A carnivore's dream at The Lane

After a very long work week, my housemate and I headed over to Sydney's swanky bar Establishment for some post-work drinks.  This is a beautiful space,  decked out with a creamy marble bar and matching colonial-type columns.   The drink menu is surprisingly affordable - I would even venture to say that I was disappointed by the quality of their wine list.  That being said, I was happy to indulge in a couple glasses of $8 Merivale-branded house bubbly, while my pal had (our) usual; a gin & tonic.  Merivale is the parent company of a slew of bars/restos in Sydney, including Establishment's adjacent fine dining resto; Est.

After a few glasses, my housemate and I headed over to The Lane in the CBD for a quick snack before heading out for...some more drinks.  Since we were both pretty new to the city's dining scene - and ravenous at this point - we ended up just walking around the corner and took a seat at the first spot whose menu was appetizing and still had a bit of life to it. Some spots in the CBD empty out at 7-8ish...

The Lane

Once seated at The Lane, we got a couple glasses of vino and put in an order for some snacks.  I'm not a huge meat eater anymore, tending to usually go for seafood option, but K and I compromised and ordered the Meat Plate - a selection of four cured meats, and the QLD King Prawns.

Meat Plate ($19.50)

The meat plate was pretty self explanatory; a plate of meat.  The selections were tasty though; San Daniele Prosciutto, Sopressata, Capacolla and Genoa Salami.  Don't get me wrong, I love a nice slice of salty, spicy Sopressata, but it was an enormous amount of salt, and I was guzzleling water for days afterward.  Well, to be honest, I guzzled a couple beers immediately afterward to quench my thirst.  The bread was super-nice though; uber soft, with a slight char on the outside.

QLD King Prawns ($16.9)

 BBQ-grilled w/ lemon and garlic butter, served w/ aioli

 

The King Prawns (I've been criticized by Aussies for calling them shrimp) were fantastic; a little messy, but well worth it.  The tender meat paired nicely with the garlicky aioli, and was further enhanced by the spicy dressed rocket garnish.  Also, they grilled their lemon wedge -  I love that.  Brooklyn Warehouse in Halifax does that.

Anywho, filled to the brim, my protein cup overflowed as we left The Lane and headed back down into the CBD towards our hood.  I'm happy that I spied this place, it's a nice spot to go for a pre-drink snack, and was still pretty hoppin' when we left at 10 pm.

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! ;)

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

Bday Bites at The Bitter End

On the eve of my sister's  ?  th birthday, as she was visiting from Manhattan, we went for celebratory snacks and drinks at the Bitter End Martini Bar. We wanted to eat a busy place, and were mostly interested in the booze, so I quickly found a spot for two at the bar and we set to work on our vodka martinis with a side of jelly worms. 


As we were heading out for a night on the town, we wanted to some smaller plates to take the edge off of our noisy stomachs. We settled on two snacks from both end of the taste spectrum; a light salad, and an obscene amount of ooey-gooey baked cheese.  The Pear salad was served with mixed greens, red onion, walnuts, Bartlett pear and smoked Applewood cheddar with honey dijon vinagrette.  I'm not normally a fan of dressings, and usually get them on the side, so I was bummed when the salad arrive - dressing on - ad I realized that I had forgotten to make the request.  No matter though, as the dressing was sweet and tangy and complimented the other items in the dish nicely.  I'm always a fan of Applewood Cheddar, and it's nutty bit was a lovely contrast to the fresh, juicy pear.

Pear Salad

How can you go wrong with Saganaki really?  Kasseri cheese sauteed in olive oil and black pepper and flambeed with Sambuca and Brandy is my idea of a good time.  Though certainly not for someone watching their waistlines/blood pressure/cholesterol and all that, it's a tasty, salty bite that pairs particularly well with a bit of bubbly, which the bartender had just popped open once the cheese arrived.

Saganaki 

This was a nice little snack for two, and with all that cheese, we filled up quickly!  From there, a couple of our cousins joined us, we had a few more drinks and then made our way to Obladee for some more wine to finish off the night. Though given the option, I'd likely pick Manhattan to celebrate my bday, I think we did a pretty good job to show that New York City gal some fun on her Bday in Halifax!

