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Josh's Reviews
 Each link includes the first part of the review. Many of the reviews also include pictures of the individual dishes.
Dr. Josh Josephson
Trained as a research optometrist, and now owner of Josephson Opticians, one of Josh Josephson's abiding passions is food. Inspired by his father's highly seasoned Romanian influenced dishes and his mother's small but perfectly executed English Canadian repertoire, his own skills developed in reaction to the poor food provided in his college dorm when he moved out to fend for himself. Almost three decades ago, he and a partner established The Cookbook Store with Alison Fryer as manager with whom he continues to share his culinary vision. While remaining owner of Josephson Opticians, Josh has mostly retired from optometry and now satisfies his curiosity about international cuisines through frequent eating pilgrimages to both famous and obscure restaurants around the world.
Member: les chevaliers du tastevin; la chain des rotisseurs; the international wine and food society.
See the full poster of Josh with some of Toronto's leading chefs that appeared in Toronto Life in 2010. Photos by Caitlin Cronenberg.
2012 posts
"Groundhog Day": A 7 Chef Competition at Cava Resto, Toronto
Sunday, February 19
Groundhog Day is a competition of invited chefs for the best pork dish of the night. The annual competition has 2 prizes, one, a trophy and the second, a $250.00 gift certificate to The Cookbook Store. The present competition had the following chefs: Ted Corrado of Compass Canada, formerly chef at C5 of the ROM; Teo Paul of Union Restaurant (www.union72.ca); Ryan Donovan of Marben Restaurant (www.marbenrestaurant.com); Ryan Crawford of The Stone Road Grill (www.stoneroadgrille.com) Niagara on the Lake, Ontario; Mark Cutrara of Cowbell restaurant (www.cowbellrestaurant.ca); Guy Rawlings of Lucien restaurant (www.lucienrestaurant.com); Albert Ponzo of le select restaurant (www.leselect.com).
A Riesling Inspired Dinner For The Mystery Wine Group At Splendido Restaurant, Toronto
Thursday, February 16
The mystery wine group is a small group of individuals with very extensive wine cellars who get together at different restaurants for an extensive, uniquely created meal inspired by certain wine varietals. The wines are served blind or double blind and the wines discussed, guessed at, while hors d'oevres are served and then those same wines are enjoyed during the course of the meal. This night, rieslings were the inspiration. Chef Victor Barry created the perfect dishes to pair with these wines. I have always believed that well made rieslings are the most versatile wines with food. This evening's creations proved the point.
Alaskan King Crab at Xam Yu, Toronto
Saturday, February 11
I highly recommend calling this resto, in advance, to pre-order fresh Alaskan king crab. They prepare the crab "3 ways" and also an extra dish of fried rice with the crab "scraps". Crab lovers will find this crab experience delectable!
The Odd Bits Dinner With a Group of 7 Chefs at Parts and Labour Restaurant
Friday, February 10
This all offal dinner, at Parts and Labour restaurant honoured chef/author and James Beard award winner Jennifer McLagan. The participating chefs were Scott Vivian of Beast restaurant, Bertrand Alepee of The Tempered Chef Caterers, Chris Brown of The Stop, Rob Gentile of Buca, Mark Cutrara of Cowbell, Matty Matheson of Parts and Labour and Mark DuFour of Earth.
Elle M'a dit Restaurant, Toronto
Monday, February 6
Elle M'a dit is a very small resto on Baldwin Street where the food is prepared by Alsatian chef Gregory Furstoss. I found the menu inspiring so of course, we had to graze most of it, but we could have ordered more.
Enoteca Maialino Restaurant, Toronto
Saturday, February 4
The warm and friendly attitude one experiences in this small, charming restaurant puts one in a pleasant frame of mind to enjoy the good food. We ordered drinks and wine and we were presented with their complementary salumi board with 2 types, one spicy and a bit gamey and one mild, and a cheese board with toasts and a blood orange, onion compote. Reviewing the menu I found a strong Sicilian cultural influence.
Offal Dinner For L'Ordre Mondial Des Gourmet Desgustateurs at Cowbell Restaurant
Wednesday, February 1
Cowbell is a terrific local restaurant in the west Parkdale area of Queen Street, Toronto. The chef, Mark Cutrara butchers all of his meats himself and well knows the subtle anatomical areas that make for interesting and tasty eating. I consider chef Mark to be among the best chefs in Toronto. He especially shows his stuff when he is challenged to do a significant meal for small groups. His regular menu does not often get into the esoterics, except by special request. The Ordre Mondial is a small unusual group within the Chaine Des Rotisseurs, that loves to enjoy fine wine and cuisine, and when it comes to experiencing exotic cuisine, their attitude is "damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead".
