Earth - Enjoying a Locavore Meal in Toronto

Amongst all the hustle and bustle, we managed to sneak away while we were in Toronto and have a nice dinner for two.  We decided to check out Earth, the newest restaurant from Ed Ho (who nicely stopped by our table prior to our meal).  He is the same guy who opened Globe Bistro, the restaurant we enjoyed the last time we were in Toronto.  

Walking into the restaurant, we immediately notice Earth's sleek and modern interior - blacks and greys offset by funky light fixtures.  It's a cool space, but our favourite parts were the two rose inlays (the flower in the photo above) that were saved from the original flooring and integrated into current flooring. 

With a wine list of 50 wines under $50, there were many options, both local and New World.  We opted to try a few Ontario wines by the glass (left to right):
2006 Semillon, Rosewood (Beamsville Bench, ON, $9) - This tasted closer to a crisp sauvignon blanc or a Chablis with tart, green apple rather than a buttery Semillon.  It did have some honey sweetness and good acidity.
2007 Merlot, Rosewood (Beamsville Bench, ON, $9) - This wine was not too ripe and tasted like sweet oak and cherry with a medium body.  We like to try 2007 vintages from the Niagara region because it was one of its best years.
2007 Gamay, Malivoire (Beamsville Bench, ON, $8) - We like the cherry fruit taste with an earthy nose and a hint of smokiness of this wine.  It was very food friendly.

Homemade biscuits with butter - a nice change from the usual bread basket.

Pig Bits ($5): This plate of pate with allspice, pressed pork terrine and flash seared pork skin (with mustard in the middle) was the best value of the night.  It's a great sharing plate and was perfect for pork lovers like us!

John's Elk Tartare ($12):  We like elk because the meat is rich without being too gamey.  This tartare was nicely seasoned, was mixed with capers, and topped with a couple of garlic chips (they looked like eyes to us).  On the side was a hard-boiled quail's egg,

Tamworth Suckling Pig Roast ($25):  We were looking forward to this dish (we love pig, after all), but unfortunately the pork was overcooked and the braised local beans a little too chewy.  The pork tasted great with the accompanying boudin noir but it couldn't save the dryness of the pork.

Canada's Finest Plate ($26): We liked this lighter dish of B.C. halibut with small bits of pork belly and Brussels sprout leaves.  On the side was a bright salad of blood orange and braised fennel.

Our love of sheep's milk cheese made us choose the Ewenity Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta ($6) with blueberry compote.  It was more savoury than sweet, but we still enjoyed this light dessert.  With a citrus or lemony taste, it was a nice palatte cleanser after our rich meal. 

Overall, we were a tad disappointed with our experience due to the dry suckling pig and 30 minute waits for our entree and then our dessert.  The restaurant had only been opened for 4 weeks, so hopefully the kinks will be worked out soon.  We'll probably come back again as we really enjoyed our starters, the price-points are very affordable, and we liked the friendly staff.  The restaurant had a comfortable bar and lounge area as well so we can always return for a quick bite. 

Earth is located at 1055 Yonge St (btwn Roxborough St and MacPherson Ave; just north of Rosedale subway station) in Toronto, ON, Canada.

Best of 2010: Our Most Popular Recipes, Events, Restaurant Reviews, Parties, and Drinks

We can't believe how quickly this year has flown by!  Looking back over the posts, we've realized how lucky we've been to meet some of our idols (including Bobby Flay, Jamie Oliver, and Martha Stewart), eat fabulous meals, and travel to various parts of the country (Philly, DC, Maryland, Midwest, and San Fran) and beyond (Toronto).  But some of our most memorable moments aren't pictured - they're compiled in the lovely comments you make on the site or email to us.

To choose the "Best of 2010", we left the decision to our best judges:  our readers!  So we've compiled our most popular posts (based on page views) below.  Enjoy our look back at 2010! 

 

Most popular recipe: Oven-baked Panko and Coconut Shrimp

Runner-ups:  Summer Vegetable Gratin Inspired by Thomas Keller

 Maitake Mushrooms

Most Popular Sweet Treats post:  Macaron Tour of NYC
Runner Ups:  NYC Cookiefest
Strawberry, Lemon, and Mint popsicles

Most popular event:  Jamie Oliver event
Runner Ups:  Hester Street Fair: 1895 and Now
Le Fooding NYC vs SF

Most popular party:  Halloween Baby Shower
Runner Ups:  Yankees Birthday Party
Red and White Holiday Party

Most Popular Drink post: Beer Tour of Philly
Runner Ups: Happy Hour at DBGB
Wines and Beers for the Holiday

Most popular Restaurant review:  Flour + Water in SF
Runner Ups:  Mile End Brooklyn
Motorino NYC
Marea NYC

Most popular post:
Wine Corkboard

{Dining Out} Lunch date at Momofuku Ssam Bar

Duck Sandwich  with iceberg lettuce, spicy mayo, peppadews ($12)

Yesterday was our last day in the city before heading off to Toronto to spend the holidays with my family. So Jeff and I both decided to take the day off (for last minute packing and errands) and treat ourselves to a leisurely lunch at Momofuku Ssam Bar.

