Google Maps

I'm delighted to share that I've created a user-created map on Google Maps called Dining In Burlington (it's a bit small right now, but will grow over time). Anyone can add their own thoughts and experiences to this map. So, I look forward to reading your reviews.

{ a saturday evening tasting }

Enjoy an evening of premium VQA wine from Maleta Winery at Paletta Mansion's monthly wine tasting event. Taking place this Saturday evening from 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., this is your opportunity to taste Maleta's award-winning Bordeaux-style Meritage.

To book, call Terry Milewski at 906-632-7809 ext. 3.

{ THE best sandwich west of the city }

As the title of this post states, I'm going to talk about the best sandwich west of the city. In fact, it was so good the first time that I went back the very next day to get the same sandwich again (and it was just as good!). Artisano Bakery Cafe is an unassuming little spot in between a spattering of outlet stores in the RioCan Center (that's the name of the new outdoor outlet center on Burloak). There's plenty of parking, but the challenge becomes how to navigate around the throngs of Artisano-groupies shuffling in and out of this hot-spot.

Now I can't comment on why everyone else flocks to Artisano, but I can tell you that the best sandwich I've ever had the pleasure of consuming came out of this cafe. Nestled between 2 slices of herb & cheese focaccia sits generous shavings of turkey breast, bacon and provolone cheese, seasoned with their very own garlic-parmiggiano sauce. Then pressed, panini-style, and served warm. It is one of the most delightful experiences...and a must try. The sandwich is called the Turkey, Bacon & Provolone Panini. If you order it by itself, it's served with a gourmet dill pickle slice and your choice of kettle chips or an apple. You can also choose to eat a 1/2 a sandwich (which, believe me, is more than enough) with either a soup or a salad.

So, what are you waiting for?
RioCan Centre Burloak
Artisano Bakery Cafe Ltd.
3505 Wyecroft Road, Building I, Unit 3
Oakville, Ontario
L6L 0B6
Phone: 905-825-5271
Fax: 905-825-2450

Oh, and also try out their other location:
Artisano Bakery Cafe Ltd.
1020 Islington Avenue, #14
Toronto, Ontario
M8Z 6A4

And their set to open another one soon:
Artisano Bakery Cafe Ltd.
353 Iroquois Road,
Oakville, Ontario

{ valentine's day: pepperwood bistro }

Hurry up because seatings are filling up for Pepperwood Bistro's Valentine's Day Dinner. Enjoy the sweet sounds of Michael McGuire - if you haven't had the pleasure of hearing his jazz vocals, you must. Choose from Pepperwood's prix fix or a la carte menus. Oh, and I heard a little something about chocolate covered strawberries.

The prix fix menu choices are as follows:

Appetizer
Braised chickent, chorizo sausage, ricotta and sweet bell peppers baked in puff pastry wiht white frisse endive salad and black currant vinaigrette.

Main
Black cod poached in vanilla pink peppercorn scented court bouillon with roasted sweet potato pont neufs and ancho pepper tomato relish

- or -

Hazelnut pesto crusted 1/2 rack of australian lamb with shallot butter whipped potatoes, crisp onion strings, pan jus and mint infused oil.

Dessert
Vanilla scented individual cheese cake with strawberry cream

- and -

Chocolate caramel lava cake with black cherry coulis

$85 per couple (taxes and grats not included)


For another taste of Pepperwoods...
Saturday, February 16 @ 7 p.m. at the RBG Centre
Valentine's dinner and dance. Begin your evening with champagne and strawberries. Enjoy a spectacular dinner catered by Pepperwood with live music. After dinner, let the DJ entice you to dance the night away. Tickets — Members: $100 per couple; Non-members $120 per couple. Reserve tickets by calling 905-527-1158, ext. 513.


