My restaurant recommendations for Winterlicious 2013!!!

One of the best things about starting a New Year in Toronto is Winterlicious!!! It is a great time for foodies to try out different restaurants that they have never been to before and a chance for those foodies to try out the fancier restaurants at a lower prix fixe (a three course menu at a fixed price). Here are some of my recommendations for this Winterlicious:

Auberge du Pommier

http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/auberge-du-pommier

Phone: (416)222-2220
Address: 4150 Yonge St 

One of the restaurants that I have to go to every Winterlicious and Summerlicious is Auberge du Pommier. It is an Oliver & Bonacini restaurant located north of Yonge and York Mills. It is a small cottage like restaurant. Even though it is off to the side and does not look like much; when you go into the restuarant it is stunning from entering the doors to the washrooms to everything in the place! It really expresses the Oliver & Bonacini essence of elegance and perfection. I suggest phoning ahead of time and making a reservation. 

The Lunch menu is $25 and the Dinner menu is $45. Typically for Winterlicious I like going for lunch at various restaurants. For that purpose I will only post the lunch menus however you can find the dinner menus on the Winterlicious website. The lunch menu for this Winterlicious at Auberge du Pommier is:

                                                                        

Baby Spinach Salad
pine nuts, pickled red onion, blue cheese crumble, creamy shallot dressing
or
Leek & Cabbage Soup
braised leek & green cabbage, slow poached egg, Gruyère cheese, sourdough croûton
or
Smoked Salmon Rillettes
cornichons, capers, Dijon crème fraîche, rye bread crostini


Vegetable Cassoulet
winter vegetables, braised cocoa beans, herb breadcrumbs, caramelized onion jus
or
Roast Chicken
roasted mushrooms, grandmother’s vegetables, pommes purée, smoked bacon jus
or
Meatball
braised beef, currants, golden raisins, slivered almonds, rapini, soft polenta, sweet & sour jus


Chèvre Parfait
sweet & sour fruit, toasted nut bread
or
Sticky Date Pudding
toffee sauce
or
Chocolate Mousse Cake
espresso cream

When I go to Auberge du Pommier this time I would probably start off with the Smoked Salmon Rilettes. I would love to see what their idea of a Smoked Salmon Rilette looks like and tastes like and how they present the crostini. A slice of bread is very difficult to look different and appealing so I would very much like to see how they present that. 

For the main course I would most likely try the Roast Chicken. One of my favourite dishes that I am trying to perfect is the Roast Chicken. Something so simple but yet so tasty and humbling. I really want to see how they plate up their roast chicken with vegetables and smoked bacon jus. 

One of the last things in the meal and something that you really remember is the dessert. Although when I cook I tend to not bake much because of how tedious it is and intimidating I would probably go with the Sticky Date Pudding with toffee sauce. It sounds like something not super sweet but has a nice sweetness to it. 

For those readers who have not tried Winterlicious but consider themselves a foodie I would suggest trying items that you would not make at home but would love to try! 

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Luma 

Phone:(647)-288-4715
Address: 350 King St W, TIFF Bell Lightbox, 2nd Floor

My next recommendation is another Oliver & Bonacini restaurant that I have visited on several occasions at the Toronto International Film Festival Lightbox, Luma. Luma offers a $20 lunch menu and a $35 dinner menu. I have been here for dinner before with my family and the service was absolutely amazing as well as the food!

This year the Winterlicious lunch menu for Luma: 

 ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP long peppercorn and maple cream
or
TUNA CONSERVA preserved tuna on braised white beans with lemon confit and radish
or
KALE + CHARD SALAD toasted pecans, dried cranberry and apple cider vinaigrette



POACHED CHICKEN WALDORF on O&B Artisan multigrain loaf with apple, walnuts and celery
or
BRAISED LAMB parsnip purée, roasted carrots and rosemary
or
POTATO + RICOTTA LASAGNA pumpkin, sage and pine nut caponata



CITRUS BUDINO with crème fraîche and marmalade
or
POACHED PEAR with hazelnut and spiced wine syrup
or
WARM WINTER DATE CAKE chocolate sponge toffee and whisky butter sauce

 
  To start the evening off I would have a nice glass of Pinot Gregio from 2009 as all of the items would go well and are not heavy or red meats. I would start off with Tuna Conserva with Lemon Confit. I have heard of lemon confit and have wanted to make it for a while but I haven't had any idea of what to serve it with. 

Next I would order the Potato + Ricotta lasagna. It sounds so divine and nuts are something I would have never thought to put with lasagna but pine nuts are often used in Italian dishes like a nice gremolata with parsley, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest and lemon juice to garnish ontop of some nice braised osso bucco. ANYWAYS OFF TOPIC the potato ricotta lasagna is something I'd like to try. 