Splendido's New Tasting Menu
Friday, January 27
I love to share my experiences exploring how our best chefs are evolving their cuisine. Victor Barry and his excellent associates are always refining what the do well and exploring new ways to please our palates.
Toronto Resto Revisits: Pangaea; Malena; Torito
Sunday, January 22
Pangaea
Pangaea has a very pleasing new menu so we were excited to try some of the new additions.
Chicken and mushroom sausage with white wine braised cabbage, chicken skin "crackling" and Pommery mustard jus. What a lovely range of complementary flavours, particularly the cabbage and sausage complements. The texture of the sausage was perfect, slightly coarse. I also loved the crispy crackling which was placed over top of this presentation.
Malena
We began with a mix of warm olives with herbs and citrus.
Sea bass perfectly seared, presented with a leek ash sauce, a dash of olive oil, caramelized celery, mini fingerlings, dill and a dab of yogurt.
Torito
Torito has been a lovely place for me to visit from time to time, to experience Spanish/ Mexican influenced comfort food. It has a very informal room that also lends itself to a tapas like atmosphere.....which is what one gets, a lot of wonderful small dishes. I neglected to bring my cell or camera, so no photos.
Palm Beach Restos, The Continuing Saga: Chez Jean Pierre, Pizzeria Oceano, Buccan
Monday, January 16
Chez Jean Pierre
Chez Jean Pierre has become one of my go to restos here in Palm Beach, particularly for their wonderful filet of sole. They fly the fish in weekly from France and simply pan fry it in a bit of butter....but, to perfection. You would be hard pressed to find sole done better anywhere in North America.
Pizzeria Oceano
Another resto that I love to frequent is Pizzeria Oceano in Lantana just immediately south of Palm Beach. As I have previously blogged, here you will enjoy what I consider one of the very best pizza's in North America and perhaps it would rank as in the top 5 to 10. It is so good, I just had to mention it again. It is so good that this little place that doesn't seat more than about 20 people was just featured on CBS.
Buccan
Buccan is a relatively new resto in Palm Beach. It is very noisy and no matter where you sit it is very hard to hear what your friends are telling you. However, the food is pretty good, in general.
2011 posts
For Beef Lovers: Bryan's Fine Foods, Corta Madeira, California (No, you don't have to go there!)
Friday, December 30
Bryan’s Fine Foods is a wonderful location to shop on line for products that are shipped overnight, to any location in the continental USA. For my Canadian readers, if you are fortunate to rent or own a residence in the United States for a time, and love to cook, Bryan’s is for you!!
Lunch at Didier Restaurant
Tuesday, December 27
Every Christmas I get together with some friends to drink fine wine and enjoy the good food of Didier Leroy. Didier's and fine wine, are a match!
Splendido Restaurant's Grand Steak Event
Wednesday, December 21
A special event was arranged by chef Victor Barry, a tasting (blind) of some exceptional steaks. But this was also a festive event so we began with 2 kinds of oysters, poached spot prawns, cured steelhead trout, scallop ceviche and dungeness crab, all on a tiered platter service. What a grand beginning!
New Pizzeria Libretto on the Danforth
Sunday, December 18
This is a resto awaited with much anticipation not only for the location, convenient for those who live in the centre or eastern part of Toronto, but also, as it is the only Pizza Libretto that takes reservations. I like the topping varieties that set Pizza Libretto apart. However, I found the nicely blistered crust at this location a bit too doughy/chewy. I much prefer a crispier crust which has a bit of a flake when one bights into it.
Where to eat in Boulder, Colorado
Wednesday, December 14
Ras Kassa's Ethiopian, Boulder Cork, The Kitchen, Daddy Bruce's BBQ, KT's Real Good BBQ, The Kitchen Next Door, Flagstaff House, Basta Pizza, Jax, Pizza Locale, Pizza Da Lupo, Mediterranean
Boston Restaurants: Clio; Uni; Rialto; Sportello; Barking Crab; Durgin Park
Tuesday, December 6
Clio
Clio is the main restaurant owned by very talented chef Ken Orringer. For me, this was by far, the best restaurant in Boston that I visited this trip. It may be their best resto, period!
