Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Awtash


When I started Drawn and Devoured last January, Awtash (at College and Bathurst) made my short list. I passed it regularly, I loved the lettering in the signage, and the booths looked very intimate from the outside. I have a friend who grew up in Abu Dhabi so I wanted to bring him with me to see how the place lined up with his vision of home. Later I even found out I have a friend who did the graphic design that I liked so much (that's Kassem Ahmed, by the way)! So many reasons to go!

We even wound up at the door one night for dinner, only to realize they're closed on Mondays. This is something I always check for now. So what I'm saying is that Awtash has been hanging in front of me tauntingly for some time! It was really good to get JJ and Erin together to try it out at last. I was really hoping to experience some interesting, strong Persian flavours while lounging in their sexy booths, with the gorgeous lights and intimate curtains, maybe with a shisha pipe. This is probably the nicest-looking shisha lounge in Toronto- it's a rare indulgence for me, since I'm not a smoker. JJ brings lots back from his regular visits home, and the shisha at Awtash was just as good- they also didn't charge for coal refills! Something that happens a lot in Toronto shisha houses. We did get hung up on the semantics of calling a shisha pipe a hookah, but I wonder, does it really matter much so long as the end product is tasty?
Not to me.


For a Persian restaurant, the menu had a lot of Italian themed or inspired dishes. There were pizza's and panini-like sandwiches. Actually, more than half the menu was more Italian than Persian! I don't understand why. The Persian style food we had come for could be got mostly from the appetizers, and a couple of the flat breads, which were still riffing off Italian style food. I like innovation and pushing food boundaries though, so even though the menu came as a surprise, it wasn't by default a disappointment. We wanted to try one thing that sounded more middle eastern, at least. There were a half dozen choices of dips and spreads that made up the bulk of the starter choices, some more curious than others, and we ordered a mix platter called paaeez ($14) that had a selection of them all. It's a combo of six offerings, and was served with Barbary sesame bread, which is flaky with a crunchy crust like filo pastry, and hot soft insides. There REALLY wasn't enough for all the dips, and we had to order more (which cost a few bucks).

Zaytoon - These were big fatty olives. They was a mix of size, colour, and flavour, all doused in a glossy coat of olive oil, with some pickled mushroom tossed in the mix. Fresh and briny, not too salty.
Zaytoon Parvardeh - Olives again but smaller green ones, a bit sweeter than the other mix. These were completely smothered in a paste of oregano that became very overwhelming- if there were other herbs we couldn't taste them. Unfortunately the strong oregano even overwhelmed what had enticed me to try these olives, pomegranate molasses and walnut bits, which were just hints under the herb.
Hummus - Very creamy! This was a smooth and rich hummus with a lot or paprika on top that added a nice smoky smoothness. It was both light and nutty.
Boorani Spinach - Basically a tzatziki but not as zippy. This was smooth with blended garlic that added a pungent intensity.
Bademjoon - A richer and fresher side than the others we were served, this is basically a cold stew of tomato and eggplant. It was so garlicky and refreshing! There was a taste of honey amidst the strong tangy tomato taste, and it was good to have something that wasn't creamy to clear the taste buds.
Russia with Love - A weird dip that taste like potato salad, or devilled eggs as a spread. I really enjoyed this, and thought it was quite pretty with corn kernel studs. The sesame sprinkled on top really represented, adding a strong taste and little pops of crispness.


We wanted to try out one of the fusion style dishes, and ordered an Awtash stew-topped pizza. The fesenjoon ($12) comes with chicken, walnut and pomegranate stew, topped with tiny diced pieces of sweet pineapple. So this is an Italian Hawaiian pizza with a Persian twist? Oh my. The dough was hot, floury and super fresh, very simple. It was a bit underwhelming, maybe because it didn't seem robust enough to hold up to the stew. The stew itself was sweet from the pomegranate, and was more like a sauce than a stew. I thought of teriyaki without the soy. There was nothing in the texture that was stew like sadly, no thickness or chunks of meat (where WAS the meat?). There wasn't much to give it interest, or much to chew on. Even the cheese was very mild, timid. I think I liked the crust with its sesame studs more than the main body of the pizza.


Rather than racking up a meal of many mains, we went right for the desserts after that pizza. Erin hadn't tried anything made with rosewater before. I like it occasionally, though it can be like getting a face full of perfume if too strong. She and I split the rose water waffle ($7), which we hoped would be a gentle introduction to the flowery flavor. The batter that made the lattice-like waffles was thin and crisp. It had what I can only call a fizzy quality, like carbonation in the bread, that crackled across the tongue. We got a bit of a shock with the strength of the rose! It was powerful, not mild at all. The ice cream, which claimed to be pistachio on the menu but was clearly strawberry, was milky and not too flavourful.