Lastly I would finish the meal off with Poached pear. Although the other two desserts do sound amazing, if I am going with an Italian dish like Potato and Ricotta lasagna it is only right I pay tribute to Italians by eating a fruit after my meal! 
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Mildred's Temple Kitchen

Phone:(416)-588-5695
Address: 85 Hanna Ave, Ste 104

http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/mildredstemplekitchen

 I have read many reviews in the past on this restaurant. The food there is very unique and has a lot of "thinking outside of the box" chefs. Winterlicious would be a great time to check this place out. The lunch is $20 and dinner is around $35.The Winterlicious lunch menu at Mildreds Temple Kitchen is:

                                                                Italian bread soup
a rich chicken broth infused with roasted garlic & winter herbs with shaved pecorino & crunchy croutons (to warm your cold, cold heart)
or
baked Ontario goat cheese
drizzled with extra virgin olive oil & a kiss of Mildred’s harvest honey with salted onion crisps
or
a dressing down of greens
leaf lettuces & frisée with sprouted legumes & shaved winter radish tossed with champagne vinaigrette
(vegetarian)



the MTK burger
this hand-crafted burger is topped with tomato relish & crispy tobacco onions, served on a pain au lait bun with dressed greens or frites (p.s. we bake our buns fresh daily!)
or
pulled pork sammy
smoked Berkshire pork, rubbed with Mildred’s secret spice blend, slow cooked on the Big Green Egg with ancho chili, garlic & onion, served with winter slaw or frites
or
fish & chips
Beau’s beer-battered halibut served with house-made tartar sauce, frites, a side of winter slaw & grilled lemon
or
huevos Monty
Mildred’s classic black bean refritos & sharp cheddar grilled in flour tortillas & topped with eggs sunny, fresh salsa & avocado crème
(vegetarian)



sticky toffee pudding
a warm scrumptious cake smothered in a rich, boozy toffee sauce & just a little whipped cream on top
or
affogato
milk chocolate ice cream doused with hot espresso & a biscotti on the side (perfect to recharge your batteries before heading back to the office)
or
cookies to go
if time is not on you side, choose three MTK cookies to go (baked fresh daily with many of our favourite ingredients - butter, eggs, cream & love)

I would love to try the Baked Ontario Goat Cheese to start. Then enjoy the MTK burger because I love when a burger joint makes their own buns or even buys their buns from a local bakery AKA THE BLACK CAMEL (OUTSIDE ROSEDALE STATION CHECK IT OUT: http://www.blackcamel.ca/about.htm). Lastly I would finish with the Affogato because you can't go wrong with milk chocolate ice cream with hot espresso.

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 La Societe

Phone: (416)-551-9929
Address:  131 Bloor St W 
 This establishment is owned by Charles Khabouth, a Toronto entrepreneur who owns a bunch of clubs and real estate in Toronto who I aspire to be like one day except with restaurants instead of clubs. Anywho this restaurant is always busy during TIFF, you will often find celebrities and Toronto socialites dining here. The food here is supposed to be similar to that of a French Bistro. The lunch menu is around $20 with dinner around $35.  The lunch menu for Winterlicious is: 

Country House Pate
Pickled Vegetables and Dijon Mustard
or
White Bean and Vegetable Soup
Smoked Chicken
or
Ontario Beet Salad (vegetarian)
Citrus, Living Cress and Goat Cheese Snow



Coq au Vin
Mushrooms, Lardons and Pearl Onions
or
Vegetarian Quiché (vegetarian)
Romaine Spears
or
Pan-seared Ontario Trout
Fennel and Watercress Salad



Chocolate Mousse Cup
or
House Baked Macarons
or
Baked Cookies with Hot Chocolate

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 Sassafraz

Phone:416-964-2222

Address:   100 Cumberland St 

This is one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. Later this week I will post my review on the Groupon deal that they had and sold out like hot cakes. This restaurant is located in the heart of Yorkville and similar to La Societe it is also a celebrity hot spot. Lunch is $20 with Dinner $35. 

The lunch menu is: 

Corn potage with chanterelle mushrooms and brown butter
(vegetarian)
or
Orange and endive salad with shaved radish, balsamic jelly, pecan vinaigrette
(vegetarian)
or
House cured salmon tartar with pomegranate ginger mousse, rye crouton, baby greens



Honey and chili glazed prawns with saffron risotto, red pepper emulsion and coriander cress
or
Roasted chicken breast with pearl barley, wild mushrooms, baby carrots, truffle broth
or
Braised P.E.I beef short ribs with horseradish pommes puree, collard greens, sauce Bordelaise
or
Borlotti bean, fennel and confit celery salad with truffle vinaigrette, roast celeriac and parsnip, baby turnips, sunchoke puree and fresh shaved truffle
(vegetarian)



Chocolate malt cake, marshmallow fluff, warm salted chocolate sauce
(vegetarian)
or
Warm apple compote with oat crumble, maple walnut and caramel cream
(vegetarian)
or
Gotham city cheese, exclusive to Sassafraz. Served with flatbread and assorted dried fruits
(vegetarian) 

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Here are my recommendations and I hope you and your family and friends enjoy a night out for Winterlicious. For your consideration and convenience here is the website you can navigate and see what other restaurants are offering a Winterlicious menu: http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/se/restaurants.nsf/Winterlicious?OpenForm .It is a great time to check out the restaurants Toronto has to offer! 

As Lidia Bastianich says: "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!"