Awesome afternoon at Opera Bar

On the heels of an incredible Bday dinner, M & and I planned to spend the arvo at The Morrison for happy hour wine and oysters.  Being from the east coast of Canada, we both have a weakness for bivalves...We had already purchased our tix to Les Miserables, and were looking for a way to pass the time in advance of the film.  We caught a bus up to Circular Quay with the intention of meandering down to The Morrison.   However, when M suggested that we spend some leisurely time on the waterfront - and have a drink at Opera Bar, I was all too happy to oblige!  I  ended up that we quit trying to "rush a good thing", and so The Morrison was forgotten, and we quickly ordered another tasty bevy and snacks at Opera Bar.

Our drinks were further enhanced by a plate of Yam crisps and prawn popcorn. 

The Yam crisps were OK.  Certainly not life-changing.  They provided a good bit of crunch to go along with our wines, but they were pretty greasy.  I wouldn't likely order them again. 

Yam Crisps ($8)

The prawn popcorn, on the other hand, were delicious - I'm hungry just thinking about them now.   The plum, juicy prawns were coated in a light, crispy batter and served with a luscious, mayo-based spicy jalapeno dipping sauce.  YUM.

Prawn Popcorn ($13)

w/ spicy jalapeño sauce 

Opera Bar, I've determined,  is one of those spots that cater to both tourists and locals alike; tourists because it's the Sydney opera-based bar, but locals, because it's simply a damn-good spot to spend a sunny wknd afternoon.

Movie night! And Cabiria :)

When my pal proposed that we have a "girlie night" I didn't know quite what was in store.  Granted, I was super tired - having just come back from an amazing sailing trip around the Whitsundays - so if she was proposing some wine, cheese and doing our nails on this particular evening, I was all for it.  But when she suggested dinner and a movie, I mustered the energy to look presentable and head out for a nice tapas meal and a good chick flick.

We ended up at Cabiria, a lovely little resto at The Barracks in Brisbane.  I think one of the reasons that M and I get along so well is because we have such similar taste in food; a good wine and a few snacks are all we need to have a pleasant evening - plus good company too! We got to Cabiria at about 7ish and set about deciding on our tapas.  Once that priority had been actioned, we decided on some vino; I chose a French Rhone blend while M went for a cool climate Aussie Pinot Noir.  Both wines were nice choices for the array of flavours; rich, salty, meaty and sweet.

When our snacks arrived, we had quite the spread: a lovely meat and vegetable terrine, some 'devils on horseback' and a big chunk of Manchego cheese.

The Country Terrine was fantastic!  Wow.  One meat that I really do enjoy is rabbit, especially when said meat is in the luscious rillette-type consistency.  Merged with earthy, meaty mushrooms, creamy white beans and wrapped in salty bacon, a bite of terrine atop a crunchy toast was divine - especially when said toast was slathered in date puree.

Country Terrine ($16)

Rabbit, Porcinni Mushrooms & White Beans

Wrapped in Bacon w/ Date Puree & Toasts

Devils on Horseback ($5)

Egyptian Dates wrapped in Speck

These 'devils on horseback' were delicious - and a great snack to make at home too.  The sweet, meaty dates were wrapped in paper-thin sheets of salty Speck; a salt-cured, smoked ham originating in Italy.

Manchego cheese

w/ crisps & Quince Paste

How can you go wrong with cheese?  When our original order of Truffled Pecorino from Italy wasn't available, we opted for this hunk of Manchego; a Parmeseanesque sheep's milk cheese from Spain, which share's Parm's nutty, salty bite.  This was served with some quince paste, and crisp pita-type bread. 

And on to the movie theatre, where there is more than just popcorn and M&Ms.  At the theatre in The Barracks, one can order a deluxe cheese plate w/ crisps, bread and jams (bottom) or baguette served with a trio of dips..(Top)

What a treat!  Once in the theatre, we sat back in our seats; cracked open our bottle of shiraz, and relaxed for a couple hours.  Movies and wine? It was almost as though we had stayed in after all. 