JJ got a dessert to himself, he was still very hungry. There were a couple dessert flat breads on the menu, including the nuts & banana ($7) which sounded intriguing. Nuts, banana, and strawberry slices? Toasted? Well, try it! The thing was HUGE. It was fully the size of the largest panini you can imagine, served on a bigger version of that fluffy, crackly Barbary bread, though lacking the sesame seeds. It was kind of a big mess, though. The whole thing wouldn't stay together. It was like a crepe gone wrong, where the bread didn't work with the slippery stuffing. The strawberries melted into jam in the heat, and lost all their flavor. It was impressively big, with had no flavor to make anyone want to finish it. Better to have a small and well made dessert than this boring monster.

Everything had had a fluffy and airy effect (even the flatbread dessert), so we weren't even close to full. at the end

I'd like to drop a special note about the service, which really wasn't there. The girls were nice enough...when they were around. We had coal refills forgotten twice, and the servers were very dismissive of our obvious dissatisfaction. The shisha pipes hadn't been cleaned from the night before, and tasted like old shisha. Getting anyones attention was nearly impossible, and we'd go for 40 minutes without anyone asking us if we wanted more beer, or dessert. Speaking of beer, the servers should pay better attention to the menu. If you're advertising a large Sapporo, and come out with a small bottle, I will be confused! Especially when the price suits the larger size. That's the sort of thing a server should tell you right off the bat- I don't really think our server knew much about the menu at all. Then again, Awtash is a place set for the pre-party crowd for whom the menu is secondary. Maybe because we didn't get one of their $200 bottles of vodka (more expensive even than some King West clubs), they didn't feel a strong need to cater to us- they didn't have any interesting boozes from the middle east either, which is a shame because Arak is darn tasty.

Email Katherine
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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

SWAN restaurant


There was a time when Queen West was like a second home to me. Every day would find me biking up the strip in hot weather for one reason or another, and every day I passed the SWAN restaurant (892 Queen West). It's got such a good reputation it's a shock it's taken me until now, the icky cold beginnings of winter, to go and try it out. SWAN is one of those Toronto classics that survives on solid food whose goodness is passed along by word of mouth- it's come up in conversation a couple times.

I adore the old fashioned decor. This is real vintage, and though it's called SWAN restaurant, there's something of the diner feel going on here. It's that retro beveled edge on everything look, the teak wood wall detailing along one wall. It's also the small intimate booths, brought to a greater romantic height by nothing but candlelight, with the overheads so far dimmed they're nearly off. It does set this good mood. But how good is the well known food?
Even though this is only my second time properly sitting down and trying some oysters, I wound up acting like an authority on them. Amanda and Stine hadn't ever tried them. There was some nervousness! When served with a plate of slippery shells, their pink grey contents look hard to tackle. There's only one piece of advice I could impart: just suck. As anyone whose eaten oysters knows, there's no particularly classy or clean way to enjoy the fruit of the sea. I was happy with the condiment selection, which had everything from lemons, horseradish and hot sauce to more innovative dressings like plum vinegar, smoked tomato chili paste, and one other thing which was never identified. The oysters were what I would hope for: fresh, watery, tasting like the sea, a delicate vessel for light seasoning, with a hint of natural musk.
There was a feeling of camaraderie and sharing at our table, and not one of us ordered a dish that wasn't to share. Decisions were made by troika! After the oysters we consented to a collation of salad with smoked arctic char and avocado. We then consented to the knowledge that no salad with so much avocado should be drenced in heavy, cloying mayo dressing. What thought spurred this action? It ruined the salad- like a coat of butter. I am not exagerating the heavy handedness of the sauce, which coated every lettuce leaf in entirety. The fish was good, though so full of natural salt it didn't taste fishy at all. The dill advertised as a main flavor was also very mild, and the potato nibbled involved were bacony. This should have been like a much improved version of a nicoise, but fell far from the mark.

For a heartier dish betwixt courses we chose a two cheese risotto, with asiago and chevre. The fat arborio rice was studded with half moon zicchini slices. It was piping hot! Using asiago made the risotto drier than the many creamy varieties I've had in the past, and there was quite the tug of war between the two cheese for a dominant flavour. Chevre wanted to be creamy, asiago wanted to bite, and in the end I was left with a flavour impression regretably reminiscent of mac'n'cheese. From a box.


Our entree was actually very good overall, and that was a nice turn on a meal that had quickly turned bad. A plump and generous pork chop sat above sundry sides. There was a fluffy cornmeal biscuit, whose grains rolled along my tongue with an ethereal fluffiness, piqued with jalapeno nibs for spice. There was the fine puree of sweet potato, like applesauce in texture and very sweet, surely mixed with brown sugar. I was reminded of thick molasses, as well as earthy root. Veggies came in the form of buttery green beans and the fattest brussel sprout I ever ate. They were still very crunchy and fresh, only lightly steamed. The meat itself had a definite grain, and was not so succulent as to fall apart. It was firm, with a thick rind of fat, and lots of flavor. I did like the presentation, with a roast apple ring laid on top.

The best thing we had at SWAN was the oysters- from Oyster Boy, which is just next door, and probably a better place to go if you're looking for dinner near Trinity Bellwoods.