We easily got a table when we arrived around 12:30pm. For lunch service, you have to order from the counter in the back space that used to be Milk Bar. After you order, select your own seat and your food is then brought to you. If you love duck and pork, this is the place for you!

Pork buns ($10)

 We started our meal with the Steamed Pork Buns (with hoisin, cucumbers, scallions), which were almost at our table mere minutes after we ordered. Slabs of pork belly just melts your mouth. So good! Most of the tables around were starting with the Pork Buns as well.

Next up was the Duck Sandwich (top photo). Though we enjoyed the crispy bread, tender duck meat, and spicy mayo, I'm not sure we'd order it again. We're definitely glad we tried it (it was quite tasty) and I don't think you'd be disappointed if you ordered it..It's just that after having this next dish, the sandwich doesn't stand a chance.



Duck on rice ($14 + $1 extra for lettuce)

 Loved the Rotisserie Duck on Pork Fried Rice with duck, scallion, ssam sauce, and crispy shallot. Definitely pay $1 more for the lettuce - we enjoyed making our own lettuce wraps with this perfectly cooked duck and all the fixins. We will return for this dish!
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After enjoying a duck-filled lunch, we instantly wished we came with a few friends. With a group, you can order the Rotisserie Duck Ssäm with chive pancakes, bibb lettuce, hoisin, duck scallion, crispy shallots and two side dishes. This dish requires reservations in advance. So who's in?

Blue Hill at Stone Barns Part II: The "Table" part of our "Farm to Table" outing

After wandering about the Stone Barns farm area and seeing how much the farm animals, produce, and herbs are well-treated and respected, we were eager to see how our meal would be prepared.  We have showed you the "Farm" part of our "Farm to Table" adventure, and now we bring you the "Table" part with Blue Hill's $85 Sunday farmers' feast (4 courses).

When we first sat down and looked at the menu, we immediately noticed that there were no entrees listed.

Instead of "Today's Special dish", we were given "today's freshest and most seasonal ingredients" from both Stone Barns and from local vendors.

It was a little overwhelming, but we knew we were in good hands.  We told our server to bring us whatever the chef recommended and that we eat anything and everything.

Rather than ask us what ingredients we wanted in our meal, our server instead asked us a few questions regarding game meat (yes, please), cooking preparation preference (however the chef recommends, but usually the rarer the better!), and any aversions or allergies (none!). 

We started off with a bottle of house sparkling water and cold Captain Lawrence's Xtra Gold beer ($19, which was kept on ice, like champagne, for us!).  Drinking beer from a Burgundy wine glass made us feel very proper and sophisticated (like when George on Seinfeld started eating chocolate bars with a knife and fork).

 

We love it when bread is crusty and crunchy.

Our next drinks were a bit more serious:

Apple Pie (left, $14):  This was made with Heart of the Hudson vodka (infused with apples), apple cider, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  This drink smelled like apple pie fresh from the oven, but the cold drink definitely had a kick to it.  Hmm...we never thought of adding vodka to our pies before...

2007 Melville "Estate-Verna's" Santa Rita Hills Syrah (right, $15):  This Melville Syrah, like their pinots or chardonnays, is always a good choice.  Their wines are great because you can drink them young for the primary fruit and spice, or let them open up or age so it they're smoother.  When we let this wine open up a little bit, we enjoyed this with our meal.  It was an affordable glass of rich, red wine.

Beet Burger:  This amuse bouche was buttery, rich, and sweet.  It was like popping a warm mini muffin in your mouth with deep rustic flavors from the recently-pulled-from-their-backyard Forono beets.

The Cauliflower Soup was made with Hudson Valley cauliflower.  It was warm, rich, yet simple and full of cauliflower flavor.  Growing up with steamed store-bought cauliflower, we never knew how much flavor could come from this vegetable.     

This is where our preference for all types of meats was rewarded.  We were served Bresaola (left) which was nice and salty and the cured ham (right) which was meaty and fatty.  While other tables were being served garden vegetables (which were displayed standing up so they looked really pretty),we enjoyed our house-made charcuterie.

