(Hotel) Gelato, Wine, Mac & Cheese... Oh My!

I remember trying gelato for the first time at a close Italian friends home during a hot summer day way back when.
Being the dessert (and especially ice cream) enthusiast that I am I was all over it although a tad leery after finding out that it was lower fat than ice cream.
Who cares about lower fat when it comes to ice cream! I thought.
These are one of life's indulgences where calories should not matter at all.
It was the pistachio that I tried for the first time...
that is when my love affair with gelato began.

Photo courtesy of Herkin, Langer & Castle.

Tucked away in the lovely neighborhood of Eglinton Avenue West and Chaplin, sits a charming gem of a café called Hotel Gelato.

The name basically says it all.
Upon entering, it looks like a luxury boutique hotel with it's aristocratic and contemporary interior decor yet still possesses a lot of demure and a classic gelateria character.
I love it!

Hotel Gelato is the creation of Dan Hoffman and Christopher Borowski.
As veterans of the luxury hotel industry, they bring their experience and passion for exceptional guest service to their unique, beautiful establishment.

I already knew I was going to enjoy my experience here from the initial phone conversation to make reservations.  First impressions are so important to me and how you are treated, even on the phone is a big reflection of your business.  The gentleman was so polite, accommodating and friendly.
Of course, reservations are not really needed because it's still a very casual vibe and many usually just walk in and out for their gelato.
However, if you plan to eat in for their new dinner menu, a reservation may be required because the place definitely gets packed on a Friday night!

The best seats in the house are definitely right by the window beside the beautiful fireplace where we were seated.  
It's a smaller establishment but that does not take away from how cozy and lovely it is.

Even the washrooms are pretty!

Loving this mirror in the ladies room!

I admit, initially I was a wee bit skeptical about the new dinner menu seeing that this was mainly a gelataria/café; boy was I pleasantly surprised.

The first item we ordered was of course drinks. 
They've got a fabulous wine menu.

My husband got a glass of sauvignon blanc ($13/6oz) and I opted for a cocktail so I tried out their raspberry popsicle cocktail ($8).
It was refreshingly delicious with fresh raspberries in it too!

Their dinner menu consists of what they call 'Plates for Sharing' items as they are usually enough to feed two (potentially 3 at the most but 2 is already cutting it as the servings are not that big).

We started with the Orange Cumin Steamed PEI Mussels with a side of crunchy ciabatta slices ($10).

Amazing!
The marriage of cumin with orange and mussel broth was so delectable! Dip with your ciabatta bread and oh my gosh!
I loved this as I am a big lover of mussels and the new flavours in this dish was a big hit for me.

The next dish we tried was their Hotel Gelato Mac & Cheese ($11).
I do love cheese but this is where my husband had the biggest say as he loves a good mac and cheese.

 

"This is the best mac and cheese I've had so far."  From the mouth of my dear mac & cheese aficionado himself.  

Considering the small portion, it was very gratifying.

The Hotel Gelato Mac and Cheese consists of spaghetti squash, cauliflower, kale, cherry tomatoes and aged cheddar.

We highly recommend trying this!

We didn't get enough of our mac & cheese fix, so we decided to try something new with the Jerk Chicken Mac and Cheese ($12).

This dish was a combination of lightly-seasoned jerk chicken, spinach, roasted sweet potato and asiago.

With a nice sweetness from the roasted sweet potatoes with just a little punch from the jerk chicken, this was a subtle thrill to our senses.  It wasn't what I expected -- it was even better!

Onto the next one; I had my eyes set on the Warm Prosciutto Flatbread ($12) the moment I saw it.  I love prosciutto! Paired with plum tomato sauce, baby arugula, grana padano and truffle oil, this was a winner for us as well!

There was nothing that we had that we did not like or even find to be just okay -- they were all delicious!

Had we not been so full after this, we would have kept on going. 

I've got the Braised Beef Short Ribs, Maple Glazed Salmon and Warm Duck Confit Flatbread on my next Dinner must-try's at Hotel Gelato.

Also look forward to their salads and panini's for a nice lunch!