Uni
Uni is the “next door” sister restaurant of Clio, and owned by chef Orringer and his group. It is in the same space as Clio but at one end of the resto and down the stairs. For a resto that is not "prime" Japanese, the fish was remarkably fresh. For a Japanese style fish resto, the desserts were incredibly good and come from the sister restaurant Clio. Overall, this is a resto not to be missed.
Rialto
Roasted stuffed squid, pork sausage, spicy greens and squid ink. A balance of sweetness and spice, nicely offset with cilantro.
Sportello
Owned by Boston chef Barbara Lynch. This is a terrific place for breakfast. Smoked duck hash, slow scrambled eggs, root vegetables and potato, served with crisp thin toasts. A great savory breakfast dish. Cooking the scrambled eggs this way was one of the best examples of scrambled eggs that I have experienced.
Barking Crab
Barking crab cakes with red pepper aioli. Very tasty but a little too finely chopped resulting in less appealing texture.
Durgin Park
One of the 2 oldest restaurants in the United States and still going strong. For years, when I would come to boston, I was always committed to at least one meal at Durgin Park and would always start with the steamed clams (no photo), then have the biggest rare piece of roast beef. Both dishes are still terrific and the perfectly cooked roast beef sensational.....tender and tasty!
County General, The Best Burger Under 13 Bucks, and More
Saturday, December 3
County General is Chef Victor Barry and Sommelier Carlo Catallo's effort (both co-owners of the fabulous high end Splendido Restaurant), on Queen Street. Resident chef, Garth Legree has a knowledgeable hand with rustic cuisine. This is a fun place, featuring great meats supplied by Cumbrae's, one of Toronto's top 3 butchers. It also has a very good bar.
A Unique, Great Japanese Dining Experience at Sushi Kaji, Toronto
Monday, November 28
Many people who follow my restaurant experiences have read my rhapsodies about Hashimoto being my favourite Japanese experience in Canada, perhaps one of 3 best I have experienced in North America. I have eaten at Kaji many times, but I have never had an experience such as this one, no matter how I have tried to work with the staff at this restaurant. But, chef David Lee knows the chef owner well and advised him about what was expected and oh my, what a wonderful result. I will not comment on every dish, but, I must say that the quality and freshness of the fish was exceptional.
Dinner Honouring Nathan Myhrvold author of Modernist Cuisine, Splendido Restaurant, Toronto
Friday, November 25
Nathan Myhrvold is a brilliant polymath, one of the early founders of Microsoft Corporation, a high school grad at 14, he entered UCLA, going on to gain two masters degrees and a PHD, all before the age of 23. He began a career at Microsoft as their chief technology officer until his retirement in 1999, after which he chose to pursue other interests, especially cooking seriously.
An Extraordinary Game Dinner, With Truffle Accents and Extraordinary Wines at Nota Bene Restaurant, Toronto
Saturday, November 19
Chef David Lee created an exceptionally rendered game dinner, hosted by a good friend. David is a Canadian gem and although Nota Bene is a favourite resto of mine, David's remarkably creative, high level skills that are so sensitive to the ingredients he works with, were particularly visible at former his haute cuisine resto, Splendido. Nota Bene has wonderful comfort food, but, one must ask David to create a special occasion meal to truly experience David's highest levels of culinary attainment. For this dinner, for the most part, Chef Lee worked with Alba white truffles and Alba, Molise and Burgundy (which have much less flavour and aroma) blacks.
Gold medal Plates 2012
Thursday, November 17
Gold medal plates is the big fundraiser held across Canada to raise funds for the olympic athletes. This year, Langdon Hall chef Jonathan Gushue was the winner.
Paris Restaurants, What's New: Agape Substance***; La Galzetta; Ribouldingue; Charbon rouge; Le Comptoir; L'Olivier
Monday, November 14
Agape Substance***
This restaurant came recommended from a good number of my serious resto friends. Please see the comments below (***) that I wrote at the conclusion of this meal. We were advised that the menu below, was only "hints" of what may come.
La Galzetta
This resto is a hot spot with a very young heralded chef, Peter Nilsson, a Swede who emigrated to Paris. The menu is strictly limited to what the chef is preparing that day.
Ribouldingue (A "Triperie")
This restaurant is a hidden gem and not well known. But, it is such a wonderful place to come and enjoy offal and otherwise similar comfort food.
Charbon Rouge
Sausages: gaucho, chorizo and morcilla (no photo). Roasted split Marrow bone(no photo).
Allard
Allard is one of the oldest existent restos in France. It's cuisine is almost timeless, with such offerings as cepes sautees, saucisson chaud Lynonnaise, foie gras de canard, jambon persille, terrine de lievre, frogs legs, sole meuniere...
