My husband grew up in Markham, went to high school in Markham and went to university in Toronto with a big group of his high school friends. Many of these friends still live in Markham today and whenever there’s a gathering, it’s often uptown. This is even more true now that babies have been added to the guestlist. Last summer, one of our friends who had been working in Hong Kong was back in town visiting, which prompted a large group dinner. His only restaurant request was non-asian. WIth this criteria and the size of our group, we picked Tapagria for dinner based on their positive reviews and tapas style menu. Overall, although atmosphere and service were excellent, I found the food fairly disappointing.

Atmosphere: Our group was set up in the small private room of the restaurant, which was richly decorated, but did not have any natural light. The room had one long table, small chandeliers, a navy and gold brocade wallpaper and white wall moulding. We were separated from the rest of the restaurant and could move around, switch seats and chat without worrying about disturbing other diners. In terms of privacy and a luxe feel, the private room at Tapagria was perfect.

Service: For large groups, an automatic gratuity of 18% is included in the bill. A few servers took care of our group and were all friendly and professional. As people trickled into the room, everyone’s drink orders were taken and we separated our order into four groups. The restaurant was very accommodating for separate bills and keep trying of complicated orders. I did find that dishes arrived from the kitchen in batches, which led to people who ordered similar items eating first while others waited.

Food: The Hubs and I decided to order a few Tapas dishes just for the two of us, which in hindsight limited the number of dishes we could try. For the two of us, we ordered 5 dishes that totaled to $60/person and was not filling. A few of these dishes had more expensive ingredients but I wasn’t quite satisfied with quality or quantity for the price.

From the Pintxos section of the menu, we tried the Smoked Eggplant ($5), a spread served on two slices of baguette. I liked the flavour of the eggplant and the textures. Next to arrive was the seared Foie Gras ($22). For the price, the piece of foie gras was a good portion and excellently seared. At this point, I still had high hopes for dinner after the first two bites, but we hit a few speed bumps with our seafood dishes. Both the Scallop Ceviche ($16) and Octopus Leg ($15) were disappointing from portion size to flavour. The scallops were sliced paper thin and lightly seasoned with olive oil and spices. I couldn’t really taste the scallop, there was so little with each bite. As for the octopus, the texture was gummy and inconsistent. I’ve tried similar dishes at other Spanish restaurants in Toronto that were better executed.

Our last dish was the Roasted Bone Marrow ($18) and this was my favourite plate of the night. There was a good amount of marrow in each bone and served on a bed of crostini. I would’ve liked a little bowl of sea salt to season each bite myself.

While we skipped out on the Paella, which takes 45 minutes to prepare, there were orders at our table and I got to try a few bites. Of what I tasted, I found the seasoning heavy handed. Another dish my friends ordered that looked good was the Artisanal Meat Board. I do think I would’ve enjoyed dinner more if we had ordered different menu items, but from this experience alone, I wasn’t a fan.

In 2014, my dinner at Bar Isabel was one of my favourite eats of the year. Since then, Chef Grant van Gameren has opened another restaurant, Bar Raval that I’ve fallen equally head over heels for, this time drawing inspiration from Barcelona. Bar Raval features a stunning mahogany bar that winds around the restaurant, turning the space into a cozy wooden grotto. Just walking into the space, I felt like I was in no longer in Toronto, and this was before the food had even arrived.

Atmosphere: After an afternoon walking the One of a Kind show and sampling artisan fudge, The Hubby and I had worked up an appetite but wasn’t starving. This was the best state for visiting Bar Raval, known for their no reservation policy and notorious wait list. We left our names with the restaurant and crossed the street to sip coffees at Aroma until a table was free. After about 30 minutes, my phone rang.

Walking into the restaurant, we were directed to an open spot at the bar. Bar stools were first come first serve and most of the diners were leaning on the expansive bar or around barrels that served as cocktail tables. Hooks for jackets and purses were available at intervals under the bar. The restaurant was packed with bodies, and every time I turned, I hit someone with a limb. With music playing and plenty of chatter, the noise level inside was pretty loud. You had to get close to each or yell a little to be heard. Being an “it” restaurant, Bar Raval’s crowd was ideal for people watching.

