Review: Three Meals at Quatrefoil Restaurant
My media guy asked me the other day how restaurants fit with the central theme of the
Beef Tenderloin with Egg and Hollandaise Sauce
Crucible bookii, which is about falling in love with Mel. For me, when I go to restaurants, I am also alone with Mel, and it is when we have some of our most intimate conversations. Food and restaurants are so much a part of the flavor of our lives that I can’t imagine leaving them out. I love sharing my thoughts and experiences when we explore a new place. I just want to share these times with you in a way that allows you to get a glimpse of what we experienced.
Soup at Quatrefoil
When we were ready to go live with the bookii launch and were looking through the articles, I realized I had 3 different reviews for Quatrefoil Restaurant in Dundas, ON. This is no accident. It is one of my favorite places to go for a special meal and I always want to take pictures because their food is so beautiful. We have decided that we really don’t like to eat out too often because if we go to the places we can afford, we end up spending a fair bit for a family of 4 or 5 and we usually eat better at home–we can spend $35 at Wendy’s or we can save up and go someplace special. When we choose to go out, we like to have the kind of meal that we will really remember. Apparently, Quatrefoil is this year’s favorite. I’ve combined 3 different reviews into one entry so you can compare and see them as a whole. These 3 meals happened between October 2012 and April 2013. I have only been to Quatrefoil in the fall and winter which seems silly, since they have a gorgeous patio. We’ll have to try the patio sometime soon.
1. Lunch With Sela
Sela and I had an opportunity to have an amazing lunch at Quatrefoil Restaurant in Dundas before
Venison Carpaccio
she left for Chef School. I wanted her to eat in a really nice restaurant again before she went off to be a chef. She ordered the 3 course meal and I ordered their version of Steak and Frites and Roasted Fennel Soup with vinaigrette and crispy leeks. Sela was kind enough to share bites of hers with me and I did the same. The soup was absolutely amazing. The depth of flavor was phenomenal and the crunchy leeks were a fantastic juxtaposition to the creamy soup. I also had the Venison Carpaccio and although the presentation was interesting with mushrooms and nasturtium leaves, I probably wouldn’t order it again. It was too much game flavor without enough other tastes. My Beef Tenderloin was incredible. It was served with hollandaise and an egg which could have been heavy but was just delicious. The lego-like potatoes were inspired and interesting. It was a perfect blend between old school and innovation.
Duck
Sela had Duck with Pumpkin, Kale, Goat Cheese and Pomegranate seeds. It was a gorgeous fall dish with delicious earthy flavors. The dessert was a combination of sorbet and cookie. It seemed like it had too much going on. All in all it was a stellar meal and I would give it 9 out of 10.
2. Valentine’s Day Dinner with Mel
I have to say, we almost NEVER go out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. Expectations are too high, restaurants are too full, and they sometimes make the food a little less creative–trying to please everyone. This year we couldn’t do our typical Valentine’s Day lunch so we ended up doing dinner instead.
What we had:
House Smoked Salmon — with beets, red onion pickle, watercress, fennel jam, orange puree
House Smoked Salmon
Foie Gras Torchon –with leek terrine, prune, apple & celery jelly, water vinaigrette
Cumbrae’s Beef Tenderloin — with wild mushrooms, roasted leek, cheek cromesquis, smoked potato puree, bacon crumble
Special — A veal tenderloin cooked in bacon with roasted turnips and beets served with fingerling potatoes and a wild mushroom jus
Our food was excellent and well prepared. Our service was excellent. It was short on the adventure–note to self, stop ordering the tenderloin and order something more interesting. At the moment, I want my dining to be edgy and interesting. I want innovation and something I haven’t had before. I am wanting my dining to be either ultra healthy–as good as what I make at home OR something I couldn’t even conceive of in my mind–something that blows me away.
As for the company, I had a lovely dinner with my husband. I love having experiences with him and this was a good one. We talked about our kids and our lives and we had a lovely half bottle of Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. He and the wine were highlights of this lovely meal. This was as it should be.
3. Our Second Dinner–I think the Occasion Was “We Have a Babysitter!”
Scallops
We had dinner last night at Quatrefoil. It is a favorite for us and it was delicious again. I had the soup which was a fennel soup with chorizo and a vinaigrette. I love both flavors and it was fantastic. I am a total fan of the soups at Quatrefoil. I also ordered the special which was a halibut with homemade pasta, turnips and carrots. It was interesting and delicious and the halibut was perfectly cooked. My husband had the scallops and the salmon
Soup
which were delicious. The only disappointment were the potatoes that came with it. They were a sort of hash brown log that needed salt and didn’t really work. We asked for just a dish of the mint ice cream and it was divine. This was a delicious meal that we really enjoyed. My only wish each time I go, would be that the food be a little more edgy and a little more creative. I always love my meal and I think it is well prepared and the service is phenomenal.
Conclusions
I find it fascinating to look at these 3 reviews together. I notice several things. First of all, I realize I ordered the veal tenderloin the second time because I loved the first beef tenderloin so much. Second, I always find my brain is challenged by the food these chefs create (there are two–Fraser Macfarlane and Georgina Mitropoulos) in a really good way. I find the food thought provoking and whether I am a total fan of every dish or not, is completely irrelevant. I am an active participant intellectually with the meals at this restaurant. Also, I like when this chef takes risks, and I prefer dishes I don’t love (like the venison carpaccio) to meals that play it safe and don’t challenge me at all (the veal tenderloin). Finally, I give this restaurant collectively 9 out of 10. They really are exceptional.
http://quatrefoilrestaurant.com/
