rev:text
| - Note - this review isn't based on their oysters. Perhaps if I would have had them, I could have given them another star based on the reviews of my fellow Yelpers.
I ventured all the way to Lawrence and Warden from Mississauga to eat here this past Tuesday. The dining room was full (mind you it is a small dining room - around 10 tables) and there were people on the patio. There were also a few larger groups of diners, so I had my hopes up.
I ordered the tomato bisque with crab to start, crab cake and the grilled and butterflied branzino. My party finished shared the red and white poached pear with blue cheese, candied walnuts and balsamic reduction.
The meal started off well. The tomato bisque had a great consistency and colour, the seasoning was bold, and the crab gave it the added saltiness that the soup needed. However, I thought that as you continued to eat it, the seasoning overpowered the crab and it got lost in the dish. The crab cake was a winner - it was moist and perfectly dense with a nice golden crust. I only wish that there was a second one. I was slightly disappointed that there was only one on the plate at a $10 price point.
I really enjoyed the vegetables on my entree. It was a standard mix, but the addition of beets was a nice and pleasant touch. The fish was ok. I wish it was more buttery, but it had a great sear and texture. I do have to mention that my mom ordered the potato crusted halibut and it was the driest piece of fish I'd eaten in a long time. It looked so plump when it came out, but it just fell apart.
The poached pear wasn't a highlight at all. I felt like it wasn't cooked enough, as both pears had a lingering vinegar flavour. That's about it.
The meal started on a high, but gradually fell as the night went on. For the price point, and the reputation, I was definitely expecting better.
|