christinea's Profile
Anyone attend or have a wedding at the liberty grand or berkeley church?
Cut and paste of a poste from March:
I just got married at Berkeley Church in September '09. We had a fantastic experience. The food was very important to me and I got such a good vibe from Nathan (the chef). Basically, we met with him and our coordinator (provided by BC) and discussed what we wanted and what our ideas were. He made some suggestions and then later we had a tasting. We changed one of the hors d'oeuvres at the tasting and added a sauce for the beef.
Serving seasonal and local food is important to me and Nathan totally agrees. Consequently we went with things like pickeral, tomatoes, beets, squash, etc.
Lots of people loved our food and told us so after the event.
Here was our menu:
3 passed hors d'oeuvres (no spring rolls or chicken satays for me!):
blue cheese date on endive with candied walnuts
mini yorkshire puddings with roast beef and horse radish cream (dad's irish)
chickpea fritter with butter chicken (this is the one we added instead of a baked brie in filo and people LOVED this one).
dinner was stations, not a sitdown meal:
salad station:
make your own caesar salad (so nothing got soggy and could also be veg if they didn't add bacon). Hubby loves caesar and we figured it was something most people would like
roasted beets with arugula
tomato, basil, buffalo mozzarella (nothing like tomatoes in Ontario in September)
pasta station: squash and ricotta cannelloni with bechamel (I wanted squash ravioli, but Nathan pointed out that it wouldn't sit well in a station-style dinner, so we went with a baked pasta, which lasts much better)
mains: We were supposed to have an outdoor BBQ for most of this stuff, but we had to go to plan B because it was pouring rain.
Grilled flatiron steak with chimichurri or peppercorn sauce on the side
Green curry marinated prawn and pickerel broschettes (these were a huge hit)
Rice on the side to go with the curry
baked potato station with the usual fixings
marinated, grilled seasonal veg.
dessert:
make your own sundaes
FYI, I kinda grilled them about the food; for example, I made sure the bacon bits were homemade, I asked what kind of ice cream they would serve for the sundaes (Kawartha Dairy...delicious and pretty local), they made the sundae sauces, not storebought, etc.
Weddings at the Berkeley Church
We did the stations for the about same price as the three course sit-down meal they quoted me. I think it was about $45 pp. Really, they will do anything you want. Apparently, cocktail menus or stations are really popular there. Have you met with arnyone in person? I'm sure if you gave them an idea of the menu you want and your budget they could tell you if it's doable. By the way, the other great thing there is that you bring in your own alcohol so it's way cheaper. They supply the bar staff, you just get a permit and booze. LCBO and Beer store both deliver and pick up empties.
Also, I forgot to mention, the staff on the actual day of the event was also great. It was one of my bridesmaid's birthdays and they brought her a piece of cake with a candle. I didn't organize it, or anything. The staff gets paid well and it shows.
Oh, and they don't charge a cake cutting fee or anything. We actually had a "cake" made of rounds of cheese. They cut the cheese into small wedges, added the descriptions I supplied and wrapped up the leftovers for us to take home. They also supplied crackers, fruit, etc to go with it (included in the cost of the meal). We served it with a late harvest riesling.
Weddings at the Berkeley Church
I just got married at Berkeley Church in September '09. We had a fantastic experience. The food was very important to me and I got such a good vibe from Nathan (the chef). Basically, we met with him and our coordinator (provided by BC) and discussed what we wanted and what our ideas were. He made some suggestions and then later we had a tasting. We changed one of the hors d'oeuvres at the tasting and added a sauce for the beef.
Serving seasonal and local food is important to me and Nathan totally agrees. Consequently we went with things like pickeral, tomatoes, beets, squash, etc.
Lots of people loved our food and told us so after the event.
