Saturday, March 10, 2007
Trattoria Della Nonna, Lunenburg, NS
March 10,2007. A visit to Trattoria Della Nonna , Lunenburg NS. Three of us of the Gourmet Ox tribe made our first trip to this new Italian restaurant tonight (opened in February for Valentine's Day). It exceeded our expectations -- hard to get something this good in a trattoria in Italy itself.. Della Nonna is a family-owned operation, the couple having moved from Halifax where he was the chef at The Five Fisherman. He works the kitchen and back of the house, and she , the Sommelier, does the service and front of the house. It is literally in an old house in the centre of Historic Lunenburg (a World Heritage Site) that has been lovingly restored and upgraded to be a fine restaurant. This is a linen table cloth and good stemware kind of place, with a nice warm ambience and colourful paintings of Tuscany on the walls. The food was superb -- and we don't say that lightly!! As one member of the party said, this is the best calamari I've ever had -- thick, tender rounds from baby squid in a marinara sauce with little dressed baby greens. We also tried the mussel appetizer, which as good but especially so, done in a "cascabel infused tomato broth" (our Larousse Gastronomique is of no help in figuring that one out -- Webster's says it is spanish for a bell like a jingle bell, but also a vicious South American rattlesnake with a powerful neurotoxic venom -- suffice to say it was a tasty tomato broth and no one suffered from rattlesnake venom!). For mains, one of us had roasted halibut with "puttanesca sauce" -- though not in Larousse either, it was a good accompaniment made of olives, capers, anchovy, onions and garlic in a tomato base. It was served on an artichoke and potato puree with rappini, asparagus, pattipan squash and carrot. The piece of skinless halibut filet was a decent size and cooked to perfection -- served hot and moist. Nice to see more than just a scrap or two of vegetables. Another person had saltimbocca made with pork loin, overlain with proscuitto and fontina cheese, served on lemon-infused rice, with same vegetables as halibut. It was lushous. The third main was roasted organic chicken, a breast piece served as a supreme with wing bone attached and sliced on the bias. Skin was crisp and the interior moist and stuffed with a mushroom mixture. It was served on a carrot and fennel risotto, with a Marsala jus and same vegetables as others. Wonderful. For dessert, we split a Tiramisu, which had a rich coffee flavour and lovely sauce. A decaffe latte was smooth and hot, and the coffee was great. The main meal was washed down with a 2003 "Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Reserva" from Frescobaldi. The wine list was extensive, especially of Italian whites and reds, and a decent number were available by the glass. If there was a criticism, it was that the wine was served too cool, apparently right from a cellar that at this time of year was probably in the 10-12 degree Celesius range. I should add that the meal began with some hot, seasoned flat bread, with olive oil and Balsamic vinegar in a glass container. The service was good, attentive, friendly and obviously doing all they could to make the dining experience pleasureable. Total cost before tax and tip was $163 for three, of which the wine was $44. The appetizers were mostly $8-10, though there was a fois gras for $16. The mains were $22 (for the halibut and saltimbocco), $23 for the chicken. There was a NY striploin for $27 and the most expensive was rack of lamb for $32 -- we saw this come out, and there were three great looking double-ribbed pieces. Definitely a good place to go back to. Now we can say Lunenburg has at least two places The Gourmet Ox can recommend in Lunenburg -- Della Nonna www.nonnadining.ca and Fleur de Sel.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
What we look for
Critiquing a food experience is a personal and subjective exercise. Some people might think a dressed up hot dog is a good meal -- we don't. So to help the reader understand where the "Gourmet Ox" is coming from, we thought it useful to offer something about the kinds of criteria we use to evaluate, the kinds of things we like or don't like, what we look for to signal this is a good spot to spend your dining dollars. So here goes:
1. Our culinary training and experience is French, and we like French food, but not exclusively. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and general European food and techniques are appreciated. Perhaps "World cuisine" is not far off the mark, as Caribbean and Asian can be great as well.
2. The food should be fresh, meaning from scratch with fresh ingredients, and not out of a box or can. Local and regional products should be emphasized.