Photo via flickr

{ spencer's at the waterfront }

Spencer's at the Waterfront is located just west of the downtown core, on Lakeshore Road. With beautiful views of the lake and the Skyway Bridge through its tall wall of windows, it's a picturesque setting for a nice night out. And it's equally as nice to visit on the weekend for brunch.

Michael and I set out to Spencer's this evening for a relaxing wrap up to an otherwise tough work week.

I began with the Heirloom Beet and Monforte Goat Cheese starter - $9. It was OK. I found it a bit unexciting and wished there were more beets (I think if you put all the pieces together it would be a 1/2 a small beet). I followed with the Linguini, Olive Oil & Parmesan entree - $16. It had nice flavour - the pine nuts and the oven dried tomato were a pleasing combination and the wild rocket gave the perfect kick. I would have liked the pasta to be a bit more al dente. But overall it was nice.



Michael had the Dungeness Crab Fritters - $13. He said they totally lacked flavour and were a big disappointment. The 8oz Spenny Burger ($15) did not get a better review, even though it seemed to be a hot commodity at the restaurant...there were about 10 other people in the tables around us who had ordered this entree.



Overall, we found the food disappointing. The service was great - maybe a tad slow. The ambiance was very nice - it has a relaxed yet elegant feel. There was a musician playing who was absolutely fantastic - unfortunately I didn't catch his name.

Tips

- in the winter, try to stay as far from the front door as possible - there's a nasty draft
- if you're going for brunch, get there early or make a reservation...it's usually fully booked (oh, and be sure to bring change with you as parking is paid until 6:00 p.m. M-Sat)
- get a table by the window facing the lake - best view in Burlington

Contact Info


1340 Lakeshore Road
Burlington, Ontario, CANADA
L7S 1B1
Phone; 905 633 7494
Fax; 905 633 4816
info@spencersatthewaterfront.com
www.spencersatthewaterfront.com

Main Spencer's Landing photo via flickr

{ Valentine's Day }

1505 North is having a Valentine's Day event featuring Rudy & Esther and a fantastic prix fix menu. Click here for menu.
Call 905-319-1330

{ the rude native }

The Rude Native's new(er) location on Brant Street has created a much-needed nighttime 'heart' to Burlington's downtown core. The second we walked into the restaurant it had a great vibe to it. A mix of 20-somethings all the way up to 50-somethings, all out to enjoy a great night out.

We sat at the back of the main room by the fireplace (note that there is a 2nd room past the kitchen if you're looking for something more low key). We were impressed by the romantic fireside location, but quickly changed our tune when our surrounding temperature shot up to about 200 degrees.

I had the Roasted Beet & Tomato Salad { $9.95 } to start - top left. And the Chicken Supreme for my entree { $20.95 } - bottom right.
Michael had the Samosas { $8.95 } - top right, followed by the Seared Salmon { $21.95 } - bottom left. The consensus...the food was OK, but flavours were unexciting and unsophisticated. We'd go back for a nice night out with friends for drinks, but would likely not visit again for dinner.

We're still on our hunt for the perfect downtown weekend restaurant. So, stay tuned.

{ blacktree restaurant }

Blacktree's chef Matteo Paonessa creates a new and masterful menu every month. His foods are as eclectic as the surroundings - but unexpected flavor combinations create some of the most delicious fare imagineable.

Chef Paonessa pooh poohed one of the most commonly touted cardinal rules for business success - location, location, location. Situated in a dated strip plaza in a pocket of shops that can't be seen from the parking lot sits this small and delightfully quirky hideaway.



I began with the goat cheese pastry with tamarillo and dark olive jello appetizer (F). The goat cheese melted in my mouth and the flavors were complimented so beautifully by the zestiness of the tamarillo and the sweet & nutty flavors of the jelly. Michael had the special for the day, a composed salad with a theme of mushrooms (D+E), which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Our appetizers were followed by a wonderful surprise - freshly baked bread with an assortment of butter-based spreads all selected to match our entree selections. We enjoyed green tea and carmelized onion butter. And just when we thought we had enjoyed one piece of bread too many, we were presented with a palette cleansing ice cream (so sorry, but I can't recall the flavor...it was, however, delicious...and succeeded in preparing our stomachs for more delights).