Le Comptoir
Yves Camdebord, at the moment, is perhaps one of the best known young chefs in Paris. Le Comptoir is located in the Relais St Germain.
L'Olivier
If you feel like a break from French food and want something light and flavourful, consider L'Olivier restaurant. The food is in the good hands of an accomplished chef.
The Willow Inn, Lummi Island, Washington
Tuesday, November 8
The Willow Inn is about 80 minutes south of Vancouver, assuming no border traffic. It is worth the drive. In my experience, it is easily, one of the 10 best restaurant experiences in North America. it ia also an idyllic retreat. I stayed in a cottage, about 3/4 of a mile from the Inn, managed by the Inn, on the shore overlooking the San Juan Islands, just a spectacular view. We rented electric bicycles to get us around the island, so much fun.
A Grand Cru private home Dinner Created by Buca Chef Rob Gentile
Saturday, November 5
One of the great chefs in Canada for his personal take on rustic Italian cuisine is Rob Gentile of Buca restaurant. I get cravings for some of Buca's renditions. This dinner, created for one of the 27 private dinners held on one night to raise money for the Toronto Western hospital and it's world leading research, is the result of the efforts of Todd Halpern of Halpern Imports, and his very capable team who made the arrangements for all the dinners and the dinner and auction held 2 days prior. Some of the world's great winemakers and a leading medical researcher are present at each dinner. The guest winemaker/owner was Ms. Laurence Feraud who supplied all wines (except for the dessert and champagne) by Domaine du Pegau.
Parts and Labour Restaurant, Toronto
Friday, November 4
This was my first visit to Parts and Labour, a Parkdale neighbourhood resto that a number of friends had recommended. The front of the resto is very open but also, at prime time VERY noisy. We had reserved the quieter back area for seating, by the open kitchen. There are 3 tables for 4 there. If you don't like loud dining room noise, that is the place to sit! Watching the chefs was a pleasure. They are well organized, highly efficient and for the most part, in prime time, have a remarkable calm...
New at Nota Bene Restaurant
Wednesday, November 2
Highly capable and creative, chef David Lee loves to work with new ideas for Nota Bene restaurant. This night, he surprised me with a "tongue and tail" terrine en gelee mounted on arugula leaves and on a fried potato "latke" (pancake). OMG I was in food heaven with this dish. The terrine was accompanied by cornichons, a single radish, and pickled beet and onion. The texture and flavours were wonderful.
What's New at Canoe
Monday, October 31
Canoe restaurant has undergone rather extensive renovation. It feels lighter and more open. The service is invariably impeccable. But, how was the food? We had the good fortune of being cared for by the # 2 chef, John Horne, a gent who seems well assured, attentive, observant and very good with the execution and fine tuning of the concept of a dish. We worked with him planning an event for the Chevalier Du Tastevin (Burgundy Wine Society).
"Bacon and Eggs" at Splendido Restaurant!!
Friday, October 28
From time to time, a visit to Splendido provides a wonderful culinary surprise by chef Victor Barry. This time, a novel dish and a new pastry chef awaited us. It was also the beginning of the arrival of fresh white truffles and a special truffle menu was available.
A Stadtlander Barn Burning Fundraiser at Bohmer Restaurant, Toronto
Monday, October 24
Friends of chef Michael Stadtlander and his dynamic wife, Nobuyo, gathered for a fundraiser at the Bohemian Gastropub, to raise money to support the rebuilding of the Stadtander farms barn, that had recently burned down.
Vancouver's Best Restaurants: Hawksworth; Cafe Medina; Cin Cin; Cioppino's; Cibo; Tojo's
Thursday, October 20
I had a short while in Vancouver and was determined to go to some of the best restaurant suggested by friends. I did not have time for all, but I was able to get to many.
Hawksworth
I was told by so many acquaintances, you MUST go to Hawksworth. Perusing the regular menu, I found the selections superficially unchallenging and not particularly interesting. However, some of the dishes on the tasting menu got my attention. My waiter told me, in no uncertain terms, no mixing of dishes was allowed between the regular and tasting menu. Either you have the tasting menu or the menu ordinaire. So, I ordered from the regular menu. I was truly surprised by the exceptional result.
Cafe Medina, Brunch
So many friends and acquaintances who visit Vancouver suggest Cafe Medina for brunch or breakfast, and justifiably so.
