This is so silly. I am going to go over there and complain about their sad excuse for kimchi! http://www.thestar.com/article/199067 Mr. Hashimoto explains that, in true Japanese cooking, the rice has to come from Japan. “It makes a difference,” he says. “There, people can eat the rice by itself because it’s so much more flavourfulcontinue reading
Food and Wine Archives
Imperia
A week or so ago Joanne Kates favourably reviewed Imperia, a new Italian restaurant close to our place, so we decided to give them a try for my birthday. I think it’s fair to say we weren’t as bowled over as Joanne but nevertheless they seem to have a good product at a decent price.continue reading
Via Oliveto
… has closed. I remember the last time we went there was after their big makeover. The place looked nice but the food seemed to have slipped a notch or two, and we didn’t go back. In other news, it looks like the City is installing traffic lights at Bloor and Walmer. Which brings ancontinue reading
Damn
Apparently good wine is just as bad for you as bad wine.
Impractical wine advice
Lailey Vineyard is one of these newish premium small Ontario VQA wineries, that typically make small batches of wine that never make it into the LCBO, and fetch a premium price-wise as well. We’ve bought and uncorked a few bottles from them and have often been a bit ambivalent about the product–not always competitive atcontinue reading
Another $10 red worth the money
Tony Aspler pointed us in the direction of this wine: Terrale Sicilia Nero D’Avola 2004. General list at the LCBO for $9.70. A likeable food wine, a bit more expensive than bargain basement Sangiovese and worth the extra $$. Baked goods, tobacco, tar, plum and violet on the nose with decent follow-through on the palate.continue reading
Monsoon
We went to the opera tonight (more in another post, perhaps) and decided to stop by Monsoon for dinner beforehand. They’re an upscale fusion-inspired place at Simcoe and Adelaide, pretty close to the new COC digs. And they have a 15% discount for COC members. They’re not cheap–they have a few mains in the 20scontinue reading
XOXO
“Love potion!” M — obviously absorbing more Harry Potter than is apparent at bedtime — exclaimed when she saw the display of XOXO (warning: much mauve, much Flash) Merlot/Cab at the LCBO. “XOXO means kiss hug kiss hug!” It came with a bonus package of icky little chocolates, too, so we eventually caved in andcontinue reading
French isn’t always a synonym for “overpriced”
We uncorked a bottle of the Rothschild Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Vin de Pays D’Oc) to go with our pizza this evening. It’s quite pleasant and only $10.15–sort of a cocktail/party/pizza wine. And I’ve always liked their label–a contemporary abstract thing that J. says looks like a bit like a Chinese brush painting of plum flowercontinue reading
Another tale of two vintages
You may recall our wine whine about how the 2005 Farnese isn’t nearly as good as the 2004. We got to do another 04/05 vintage comparison last night with the Coyote’s Run Unoaked Chardonnay. Coyote’s Run is an excellent new specialist winery in the St. David’s area of the Niagara Peninsula–near the river just downcontinue reading