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.
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.
