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. 

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

Mamma Mano! Decadent dishes at Ristorante A Mano!

A couple weeks ago, some friends and I went for a much anticipated meal at Restaurante A Mano. I had been to this spot during its first year, and had made many attempts to go since, but it never quite worked out.

On my first experience, I had rich risotto balls in a smokey tomato sauce and an equally indulgent pizza of tomato, brie and pecans. These sinful toppings, served on a crispy homemade crust, were my idea of heaven…That was until I tried A Mano’s fluffy, cloud-like pillows of gnocchi.

My friends and I started the evening by sharing an order of calamari. Tossed in a light, crisp batter, these were devoured just as quickly as a bowl of popcorn. The garlic aioli on the side was just slightly sweet and so good that we asked for another helping.

One of my friends decided on a pizza after my own heart. A fellow olive-lover, she created her own pizza with kalamata olives, spicy pepperoni and mushrooms. In one bite, there was an explosion of flavor: salty, spicy, earthy, and ooey-gooey - that's the cheese! These flavours came together to create the perfect pizza bite. I filed that order in the back of my brain for the next visit – then, it’s ‘zaa' all the way.

Meanwhile, my other friend ordered the lamb pasta. A simple but rich dish of lamb-filled pasta, topped with a sage-brown butter sauce. This dish was fantastic, as I knew it would be. The tender meat enclosed within the al dente pasta was lovely. My only complaint here was that the entrée portion, though rich, looked and filled like an appy moreso than a main. Now, I’m all about not over-indulging in pasta, and I do believe in “less is more”, however, I did think the serving was a bit stingy... Just sayin’!

I on the other hand, went with the gnocchi. Our group had the very good fortune of counting our server among the best of friends who counselled me several weeks before, that "You have to try the gnocchi”. Armed with that passion in mind, I decided on the basic peparation of the dish, trusting the resto to provide the best in simplicity. My gnocchi was served in a light tomato sauce, with a generous dollop of creamy ricotta cheese and a mound of spicy arugula.

Oddly enough, for a group of people who don’t tend to go the way of the sweet tooth after a filling savory meal, we decided to split dessert between the three of us. Again, on the urging of our server, we decided on the Nutella crepes topped with vanilla gelato, chocolate sauce and chocolate covered nuts. A great sharing dessert, there was plenty for three people. And to top it all off, a foamy cappuccino was the perfect ending to our Italian outing.

Last New Year's Eve at Bish

Well, the new year has begun, and at Bish World Cuisine on the Halifax Waterfront, 2011 started with a big party. A farewell party, that is, as New Year's Eve marked Bish's last night of operation. I was fortunate enough to be on the ball when making New Year's Eve plans this year, and made a reservation at the beginning of November. I'll never forget NYE in Newfoundland, trying to get in to the city's best resto the day of. I succeeded, but it taught me the valuable lesson to plan ahead.

Well, this year was a different story. What a night, and what a party! By the time we arrived at 8:30 pm, the party was well past being in full swing. There wasn't a seat to be had, and I practically danced my way to my table to the beat of MJ's Billie Jean. Along with the great tunes - we also heard Destiny's Child and Pink to name a few - the buzz in the air was akin to the bubbles in champagne, as everyone knew that this was a special night; one not soon to be forgotten. The servers scurried around, not looking stressed, but with smiles on their faces as though they might actually be enjoying themselves...Imagine that!

As we had already indulged in the drink beforehand, and were planning on more after dinner, we split a btl. of the Nautilus Sauvingnon Blanc; a crisp, zesty white with tons of citrus. The wine's acidity was the perfect level to cut through the richness of our appetizers, yet also balance the hearty seafood entrees. Though not the best pairing to a steak (!), I'm fortunate enough that my dining companion is always willing to indulge me in whatever wine I'd prefer. ;)

Panko-Crusted Scallops in a

Cognac-Curry Cream Sauce

I thought that my appetizer was a bad omen as to how the night's dinner would play out. Thank goodness that I was dead wrong! I wanted to love this dish, and I was almost there, but the disappointing size of the scallops was less than thrilling and left much to be desired.

Panko-crusted, the scallops' flesh was tender. However, as the server had prepared me for "big scallops", I was immediately unimpressed. Thanks to Bish's variety bread basket with raisin, baguette and cornbread, I had several mechanisms to mop up (yeah, that's right - I mopped up sauce in a fine dining establishment) the sweet curry sauce.

Spinach Tortellini in a Marscapone Cream Sauce

w/ Prosciutto

Gotta admit, I had food envy for this one. Gorgeous, plump spinach-filled tortellinni were filled with a mix of cheese and spinach, and tossed in a slightly sweet and rich Marscapone cream sauce, accented by strips of salty prosciutto.

Herb-Crusted Sea Bass w/ Chorizo Ratatouille

A savoury tomato broth-based ratatouille of peppers and zucchini, embellished by chunks of spicy chorizo sausage was a beautiful, rustic bed for the hearty bass. The meaty fish's flavour was lightened when coated with a refreshing herb crust.

