2 courses are better than one at The Bicycle Thief

A few weeks ago, I met a couple friends on Friday night at one of the Bishop's Cellar  wine tastings.  From there,  we met another (new to me) friend, and spent the evening at The Bicycle Thief. It was great to spend an evening talking almost exclusively about wine with my girlfriends...but the food was also a perk to the evening!

Two-Minute Flash Friend Calamari w/ 

garlic & sundried tomato aioli ($9)

I decided on one of my favourite 'bites' as I call them; calamari.  I love these little bite-sized treats; they serve as a great start to a meal, or as the perfect snack when out for a drink.  They are also an exceptional pairing with a bit of bubbly!  The bites were (not surprisingly) delicious; very light and crisp and with the squid being cooked well.  The aioli on the side was creamy and slightly sweet; a lovely compliment.  

Tuna Tartare w/ avocado, sesame cucumber spaghetti & 

pickled ginger wasabi cream ($14)

My friend opted for the tuna tartare, which I've had before.  She asked for very little sesame oil, which was a good idea, since they tend to over-indulge in that dish and it overpowers the tuna.  

Radicchio & Savoy cabbage salad w/ warm garlic pancetta dressing, 

toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmesean ($10)

As I often do when I go out to dinner, I pair a protein-based app with a salad.  This way, I have two plates of lighter fare as opposed to a heavier main course.  And let's face it: two plates are better than one!

This was the radicchio salad.  It should be called the 'radicculous' salad because it is just that good!  Earthy, bitter greens in a warm panchetta vinaigrette with crunchy pine nuts and salty Parmesean cheese?  I was in love; I finished every last bite.  My friend also had the Rucola, hazlenut-crusted goat cheese and papaya salad with a wildflower honey vinaigrette ($10), but I wasn't quick enough to grab a shot.  

I was pretty full by the time we left the BT - on treats that I would definitely order again. I had 2 completely different, filling plates at under $10 each, with the salad being one of the more inventive ones I have tried in Halifax. 

'Eat Your Heart Out' Halifax!

I want to write about a great event coming up, here in Halifax on Tuesday, April 24th.  Save room for dinner that night, because over ten restos in Halifax will be participating in 'Eat Your Heart Out', a fundraiser in support of the Maritime Heart Centre. 

The inaugural ‘Eat Your Heart Out, Halifax’ event is a unique approach to fundraising that celebrates the HRM food scene while raising critical funds for heart disease care and prevention in the Maritimes.

‘Eat Your Heart Out’ is a novel concept; on Tuesday April 24th 2012, participating restaurants will donate 15% of their food sales for the evening to the Maritime Heart Center. This gives diners an opportunity to support the Maritime Heart Center simply by enjoying a meal at one of a number of local restaurants.

“This is a unique fundraising model that holds great benefit for everyone involved” says John Britton, Executive Director for the Maritime Heart Center. “We hope to make this an annual fundraising event that removes the need for expensive tickets and dressing up. We want Haligonians to go out en-masse on this one night and have dinner with friends and family at one of our numerous participating establishments. This means raising money for heart disease is as easy as raising your fork”.

In addition to raising money, the event also celebrates HRM’s incredible restaurant industry. “Halifax has such a vibrant food scene” says Nancy Tissington of the Spring Garden Area Business Association. “This initiative showcases both our city’s innovative cuisine and social conscience. The restaurants get health-centred exposure and promotion and the Maritime Heart Center receives the proceeds, which stay right here in the Maritimes supporting heart disease care and prevention. It’s a win-win all round”.

The fundraising model is based on other wildly successful dine-out events that take place across North America, and as HRM doesn’t have a city-wide charitable dine-out fundraiser the Maritime Heart Centre is hoping to grow this event year-on-year to include more and more restaurants and, eventually, more communities across the Maritimes.

“Heart disease is Canada’s biggest killer” says Britton, “and nowhere is this more obvious than right here in the Maritimes, where 1 in 3 people will die of a heart-related condition. This is a fantastic opportunity for people to contribute to our charity simply by doing what they would normally do – enjoy a great meal at a great restaurant. When you choose to eat at any of our participating establishments on April 24th you are automatically supporting heart disease care and prevention in your community”. Early reservations are highly recommended.

