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| - Partial review:
.......Kantor's menu options at Bero are relatively simple- four courses for $52 or a full 7 course tasting menu for $84 and a choice to add beverage pairings for an extra $32 or $54, respectively. For those unwilling to commit themselves to a lofty flight, there are glasses ($9-17) and bottles ($37-130) of local and international wine (mainly Spanish, Italian, and France), beers in bottle and tap ($5.95-10.95), and a list of classic cocktails like Negronis, Old Fashions, Martinis and the French 75 ($12).
Food items showcase the farmers market's best with a vast variety of proteins and produce represented in the "ingredient list" style description. The website suggests that Bero is "influenced by Basque and Spanish culinary" but that they do not limit themselves to only one style or cuisine. Essentially, Matt told me that they had started the Bero concept thinking Spanish was their approach, but in the process simply aimed to do excellent food- Spanish or otherwise. And while I think Spanish food is my favourite cuisine right now, with a handful of already excellent authentic Spanish restaurants in the city, a little diversity and culinary creativity is certainly welcome. Wanting to experience that creativity as much as I could (ie. try different dishes than my dining companion), I asked a wee-favour of the chef. Could each of us get wine pairings along with the 4 course menu each, and then add a foie gras and cheese course each (meaning 6 courses for each of us?) - yes, yes we can. Unfortunately, I meant to ask our server for the list of wine pairings so I can't speak in detail to what those were (and after 6 glasses, I kind of forget). However, I will note that both myself and partner (a bit of a wine snob) were quite impressed with the pairings. There wasn't a single wine we didn't like, and feel didn't match well with the food. And speaking of food, here's what we tasted.
Heirloom Tomato: Watermelon, Kumquat, Blue Cheese Foam, Tomato Marshmallow
A really well balanced few bites. The watermelon was crunchy and sweet, balanced out by the bright tomatoes, the acidic kumquat and the pungent yet creamy blue cheese foam. The highlight for me, however, was definitely the cushiony tomato marshmallow, which had a light ethereal consistency to balance the more assertive textures on the plate. A lovely summer dish.
Peach Gazpacho: Caramelized Onion Beignet, Pistachio and Fennel Tuile
It's hard to pick a favourite dish of the day, but this one was right up there. We were instructed to break the delicate tuile into the cold soup, acting as a flavour-packed crouton and delivering the much-desired crunch factor. The gazpacho itself was sweet, tangy and literally made my taste-buds tingle. Oh man- and that beignet.. damn. Imagine a buttery doughnut filled with sweet caramelized onions. I really could not think of a more welcoming bite.
Bone Marrow Gnocchi, Garlic Roasted Snails, Celery Root Puree, Parsley and Fried Garlic Chips
With the extra lusciousness from the marrow, these gnocchi were surprisingly even more angelic than your standard pasta. They were light, super moist, and literally dissolved on my tongue into a pool of flavour and not gummy flour. I also enjoyed the mild sweetness of the celery root puree, played up by the roasted snails and golden brown garlic chip garnish. It doesn't surprise me that Matt said this is a very popular course.
Octopus with Chorizo Chips and Sea Bean with Potato Whip
Another favourite dish- the octopus was flawlessly cooked- I mean, I have NEVER tasted octopus so tender and moist- even Alinea's suffered from an unpleasant chew. The impressively thin and crispy chorizo brought a desired element of salty heat and the potato whip was a creamy, luxurious dream. Solid.
Seared Foie Gras with Puffed Quinoa, Apple & Celery Sorbet, and Sherry Gastrique
You can't screw up foie gras- that's been my experience anyways, and Bero was no exception. The foie gras was beautifully cooked and paired nicely with the sweet gastrique, and I appreciated the refreshing flavour of the sorbet. It was a little sweet, a little acidic, and somewhat vegetal as well- but the flavour was just pronounced enough to let the foie gras shine and to simply cut it's richness. I also really liked the satisfyingly crunchy texture of the quinoa, which added an appreciated textural contrast with the sorbet.
Lamb Saddle with Avocado Puree, Wattle Seed Dust, Apricot, Zucchini and Purple Potato
Another flawless preparation- the lamb was so tender and juicy, I barely needed a knife. And while lamb and avocado curtained seemed like an odd pairing, it actually worked surprisingly well. Very simple, but because it was so well executed, I couldn't help but wish we had more.
Duck Breast with Duck Confit Leek-Wrapped Cannelloni with Corn Pudding and Freeze-Dried Corn, and Black Garlic Sauce
Okay so we're back at the favourite dish game again- this one was a no brainer for me because .....
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