Cin Cin
We found that the general service was haphazard and disorganized. The wine service was fine. Bread, accompanied by a side of oil and tapenade, was initially brought....cold. It could have been great if warmed and crisped in the internally acclaimed wood fired oven. Instead it was rather tasteless, insipidly soft, "white bread" with no "crust" at all. The strange thing was that we were brought an order of the same bread later in the meal and it was crusty, hot and perfect!!
Cioppino's
I came to this restaurant to eat food prepared by a former Toronto chef who in my expereince was highly accomplished with his creations. The menu selections, I found, were not as adventurous or avant guard as the menus that Chef Pino Postararo would prepare at his former restaurant inToronto. But, it was good to see old friends. His brother Celestino was there making sure all the clients were cheerfully well cared for.
Cibo
The menu at Cibo is inspiring for anyone who enjoys eating hearty, rustic cuisine. However, we began with a rather uninspiring serving of squishy bread with an uninspiring and uninteresting topping of tomato and herbs, which did not bode well for what might follow. However, we were delighted by the rest.
Tojo
Tojo is heralded as the best japanese restaurant for prime fresh fish to the west or east of toronto. In Toronto, the only competition is Hashimoto, in my opinion. But, the style of Hashimoto is also quite different in only presenting kaiseki style meals.
Vancouver Street Food: La Brasserie, Japadog, Dougie Dog, Mangal Kiss BBQ, Re-Up BBQ, Bella Gelateria, Cafe Artigiano
Thursday, October 20
Vancouver has good street food, especially the carts.
La Brasserie
La brasserie food cart, on Georgia, offers the Brass chicken sandwich, beer brined rotisserie chicken in gravy, topped with crispy fried onions, on a buttermilk bun. This is a tasty very juicy sandwich, but the chicken, although good, the sandwich is not exceptional. But, it is good for at least 1 lunch if you are there for a few days.
Japadog
Japadog is a very talked about venue and has had loads of press in food mags and travel publications. The hot dogs themselves are good but not great, but the toppings, some of which are not bad, to me, are merely a novelty.
Dougie dog
Dougie Dog has many varieties available. It had better crunch and tasted better than the Japadog.
Re-Up BBQ
Re-Up BBQ made a very good pulled pork sandwich and an exceptional chopped brisket sandwich, both topped with cole slaw. The pork and beef are cooked and smoked over an apple wood fire. This was one of my 2 favourite street food locations, worth a repeat for the brisket. This truck is located on the block where the Vancouver art gallery is located.
Mangal Kiss BBQ
My very favourite street food location, located on the back side of the Vancouver art gallery, on Georgia, is Mangal Kiss Mid East BBQ. The food is Iranian inspired.
Finest At Sea
I should mention finest at sea. It looked good but i did not have further capacity to eat there the day i saw this wagon.
Bella Gelateria
This place has the best gelato I have tasted anywhere in the world with the exception of one place in Milan......and, it may even be a touch better. The flavours of each variety are intense and made from the real food flavours, no substitutes, fillers, or shortcuts in making this gelato!
Cafe Artigiano
Cafe Artigiano may make perhaps the best cappuccino in Canada, great taste and great presentation.
Napa Restaurants: French Laundry; Tra Vigne; Bistro Jeanty; Oenotri; Rutherford Grill, Hurley's, Mustard's Grill, Baldessono Brunch, Oxbow Market.
Saturday, September 24
The French Laundry, Yountville, California
The French Laundry is on any serious eater's hit list and probably the number one on anyone's list of important restaurants to eat at in North America. Finally, I made the list of reservations! There are only 2 menu's, one having everything including meat and fowl, the other, "a tasting of vegetables".
Tra Vigne, St Helena, California
Tra Vigne is a an always jammed, people friendly place with a rather somber inside room and an arbored, leisure encouraging outdoor eating area. A good friend, former Toronto epicure, food writer Jim White, now a Napa resident, praised the bistecca fiorentina at Tra Vigne.
Bistro Jeanty, Yountville, California
This casual bistro owned by chef Philippe Jeanty is where one can experience classic examples of well prepared, rustic, French influenced cuisine with a contemporary twist. The cuisine also well represents local produce and a good selection of regional wines.
Oenotri, Napa, California
Oenotri has an ambitious menu and that attracted me to try the restaurant. The menu is rustic but sophisticated.
Lunch at The Rutherford Grill
Lunch at the Rutherford Grill is said to be the time that many vintners and area farmers attend. It was certainly a convenient place to eat in the area that we were tasting wines.
