Carts No More!

I've always had mixed feelings about ordering dim sum from those little carts they wheel around. Usually I'm there for a reason: I have an insatiable craving for steamed shrimp dumplings and nothing else will do. If I'm lucky, the cart with all the steamed items comes rolling by just when I sit down. But most of the time, it's total frustration as carts pass by with every possible alternative.

Well, there's no reason to wait for those carts anymore...

Cha Liu's intimate space overlooks bustling Yonge Street near the corner of Eglinton. It would have been easy to walk right by the place, but the byline "dim sum shop" caught our attention just as we started musing over take-out places for dinner that night. Cha Liu's menu has over 20 steamed and 18 fried and pan seared items. Twenty minutes later, we were out the door with two orders of steamed shrimp dumplings (4 pieces per order at $4.50), one order of steamed shrimp, scallop and asparagus dumplings (3 pieces at $4.50) and one order of beef sui mai (4 pieces at $3.50). We weren't sure how well they'd survive the trip home so we decided not to go overboard in ordering. Turns out they travel very well! But to be honest, I prefer a table by the window during lunch time.

Dynasty's large bustling dining room overlooks Bloor Street between Bay Street and Avenue Road. When you sit down, all of the options are laid out in front of you: a regular menu with several pages of entrees, and a dim sum menu with check-boxes beside nearly 75 choices of varying sizes (S, M, L, XL and XXL), and a pen. The first item listed? Steamed shrimp dumplings. Hmmm... this is looking very promising indeed!

We took the menu by storm and nearly every dish impressed. Besides three orders of you know what, we sampled steamed seafood dumplings with chive, pan fried beef buns, crispy shrimp rolls, steamed BBQ pork buns, deep fried octopus fingers, baby bok choy in supreme broth and a few others I can't remember. I usually frown at Chinese desserts (if it doesn't have chocolate, what's the point?) but the steamed sweet egg yolk buns were a sweet way to end the meal and helped ease the sting of the bill ($35 per person on our first trip; $20 per person on our second).

Both places are dangerous if you have frequent cravings for dim sum...easy to get to, open all day and consistently good! Oh, and at dinner, Dynasty delivers...

Cha Liu Dim Sum Shop

2352 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor

http://www.chaliu.com/

Dynasty Chinese Cuisine

131 Bloor St W, 2nd Floor

www.toronto.com/dynasty

It's What's Inside That Counts

Street appeal is over-rated. Toronto is filled with hole-in-the-wall looking joints that belie the culinary delights within. Case in point: Cafe California, at 538 Church Street. I'm sure I would have walked right by it had I been in charge of picking a lunch spot (even it's website has no photos of the exterior...). Turns out my friend is neighbours with the owner and has eaten there many times, so that's where we went.

Inside, we found a light-filled and colourful space with the pleasant scents of oregano, garlic and smoked paprika in the air. I had their "signature" Chicken Santa Barbara Salad, a delicious mixture of fresh greens with roasted pine nuts, raisins and mushrooms tossed in a sun-dried tomato and basil pesto vinaigrette and topped with a sliced grilled marinated chicken breast ($16). The generously sized portion could have easily fed two.

The owner stopped by to say hello and we chatted for a while. He moved from Spain and opened the restaurant 20 years ago and hopes to return to Spain in a few years when he retires. When we asked how the economic downturn was affecting the restaurant business, his take was that high-end spots would be hurt the most, but "good value" places like his would survive. Judging from Boba's recent closure and business on this mid-day afternoon, he could be right.

Cafe California, 538 Church Street, http://www.dine.to/cafecalifornia

Bulldog Boycott & Kahawa Karma

I took another chance on Bulldog Coffee this afternoon - and the barista (a different guy than last time) was even meaner than the first!

http://yyzine.blogspot.com/2008/02/bulldog-barista-is-anything-but.html

He was ok with me (no sneers or snide remarks), but he yelled at a couple for not standing in the right spot in line, and when the woman in front of me (who had ordered three drinks: 2 lattes and a chai latte) asked if the drink he had just plunked down in front of her was the chai latte, he answered snarkily "The chai latte will be the one that DOESN'T have espresso in it."

OK, that's it. I'm now officially boycotting the place!

