"0"^^ . "3"^^ . "0"^^ . "Celebrated the holidays here with the work gang in the private dining room (December 4). I won't say I was disappointed by any means and yet I won't say I was thoroughly elated either. I would say my experience was elegant, organized, and overall good. \n\nFirstly, I absolutely have to give big kudos to the super lovely gal that looked after me: Camille. She was simply amazing in ensuring my gluten-free needs were met. Personable and on the ball, she ensured I wasn't left out in a sea of 'gluten 20 ways' appetizers, bringing me delicious sans bun beef sliders. I was also served by another lovely gal by the name of Marie-Claire who had only been there two weeks and frankly, fooled me with her astute charm and incredible service skills. And now, let's talk about the food, shall we?\n\nI began with the roast cauliflower salad with pomegranate dressing and roasted hazelnuts. Let me preface by saying that there is a certain expectation on my part when dining out at a swanky place like Cluny. I can make a plain cauliflower salad at home; I want something slightly fancy and full of effort when I dine out. Sadly, the salad was overly basic, lacking in flavour, and lacking discipline. It was apparent that not much thought went into the orchestration or presentation. Picture roast cauliflower, a few toasted hazelnuts, mint and parsley leaves, a few chives, and a handful of pomegranate seeds tossed together in a bowl and then plopped in another bowl (with little to no dressing). \n\nI chose the grilled organic chicken for my main, having instructed to omit the gluten, and go crazy on olive oil and sea salt and pepper. What I got was a hefty portion of thick grilled asparagus and yellow zucchini with a small skin-on chicken breast. The vegetables were wonderful and full of char flavour. The chicken was undercooked and pink and I didn't think it a good idea to eat beyond the fully coked breast tip. I did communicate this and I will say that the gals were so wonderfully understanding and Camille apologized profusely and offered me other options. Service is A+ here.\n\nOh, before I forget, I had the most amazing gluten free bun here. It was absolutely perfect, brimming with hints of molasses and reminiscent of old fashioned sailor's bread. I asked for the recipe but I am told that the baker was not willing to part with the details. Naturally, I understand, having been a pastry chef myself at one time. But, gosh darn, that bread was incredible!\n\nDessert was okay. Naturally, I opted for the macarons (read my other reviews) and overall, they weren't too bad; a tad too chewy, but hey, not everyone can attain Ladur\u00E9e or Herm\u00E9 standards. \n\nI did go around and ask my colleagues to share their thoughts on their meals. Here's a summary: almost everyone who had the tuna ni\u00E7oise said it was salty, the tagine was very good (although I will say it was served in a cauldron-esque bowl and not actually a tagine), the tomahawk was enjoyed and so were the frog legs, the lentil soup was unanimously salty.\n\nOn a final note, the restrooms are impeccable and clean. I'd most likely visit Cluny again."^^ . . . "2015-12-05T00:00:00"^^ . "0"^^ . .