My Birthday Dinner at Morris East

I love birthdays.  I enjoy buying presents for people and wrapping them up into beautiful parcels to present to them on their special day.  I (obviously) also relish the dining aspect of birthdays; whether it's a simple cake or an elaborate 5-course meal, I love the celebration that's involved and making the Bday boy/girl feel special.

And I love it when it's MY birthday!  I'm one of those people whose birthday falls right on the cusp of the Christmas season.  That's right - my bday falls within the 12 days of Christmas, on January 5th.  When I was younger, I always guilt-tripped my parents into a really good birthday present.  Of course, I did offer the obligatory, "thanks mom for your 9 months of incubation, labour and putting up with me during my teens", but I also got away with making my birthday last a whole week instead of just one day.

I've since met a little bird who makes her Bday last a whole month - but that's another story all together!  This broad did help me celebrate one of my birthday days, as did my colleagues, and then my boyfriend's colleagues... 4 birthday cakes/desserts in all!  Needless to say, I was birthday'd out by mid-January, so I think a week's worth of celebrating is still fine enough for me.

The best part about this Bday though, was my dinner at Morris East.  I agonized over this decision for several days prior - pouring over menus at Gio, Da Maurizio, The Bicycle Thief, CUT, etc... But when I sat back and thought about what I wanted, it was something simple; something that I don't eat very often: CARBS! I wanted to unabashedly eat them with no care for the aftermath.  So where to go in this city for a good feed of carbs?  Morris East- for some wood-fire grilled pizzas.

When we arrived at 8:30 pm on the Saturday night following my Bday, we started off with some tasty cocktails.  I had the Patsy ($11) with citadelle gin, St. Germain elderflower, rosemary syrup, lemon and sparkling wine, while Mitch had the Winter Mojito ($10.50) with amber rum, muddled limes, fresh mint, drunken cranberries and soda.  I think my drink was so delicious because it combined some of my favorite bevys all-in-one; gin, St. Germain and sparkling wine.

As we sipped, we put in some orders for appetizers to share; the Vinaigrette Caesar ($9) and the Stuffed Portobello Cap ($9).  I'd had the Caesar before and it's my favorite one in Halifax.  Made with a light, lemony vinaigrette as opposed to a heavy creamy dressing, the simple flavours really stand out here.  The portobello mushroom  cap was delicious - I had a hard time passing the plate over.  The tender mushroom was topped with creamy melted bocconcini cheese, a smokey roasted tomato and an inventive pesto.

Vinaigrette Caesar   

Caesar w/ smoked bacon, sourdough croutons & preserved lemon

Stuffed Portobello Cap

w/ wood-fired Portobello mushroom, bocconcini cheese, 

artichoke cashew pesto, slow cooked tomato & herbs

With the appetizers cleared away, there was just a minute's wait before our pizzas arrived.  They were huge - divvied up into 6 slices each.  I knew what I wanted days before; the mushroom pizza ($16) with 3 different mushrooms and truffle oil.  Mitch ordered the Off The Bone ($18) with 3 kinds of meat and house smoked cheddar.  The pizza crusts were soft and irresistible.  Once the toppings were gone, I drizzled the crust in Morris East's chili oil and enjoyed every last crumb.  We swapped several slices before packing up a couple to go.  

Off The Bone

braised pork, Oulton's Farm sausage, sopressata, 
house smoked cheddar, Propeller Bitter Tomato Sauce

Mushroom

portobello, button & oyster mushroom, garlic, 

Parmesean, microgreens & truffle oil

I would have been happy finishing the meal with coffee, but Mitch likes to go all out on special occasions, so we ordered two specialty coffees with a macadamia nut liqueur and asked them to surprise us for dessert.  They chose the rich chocolate torte, and it certainly was rich.  The plate was drizzled in freshly sqeezed OJ and dusted with cocoa, then topped with a slice of chocolate-dipped cake.  That was the best part - the hard chocolate shell on the outside that cracked beneath my fork.

Rich Chocolate Torte

citrus caramel, canilla bean chantilly

And then I made a wish - but that's a secret!

We had a great night out at Morris East and the food was fantastic.  And while we did feel that some items were a little steeply priced, the meal was a good value overall.  We also brought our own wine - a pinot noir to go with my mushroom pizza - and the corkage fee was just $15. 

