Post-run dinner at Saege

As of this past February, I joined a running team.  It was a pretty good idea, since I eat out quite regularly - that maaayyy be an understatement!  Anyhow, on this particular running session we had to do hill training!  That's right - the very words made me quiver with fear.  

As it turned out though, it was a cinch.  I ran up and down Citadel Hill 18x, and was barely breathless at the finish.  To celebrate my athletic aptitude...I wanted a drink.  A glass of bubbly was the only thing on my mind, and when Mitch suggested that we go to Saege Bistro for dinner, I happily agreed.

Once inside with my sparkling flute in hand, we made some choices for dinner.  With my metabolism running at a feverish pace (yeah right), I decided to share the Appetizer Tasting Plate ($13) with Mitch and order the uber-delicious sounding scallop entree.

The Appetizer Plate was OK; but I wasn't thrilled.  The crab cake was very nice; light and with a crisp breading, but it was almost falling apart when the dish arrived at the table.  The shrimp was cooked well and had a great, bright and spicy flavour.  I let M have the spring roll as I was saving room for my main event.  

Appetizer Tasting Plate 

Chili  Shrimp, Spring Roll & Crab Cake

Glass of bubbly post-run

When the entrees arrived, I was ready to dig in.  My scallop dish ($22) was excellent.  The scallops were anchored in a creamy butternut squash & pumpkin puree that had just the right amount of sweetness.  Always one to appreciate some veg, the addition of spinach and tomato was a great choice, with the ripe red fruit bursting in my mouth.  I moved one of the scallops to the side of my plate and made a decadent discovery; hidden seductively between the squash puree and the incredibly supple scallops was a slab of salty, delicious Oulton's bacon.  I would, 100%, order this dish again.

Seared Digby Scallops

Braised Oulton's Bacon, Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Puree

Grape Tomato & Spinach

Ah, the bacon!

Unfortunately, M wasn't so lucky the first time around.  I've since convinced him to order his steak 'rare' instead of his usual (groan) "rare to med-rare", as he almost always ends up with a medium-well steak.  Minor rant here, as it's happened at 3 different restos in the last month.  Anyhow, when the second attempt at a rare steak arrived, it was a very nice plate. The meat was super flavourful and tender.  I also put away several forkfuls of the earthy wild mushroom risotto - I could have eaten a whole bowl!

Getaway Farms 6 oz. Striploin $22

Wild Mushroom Risotto & Braised Shallot Jus

Since I have a salty tooth and M, a sweet, I could do without when the dessert menu appeared.  But I did have a taste of his for good measure. ;)  I had mixed feelings about the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake ($8).  On one hand, the blueberry compote was lovely and the luscious lemon cream 'to-die-for', but the cheesecake had a very granular texture that I really didn't care for.  I'd think twice before ordering this dessert, but some of the other options sounded pretty decadent, and were a nice change from other resto's old standards.  

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake $8

w/ Blueberry Compote & Lemon Cream

Even with the minor disappointments of this meal; we had an excellent time.  The atmosphere in Saege is comfortable and unpretentious.  It's one of those casual fine dining spots that allows you to have a great meal at a reasonable price point, but still feel like you indulged. I will go back again, and have a couple times since.  It's well worth the visit - especially if it's scallops that you're craving!

Eating light at Elements

A few weeks ago, my one of my bf's best pals was in town from NL.  After a few nights of partying, we were quite content to spend a low-key, relaxing night out for a late dinner.  When you live in my hood, there are several dining options, but in this case, we were dying for some rosemary brioche cooked in a tin can - so Elements resto it was!

After being seated we ordered a bottle of Grand Pre's L'Acadie Reserve - our usual pick here since NS wines are priced at just cost + $5.  After pointing out our favorite dishes to our pal, I decided to try a few new-to-me dishes, and order the Micro Greens Salad ($7) and the Roasted Squash Soup ($8) - two of the  lighter menu options.  

The salad was delicious; with farmer's market vegetables and a lovely pear and ginger vinaigrette, it was a fresh choice that provided great crunch.  I ordered the dressing on the side - always cautious of dressing overload - but my friend's salad was expertly dressed, so I'll likely order the dressing 'on' the next time around.  Mitch chose the Indian Point Mussels ($10) as he often does.  The mussels are steamed in L'Acadie Blanc with garlic and herbs - which made our wine a very good choice - and they're served with a nice, sweet potato roll.

