Misty-eyed over food, that must be a first...

Mistura

I recently travelled to Toronto and decided to eat at Chef Massimo Capra’s Mistura having been recommended as something I had to try and having seen Chef Massimo on Cityline and seeing him on the food network I decided to go.

Chef Massimo Capra

To say that Mistura was a religious experience is a gross understatement.  From the moment I walked through the doors I knew I was in for a very special experience.  The restaurant is spectacularly decorated, the staff exemplary, attentive and friendly and never have I seen such attention to detail.

Our meal began with Buffala Mozzarella and Carpaccio Di Manzo, both of which I have had many opportunities to sample elsewhere, however nothing on this scale or exquisite flavour.  When I savoured the very first bite of my carpaccio, it quite literally brought tears to my eyes and took my breath away.  Never have I’ve eaten something so incredible, I wish I could have frozen that very moment in time and replay it over an over again.

Carpaccio

My dinner companion was equally taken aback by the taste of her Buffala, she exclaimed with bright eyes opened wide that never had she eaten something so delicious.  The presentation of the dish along with the attention to detail right down to the jellied balsamic vinegar and grilled eggplant was nothing short of heavenly.

Buffala Mozzarella wrapped in grilled eggplant

Next we enjoyed a pasta dish with sweet sausage in a tomato based sauce and Capesante (scallops).  Again we were brought to our knees at the incredible flavour that the kitchen had prepared for us and savoured every last morsel.  My friend, who is not normally a huge fan of sausage, marvelled at how delicious her meal was and even stated how she wished she could eat it all over again.

Pasta with sweet sausage in tomato sauce

I am a huge fan of scallops and have been ordering them on a more frequent basis trying to satisfy my craving for that perfectly prepared dish.  I had even hesitated ordering them at Mistura due to the fact that I had so often been disappointed with them everywhere else that I had.  I’m so glad that I did as I shudder to think what I would have missed out on.  The first thing I was in awe of was the sheer size of them.   Never have I seen such massive scallops seared to utter perfection.  The presentation of the dish was such a delight it was a travesty to even taste it.  Again when I took in that first heavenly bite, it stopped me dead in my tracks and I sighed in relief proclaiming “finally, this is what I’ve been looking for.”  And again my eyes began to tear up as I took in every millisecond of that bite.  The dish was nothing short of genius and having all of this paired with the incredible bottle of 2007 Amarone red wine made it that much better.

Seared scallops over white bean purée, crispy duck prosciutto,
pea shoot salad & brown butter brandy sauce

Huge scallops!

Last but not least, we treated ourselves to Tortina Dark Chocolate Brownie with amarena cherries, praline ice cream and salted caramel.  I am a huge fan of brownies despite not having a very sweet tooth.  Again we were rendered speechless at the flavours that burst forth as well as the sheer artistry of the dessert.  Thankfully no one was injured when fighting over the last few delectable crumbs.

Dark Chocolate Tortina "Brownie" with amarena cherries, praline ice cream & salted caramel

I have no doubt that Chef Massimo probably receives many compliments from many patrons to his establishments and is no stranger to praise.  I am by no means a VIP calibre patron, but at the same time I do enjoy a good meal and often do take advantage of the various fine dining establishments both at home and when I travel.  I can say without a shadow of a doubt that our experience at Mistura was quite simply the best dining experience we have ever had the privilege of taking in; so much so that I couldn’t possibly in good conscious ever order scallops or carpaccio ever again anywhere else as truly believe no one could come close to what Mistura was able to create.

I enjoyed the meal so much that I would not hesitate to travel the 4 hours to Toronto just to have dinner at Mistura and drive home afterwards.  I will definitely return and my only hope is that I will get to Meet Chef Massimo Capra in person to thank him and tell him first hand how incredible his restaurant truly is. 

I hope my words here today have done a fraction of the justice to Chef Massimo, his restaurant and his staff deserve for a truly special night.  Grazie mille per la bella serata!

Mistura

265 Davenport Road
Toronto ON
M5R 1J9
416-515-0009
http://www.mistura.ca

This must be the place that toppled the Flintstone’s car…

Ask anyone who knows me about my deep love affair of all things BBQ and they will tell you right away how fanatic I am about grilled meat.  So obsessed am I with BBQ that for the longest time I was having my sauce shipped to me from a little place called Fat Matt’s Rib Shack in Atlanta Georgia after I had stumbled upon it looking for a quick dinner while on a business trip.

Since then I have searched far and wide for a BBQ joint that didn’t require me to hop aboard a plane and fly to the southern US to satisfy my insatiable cravings for ribs and chicken smothered in so much sauce that I’d need to shower after having stuffed myself into a coma.

So when my good friend Laura told me I had to try Syracuse’s famous Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, I had to give it a try and I am so glad I did.

