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. 

Nacho Action at Gatsby's

A couple weeks ago in late June, I filmed a commercial for Nova Scotia Tourism as part of the 'My Nova Scotia' campaign.   On June 17th,  I stood on the corner of Argyle Street across from Durty Nelly's,  in the same position for three hours...on 2 ft. high apple crates.  Yup, that's 180 minutes without moving my lower body - which by the end was wrapped in a tarp to keep the wind off of my tender tootsies.

When all was said and done and we wrapped shooting at 11 pm, all I could think about was a) a calf massage and b) nachos.  By the time I dragged my tired carcass to Gatsby's, I was ravenous and ready to storm the kitchen.  Thankfully, my pal took matters into his own hands and ordered a platter of nachos and a bowl of meaty chili.

That was a pretty good move if you ask me.  Two of my favorite (edible) things are melted cheese and a good bowl of chili.  In the state I was in, a pile of chili topping a cheese-coated, salty corn chip was pure heaven.  A bottle of beer made it all the more blissful.

I feel as though I'd be doing With Bite readers a disservice if I didn't say that the nachos were alright - I remember them being much better.  They have all the good stuff: loads of cheddar and mozza cheese, red and green peppers, tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos and the addition of sweet pineapple if your palate so desires.  I think I was just a tad underwhelmed because the cheese wasn't thoroughly melted.

                                            

The chili was a pretty standard ground beef chili with the usual additions. The server was thoughtful enough to divide the portion into two smaller bowls - she knew where our heads were at. :)

                                            

If this review sounds somewhat negative, it's not my intention.  Gatsby's has consistently good pub fare, but it's just that: Good.  It's not mind blowing, and it certainly isn't gourmet, but it's inexpensive, tasty fare that hits the spot just when you need it to. 

When I'm in the mood for pub food and beer, Gatsby's is pretty go-to, especially on Tuesdays when the apps are 1/2 priced.  In addition to the 'chos and chili, I've also had a tasty quesadilla and a nice bowl of mussels in a white wine-based broth.

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

Friday night feast at Morris East

This past Friday, I went to Morris East for dinner. With the restaurant's sparkling reputation, I don't know why I figured we could get a table for two at 8:30, but that's beside the point. When we arrived, the line-up was curling out the door and spilling onto the street. It's a good thing they still have their patio furniture because that's where we perched for the 10 minute wait.

Pleasantly enough, some foolish souls abandoned their place in line, and we were bumped to the front. Once inside, the smell of garlic, tomatoes and cheese hit me like a heat wave in August. We were seated at a nice two seater in the middle of the resto and proceeded to review the menu. I use the term "review" in a literal sense as I have frequently studied the menu! I had decided on the pork, peach and goat's cheese pizza, while my friend went for the spicy pepperoni.

The service at Morris East is spot on. Less than 10 minutes after we ordered, we were served two steaming pies. My pizza was phenomenal; sweet grilled peaches with salty prosciutto and creamy goat's cheese. I chose the whole wheat crust, which I dipped in the resto's signature chili oil.

I do wish that they had been a little more generous with the toppings however. After all, the combo of flavors were so delicious, I could eat that pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Actually...no, I take that back, as I'm excitedly anticipating what my friend ordered, the spicy pepperoni and banana peppers, for my next visit.

Morris East
5212 Morris Street

902.444.7663
http://www.morriseast.com/