Here was our menu:
3 passed hors d'oeuvres (no spring rolls or chicken satays for me!):
blue cheese date on endive with candied walnuts
mini yorkshire puddings with roast beef and horse radish cream (dad's irish)
chickpea fritter with butter chicken (this is the one we added instead of a baked brie in filo and people LOVED this one).
dinner was stations, not a sitdown meal:
salad station:
make your own caesar salad (so nothing got soggy and could also be veg if they didn't add bacon). Hubby loves caesar and we figured it was something most people would like
roasted beets with arugula
tomato, basil, buffalo mozzarella (nothing like tomatoes in Ontario in September)
pasta station: squash and ricotta cannelloni with bechamel (I wanted squash ravioli, but Nathan pointed out that it wouldn't sit well in a station-style dinner, so we went with a baked pasta, which lasts much better)
mains: We were supposed to have an outdoor BBQ for most of this stuff, but we had to go to plan B because it was pouring rain.
Grilled flatiron steak with chimichurri or peppercorn sauce on the side
Green curry marinated prawn and pickerel broschettes (these were a huge hit)
Rice on the side to go with the curry
baked potato station with the usual fixings
marinated, grilled seasonal veg.
dessert:
make your own sundaes
FYI, I kinda grilled them about the food; for example, I made sure the bacon bits were homemade, I asked what kind of ice cream they would serve for the sundaes (Kawartha Dairy...delicious and pretty local), they made the sundae sauces, not storebought, etc.
If you have any more questions, I'm happy to answer.
Fun Wedding reception.. Toronto Harbour Cruise boat?
That sounds amazing and exactly like what we're looking for. How many people did you have?
Food at Palais Royale?
I had a very different experience at Palais. I think it probably depends on what you order as flibbertygibbet said (and therefore, what you're prepared to spend). The wedding was last year, so my memory is a bit fuzzy but I'll tell you what I can recall. I was in the wedding party, so getting the hors d'oeuvres was a bit tricky (we were late and all that) but I remember a rare piece of lamb on the bone (really tasty; either rosemary or mint was paired with it, as is traditional), some sort of grilled shrimp that was not dry (as they can be when overcooked), and gnocci on a little spoon (my least favourite, but then, I'm not a huge fan of cream sauces). For dinner we had soup, salad, pasta, and I had salmon but there was the choice of veal, chicken, salmon and some other beef dish. The soup was roasted red pepper, I think. It was good, although nothing really special or interesting. The salad was also good, but I can't think what was in it at the moment. The pasta was delicious. It was just a simple penne in tomato sauce, but the sauce was very flavourful and there were pieces of fresh basil. The salmon was quite tender and juicy. It was served on a bed of lentils and it was cooked the right amount; just a bit pink in the middle, still moist. I didn't try the other dishes but heard they were good. I can't remember the dessert.
I would say, do a tasting. I think if you stress the importance of the food, they'll get it. Both the bride and groom (and her father) are really into food and they made sure they got exactly what they wanted. Overall, I think the quality was very good and the food was well-prepared and nicely presented. Don't know about the price, but I don't think it was cheap!!!
Does anyone have any experience with Ikea kitchen cabinets?
I just had my kitchen replaced with Ikea cabinets in the spring. Ikea gave me several business cards of people who install their cabinets. They all charge the same amount (per linear foot), but I forget how much. The guy who installed mine was awesome! He was able to customize some stuff for me and reinforced the bottom of the cabinets so they could support my granite counter. If your island isn't big, it might be worth having it installed to save you the hassle, as it probably wouldn't be very much money.
Dinner by the Canon Theatre?
What about Adega? It's on Elm between Yonge and Bay. Nice Portuguese food, mains in the $20-30 range. I really enjoyed the jumbo shrimp with piri piri sauce. And the appetizers are very good too. Oh, and they do nice lamb (very tender). Attentive, friendly service. Last time the server made excellent wine suggestions (my family is not very familiar with Portuguese wines, unfortunately). I haven't had dessert there, so I can't comment on it.
what to bring on a 12 hour flight
I agree; I fill up at water fountains and bathrooms all the time and have never been sick. Plus, bottled water is very bad for the environment (the process wastes a lot of water, the bottles are often not recycled, and the pollution caused by shipping all that water) and there are studies being done that question the safety of PET bottles. It seems that there's concern about the plastic breaking down and releasing toxins into the water much sooner than previously believed.