Filet Mignon, Mashed Potato & Red Wine Demi-Glaze

w/ 1/2 Lobster

This was a beautiful steak, cooked medium...and I prefer my steak rare! I even managed to get a few bites of the succulent lobster with the buttery crust. Although I have always thought of mashed potatoes as a waste of stomach space - I like my potatoes of the fried variety - Bish's were smooth, rich and creamy. When mixed with the decadent demi-glace, I reconsidered my aversion to the traditional side-dish.

Bish Peanut Brittle Sundae

For dessert, we chose the Bish Peanut Brittle Sundae; where a lovely combo of traditional sundae ingredients, vanilla ice cream and yummy fudge, was made gourmet by the addition of luscious chocolate mousse and sweet, yet salty house-made peanut brittle. A couple bites, and our sweet tooths were sated...or so I thought!

Specialty Coffee

After deciding "let's just stay here until midnight and keep drinking", we ordered some specialty coffees to perk us up. It's not very often that I indulge in a specialty coffee, but when it's an 'all out night', I see no need for restraint! The espresso certainly did its job as well.

Well, as we say farewell to Bish, renovations for the Bicycle Thief are well underway. The space has already been gutted, renovations are taking place and the new space is set to open on February 21st. Talk about a turn around!

I was saddened to hear of the loss of Bish for Halifax's dining scene. It was one of the few restaurants where I could count on being blown away just by the combo of simple, quality ingredients. There was no showing off in this restaurant, but the food always managed to make me emit some kind of delighted squeak when placed before me.

I have high hopes for the Bicycle Thief, and with Stephanie and Maurizio Bertossi's prior successes, I have no doubt that the Bicycle Thief will be the place to be in Halifax in 2011, and beyond!

Happy New Year! All the best for 2011!

Halifax's NEW Seaport Farmer's Market!

Well...it's been a long time since I was invited to tag along on the Investor's tour for the new Seaport Market back in May. Haligonians have waited with baited breath to see what's in store for our Saturday morning market trip, and I am one of them. On the eve of the new Seaport Farmer's Market, I like many others, am filled with both anticipation and excitement as to the delights that this new facility will hold. Open seven days a week, with full market days on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday, convenience will certainly be one of its charms.

Windows facing the Port of Halifax

The building is phenomenal and the initiatives, incredible. The new market was constructed using recycled and reused materials and sustainable wood and makes use of geo-thermal, wind, and solar techniques to heat, cool and power the buiding. Water conservation menthods were also included in order to feed the market's rooftop gardens.

Wind turbines, view from the roof

A view of the interior in May, 2010

A new bus route is in the works, bicycle racks will be provided and 400 parking spaces have been created. The building will provide amphitheatre space for performances and concerts, a 100-person seating area and a green room where compostable material will be decomposed by worms! Word on the street is that the resulting soil will be used in the rooftop garden and will- my favorite part - be tended by school children! Top notch!

Frame of the mezzanine - the seating/eating area

A 'view from the top' - the rooftop garden, that is...

...and facing the Port...

Along with a covered area to house market stalls in the summer, there are four retail spaces that will run 7 days a week, year round. Market favorites such as Mike's Fish Shop, Fox Hill Cheese House and Big Life Whole Foods will have a presence every day to provide succulent smoked salmon, creamy Havarti and freshly baked baguette. Produce farmers will also come together throughout the week to offer shoppers seasonal produce on a daily basis.

Corridor from the outdoor vendor area to the heart of the market

So there you have it - the general ins and outs of the new Seaport Farmer's Market. Of course, there's plenty more where that came from, and the people involved - arhitect firm Lydon Lynch and the Seaport Farmer's Market Investment group, will be excited to discuss the building's green aspects, and the market's economic benefits. Altogether, the SFM tour unveiled some fascinating stuff that left my jaw dropping on every turn.

But the main question on people's minds, is whose faces they'll see at the SFM, and whose will go unseen - manning their booths at the original institution, the Keith's Brewery Farmer's Market. Some vendors have made the decision to man a booth at both spots, allowing for cautious shoppers to stick to their old routine, while more adventurous market-goers turn their eager faces toward...Well, I'll say it, "change" - something new, progressive, and just what Halifax needs.

Here is just a few of the 70 vendors list who have either chosen to stay at the Brewery Market, or manage two locations:

Acadian Soy Tofu, Big Life Whole Food, Creperie Mobile, Sweets & Herrings, M & S Bakery, Oriental Foods, Fog Bank Studio, Grand Pre Winery, Bowman's Chocolates, Tandoor Spice Blends, Sweet William Meats, Little Dorset Farms, Hutton Family Farms, Lowthers Produce, Wood N Hart Farm, Mannette's Nusery, Patch of Blue Photo, Sudty Farms, Picture it on Canvas, Four Seasons Farm, Dillman Farm, Maple Grove Farm, Roti Kitchen, Raza Clothing, Hac N Sac, Penner's Farm.

This Saturday morning, August 7th, you know where I'll be.

'Sea' you at the Seaport Market! :)