Our next course was unbelievably better than the last. I ordered the coconut meringue encrusted lamb with potato wall, beets and bubbles (B) - so poignantly identified by our waiter with a laser pointer. I have to admit that I had no idea what this would taste like - coconut meringue with lamb? It was one of the most incredible culinary masterpieces I've experienced. This was not to be outdone by our friend's hazelnut crusted veal with a large apricot ravioli, rosemary and bubbles (A) and Michael's fish special (C).

Totally satiated, we were unable to order a dessert - but I wish we could have made room for their chocolate ginger pancake or their butternut squash tartin.

After our meal, the chef came out to greet us and ended up sitting with us and sharing stories of sipping Grappa in Italy - we actually ended up tasting a few different versions so he could school us on the nuances of this nasal-clearing drink.

I can't stress enough - make time to visit this hidden gem. It will not disappoint!

{ pepperwood bistro }

Located in downtown Burlington with beautiful patio views of the lake sits an eclectic restaurant, jazz bistro and brewery in one. Pepperwood Bistro is known for its cozy, relaxed environment and ambient lighting (no matter what time of the day you're visiting). A popular haunt for brunch, in part due to the incredible jazz sounds by Michael McGuire, Pepperwood has a delightful menu diverse enough to satisfy any taste.



You can't go to Pepperwood's without trying one of their on-premise brewed beers. They have six house brands to choose from, Pale Ale, Dry Hopped Best Bitter, Cream Ale, Red Ale, Monkey Brown, and a Framboise. And, each month their brewer, Paul Dickey, creates one special keg of beer - a treat to look forward to. To get on the brewer's mailing list - for full details on their monthly features - email brewer@pepperwood.on.ca.



This weekend we made our way up to Pepperwoods for our weekly brunch. Michael had the BISTRO BREAKFAST - $10 (top left) and I had the divine CARDAMOM CALVADOES FRENCH TOAST - $12 (top right). Now heed this warning, if you don't like sweet then stay away from the French Toast. Made from 4 triangles of bread pudding which have been dipped in eggs and fried and a side of whipped cream and berries & bananas, it's not only one of the most delicious breakfasts I've had, but guaranteed to clog at least one artery. The Bistro Breakfast is a pretty standard breakfast of eggs, bacon, farmer's fresh sausage, oven roasted tomatoes and home fries...but my husband loves it.

To make reservations or drop by, Pepperwood Bistro is located at:
1455 Lakeshore Road (corner of Brant & Lakeshore)
Burlington, Ontario L7S 2J1
Tel: (905) 333-6999
Fax: (905) 333-6858

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Upcoming Events
The Pepperwood Bistro and Brewery will be celebrating its 14th annual Beer Festival on February 24th, 2008 from 2:30 till 5:00 p.m. The cost is $30 per person, and tickets will be available in advance. Located at 1455 Lakeshore Road in Burlington Ontario, the Pepperwood is one of a handful of brew pubs in the province. This event has been a favourite of both the participants and the breweries over the years. The chef pulls out all the stops and puts on a great spread to enjoy as you sample beer from many of Ontario’s premier micro breweries. Of course the Pepperwood offers its own products for sampling as well as offering a selection not normally on tap. I intend to bring back the Chipotle beer again this year as well as a cask of something special. Last years breweries included Better Bitters, Black Oak, Brick, Creemore, Denison’s, Great Lakes, King, Labatt-Stella, Lakeport, McAuslan, Mill Street, Niagara, Pepperwood, Taps, and Trafalgar.

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Looking for more information?

Pepperwood Bistro Menus
Brunch menu
Lunch menu
Dinner menu
Dessert menu

Pepperwood Bistro Restaurant Reviews
Restaurantica