Contrast that experience with my impromptu stop at Kahawa Coffee House on College Street. Fully planning to caffeinate at Manic Coffee (http://yyzine.blogspot.com/2007/09/manic-mania.html), I have to admit Kahawa's sign on the street with its bold statement about organic, fair trade beans roasted on-site caught my attention and the next thing I knew I was ordering a latte and chatting up the barista. Originally from Vancouver, where he learned his tricks of the trade, he was recently brought on board as manager and roaster. He sounded relieved that Toronto was finally becoming a world class city as far as coffee is concerned. Judging from the drink he made me, I'd have to agree.

Kahawa* Coffee House

388 College Street

http://www.kahawacoffeehouse.com/

*Swahili for coffee

Carnivore's Delight

I don't even know where to begin in describing the delightful evening we had last night at Cowbell. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed into this cozy space on Queen W and encouraged to relax and savour a meal made from organic locally grown and raised ingredients.


We started with a glass of sparkling riesling and a toast to the New Year. As we caught up with friends we hadn't seen in a while, it struck us that our waiter (who we later learned was Dining Room Manager Neal Murphy) gave us all the time and space we needed. No annoying interruptions to the conversation to see if we were ready to order, no exasperated looks trying to hurry us along. When nodrog casually mentioned "we should think about ordering," Neal suddenly appeared, ready to explain each dish in detail so we'd be sure to make an informed choice.

Selecting from the 6 appetizers and 8 mains(right) proved to be a challenge, as everything sounded so good. By the time we turned to ordering, several items had already been wiped off the chalkboard. My country duck terrine was terrific and well paired with the honey saffron pear, but I was regretted not trying the many options served on the charcuterie plate. The burger, served medium rare and topped with smoked venison salami, was juicy and delicious.

Cowbell practices "whole animal cooking," using all parts of an animal in the interests of thrift and culinary exploration. When we were told that the meat served on the menu is butchered, smoked and cured just a floor below the dining room, we half-jokingly inquired about taking a tour. "Oh sure, I'll ask Chef to stop by later" was the reply.

What elevated the experience from a meal worthy of return visits to a memorable event was the personal tour of the kitchen, prep area and meat locker with none other than chef/owner Mark Cutrara. For amateur foodies like ourselves, the chance to schmooze with Mark about his cooking philosophy, sous vide, what it takes to run a successful restaurant, and his picks for places to eat in Toronto were an extra special treat! (no, I'm not telling).

Cowbell
1564 Queen Street West @ Sorauren
416-849-1095
www.cowbellrestaurant.ca

GAGA OVER AGO

I suppose all cities obsess over their latest architectural additions, but I'd have to say that Toronto goes above and beyond other places I've lived. In Seattle, there was certainly a lot of excitement over Frank Gehry's Experience Music Project in 2000 and Rem Koolhaas' Central Public Library in 2004, not to mention the boost in civic pride when the New York Times architecture critic gave each a big thumbs up -- but the city soon moved on. Not so Toronto. Raging debates continue about the Royal Ontario Museum's multi-million dollar makeover last year (from "it's an inspired juxtaposition of old and new" to "what the hell were they thinking?"), with my take on it being "it's a great building, but lousy gallery space." And now the much-anticipated re-opening of a revamped, Frank Gehry-designed Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).

I have to admit, Gehry's stock as a starchitect fell drastically after we visited his winery in Spain, which seems less about designing a building and more about affixing a wild metal sculpture onto a simple structure. And though I absolutely adore the Disney Performing Arts Center he created for Los Angeles (not to mention the acoustics), I can't help but think of the poor people living in the apartments across the street who have to deal with the glare and soaring temperatures resulting from the reflections off the building's chrome exterior.


But his AGO is something entirely different altogether!

The best view of the building must be from above at a bit of a distance. At street level, it's hard to take in its full effect. But its sweeping lattice grabs your attention and beckons you inside, where the real drama of this building lies. The douglas fir, the natural light and the views from the hallways and spiral staircase, all conspire to create a comfortable and welcoming space that's ideal for experiencing art.

With all due respect to the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson, I'm not sure the collection warrants the $18 admission fee. Luckily we somehow managed to find the guest passes our real estate agent gave us back in July 2007 when the AGO closed for the renovations, but there's always the option of getting in for free on Wed evenings. On second thought, with the 10% member discount in the gift shop (which has some of the most interesting ceramics and jewelry I've seen in this city), maybe we'll just join instead!

