I fell in love with raw oysters about 5 years ago. The treat was fairly costly and as a new grad, my friends and I would often visit restaurants specifically for their oyster deals; buck-a-shuck nights were well researched. When The Hubby and I started dating, we went to a seafood night at one of his friends’ that included freshly shucked oysters. It was like a lightbulb going off, we could shuck oysters ourselves at home for way less than $1 each! Since then, fresh oysters have become a regular appetizer whenever we host friends, celebrate special occasions, or if the craving hits.

The first time we bought oysters to shuck at home, it was a pretty scary and nerve wracking experience. We watched lots of Youtube videos. After attempting to open one, I left the rest to The Hubby and settled into my role of eater. Today, I’m more comfortable with a shucker but I wish I’d known about Oyster Boy’s Shuck U program earlier! I had the opportunity to participate in the 2 hour course and learned plenty about oysters and how to shuck them safely while sipping on sparkling wine and feasting on our hard work.

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

Oyster Boy is one of the best seafood restaurants in Toronto and offers a wide selection of oysters from both the East and West coast. On weekends, the restaurant runs their Shuck U program in the afternoon, which teaches participants about oysters in the first hour, and then turns hands-on during the second. Classes cost $55 and have a max of 12 students, keeping the course intimate with lots of interaction with the staff. Everyone gets a platter of 18 oysters and leave with their own shucker and Oyster Boy t-shirt or toque.

During our class, the VP of Atlantic Shellfish was there to talk about how his company cultivates oysters in the wild. Atlantic Shellfish is a major supplier of east coast oysters including the popular Malpeque oyster. It takes about 4-6 years for an oyster to make it to market and babies start at about the size of a pinkie nail. Today, oysters are available throughout the year and fisherman go out in ice-breaking ships to harvest them when the water freezes over.

Chris is the head oyster shucker at the restaurant and shared a few more facts about oysters before showing us his technique. Oysters are an important keystone species, that does an unbelievable job at filtering water. Oysters are being introduced along the coast in the US to help restore ecosystems. The flavour of an oyster depends on their merroirr (similar to a wine’s terroir but with regards to the water). Water flow, salinity and the feed available all change the taste of the oyster.

After learning all about oysters, Chris showed us his “wiggle wiggle pop” technique for getting into the hinge of the oyster and how to leverage the shucker against the shell itself to open. I found the 18 tuxedos we were provided were all quite pretty and easy to open, much easier than some I’ve battled at home. The staff was very helpful and circled the area offering help and tips if needed. For stubborn oysters, I liked how the staff helped but didn’t take over. Safety was first and foremost with staff making sure everyone was pointing their shuckers down and bracing the oyster with folded tea towels.

Shuck U was super fun, entertaining and informative. I found the 2 hours flew by and the oysters were delicious. The Hubby and I had a great time and the class was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Oyster Boy also makes a very tasty Caesar topped with a high mound of horseradish, a perfect companion to the first hour.

Saku Toronto is another restaurant that I heard about through Instagram. I drooled while scrolling through photos of elaborate rolls and fresh sashimi. Knowing that dinner at Saku would involve lots of photography, I stopped by with fellow blogger Grace of FoodintheCityToronto to indulge our cameras and stomachs.

Atmosphere: Saku was pretty, hip restaurant with exposed brick, a stocked bar and neon lighting accents. Halfway through dinner, the lights dimmed to create a more intimate atmosphere. The leather booths were roomy and comfortable.

Service: I ran into a lot of service hiccups that night, right from my first interaction with the hostess. We had made a reservation and I was running a bit late. I told the hostess the name of the reservation and she showed me to a booth at the back of the restaurant. Once I settled in, I spotted Grace sitting at another table. Dishes came quickly, but aside from dropping off plates, no one checked in on us and it took some frantic waving to get our bill.

Food: Saku had a regular dinner menu and a special menu. Reading through both, I was tempted by almost all the rolls and sushi. I would say we ended up ordering enough food to feed 3 or 4 people, but still had room for dessert.

From the selection of rolls, we narrowed down to trying a torched salmon roll with avocado and crab meat, and the Saku roll with tuna, scallop, cilantro and jalapeno. Between the two, I really liked the torched salmon. Topped with creamy mayonnaise, the salmon was fresh, sweet and worked well with the fillings. With the Saku roll, I liked the spice of the jalapeno and the cilantro, but didn’t expect the filling to be minced. This meant each bite had no variety in texture, just a consistent mush, and could’ve used some kind of crunch. Both rolls had a good rice to filling ratio and fresh ingredients.