Day of Excess at aMano & Red Stag

What began as an innocent trip to grab some brunch, suddenly became a day of excess. While a friend and I decided to go to brunch and visit another friend and server at Ristorante aMano, we arrived just as said server was finishing her shift. Instead of dining without her, we decided to wait around and go somewhere where the three of us could eat instead. So...what does one do to kill time while hanging out at aMano on a blisteringly hot day? Have a gelato breakfast! Since I was having an enormous amount of trouble making up my mind (story of my life), I decided on two distinctly different flavours; a cool, refreshing mint and a rich, almost chewy-like peanut butter-chocolate. As we licked our spoons clean, we agreed that it was one of my more genius ideas lately! :)

Gelato

When we finally moved on for some "real food", it was around the corner for a quick burger at the Red Stag Tavern, located in the Keith's Brewery Market. We managed to get a seat on the patio and proceeded to laze in the sun as we awaited our meals. Still feeling like I could devour a full cow myself, I ordered a huge (for me) Admiral's Burger; a charbroiled sirloin patty topped with bacon, cheddar and a garlic-horseradish aioli. God, I love a good burger! The patty was think and juicy, and the salty bacon and greasy cheese did it even more justice. The potato wedges on the side were pretty good too - I always prefer a wedge to fries. Though they were unseasoned, I did enjoy them dipped in my side of chipotle mayo.

Admiral's Burger

On a side note, I didn't grab a photo of this one, but I recently had a lunch meeting at the Rd Stag and was pleasantly surprised with the tasty dish set before me. I ordered a bowl of the Steak & Pale Ale Chili and was shocked at how quickly it filled me up. With a tomato and Keith's IPA base, this chili was created with chunks of steak as opposed to the usual ground beef...real meat...mmm!

Beat the Heat with Stutz Hard Cider

I'm sitting on my balcony this Wednesday evening being thankful for several things; thankful that I'm not moving today (Sept. 1st), thankful that there is a slight breeze way up here on the 4th floor; thankful that I'm not the crazy jogger who just ran by; and thankful that I have a refreshing bevy in hand.

You see...it's currently 40 degrees...for real! I've lived in NS for 5 summers now, and never have I experienced this kind of heat. I'm not really complaining either....except that there is only 1/2 of my bottled beverage left, which means that I'll have to go to the store - at this point, there's no way my life can go on without this icey-cold treat in my hand.

The icey-cold treat in question? It's Stutz Cider, what else? There's only one word for Stutz; delicious, no two; refreshing, wait three; crisp....well you get the idea. Stutz Cider was developed in 2002 and has been amassing a devout following ever since. It hails from the Stutz family in just outside Wolfville at Grand Pre Vineyards. Sure, I could easily drink a Strongbow cider, but why would I want to when Nova Scotia offers a delicious equivalent?

Seriously, this is a drink that not only tastes great, it makes you feel great for supporting a local business. And talk about feeling great? As the ad indicates, when you drink Stutz, you've got serious Sex Appeel!

Wednesday Night at ONYX-The best deal in town!

I've been noticing a pattern about the places that I go for dinner...I LOVE to try new restos, don't get me wrong, but there are certain ones here in Halifax that have that...something. Though I've eaten there countless times before, I have dinner plans on Tuesday at the Brooklyn Warehouse, a place I've been often, but keep coming back to for great food, service and atmosphere. Another spot, and this Wednesday's dinner plans, is ONYX on Spring Garden Road; another resto where service is fantastic and the food is impeccable, it's a 'go-to' spot where I know I won't be disappointed.

The obvious allure of Wednesday at ONYX is the 1/2 price Bar Bites menu, and the lack of corkage fee. That's right, BYOB, and no charge for the service. A deal that is, hands down, the best one in Halifax. A couple weeks ago, some friends (in wine sales) and I had a lovely evening with a nice variety of wines at ONYX, supplemented with some tasty treats.

The boys had steaks, and some oysters were shared, but I went for my absolute fave- the duck Spring Rolls; crispy wrapper enveloping rich, tender meat, accompanied by a tangy dipping sauce. I also went for one of my favorite deep-fired treats, onion rings. I don't know what kind of magnetism onion rings have that always draws me to order them in a fine dining resto, but I simply can't resist them. Case end point: Bish, Ryan Duffy's and my upcoming post on CUT Steakhouse. However, I'm pretty sure that ONYX wins for my fave O-rings in Hali!

Duck Spring Rolls

one of my Top 10 Memorable Morsels of 2009

Onion Rings

Nova Scotia's 3rd Annual Seaport Beerfest!

Hey Brewnosers! Here's another local event to keep in mind...

The 3rd Annual Seaport Beerfest!

On August 8, the section of port between the Garrison Brewery and the new Nova Scotia College of Art & Design will be lined with tents and filled with beer!

The Beerfest festival has both an afternoon, 2-5pm and evening session, 7-10pm. Keith Andrews will entertain the crowd in the afternoon, while Old wagon Whiskey will get the party going in the evening. Tickets are $35/person Advance, $40/person at the Door, + HST, and are available at select NSLC stores, Garrison Brewery and Bishop's Cellar.