AGO

317 Dundas W

http://www.ago.net/home

Napa in the Making?

Well, maybe that's going a little too far. But the wine region around Neuquén, Argentina more than satisfied our wanderlust (not to mention our palates) for two days while our husbands were working all day. With the help of the hotel staff, we were on our way in a car with a guide within two hours of asking how we could get out to the three wineries that give public tours. Victoria not only spoke English well, she worked for three years at one of the wineries, teaches wine tasting courses and is studying to be a sommelier!

On our daily jaunts to the wine region, we zipped passed Southwestern U.S.-looking terrain, groves of apple trees and rambleshack parillas. We criss-crossed the Neuquén river between Neuquén and Rio Negro provinces. We tasted Parker-esque malbecs, merlots, cabs and pinots at three wineries with high production values and restaurants with floor-to-ceiling windows of vineyards.

Our first stop on day 1 was NQN winery (http://www.bodeganqn.com/) where after a quick tour and wine tasting, we had a leisurely lunch. JM, a vegetarian traveler in one of the more carnivorous countries in the world, was particularly impressed with her salad ("a very flavorful and light salad, with green beans and corn."). My grilled pork with sweet potatoes and apple chutney was comfort food at its best. The post-meal cortado (a shot of espresso with steamed milk) helped to prevent napping on the way to our next stop, Bodega Fin del Mundo (literally, the end of the world). (http://www.bodegadelfindelmundo.com/).

On day 2, we took a different route across the Neuquén River, where we stopped to snap photos of the bridge, the deep blue water and three dogs napping nearby.



The final stop on our tour, Bodega Familias Schroeder (http://www.familiaschroeder.com/) had the least interesting wines but gorgeous landscaping (sweet-smelling lavender, palm trees, park benches) and an amazing restaurant that would have made Ferran Adrià proud, with his goal

"to provoke, surprise and delight the diner." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferran_Adria)

The chef at Saurus (named for the dinosaurs discovered under the building a few years back) pulled out all the stops for his only diners that day. To start, an amuse bouche of fruit ravioli with blueberry foam:

An appetizer of beet carpaccio with arugula, parmesan, berries and hazelnuts:

Entrees to satisfy meat-lovers and vegetarians alike (though a bit heavy on the carbs... yes, that's bacon-wrapped grilled chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and roasted potatoes on the side!).

And for dessert... white chocolate soup with floating chunks of pound cake and a dusting of dark chocolate!

The only thing missing was other people. Granted we visited on weekdays, but I have a feeling weekends are just as empty. Tourism is just beginning to creep into the region, and with the nearest major town a 45 minute drive away with not much in between, it unfortunately may be a long time in coming.

Not Your Usual College Town Cuisine

I've figured out a routine that works quite well when I'm on quickie business trips to less than top-tier destinations - as in my visit to Madison, Wisconsin this week!

*Book a room in a centrally located hotel.

*Check out the alternative weekly paper a few days before arriving - search for the best restaurants, coffee houses, wine stores, galleries and museums (if they don't have such a paper, reconsider the trip).

*Jot the top contenders in your little black moleskine book, google map them in relation to your hotel and be totally psyched to discover most are within walking distance.

*Arrive as early as possible on the day before the work begins.

*Buy the latest issue of the city's monthly magazine on your way out of the airport (if they don't have such a magazine, lower your expectations but remain cautiously optimistic).

*Review the information you've gathered and look for arrows pointing in the same direction. As in: the "chef of the year" on the cover of Madison Magazine was recently given an award by the James Beard Foundation and highlighted by the New York Times Magazine as Madison's "must visit restaurant." Hmm...where to have dinner?

*Give the impression that you're a reviewer from out-of-town without actually saying so. While ordering an espresso macchiato after lunch at the cafe connected to what Gourmet Magazine rates as being one of the best "farm-to-table" restaurants in the country, I casually mentioned that I was doing a taste test of espresso around town. Soon enough, the barista (a cute college kid) came over to regale me with stories of how they use fresh roasted fair trade beans and local milk from grass-fed cows, and how I can try the same coffee with milk from a different dairy farm a few doors up the street. Oh, and a delicious drink with foam art in the shape of an apple, stem and leaf!