The quality of the fish at Saku was truly showcased in the Chef’s Selection sashimi bowl ($18). Our half order had over 12 pieces, a great value for the selection and freshness. I loved that seared tuna and fresh scallop was included. From the tapas menu, we tried the Saku ceviche that included chunks of salmon, tuna, mango and avocado. The dish had a strong acidity, perfect for a ceviche, and the chunks of mango added some sweetness.

At this point, we still had a platter of Chef’s Special Aburi to devour. A platter of 12 stunning pieces of nigiri was served, that was almost too pretty to eat. Each piece was already dressed with sauce, lightly torched and individually garnished. This platter was only $20, an amazing deal. The photos really speak for themselves. I would highly recommend trying out the aburi.

We ended dinner with a slice of match tofu cheesecake, which was light, and not too sweet. Perfect after a full (very full) sushi meal. Overall, I would be back in a heartbeat for the quality and selection of sushi at Saku, but there were a few service wrinkles to iron out which knocks down their rating in my mind.

Poised to be the new hotspot of Queen West, Entice Culinary Lounge opened their doors last month and I got to check out the neon lit bar first hand with Sandi (from Foodaholic). Another attraction of the bar, besides the glasses of red wine, was the countertop of screens playing black and white movies, lighting up each drink. We spent the evening sampling scrumptious bites from the kitchen prepared by Chef Ryan Wilson-Lall and sous Chef Justin Cleva.

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

From deboned chicken cordon bleu to Korean beef ribs to carbonara ravioli, the menu items we sampled at Entice showed off the wide variety of dishes available. Each bite was also tasty, garnished with detail and consistent. Considering the volume of food being served in the packed dining area, this was an impressive feat. I especially enjoyed the chicken cordon bleu, a dish rarely seen on menus today, that was juicy and tender with a crisp, crunchy exterior.

In addition to savoury items, I also had the chance to try the no bake chocolate biscuit cake and fig and cherry (marzipan mousse with kiwi compote) desserts. While the biscuit cake was dense and rich, the fig and cherry was light and refreshing. Great options for whatever your dessert preference.

Entice offers daily menu specials including crab smash Thursday and family style fish Fridays. A full brunch menu is also available on weekends.

After splitting a burger at Frankie’s, The Fiance and I moved onto the main course at Fonda Lola. The restaurant has been on my radar since they opened at the end of 2013 with rave reviews.

Atmosphere: I was surprised at how small the restaurant was. This could have been because a large party of 10+ was just finishing up their meal and occupied half of the tables. The space was cozy and intimate with natural wood tables that reminded me of outdoor picnic tables. The beautiful patterned blue plates added a festive touch to each table. One thing that stood out to me was how many of the diners were families, some with small children. It was nice to see a “hip” restaurant be so family friendly.

Service: Service at Fonda Lola was friendly and efficient. Our server explained the menu items for us in detail and each dish arrived at a quick pace in succession. During the day, I had tweeted my excitement about finally visiting the restaurant. Half way through our meal, we were treated to two bite size pieces of their famous candied bacon, a truly nice gesture.

Food: Since we had each just eaten half a burger, our hunger wasn’t at peak. This was a mistake as the entire menu looked appetizing. We had to be strategic in our ordering to save room for churros, a must.

For starters, we ordered the Jefe Snack and Trout Aguachile. When I read homemade potato chips, I was not expecting a rolled tortilla with stuffing and deep fried. For $4, it was an interesting dish to try. The Trout Aguachile was sour, much more sour than a ceviche and so good. The fish was fresh, the chips served alongside were addictive and the sour burned my poor chapped lips a little, but I kept eating. Our surprise bite of jalapeno candied bacon was delightful. The bacon was a great balance between sweet, super spicy and savoury. Once I’m done this wedding diet, I’ll be back for a full portion all to myself.

As our main, the Fiance and I split an order of Carnitas, served in a small cast iron pan with 4 amazing soft shell corn tortillas. These tortillas had an intense corn flavour and were a great texture. Somehow, it also seemed like the limes Fonda Lola used were extra fragrant, not more sour but just had a stronger lime taste. I found the carnita meat itself a little dry but I liked the added char from the cast iron.

