Colette Grand Café :: Super Late Lunch with Tiffany

Colette Grand Cafe was a perfect restaurant to visit after returning from Paris. The black and white marble floor tiles reminded me of Versailles and the décor transported me back across the Atlantic Ocean. The restaurant is split between the regular dinning area and a small patisserie. I quickly visited the patisserie - a slew of pastries and desserts were displayed in the glass case including macarons, croissants, and cakes. I am anxious to return to try them in the near future. The staff were knowledgeable about the menu, friendly, and helpful. The lunch menu had a great variety and it was difficult to narrow down our choices for our meal.

Daily Special - Seared Yellowfish Tuna

The Friday daily special was a seared Yellowfish Tuna dish. The dish was beautifully presented and equally as delicious. The Yellowfish Tuna was fresh and perfectly seasoned with salt. The vegetables were cooked wonderfully. I would definitely order this dish again.

Tartare de Beau ($16)

veal tartare, fresh herb pistou, horseradish, hard boiled egg & grilled seeded sourdough

I highly recommend this dish. I am a fan of tartare and this veal tartare was no different. The veal tartare was fresh, the seasoning was impeccable, and the horseradish was a great accompaniment.

Vanilla Ice Cream Profiteroles ($12)

caramel cream & warm chocolate sauce

Tiffany and I initially ordered this dish because we saw another table order it and was excited by the way the waiters presented it. They bring the profiteroles out with the ice cream and pour the warm chocolate sauce at the table. They then sprinkle the cocoa chips afterwards. The dessert itself tasted amazing and the vanilla ice cream greatly contrasted and balanced out the heaviness of the chocolate sauce. The cocoa chips provided a crunchy texture contrast against the soft, moist profiteroles and the cold, melting ice cream.


  Colette Grand Cafe
550 Wellington Street West
Toronto, ON
647.348.7000
website

Auberge du Pommier :: Jenn's 21st Birthday (February 2014 Menu)

Bread with Truffle Oil

St. Jacques ($24)

roasted sea scallop, Perigord black truffle, broccoli couscous, yuzu sabayon

Cru ($22)

marinated hamachi, green olive, avacado presse, toasted pine nuts, cara cara orange vinaigrette

Consomme ($17)

caramelized onion broth, country bread crouton, raclette fondue, poached apple, rosemary

Tartare ($22)

hand-cut beef tartare, white anchovy, pickles, cornichon gelee, traditionally spiced & garnished

Boeuf ($48)

48-day dry-aged beef rib eye, oxtail, pomme surprise, onion relish, Fourme d'Ambert creamed kale

Agneau ($43)

confit of lamb shank, celery root puree, radicchio & cassis marmalade, black trumpet mushroom jus

Loup de Mer ($42)

Mediterranean sea bass, sunchoke, fennel marmalade, sea urchin bouillabaisse

Lamb (Off Menu)

honey glazed

Chocolate Cake

Canele

Chateau Le Breuil Renaissance Medoc 2009

Private Dining Room - Sophie Room

Auberge Du Pommier

150 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON

416.222.2220

website

February 2014 Menu

Auberge du Pommier :: NYE Dinner

St. Jacques

butter-roasted scallop, broccoli florets, black truffle pudding, yuzu sabayon

Thon

bigeye tuna tart, northern divine caviar, avacado mousse, horseradish cream, squid ink crisp

Foie Gras Terrine

foie gras mousse, dashi glee, black sesame genoise, meyer lemon curd, sesame tempura

Joue de Veau

glazed veal cheek, asian pear mostarda, napa cabbage salad, parnisp puree, sauce perigourdine

Gateaux

carrot & citrus cake, clementine curd, shiso, white chocolate ice cream

Chocolate Macarons and Assorted Jellies

Simple Bistro :: Birthday Dinner with Family

Complimentary Bread & Butter

Salade de Lyonnaise - Lyonnaise Salad ($11)

classic French frisée salad with lardons, panko fried egg à la vinaigrette aux herbes de citron

My grandmother had the Salad de Lyonnaise, but I had a small bite. The vegetables were deliciously marinated in dressing and the crispy poached egg was a definite favourite!

Salad de Betteraves - Beets Salad ($11)

roasted beets, goat cheese, acidulated shallots à la vinaigrette de shallot

My father had the Salad de Betteraves. He said it was delicious and all the components harmonized well. I also had a taste and agree with his comments. The salad was also very refreshing.

Moules au Fenouil- Fennel Steamed Mussels ($11)

steamed mussels with shallots, red pepper au crème de fenouil à l’estragon (fennel tarragon cream sauce). 

*Also available as a main course!

My grandfather had the Moules au Fenouil. I also had a taste (tasting everything!). The portion was quite generous for $11! The sauce was a delicious cream sauce that wasn't heavy at all and went well with the mussels. 

