I’ve heard only great things about WVRST since they opened in 2011 and their popularity has steadily increased year after year. Although they don’t take reservations for groups less than 8, and there’s no time limit once you’re in, we decided to brave the line on a Friday night. Our plan was to arrive at 6pm with hopes to beat the dinner rush. What we didn’t plan for was the students, the many many students. Stephen and I arrived at WVRST just after 6pm to meet our friends and there was already a line down the stairs. We joined the queue and waited about 30 minutes to get in.

Atmosphere: Inside, WVRST’s beer hall setup was reminiscent of a cafeteria. Orders were placed at the counter and assigned a number placard. 90% of the seating was large communal tables (like the Great Hall at Hogwarts) and diners were left to their own devices when it came to finding a seat. This means it can be difficult to sit together if you’re in a large group. The servers will do their best to help accommodate, which was nice. The music was loud and conversations lively. My voice was pretty strained after an hour of shouting over our beers.

Service: Being a mostly self-serve restaurant, we didn’t interact much with the staff at WVRST. I did appreciate the line keeper who was fair with the rules and didn’t make exceptions. Food and drink orders were taken at one counter and there was another bar for just drinks. We found a spot of 4 seats together, after a group of 30+ rearranged themselves, and took turns ordering. After sitting back down with our number placards, our food and beer arrived quickly.

Food: Reading through the drink menu, I was impressed with the breadth of variety and beers available. WVRST was true to its beerhall them and stocked plenty of local craft brews. Some were even vintages from previous years and the prices also varied in range. Stephen chose a pilsner while I opted for the cider sampler, 6 pre-selected samples ranging in sweetness and acidity. I liked almost all of the samples and I’m always a fan of flights, the more variety the better.

From the sausage menu, Stephen picked the Duck with foie gras while I stuck to a traditional Oktoberfest topped with sweet peppers and sauteed onions, both on toasted buns. We also shared a plate duck fat fries topped with melted Swiss Raclette Cheese for the table. One of our friends was vegetarian so sadly he missed out on the fries, but he added melted cheese on his sausage for some cheesy goodness. I liked the how crispy the fries were and the Chipotle dipping sauce was delicious. Quite a few of the dips caught my eye and I’d be interested to try the Honey Dill and Jalapeno Cilantro flavours one day.

As for the sausage, my Oktoberfest was well seasoned and juicy. The toppings were a bit overpowering but you could still taste the savoury meat flavour with every bite. I thought there was a good amount of fat and the texture of the grind was good. Stephen on the other hand did not love his. The flavour of the foie gras rang true and was great, but the texture of the sausage was squishy, almost pate like. It was hard to bite through the casing without the filling oozing out every which way. He also thought the sausage was slightly underseasoned.

Our bill came to over $60 for the two of us, which was quite a bit for two drinks, sausages and a split side. I can easily see the vast drink menu and laid back, raucous atmosphere being a draw for many. Personally, if I’m going out to eat, I am starting to prefer a quieter space.

Blowfish is a swanky Japanese restaurant that recently re-launched after a three month transformation. The previous downtown hotspot re-opened with a brand new menu that will surely maintain and grow their popularity in the neighbourhood. To celebrate the re-launch, Blowfish hosted a special media preview featuring a full set menu, which I had the opportunity to attend. The night was filled with flowing sake, great company and some tasty Japanese food with a hint of Latin flavours. Chef Daniel Ken’s Brazilian roots lent a subtle fusion flair to the new menu.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

The upscale restaurant was pretty with lots of natural wood furniture and live plants behind the sushi bar. I loved the intricate, fish themed design inked across the tables, which made a stunning backdrop for each plate. The presentation of each dish was also artistic and used an assortment of different textured plates. Tables at the restaurant were laid out in two long rows, with one row against the wall-length bench seating.

For drinks, I tried a few cocktails but really enjoyed the house sake, which was light, crisp and refreshing. On the menu, there are also options to order the Sake by Blowfish infused with yuzu or pomegranate, both sound amazing.

Dinner was a grand affair that lasted 2 hours with 4 courses, each consisting of multiple plates and items. My favourite dishes were those centered around seafood and sashimi, especially the Pyramid Sashimi and Tuna Foie Gras Maki. I also enjoyed the Ceviche which had a strong, fragrant lime flavour. The Scallops were buttery and cooked perfectly. I enjoyed the combination of ingredients in the filling of the Ebi Shooter, and the plump tiger shrimp, however I didn’t love the texture of the soy paper and would’ve preferred a sheet of crispy, roasted nori. The most disappointing dish was the quinoa risotto and the sweet corn tempura. Both dishes were promising, but lacked any punch in flavour. While I didn’t fall in love with either bite of dessert, both the alfajores and tarte were good. I did find them a bit over complicated, especially after all the different items we already ate for dinner.

