Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Hearty lunch at the Hart & Thistle

A few weeks ago, on one of those random days where we actually saw the sun, we went to the Hart & Thistle Gastropub & Brewery on the Halifax waterfront for a quick bite.  Well known for Brewmaster Greg Nash's fun, hoppy beers, the H&T also has  good pub food and was the perfect spot to stop on out way over to Dartmouth.  We saw several tables heading inside, having been beaten down by the crazy winds, so we settled at a table by the window and ordered some heartwarming comfort foods.

My friend ordered the Thistle's Bigger Burger, topped with Sweet William's sausage, spicy Havarti cheese and the standard burger fixin's.  This was a huge burger, like a: "I gotta cut this in half" kind of burger, and with flavour to rival Darrell's.  The addition of sausage added another rich  layer, and bumped it up to a 'hearty appetite' dish in my books. The fries on the side were crispy and clean,  just the way I like them, not grease-laden.
Thistle’s Bigger Burger 
topped w/ Sweet William’s Italian sausage,
peppered Havarti, 
lettuce, tomato,
red onion & dill pickle 


I wasn't feeling uber hungry so I opted for the Kettley's Kettle, a soup of the day.  On this occasion, the soup was described as a corn chowder with pulled pork.  Unfortunately, it wasn't really what I had in mind; being moreso a BBQ'd pork soup than a yellow corn chowder as I had envisioned, it was just a bit too sweet for my taste.  

I did leave satisfied, however, as we ended up swapping plates so that my friend gobbled up the rest of my soup and I chowed down on his yummy fries...!

Kettley's Kettle (Soup of the Day)
Pulled Pork & Corn Chowder

Sunday, May 15, 2011

A Warming Meal at Minato

A few weeks ago, we decided to try Minato on Queen Street and have been back a couple times since.  Although I wasn't a big fan of the sushi, I've loved all the Korean dishes that we've tried.  Our favorites have definitely been the rice-based Bee Bim Bap, and the Mandoo Guk, a traditional Korean Dumpling Soup.

On this night out, we stareted with the always good palate teaser, the Shrimp & Veggie Tempura.  I could make a whole meal of this dish; plump shrimp, creamy sweet potato and tender zucchinni deep fried to a crispy goodness and served with a sweet and salty dipping sauce.
Shrimp & Veggie Tempura
The Bee Bim Bap is served in a searing hot stone bowl.  A layer of greens, carrots, bean sprouts and sesame seeds cloak a mound of white rice, which is then topped with a raw egg and served with spicy sauce.   The idea here is that you stir the ingredients around so that the heat from the bowl and hot rice cooks the egg.  I love watching people getting ready to eat this dish - the sheer excitement of a sizzling bowl and the anticipation of the final result as they break the yoke is a pretty good show.
Bee Bim Bap
The Mandoo Guk is a surprisingly filling vegetarian soup that has often been my way to perk up within the last few cold, damp and rainy weeks.  A steamy, revitalizing  broth with earthy mushrooms and plump, tender dumplings is a meal in itself, and fulfills the heartiest of appetites when you add in the served bowl of rice served alongside. 
Mandoo Guk

Monday, May 9, 2011

My first Wine Dinner gig!

I'm so excited to be pulling together both sides of my work experience in a brand new event for the Halifax Chamber of Commerce!  Next Wednesday, May 18th, I'll be working with  Innovative Beverages and Bishop's Cellar to launch the Chamber's first ever wine dinner! 

As a sommelier in training, I managed to sweet-talk my boss into introducing our members to the exciting world of wine, as well as opening it up to the public at no extra cost! The Chamber's first ever wine dinner will allow members and non-members the opportunity network while dining on CUT's award-winning cuisine while sampling fantastic wines from all over the world. 

And talk about a great deal! This event features 5 courses with wine pairings, as well as a sparkling wine reception, for only $90, tax and tip included! It doesn't get much better than this! For more info, or to book your tickets, email me Kristen Pickett, or call direct at 481.1234.  Check out the menu below to get your palate ready for this great event!