3. Taste is everything -- well maybe not everything, but you get the idea that it is important. As Curnosky said, the food should taste of what it is. That is to say, not disguised with sauces that don't compliment but overwhelm the dish. Faite simple.
4. We are Slow Food members, so we like to see the principles of Slow Food followed where possible.
5. We want the plate to be attractive -- "eat with your eyes first" -- but not stacked up or with meaningless frills.
6. Whatever the food is, it should be properly prepared -- the fish should be hot and moist, the
steaks and magret should be medium rare, the pork should still have a little pink, etc. Vegetables like string beans and carrots should still have a little bite of texture -- not hard and not mushy.
7. Speaking of vegetables, there should be a generous quantity. As the nutritionists tell us, we need out daily doses of fruit and vegetables, so when dining out, we should get them as well.
8. The portions should not be skimpy. Super-sizing is bad, so don't over do it. But the main dish protein should be generous, esp if the price is to the high end -- we don't want to just pay for the ambience.
9. The ingredients should be of quality.
10. The price should be reasonable for the experience -- decent value for the dollar.
So with that introduction, you can see where we are coming from and can read on accordingly. Hope you find it insightful and helpful for your dining choices!
1. Our culinary training and experience is French, and we like French food, but not exclusively. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and general European food and techniques are appreciated. Perhaps "World cuisine" is not far off the mark, as Caribbean and Asian can be great as well.
2. The food should be fresh, meaning from scratch with fresh ingredients, and not out of a box or can. Local and regional products should be emphasized.
3. Taste is everything -- well maybe not everything, but you get the idea that it is important. As Curnosky said, the food should taste of what it is. That is to say, not disguised with sauces that don't compliment but overwhelm the dish. Faite simple.
4. We are Slow Food members, so we like to see the principles of Slow Food followed where possible.
5. We want the plate to be attractive -- "eat with your eyes first" -- but not stacked up or with meaningless frills.
6. Whatever the food is, it should be properly prepared -- the fish should be hot and moist, the
steaks and magret should be medium rare, the pork should still have a little pink, etc. Vegetables like string beans and carrots should still have a little bite of texture -- not hard and not mushy.
7. Speaking of vegetables, there should be a generous quantity. As the nutritionists tell us, we need out daily doses of fruit and vegetables, so when dining out, we should get them as well.
8. The portions should not be skimpy. Super-sizing is bad, so don't over do it. But the main dish protein should be generous, esp if the price is to the high end -- we don't want to just pay for the ambience.
9. The ingredients should be of quality.
10. The price should be reasonable for the experience -- decent value for the dollar.
So with that introduction, you can see where we are coming from and can read on accordingly. Hope you find it insightful and helpful for your dining choices!
Sunday, March 4, 2007
First Visit to "GIO" in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Gio is an upscale "chic" restaurant located in the Prince George Hotel in Halifax.It opened about a year ago to rave reviews and has been a busy spot ever since for those meeting for lunch or going out to a special meal. We visited the restaurant February 24th, 2007 for the first time after a delicious afternoon at the Opera...the televised version from the Met..Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky.We had made reservations for 6PM as we like to eat earlier than later and because that was what was available when we booked. Our plans went along perfectly as the opera finished with just enough time to easily walk to Gio. What I noticed upon entering was the friendly staff, the beautiful decor accented by the wonderful glass from Kilnart of Chester, Nova Scotia and the wide variety of folks eating there...families, young couples with jeans and turtlenecks and chic older women with lovely coloured and labelled garments. We settled in and browsed the menu. Bad on us... we had eaten a larger lunch then we should have and decided to have only an entre with a glass or two of wine. I orderd the duck breast with duck confit and my mate the Osso Bucco dish
The Duck: Let me start by saying that duck is what I order where ever I go when I can. When I travel in France my two favorite meals are duck and rabbit. The wait staff started us off with an amuse bouche in a fairly large bowl. It was a very small slice of lamb..length....thumb tip to knuckle..a dash of pea puree and tiny dobs of yogurt with a dry looking blueberry placed strategically.We did ask what that shrivelled looking item was. We tried it and both of us looked at each other and said why bother? with the amuse bouche. No special flavours ,it was so tiny that you probably could not have tasted it anyway and it only served to make us laugh.