Even though I was full, I had to try the Churros con Cajeta and Fonda Lola was kind enough to indulge my request for a half order. Again, this is another dish that I need to come back for. The dessert was heavenly with the thick, creamy, sweet sauce and perfectly deep fried dough.

Overall, I can understand why Fonda Lola is always packed when I walk by. The restaurant has a small menu with great variety and serves up Mexican food with bold, authentic flavours. If you’re there with a bigger group, you can order the whole menu, a Mexican Fiesta, for just $150.

Two weeks ago, The Fiance and I were near Ossington and Queen, taking a workshop to make our own wedding bands. The workshop ended at 8pm, but we had made reservations at a restaurant nearby for 9pm, just in case. I tried moving our reservation up earlier with no luck. Since we were both starving but still wanted to keep our reservation, we decided to pop into Frankie’s for a pre-dinner beer. We ended up being tempted by their burgers.

Atmosphere: Frankie’s is well known for being featured on the reality TV show, Restaurant Makeover. I’m not acquainted with their previous digs, but the current set up is like a diner. The majority of customers sat at the bar, in front of the TV and few booths/tables were occupied. Most of the diners also seemed like regulars stopping by for a few pints. While the restaurant’s name includes the “cafe”, Frankie’s felt closer to a bar.

Service: Walking into the restaurant, we were welcomed by one of two bartenders and told to grab a seat anywhere. We chose to sit at the bar along with everyone else. Service was friendly and almost too efficient. Our plate was cleared as I was chewing my last bite. There were no settings on the bar and cutlery was brought over along with our burger, adding to the more bar than cafe feel.

Food: Since we still had dinner to come, the Fiance and I shared one of Frankie’s speciality burgers, which was still a lot of food. We chose the burger that was their play on a Big Mac. The burger was double stacked and topped with cheese, lettuce, pickle and a special sauce. I thought the burger was good, the buns were soft and fresh and the sauce was reminiscent of Big Mac sauce. Where Frankie’s fell short was the patty. The beef was packed tight and the meat was lean. Each bite was kind of chewy and I prefer my patties less dense.

We loved the hand cut fries. These were cooked perfectly, crispy outside with lots of potato skin. Overall Frankie’s served up a decent burger, but there’s a lot of burger competition in Toronto these days and the bar has been raised.

One of the most anticipated restaurant openings last year was The Good Son from Chef Vittorio Colacitti, a participant in season 4 of Top Chef Canada. Reservations have been hard to come by. I tried unsuccessfully to get a table in November two weeks in advance for a group of 8. To avoid the Valentine’s Day rush, The Fiance and I decided to celebrate on the Friday and a table for two was easier to book (still at least 2 weeks in advance).

Atmosphere: The first feature of the restaurant I loved was the separate lobby/coat check area from the dining room. There’s a calm space to come in from the cold, deal with bulky jackets before being comfortably escorted to your table. The dining area itself had high ceilings, intimate lighting, a cozy fireplace and roomy armchairs. I felt like I was having dinner in a Victorian library or den. Walls were filled with mix matched framed black and white photographers, mirrors and grandfather clocks. A good balance between hipster and old-school charm.

Service: Service that night was 90% impeccable. Our server was friendly, professional and walked us through the menu. We had ordered a good a number of small dishes and he made sure they arrived in courses, not overwhelming us at once. The restaurant was full that night and the heavy armchairs made the dining area crowded. Another server who was taking care of the tables behind us asked me multiple times to shift my chair to get around one way, when there was ample space on the other side. Not a big deal once or twice, but an annoyance the third time.

Food: Dinner started with cocktails from The Good Son’s Winter Classic selection. I went with a Hot Apple Buttered Rum and The Fiance chose the Brandy Apple Cider. Both drinks came with a slice of dehydrated apple seasoned with cinnamon and brown sugar. Both drinks were delicious. My buttered rum was rich and warming. I also ordered Mulled Wine that was perfect. I can’t wait to see what spring brings.

We started Steak Tartare and Yellowtail Tiradito. Both dishes were top-notch. The tartare was well seasoned and served with a generous pour of olive oil. I’m slowly converting The Fiance to being a fan of tartare and this dish was a big help. The tiradito was also sublime, with depth of texture and flavour. I liked the thin, crispy lotus root chips and the fish was beautiful.