‘Eat Your Heart Out’ takes place on April 24th 2012. For a full list of participating restaurants visit the Maritime Heart Centre or call 902 446 3669.

Currently, participating restos include: 
Onyx, Saege, Moda, Estia, Fid, Chives Bistro, Economy Shoe Shop, Mexico Lindo, Vinnie’s Pasta Bar, Rockbottom Brewpub & Morris East. 

A Birthday Feast at 5 Fishermen Grill

Last month, my friend celebrated his Bday so we took advantage of the specials at the Five Fishermen Grill.  For the whole month, the Grill offered a 'no corkage' option as well as a $5 lobster tail!! Who wouldn't want to make this a dinner destination with these offers on board?

I dropped off our wine earlier in the day to keep it chilled, and we arrived for dinner at 7:30 with another bottle in tow.  The staff was super-friendly and sat us in a mammoth booth for about 6 people, but we still took up the whole table with our orders.  Along with a glass of white and the irresistible bread basket, we took in a plate of the Calamari.  I've had these suckers before (and loved every lick of them - see here), but it was my friend's first time here, so it was nice to watch him discover this new, mysterious flavouring from both the Hoisin and the 5-spice on one of his favourite dishes. 

Calamari

 Flash fried, Hoisin-glazed w/ 5-spice aioli

Once our entrees came, I was already feeling almost satisfied, so the fact that I finished my entree and still had room for dessert still baffles me to this day.  My friend ordered the 10 oz. Black Angus strip steak; a huge piece of meat, and a great value at just $24.  It was beautifully cooked - better than I've tried in some steakhouses.  Grilled to a medium rare, it was served with richly seasoned mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, steamed spring vegetables and a hearty peppercorn sauce.  I don't normally go for a big steak in a resto - especially a seafood-based one, but I would certainly come back specifically for this dish, and I've recommended it to several people.

My salad was unbelievable; talk about a protein plate!! The Seafood Cobb Salad consisted of grilled shrimps and scallops a piece of hot maple smoked salmon, crumbled bacon, egg, 1/2 an avocado, corn salsa & tomatoes and a generous portion of Stilton cheese.  Believe it or not, there was lettuce at the bottom of the bowl as well.  

And if that wasn't enough of a treat, the 5Fish featured a $5 lobster tail w/ drawn butter as a special as well.  Needless to say, I got more 'Surf', while my friend had a bargain "Surf n' Turf"!  The lobster meat was succulent and tender and we finished every bite.

Since a pal of mine was the manager of 5Fish at the time, and caught wind of our Bday celebration, dessert was on the house, and we couldn't say 'no'.  A 'Field of Carrots' cake was his dessert of choice, and it was decadence to sum it up.  5 layers of moist and spicy cake was topped with a rich, but light w/ cream cheese icing and sprinkled with walnuts.  A lovely creme anglaise and caramel sauce kicked the indulgence up a notch.  It was a bit much for me, but the Bday boy sure was happy.

Two bottles of wine, some cocktails, sweet and savoury later, we closed down the resto and stepped out in to the crisp March night.  Though normally I would have called for a cab, I needed some serious movement to walk off my food baby.  The 5Fish Grill could easily be one of my favourite restos in Halifax.  Though some may think of it as a tourist trap, I think it's precisely the opposite.  Sure, tourists flock to this destination, but it offers quality like no other seafood resto on the waterfront does.  The quality is consistent, and there is a focus on local product, wine in particular.  

An impromptu dinner at Fid Resto

A month or so ago, a friend and I stopped in to Fid for am impromptu dinner.  We were actually on our way to get some sushi when we walked past Dresden Row and quickly changed our plans. It was a chilly night and the atmosphere inside was warm and inviting.  It took us a while to make our decisions (well, me really) so we put in an order in for some apps while I poured over the menu.  

