Greece: Santorini, Perissa Beach, Taverna Korali

Location:

Perissa Beach, Santorini

The ocean combined with time in the sun never fails to cause the biggest rumbling stomach, wouldn't you agree?

Souvlakis and beers all around, I say!

And while it certainly wasn't the best souvlaki in town, being right by the beach having a cold beer is more than one could ask for.

Greece: Athens, Petros Grill House

Location:

28 Kidathineon, Athens, Greece

 After a long day of exploring first the Acropolis, then the Ancient Agora, then the theatre of Dionysus, it was time for: SOUVLAKI!!! YEAAAAH!!!

And beer. Bonus!

Greece: Athens, Tzitzikas kai Mermigas

Location:

Mitropoleos 12, Athens 10563, Greece

tzitzikas-mermigkas.gr

MAP

As soon as we arrived in Athens, we were starving and decided to check out the Plaka district. We asked a group of cops at the corner (we did wonder why there were cops hanging around in that area) for a recommendation of tasty and authentic fare that would be casual but not "fast food". They directed us around the corner and down a street. We were skeptical, and unsure if we'd know where it was, but then we found it easily as it was the only restaurant on a side street that had light spilling out onto the street, cheerful patrons and the delicious smell of seafood.

The BEST. I finally found the name and map to the restaurant, with a little bit of sleuthing on Google Maps! I don't know how to pronounce it, but if you're ever in the Syntagma Square area of Athens, GO THERE!

We had red wine, Mythos greek beer, a giant Greek Tzitzikas (just found out that it means salad) which is my favourite type of salad and a giant fried seafood basket. 

Amazing service, and INCREDIBLE food!! Sigh..to eat those olives once again. 

Provincetown, MA: Fanizzi's

Location:
539 Commercial Street  Provincetown, MA 

For the MLK long weekend, we decided to check out Cape Cod for the day. Yes, it was freezing, and yes, everything, save for a few shops, was closed. However, we were recommended Fanizzi's by the water and decided to grab dinner there before heading back. 

We scored the best seat of the house, overlooking the water and the sunset.

The service was lovely and the place filled up quickly as the sun began to set. 

We chose a dish of sea scallops n' pasta in marinara sauce and fish n' chips, both downed with beers. The coleslaw that came with the fish n' chips was to die for. It must have had some green apple or something, as it was both sweet and perfectly coleslaw-y. The bread basket arrived piping hot which is always welcome. We also had coffees and the molten lava chocolate cake, which took me well over my sugar quota for the day, but was totally worth it.

I can't recommend this place, enough. We'll be back this summer!

TRAVEL: Montreal: Les 3 Brasseurs (3 Brewers )

Location(s):

A.  732 Sainte-Catherine Street West, Montreal

B.  1658, rue Saint-Denis, Montréal

www.les3brasseurs.ca

(All images photohogger)

Let me start with the pros of the restaurant:

Amazing beer-battered poutine.  Great atmosphere: loud, bustling, was fun to be there during the Stanley Cup playoffs.



The Food (pros & cons):

Everything was grease-central (could be a pro for some?).  The fish and chips came with overly battered and overly deep fried fish, so much so that the fried shell separates from the fish. 



The flatbread pizzas are so thin, which some peopel may prefer, but I say why bother! You practically have to eat the whole thing with a knife and fork which I know some prefer for eating pizza, but I like to pick it up like a pie.  Loaded with lots of veggies so it wasn't bad.  



My understanding of, and the way I make, a Nicoise salad is with tuna, hard-boiled eggs, beans, tomatoes, olives, optional artichokes, red pepper and anchovies, all on a bed of lettuce.  This one came with smoked meat instead of tuna.  Since all of us eat mostly only fish, we opted for no smoked meat.  It was alright, but would have preferred more of the original style of a nicoise salad. 



The beer-battered poutine (that we didn't order) was delish.  We ordered regular poutine and thought that what we got was regular poutine, and wondered why it was so greasy.  But as far as greasy poutine goes (which it all mostly is, anyway), it was a winner!



The cons of the restaurant:

What is with the section of the restaurant that is also part dish-clearing station/garbage take out?  Please get rid of this section!  I understand one has to clear the dishes and take out the garbage, but is there not a wall behind which this could be done?  We had to sit there and be a witness to a server scraping off the plates into the trash and worse see one of them struggle to pull out the garbage bag from the trash can - minus gloves!  Then the trash can fell over with a crash!  Not something that you want to see before (or anytime) you get your meal.