Fill up a safe, reusable sports bottle everytime!
seeking chow-y honeymoon destination suggestions
Totally Montreal if you're interesting in going to a different country. The exchange works in your favour, too (although not by as much as a few years ago). I was just in Montreal at Thanksgiving, and it was great. It's a beautiful city with lots of nature nearby and lots of great restaurants. Definitely go to Au Pied du Cochon for some wicked foie gras. Also, Jean Talon market is really cool. Vendors galore; pick up some snacks and have a picnic in bed (since it's your honeymoon and all).
Walking around Newmarket
Hhhhm. That's a tough one because Newmarket is pretty spread out and suburban (not all that pedestrian-friendly). My parents live there, so I'll try to remember what's around there now. There are tonnes of chain restaurants on Yonge St within walking distance. I know they're not great, but at least you know what you're getting. In your hotel is a restaurant called The Buttery. My parents go there for dinner often because it's reasonable and decent food. The caesar salad is extremely garlicy, so try it if you like garlic. I also really enjoy the rack of lamb there.
South on Yonge St is Golden Bell Thai (in the Quaker Plaza on the same side as the hotel). It's very small but a lot of people like it. There's also some good pho (apparently) somewhere on Yonge but I can't remember what it's called. Try searching the board for pho and Newmarket.
On the west side of Yonge and south of the hotel is a place called New Orleans. They have cajun food and jazz. I've never been there and I've heard mixed reviews. Some people really like it and others think it's too expensive for the quality of food.
Oh, I think I remember my parents saying that there's an Indian food place at Yonge and Davis on the south-east corner. Good food, but slow service, I believe.
Nothing else on Davis that I can think of.
North on Yonge it's all chains, I think.
For sushi, try Sushi Itto at Yonge and Mulock. There's another thai restaurant there, too. I think you'd want to take a cab, though.
That's all I can think of right now, but if something else occurs to me, I'll post again.
Bamboo cutting board--too hard?
One thing to consider, though: bamboo grows much more quickly than maple, so it is more ecologically friendly since you're not cutting down old trees that take decades to grow. I don't know about the resin in bamboo boards (that could very well be true), but I feel better knowing I've used a sustainable source, and if I have to clean it more frequently with bleach, so be it.
Do you sneak one for the cook
Oh my gosh. Sometimes I eat so much of whatever I'm cooking that I'm not really even hungry by the time dinner is served. This is especially true if I carve the meat (hence, I usually try to find someone else to do it). I taste everything, often more than once. What can I say? Patience and delayed gratification are not my strong suits!
Why do we keep buying cookbooks?
HHmmmm. I'm not sure if you're right on this one...Food photographs are actually very expensive. A good photographer and person to set-up the photo cost *a lot* of money, as does the ink and paper to print those glossy, beautiful food porn shots.
Spinach Substitutes
Wilted swiss chard is sooo much better than wilted spinach. Has more substance and no aftertaste. I don't think you can really eat raw swiss chard, though.
I'm scared to try foie gras
Oh my gosh! This is why I wrote the post. I'm going to Montreal on Thanksgiving weekend with my SO and I've been researching restaurants and decided I want to go to Au Pied de Cochon. That got me thinking that it's high time I try foie gras and this might be the place to do it!
You guys have convinced me. I'm trying it. I was afraid it would be over liver-ish tasting but since you all say it's not, I'm going for it.
Thank you all so much for your encouragement.
I'm scared to try foie gras
OK. I'll admit it. I've never had foie gras. I think it's because I hate hate hate liver. Having said that, the only way I've ever had it is pan-fried by my mom when I was a kid. My dad is Irish, so of course he loves fried liver and onions, but I cannot get past the memory of being force fed it in my childhood.
Having said all this, I love liver pate. My dad and I will fight over it at Christmas when it's put out for nibblies before dinner.
So....do you think I'll like foie gras? Is there a particular way I should try it for my first tasting experience? Please advise; I hear all these raves about it, but I'm being such a chicken!
Tell me about good dairy-free alternatives...