• Pyramid Sashimi – salmon and tuna with black masago (roe)
• Blowfish Baby Ebi Shooter – tiger shrimp, mango, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo wrapped in a sheet of pink soy paper
• Ceviche – white fish, red onions, cherry tomatoes
• Salmon Tartare – served on a crispy shiso leaf
• Sweet Corn Tempura – served with a matcha lime sour cream
• Brussel Sprout – roasted with pancetta
• Nigiri and Maki Plate – tuna foie gras, salmon, white fish, kyoto delight, battera
• Pan Seared Wild Scallops – served with a shiso chimichurri
• Quinoa Risotto with Vegetables – quinoa, zucchini, carrots, cherry tomatoes, onions, pineapple with den miso
• Lavender Haskap Alfajores – served with yuzu cream, cheese mousse and milk caramel
• Pandan Chai Chocolate Tarte – black sesame sponge, pandan coconut jam, osmanthus gel, crisp meringue, house made matcha gelato

This year, I only picked two restaurants to visit for Winterlicious, choosing quality over quantity. For date night, The Hubby and I re-visited Cafe Boulud and continuing with the French theme, I picked Colette Grand Cafe for girl’s night. With high ceilings, white columns, marble floors and plenty of chandeliers, Colette Grand Cafe well suited the occasion.

Atmosphere: Colette Grand Cafe was a lovely vision of blue and white. Plush baby blue bench seats lined the dining room filled with white marble tables. I felt like I was in a life-size dollhouse. Lighting was dim, creating a sense of privacy in the open room, but tables were close to each other. It was hard to tune out the discussion in my left ear.

Service: I found service was pleasant, efficient and unobtrusive. Writing this post, I don’t have much to say. My friends and I were quite engrossed in our conversation and our servers took care of us without us even noticing.

Food: What was remarkable, was the food. Each course on the Winterlicious menu had a good number of options with two vegetarian appetizers. All of us went with the French Onion Soup, served piping hot in a classic, white, lion head porcelain bowl. The soup was sweet, savoury and cheesy, all soaked up by the crouton. You could taste the strong beef broth and onion flavour.

For my entree, I had the Boeuf Bourguignon with wine braised celery root, potato puree and pearl onions. The medallion of beef was super tender and fell apart at the touch of my fork. I liked that the vegetables were still crunchy and lightly seasoned, contrasted the strong seasoning in the broth creamy potatoes. The plating also showed off the ingredients, making a typically heavy, neutral coloured dish look fresh and colourful. When the dish first arrived, I was unsure how full I would be but the portion proved to be quite filling. One of my friends opted for the vegetarian option, a wild mushroom risotto, that was also satisfying and well-cooked.

Since there were three of us, it only made sense to order one of each dessert. There was a rice pudding, a chocolate brownie cake and salted caramel ice cream, which was unlisted and amazing. Of the three, I loved the salted caramel ice cream that was indulgent and the perfect balance of salty and sweet. The rice pudding was light, fluffy and nutty while the chocolate brownie would’ve satisfied any chocolate lover.

This was Colette’s first year participating in a Licious event and I would love to see them continue to take part. I hear great reviews about Colette’s bakery and will have to return to sink my teeth into some flakey croissants.

Winterlicious 2015 is Marben’s first time participating in the event and their menu was a hot pick. Offering the same dishes for lunch and dinner meant lunch reservations were quick to get booked up.

Atmosphere: I’ve been to Marben several times for dinner and drinks but this was my first visit during the day. The restaurant was packed and much more relaxed and casual than at night. Servers hustled from table to table and conversations were lively. Our group of 5 was seated at a comfortable booth with plenty of elbow room.

Service: Did I mention they were full? So full that service was behind and we waited about 30 minutes for our table. Winterlicious can really crowd great restaurants. The hostess was friendly, helpful and kept us updated on our status. On a positive note, our seating was at 1pm so by the time we were finished our meal, the lunch queue was done and we could take our time sipping coffee. Our server was also efficient and friendly, cutlery was changed in between courses and she checked in on us throughout the meal.

Food: Usually I get the charcuterie plate at Marben, but with their Winterlicious menu, I was eager to try the dishes with a more Spanish influence. For starters The Fiance and I split the Ontario Apple and Manchego Cheese Salad and Steamed PEI Mussels. The salad was tossed in a light mustard-herb dressing, the leaves sat on thin apple slices and was topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and slices of manchego cheese. The dish was everything I like in a salad, a light cheese, touch of crunchy and a light dressing. The bowl of mussels were fresh and cooked well with strong Asian flavours. We ended up dipping all of our bread in the lemongrass, ginger and chili flavoured sauce.

