There’s been lots of eating lately, and no time for posting about the eating. June is a busy month in the food scene. Which is why it’s been weeks since Greg and I have been to Fishbar (217 Ossington Avenue), but I’m only now getting around to posting my pics. We stopped by on a Saturday night and sat at the bar where owner Mark Moore kept us entertained and well fed. Above: the salmon tartar; wild caught BC salmon, with soy, apple and shiso, paired with housemade crackers.
The menu at Fishbar is mostly tapas-style offerings, so we worked through a few things. Oysters, of course, not pictured, and Fishbar usually has half a dozen different kinds. We were on a bit of a raw kick, and enjoyed the whitefish ceviche with coriander oil and and nest of sweet potato matchstick fries.
I’m all about the oily fish – we should be eating more of them; they’re tasty and eco-friendly – and these white anchovies on crostini with olive gremolata really hit the spot.
I’m not normally a big fan of shrimp – both because of their lack of flavour and the fishing practices used to catch them. But these big fat babies from the Mississippi were succulent; who needs the horseradish cocktail sauce to add flavour?
Calamari. Sriracha aioli.
And finally, a big ol’ grilled sardine from BC. (Eat more oily fish!) With salsa verde and arugula.
We checked out Smith Restaurant (533 Church Street) last week shortly after they opened. The former nightclub has become a restaurant with a lounge upstairs. It’s decorated to look like an old Blacksmith’s shop (hence the name) and chef Patrick McKnight offers a menu of classic comfort food. Above: olives, housemade bread and fried artichokes.
Fried chicken. Boneless, crispy, served atop stewed collard greens and ham gravy. Oh yeah.
Smith’s pork tenderloin, with napa cabbage, potatoes and double-smoked bacon hash.
We attended the opening party at La Societe, but it got a little too packed for us. Great for people-watching, not so great for having dinner. We’ll be going back to check it out soon. But Greg suggested that we head over to the rooftop lounge at the Park Hyatt Hotel (4 Avenue Road). I’d never been, so off we went and we were lucky enough to score a table on the 18th floor rooftop patio, with the most outstanding view of the skyline.
To go with my $21 martini (hey, no one said living the high life was cheap, and I’m a top shelf kind of girl), we order a variety of finger foods. These were crisp little veggie filled samosas.
Manchego cheese, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar… heaven.
The frites at the Rooftop Lounge are sort of automatically poutine. This version was topped with feta.
Potstickers with a sweet and sour sauce.
Wee donuts and a flourless chocolate cake for our dessert way up in the sky.
We were back in Yorkville this past weekend for the Celebrate Bloor Festival (well, we were there to see Platinum Blonde) and ended up at Creme Brasserie (162 Cumberland Street) for brunch. Creme is this lovely little French bistro tucked into a courtyard behind the Four Seasons. We started with a lobster and cantaloupe salad, and the server very nicely offered to have it split, so this is half a portion.
The smoked salmon scramble: smoked salmon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and leek hash, topped with lemon creme fraiche.
Poached eggs aux pistou – gorgeously runny poached eggs atop toasted brioche and asparagus, topped with pesto and parmesan. Served with salad and frites.
Mmmm, looks delicious! Especially the brunch-like offerings at Creme Brasserie. I’m also a sucker for amazing views and ice cream served in edible containers… so looks like I’ll be adding the rooftop lounge at the Hyatt to my expensive-but-lustworthy treats list. Thanks for sharing!