Micro Greens Salad

The soup is also fantastic, with the presentation being just as good as the soup itself.  Our server placed a bowl in front of me with a dollop of goat's cheese, several small cubes of squash and some crispy fried sage leaves.  Then, as his colleague poured my warm, thick soup from a lovely kettle, I could smell the squash's sweet aroma.  I'll have to go back again before the weather heats up - this is just the thing for a chilly night.

Roasted Squash Soup

Always a fan of the gnocchi ($21), Mitch ordered Element's latest version with braised lamb, sauteed mushrooms, Brussels sprout leaves tossed in a warm lamb jus.  On top of the tender gnocchi was a sage millet crumble.  This was pretty tasty, but the contrast in textures was a bit to abrupt for me, so next time I'd order that crumble on the side. 

This is a fairly heavy meal - but wonderfully warm and rich and the lamb jus lends just a hint of mystery to the dish. I love when Mitch orders mussels & gnocchi as he can never finish the pasta and my fork swoops in to save the day and clear away the last few delectable morsels!

Braised Lamb Gnocchi

Unfortunately, our pal doesn't live here, so we can't go to dinner with her all the time, but it was nice to be able to spend such a lovely, relaxed evening for her last night in Halifax.  And, lucky us: at the end of the meal, we were given some envelopes with an unknown perk. We'll have to visit Elements again to redeem it, but since our pal went home to NL, we left with three.  Weeeeee!

A Warming Meal at Minato

A few weeks ago, we decided to try Minato on Queen Street and have been back a couple times since.  Although I wasn't a big fan of the sushi, I've loved all the Korean dishes that we've tried.  Our favorites have definitely been the rice-based Bee Bim Bap, and the Mandoo Guk, a traditional Korean Dumpling Soup.

On this night out, we stareted with the always good palate teaser, the Shrimp & Veggie Tempura.  I could make a whole meal of this dish; plump shrimp, creamy sweet potato and tender zucchinni deep fried to a crispy goodness and served with a sweet and salty dipping sauce.

Shrimp & Veggie Tempura

The Bee Bim Bap is served in a searing hot stone bowl.  A layer of greens, carrots, bean sprouts and sesame seeds cloak a mound of white rice, which is then topped with a raw egg and served with spicy sauce.   The idea here is that you stir the ingredients around so that the heat from the bowl and hot rice cooks the egg.  I love watching people getting ready to eat this dish - the sheer excitement of a sizzling bowl and the anticipation of the final result as they break the yoke is a pretty good show.

Bee Bim Bap

The Mandoo Guk is a surprisingly filling vegetarian soup that has often been my way to perk up within the last few cold, damp and rainy weeks.  A steamy, revitalizing  broth with earthy mushrooms and plump, tender dumplings is a meal in itself, and fulfills the heartiest of appetites when you add in the served bowl of rice served alongside. 

Mandoo Guk

Steak Frites at Brooklyn Warehouse

So, I know that it's evident that one of my favorite restos is The Brooklyn Warehouse, and this meal further adds to my love affair. I recently went to dinner with a friend of longtime family friend of mine who has been away from Hali for about 4 years; long enough to miss the opening and rise to fame of Brooklyn Warehouse as one of Halifax's best restaurants (in my opinion).

On this visit, I knew what I wanted to order from the moment I sat down. It didn't take long to convince my friend that she wanted the same. We decided on the Steak Frites; an 8 oz. NS Striploin, oven roasted potato wedges, olive oil poached tomato with chevre and Pommery mustard dip.

Holy mother! Look at that piece of meat! Not only was the steak incredible and perfectly cooked for my taste, but the fries were just right as well - fat chips with a crispy shell.

The Pommery mustard was a great addition to the plate - the savoury, spicy sauce added a nice kick to the steak. On the side, an unexpected, luscious bite was provided in the form of a sweet, supple, olive oil-poached tomato. Topped with creamy, melted goat cheese and drizzled with tangy balsamic, it was a wonderful accompaniment! This was definitely one of the most lovely, well-balanced plates I've ever eaten in Hali...yet another reason why Brooklyn is one of my fave spots for a quick bite, or an meal of all-out, local-product awesomeness!

Steve-O-Renos's morning fix - and not just for coffee!

