Fries

DRAKE ONE FIFTY

October 20, 2013September 16, 2019Leave a comment

150 York Street | Toronto, ON
http://www.drakeonefifty.ca

Drake One Fifty opened it’s door a few weeks ago in the heart of the Financial Distract, the sister restaurant to The Drake Hotel, the restaurant is an incredible 6000 square-feet space with an open concept kitchen, a large wrap around bar and endless seating. The decor is a mixture of retro meets modern with a little bit of rustic.

I was invited to the Family and Friends appreciation dinner by Manal, basically it was a dress rehearsal dinner for the grand opening. That night the one drink, starter, entree and dessert was on the house, we clearly order more and were going to cover the extra expenses.

We started off with the Warm Olives ($9) followed by a small Seafood Platter (Mussels, Shrimp Oyters and Clams, $50) and the Scallop Crudo (with Preserved Lemon, Kohlrabi, Black Olive Reduction, Puffed Rice, $17)

Our server suggested we split our dinner into three parts considering the amount we ordered, everything wouldn’t fit onto the table at once. For the second part of our dinner we had the Octopus Salad (Grilled Octopus Tentacle with Teardrop Tomatoes and Greens, $17), then the Grilled Truffle Cauliflower ($14) came and we opted to add on grilled scallops for an extra $12.

For our entrees Manal got the Pickerel (served with Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower Puree, $17) and Michelle and I got the Steak Frites (served with sauteed greens and mushrooms, $38).

All the desserts were priced at $9. First one we tried was the Mint Ice Cream served with a Coffee Macaron, chocolate shavings and some sort of crumble. Then it was the Lemon Brûlée Tart with a Toasted Vanilla Marshmallow and Camomile Tea Caramel. The last dessert we tried was the Olive Oil Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream, and an Orange Sauce.

Everything was amazingly cooked and executed with incredible flavour combination, not only is Drake One Fifty a great addition to the Financial Distract, it’s a great addition to the Toronto dining scene. Our server was fantastic and knowledgable about the foods and wines. Prices are a tad steep in my opinion but definitely worth the splurge.
My favourites of the night were the Scallop Crudo, Truffle Cauliflower and the Pickerel. They seem to have a pretty delicious looking brunch menu as well.

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post are my own.*

WVRST

October 25, 2012September 16, 2019Leave a comment

609 King Street West | Toronto, ON
http://www.wvrst.com/

WVRST is basically Octoberfest in restaurant form, a wide variety of sausages, fries and beer. From the outside WVRST can easily be mistaken as a lounge or club, the exterior bricks are painted a dark charcoal grey with bright red signs, super chic. You walk up a few stairs to the large open concept restaurant with big wooden communal tables and mismatched bar stools is a perfect combination of rustic yet modern without making it look like a barn. Did I mention the lighting? Hundreds of light bulbs hanging from the ceiling give it more the restaurant a softer more feminine feeling? I’m not sure how to describe it but I really loved the lights.

Look at the array of sausages! Not a meat eater? WVRST has got you covered! Veggie sausage!

The deal with WVRST is that you order at the counter, pay, then they’ll give you a number, you take a seat anywhere and they will bring you your order when it’s ready. Don’t forget to tip!

I got the Elk sausage infused with cumin & porcini on a bun for $9, which is a little expensive but totally worth it. When you get it on a bun you have two options for toppings: grilled onions, grilled sweet peppers, sautéed jalapenos and sauerkraut.

I really liked my sausage, it was moist and falvourful. I’ve never had elk before and it kind of just taste like beef but beefier. The sausage had chunks of porcini mushroom throughout. Yum!

Darren got the Chorizo on a bun for $6.

As soon as I saw Duck Fat Fries, I just knew I had to get them. They were probably the best fries I’ve ever had, they had the perfect crispy to soft ratio and the saltiness was spot on. For our dipping sauce we got the WVRST which was a spicy mayo based sauce, you don’t get the heat until the very end.

When you first walk in there’s a poster with the house rules. “if you can’t handle your beer, order a soda.” Cute!

Verdict: this place is a must try for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. I can’t wait to come back and try their other sausages like kangaroo!

FIVE GUYS BURGERS

October 3, 2012September 19, 2019Leave a comment

865 York Mills Road | Toronto, ON
http://fiveguys.ca/

I never really like writing bad things about a restaurant but I’m so sorry to say that Five Guys is too overrated, not sure why everyone was raving about it. Darren and I continued our burger adventure to Five Guys one Sunday night, we decided to go to the new York Mills location which is a little closer to home.
We walked into white and red interior, no offence it looks kind of stark and cold.

If you’re allergic to peanuts, this place is a death trap! They have boxes of peanuts for you to enjoy while you wait for your burgers, no complaints there, they were salty and delicious. But the wait. I sat there popping peanuts n my mouth while I watched the lady ever-so-slowly put all the condiments on my burger. It was kind of painful.

I got the cheese burger and Darren got the bacon burger. There wasn’t any beefy burger flavour or any flavour at all to be honest and the bun was soft and somewhat mushy. We both unanimously decided we should have gotten two patties. But my problem is don’t offer the single patty if you were meant to eat a double, just serve the double patty. The only upside to this meal were bountiful array of free toppings like grilled mushrooms & onions which you wouldn’t normally see.

Darren got the Cajun Fries which literally filled up and covered his burger. The fries were good but nothing special, just regular Cajun fries you could probably get anywhere.

The place started to get busy while we were half way through our burgers and suddenly 6 more employees came out to help and as soon as the rush was gone so were they. Both Darren and I were confused, what just happened? Oh well, they got the job done.

I might give Five Guys another try but highly unlikely, sorry.