*Enter stores with a clear mission, as in: "I've read about your artisanal cheeses and I'm here to buy a 1/4 pound of four varieties that will travel well back with me to Toronto. What do you have for me to taste?" and "I'm looking for wines I can't get back in Toronto - you know, they have government-run liquor stores there and the selection isn't great."

Places I'd go back to in a heart beat:

Cafe Soleil - the casual lunch spot of the famed L'Etoile Restaurant that's been serving up "seasonal menus...inspired by the artisans and small sustainable farms of the Midwest and... rendered with a French technique" since 1976. My $20 lunch was more than memorable: a cup of roasted cauliflower soup with bits of chorizo sprinkled on top with a drizzle of garlic olive oil and the market salad: local greens, pear, fennel, red onion, blue paradise cheese, pecans and creamy lemon-garlic vinaigrette, with slices of grilled chicken on the side. Oh, and the above-mentioned macchiato!

25 N Pinckney St, (608) 251-0500, http://www.letoile-restaurant.com/

Fromagination - a beautifully presented shop that has a "passion for spectacular artisan, specialty and organic cheeses." With the help of the knowledgeable man behind the counter, I sampled and smuggled back 4 cheeses that I don't think usually make it out of state. The descriptions (corrected for spelling) are theirs, but having just had a cheese plate for dinner with a couple of glasses of 2005 Tait Basket-Pressed Shiraz, I wouldn't argue with them:

Dante by WI Sheep Dairy Cooperative - a firm cheese made with sheep's milk from flocks in WI and nearby states; flavour is pleasantly sheepy, buttery and nutty.

Bandaged cheddar by Bleu Mont Diary - a hard British farmhouse-style cheddar, cloth-bound and cave-aged with big flavour and good balance.

Farmstead gouda by Holland's Family Farm - a hard traditional farmstead gouda made by a Dutch cheesemaker with WI cow's milk, with a sweet carmelized flavour (my favourite of the lot, with its crumbly, crystalline texture)

Pleasant ridge reserve by Uplands Cheese -a hard, handmade Alpine-style raw milk cheese, only made when the cows are grazing on pasture, with nutty and subtle floral notes.

12 S Carroll, (608) 255-2430, http://fromagination.com/

Fair Trade Coffeehouse is the perfect place to re-caffeinate, check email and transport yourself back to college. I wasn't able to report back to nodrog on the make and model of their grinder and espresso machine (I have got to remember to get that stuff down), but my latte was damn good!

418 State Street, (608) 268-0477, http://www.fairtradecoffeehouse.com/

Harvest Restaurant, two doors down from L'Etoile, received all the accolades noted above for its "menu enhanced by seasonal locally-grown, and organic ingredients." (See, I'm telling you... this is a foodie town!). The meal easily made up for the so-so service (long waits to order and between courses; a substitution request apparently denied), and were we really in a rush to get back to watch Obama and McCain rail into each other anyway?

Amuse bouche: Little white tureens of gazpacho (with a peppery kick)

Appetizers: Slow Roasted Beets,Toasted Hazelnuts, Ader Kase Reserve Blue Cheese, Hazelnut Vinaigrette ($8) & Salad of Field Greens, Herbs, Winter Vegetables, Sherry Walnut Vinaigrette ($6).

Entrees: A special of braised short ribs served on polenta ($27) & Porcini Salt Rubbed Angus Tenderloin, Spinach, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (missing but not substituted in my case), Porcini Mustard (36).

The total came to $50/person, each with appetizer, entree and non-alcoholic beverage (they had a reasonably priced and interesting wine list, including nearly a dozen half-bottles, but we had to be up early...).

21 N Pinckney St, (608) 255-6075, http://www.harvest-restaurant.com/

The Gift Shop at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (yeah, that's right - I don't actually recommend the museum itself, which should more appropriately be called "two small rooms of mediocre art"). The shop has a remarkable collection of jewelry, handbags, scarves, and crafts, many by Wisconsin artists. Kristin Lewis' Yofi scarves, "triple layer chiffon" are must-haves.

227 State Street, (608) 257-0158, http://www.mmoca.org/