All you can eat sushi at Zuri

One of the things that I love so much about my pals Maria & Josh is that they're constantly doing new, fun, adventurous things.  Case in point; the drive-in.  On a slightly chilly night in July, we found ourselves well-prepared for a triple flick (although I was having quite the issue trying to stay awake by movie #3).  It may not have been the best idea since M & I were both super sick with colds, but we wrapped ourselves in a woolen blanket and hunkered down for the night.  

Of course, no movie is ever complete without snacks, and M & I do like our snacks, so we came armed with some Stilton, sliced apple, veggies & dip, and...a sleeve of chocolate chip cookie dough...  Since I consider popcorn a food group, we got some of that as well.

The next night, M & I hit up Zuri Bar & Dining on Brunswick for their Wednesday night special of 'All-you-can -eat sushi'.  For $19 and the purchase of a drink, the staff will bring you endless platters (from a limited menu) on which to snack.  This was my first experience with sushi in Oz, and I was surprised that so much of it contained cooked meat and seafood.  

We got various plates, which contained:  Cooked tuna roll in soy and ginger w/ mayo and green onion; Chicken and Avocado roll (self explanatory); Chicken Karage - crispy Japanese chicken w/ chili mayo;  and a salmon nigiri w/ red onion. 

We also chose a btl. of Rolf Binder 2011 Riesling from the Eden Valley since Riesling is an iconic pairing for the spicy red chilies so often found in Asian cuisine.

This was a great night out since the company and the wine were fantastic. Since I generally go for sashimi - which wasn't an option - I was lukewarm on the sushi.  Still though, this would be a great venue to take someone just getting used to sushi and raw fish since it was mostly of the cooked variety. 

A cold night warms up at Cru Bar

On a Friday night in Brisbane after my pal Maria got off work, I met her at a cute little bar called Super Whatnot in the heart of Brisbane CBD.  It was pretty packed with a 9-5 kind of crew; colleagues heading out for a Friday night drink to cap off the week.  We had a couple drinks there before heading back to M's hood in New Farm for some dinner at Cru Bar; a swanky wine bar/cellar that I'd had my eye on since arriving in Brissie.

When we got to Cru, it was so packed that we had to be strategic about seats - both of us were subtly eyeing the crowd, willing someone to leave!  The rain had started to pour on the way over from the CBD and we were both frigid and soaked to the bone. In the meantime though, we ordered a bottle of wine and got to work on the menus.  Since M is a Barossa Shiraz-lover, we ordered a btl. of the Maximus Shiraz, one of those 'cheap n/ cheerful' wines with just a bit of bite. 

Digby Scallops in a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce ($14ish?)

We had already decided on our order when I spied the Specials board and we had to re-jig.  The menu actually featured Digby scallops!  From Nova Scotia!  Not to mention the fact that they were served on the shell in a silky Gorgonzola cream sauce.  The sauce was so luscious, that I later ended up dipping my fries in the remaining sauce as opposed to the aioli they were served with.  The scallops were not all that amazing; though the meat was slightly sweet and succulent, the bi-valves themselves were sliced in two, so the portion size ended up being pretty meagre.

Thick Cut Fries w/ Fennel Salt & Aioli...obviously ($8)

Witches Chase Triple Cream Brie ($12)

A cheese from Mt. Tambourine, QLD 

What a lovely little platter!  The Brie was creamy and robust.  Served with crispy lavosh, an Armenian unleavened flat bread; Pide, a Turkish flat bread, Iranian figs and a tender quince paste, the cheese's smooth texture was a great contrast to the crisp cracker and marmalade-like fruit paste.  It was quite the multinational plate.

Since we were both suffering from a nasty cold/cough, I picked up a btl. of spiced rum and proceeded to make Maria and I hot buttered rums when got went home.  I had a headache the next day - more likely from the rum than the cold - and was quite concerned about the amount of butter consumed the night before, but it was well worth it.  If I do venture back to Brissie again, Cru Bar will, once again, be on my list of eateries to visit.

Tempranillo & Tapas at Pintxo!