Service: Even though the space was more casual and bar like, we had a dedicated server to show us the menu, take our order and check in on us throughout the night. Each dish was served with a detailed explanation. We ordered drinks directly from the bartender, who was impressively efficient at multi-tasking. I felt like I could really improve my time management skills by watching him work.

Food: For drinks, The Hubby and I each ordered a cocktail. Both had a long list of ingredients, took several minutes to concoct and most importantly, boozy. We started with a half order of clams ($20) from Bar Raval’s collection of canned specialties, which range from $15 to $68. At first, I was skeptical, but after eating the first sweet, succulent clam I was sold. Fished along the Galician coast and hand-packed, these clams were worth every penny, and more.

Other cold dishes were tried were the olives, fresh and fragrant, and serrano ham, salty but sweet. For hot dishes, we had the Hot Octopus, Chicken Gizzards and Chorizo Sausage with Quail Eggs. Served in olive oil, the grilled octopus and potato were well seasoned, tender and a great pairing for alcohol. The chicken gizzards were also incredibly tender, charred, skewered, served on a slice of toasted bread and under a blanket of spicy sauce. The couple next to us eyed our chicken gizzards and promptly ordered a plate for themselves. Our last, and most substantial plate of the night was the chorizo sausage. I thought the mini quail eggs were cute but I would’ve loved more yolk. The sausage itself was spicy, flavourful and criss-crossed with grill marks. I finished off every piece of fried potato with the mayo like sauce. Delicious.

In general, I would say all of the dishes at Bar Raval were great accompaniments to a drink, the best kind of tapas. On my next visit, I have my eyes set on the canned seafood and marinated in house specialties.

Grapemasters is a Toronto based grape importer that aims to provide amateur winemakers with access to high quality grapes from vineyards all over the world. They’ve recently partnered with Spanish Vineyard, Mas de la Caçadora, to bring their customers frozen Spanish must, which enables their customers the flexibility to make world-class wine all year round. I was invited to a wine tasting held by Charles Fajgenbaum, a Certified Grand Master Winemaker and Grapemasters’ consulting winemaker, to taste wines made from the Spanish must. Juan Pujades, owner of Mas de la Cacodora was also present to provide an in-depth description of his grapes, wines and process.

Disclaimer: All drinks and dishes were provided free of charge by the restaurant. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

During the tasting, we sampled 2 red wines and 1 white (not pictured) from Juan’s wineyard and 2 wines made by Charles using the imported Spanish must. There was also 3 mystery wines for us to guess if they were made by Juan or Charles. All three Spanish wines we sampled are available by private order and at Patria. I’m no wine expert, in fact far from it but I do enjoy a good red with my steak.

• Rosa La Guapa – blend of Carignan, Grenache Noir, Merlot
• Quom – blend of Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon, Grenanche Noir

Of the 2 reds we sampled, I prefered the Rosa La Guapa, which was sweeter. We were also treated to a 100% Grenache Blanc, an example of an uncommon wine that is possible when making your own wine with Grapemasters’ grapes. Grenache is typically found in blends. This was my favourite wine of the night, full-bodied for a white wine and still light on the tongue.

The grapes are crushed and frozen immediately after harvest, shipped to Canada and kept frozen until required. Wines made from the frozen must have won awards in several wine competitions (including the Ontario Provincial Competition). In the future, Charles is also looking to source frozen must from Chile and Italy.

Charles also runs Fermentations! on Danforth Ave, that allows customers to make their own wine and beer starting all the way from the raw ingredients to bottling. I’ve bottled my own wine before, and the process was a lot of fun and a cheaper option than buying at the LCBO. Fermentations! offers a selection of over 100 wine recipes to choose from and truly caters to anyone who enjoys wine.

