I've often heard that the first year of marriage is supposed to be the hardest. Either I should be waiting for the other shoe to fall, or it really isn't all that hard. So far, I've had a blast being married! It's a lot of fun...especially if you make a lot of jokes along the journey.
Anyway, a 1 year anniversary gift is supposed to be paper. So Sharl gave me a beautiful Elephant-Ear plant. (He said..."Paper is made from trees, so here's a mini-tree") I loved it. Especially since elephants are my favourite animals.
Saturday morning on a whim, we decided to go to Canada's Wonderland. We spent a really fun day in the sun riding roller coasters. I think we both agreed that the Italian Job was the best ride! I couldn't get over how many skanks and thugs hang out there. I wonder if I am only noticing this now becuase I'm getting old. Anyway, we came home happy and showered and rested a little before dinner.
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For dinner, Sharl made reservations at Toronto's best French restaurant.
It was quite the experience. I wore a white dress and my pretty white wedding shoes. Sharl wore a nice shirt and pants.
The restaurant was really pretty, yet comfortable with a lot of art on the walls and older-aged restaurant patrons. (I deduced that you have to be over 50 to appreciate this kind of food.... or be able to afford it anyway)
The chef's wife was swishing around, feet stomping loudly on the wooden floors as she visited all the guests, folding napkins, pouring wine.
We ordered $17 martinis to start and decided on the blind tasting menu. Sharl ordered the full 8 courses for us instead of the 5. We were going all out. I was excited.
My first impressions was that the service was incredibly slow, despite the waiters who seemed to be hurrying about the place. It was dimly lit inside, a small tea candle lighting our table. Everything had a soft yellow glow.
Our first course arrived:
Carpaccio of Japanese snapper, with a quail egg, daikon + pomelo Ponzu infused tapioca, passion fruit essence
I was a little skeptical about eating a raw quail's egg, but it was okay...The flavours were so lovely and nicely balanced with a hint of sesame.
Then the second course:
Terrine of Québec Champs Élysées farm foie gras studded with Nova Scotia lobster, seeweed gelée, Mexican organic wild agave honey
My first foie gras experience, and thrid controversial meat I've eaten. It was really rich and buttery in texture with a delicate but distinct flavour, which would be revisited in subsequent courses.
Third course:
New Brunswick lobster and coconut milk froth, kafir Île Flottante
This was the most amazing bisque I had ever eaten. The soup was so flavourful with hints of shredded toasted coconut and diced mango. The kafir lime mousse floating in the middle had such a wonderful flavour and texture and it matched so well with the warm soup.
Fourth course:
Diver sea scallop + Nori en surprise, Miso glazed conger, light Kashmir chai sabayon, Matsumae Koen cherry blossom coulis
Really yummy flavours and textures. The scallop was wrapped in a really cruchy outter layer that matched really well with the smooth interior. At this point we order some wine....
Fifth course:
Artisanal organic paccheri pasta, ragoût of rabbit, morel mushroom, shredded foie gras, tarragon essence
This was about 2 1/2 hours into the meal. The first bit of this pasta dish with rabbit was wonderful. It was herby and buttery with soft rabbit meat and had that foie gras richness. The morel mushrooms were delicious. But as I continued to eat, I started to feel full. But it was that kind of satiated feeling that comes from eating too much cream sauce or too much cheesecake. I just couldn't finish the 6-bite portion. The foie gras taste fest too heavy at this point. I started to wish we had only gone with the 5 course meal and started to dread what was coming next.
Palate cleanser:
Lemon sorbet with gewerztraminer liqueur
I welcomed the fresh taste of lemon, as the acidity along with the alcohol seemed to cut into the buttery feeling I had in my stomach. But at 10:30, I was starting to feel sleepy with the dim candles and all the wine. To be honest...I kind of wanted to go home.
Sixth course:
Navarin of Best Baa Farm spring lamb, ratatouille choux farci, Mama Scopazzi hand rolled gnocchi, lamb jus
It was about I was nervous about the lamb...not because it didn't taste fantastic, but because I swear there was foie gras hidden in the gravy. I ate the first piece of tender lamb wrapped in a crispy outter layer, but tried to pick at the hand carved carrots and parsnips shaped like beans. Yes yes yes...it all tasted wonderful..but I almost felt like I was sweating during this course.
Seventh course:
Chef’s selection of raw milk cheeses, homemade walnut bread, pear, sun dried apricot
The first few tastes of cheese were kind of nice. I usually like strong cheese, but these cheeses were UNBELIEVABLY pungent. I tasted a little bit of the pear and the sprout garnish and there is FOIE GRAS oil on it. I just can't deal with it at this point. I never want to taste Foie Gras ever again. I tell Sharl a story about a childhood trauma. I had a little French friend named Arièl. She was really sweet, but a little possessive and when it was time for me to go home, she would lock me in her room. I don't know why this story came to mind, but I think it had something with the way I was feeling at the restaurant. It was all fun for a little while, but I had enough and wanted to go home. It was 11:30 now and some of the waiters were going home and there were only 4 other tables in the restaurant. I think I would cry if I had to eat a chocolate cake for dessert.
Final course:
Labrador tea infused with Saffron + Thai basil coconut ice cream, Chartreuse crème anglaise
I thank God that dessert is a drink. We end on a happy note as this concoction is refreshing and delicious, with flavours we could never imagine tasting. It's almost midnight, and as we paid our (frightening) bill we went home straight to bed and had the best sleep of our lives.
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