On my first real Friday night out in Brisbane -  that is, when I wasn't falling asleep at the table from the trip's resulting jet lag - myself and M&J went to dinner at Pintxo, a little Spanish tapas place around the corner from the apt. It was an exciting day for me -  that morning, I had attended the Queensland Wine Show, and had the opportunity to meet some cool people and taste dozens of Aussie wines that I never even knew existed - selection in Nova Scotia is limited, after all...

                           

Due to a late reso, we were unable to get a table inside, so we braved the cold on the patio and warmed ourselves with a little Tempranillo.  Viva Espagna...!

We started with a bottle of Calo Tempranillo from Rioja for $44. True to the Temp. style, this bevy was full of cherries, leather and spice with light acid and grippy tannin.  We ended up having two bottles!  For the tapas, we had to get some meat - there was a man involved, after all.  We chose a nice nibbly of cold Aussie and Spanish olives to start, which were the perfect salty snacks to salivate our palates for the plates to come. 

Aceitunas Mezclados

Selection of cold Spanish & Australian Olives ($9)

These button mushrooms cooked in garlic and olive oil were fantastic - I would have been happy with a bowl of these to myself.  The plump, meaty 'shrooms were succulent and cooked perfectly; not oil sogged, but deftly caressed.

Setas al Ajillo

Fresh button mushrooms cooked in 

garlic & olive oil ($14)

Not gonna lie - there was a funny taste to this dish.  The scallops were tender and well cooked and the cauliflower was nicely al dente...but something in the cream sauce made me move on to the next dish.

Vieiras en Cava

Scallops | cream & Cava sauce | roasted cauliflower ($24)   

Ah, the lamb and chickpeas!  I could eat chickpeas everyday...especially when paired with tomatoes a nice rare piece of lamb.  This was a really nice dish with the meat being both slightly sweet and savoury and with a hint of smokey BBQ - a great pairing for our Tempranillo. The cassoulet-style of the chickpea/tomato mix was a nice addition creamy peas and sweet tomatoes, complimented by some olives in the dish as well, which added another layer of flavour.

 Cordero con Garbanzos

Grilled lamb cutlets | tomato & chickpeas ($28) 

Who doesn't love Serrano-wrapped prawns?  These are pretty self explanatory.  The dish was fab and being the veggemite that I am, I also consumed the nice little bed of greenery beneath.

Pintxo's Gambas

Prawns wrapped in Jamon Serrano ($24)

And from here, a night of club-hopping began, from which I thought I would never recover. Maria and I left Josh behind and explored the bar scene in New Farm...which may have ended with some greasy pizza...

Fid's Pad Thai: eat-in or take-out!

Since I deprived Mitch of his Fid Resto Pad Thai earlier in the month, I planned a Saturday brunch later in the month to make up for it.  After a good run in the am, we got ready for a day of good food, booze and sunshine - you know, those days when you just wanna get 'day drunk'!

When we got to Fid, we ordered two muddy gin Caesars and reviewed the menu.  Obviously, he had PT on the brain, but I - like I always do - wanted eggs, so I chose the Fisherman's Breakfast w/ smoked salmon and potato rosti.  I forgot my phone so the image quality of these pics isn't fantastic, but you'll get the 'picture'.

The bean soup was fantastic.  Who knew lima beans could be so tasty?  The broth was creamy and rich with a velvety mouthfeel. Served with the soup was one of Fid's crumpets; a little morsel that's just perfect for dipping.

Lima Bean Soup ($6)

The soup was served with Dennis' delicious crumpets

Fisherman's Breakfast ($14) 

I had the Fishermen's Breakfast, which was one of my favourites in Halifax.  With an uber-crispy, savoury potato cake topped with luscious smoked salmon and a poached egg cooked to a medium, all the textural elements were there to please my palate.  I asked for the Hollandaise sauce on the side, into which , I dunked every other bite.  In order to add a bit of greedy to the meal, we also ordered the Simple Salad, which is simple to be are, but with a playful element of popcorn to garnish.  

A Simple Salad ($6)

D's Pad Thai ($14)

Mitch had the Pad Thai, which was perfect.  With tender noodles, crunchy toasted peanuts, crisp bean spouts, egg, scallions and cilantro, this dish is a good balance of hearty comfort food and fresh food.