 

Grilled Wahoo with purple and yellow cauliflower, concord grapes, and pumpkin.  We loved the vegetable mixture with the fish.  The fish itself was nicely prepared, on the rarer side as per our preference.  It was meaty and light.  Upon reflecting on this dish, we are not sure where the Wahoo was from since it was not on the menu nor is it usually found in the Northeast.

 

These eggs, just picked the morning of our meal, illustrated how fresh our next entree would be.

 This Morning's Farm Egg with forged mushrooms, kale, and pine nuts.

 

This photo does not do justice to the actual color of the yolk.  The yellow was such a deep color that it was almost orange.  The flavor, of course, was intense with a thick texture that coats the throat.  This shows what a difference the hen's diet makes in producing this egg.

The mushrooms were tender, the pine nuts were crunchy, and the kale (which we had just seen in the garden) was so flavorful and delicate we wanted more.  

 

Wild Turkey with Brussels Sprouts, rutabega puree, concord grape, and walnuts.

 

These brussels sprouts were so bright, beautiful, and delicate.  It lacked the bitterness normally associated with brussels sprouts.  The wild turkey's white meat was better and more moist than any turkey dark meat we have eaten before.  Though the portion looks small on the plate, it was actually very substantial. 

 

Next up was our dessert courses to end our celebratory meal.

 

This was our favorite of the two desserts.  It had Maple ice cream wrapped in chocolate crisps.  There was also white chocolate and mint in the dessert to add to the mix of flavors.  We loved all of the crunchy textures mixed with the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate.

 

The second dessert was also good, but not as sinfully rich as the previous chocolate dish.  This dessert had a Poached pear with vanilla ice cream and cream of wheat.  It was lighter than the other, similar to having pear preserves.  Overall, we were happy to be able to try two different desserts.

We ended our meal with a double espresso and cappuccino.  Loved the curved dish (in the background) our warm milk was served in!

Just before we were about to pay our bill, our server offered to take us behind the scenes to see the kitchen!

We excitedly finished our drinks, pay our bill, and headed to the kitchen.  It was a surprisingly calm operation in a bright space.  We were pleasantly surprised to see Executive Chef Dan Barber preparing a dish (it was of beet chips, artfully displayed on a tower).

On our way out, we spoke with the hostess to find out what was the best ways to score these hard-to-get reservations at Blue Hill.  She mentioned that phoning the restaurant was best (vs OpenTable) and that the full menu was also available for walk-ins at the more casual bar. 

 

Blue Hill at Stone Barns is located at 630 Bedford Rd in Pocantico Hills, New York.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns - Part I: Exploring the Grounds

To celebrate a multitude of different occasions, we decided to head out to Blue Hill at Stone Barns, the acclaimed restaurant by Chef Dan Barber that is known for its effective use of local products.

But before we sat down to dine for this much-anticipated meal, we ventured out earlier from the city to tour the grounds of Stone Barns.

Stone Barns is a non-profit farm that was built on the former Rockefeller estate.  The actual stone barns were originally built by the Rockefellers to be a dairy farm.  It was developed into the Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture which was opened to the public, along with the restaurant, in 2004.

 

The farm uses its natural environment and does not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides in growing its crops.

 

The only addition to the soil is a compost made of manure and organic materials.

 

The kale, which would later end up on our plate!

Despite the late Autumn weather, we still managed to find a few beautiful flowers.

We loved walking through the vegetable garden, especially the signs that encouraged us to touch rub fresh herb leaves between our fingers to capture their fragrance.  (There is a small farmers market where you can purchase local vegetables, meats, and baked goods)

The Greenhouse allows the farm to produce vegetables all year round.  Even in the winter, when outside temperature can reach below zero, the greenhouse will be producing up to 35 different kinds of hearty crops (many of them rare or little-known).

The livestock are free-ranging on the farm.

 

We loved the dog, who seemed to be smiling while watching over the sheep.

 

These were the hens who laid the eggs we later ate that day!

The animals, including pigs, ducks, and wild turkeys, are part of the farm's ecosystem.  The animals feed on the grounds and their manure fertilizes the earth.

Yes, we were a couple of city slickers who took tons of photos of lettuce in the garden and ducks on the field.  More than anything however, Stone Barns gave us a greater appreciation for the food we eat.  We will definitely return in the spring, hopefully with family and friends, for one of their Saturday guided insider tours

Look for our next post (Stone Barns Part II) where we'll discuss our fantastic tasting menu at Blue Hill at Stone Barns!

Stone Barns is located at 630 Bedford Road in Pocantico Hills, NY. It's just a 40-50 mins train ride from NYC to Tarrytown, and then a short taxi ride to the farm.