Chamber Wine Dinner

CUT Urban Grill
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

6:30 ~ Sparkling Wine Reception & Networking
7:00 ~ Dinner

$90, Taxes and Gratuity included

MENU
Reception
Graham Beck Brut NV - Western Cape, South Africa

1st Course
Parsnip Apple Soup with Cinnamon Foam.
Montes Classic Sauvignon Blanc - Casablanca Valley, Chile

2nd Course
Digby Scallop in a Coconut Curry Cream Sauce.
Spy Valley Reisling- New Zealand

3rd Course
Juniper & Salt Cured Duck Confit with a Bing Cherry Demi Glaze
Glen Carlou Grand Classique Bordeaux Blend 2008- South Africa

4th Course
Beef Short Ribs in a Red Wine Reduction, Butternut Squash Puree
Seghesio Zinfandel- Sonoma, California

Sweet Endings
Chef's selection of petite decadent desserts & cheese.
Pffeiffer Rutherglen Muscat - South Africa

Innovative Beverages is a Premium Wine Importing Agency, and works with only the best producers in every major wine producing region of the world. Formed in 2006, Innovative Beverages is based in Halifax, and it's wines can be found on all fine restaurant lists, as well as NSLC and Private store outlets.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Light lunch at Il Mercato

A couple weeks ago, a friend and I stopped in at Il Mercato to enjoy a light lunch.  Not really in the mood for the traditional Italian Caesar, I chose a grilled vegetable salad instead.   I'm definitely a meat-eater, but when I make up my mind about what I want to eat - in this case, lighter fare - I can't easily be swayed.  I was pumped for this meal when it arrived in front of me; the portion was plenty, and it was only $10. 

A plate of tender veg with those yummy, smokey char grilled marks were drizzled with a sweet Balsamic vinaigrette.  The 'cherry on top', or in this case, the cheese, was a healthy portion of goat cheese.  The simple flavours and varied textures combined together to create lots of interest in this plate of greens;  smokey, sweet and tangy, combined with fresh, soft and crunchy - these were the elements that kept my palate entertained until the very last bite.  

Sometimes the salad doesn't have to be the starter, if you're lucky, you can find a good one that has all the action as the main event.  

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Fidtastic Brunches at Fid

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on innovative brunches in Halifax.  I love The Coastal Cafe for their yummy eggy, bacony, etc. creations, but another resto who offers crazy-good brunch dishes is a little closer to home - Fid Resto.

This is another multiple meal post, but all of the photos and dishes featured are brunch items available on the Fid Resto menu, and ALL are delicious!

For those looking for a meal a little on the lighter side, you should try The Good Bowl on  for size.  A bowlful of filling, healthy, fresh ingredients culminate into a meal full of flavour!

The Good Bowl
Yogourt, topped with
Apple, Banana, Berries, Dried Fruit, Nut and Nut Butters

If decadent but fresh comfort food is what you're after, this daily special would be just the thing. I know, fresh and decadent in the same sentence? Allow me to elaborate! Fresh, verdant basil pesto, combined with cream created this lovely, lush sauce that blanketed the soft and tender gnocchi.

Today's Special
Basil Pesto Gnocchi


The Lamb Breakfast at Fid are what a protein addict's dreams are made of! The sweet and savoury lamb meat is wrapped around lamb sausages filled that include dried fruit and nuts. Two fried eggs pair beautifully with the sweet tomato jam and yummy potatoes...there was something amazing about the potatoes as well, but I can't quite remember that detail!


The Lamb Breakfast
2 Fried Eggs, Roasted Potatoes, Tomato Jam &
Lamb Sausage wrapped in...Lamb!


A beautiful concoction of warmed blueberries, 
pastry and cream.

I don't think this is on the regular menu, but it reminds me of something my grandmother would have made - just simple, good quality ingredients. This dessert seemed like the kind of snack I'd like to have right before bed - talk about sweet dreams!

My three dining companions decided on the full breakfast. This plate is a ton of food and totally worth the price. The fact that you get a little bit of everything with this dish really evokes the 'full' in Full Breakfast.

FID Resto Full Breakfast
Bacon, Sausage, Fingerling Potatoes, Scrambled Eggs
Crumpets & Roasted Tomato



Ahhhh - this was so good!! A perfectly cooked, hard-boiled egg was enveloped in a sweet and savoury ground meat mixture, then coated with a crispy batter. You could hear the crunch as I cut through. I'd love to say that I made a dent in this, but alas, my little belly could only hold half this and some crumpet...I ended up letting my 22 year-old, rugby playing cousin have it....after he had devoured his own Full Breakfast! Where do men put this stuff?

The Scotch Egg
w/ Crumpet and Fresh Greens