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| - Gilead Cafe has been on my 'hit list' since their doors opened in an alleyway off King Street. If you blink you might miss it, which I'm sure is one of the reasons why it never comes to mind.
The other week, my cousin Natasha and I were scoping out dinner options. I flipped through my pile of Groupons for inspiration and then I saw it...my $30 coupon for Gilead Cafe. Decision was made and I was counting down the minutes until our reservation.
THE MENU:
Jamie Kennedy, the well-respected chef and owner of Gilead, is my hero. Not only because he's easy on the eyes and looks handsome in his chef coat. I also admire that he sets the bar high when it comes to his food. For instance, Gilead's menu changes with the seasons to ensure you and I are only getting the best ingredients sourced close to home. Just a few of the producers he relies on are Dingo Farms, Soiled Reputation, and Stoddart Farm (as stated on Stoddart's site, "our animals are not on drugs...just grass").
The menu is what I would describe as comfort food that challenges the status quo. Instead of "fish and chips", you will see "tempura halibut". Instead of a "ham and cheese sandwich", you'll find "porchetta and wild leek sandwiches". All of the unexpected ingredient combinations on the menu makes you go hmm. The anticipation for your meal is intensified, coupling hunger with curiousity as you wonder what the heck you just ordered!
The menu has a blend of shared and entree-type dishes ranging from $6 (for fries) to $18 (for steak frites). Their latest menu is posted here.
The wine list was a good size. The bonus was the option to order a 3 ounce OR 6 ounce glass. So if you're a lightweight (or the designated driver) you can have a glass and not have to worry about blowing over the limit. I did enjoy the wine, but that's not why I took the photo below. Look yonder and you will see a gentleman standing in a white chef coat. Yeppers! That's my hero, JK!
OUR ORDER:
Let me caveat that this night was my 'cheat' night, and I took cheating to another level! In fairness, items OK'd by the Paleo Diet were few and far between. You name it, I had it: cheese (dairy), couscous (grains), sugar (dessert). Let's just say that the Paleo gods were not impressed.
The highlight of the night came early...when Jamie Kennedy himself served us our main dishes! Is this the norm? I wanted to say something, like "can I get your autograph" or "you're my hero" but my cousin (who had no clue who he was) blurted out "Um, that dish is not mine" when Jamie set my meal in front of her my mistake. I let out a nervous giggle trying ease the awkwardness as he switched plates. That was our first and last visit from JK that evening.
JK Poutine - Beef brisket with cheddar ($11) - I did my research beforehand and knew that the poutine was highly recommended. The waitress also mentioned that it was the most popular dish, so this was a no-brainer. The fries were fantastic (an 8/10). Slightly crispy with a little salt, topped with a hunk of tender shredded beef and shredded cheese. It was the cheese that won my heart. I learned that it was unpasturized, aged white cheddar from PEI. God bless PEI for making such beautiful cheese. And god bless Jaime for bringing it to us.
So that was my review. The people I was dining with on the other hand, were more critical rating it from 5/10 to 7/10. In fairness to Jaime, they were comparing it to traditional poutine, swimming in gravy and some mystery cheese. This is not your average poutine.
For the rest of this review, check out my blog post.
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