Josephine's food and drink discovery & reviews

[Josephine]

Is it the right place to post this?



I don't know.



People who knows me know I love food. Trying new places and new wine are my absolute pleasure.



I thought I would share my discoveries in Toronto/Kingston/Montreal and Quebec City.



Who knows, maybe I will change your life forever!



Let's start by one of my favorite! L'ITHQ Montreal





Located on St- Denis this restaurant is an actual school for cooks and waiters. You get a wonderful 5-7 services for almost nothing (under 15O$). Chefs are just amazing and it taste like a little piece of heaven every. Single. time.



Course 1: beets and goat cheese mousse

Course 2: shrimp cevice

Course 3: clam chowder

Course 4: duck

Course 5: foie gras

course 6: pastry



Service: 10

Food: 10

Drinks: wine pairing was amazing 10

Ambiance: it was for my friend's birthday. They had us visit the kitchen and meet the chefs. Top notch, 10.

 

[Josephine]

Needless to say if you don't like dinning, trying new restaurants and drinks, please move on from this thread!

I am all for sharing experiences that align with the subject. New suggestions? Go ahead

Coming:
Tango Nuevo (Kingston)
Mademoiselle (Toronto)
Le Quanrante 7 (Quebec City)

 

[Insidious Von]

Ducks are too simpatico to eat, they are hilarious alive. Will not eat duck nor the products made from them.

 

[Josephine]

Ducks are too simpatico to eat, they are hilarious alive. Will not eat duck nor the products made from them.

Ducks are really cute. Once in a while, they are cute in my plate too. Cows and pigs are cute too. Smart and friendly. I think for the amount of meat I have in a year, I earned my little piece of duck...and cow...and pig...

 

[Insidious Von]

I'm a devout carnivore but I draw the line at ducks. I'm not into fancy restaurants, they are usually over-priced. Plus I've rediscovered my passion for cooking. Longo's had fresh speckled trout, this is almost how I prepared it...although I bought the side of mango salad from Green Mango.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

Good food does not necessarily have to be expensive. I have had souvlaki at places where Greek people eat. Authentic un-Americanized Chinese food. Good pizza where they are not afraid to put the ingredients in and cooked in a wood fired oven.

The best trout is fresh caught speckled trout, fried in a pan over a wood fire and eaten within 30 minutes out of the water.

A duck is a chicken that learned to swim.

 

[Josephine]

Good food does not necessarily have to be expensive. I have had souvlaki at places where Greek people eat. Authentic un-Americanized Chinese food. Good pizza where they are not afraid to put the ingredients in and cooked in a wood fired oven.

The best trout is fresh caught speckled trout, fried in a pan over a wood fire and eaten within 30 minutes out of the water.

A duck is a chicken that learned to swim.

You must not have eaten a lot of duck to compare it to chicken. Would have compared it to pork before chicken in term of taste and texture.

Also, like I said in the OP, this place is an actual school so it's not expensive. It just look and taste like it is.

It can be a great place to bring a date without splurging thousands of dollars just for a "name" and to make her very happy. Truit out of the lake is not accessible everywhere.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

You must not have eaten a lot of duck to compare it to chicken. Would have compared it to pork before chicken in term of taste and texture.

Also, like I said in the OP, this place is an actual school so it's not expensive. It just look and taste like it is.

It can be a great place to bring a date without splurging thousands of dollars just for a "name" and to make her very happy. Truit out of the lake is not accessible everywhere.

You see, I do not live your life or in your world. I live my life in my world. I said that a duck is a chicken that swims, because I have no qualms about eating duck like Von does. Good food is not necessarily expensive is merely a statement of fact. As far a haute cuisine, I find the presentation over rated, I prefer the quality of taste over the quality of sight. I know where to catch fresh trout and when to get it providing I am willing to take the effort to do so.

Do I know the Hospitality Hotel/Restaurant Institute de Quebec on St Denis Street a few steps away from Sherbrooke East just on top of the small hill where St. Denis Street slopes down? Yes, I do. I have been there twice. It is too much trouble for me to make a reservation there, only to wait for weeks or months and know that parking is very difficult in the area. People have this idea that being waited on like in the movies is a desirable thing, it may be to some but these days I try to impress myself first.

I know a guy that has a regular 9-5 job but also engages in petty criminal activities to supplement his income. Two or three times a year he hires a limousine with driver to bring himself and GF to expensive restaurants and spends $1000 - $1500 for the evening. I suspect this is to ease his self loathing. He will tell of his fantasy trips and say things like " Now. that is class " These acts of self indulgence is not "class". Expensive restaurants and limousines does not give you class. Everyone is in a "class" Be it high, low or somewhere in-between.

 

[onomatopoeia]

In 1980, I worked for ten days at the Buywell's grocery store on St Catharine Street in Montreal, near rue de la Montagne. It's the only time I was ever fired from a job. The store closed in 1985.

The place appealed to affluent people living nearby. Regular groceries were overpriced compared to other stores, but they had high quality fresh meat, produce and cheese, and they did deliveries.

In the front of the store was a fish tank, containing rainbow trout. When someone wanted fresh fish, they would point out the fish they wanted, a store employee would catch it with a net, and the butcher would gut it and weigh it, to determine the price.

