Met up with some friends I haven't seen in forever at Aviv for Stop 2 of my Winterlicious adventures. It was very busy! We only waited a few minutes before we were seated by the owner. He was serving, clearing tables and greeting people; he was on top of things! He apologized for the wait even though there wasn't really one long enough to complain about. He had a good sense of humour about it and laughed at my jokes, so he was already winning in my books! ;)
We ordered drinks and made our selections. Yay for appetizers; we were starving! The Risotto Balls were fabulous. Smoked tomato sauce smothered over Italian arborio rice stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and wild mushrooms and drizzled with basil pesto. Doesn't that sound heavenly?? It was!
I've had Gnocchi a thousand times. I love it. This was unexpected! It's called Housemade Potato Gnocchi, but it was more like little fluffy clouds with a smooth texture, almost like melted cheese covered in a savoury tomato cream sauce. I didn't want to share even one bite with my friends. Traditionally, potato gnocchi are denser, but these were very light; the portion was the perfect size.
I love that Winterlicious comes with dessert, so I don't have to feel guilty about having it. :D On with the theme, I had the Light & Fluffy Lemon Cheesecake. I didn't taste any lemon, but the cheesecake was indeed light and fluffy. The blueberry compote stole the show. It was a great finish to a savoury meal and not too sweet.
The service was really stellar. The owner and our server were warm and funny. Both taking a few minutes to chat like we went there all the time. I really liked the atmosphere and their regular menu looks good. I'll have to come back! That's what Winterlicious is for!!
Until we meet again, Aviv!