Oh and before I go on about the gelato, I have to mention that they also carry other desserts as well which I will try on my next visit.  Desserts like Warm Bread Pudding, Chewy Nut Bars, Cupcakes and Mixed Berry Crumble Tarts. Mmm!

And the great thing too is that they offer gluten free, vegan and organic treats.

There`s something for everyone.

Okay back to the gelato! They've got a scrumptious selection of flavours including:Wild Strawberry Cheesecake, Pistachio, Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Hazelnut (with real pieces of Ferrero Rocher), Coconut, Avocado, Classic Vanilla, Vanilla Sponge Toffee and more!

They also offer Sorbet which is made of water instead of milk and fat-free (usually the fruitier variety and taste like a refreshing frozen juice!).

They also always offer sugar-free and lactose-free options.

Remember when I mentioned how on earth anything could taste just as good as ice cream but healthier? This is the case with Gelato. Why? Because gelato is made with milk instead of cream, it is much lower in calories and fat than ice cream.

We decided to take a litre of Gelato home so we can share with our little girl as well and to savour throughout the week (this only lasted a couple of days...).
We chose pistachio (my ultimate fave), vanilla sponge toffee and chocolate hazelnut.
They were all amazingly good!

Next time you're in the area (or even if you're not in the area), I am recommending you stop off at Hotel Gelato for either some of their delicious gelato or for a glass of wine paired with some of their delicious food.
Tom Cruise did!

For more information on Hotel Gelato, you can visit them here at: www.hotelgelato.com.

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All that Jazz: My Date with Billie Holiday in N'awlins

The smooth sounds of Louis Armstrong or Billie Holiday rippling off the brick walls, the luminosity from the candles off of each wooden table in the dimly lit environment and the tantalizing scent of authentic cajun food filling the air, walking into N'awlins Jazz Bar & Dining you would instantly find yourself transported to New Orleans.  

N'awlins being the way it's meant to be said in classic New Orleans slang.

I love that!

When I initially heard of this restaurant and after much review-reading, although it was all positive and highly recommended, I admit I was a little skeptical.  The size of the restaurant threw me off first as I wasn't use to dining comfortably in cramped quarters and still consider it enjoyable.

Also, as a lover of classic Jazz and a strong seafood aficionado, I was crossing my fingers this would not disappoint.

It's located in the bustling entertainment district of Toronto on King St West with live jazz entertainment every Tuesday - Sunday evening.  They've been around 20 years and known to have the finest live jazz entertainment in town on top of their great service and delicious food.

It was my sister-in-law's birthday and we wanted to treat her to a dinner before she left for Madrid.  Knowing she also had a fondness for jazz (Billie Holiday being her ultimate favourite -- in fact her long-time nickname is "Billie"), has always wanted to visit new Orleans and also a big fan of seafood, we thought this was very fitting.

From the first point of contact when making reservations to the very end of our dining experience in N'awlins, I was absolutely blown away with the service I received.  It was wonderful and they were all very accommodating.

The restaurant is long and narrow (which is very common for most restaurants on the King West strip) but very charming with print canvases of familiar faced Jazz artists sprawled across the brick walls, very dimly lit with candles atop each table, a large bar at the end of the restaurant with the live band performing in the centre.

We were seated directly under the massive Billie Holiday canvas on the brick wall and were thrilled about that.

We nestled into our seats and took in the wonderful atmosphere - I was immediately intrigued.  That's a mouthful coming out from me because let me tell you, I have this gift of knowing as soon as I walk into a restaurant whether or not I like it or not.  9 out of 10 times, I was right.

Appetizers first!

We knew we had to try the alligator skewers since they are a delicacy in New Orleans.  I'm adventurous like that. 

We also ordered the Peppercorn Mussels and the Bruschetta.

The alligator skewers were marinated in Cajun seasoning and grilled & served with a herbed dipping sauce on top of a bed of greens at $11.50.

Yum! They were good! Texture and taste in between chicken and pork.  Perfectly grilled, not overly salty or greasy and it went well with the sauce. You've got to try it!