Second “course” was the Charcuterie and Cheese board, a solid competitor to other restaurants in Toronto. I liked the choice of cheese from creamy to aged and salty to savoury. The lardo was melt in your mouth and the accompaniments were perfect.

Our main course was a Salsiccia Pizza and the Grilled Octopus. It seems like every restaurant has octopus on their menu now. If they all prepared the dish as well as The Good Son, it’s a trend I’m happy to see. The octopus was soft, tender and charred. While the peppers didn’t add any spice, there was ample from the chorizo. The wood oven pizza was one of the best I’ve had in Toronto with a thin crust, lots of cheese and fresh toppings.

After all this food, the dessert menu still managed to tempt us. We split an order of the Apple Upside Down cake, that was a sweet ending to a great meal. The cake was dense but airy, sweet and tart. We also fought over the single scoop of vanilla gelato that was so rich in flavour.

Atmosphere: I made reservations for a Friday night and when we arrived at 7:30pm the restaurant was already in the full swing of dinner service. We were seated in a cozy table at the back of the restaurant. Each wall was filled with oyster themed art, old photographs and maps. The decor and light wood furniture reminded me of a boat cabin, a very fitting feeling. I’d recommend the restaurant for a comfortable date night or casual group dinner; Oyster Boy really is a fit for any occasion that calls for great food.

Service: After battling Toronto traffic we parked and made it to the restaurant 5 mins past our reservation time. We were seated right away with menus. Our server came by to take our drink orders and listed off the daily specials. We had a hard time deciding on which of the baked oysters to go with and she gave us more detailed tasting notes on each of the four choices that helped a lot. Our raw oysters came right away but there was a bit of a lag before the hot entrees arrived. Our server came to check on us before we even noticed the wait, which was great.

Food: To start we ordered a half dozen Pemaquid oysters from New England. I liked that the menu included the size of the oyster, which helped us decide which one to try. After indulging all of my oyster cravings the BF is now more open to eating them and becoming proficient in shucking. He does prefer the sweeter, smaller, not so meaty varieties and the Pemaquid were perfect. Following this, we ordered two each of the Bellwoods, Rustico and Royal baked oysters. These little shells were hot, covered in melted cheese and full of broth. My favourite was the Royal because I liked how the sherry balanced the seafood flavour of the oyster. The Rustico tasted like a pizza and the Bellwoods had a nice spicy kick.

For entrees, the BF ordered the daily special of fish tacos, I had the Dungeness Crab and Bay Scallop pappardelle and we split a plate of Oyster Boy Fries with chipotle mayo. The tacos were really large potions, using at least 6′ flour tortillas (maybe even 8’?). Wedges of lime were served alongside but they weren’t necessary. The sauce on the taco itself had plenty of acidity already. The dish was ok, solid but it was hard to compare to the amazing-ness that was the pappardelle. The pasta was loaded with tender seafood and the lemon butter sauce was rich and savoury in flavour while being light and smooth in consistency. Each strand of pappardelle was thin and served al dente. This was the kind of dish that makes me want to re-visit a restaurant the next day. As a side, the fries were ok and I liked the use of an oyster shell to house the chipotle mayonnaise. I’ve heard great things about Oyster Boy’s onion rings and will have to try that next time.

Near the end of our meal, our server asked my Twitter handle and it turned out she runs the @OysterBoyTO account. She asked if I was interested in an Oyster Boy T-shirt and I got to take home this sweet T-shirt, the icing on the cake of a great dinner.

During each liciousTO event I like to organize a group meal at a new restaurant for my friends, which usually means a party of 8-10. I look for a restaurant with more than three entree options and a dining area large enough to fit us comfortably. Destingo fit both of these criteria and was my top choice based on their consistent positive reviews.

Atmosphere: Wood grain tables, exposed cement walls and large glass pendant lights make up the dining space. The kitchen is fully open to the seating area and bottles of wine line the wall across from individual washrooms. Every square foot of the restaurant is economically designed and serves a function. With this, there’s plenty of room to seat several large groups without worry about elbow room. The noise level at the beginning of dinner was comfortable but as more customers arrived, the decibels increased and echoed making conversation difficult. Our table also got chillier as the night went on.
Service: The service that night was friendly but unorganized with a slight frantic feel. Our entire meal took 3 hours and while this was nice to hang out with friends and no one really minded, it was longer than I had planned for. We waited a good 20 minutes after ordering before appetizers arrived and another good amount of time after plates were cleared before entrees were served. Our server was wonderful and brought bread refills between the two courses. One of my friends also managed to spill his water and that was quickly cleaned up.