Then, we were billed for the beer battered poutine ($8.99) which we ate unknowingly as we thought we'd simply ordered the regular poutine ($5.99).  I realize it's only a difference of $3, but it was still the server's mistake which she acknowledged and insisted to correct but the manager then said couldn't be reversed.  So our server told us not to tip her instead.  How ridiculous is that?  Needless to say we DID tip her on top of their mistake.  She gave us each $5 gift cards to use back in Toronto.  Thanks but you won't see us running over there anytime soon.

Sitting next to the kitchen on visit number two (St. Denis location), we had a clear view of all the cooks in the kitchen, all the orders given, all the plates being served, and all the accidents, such as the dropping of a plate of salad near our end of the table.  A hearty dose of salad dressing landed on four of us and what did they do to make up for it?  "2 beers on us!" Thanks fellas...we were only a group of fifty!  And the group menu they gave us was crap.  Four options for dinner included: some flatbread with chicken dish, some sausage and sauerkraut dish, some veg lasagna and some chicken skewer dish with fries.  I had the veg lasagna and it was soggy, covered in cheese and tasteless. 

Besides that, the restaurant is so cramped (why else would we have been right beside the kitchen?) that our server(s) kept squeezing their ar*** between our two tables to get to another section of the restaurant. This happened all night long and I received several scrapes to my back from their pens!  Definitely not a good dining experience.

I don't know who the three brewers are but they need to get their act together.  The beer they brew?  Not one of them did I fancy...but I'll let Beerhogger review them for you. 



Overall, A had slightly better food and service, whilst B is somewhere I never wish to dine again. 

One can hope that Toronto's location is better, but I'm not holding my breath.

A.

B.

Recipe: Summer Skewers

Here's an easy BBQ recipe for Summer Skewers.

Cut into cubes, desired veggies (like zucchini,eggplant, onions and mushrooms), fruits (like pineapples and/or watermelons).  Optional:  tofu and/or shrimp (marinated in soy sauce, chilli sauce, black bean sauce)

Skew the cubes onto skewers and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and BBQ.



Enjoy with a nice cold beer (such as  London Pride) on a hot summers day.

Beerfest VI

It was the annual Beerfest at our house this weekend. Beerhogger has blogged about the two breweries we toured this year:  Cameron’s Brewing Co., and Trafalgar Brewing Co. in Oakville. 

Check it out on BEERHOGGER!

Cloak & Dagger

Location:

394 College St., Toronto

Thanks to Colin & Brent for the Sausage Fest last night ;)

To read more, check out Beerhogger's first official post as the Hogger of Beer.

LOCAL FEATURE: The Blake House

Location:

449 Jarvis St  Toronto

www.theblakehouse.ca

Open only three months, one of the last standing heritage structures (built in 1891) in Toronto  has been converted into a restaurant called The Blake House (previously, The Red Lion).

One of the three owners and brothers, Jim Vasilakakos sat down and chatted with us as well.  He described The Blake House as being "comfort contemporary"; a feeling we instantly felt when we arrived, as Jim himself greeted us at the door.



The interior is gorgeous...all dark wood, warm lighting and lined with giant black and white photographs from Jarvis Street in the 1800's.

We were blown away by the food; everything was so fresh and so tasty!  As Jim told us, they only buy local, fresh ingredients and everything is house-made.  So, our compliments to the Chef David Araya; thank you for a wonderful meal!


We started off with a local beer, Mill Street Original and an Okanaagan Shiraz...which was delightful.


10oz $3.75 - 20oz $5.75 - 60oz $15.95
Mill Street Original



Prospect Red Willow 8 / 23 / 35
Shiraz, Okanaagan






Had to try the poutine; how could you not?



Poutine 8
Hand Cut Fries and Cheese Curds.
Topped with Bourbon Beef Gravy.

We were warned about the large size, but were blown away by it in reality.  It was huge! For $8?!  And not drenched in gravy, we could actually taste the hand-cut fries.  I've personally decided it's a keeper.



Then, arriving smoking hot,  we had the Chicken Pot Pie which I was dreaming about ever since checking the menu prior to arriving at the restaurant.

Chicken Pot Pie 13
Root Vegetables and Roasted Chicken Smothered in
Herb Cream Sauce. Served with Green Salad.



It was one of the best pies I've ever had, not to say I eat a lot of pies, but the very best pie I'd had was in Edinburgh from the Pie Maker.  That's, Maker of pies and THIS was on par with THAT.