Escargots Fricassée ($11)

sautéed escargots and mushroom, aux herbes de Provence and grilled crostini

My Uncle Jim and I both ordered the Escargots Fricassée. I really enjoyed my appetizer. The sauce was creamy, but not overly heavy. Additionally, I was expecting only a few escargots but the portion was quite generous. Additionally, eating the sautéed escargots and mushrooms with the grilled crostini was delicious! When I ran out of the crostini I used the bread. It was still just as delicious and the sauce blended well with the bread.

Pétoncles - Scallops ($25)

pan seared scallops, purée de pommes de terre, orange and fennel salad, bacon lardons

My grandfather and I had the Scallops. It was delicious! The orange and fennel was a refreshing change to the buttery scallops and buttery mash potatoes. The portion was quite filling. Overall the dish was quite balanced in terms of flavour components and I would most definitely order it again!

Steak and Frites ($25)

pan seared striploin au red wine jus, patate frites, and homemade garlic Aioli

My father had the Steak & Frites. I didn't have a taste, but he said it was good. He commented the steak was very tender. My aunt kept stealing the frites (to the point that the owner noticed and gave her a complimentary side of frites!)

Côte de Boeuf - Beef Short Rib ($25)

braised beef short ribs in secret sauce with crispy fried polenta and ratatouille

My Uncle Jim had the Côte de Boeuf. I didn't ask him about comments, but he finished dinner happy so I'm assuming it was delicious!

Jarret d’Agneau - Lamb Shank ($25)

lamb shank braisé au jus, potato gratin and roasted légumes de saison

My mother ordered the Lamb Shank. She said the meat was quite flavourful and the meat was tender. The scallop potatoes were deliciously buttery.

Simple Bistro is a quaint French restaurant located in the Yonge & Ellington area. The owner Yasmine Chung helped me with the reservations and answered all my questions via email. All appetizers are $11 and all entrees are $25. A fixe prix menu that includes your choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert is available for $40/person. We did not try any of the desserts as I brought a birthday cake. Simple Bistro was wonderful as it didn't charge an additional cutting fee or charge an extra service charge for parties larger than 6. 

The restaurant has two floors; the bottom floor has a Parisian style decor, whilst upstairs had a modern red and black decor with crystal accents. The top floor can be reserved for private parties at no extra charge as long as $1000 worth of food is ordered (on weekdays; email Yasmine for weekend quotes). The food was delicious, portions were extremely generous, the price was reasonable, service was great, and the atmosphere was appropriate. The one downside was since there was no drapes or carpets, the noise level was a little loud as there was nothing to absorb the sound on the bottom floor. I'm so glad I went to this restaurant for my birthday and will most definitely be returning in the future. I would highly recommend Simple Bistro to anyone looking for a great French restaurant for a classy friend gathering, celebrations, or a date.

Simple Bistro

619 Mt Pleasant Rd

Toronto, ON M4S 2M5

416.483.8933

website

Francois Payard :: Macaron Collection

These were a gift from someone who travelled to Las Vegas and brought them back for me. Despite the fact that they were not eaten immediately, as most macarons that are purchased from patisseries, the macrons were still soft and maintained their flavour. The flavours included in this set (l-r; t-b) were coffee, pistachio, chocolate, raspberry, vanilla, and passion fruit. My personal favourite were pistachio and raspberry.

Payard Patisserie and Bistro 

3570 S Las Vegas Blvd

Las Vegas, NV 

89109, United States 

website & online shop

Steak Frites :: Comfort Food After Long Day in the Office

Caesar Salad

Ribeye & Frites - Rare

Classic "Steak & Frites" - Medium Rare

Confit of Duck

a tender duck leg baked in its own juice and served with sauteed garlic potatoes

Seafood Pasta Special

fettuccine with lobster and shrimps in a seafood broth

Steak Frites Bistro

3185 Yonge Street

Toronto, Ontario

website :: menu

Auberge du Pommier :: Early Father's Day Dinner

:: Appetizers ::

Foie Gras

grilled foie gras, apricot chutney, golden lentil salad, smoked lentil puree, épices due Marghreb

Hariné & Cru

citrus-cured & tartare of hamachi, clementine, avocado pressé, jalapeno, petite radishes, mais soufflé

Boeuf Vielli 48 Jours

dry-aged rib eye, onion-stuffed potatoes, caramelized broccoli, croustillant d'oignon, Béarnaise gastrique

Soufflé Citron

lemon soufflé, white chocolate ganache

Chocolate Napoléon

chocolate & hazelnut wafer, caramel cream, dark chocolate croquette, chocolate gelato

Auberge du Pommier

4150 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON M2P 2C6

website :: dinner menu