The Peppercorn Mussels was my favourite appetizer.

A ½ pound of P.E.I. mussels sautéed with leeks, garlic & green peppercorns in a light white wine cream sauce at $12.00.

The mussels were cooked perfectly  in a creamy white wine sauce sprinkled with the perfect amount of pepper.  The waitress also provided some freshly baked french bread on the side and it paired so nicely with this dish for dipping into the sauce - I really loved it! 

Next time I'm here, I'm not sharing.  It was that good.

The list of drinks were great too and the martini's all had a special name, named after a famous jazz artist.

It just so happens both my sister-in-law and I went with none other than 'The Billie Holiday' martini.

For the main course, I ordered the Seafood Medley which was an enticing combination of Cajun calamari, Cajun tiger shrimp, blackened scallops and a lobster tail served on a bed of jambalaya rice with grilled peppers at $34.00.

The seafood was all perfectly grilled (nothing was fried which made it even better!) and spiced fittingly.  There were some moments I would take a bite and it would pack a punch but not so bad at all.

The jambalaya rice was great with the fish - I was definitely in seafood heaven.

If you're a seafood lover like me, I recommend trying the seafood medley.

What I love the most about their dishes is that they are very generous with their portions, so you are getting so much for what you are paying for.

And the staff was very attentive with quick service.

Our waitress even took our request to have the band sing a special jazzy rendition of Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law (which threw her by surprise in a good way) sung by the amazing All Star Bourbon Street Band and a delectable cake slice of chocolatey delight complete with a lit candle.

I was hoping The All Star Bourbon Street Band came equipped with CD's because they were unbelievably incredible!  They played and sang classic favourites from "How Sweet it is To Be Loved You" (which got everyone including our table singing and clapping),"My Girl" to "Sitting on The Dock of The Bay" - they really rocked the house, or shall I say "jazzed the house". They music was not overly loud and annoying to the ears especially considering the tight space; it was just perfect!
Couples danced around us, others clapped and sang along - I loved it! What a great group we had in the restaurant that night.  If it's like this every evening in N'awlins, even better.

Overall, the experience was pleasant; all our sensations were satisfied and N'awlins Jazz Bar & Dining has definitely made it into our special "list".

Expect to see me there again soon!

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Are Canadians Anti-Kid?

 Another great blog entry I came across, this time from Today's Parent.
I noticed this for a while now and I'm really starting to get convinced that we may just be... anti-kid.
Honestly, prior to being a mother, having people bring their teething infant or set of moody and tired toddlers to a fancy restaurant was never really a big problem for me. Sure, it got a little noisy when trying to enjoy a nice romantic conversation over my filet mignon with the hubs but still so long as food wasn't flying on me or kids hiding under my dinner table, I was fine.
I think it's really the parent's discretion. And if they choose to bring their kids, so be it. It shouldn't be something that's 'not allowed' or frowned upon. Sometimes we just want to bring our whole family out for a nice dinner, even our toddler! As long as proper etiquette is attempted from all, that's what matters.
And it's true! Having returned from Paris myself in January, it was amazing how many families with children I seen in even the most pish-poshy restaurants and cafe's. Stylish mom's having adult convo with a friend with a cocktail in one hand and a napping infant in the other! Hey, if she can do it? Why not? To each his own I always say.

Blog post from Jacqueline on Today's Parent:

"I just returned from a week in France (a few days in Lyon, and a few days in Paris). It was my first time there, and it was awesome!

But besides all the fabulous things to see — Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, Champs Elysées, Louvre — I really enjoyed sitting out at cafés watching people. And one of the things I really noticed was how many parents brought their kids to what we would consider grownup restaurants. How many toddlers have you seen at a trendy bistro in a major Canadian city?

I really loved how kids were just part of everything — not left with a sitter or relegated to some fast food joint. And everyone — the parents, servers and the kids — was relaxed.

It made me wonder: Do we “discriminate” against children? Would you feel annoyed if you were out at a reasonably fancy restaurant, and someone brought their toddler and preschooler along? Are the French a more family-friendly society?"

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