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| - Upon entering, we wondered where the art was. The restaurant felt a bit like an airport waiting area, with its grey ambiance, muted music and stark walls. Why so glum, chums? You're part of the AGO! You literally have creativity bleeding from the walls around you. No excuses for staid interiors, am I right?
Okay, now let's talk Winterlicious food.
For appetizers, the mussel soup was tangy and smooth and was even poured right at our table. Although it was lukewarm, the balance of flavours was still very, very good.
For our entree, the sea bream was our top pick. The crispy fish skin was the best part. The only thing was that the official menu promised grits, but on the day we went, I believe they served celeriac puree in its place. Although celeriac puree sounds like a diseased dish for decaying retirement homes, it was delicious, and honestly, I'm still thinking about it.
Dessert was where everything fell apart-- literally. "Rassembleu" meant that they served a deconstructed pear dessert, and oh, it was a sad, sad thing to behold. It was like a bland, plain cookie crumbled underneath a cold, almost-raw pear. There were some token crumbles of blue cheese hiding among the cookie rubble. What's with Toronto and this deconstruction trend? Some of the Neanderthals among us still prefer our tarts intact.
Lastly, the service was perfect-- there was none of that snobby "Oh, you're here because it's a prix-fixe menu" vibe that you get at other restaurants. I appreciate that. Winterlicious is about exploring new territory-- in food, in experiences, in the city-- and overall, I'm glad that we tried Frank.
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