If we follow each other on Twitter, you'll probably see that, at some point on Sat/Sun, I'm tweeting from Steve-O-Renos on Brunswick Street. This spot is my favorite coffee shop in the city; they're a hop from my apartment, the staff are sweet and friendly and the buzz within provides a great background for me to work/blog. And that's just the cafe itself. Not only does Steve-O-Reno's have delicious java, but they also have incredible baked goods - and I'm a sucker for baked goods! FYI - Cabin Coffee and the Daily Grind also have fabulous creations. Java Blend gets its baked goods from Deli Green Catering whose muffins are the moistest I've had in Hali.

Famous for its Morning Glory muffin, I've recently been trying out the blueberry baked goods to see how they compare. I've never been one to crave a blueberry muffin, but when it's 7:30 am, and I'm on my way into work, stopping for a coffee, it's pretty tough to resist.

And this weekend, as I sat, finishing up some blog posts for the coming week, I ordered a blueberry scone to go along with my dark Italian roast. With a lovely crunchy crust and a moist interior, Steve-O's scones provide the perfect contrast of textures for whatever suits you mood - and all in one baked good!

I've yet to try one of Steve-O's breakfast sammies, but I can't imagine that an English muffin or bagel topped w/ egg, tomato, red onion and sprouts could be anything but delicious!

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!

Darrell's Peanut Butter Burger

Back in March, when we were having some seriously good (global warming-induced) weather, I worked up an appetite running an arm's length of errands on Spring Garden Rd. I met up with a friend later on in the day, and since I felt as though I could consume my weight's worth in food, we decided to go to Darrell's for some tasty grub that left me weak in the knees. I decided on the famous Peanut Butter Burger. I mean c'mon; burger - good, peanut butter - good. As simple as that and I was sold. I also got a side of Darrell's seasoned potato wedges on the side.

The burger was pretty messy, and I used up a load of napkins, but it was worth it. The sweet, creamy PB mixing with the juicy meat was incredible. The seasoned fries had a touch of heat, and were crispy on the outside and soft within- just the way I like 'em! Paired up with a cold beer, this was the perfect meal to sate my appetite!

Next time though, I'm trying one of Darrel's famous milkshakes. My friend's chicken burger looked pretty damn good too!

Just look at that meat...and bacon...and melted cheese!

Now, look at that PB!!

The Gingerbread Hause

This past Saturday, I was geared to go for brunch at Henry House. I was super excited for a plate of steak n' eggs, perhaps an omelet or even french toast. I arrived at 10:30 to meet my brunch dates....and it was closed! Turns out that we had made our brunch plans an hour before HH opened at 11:30!!

Not having a stomach willing to be deterred from an amazing bfast, we decided to truck up the hill to The Gingerbread Hause for a piping hot coffee and some incredible baked goods. The GH is one of my neighbourhood bakeries and I was thrilled to finally get a chance to try some of their amazing treats (and really excited to designate it as MY local bakery)!

Seeing how I have a penchant to try all versions of pain au chocolat available in the HRM, this was an easy decision. I paired said sweet treat with a frothy cappuccino. A small plate arrived, overtaken by the huge, domed pastry, drizzled with dark chocolate. With a slightly crisp, buttery crust that flaked under my knife, the pain au chocolat yielded a lovely dark chocolate filling underneath layers of soft pastry. My cappuccino was the perfect match; a little more luxurious than an ordinary cuppa joe and with an espresso bite to match.

Pain au Chocolat

Cappuccino

Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

I made these puppies last week for a party that I was invited to. I really, really hate going to any kind of gathering at someone's home without something for the host, but I didn't think I'd have the time to make something. Of course, a btl of wine will always save the day.

Then fate stepped in, canceled a meeting, and I found myself with two free hours in which to make something luscious, something tempting and something all around delicious- Crispy Peanut Butter Balls.

Who doesn't like these things? You've got dark, crackly chocolate, mouth filling PB and a bit of crunch from some crispy rice cereal. And the recipe? Simps!

Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened

1 cup crispy rice cereal

8 squares semi-sweet chocolate, or a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

Beat sugar, pb and butter together. Stir in crumbs.

Shape mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm.

In a double boiler melt chocolate over hot water (or microwave on MED. for 2 to 3 minutes). Dip balls and place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet; chill. Store covered in refrigerator.

For a variation, try using crunchy PB. You can also switch up the cereal and try corn flakes or graham cracker crumbs.

Nudi

And the finished product? Little balls of melt-in-your mouth chocolate, with creamy PB and a nice crunch!