This year's Beerfest will showcase 65 breweries and ciders with 140+ brews from Canada and abroad. Participating Nova Scotian breweries include: Granite Brewery, Garrison Brewing, Propeller Brewery, Rudders Brewpub, Sea Level Brewery,Rockbottom Brewery, Tideview Cider, Stutz Cider and Keith's Family of Fine Beers.

There will also be tasty food samples to pair with your brew, including offerings from Scanway Catering, The Port Pub, and Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop!

Check out the Seaport Beerfest's website for more info!

A Better Night at the Bitter End

Last Friday I did the usual; went to work, ran errands and stopped by the liquor store for some weekend libations. I was in the middle of crafting plans for the weekend when my phone went dead - and my lights, and my stereo, and virtually every appliance in my apt. For some unexplained reason, myself and up to 10,000 other South End Haligonians lost their power. Hmph!

What to do when the power goes out on a Friday night? Well, I DID have some writing to do, so I lit some candles and vowed to work until my computer died. Still not knowing what the night had in store, I was filled with delight when, as my comp's battery lost it's last bit of juice, my friend Jazmine called with her perky 'tude and asked what my plans were.

We decided to meet at the Bitter End for some drinks and much needed catch-up. I like the Bitter End, always have, but in my quest for new watering holes, I haven't been in a while. We ended up there at a relatively early 9 pm, and it seemed as though many powerless South enders had the same idea. We proceeded to hop up on some bar stools and browse the drink and food menus.

Being the die-hard vodka martini lover that I am, I chose my usual. I'm not a huge fan of the syrupy, juicy cocktails, nor am I oft to go for a creamy based one. My bevy of choice is a Grey Goose martini, straight up, lots of olives- the big ones. I can attribute my love of these salty bites back to my childhood. At Christmastime, there was always a bottle of olives in my stocking - adding to the comforting Christmas memories of clementines and peppermint. When I was sick, my other used to remove the pimento, stuff in my Penicillin pill, and I would chew up the revolting combo of chalky pill and chewy pulp. Ugh, how THAT memory makes me shudder!

Sitting at the bar certainly has it's advantages; quick service, good gossip, and a view of all the goings on. However, sitting there made me realize why I love this place as I quickly noticed jelly worms in the bar tray, a childhood - who am I kidding, a current favorite of mine. When I asked the bartender in my sweetest voice and biggest smile whether I could have a couple, he presented me with this!


I was into martini number 2, and olive number 11 when Jaz suggested that we get a little bite. Having been unable to make anything in my electric-less apartment, I was quick to concede to her choice of calamari with a roasted red pepper dipping sauce. I love calamari, but I find that it's touch and go with some places. My uncle actually refers to this bar staple as "deep fried rubber bands", a descriptive that makes me smile every time I see them on a menu.

The Bitter End's rendition, however, did not disappoint. The calamari itself was tender, and cooked just so to have an al dente consistency. The batter was light and served to complement the sweet flesh. The dipping sauce of choice was slightly chunky and with a touch of heat - I always love the sweet meets heat combo.


At night's end, we stumbled out into the cold, dark street. However, when I arrived home, I was met my the comforting hum of my refrigerator and the confirmation that my power had been resotred. It may have been cold outside, but in, it was home sweet home.

Fizz- A bit of bubbly never went astray

Friends of mine were in town recently for a quick stopover from Thailand to Newfoundland. They had just gotten back from a 2 1/2 month tour of China, India and Egypt, ect... Leaving it up to them to pick the place for drinks and munchies, I figured that they'd choose a spot with cuisine to which they'd become accustomed; Mediterranean, Asian, again-ect.... Instead, they chose a place that I'd mentioned as having piqued my curiosity. So after work on Wednesday, we didn't just go for drinks, we went for fizz- Fizz Champagne Bar, that is.

I started with a glass of Processo, Italy's signature sparkling wine, then move on to a champagne cocktail; a Kir Royale. This was a treat as the crisp champagne bubbled on my tongue, while the sweet Cassis, a blackberry liqueur added a touch of sweetness to balance the acidity.

For a snack, we shared the Cheese fondue for 4, a bargain at $24.99, consisting of the traditional Gruyere and Emmenthal cheese mix, with some interesting dippers such as brioche, red grapes, purple carrots and golden beets.

Housed in the former location of the short-lived Bondi on the corner of Argyle and Blowers streets, Fizz is Halifax's first champagne bar. I have to admit, that it is quite an indulgence to sip champagne so freely, but I think that therein lies Fizz' appeal.

The evening's festivities were a touch bittersweet, however, as I looked around the table and realized that, realistically, we may never be the same foursome again. Yet, even with a minor tear in my eye and a definite buzz on, sharing champagne and good food helped to take the bitter out of the sweet.

Fizz
Argyle Street

VERY limited contact info here people...I'll have to investigate further...