Once when I was walking by the store, I saw a homeless man starring at the fish tank. After a few minutes, he stuck his hand in the water, then rubbed his wet hand on his hair. A moment later, he reached into the tank again, grabbed one of the fish, squeezed it, then used its dorsal fin to comb his hair! It was like something right out of The Flintstones.

I used to watch The Flintstones in French when I was a kid, (Les Pierrafeu). Barney Rubble was named Arthur LaRoche. I always thought that the show would have been funnier if the scenes where Fred was being chewed out by his boss, Mr Slate, had stayed in English.

 

[wigglee]

Be nice to hear about a few hidden gems that cost less than a hundred.... don't have be ritzy, just tasty.

 

[KittyCaterina]

Needless to say if you don't like dinning, trying new restaurants and drinks, please move on from this thread!

I am all for sharing experiences that align with the subject. New suggestions? Go ahead

Coming:
Tango Nuevo (Kingston)
Mademoiselle (Toronto)
Le Quanrante 7 (Quebec City)

Great Idea!

Can't wait for your Tango Nuevo review, I love going there with you!

 

[stephenp]

Be nice to hear about a few hidden gems that cost less than a hundred.... don't have be ritzy, just tasty.

Would like to get a few such names also

 

[Josephine]

Would like to get a few such names also

I will because it's something that is Rare in Toronto!

 

[Josephine]

Great Idea!

Can't wait for your Tango Nuevo review, I love going there with you!

I was about to mention you when I do it lol. I was getting excited ahah

 

[Josephine]

Restaurant: Tango Nuevo
Location: 331 King St E, Kingston, ON
Price: around 150 per person but that's conservative. Not because it's expensive, but only because you will eat like never before!
Parking: there are a public parking around
Ambiance: dark and loungy

This place is very special to me because it's @KittyCaterina and I go to (And one of Kingston's gem). We tried the whole menu. This restaurant offers a selection of Tapas and you pick between 4 to 6 plates to share.

Drink are another plus, there is lots of very nice cocktails under 20$ (unlike Toronto)

Food: 10 (I did not liked all the plate but came out of this restaurant so full .any times.
Ambiance: 9 (really dark and really crowded) but kitty was there so it turns everything around!
Price: 10 (reasonable)

1. Beef AAA with chimichurri sauce

2. ACHIOTE GRILLED CHICKEN
achiote-marinated chicken / charred scallion yogurt / roasted cashew / black garlic purée

3. I don't remember lol
Edit: VEGETABLE EMPANADAS
Spanish pastry / potato / roasted red pepper / garlic aioli

4.ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
brown butter honey, smoked chèvre, arugula, toasted walnuts and pumpkin seeds, white balsamic gastrique

5. TUNA POKE NACHOS
tuna loin / sambal aioli / avocado purée / togarashi / sesame soy dressing / wonton crisps

6. Our drinks!

 

[Josephine]

I changed my phone @KittyCaterina I don't have the 2 other times pictures. Feel free to post them

 

[K Douglas]

Ducks are too simpatico to eat, they are hilarious alive. Will not eat duck nor the products made from them.

Too bad you're missing out. Duck is delicious.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

In 1980, I worked for ten days at the Buywell's grocery store on St Catharine Street in Montreal, near rue de la Montagne. It's the only time I was ever fired from a job. The store closed in 1985.

He reached into the tank again, grabbed one of the fish, squeezed it, then used its dorsal fin to comb his hair! It was like something right out of The Flintstones.

...............After he combed his hair with the fish, did the fish get mad and say ..............Hey buddy, what do you think this is? A coiffeurerie? Then bite him in the hand with a crunch sound and the man made a bongo drum sound and run off. ( like in the cartoons )

I have never been, but when I was younger I use to hear about a place called Gidneys in Montreal that had hard to find food items from around the world.

 

[K Douglas]

Restaurant: Tango Nuevo
Location: Kingston, Ontario
Price: around 150 per person but that's conservative. Not because I'ts expensive but only because you will eat like never before!
Parking: there are a public parking around
Ambiance: dark and loungy

This place is special to me because it's @KittyCaterina and I go to. And one of Kingston's gem. We tried the whole menu. This restaurant offers a selection of Tapas and you pick between 4 to 6 plates to share.

Drink are another plus, there is lots of very nice cocktails under 20$ (unlike Toronto)

Food: 10 (I did not liked all the plate but came out of this restaurant so full .any times.
Ambiance: 9 (really dark and really crowded) but kitty was there so it turns everything around!
Price: 10 (reasonable)

1. Beef AAA with chimichurri sauce
View attachment 306348
2. Chicken, olive tapenade, nut and yogurt
View attachment 306349
3. I don't remember lol but it was good
View attachment 306350
4.squash, nuts, goat cheese and arugula
View attachment 306351
5. Red tuna tartare
View attachment 306352
6. Our drinks!
View attachment 306353

The 3rd dish looks like some kind of samosa but I have no idea what the puree on the bottom is. Usually samosas are served with a tamarind sauce or a chutney.

 

[Josephine]

The 3rd dish looks like some kind of samosa but I have no idea what the puree on the bottom is. Usually samosas are served with a tamarind sauce or a chutney.

I think it was those Portuguese croquettes but oversized with a spicy sauce.