In 2009, I started work at my first real job and immediately budgeted a portion of each paycheque to eating out. Blackhoof was one of the first Toronto restaurants that I “splurged at” back in 2010, the start of all my restaurant adventures. The fiance, just a friend then, was also there 5 years ago and while he’s eaten there since, this was my first return visit. There was still a queue outside before the restaurant opened, but much more reasonable than the hour or two wait when they first opened in 2008.

Atmosphere: Before dinner, The Fiance and I were running errands in the neighbourhood and walked by Blackhoof around 5:15pm, there were already already a few diners lingering outside. Luckily, when we came back at 5:45pm, there were only 3 parties ahead of us. By the time the doors opened at 6pm, there were 4 more couples behind us. The restaurant was relaxed with a mix of diners from older couples to 20 somethings with big groups. Tables were cozy, and it was a tight fit to walk by. The food menu was hand-written on a large chalkboard at the back of the restaurant and beer and cocktails were listed on another by the bar. My trio was seated in a corner table that was private and great for conversation. I always prefer the background noise at a restaurant to be from conversation rather than loud music.

Service: Once we sat down, a server was by quick to get our drink order and fill water glasses. After rambling off the dishes we wanted to try, he recommended we add bread and pickles as they don’t come with the charcuterie board. Each dish arrived quickly and the charcuterie board was accompanied with a detailed explanation of each meat (which I promptly forgot).

Food: Between the three of us, we ordered 5 dishes (plus bread and pickles). Our friend was very concerned we were ordering too much food, but the tapas-style portions were just right, especially as we ordered the Horse Tartare and I had a feeling I’d be eating the lion’s share.

We started with a Charcuterie board that came with 8 types of cured meat, a intense grainy mustard and a salted butter. The variety of the board was great with savoury pieces, milder ones, one with walnut, a spicy one, a pate, and a delicious duck breast. My favourite was the strong, spicy salami and the bacon wrapped pate while The Fiance loved the duck breast and butter. The side of bread provided a nice base for the meat. While I enjoyed the pickled vegetables and liked the variety of ingredients used (including beans, carrots, beet), I didn’t need the palate cleanser in between bites.

Next up was the Horse Tartare with a raw yolk and lots of horse radish. I quite enjoyed the dish. There was lots of meaty flavour and I liked the coarse chop. The Fiance doesn’t like steak tartare unless it’s heavily spiced and the horse variant at Blackhoof had a lot of natural flavour. Our friend tried it but she’s not a huge fan of raw protein. This all just meant more deliciousness for me. I found the meat flavour milder than steak tartare and the texture was slightly more chewy.

The Roasted Bone Marrow, served with sea salt and chimichurri sauce, was on point. I described this to my friend like meat flavoured jell-o, but the fatty, creamy spread was more like concentrated meat butter. The surprise star of the night was our next dish, the Pig’s Ear Slaw. Cold pig ear salad is one of my favourite Chinese dishes so the ingredient wasn’t foreign to me, I was not expecting the creamy sesame dressing and crispy shallots topping. The slaw was crunchy, generously dressed and a great Asian fusion flavours. I would’ve loved a few more slices of crunchy pig ear.

Dinner ended with Pork Jowl and Clams. The fatty slab of pork jowl was fried to a crispy and reminiscent of thick cut bacon, aka amazing. The clams added an umami flavour to the dish and the black garlic reduction gave each bite an earthy kick.

Blackhoof is still one of my favourite restaurants in the city and it’s easy to see the rest of Toronto agrees.

My favourite time to go out these days are Monday to Wednesday, avoiding the weekend rush and being able to take my time at a restaurant. It’s also easier to get a table at more popular venues. I met a friend at Enoteca Sociale on a Wednesday to catch up over wine and Italian food. Often listed as one of the best Italian restaurants in Toronto, I had high expectations.