Email Katherine
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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Picnic at the Brickworks

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This entry is not the usual fare. If you follow me on twitter, you know I've been volunteering for the Evergreen Brickworks on my weekends. Gives me a lovely fuzzy feeling inside! 

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With the added perk of working and thus attending the yearly Picnic, which was this past Sunday. What is the Picnic? It's a terrific event that pairs Toronto chefs, food artisans and beverage makers with local producers to create local and season nibbles for a mass of guests. The ticket price goes towards Evergreens children's programming, towards Slow Food Toronto (one of the organizers!), and of course towards paying the vendors.

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There's dozens of them, and 1500 of us eaters to take advantage of all the talent under one roof!

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Since this is so different from my usual reviews, I'm taking a different approach. First, it would have been impossible to take notes with one hand holding a laden plate, one clutching a wine glass and fork, and one sneaking out the camera for some ref shots.

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Second, I don't want to review/critique food that doesn't exist outside this amazing event, nor do I want to nitpick the hard work and big-hearted dishes the chefs made! So enjoy some drawings, and let me tell you how the event went for me.

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I started out with my volunteer shift, and I was at Broadview station for a few hours directing people to the shuttle buses that would bring them to the tough-to-access Brickworks. It doesn't sound hard, but standing around with a sign as the station flipped from warm to freezing each time the doors opened somehow drained me! I felt sore all over by the end.

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I was also very antsy to get to tasting! I won't deny that affected my patience with the work, as did my clever decision to only have one apple for breakfast and save my appetite for the Picnic.

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By the time I got to the Brickworks it was 2:30pm, I was shuddering cold, and famished. So the first few things I had to eat were wolfed down with less attention than they deserved.

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These drawings are chronological by the way! That's why the first few have such partial, blurry information. I was in a hunger daze and took horrible notes, if they were taken at all.

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Heat lamps provided momentary relief from the damp. Foggy breath gave everyone a sense of solidarity, and I think we all envied the women and men working hard behind hot flames.

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For me there was an added sense of satisfaction because quite a few of the chefs were from restaurants I started this blog with. I was especially tickled to eat the pickled goodies from the Parts & Labour team - they were my first review ever!

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It's surprising how few of those places I've managed to get back to. It's always somewhere new every week! Which is a lot of fun, but especially for restaurants whose menus change fast, I'm missing out a bit.

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The cold did more than just bring everyone together. It had an effect on the food. Everything was great, but most of these dishes would be ideal at room temperature. You could tell the chill had a dampening effect on aroma.
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It also meant that every beer I had was the best I'd ever tasted. Naturally frosty. The white wine was also shining that night! Mmm, Tawse. Mmm, Henry of Pelham! But the reds were suffering.

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After my initial rampage I slowed down and set a more appropriate grazing pace. I don't think I realized how full I was going to get after that first burst.

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When I left my volunteer post, I was worried I had left too early, since no one had come to relieve me. It's good I left when I did, because some tables started closing at 3:30! Just an hour after I was back.
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I missed out on some tables who were very popular, whose food didn't last long. Even though I saw some chefs from FRANK at the AGO wandering around, their table was long closed! They had had something wrapped in a husk that looked great.

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Other than some crusty bread loaves which were more for display, Woodlot had also caved under the demand, and were empty.
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The feeling as the food began to dwindle was of a soporific party, people swaying to the live music, some red cheeks more from the wine samples than the frosty breeze.

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People smiled and danced with each other, bonding over a love of Toronto, of food. We shared in our appreciation of the hard work of chefs and producers alike to bring us an event like the Picnic.
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I ran around trying to find tables that maybe I had missed in the dine and bustle, tossed around in the sea of people. I ran into Becky who organizes the volunteers and claimed I was only about 2/3 full, but the truth was much grimmer.

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For the next picnic, or maybe the Underground Market if I go to the upcoming one, I have learned a valuable lesson.

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Keep a count. If you're like me, with legs as hollow as your head, you might find that an appetite driven my community love and appreciation knows no reason or moderation. You can count how many things I sampled, and everything was about 3 ounces or so.
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What is the maximum size of the human stomach? I had called it quits when I saw Caplansky's truck, hidden in plain sight. I had wanted to find his table so badly, no wonder I couldn't! Against my better judgement, I asked for a hamburger. I had two small bites. I creaked. I stared at this lovely food, and threw 25 years of unwasteful education out the window, and the burger in the bin. I'm sorry Zane!
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Finally, home.
I entered my room, murmured as the walls blurred and I fell into bed, deep in food coma.

The people who provided what I ate (in order of appearance):
Cowbell Restaurant, Lynn Levitt Farm
Keriwa Cafe, CIPM Grains
Rocky Raccoon, Grey Bruce Region
Auberge du Pommier, David & Delila Stoll, Grassroot Organics
Chez Vous Catering, Stephen Stoll
Goed Eten, Wild Fruit Growers

I know I screwed up some info and left some out, so if anyone has corrections for this list, please! Don't hesitate to provide them.

Email Katherine