Dinner at the Rutherford Grill
I ordered roast beef with high expectations. The owner of the Grill is reputed to be the owner of Huston's Steak House and apparently this resto is his "baby". He should know beef. The menu read well: slow roasted, roast beef.
Mustard's Grill
We began with a very tasty tomale made with sweet creamy corn, wild mushrooms, and accompanied by pumpkin seeds and a terrific tomatillo, avocado salsa.
Hurley's
We began with lightly breaded crisy mix of calimari, rock shrimp, red onion and cauliflower florets accompanied by a caper remoulade.
Baldessano Hotel Restaurant: Brunch
The Baldessano is a very attractive, modern and cleanly designed hotel that is so respectful of a natural habitat. I ate outside on a lovely, clear skied, sunny morning.
Oxbow Market: C Casa and Pico Pico Bar
My friend Jim White, now a native of Napa, highly recommended a sojourn to this market full of different food a craft purveyors. At certain times of the week there is also a farmer's market that I did not make.
C Casa
C Casa specializes in creatively made tacos with very wholesome, tasty ingredients. I just had to order 3. I began with a rotisserie duck taco with baby spinach, orange wedges, goat cheese, cilantro and serrano salsa. This delicious taco went down quickly!
Pica Pica Bar
Still hungry, I wandered down to Pica Pica Bar. Their display looked very appetizing. I enjoyed a "maizewich" of grilled sweet corn bread "pernil", a wonderfully spiced, slow roasted shoulder of pulled pork, with sliced tomato, sliced avocado and a garlic aioli.
Keriwa Restaurant, Toronto
Thursday, September 22
Both organic unsalted butter and seasoned pork fat were presented with very tasty, house made bread made with red fife flour.
Pizzaiolo and Plum Restaurants, Oakland, California
Tuesday, September 20
Brunch at Plum restaurant
Plum was suggested to me by several friends. On my first visit, I was inspired by the ambitious menu for both the brunch, and dinner which I attended on a visit later in the week.
Pizzaiolo Restaurant
Pizzaiolo and it's sister restaurant, Boot and Shoe Service, are suggested as being 2 of the top 4 pizza places (the others being Cafe Panisse and Olivetto) in the Berkeley/Oakland area to enjoy pizzas made in a wood burning oven.
A Late Dinner at Pangaea Restaurant, Toronto
Tuesday, September 13
Pangaea is conveniently located at Bay and Bloor and I was able to dash in and be served a terrific late (for me) meal and then I was quickly on my way home. I regret that my battery was too low to allow a flash so the photos are not up to their usual quality and I do not have photos for 2 of the dishes.
Cafe Belong, Toronto
Thursday, September 8
Located in the Toronto Brickworks and no sign, Cafe Belong is bit hard to find, but, it is worth finding. One is greeted by a very open, spare but warm room. It is a lovely space during a wonderful sunset.
The Best Quick Lunch Experience: Burgers or Sandwiches?
Tuesday, September 6
Lucy Waverman, Alison Fryer and I decided to go exploring to some typical (and atypical) haunts.
George Restaurant, Toronto
Sunday, September 4
George has been a highly respected establishment in Toronto, with chef Lorenzo Losetto at the helm. What makes the experience at George particularly enjoyable lunch in the garden during the lovely summer months.
Geranium Restaurant (Bocuse D'Or Winning Chef), Copenhagen, Denmark
Wednesday, August 31
It was with great expectations that we arrived at Geranium Restaurant. The chef and co-owner, Rasmus Kofoed had just won the the Bocuse D'or. However, Michelin granted Noma, another Copenhagen restaurant, 2 stars and the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best granted Noma #1 resto in the world status. Geranium only has a single "rising star" in the Michelin guide, not an official one star. The decor of this spacious restaurant is classically beautiful in a spare Scandinavian way.
Frederikshoj Restaurant, Aarhus, Denmark
Wednesday, August 31
Aarhus is Denmark's second largest city. Drawn there by a business meeting, I was taken to what is considered that city's best restaurant. It did not disappoint. Clearly, the chef, Wassim Hallal, was influenced by both the Nordic food trends as well as the very current Spanish innovations in cuisine.
Another Amazing Meal At Centro Restaurant
Wednesday, August 17
Centro's chef Jason Carter is so in tune with current cuisine. A friend and I were going to a local cinema. We thought we would go to Centro for a simple meal. Just a steak, a good glass of wine and go. However, after we arrived, the chef came out and suggested a simple starter and their veal cooked sous vide. So, we went with the flow.