Atmosphere: A visit to Enoteca starts at their beautiful front doors, wood burned with an intricate map of Rome. The interior was dimly lit, cozy and intimate with simple wooden furnishings. Even on a Wednesday night, the dining room started off full. Conversation levels were quiet and there was no background music to yell over. The restaurant felt elegant without being stuffy.

Service: We mainly interacted with the hostess and our server who were both friendly and attentive. Between the two, we were well taken care of. My friend and I drank at a different pace. When I was ready for my second glass, our server noticed and came by. Ten minutes later my friend finished her glass but our server was busy at another table. The hostess noticed us trying to get her attention and came by to help.

Food: As per usual, I ordered too much food. Luckily, we stuck around for a solid two hours, which gave us enough time to enjoy each dish at a steady pace. Even with a simple menu, I had a hard time narrowing down choices, everything sounded delicious. Our first appetizer was the salumi board that came with two cured meats, chicken liver mousse and a pork terrine. Portions of each selection was generous. I enjoyed the savoury liver mousse while my friend preferred the terrine.

Aracini’s were $4 a piece and a must-try. They’re basically deep fried balls of risotto and cheese. The interior was creamy and the exterior a perfect crispy crust. With a spoonful of the tomato nduja sauce, it was rich bite. For our mains, we split the Pork Belly, a plate of Bucatini and a side of Brussels Sprouts. I think I’ve found my new favourite pasta with bucatini. I loved the thick noodles and the texture at Enoteca was perfect. The simple tomato sauce was well seasoned with a hint of heat.

If you’re looking for a healthy side dish, the Brussels Sprouts might not be the best choice. While delicious, the vegetables were covered with fresh cheese and croutons. A soft boiled egg was also hidden under the cheese shavings, the best kind of surprise. At this point, i was pretty full and for me the Pork Belly was a heavy dish. Charred on the outside, the meat was still really fatty. There was lots of flavour, The polenta was creamy and the mustard seeds added a crunch to each bite.

Overall, my favourite dish at Enoteca Sociale was their pasta. While my high expectations weren’t 100% met, it was a close 90%.

This year, Marben’s been my go to restaurant for late night drinks when I’m downtown. I love the location being steps away from the central entertainment district and that you can order a charcuterie plate at 11pm. Seriously, cured meat is how I want to pair my cocktails. Thus, in continuing to celebrate the BF’s birthday we headed to Marben after Luma and Les Mis for a special surprise.

Atmosphere: We arrived way after the dinner rush and had a nice private table in the back of the restaurant. The dim lighting made the space feel intimate although conversations were a bit hard to carry over the music playing. The interior’s decor is industrial yet rustic with a lot of natural materials, wood, pendant lights and a beautiful art fixture along the ceiling that resembles waves.

Service: First of, a big THANK YOU to the staff at Marben for executing my special request perfectly. The BF was super surprised and I got major girlfriend points (or at least I’d like to think so). Our server was friendly and when I ran out of cocktails from their menu to order, he suggested the bartender could make something up for me. There was a bit of lull between our drinks and food arriving, but that was more due to our timing. The kitchen was still on break from dinner and starting to prep the “late night” menu offerings.

Food: Both the BF and I like our charcuterie and he doesn’t have a huge sweet tooth. I was too lazy to tackle bacon roses, so even better, I thought of a birthday charcuterie platter. When making my reservation for Marben via opentable, I entered the special request but was only about 50% confident that it would be executed. While we sipped our drinks, I constantly checked out the charcuterie board that was being plated on the kitchen window but I couldn’t tell what was happening. Then our server brought out the board with a lit birthday candle, a happy birthday message written out in mustard and it was even better than I had expected.

Each meat presented was in turn salty, gamey, fatty and all were full of flavour. I loved the whole grain mustard. For cocktails, I started with their daiquiri and the BF had the Hemingway’s. Both drinks were strong and not overly sweet. I followed with the request for a strawberry drink and enjoyed the surprise concoction as well.

I had a great late night cap at Marben and I truly appreciate them indulging my, perhaps odd, request. I still need to go back for that burger.