Food: Two bread boards were served with an amazing sweet butter that was quickly devoured. This was one instance where the butter was finished with bread left behind (very little). I ordered the Verde Salad for my appetizer and the BF had the calamari. Our table heavily favoured the calamari with only one person ordering the soup of the day, cream of mushroom. Portions were generous and my salad was very refreshing with slices of apple, nutty walnuts, plentiful parmesan cheese and a light dressing. The greens served with the calamari was more heavily dressed. The squid itself was grilled, not battered and tender, easy to bite through. I loved the olives and capers making the dish feel like a traditional antipasto.

The BF and I both ordered the New Zealand lamb and I snagged a piece of the Quattro Funghi Pizza from a friend. My lamb was cooked to a medium rare, tender and had a good gamey flavour while the mint sauce was fresh and not overpowering. The dish was well executed and used colourful vegetables to round out the presentation. I really liked the crust on the pizza, paper thin and crispy. I found the asiago a little strong for my taste and masked the mushrooms a bit. I didn’t get to try the Chicken Parmigiana but heard good things and the bite of Pappardelle I had was delicious. The pasta was thin, al dente and almost made me wish I had ordered that as my main. As for portions, the lamb was the smallest dish but still a good size while the pizza and pasta were on the larger side.

I did get to sample all the desserts and my favourite was the Tiramisu, followed closely by the Molten Chocolate Cake. The apple strudel was only ok, especially after the amazing Apply Purse I had at Bent. The tiramisu was rich, creamy and had a wonderful coffee flavour. The Molten Chocolate Cake was more dense and less molten than I had expected but nonetheless tasty.

I’ve been reading rave reviews about Ursa since they opened this year and have been waiting for an opportunity to check it out. I called for a reservation two days earlier, hoping to get a decent time slot on a Friday night with only two people. All the tables had been long booked, but there was room at the bar, which was fine for me. I actually enjoy sitting at the bar sometimes to catch a glimpse of how things come together.

Atmosphere: The room was very dimly lit, a cozy space with a lot of natural wood finish. This seems to be the trend in a lot of new restaurants in Toronto (Marben, Guu, etc). I loved all the hanging pendant lights throughout the dining area, which I forgot to take a picture of. It reminded me a lot of Luma.  There was also a strong…hipster vibe. The matching bartenders, with slicked back here, checker shirt, suspenders, horn rimmed glasses and British accents really fit the scene. I almost wonder what they look like when they’re not working and if the “hipster” uniform if a mandate. Overall, it was a great place for an intimate dinner, may be a little harder for large groups.

Service: Each plate was brought out quickly and plates were cleared promptly. I’m not sure if this was because we were sitting at the bar or not, but our water glasses were always re-filled by the bartender and I must’ve gone through a litre myself so that was a point worth praise. We also had questions when it came to the menu and the difficult decision of choosing mains, which the server was happy to answer and offer their opinion. I always appreciate when a server genuinely recommends specific items on their menu.

Food: For our appetizer, we split the Elk Tartare with a yuzu glaze. I’d never tried Elk before, and I love tartar, it was the obvious choice and I was very happy with it. The dish didn’t taste very gamey, even less so compared to steak tartare.

I ordered the wild boar for my entrée and my dinner partner had the partridge and waffle. The wild boar literally fell apart when we dug in, so tender and moist. I would highly recommend this dish. Evidenced by how many orders of this plate arrive at other tables around us, it’s popular for a good reason.

The partridge itself was well cooked and tender. I wasn’t a fan of the waffles, I found them a touch stale but my friend enjoyed the mix of textures with the wild mushrooms. It was a good dish, but between the two, I loved the wild boar.

Not pictured is the dessert. We shared a flourless chocolate mousse with fresh sea berries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea-buckthorn) and lime cream. The mousse was very rich and the berries and cream were very sour, too sour and rich to eat alone, but together the flavours did complement each other.

I was a little worried at first as my dining companion had been on a  somewhat vegan diet before that night and with all the game meats we had ordered, but there was no need. All of the entrees were delicate, no heavy creams or gravies involved and the portions were just right