The first thing you’ll notice when you pull up to the massive restaurant on the corner of West Willow and North Franklin Street (the first of five locations throughout New York and New Jersey State) is the line-up of patrons patiently waiting for a table.   It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or what month during the year, the place is always packed.  I knew right away when I saw the massive line-up there must be a good reason for it.

Inside you’ll find a mish mash of biker bar / roadhouse / family restaurant.  If you have the kiddies with you I’d recommend getting a table away from the bar area as it can get pretty crowded and loud while people wait for their tables and it is hard to hear yourself think let alone have any semblance of a conversation. 

In the later hours the restaurant turns into a blues bar featuring all kinds of great bands.  If that is your scene, visit the website to find out what acts are scheduled to play before you go. 

Now let’s talk about the food; what can I say other than WOW this stuff is good and the portion sizes are large enough to satisfy Hazard Co.’s Boss Hog on his hungriest of days after chasing the General Lee.  I particularly enjoy their Wango Tango BBQ’ed chicken wings followed by a half rack platter of ribs.   The ribs are smoked to perfection with a great crust and the mouth watering meat falls off the bone.  Plus if you are a lover of a good BBQ sauce, not to worry, you can have all the extra sauce you want thanks to the bottles they provide at each table for you; regular or their spicier Wang Tango sauce.

The side dishes are great also.  The mac n’ cheese is phenomenal and extra cheesy with a great breadcrumb crust and their corn bread as well as coleslaw would make even the most season southerner think they were back home at their mamma’s house for a family feast with Sweet Home Alabama blaring in the background.

Prices are more than reasonable with a half rack including two side dishes plus corn bread will set you back $15.95 and trust me, you won’t be able to finish it all.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is a great place to go any day of the week at any time.  The food is fresh, the staff is great and the price is right.  This is a great place to go whether you’re taking the kids out and sharing a full rack of ribs with the family or looking for a fun place to take that first date to break down those walls by getting your face and fingers all sticky then cutting loose on the dance floor.   

I enjoy this place so much, I’d gladly drive the three plus hours to Syracuse just to go for an evening out.  But then again I’m kinda crazy like that.

So whether you’re travelling through Syracuse or going there for a weekend shopping trip with your family or friends, make sure you stop by Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for an experience you won’t soon forget.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

246 W. Willow St.
Syracuse, NY 13202
http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com

“We’re going to Play”

That was all the information I was given as to where I was being taken to shortly after my life took a sudden turn.  As I racked my brain trying to guess where we were going and unsuccessfully pulling hen’s teeth to get some type of hint as to our final destination, I never would have guessed that going to “Play” literally meant that.  As we strolled up to the front entrance of Stephen Beckta’s Play Food and Wine located in Ottawa’s downtown market, I looked over to my friend as she smiled back to me and simply said “welcome to my world” and I’ve never looked back since.

You see, up until then, I had never really experienced any type of “foodie” restaurant.  My usual fancy night out consisted of a meal at you average big chain restaurant.  However all of that changed that October evening back in 2010 as my eyes were opened to a whole new gastronomical world that I never knew existed let alone accessible to someone like me.  As she sat across from me nervously wondering if I would enjoy the menu, her anxiety quickly faded as she saw my eyes light up with every bite.

That was 2 years ago and since that initial visit I have made it a point to dine at Play least every couple of months.  The staff is second to none, attentive to your every need without being pretentious or stuffy.  They are all very knowledgeable in the dishes being served and provide sommelier level guidance of the extensive wine list to help make your meal that much more enjoyable.

The restaurant itself is simplistic in its décor with two levels to seat guests.  The second level can be a bit noisier during dinner time but the tradeoff of seeing the chefs working away creating your meal in the open concept kitchen is a splendid tradeoff and makes for great conversation.  One of the highlights of the main floor dining area is the antique meat slicer behind the bar used to carve some of the items from charcuterie menu.

Speaking of which, the real star of Mr. Beckta’s restaurant is the food.  From the first bite of the ever changing seasonal menu you know you’re in for a real treat.  One simply has to look at the tapas sized dishes artistically plated before them to know how fresh and wholesome the ingredients are.

My most recent visit to Play began with a “play” on a classic caprese salad followed by a curried butternut squash soup and some exquisite homemade gnocchi with fennel, radicchio and black olives.  The wine chosen was a 2009 Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Loiber Berg by F.X. Pichler who’s crisp, yet surprisingly full bodied flavor with a creamy finish was an excellent match for the meal. 

All the dishes were wonderfully aromatic and simply delicious.  The fact that all the plates were small enough and specifically designed to share made lunchtime at play, where guests can eat two plates for $20, an affordable alternative to the usual fare that one might find around town.

Whether you’re new to the whole foodie culture or you have a refined palate.  Play Food and Wine has something to please everyone and is a dining event that should be experienced at least once by everyone.  

Play Food and Wine