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.

Since opening in 2013, Bar Isabel has been featured in many “top restaurant” lists compiled by newspapers, magazines and blogs. I tried to make reservations in January for a friend’s birthday, two weeks in advance, and the only table available for a party of 3 was their 11:30pm seating. Sadly, we decided to choose a different venue for that dinner. I heard that Bar Isabel only reserves half their tables and leaves the other half open for walk-ins. So I figured the best bet to snag a seat was to show up with a small party, at an off hour and have all our fingers and toes crossed. The Fiance and I visited on a Friday night, at 8:30pm and grabbed seats at the bar with no wait. Amazing.

Atmosphere: The space was cozy and the atmosphere relaxed. Lighting was dim, making photos difficult, but creating an intimate and warm feeling. Background music was loud enough for conversations at other tables to blend into the background without drowning out the person next to you. Bar Isabel is the kind of restaurant I would take friends from out of town to. It feels just a bit hipster and can be as fancy or dressed down as you’d like.

Service: Sitting at the bar, we were served in part by the busy bartender. I was amazed at how efficient he was. Each cocktail had at least 10 steps (such complicated drinks) and used two or three tools/glassware, yet he had the time to wash everything in between mixing concoctions, clear our plates and make friendly small talk with diners. Each dish arrived with a detailed description and the server made sure there was room on the narrow bar before setting down the plate. Both the Fiance and I were ogling the giant ice cubes being used in drinks. When I asked the bartender about them, he took the time to write down the name and address of where I could find the trays.

Food: Menu items are encouraged to be shared and designed as such. Pursuing the menu, The Fiance and I decided that our strategy was to try as many dishes as possible. This meant we ordered 4 appetizers, skipped the “meat” section all together and I had to make the difficult choice between ordering the Octopus or Whole Sea Bream Ceviche. While I love octopus, the protein isn’t super exotic for me, so the Sea Bream won out. I do love ceviche.

We started with a plate of charcuterie featuring 3 cured meats and house pickles; a solid board with a variety of flavours and saltiness. Next up was a plate of Patates Bravas, crispy fried potatoes with blood sausage, covered in a spicy tomato sauce, garlic aioli and topped with pickled jalapeno. The potatoes were crispy, not too oily and the toppings provided lots of spicy, garlicky flavour. This dish was a great accompaniment to my glass of wine. Our third small plate was Sobrassada with Honey Montadito and Shaved Foie Gras. I loved this dish. When we ordered it, I wasn’t sure what to expect and what I ate, had my taste buds dancing. The dish consisted of a toasted slice of bread, spread with sobrassada, honey and topped with foie gras shavings. As soon at the shavings touched my lips, they melted into fatty goodness. I wanted to lick the plate. The sweetness of the honey perfectly complimented the richness of the foie gras. Order this dish.

Our last “appetizer” was Roasted Bone Marrow. Two generous, cut, bones were plated with toasted crostini, a plate of chimichurri sauce and a side of sea salt. The bone marrow was rich, indulgent and everything I could ask for, like meat flavoured butter. It’s one of my favourite dishes to order and Bar Isabel did not disappoint. Our only real entree dish was the Whole Sea Bream ceviche. The ceviche itself was in bite size pieces, mixed with avocado, topped with crispy green onion shreds, and served on the deep fried body of the fish. Being Chinese, 90% of the time when I eat fish, it’s whole so I appreciated the presentation and picked at parts of the head (can’t let those cheeks go to waste!). The chunks of avocado added a creaminess to the dish and helped cut the sourness of the ceviche. From all of the delicious plates that night, the sea bream was my second favourite.

I was stuffed by this point but we wanted to try dessert and decided to split the Leche Frita and Salted Dulce de Leche. I did not expect the serving to be so generous, four timbit sized orbs of thickened condensed milk. This was the one dish I wasn’t in love with. It was a solid dessert, but a little too rich and heavy for me with a strong milk flavour.

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.