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| - To not be disappointed when dining, there are a few things I make sure to avoid. One is Chinese-run "sushi" places. Another is any restaurant run by a nightclub owner. And the biggie is deals for cheapskates. I'm looking at you, Winterlicious, Summerlicious, Groupon, WagJag, and the rest of them. I am not surprised that almost all the negative reviews for this place are from "licious" customers. Don't go to a high end place expecting the high end experience when you're paying East Side Mario's prices. What you end up getting is their version of wedding banquet food, mass produced on an assembly line (so the place can turn the tables twice as fast) with the quality to match. Don't be so damn cheap; if you want the genuine experience save up your money and show up when the restaurant is at its best. When it ISN'T serving the cheapskates. You might have to spend 50% more but you'll get 100% better quality food and service. If I see a negative 'Licious review I disregard it. There, I can get off my soapbox now.
All that said, Oliver and Bonacini are the undisputed kings of restaurant dining in Toronto. Go to any of their places and ('Licious notwithstanding) you will never be disappointed. Their flagships are Canoe (great view, modern continental cuisine with local ingredients) and Auberge du Pommier (classical French). I hadn't been to Auberge in about 5 years so a revisit was long overdue, and once again the O&B team amazed me.
As always, a small bowl of olives as well as freshly baked (and still warm) bread with butter is presented immediately after the menus are taken away, and is always a pleasant surprise. It doesn't need much butter, it's that good. For my appetizer I went with the roasted La Canardière foie gras served with Bartlett pear, parsnip puree and almond oat crumble. If you've never had foie gras and have only seen it on the Food Network, definitely have it here. The rich buttery liver melts in your mouth, and the accompanying components on the plate balance that out. Main course I ordered Boeuf aux escargots: braised beef cheek de Cahors, garlic & parsley escargot, pomme purée. The beef cheek was braised slowly that the result was a very tender piece of meat that needed light pressure with a fork to cut. No knife needed for this! Rather than dessert I went with the cheese plate to end the meal. This consisted of 5 cheeses (4 French 1 from PEI) served with a honeycomb, quince jam, and crackers which served as palate cleansers. Of the 5, my favorite was the Langres cheese (as the server described it's so soft they have to cut it right out of the fridge... once it warms to room temperature it is heavenly stuff to eat, with the thickness and consistency of a very rich sour cream).
Although it was several days after my actual birthday, they did bring out a "cake" which consisted of a candle to blow out, two blackberries, two chocolate truffles, two cream puffs, and "Happy Birthday" written in dark chocolate sauce. A pleasant, unexpected treat.
If you have a special occasion to celebrate (birthday, anniversary, milestone...) or want to impress family or friends visiting from out of town, you simply cannot go wrong by choosing Auberge du Pommier. One big positive is that you don't have to go downtown and deal with the transportation hassles there; this is so convenient being just south of the 401 with free (validated) underground parking next to the restaurant. Just don't go during Licious.
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