My friend had the traditional French soup served with rouille and Mozzarella cheese.  It was an interesting concoction, and once I was filled in on the process, it made a bit more sense.  The fish soup consists of chicken stock and pureed fish bones and the mayonnaise-based rouille with tomato and mustard are meant to thicken it up...Not sure where the Mozzarella cheese comes in, but I do know that  it's a delicious antidote to a chilly night.

I felt pretty special that night.  The 'special' was a sushi-esque roll made with snow crab just off the boat.  But...since we arrived later in the evening, and there wasn't enough left for the 'special', I got a dish that I'd wager was even better; a snow crab salad.  This was one of the best dishes I've ever had in a Halifax resto.  The snow crab's texture and flavour was light and delicate.  Paired with a variety of ingredients that complimented it beautifully; earthy Shiitake mushrooms, and a selection of herbs used in lieu of lettuce; basil, cilantro and mint, I smiled and sighed with every bite.

The Hangar steak was fantastic - just look at it.  You have to admit that it's an impressive dish - one I wouldn't event come close to finishing, but my friend had no trouble putting it away.  The steak is marinated for 7 days to the desired tenderness, and served on a luxurious bed of garlic mashed potatoes.  A handful or two of arugula was all that was needed to finish it off.

For my entree, I (finally) decided on the halibut.  FYI, I was going back and forth b/w this dish and the scallops.  But I've had Fid's halibut before, so I knew it was a sure shot at spectacular - and it was.  With a substantial crust and sprinkled with fleur de sel, the delicate fish was flaky and succulent.  Served on a bed of crisp fingerling potatoes,  a pile of tender steamed fiddleheads added freshness.  This dish was nothing if not simple; only a few ingredients, it fact.  But it was the simplicity that made it so delicious. That's what I love about Fid; generally, it's 'no fuss'.

Though I was thoroughly satisfied, I let my friend convince me into splitting dessert.  We ordered the moelleux au chocolat; a molton lava cake dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with a lovely caramel sauce.  Incredibly indulgent, the cake was delicious.  Balanced on top was a crisp brandy snap twist; the perfect contrast to the soft, euphoric cake.

It's nights like these that make dining out so fun.  We had intended on a $30 or so meal;  pretty standard and low key.  But switching it up to make a special night out of an ordinary one will make this dinner a memory, as opposed to a forgettable experience.  With so many restos to choose from in Halifax, it's these kinds of memories that will keep me coming back to Fid.

Early dinner at The Bicycle Thief

A few days ago I got one of those texts that brings a smile to my face.  A good friend of mine who used to live in Halifax was back in town for one night only. She always seems to come on a Wednesday too; generally Onyx is our stop of choice.  This time, however, she was interested in trying something new, something “mad tasty”. Since like me, she was a big fan of Bish, I suggested that I introduce her to the Bicycle Thief.

We met at 5:30; she had a flight to catch at 8.  The early bird gets the worm, so we got a nice spot on the patio.  We chatted for 20 minutes or so before even opening our menus, but once the server came by for the 3^rd time we decided to stop being so annoying and placed an order: Propeller Bitter for her, and a Montes Alpha Chardonnay since I was planning on the corn and lobster chowder.  My friend went for the Lobster ravioli.

Her ravioli were lovely – two big pieces, stuffed full of lobster in a rich sauce.  There was also a huge lobster claw on the plate.  And, in the grand theme of lobster, my chowder was also delicious.  With a good amount of lobster meat, there were sweet corn kernels, smoked bacon and chunks of potato that absorbed the flavour of the broth.

Handmade Ravioloni stuffed w/ Lobster, mascarpone, chives, 

Parmigiano & crispy breadcrumbs

Lobster and Sweet Corn chowder w/ double smoked bacon 

I was too full for dessert, but my friend has a weakness for lemon, so she chose a slice of the lemon-meringue pie.   I can't quite remember all the details, but I'm pretty sure the crust was made with brown sugar, giving it a deeper flavour that contrasted well with the tart lemon. Ever since a piece about tea came out in a local weekly newspaper, I’ve been a bit of a coffee snob – only going for the best.  Since I was feeling coffee deprived, I ordered a cup of the Bicycle Thief’s Illy coffee and it was just what the doctor ordered, perking me up for a long night of studying French wines.

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