Obika Mozzarella Bar, Toronto
Saturday, August 13
Obika restaurant centers its offerings on mozzarella di bufala campana DOP. The freshly made cheeses are flown in weekly from Italy.
A plate of 3 cheeses: stracciatella di burrata; mozarella di bufala DOP classica; mozzarella dibuffala campana DOP, affumicata, hay smoked for about 4 min. The cheeses rested on raw spinach leaves and was accompanied by cherry tomatoes and black olives.
A Chef's Tasting Dinner At Langdon Hall
Monday, August 8
Jonathan Gushue is gifted. The meal that unfolds below made that obvious to me. This chef possesses a terrific ingredient memory of the many food minutae in his rural environment and from his personal experience. His talent for composing taste and memory is demonstrated by his ability to orchestrate disparate and far ranging flavours into a harmonious uncomplicated dish, taking locally found ingredients and transforming them into heavenly cuisine. He may not exactly duplicate this experience in his dining room where the regular menu is more accessible in a familiar way to diners, but the tasting meal described below reveals his potential and will hopefully serve as an inspiration for an extraordinary private meal for those who truly enjoy and can appreciate such a gustatory experience.
Smorrebrod, Open Faced Sandwiches in Copenhagen
Thursday, August 4
Smorrebrod is a very traditional Danish lunch, open faced sandwiches, with artfully arranged elements, typically on thinly sliced, buttered, dark, dense rye bread. These sandwiches are usually enjoyed with cold Danish beer and schnapps, a strong aqua vita (hence aquavit) which could be made with herbs, roots, seeds or fruits and is at least 40% alcohol. I developed cravings for these wonderful works of art when I was very young, while watching a Danish employee of my father's eat his lunch (he never shared...so I just ogled and craved!).
The Little Dog, Toronto
Tuesday, August 2
The Little Dog is a small shop that only serves 3 kinds of meat hot dogs and a veggie dog. It also serves fries and poutine. I did not try the veggie dog. My favourite was the Montreal hot dog, good flavour with a nice crunchy skin. My least favourite was the Chicago 58 hot dog. The flavour was very commercial and for me held no redeeming qualities. The Nathan's dog had fairly good flavour (not as good as the Montreal dog) but lacked a crunchy skin.
Yuzu, Toronto
Sunday, July 31
Not finding many Japanese restaurants in Toronto that inspire me, let alone having truly fresh tasting fish, I attended Yuzu with the usual skepticism. I was very pleasantly surprised by my experience. There were some hits and some misses. Not all of the fish were equally fresh but some were very fresh and the execution of some dishes admirable.
A Visit to Dolce Lucano Salumeria, Woodbridge, Ontario
Friday, July 29
Our little fun group, Joe Bersani, owner/chef at Cantine restaurant and Annie Sibonney, host of the popular Food Network show From Spain With Love, Joanna Sable, owner of Bumpercrop pickled and preserved products and myself, were invited to taste some of the products produced at Dolce Salumeria. Dolce is owned by the husband and wife team John and Paola Zagaria. John is a second generation butcher and hand crafter of the artisanal products produced by Dolce. Tony Cohan, owner of Tony's Cheese and Provisions was there to supply us with some complementary cheeses for the tasting.
Honouring Jamie Kennedy, His Alumni Dinner
Wednesday, July 27
A special dinner honouring Jamie kennedy, the Order of Canada awarded chef, was organized by his staff, former apprentices and sous chefs and took place at the Gardiner Museum restaurant. Attendees were both admiring food industry people and patrons.
Fishbar, Toronto
Monday, July 25
Fishbar recently opened on the Ossington strip, a street of several interesting and very good restaurants. Toronto has a very limited number of truly good fish centric restaurants such as Josos, Malena, Starfish and Rodneys.
Dr. Laffa, Iraqi Food
Tuesday, July 19
Dr. Laffa is a small enterprise offering certified kosher, Iraqi (this may seem like a misnomer) food, on the side a factory building located at 40 Magnetic drive, unit 44-3, North York. It is not easy to find. Being this kind of kosher, it has no meat or milk products in it's food. The hours are Sunday to Friday 9:30am to 7pm. They are closed Saturday. Don't let any of these cultural statements inhibit or discourage you. The people there love you to indulge in good eating and enjoy yourself.
Wurst Restaurant, Toronto
Friday, July 15
Wurst is a new restaurant specializing in sausages and a grand selection of beers. A very limited selection of wines are available by the glass if one is not a beer drinker. Wurst occupies the former location of Thuet, later Conviction restaurant. The space is now a large open hall. To order, one lines up at a counter and is given a number which is placed on the table where one is seated. Waiters bring your order to your table.