For mains, I started with the Spanish Seafood Stew and then switched with The Fiance to try half of his Johns Burger. Our table all agreed that the hand cut fries were amazing and there wasn’t a single one left. All of the seafood in my stew was fresh and cooked to just past raw. I found the saffron flavour rich and overpowered any seafood flavour. The snap peas were barely cooked, sweet, crunchy and perfect. My favourite bite was the octopus. Between the two entrees, I prefered the Johns Burger more. I loved the sweet chutney paired with a slice of aged cheddar cheese on the meaty patty. And there were those fries. I had one forkful of the vegetarian option, Cauliflower Tagine, but had to take a picture at the beautiful presentation. The bright colours almost made the dish too pretty to eat.

Between the three desserts, my favourite was the Nutella Creme Brulee, followed closely by the Vanilla Panna Cotta, which beat out the Chocolate and Olive Oil Truffle by a hair. I loved the flavour of the creme brulee, not too sweet and rich. The filling was more cream than custard and the top was very charred.

For Valentine’s Day this year the BF and I decided to forgo gifts and instead splurge on a meal. He still got me macarons and I found him ravioli pans, but we kept ourselves in check. This was good because dinner at Jacobs & Co Steakhouse more than fit the definition of a splurge meal, or two. Located on Brant St, Jacobs & Co serves up various cuts of steak from all over the world ranging from farms across North America to authentic Japanese Wagyu. There are reasonably priced options, we chose to go for broke.

Atmosphere: While dinner wasn’t a black tie event the dress code in the restaurant did include a jacket and dress for most diners. We were seated in a secluded room with tables only for two so the noise level was hushed and the lighting dim, perfect for an intimate dinner. The outside dining area was more lively with larger groups and more open space. I appreciate that Jacobs offers both settings to chose from. The decor was elegant, featuring contemporary lines with traditional textures like rich leathers and dark woods. Dinner at Jacobs is a perfect excuse to get dressed up and try out a new dress or pair of shoes.

Service: Complimentary coat check is offered before the friendly hostess guides you to your table. Our server was friendly and stuck up a conversation with the BF with regards to his camera. After a small bit of dialogue he apologized for interrupting our dinner, which was sweet and unnecessary. The wine book at Jacobs was a little overwhelming for us so we asked our server to recommend something based on our price range and taste preferences. He took it away and returned with a bottle of Malbec from Argentina that the BF and I both liked. I felt well taken care of the entire dinner, without the servers feeling overbearing and loved the table side preparation of the caesar salad (I never knew so many ingredients went into the dressing).

Food: I need to preface this with the disclaimer that our eyes were far larger than our stomachs and my dress was uncomfortably tight as we left. It was a great meal, the best steaks I’ve had in Toronto but I’m still on the fence about whether or not the price tag was justified. I do believe it’s worth the cost by the excellent service and whole dining experience, but based on the food alone, I’m unsure.

Once we had placed our order with the helpful guidance of our knowledgeable server, he dropped off two popovers with a garlic chive butter. The bread was perfectly hollow and had buttery, flakey layers. I had to keep reminding myself about the ounces of steak to come so as not to fill up on carbs, a difficult task.

For sides we ordered the Jacobs Caesar Salad and the daily special of hash browns fried in duck fat topped with a soft boiled egg. It was fun to watch the preparation and care that went into the dish on top of it tasting great. I liked that the dressing was tangy and not too creamy. We ordered one portion size and it was a good amount split for two people. Before the hot dishes arrived, our server delivered a plate of salts and sauces to accompany the steak. Of these, my favourite was the chimichurri. We didn’t get through much of the hash browns, they were good. I would’ve liked the egg to be a bit more runny.

The BF had his heart set on the 36 oz bone-in ribeye, 26 oz without the bone, also named the “Swinging Steak” on the menu. So I ordered something smaller, the 10 oz Californian Cut Striploin from Snake River Farms Wagyu. Between the two US Wagyu farms we were told the Snake River had a gamier taste, while the Oakleigh was more buttery. Since the BF was getting a super marbled, fatty ribeye, I chose the Snake River in contrast. His ribeye was ordered medium and my striploin was medium rare. Both steaks came out at the right shade of pink and I added 2 oz of foie gras to mine. As I’ve mentioned before, this was the best steak I’ve had in Toronto. The steaks were well cooked with a beautiful caramelized crust and tender, flavourful middle. My personal preference leans towards fattier steaks so I liked the ribeye more but both were mouth watering. The BF likened the meal to steakhouse he had visited in Houston.

I was enticed by other tables and ordered the 12 layer chocolate cake for dessert. We didn’t need it and it was a dense cake. Beautiful presentation but I was hoping for a more airy texture. There was a mix up in the kitchen and the hash browns we had asked to be packed up were sent home with another table. Our server was so apologetic and he offered to have the dish re-made for us. He also sent us home with extra complimentary muffins.