Yes! Tofutti is way better than So Delicious (the chalkiness of So Delicious really grosses me out). Tofutti is more creamy. However, I often have a hard time finding good flavours (but I live in Canada so that might be why). My favourite flavour so far is Better Pecan. Vanilla with a swirl of butterscotch and pecans strewn throughout.
They also have ice cream sandwiches that are pretty yummy too.
distillery district
I went to Archeo for lunch with my mom a few months ago. All in all, I'd say it was passable, but nothing special. We shared the smoked salmon with greens and a pizza. The salad was decent. Nice arugula and smoked salmon, although my mom found the asparagus to be too charred (it didn't bother me, but it was quite black). The pizza was disappointing. It was supposed to have smoked chicken, gorgonzola and red peppers on it (if I recall correctly). The chicken didn't taste smoked at all; it was quite bland. Also, there was too much cheese; it seems impossible for there to be too much cheese, but it was such a thick layer that kind of congealed as we ate. And it definitely lacked any blue cheese flavour. I didn't see any blue parts, either.
I've been to the Boiler House, and I'd have to say that I'd rather go back there than back to Archeo. Although, the Boiler House is more expensive (I think). Wherever you go in the distillery district, just don't expect anything particularly special and you'll be ok.
Ina Garten's Indonesian Ginger Chicken???
I make a similar recipe with chicken breasts and thighs. Mine also has Hoisin sauce in it, and I don't marinate or precook the sauce. Just dump the ingredients in a roasting tin, cover and bake in the oven until the chicken's cooked. It's always very flavourful. Try garnishing with green onion and/or cilantro. MMMMM.
restaurant etiquette (a gripe)
When I served two years ago on a modern system, the server still had to 'send' orders to the kitchen. For example, I take your order, punch it into the computer and then send the drinks and appetizer orders to the kitchen. Once your apps have been served, I send the mains to the kitchen. This way, the server can make sure that food doesn't come out too fast. But, it also relies on him/her remembering to send the mains. I definitely forgot at least once, but I told the kitchen right away and they jumped me to the head of the line, so it was all ok in the end (although I did get a lecture on how I had to make sure it didn't happen again).
wadda-u think; price adjusted?
I disagree that leaving a 11% tip is a loud and clear message. Unfortunately LOTS of people tip less than 15% even when the service and food are good.
wadda-u think; price adjusted?
I totally agree with Alan408. This is not the server's fault (although a good server might notice that the mushrooms were missing before the dish was served). If you want to have the price adjusted, you usually have to speak to the manager because the server cannot access price adjustments in the computer without a password (if they're using a typical restaurant system).
Compmania?
I wonder if maybe chains have something to do with it. Two years ago, I worked as a server at a large chain restaurant and I was shocked at how much food managers would comp (it really annoyed me because it detracted from the final bill and would therefore usually not be tipped on, even though I had to tip out on comped food...but I digress). Basically, if a guest of the restaurant made any sort of complaint or asked to speak with the manager, there was usually some sort of food or drinks comped. A lot of the time, managers would comp food if a party was left waiting for a table longer than the hostess had guestimated (I mean, if you have to wait 40 min instead of 30 mins, should you really get your appetizers comped??). Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is, if you want comped food, go to a chain and complain to the manager about something, anything!! Just kidding. I have a hard time even returning food when it's not hot/cooked properly etc.
Found: Great Pho in Newmarket
Which plaza is that in? My parents live in Newmarket and they're always looking for something new. Did you try anything else there?
Where to buy good pate in Toronto?
Well, the title pretty much says it all. Preferably somewhere in the downtown area. Kensington or St. Lawrence market? Any recs?
Casual dinner near College and Yonge?
I think the pub is called Pogue Mahones. It's in College Park. It's quite nice inside (dark wood, brass rails, stained glass, etc) and the food is decent, although very typical pub food; nothing exciting or fancy.
Archeo in Distillery District?
Has anyone been to Archeo in the Distillery District? I'm thinking of going there for lunch on Friday. I know the Brick Bakery is good but I'm looking for more of a sit-down meal. Any other recs in the DD?