But the best part of this blog is the great news that I have to share!  Fid Resto is now doing 'back-door take-out!  They're offering just the one dish - the Pad Thai - but at just $10 a pop for the full serving (as compared to $14 in-house), it's a great deal!

We picked up some drinks and settled in on a sunny park bench in the Public Gardens and muched happily away for the better part of an hour.  With that food, the entertainment of a motorized toy boat show, and the background music of a brass band playing in the bandstand, it was a pretty sweet (and cheap) afternoon! 

The Wine Event of the Year!

It'd Friday am and I'm really excited for Monday.  Wait, WHAT?  Yes, I know this is not a comment most people would say on a Friday, when, as LoverBoy would say, "Everybody's workin' for the weekend!"  But this MOnday is a little different.  THIS Monday, I get to attend Innovative Beverage's first ever Grand Portfolio Tasting!

The event, held at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia will feature winemakers and winery representatives for 8 different countries, representing 17 wineries and 15 different wine regions will be pouring their wines; that's 80 wines to try!! There will also be a fresh oyster bar and delicious canapes.  The Grand Portfolio tasting will not only be a fun event, but a great fundraiser to boot as 100% of the proceeds will go towards the Kids Help Phone Atlantic! AND tickets are ONLY $50!!

Here are the details for the event:

Date- Monday April 30th

Time- 7- 9:30 pm

Location- Art Gallery of Nova Scotia- Hollis Street

Price $50 plus HST

Tickets available from E:leslie.keevill@kidshelpphone.ca, PH: 457-4473

To name a few...

The Hess Collection
Taylor Fladgate
Zenato
Santa Margherita
Peter Lehman
Frescobaldi

        

More MODA!

Last Friday night, my BF and I went out to a late dinner at MODA on Dresden Row.  Neither of us ad been before, but we were looking forward to trying it out.  When we arrived at about 8:30, we were seated at a tiny table for 2 by the window. After quite the  time trying to make a decision, we finally settled on two courses each - although mine were a bit smaller.  

After hearing the specials, there was no way that we could turn down the incredible-sounding soup; a broccoli base with Applewood Smoked Cheddar and pieces of prosciutto.  Mitch does have a weakness for soup and often orders one as a starter, but this one is by far one of the best we've had in a long time.  The broccoli base was pronounced, but incredibly well-balanced with the smokey cheddar and cream.  The prosciutto crisps were like little treats within each spoonful. 

Soup of the Day $9

Broccoli & Applewood Smoked Cheddar w/ Prosciutto

My first course were three jewel-like spheres in the most luxurious tomato sauce I've ever had.  Within the crisp shells, the rice inside was well-cooked and creamy with the earthy flavour of mushroom.  The sauce was a lovely pool; smooth and fresh with a hint of rosemary.  I could easily have had another plate of these.  

Risotto Spheres $11

Mushroom risotto stuffed w/ Asiago cheese

Rosemary Tomato Sauce

The tomato sauce was soo good that I scraped every last bit off the plate!

Holy cannoli!  When Mitch ordered a steak, I didn't think anything of it - he often does.  But neither of us were ready for this meal!  The tenderloin at MODA is the best steak I've ever had in Halifax.  First, it was cooked perfectly and it was also super flavourful and tender.  the steak is served with a couple different options, but Mitch chose the Shopshire blue cheese sauce.  Smothering the steak, it made every bite moan-able.  Instead of a potato on the side, he was allowed to substitute for another starch and chose some spaghetti tossed with loads of garlic and olive oil. 

Beef Tenderloin $32

w/ Shopshire Blue Cheese Sauce

Garlicky Spaghetti

I chose a lighter dish; a simple spinach salad with a lovely warm dressing of honey and Balsamic, dusted with Parmesan.  The menu listed bacon, but I did only find one piece.   

Warm Spinach Basil Salad

Baby Spinach w/ Basil, Smoked Bacon, Parmesan

Warm Honey-Balsamic Dressing

I would certainly go back to MODA again and have recommended it to several people since our dinner.  It's a nice little resto with fantastic service and food, and is a perfect spot for a celebratory meal, or just a really, really nice dinner.

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.