Satisfying standard fare at Trapeze

I love a good burger, like love.  The unfortunate thing is that: though you often expect this standard fare to be good, sometimes it's unpalatable; you have a dry patty or a bun that tastes like sawdust.  And then, there's the burger at Trapeze restaurant at the Casino, which is none of these things.  

I went with a large group a couple months back, eight of us in fact, and the food and the service was great.  We started the night with a bunch of appetizers: bruschetta, nachos and calamari that were all pretty good, though I only had a bite of each because I was saving room for the burger.  The apps were gone in an instant.

For my meal, I ordered the Mozzarella and mushroom burger with a side spinach salad.  I love the spinach salad at Trapeze, and I've had a large one several times since.  With a generous helping of spinach, it's dressed with marinated butternut squash, carrot ribbons, red pepper strips and a tangy goat cheese - I usually get the cilantro ginger vinaigrette on the side.

                              

Anyway, on to the burger.  As I said above, it was delicious; the juicy patty was topped with a generous portion of melty cheese and succulent fried mushrooms.  Add to that, the usual fare of lettuce, tomato, onion and a pickle spear, the burger was filling and satisfying.  

                             

This was a tasty meal indeed.  We finished the night off by sharing some awesome desserts: chocolate cake and a yummy blueberry-based one too. I only had a couple bites of those as well; I was full, but I had to try them...for research purposes, of course! ;)

A few bites at The Bycicle Thief

My first visit to The Bycicle Theif was within the first two weeks of it being open.  We were so excited.  I met my good friend at about 8 pm and the place was blocked.  We had a reservation, but the table wasn't quite ready so we sat at the bar and sipped our cocktails while we waited for our spot to open up.

And what better thing to do while you wait than to sip a cocktail?  My first bevy was a Rosemary Pink Diamond Fizz; a combo of some of my favorite ingredients.  I love a good herb-y drink and this one had flavour in spades. With Hendrick's Gin, grapefruit juice and rosemary as a base, the drink was topped off with Prosecco for a bit of bite and fizz.

There was a bit of a trend with our dinners; we both ordered two first plates:  a seafood appetizer and a salad.  My friend ordered the tuna tartare to start.  A mix of tuna, avocado, cucumber spaghetti and wasabi cream.  It was a lovely dish and the flavours came together nicely; soft, succulent tuna, piquant wasabi, cool and crunchy cucumber and creamy avocado provided great texture contrast.

I went with the crab salad; delicate crab meat with a decadent cream sauce served with dressed greens, two shrimp and a lobster claw.  It was a bit of an odd experience as it took the kitchen a couple tries to produce a good shrimp - the first two were tough and leathery, but once they served them warm and freshly poached, they were delicious.

My friend is one of those odd peopl who love bitter greens and who can never resist a radicchio salad.  This one was radicchio and rucola greens, dressed in a warm garlic pancetta dressing, and tossed with toasted pinenuts and shards of salty, nutty parmigiano. It certainly changed my opinion of a radicchio salad, and might enourage me to try one in the future!

My salad though, was absolutely incredible - and it wasn't even as though the ingredients were gourmet.  They were simple and fresh, but each flavour complimented one another perfectly: peppery Arugula, rich, toasted hazlenut, tangy goat cheese and sweet, tender fig.

Although I was a little miffed about having to send my shrimp dish back, twice, I did really enjoy my meal.  There are some incredible cocktails on The BT's list, and an enomatic machine which offers fresh wines by the glass.  I'm looking forward to another night out at the BT soon, so that I can try an entree...and maybe a little dessert! :0

Quick fix at Il Mercato

A few weeks ago, well....maybe months, we dropped in to Il Mercato pre-movie for a quick meal.  This was pre-reno, so I'd love to stop in again to check out the new digs! 

Since movie-theatre popcorn was in my imminent future, I decided to go for a lighter meal, in the form of a tomato-based herb-y soup filled with mussels, shrimp and scallops.  The soup - at a mere $9 - ccombined with a piece of toasted baguette and a glass of white wine, ended up to be the perfect snack and a nice alternative to a heavier pasta/pizza.