It was flaky and oozing with such a delicious filling, atypical from the usual potato and rubbery-and-questionable chicken filling.  You could actually taste the vegetables (and distinguish them!) from the chicken.  The green salad wasn't doused in dressing, either.



The bread and butter are both house-made, the butter changing every night or week according to the chef's desire:  Roasted red pepper butter one night (what we had),  sage butter, citrus butter...  Brilliant and well executed!

Maple Glazed Salmon 18
Roasted Atlantic Salmon. Served with Smashed
Seasonal Potatoes, Braised Leeks with Bacon Burre Blanc.

I found it refreshing to get potatoes (smashed, at that,  with salmon, 'cause usually you get salmon:

"seasoned with crushed black pepper and salt served on a bed of basmati rice with vegetables"

OR

"seasoned with a dash of dill and served on a bed of wilted spinach"....

I question a restaurant when they consider salt and pepper SEASONING.

This maple glazed salmon we likened to the way we cook at home: with flavour!  The crispy top and break-away center of the salmon was exactly the way I like it.  The sweetness of the leeks with the potatoes brings makes me salivate even as I write, as it was just melt in your mouth delicious.

Market Crumble $6.00
Seasonal market fresh fruit and homemade oats baked
golden brown and topped with ice cream (ask your server)



How to describe this market crumble, made to order with blueberries and arriving smokin' hot and so fresh? Oh, I think I just did.

Crème Brulee $6.00
Baked vanilla custard topped with a crusted layer of
caramel and fresh berries



I don't usually order crème brulee, but lately have had cravings for it, and this was a remarkable one and unforgettable. I'd get it again.

The place was packed, even when we were leaving, a group of 25 showed up; but it was no issue to seat the large crowd as the open concept of the interior allows for big as well as intimate gatherings.  Our server Kaitlyn was gracious and efficient as well, not missing a beat.

We met with the other two brothers, Nick and Mike, as well; it was so nice to talk to each of them and learn how much it meant to them to preserve the history of the building.



It's evident in the interior design that the original stained glass windows and wood burning fireplace only add to the ambiance of the restaurant.   Their patio is possibly the largest in the city, as well.

With an upscale environment serving upscale food but with a down-to-earth vibe and certainly down-to-earth prices, we'd have to agree with Jim and his expression of The Blake House being "your home in the city".  Afterall, three hours later, we still weren't ready to leave.

Overdraught Irish Pub

Location:
156 Front St W., Toronto

Overdraught is what I like to consider a hidden gem of an Irish pub, situated underground right between Joe Badali's and Canyon Creek Chophouse.



Here you can find all the usual pub details: dark corners, cheery folk and most importantly, GUINNESS.

The fish n' chips and wings are just bonuses.









A great place for groups, especially on St. Patty's Day.

TRAVEL: Stirling, Scotland, No. 2 Baker Street

Location:

2 Baker Street, Stirling

As far as pubs go, No. 2 Baker Street (yes, sounding very much like a popular 80s TV show) is the No. 1 place to go.  A local favourite, it serves up my favourite beer Guinness, and serves it EXTRA COLD.

They don't serve food at the pub, but bags of chips sure hit the spot.

And you can't go home without trying the Scotch.

Needless to say, we frequented No. 2 Baker Street muchly during our two day stay in Stirling.

Now, if only they could change the address to 1 Baker Street.

TRAVEL: Mr. B’s Bistro, N’awlins

Location:

201 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA

www.mrbsbistro.com

So, this is another one of those overdue/back-burner pieces.
Better late than never, right?

Located in the French Quarter, and coming highly recommended from many a source on the world wide web, my first impression of Mr. B's was that it seemed more suited towards a 40+ suit crowd.

Suits and in our case, bibs.

The bibs for de-shelling the shrimps in Mr. B's signiture BBQ shrimp dish!
(Gulf shrimp barbequed New Orleans style, served in the shells with a peppery butter sauce, and French bread for dipping $18.00)

EEEE!

Apart from the de-shelling, this dish was fantastic! And I love that they share the recipe online!

The other dish was less painful.  Also, a bit bland.  Catfish with beans (Pecan crusted farm raised catfish topped with Creole meuniere sauce $15.00 )



The fried oysters $6.75 were excellent.



Blueberry Cobbler $8, perfectly old fashioned.

Suits or not, bibs or not...Mr. B's Bistro is everything you imagine "N'awlins" to be.