Cowbell

Cowbell (@cowbellresto), located in Parkdale, is known for having a chalkboard menu that is revised daily. As their website says, doing so "not only announces the day's offerings, but gives a window onto the farms and seasons of Southern Ontario". Chef and owner Mark Cutrara (@mcutrara) is all about cooking exclusively with organic and naturally raised ingredients and serving delicious food in an unpretentious bistro.  Cowbell opened in 2007 where Chef Cutrara processes whole animal carcasses, including cow, elk, deer, pig and lamb, into aged steaks and chops to house-made charcuterie, sausages, carpaccio and burgers. A carnivore's dream really. 


I was really looking forward to trying Cowbell's burger for our Dish Duel tasting since their burger is one of the best in the city. It is no wonder that Toronto Life asked Chef Cutrara to give readers some tips in how to make the perfect patty.


I immediately felt like I walked into a cowboy movie when I stepped into Cowbell. The rustic chandelier, wall scones, the benches with rich red accents and the soft yellow/golden lighting all ties together for a very western decor.

Cowbell's menu.

My Caesar. I wanted to order a second one but seemed a bit excessive given it was only 6:30pm on a week night.

Loire

Loire, located at the corner of Harbord and Major, is named after the region where childhood friends chef Jean-Charles Dupoire and sommelier Sylvain Brissonnet grew up and became friends. For many years, they traveled around the world for their careers, both together and apart, and eventually reunited in Ontario. After years of experience abroad and in Toronto, where Jean-Charles was Chef du Cuisine at EPIC at The Fairmont Royal York and Sylvain's ten years at the Relais and Chateaux Landon Hall, the two childhood friends thought it was time to work together again. They found a spot on Harbord Street and in the fall of 2008, the two friends opened Loire.  

I like the decor at Loire, very clean lines, very modern. Those colourful paintings really "pop" on those white walls. Pretty.

I only ate one piece as it was cold and hard.

George Restaurant

Jacob (@restointo) and I went to George Restaurant (@georgeonqueen) for our Dish Duel tasting earlier this month. The first thing we noticed when we sat down was the restaurant's Dish Duel promotion card on our table (shown on the left). I was, and still am, extremely impressed by this. As a matter of fact, now that our Dish Duel tastings are over, I can tell you that no other participant besides George has put in any additional marketing or promotion material for the tournament. What this tells me is that George is extremely dedicated, competitive, and dead serious about wanting to win the title of "Dish Champion"! Besides their promotion card, George also has their Round 2 Dish Duel matchup link on their homepage. I'm honestly so pleased to see George taking all these initiatives.

George is a very spacious restaurant. Even with its roomy interior, George still manages to give off a very cozy and intimate ambiance; the brick walls, the wooden floors, the spotlights and the velvety pink chairs (totally my colour lol) all contribute to the warm feel to the restaurant. 

The dining room at George is basically an "L" shape; the above picture shows the long side of the "L" (with the kitchen down a few steps) and the picture below is the short side of the "L". The decor is fancy, romantic and classy...perfect for date night.

My "Mistletoe" cocktail ($14). I don't remember what was in it but it was fruity yet strong.

Salt Wine Bar

Salt Wine Bar, located on 225 Ossington Avenue, has now become another great spot for me on the Ossington strip (along with my favourites like Pizzeria Libretto, Foxley, and Yours Truly for snacks). Whether for dinner, a second dinner (yes I do that) or late night munchies, Salt Wine Bar's tapas style menu is flexible for all of the above occasions. Not only do I go ga-ga over their pulled pork tacos, iberico benny, fluke ceviche and churros (just to name a few), I constantly crave Salt Wine Bar's amazing cocktails too (I crave their cocktails like how I crave my earl grey sour from TTS and that's intense peeps!) 

It is obvious that Salt Wine Bar embraces their social media =) Love that~

You will most likely find Jen (@whiskey_jameson) behind the bar at Salt.

Dish Duel Has Officially Begun!

It has started guys... Dish Duel has finally begun and I am stoked!!!

You may be wondering "What the heck is Dish Duel?" Or even "What does Dish Duel have to do with me?"

Well, Dish Duel has asked 16 restaurants in Toronto to present their best dish for an online winner-take-all tournament. Me and the Dish Duel blogger team, consisting of Jacob from RestoInTO, Amy from Amy's Food Adventures, and Jess from Where Jess Ate, will be visiting the 16 restaurants, tasting and rating each dish on taste, presentation and originality, for a total score of 25.

And this is where you come in. You, yes YOU, will be able to vote ONLINE starting February 18 for your favourite dish. I strongly encourage you to take this chance to visit and taste these amazing dishes for yourself before February 18!

Recognize any of these dishes? If not, visit Dish Duel to get the deets!