  

Italian Seafood Zuppa

My friend had the fettuccine dish below; a rich, cheesy sauce and nice salty prosciutto with a pile of perfectly cooked pasta.  Though he really enjoyed the dish, it was a touch too salty for me, what with the Parm and prosciutto being salty already.



Fettuccine, Prosciutto di San Daniele, sweet peas

cream & Parmesean

I'd love to say that we had a good time here, but we left less than enthused.  Though several waitstaff begrudgingly made contact with our table, our server's attitude was less that hospitable.  It's unfortunate that we went out for a nice meal, and felt as though our server resented us for sitting in her section, or...god forbid, asking a question about the menu!

Snacks, Apps and Entrees at Estia

I've eaten a fair amount at Estia on Spring Garden Road in the last couple of months. As opposed to doing individual blog posts, I thought I'd combine the meals to provide a good snapshot of the offerings on the appetizer, entree and dessert menu.

Estia is located in the same spot as the ill-fated Sebastien's restaurant, and the space of the former Deco Restaurant. When I first saw its Aegean blue awning, I thought: "Oh great, another Greek spot in Hali." Little did I know that I'd soon refer to Estia as "The best Greek spot in Hali."

Estia is truly one of those restos that, upon walking through the door, makes your mouth water. The aroma of freshly baked bread is the first scent to meet you. This seasoned caraway bread comes to the table with a zesty lemon-oregano dipping oil to take the edge off your hunger. Now I'm the type of person who generally considers the bread basket as filler, however, I would go to Estia simply for a glass of wine and a bread basket - Yeah, it's that good.

Some of my favorite apps include the Saganaki; melted oeey gooey cheese flambeed with brandy, ans served with THE bread. Another favourite is the crispy calamari, served with the richest, creamiest tzaziki I've ever encountered. Lastly, is the Greek Nachos - a fantastic idea and a dish that lives up to its name. Deep fried pita chips are layered with black olives, green onions, tomato and topped with Mozzarella, Romano and Feta cheese. With cheese that stretches as you pull the thick, hearty chips apart, this dish should launch an all new category of 'Best nachos in Hali'.

Saganaki

Pan-fried kefalogravieria cheese flambeed / Metaxa Brandy

Calamari

served w/ tzaziki

Greek Nachos

Deep-Fried Pita Chips sprinkled w/ Mozzarella, Romano & Feta Cheese

topped w/ green onion, tomato & black olives

served w/ creamy tzaziki

The Greek platter is great for 3-4 people wanting to try a bit of everything. With all the Greek

specialties, the platter provides a taste of the traditional Greek dishes. My personal favorite is

the stuffed tomato.

Greek Platter for 2

Moussaka, pastitsio, stuffed pepper & tomato, chicken & pork skewer.

Served with lemon roasted potatoes, rice & tzatziki

Estia also does a great breakfast/brunch. I only wish I hadn't been so hungry so as to devour my Aegean omelet before taking a photo. However, lunch provides a good mix of options as well. My BF always seems to go for a sandwich/soup combination, so I've pretty much tried them all; Smoked Applewood Cheddar Panini with Pineapple Chutney or the succulent Lamb Burger with Tzaziki and Feta. He tends to pair these with soup; the traditional Avoglemono egg-based soup or the Tomato soup with Lamb and Orzo pasta. The panini below is so tasty, it could almost do without the chicken for a killer vegetarian sammy...again, with the melted cheese...

Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini

Charbroiled Chicken Breast, Roasted Red Peppers,

Melted Provolone and Basil Pesto

And, when you're jonesin' for something light, the Greek salad always fits the bill. A meal in itself, a small salad and one of the tasty soups is a fantastic pairing.

Greek Salad

Romaine, Feta Cheese, Kalamata Olives,

Red & Green Peppers and Tomatoes

I'm not normally one who goes for dessert in restos. A big piece of cake may appeal to some, however, I'd rather use that extra stomach space for savoury items. However, when I dine at Estia, it's tricky to resist the homemade Ekmek. Somehow, this desert contains all the elements of richness; whipped cream, vanilla custard and honey-drenched phyllo, but still appears light on the palate. Sneaky...