Overall, Jacobs delivered an excellent experience with welcoming service in a polished environment and great food. It wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had, in the top 10, but it was the one with the highest price tag.

Looking back, I should’ve planned the night better. Barhop on a Friday night is packed even at 8pm. I thought we would hit the sweet spot between after dinner rush and pre bar hoppers, this was not the case. Every table was packed, along with all the bar seats and basically every square feet had a person. I wanted to try their drink menu though so we put a name down on the chalkboard and made ourselves as comfortable as we could with half a ledge and two stools between the five of us.

Their drink menu is extensive with 30+ beers on tap, 2 cask beers and pages and pages of canned/bottled choices. There’s also a wide selection of gluten-free ciders and seasonal drinks. I went with a flight of four 5oz samples before settling on pints of a Belgian pale ale. Our server was helpful with recommendations and patiently waited while we were overwhelmed by the selection. All of our drinks arrived quickly and we did eventually get some seats by the front window.

Barhop’s a lot cosier and relaxed than the other beer “gastropubs” in town. It would be easy to spend a night exploring their menu or enjoying hard to find favourites. Go early though, because those tables are golden and it seemed like most patrons settle in early for the night. They also have mussel specials on Mondays and $1 shuck oyster nights on Tuesdays.

My friend and I have been talking about going out for tapas for a good two months. Finally for a girl’s night I started to research our options in Toronto. After reading blogs and reviews, I chose Patria as the top contender and made the reservation.

Atmosphere: After walking through Patria’s front gates at King St, we found the hidden front entrance. The dining space is gorgeous with high ceilings, contrasting colours and walls of windows. I loved the visibility of the ham slicing station at the bar. We started our evening early and were seated by 6pm before the space filled up, which it quickly did by the time we got our bill around 9pm. When making the reservation, I was advised of a seating limit of two hours and they only had time slots at 6:15 or 9pm. Patria would be a great dinner stop on a night out with it’s prime location next to nightlife.

Service: During our meal we were well tended with water being refilled, dishes cleared quickly and easily ordering additional drinks. With the arrival of each dish was a different server who diligently described the dish in detail. I have to admit though I only understood about 10% of each description. Every server had an accent and with the noise level in the restaurant I ended up smiling and nodding a lot. By 9pm as the standing area around the bar filled up the hosts did start to rush our table to wrap up. Our table was checked on a few times while we chatted instead of settling the bill. I understand the need to maintain reservations, a little more subtlety would’ve been appreciated.

Food: For drinks we ordered a couple of pitchers of the white sangria, which was fruity but not overly sweet. One pitcher is a good portion for 4-5 glasses. Between the five of us, we ordered a fair number of dishes and in general had a great meal. The presentation on each dish was beautiful and the portions just right for a bite.

The menu listed each dish in Spanish with an English description underneath, this meant we ordered some dishes with very little understanding of how the components would be put together. It was a lot of fun to have the dish arrive and be surprised.

We started with the Croquetas de Jamon (traditional ham croquettes & aioli sauce), which had crispy exterior, not oily and soft ham filling. Next was the Pulpo a la gallega (octopus on top of potato slice) off their special menu. I loved the presentation of the dish, the octopus was soft and I liked the light flavours of the olive oil and paprika. We ordered one of their cheeses that’s served with a slice of quince jam and sourdough bread along with the Ensalada Rusa (Spanish potato salad). The dish wasn’t what I expected but I think it’s what we ordered. There wasn’t much potato but I liked the ham and crunchy bread stick things.

The Pimientos Rellenos De Buey (oxtail stuffed picollo peppers) were delicious and the only dish I wish had a bigger serving. With the Pimientos De Padrón (blistered peppers and sea salt) our server warned us that some of the peppers might be very spicy and it would be hit or miss. We only got two spicy ones out of the whole plate and they were delicious. I loved the charred flavour of the peppers. A lot of mayonnaise was involved with the Patatas Bravas Con Huevos Fritos (potatoes and fried egg). The Jamon Serrano (24 month cured salted serrano) was a good drink downer.

We felt the need for some more greens and ordered the Ensalada De Aguacate (avocado salad with butter lettuce). The avocado was perfectly ripe and sliced very thin. My favourite dish of the night was the Paella De Carne Mixta (paella with confit duck leg, braised lamb rib, quince and fresh beans). The rice was infused with all the flavours in the dish, the savoury of the duck and the sweetness of the quince. The lamb was a little lost for me and I couldn’t pick it out. I was scraping the burnt rice off the pan, making sure I didn’t leave a single tasty grain.

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.