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| - I have been to Montogery's twice since it opened its door last year. Both meals were easily one of the top 5 meals I have had in Toronto. The intimate space might not look much and even confusing with their layout and decor but the food and wine is really the star of the entire space.
Their menu is simple and vegetable focused. They offer 3 different types of butter plus dip and terrine for their famous sourdough bread. The dandelion butter gives a pleasant grassy punch and the cultured butter has a lovely butter milk aftertaste. I also am a big fan of the toasted lentil dip w/ miso & sprouts . You wouldn't expect the umani flavour of miso goes so well with their cold press olive oil and the freshness of the sprout. However I do wish the bread came warm instead of cold. For entree, the sunchoke (Sunchoke, water buffalo fresco, green apricot, sorrel) and celeriac (Salt baked celeriac, garlic aioli, celery & parsley salad) are my absolute favourite. Guy Rawlings really celebrates the uniqueness of the vegetable by complementing it with surprising flavours and execute it his highly skilled french cooking technique. We also ordered a fish entree, the pickerel, bone sauce & kale. The pickerel was cooked to perfection, very generously season with a almost smoky taste of the bone sauce. We wiped the plate clean with the bread. For dessert, I have tried the Black walnut financiers & blackberry coulis, 'Rhubarbo' mousse, raw rhubarb & toasted oat and Tatin aux pommes à la Passard. My favourite would be the black walnut financiers, its a perfect way to end the meal with coffee or wine to go with this little taste bomb full of almost gasoline, earthy flavour from the black walnut.
I would have to check in to get a Rawlings fix regularly every now and then. Its one of the most sophisticated, confident, creative yet authentic restaurant that is absent in the Toronto food scene. I recognize this place might not hit the spot for everybody. But I would highly recommend this little gem to anybody who has a diverse palette and interested in the authenticity of the humble ingredients.
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