Ekmek

Shredded phyllo, honey-syrup, vanilla custard &

whipped cream topped with pistachios and almonds

Treats from Two If By Sea

A little while ago, my boss celebrated her birthday. If you follow me on Twitter, you might see my tweets describing staff birthday celebrations; Nacho Nacho Day, potato chip buffets, sundae bars, ice cream cakes, etc... If you haven't yet picked up on it, birthdays are a BIG deal in our office.

Anyhow, for this birthday, the bday girl was quite interested in trying out Two if By Sea, a bakery in Dartmouth that she had heard much about. Well, she had no idea what was in store for her! Some of us are well acquainted with this much-loved bakery's gigantor-sized buttery baked goods, but to have an assortment such as this enter our office space was slightly overwhelming!

To say that there were a few 'split-sy's' is an understatement. Generally though, I prefer to relish TIBS baked goods that way; I get one treat, my friend gets another and we trade halves! The process sorta worked in the office as well as we set out a big knife so the staff could slice and dice their way to flaky pastry heaven!

The spread for the whole office....

(aka, a million lbs. of butter)

Pain au Chocolat

(Chocolate Croissant)

OMG- I've been seduced by a baked good! Well, not really...but almost! A lovely balance of soft pastry and luscious chocolate makes this the ultimate treat (and likely the most sought after) at TIBS!

Almond Croissant

As much as I love a good pain au chocolat, I often find that they overshadow the sweet, light, heavenly goodness of the almond croissant. I tend to lean to this side of the croissant choice. Although I love chocolate, there's just something about this croissant's understated simplicity that draws me in.

The best Chocolate Chip Cookies ever!

Sigh...I wish I could get a hold of this cookie dough! I know I'm not alone either! These yummy cookies are the best in town; dense, chewy and with just the right amount of chocolate chips. They pass the bake test too, as the next day (clearly there were leftovers) they are just as good - not having submitted to the hockey puck consistency as so many other cookies often do.

The best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies ever!

I'm not normally a huge fan of oatmeal raisin, but these babies have the perfect balance of oatmeal, raisin, cinnamon and butter, making them rich, chewy and spicy-sweet!

A Happy Hour Feast at Morris East

A friend of mine was in town a little while ago and we managed to consume quite a bit of food! We went to Trader's Bar for their $5 unlimited mussel deal, Ryan Duffy's for an incredible steak dinner, and ended the weekend at Morris East.

Morris East is what I would consider a traditional 'neighbourhood' resto. It's small and lively, has amazing food and is often packed - a great sign! My friend and I stopped in at 5 to take advantage of the 5-6 Happy Hour when wine is just $4. Though ME is famous for their wood-fire grilled pizzas, we were both in the mood for lighter fare. We decided to split an appy and go for one of the restos intriguing salads.

We split the Beef short rib to start; a hunk of supple meat atop a pillowy potato cannelloni and tender greens.

Beef Short Rib with Potato Cannelloni and Microgreens

My friend ordered the Roast Chicken and Pastina salad for her main - an unusual combo, but one that had both a delightful flavor and texture contrast. The pastina grains were light, almost rice-like, and rolled around on your tongue. Along with the smokey chicken and earthy portobello mushrooms, the mild 1608 cheese added yet another meaty element.

Roast Chicken & Pastina Salad w/ Portobello Mushroom, Leek

and Prosciutto-wrapped '1608' Cheese

Though I'm not normally one to order a Cesar salad, I had a feeling that Morris East would do it justice. My gut didn't disappoint. With a vinaigrette dressing as opposed to the traditional cloying cream-based one, this salad had lots going on while still maintaining its freshness. Sweet preserved lemon and thick-cut smoked bacon accented the crisp Romaine and salty Parm.

Vinaigrette Caesar Salad w/ Smoked Bacon, Croutons & Preserved Lemon

Though both of us were decidedly full, we couldn't resist the S'more. Toasted in the wood-fired oven, ME's house made marshmallow had a crisp crust and a gooey interior-mmm. A graham cracker was sandwiched between this and a pool of thick chocolate ganache. MMM! I do love me a good S'more!

Wood-fired S'more

House made marshmallow toasted in the wood-fired oven

w/ chocolate ganache and graham cracker