Winterlicious dinner - Yum, Yum!

Winterlicious ends tomorrow night.  Twice a year Toronto has an “eating extravaganza” and a good number of the better (and not so better) restaurants participate in a two week event where they each offer a fixed price dinner (at a reduced price) for a price of $25,$35, $45, depending on their normal prices.  

During the Winter and Summer “liciouses” I try to get out and sample food at some of the restaurants I would not usually get to.  Last night I joined some girlfriends and we went to Bymark. 

Bymark is a 5 star restaurant which sits in the heart of the financial district, within the TD complex.  There is a bar upstairs is one which I have always wanted to go to in the summertime, decorated in leather and wood, it sits under a large sky light and there is a patio – it is always filled with the white shirts and ties of the financial professionals, investment, commodity and currency traders and those in the know of high finance.  I have a fantasy that involves going into that bar … I say no more … LOL

 Downstairs is a very sophisticated and exclusive restaurant which has 3 private dining rooms which accommodate 14 people each and the main dining room which doesn’t accommodate many more.   Decorated by an award winning designer, it oozes elegance. The restaurant site lists the price range of this restaurant as $150 -$200 for a meal, and I wouldn’t doubt it.  The Winterlicious price for our meal was $45 but of course with drinks and wine – it did add up.

 I had a wonderful time visiting and chatting with my girlfriends and we both caught up with each other’s goings on, both at work and in the social arena.  Unfortunately, there were a several other women friends who normally attend when we have these get togethers but they were not there.  We missed their company. 

The menu, I thought was much nicer than listed in the Winterlicious web site.  The starters were wonderfully presented and the portions were not small.   We covered all the bases and between the tree of us sampled each item on the Winterlicious Menu:

Starters:

·         Braised short rib and butter nut squash risotto with spiced pears

·         Organic greens with herb shoots and white wine vinaigrette

·         Yellow fin tuna sashimi crusted with nori, yuzu, miso chilli sauce 
and pickled daikon

Starters:

·         Prime short ribs braised in Sapporo, chilli and soy with 
herb tapenade

·         Roasted artisan chicken “ coq au vin” style with spun potatoes

·         Grilled Jail island salmon with butter braised leeks, smashed 
fingerling potatoes and citrus sauce

Dessert:

·         Braised Goats cheese panna cotta with pistachio studded
brandy snap and berry sauce

·         Warm carrot cake with pineapple ice cream,
pecan praline and caramel sauce

·         Pear strudel with maple syrup sauce and rum pecan truffle

I know I should add some personal observations for the meals, but I beg your forgiveness… it is morning and I am running late for work…  Suffice to say the food was impeccable and absolutely delicious. 

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