The Commerce Times

Fine dining in comfort

Barootes and Beerbistro offer big discounts during Winterlicious. Courtesy of Jennifer Ngo

February 14, 2010 1 | By Jennifer Ngo

The beginning of February marks the start of Winterlicious, Toronto’s two-week winter culinary festival. Every year, over a hundred restaurants across the city create special menus at a reduced cost. The perfect opportunity for strapped-for-cash students to experience finer dining.

Since its inception eight years ago, Winterlicious has grown steadily. This year, I became one of the hundreds of Canadians who indulge in the event. Luckily for me, all participating restaurants offer special 3-course meals which go from $15-$25 for lunch, and $25 to $45 for dinner.

BEER BISTRO: 18 King St. E. www.beerbistro.com
****
The name says it all; Toronto’s Beerbistro is true homage to all things beer. Chic enough to be considered upscale, yet casual enough to be enjoyable, the restaurant is ideal for a wide variety of occasions. It has the distinct air of a romantic little Parisian bistro; framed art depicting the scenes from the French capital line the walls, fresh flowers and candles adorn every table. Grand floor-to-ceiling windows overlook an impressive mahogany paneled bar, which leads into the adjoining sunken dining area.

Head chef Brian Morin’s goal is to “change the way people think about beer”. He pairs beer with all of his dishes to create amazing, exotic spins on traditional dishes. From hors d’oeuvres to dessert ales and lagers infuse, marinate and flavour virtually every dish. The sheer variety of beer offered by the bistro is staggering; every single item on the menu is paired with its own corresponding type of beer, culminating in a list of over fifty ales. Each choice of beer is further organized under categories such as, “crisp”, “soothing”, “fruity”, “smoky” and “robust”.

According to my waiter, “there’s not much food out there that doesn’t taste great with a bit of beer.” Sure enough, my appetizer of Smoked Salmon Sliders came with white beer cream cheese, which was fantastic. It was nicely presented and garnished and it had a kick from the beer, complimenting the smoky taste of the salmon perfectly. Definitely one of my favourite dishes of the night.

Then came the entrée: Veal Cheek Tikka Masala served with brown rice and yogurt. It had a pleasant mild taste; however, I usually prefer my Indian food to have a spicy kick. For the more cautious diner though, this dish is a perfect exotic entrée.

My dessert of Dark Belgian Mousse was, simply put, awesome. Not only was the mousse rich and melt-in-your-mouth decadent, but my waiter recommended a serving of tangy Strawberry Fruili beer that served as a perfect complement to the sweet chocolate. This was my first time trying a fruit beer; I’ll never know why I waited so long!

BAROOTES 220 King St. W. www.barootes.com
***1/2
In the heart of the entertainment district lies my second Winterlicious destination: Barootes. A near anti-thesis of its King Street counterpart Beerbistro, Barootes offers a whole other dining experience. Where Beerbistro is upbeat and hip, Barootes is homey and comfortable. Beerbistro’s delicate metal chairs and elegant décor are contrasted by Barrotes’ giant cushy booths and a hearty fireplace.

Barootes’ menu offers feel-good dishes that emulate the heartiness of home-cooked meals. Hungry students looking for a satisfying meal here will find comfort in the extra large servings and the sheer variety of dishes, ranging from steaks and barbeque to hearty salads and seafood.

Thanks to Winterlicious’s $25 prix fix policy, I was again able to choose an appetizer, entrée and dessert. I started off with the Louisiana Crab Cakes served with jalapeno mayonnaise. The crab cakes were good quality, made with fresh lemon and pepper seasoned crabmeat. However, they were a tad too oily. I’m all for heavy food, but these crab cakes could have been drained better.

Next came the South Texas Steak with Fries, ordered rare with a side of Cajun fries. The steak was perfectly cooked (to me, at least; my squeamish dining companion balked at the redness), and the fries were freshly cut with a spicy kick from the Cajun seasoning.

I was highly anticipating the last item of the night: chocolate and banana layer cake. I’m a big fan of all things chocolate and banana, and this dish delivered in full. Moist and decadent, the richness of the dark chocolate went perfectly with the light pecan banana filling. The portion was huge; I never got to finish. The thought still pains me to this day.

My Winterlicious experience was everything I hoped it would be; exciting and delicious. I got an opportunity to venture into restaurants that I hadn’t dared to consider before in these recession weary times, and to experience another bit of culture that our city has to offer. It’ll definitely be sad when Winterlicious is over – but there’s always Summerlicious!

AFFORDABLE DISHES OFF THE REGULAR MENU:
If you visit Beerbistro outside of Winterlicious, you’ll find that the most popular dishes are also among their most affordable. Their Cheese and Lager Fondue ($14.95) comes with bread, pickles, potatoes and mushrooms to dip. Another favourite is the Beer Bread Pizza ($15.75), which is made using Beerbistro’s own award-winning ale-infused dough. The Belgian Frites ($6) are light, crisp and done to golden perfection. And of course, they are served with a side of beer-infused ketchup.
At Barootes opt for popular dishes such as the Louisiana Crab Cakes ($9.25), Deep Fried Calamari ($8.95), and the enormous Cobb Salad ($13.95).