onions | sauteed crimini mushrooms | salsa verde sauce

This was not great. The striploin was way overdone for medium rare which never works for me.  I prefer my steaks rare but order them medium rare out of respect for the Chef. When they do it over medium rare I'm done.  But would have been a great dish if cooked properly.  And Chef Stephen did come out and speak with us and acknowledge his mistake.  I love these up and coming Chefs so it didn't detract from our great dinner!

4th Course

Orange Sponge Cake mascarpone gelto  | sorbet  | campari berries I honestly could find nothing that resembled Orange Sponge Cake.  I thought maybe they ran out of desert and replaced it with what we got and just didn't tell us.  The mascarpone gelto was delicious though! Great service from Diego - Mucho Gracias Mi Amigo! Oh yeah, and the wine! Ernest's is still serving lunch in May so we will return for one more visit before their hiatus until September when school resumes.  This is a great spot that you don't want to miss!

Palm Springs Trip - Wilma and Frieda's Cafe in Palm Desert

 

 

With all the research that I did before our trip this place did not even end up on my short list but was on my radar. This morning when looking for a place to go for breakfast, while still on our hunt for the best Eggs Benedict ever, some further research revealed this place so we went. And boy are we glad we did! It is easily the best Eggs Benny on this trip and at least in the top three in the world that we have tried!




I had the original Benny's Bennie with the Duroc Pork. That pork is amazing!! As is the hollandaise sauce that absolutely is the key ingredient of an Eggs Benny. Well, that and the Chef knowing how to cook an egg right. It seems simple but I often am disappointed as it is cooked wrong. I like my eggs soft and runny - and by that I mean the yolks. The egg whites have to be cooked otherwise it is a health risk. This seems to be a difficult thing for some chefs/restaurants to deliver but not here! The eggs were cooked perfectly!! And I can't remember the last time in more than a decade that my husband hasn't received my English muffins - but I wasn't giving up the homemade ones here. They were delicious! My husband had the Short Ribs Eggs Benedict and seemed to love them even more than mine!



This is a must to visit that you have to add to your list - particularly if you love Eggs Benedict, however, their entire menu looks delicious. The location is great. The view is amazing. And their patio meets all of our expectations. And the service was great as well!!

Palm Springs Trip - Balisage Bistro

 

 

This restaurant would have easily earned a five star rating if we didn't start with a bit of a hiccup with overcooked eggs. We came for the poached eggs on brioche with lobster hollandaise. It was a little hard to find the place and we drove by it a few times until we entered the address in the GPS. It is right in front of the small private jet airport. We sat outside and boy was that fun to watch the rich and famous land and take off in their private planes!

 

But back to the food. We ordered our eggs soft as usual but explained to the waiter that we had received uncooked whites at other restaurants this week so we wanted the yolks runny but the eggs definitely cooked. They came hard. So, for the first time in a long time I sent them back - the eggs need to ooze. When they came back they were just perfect! The lobster was cooked excellent and was generous and the hollandaise had perfect flavour. The fresh brioche it was on was very nice and the scalloped potatoes on the side were delicious. Lobster Benedict for $10.50 - you absolutely cannot beat that price! I was a little disappointed with the dish having to be sent back that they didn't comp my mimosa or something - that would have been the right thing to do but we will come back and give them another chance.