So on with the entre.When ever a meal arrives I like to examine my plate and see what is there and how it measures up to the description on the menu. So my first thought was..where is the duck confit...a duck leg preserved in duck fat usually served with a crispy skin... no leg was visible to me. What I saw was a duck breast at 9-12 on my plate..sliced...then another grouping of meat at about 2-4 on the plate...sliced duck breast. Smeared through the middle of the plate was a puree...with a sauce. There was something at 1200 but it looked like strands of meat.. two in total. So I asked the waitstaff where the duck confit was and when she came back she explained that those strands were the duck confit and they were on brussel sprouts which when examined were maybe two-2 leaves of a brussel sprout....so actually a peeled brussell sprout. WoW... There was a good portion of duck breast but it was sorely overdone...not even a pink hue here. The sauce for the duck tasted fine along with the puree but the shreds of duck confit brought a chuckle. My sense was that duck confit was in very short supply in the kitchen and this was a good way to make sure they had some for the later crowd. A leaf or two of brussel sprout plus the puree was my vegetable. Why does no one want to serve a good amount of veggies on the plate anymore? What a disappointment! And somehow I thought by being there early we would we would catch the Chef before tiring for the evening. Even the bread was unexciting. Surprisingly we knew a number of folks in the Dining Room that night and everyone was disappointed in some aspect of their meal sending it back for more cooking or discovering a veal bone without the marrow..see the next review. Will I return? probably not. I often stay at the Prince George and this restaurant could be a place to gather for an appetizer or nightcap...but it just did not make the grade with me. I want flavour not this phoney plastic presentation that Chefs are all clambering for these days. I want a chef to be passionate about the product and then the cooking ...not just something that is built up on the plate... The cost of this entre was 28$ and just not worthy of a second visit.
The Duck: Let me start by saying that duck is what I order where ever I go when I can. When I travel in France my two favorite meals are duck and rabbit. The wait staff started us off with an amuse bouche in a fairly large bowl. It was a very small slice of lamb..length....thumb tip to knuckle..a dash of pea puree and tiny dobs of yogurt with a dry looking blueberry placed strategically.We did ask what that shrivelled looking item was. We tried it and both of us looked at each other and said why bother? with the amuse bouche. No special flavours ,it was so tiny that you probably could not have tasted it anyway and it only served to make us laugh.
So on with the entre.When ever a meal arrives I like to examine my plate and see what is there and how it measures up to the description on the menu. So my first thought was..where is the duck confit...a duck leg preserved in duck fat usually served with a crispy skin... no leg was visible to me. What I saw was a duck breast at 9-12 on my plate..sliced...then another grouping of meat at about 2-4 on the plate...sliced duck breast. Smeared through the middle of the plate was a puree...with a sauce. There was something at 1200 but it looked like strands of meat.. two in total. So I asked the waitstaff where the duck confit was and when she came back she explained that those strands were the duck confit and they were on brussel sprouts which when examined were maybe two-2 leaves of a brussel sprout....so actually a peeled brussell sprout. WoW... There was a good portion of duck breast but it was sorely overdone...not even a pink hue here. The sauce for the duck tasted fine along with the puree but the shreds of duck confit brought a chuckle. My sense was that duck confit was in very short supply in the kitchen and this was a good way to make sure they had some for the later crowd. A leaf or two of brussel sprout plus the puree was my vegetable. Why does no one want to serve a good amount of veggies on the plate anymore? What a disappointment! And somehow I thought by being there early we would we would catch the Chef before tiring for the evening. Even the bread was unexciting. Surprisingly we knew a number of folks in the Dining Room that night and everyone was disappointed in some aspect of their meal sending it back for more cooking or discovering a veal bone without the marrow..see the next review. Will I return? probably not. I often stay at the Prince George and this restaurant could be a place to gather for an appetizer or nightcap...but it just did not make the grade with me. I want flavour not this phoney plastic presentation that Chefs are all clambering for these days. I want a chef to be passionate about the product and then the cooking ...not just something that is built up on the plate... The cost of this entre was 28$ and just not worthy of a second visit.
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