Cava Restaurant dinner highlighting Spanish wines
Tuesday, July 12
Cava is an outstanding restaurant to experience regional Spanish flavours influenced by highly acclaimed chef Christopher Mcdonald and his partner and co-owner chef Doug Penfold.
The Fat Duck, Bray, UK
Thursday, July 7
The Fat Duck is Heston Blumenthal's masterpiece. The chefs he works with share his passion and dedication. He also has 2 pubs in Bray and I highly recommend the one closest to his restaurant. The Fat Duck is about a 50 minute drive from London, depending on traffic and well worth the journey. Heston Blumenthal is also the owner of the London restaurant Dinner (recently reviewed in our blog), where his former executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts is now executive chef. This was my second visit to the Fat Duck and the experience was as good or even exceeded the first experience. We also received an intriguing tour of the lilliputian kitchens.
London Restaurants (4): St John
Thursday, July 7
We were inspired to enjoy a meal at St. John by co-owners Trevor Gulliver and chef Fergus Henderson, when they were our guests in Toronto. Unfortunately, the day we chose to dine was the opening of their new hotel and they were unable to join us. But, we were well cared for by this restaurant's highly professional staff. This was my second visit to this restaurant pioneer of "nose to tail" eating. It never fails to satisfy my cravings.
The London Restaurants (3): Hix; Racine; Cassis; Cheyne Walk Brasserie
Thursday, July 7
Hix
Heirloom pork crackling with Bramley apple sauce, a flavourful crunchy nibble to begin.
"Heaven and earth" blood sausage with mustard horseradish gravy, simmered slices of apple and potatoes. This was a very good dish for lovers of blood sausage.
Racine
I sat down to recognizable quality. Very good crispy baguettes and a tub of Echire butter. We began with a classic soup de poisson with rouille, gruyere cheese and garlic toasts. It had good flavour but lacked the layers of rich flavour and complexity of Toronto's Pastis resto. However, unlike the hesitant entrenched Rosedale version at Pastis, this was classic Marseillaise rouille, redolent of garlic!! Loved that!!
Cassis Bistro
I came to Cassis to try their bouillabaisse. It was served, as traditional, with rouille and gruyere cheese. The stock was rich tasting and presented with mussels, clams, an some whitefish. However, once again, the soup was not as good as the one I enjoy at Pastis. Further, the rouille was disappointing with the unpleasant consistency of dense mashed potatoes making it closer to a skordalia rather than a rouille. All of the fish and shellfish were perfectly cooked.
Cheyne Walk Brasserie
Cheyne Walk Brasserie is a place for simple comfort food and easily accessible to the Chelsea crowd. It is only open for dinner and is always full. The fowl and meats are grilled over an open charcoal fire. On my first occasion there, I was the guest of a good friend who lived close by. It is his family's "go to" spot for a simple good meal.
London Restaurants (2): The Ledbury; The Gilbert Scott
Thursday, July 7
The Ledbury
The Ledbury has developed a world wide reputation and I must say that after this experience, I agree it is well deserved. Head Chef and co-owner Brett Graham comes from Australia but has lived in the UK, for the best part of his life.
The Gilbert Scott
The Gilbert Scott Restaurant is in an historic, visually spectacular landmark building. It is a restaurant owned and supervised by one of london's great chefs, Marcus Waring. The menu is composed of dishes inspired by the comfort food that originated in the late 19th and early 20th century and given a current touch.
London, UK (post #1), "DINNER" Restaurant
Wednesday, July 6
Dinner Restaurant has been anxiously awaited by the food community for quite some time Dinner, developed by Chef Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck, resurrects the culinary past of English cuisine. Each dish is listed on the menu with the date of it's origin, ranging from the late 14th century to the early 19th century. Blumenthal and his long time executive chef at The Fat Duck, Ashley Palmer-Watts (now in charge of the London restaurant), have used contemporary techniques and devices to update each dish to give them a current spin.
Porchetta Tuesdays at Nota Bene
Monday, July 4
Sometimes, I can't wait for Porchetta Tuesdays at Nota Bene. I began with a very good steak tartar, certainly one of the best in the city. This version was a refreshingly good novelty, with burrata cheese in the middle, especially with a squirt of fresh lemon. As many know, my palate is not a lover of cheese with meat (exception, aged parmesan with carpaccio). This combination was a very good surprise and it was topped with some good shaved parmigiano.
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