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| - A-MAZ-ING!!! I had an absolutely fabulous dinner here!!!! Everything about this place is charming! Especially given that it was winter, it made it so special to come in from the cold into this 24-seat, cozy, warmly-lit ,open-kitchen environment. If you come in a pair you will be seated at a bar-style table, larger groups get actual tables (note: the biggest group they will accommodate is 4 people). Reservations are hard to come by and its not cheap, but his is the type of place us foodies yearn for. Portions come in both "large" and "small" format which is why there is double pricing beside each. There are also two suggested pairings for each meal of both a Canadian and french wine. The interesting thing about the wine pairings is that they come in 3 different sizes. I really find that wine pairings can take a meal to the next level so this made me very happy because you can order a 3 oz size pairing for each course which was just enough to get through the meal (and its a titch more affordable). The idea is to "create your own menu" (as our server said). It was more like a "choose your own gastronomical adventure"!
The Service- Our server was absolutely lovely and as authentically French as they come (she was actually from Marseilles). I could see she was keeping an eye on us throughout the meal and was conscious to ensue that the flow/timing of our dishes was perfect.
We started with cocktails and I had a deliciously refreshing with elderflower liqueur and not too fruity/sweet at all which is usually something I am concerned about. Since our table wasn't entirely ready when we arrived, we were guided to stand at this platform that was literally adjacent to the open kitchen and right next to the Jean-Pierre in action! He offered us some fresh goat cheese tarts with caramelized onions which were succulent, moist and deliciously flavourful.
We started with the lobster bisque at a very strong suggestion by our server. It came with a piece of shrimp covered in a crispy batter (not tempura, way crispier). The bisque was just packed with flavour and lighter in consistency than most I've tried - a big winner and the perfect size in its small format.
Next was the escargots which came almost in a salad-like format with puffed pastries incorporated. I'm used to traditional escargot so trying them in this dish gave me a real appreciation for the flavour they have on their own. The addition of macadamia nuts was lovely!
The dish that followed was the Drunken Lobster, Scallops and King Crab - this was A-MAZING!!!! Every part of it blew me away and the pairing with the Stratus Tollgate made it that much more interesting. The lobster was juicy and packed with flavour and the scallops done to perfection
Finally, our last dish was my hands down favourite. It was foie gras in a beet "oreo" with duck prosciutto. This was the BEST foie gras I have ever had. It was like eating butter but 10x as delicious. The duck prosciutto was rich and yummy and whatever it was wrapped around was sweet so it really contrasting the foie gras/beet combo nicely.
Unfortunately we were stuff after all of the above, but I will DEFINITELY be back and next time can't wait to try the souffle!
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