Daily Dose of Imagery

I just found this site which belongs to Sam Javanrouh, an imaginative and talented photographer. Absolutely worth sharing. Now if only I could shoot like that!

Bandido's

Whoops, I've fallen a bit off my pace here. Ok, back to it. Friday saw a return of yours truly to Bandido's Mexican Restaurant (371 King St W) which is by far the best Mexican resto in all of Toronto. The quality of the mood is matched only by the excellent service provided by the owners, Joyce & Cesar Rios.

The dinner started off with the usual fresh, crispy nachos and salsas. These aren't your father's Tostidos, though, as the flavour simply pops with every bite. For dinner, the Bandido's-only crayfish enchiladas which ratchet the flavour up to intense levels. This "special" menu item has been going strong for the last year and doesn't appear to be disappearing (hopefully) anytime soon. The picante sauce is kept in check by a deep infusion of Mexican spices and cheese. The crayfish are generously stuffed into the enchilda and pair perfectly with the guacamole, pico de gallo, and rice that garnish the plate.

As always, Bandido's doesn't fail to impress. Having tried a few other Mexican places in the last while it climbs to a new level when viewed in comparison. If you haven't been, run there as fast as you can!

Spicy Arrabbiata Sausage

So here's a very simple, "cheater" meal for weekday nights when you don't have a lot of time to cook. My presentation above isn't too good because I couldn't get the pasta to work for me. Ah well, it still tasted pretty good... :)

Ingredients

6 hot Italian sausages
1 bottle of pre-made pasta sauce (yes, there's the cheater part)
1 medium sized onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, diced
6 tbsps fresh basil, chopped roughly
4 tbsps fresh oregano, chopped roughly
3 fresh chilies, seeded (more if you're feeling brave)
2 cups of penne (or whatever pasta you like)
3 tbsps olive oil
Grated parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions

1. Grill the sausages on the BBQ until done then reserve to the side.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet to medium.
3. Add the onions and garlic and sweat them for a couple of minutes. Add the chilies to the onion and garlic mixture and allow to soften.
   
4. Add the pasta sauce, basil and oregano and heat through.
5. Slice the sausage and add it to the sauce. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes to get the flavours to combine.
6. Cook the penne al dente and serve.
7. Add parmesan to taste.

Dinner at 360

Last night Pete & Sue honoured us with dinner at 360 (a.k.a The Restaurant at the CN Tower) for helping them with their recent wedding. Incidentally, this furthered their reputation in my mind as two of the most generous people I have ever met. Discussions about friendship are probably best saved for its own post - I'll just stick to the food here... :)

360's best asset is obviously the view which goes between breathtaking and spectacular depending on which way you're facing. Unfortunately, getting up the tower reminds one of going through airport security with unending lines, tourists, and security personnel. This long walk is ended with a kitschy sit-down picture in front of a green screen (which is later doctored-up and offered to you for the oh-so-low price of $23). Yikes. This definitely doesn't get the appetite sparked for what is meant to be a "fine-dining" experience.

Anyhow, on to the food. My meal started off with Spanish Tapas ($17) which was 4 different tapas dishes accompanied by spiced almonds and pickled olives. (Note to self, in future, I really need to take a pen and paper with me so that I can write down exactly what I'm eating). The fingerling potatoes with heirloom carrots topped with anchovies weren't exactly Spanish but were delicious. The scallop ceviche and chorizo-manchego were also top-notch. The fourth element, some sort of unidentified seafood puree wrapped in a pickled red pepper was entirely too vinegary for my tastes. I never did figure out where in the taste-spectrum the spiced almonds and olives were meant to fit - they definitely could have been left out.

For the main course, the Lamb Two Ways ($37) was very well executed. The lamb chops were perfectly medium-rare and the braised sirloin was moist and delicious. This was accompanied by a variety of roasted vegetables that all combined together well.

For dessert, a cheddar cheese plate with summer fruit ($14) was very satisfying and generous. The warm brown water with froth (a.k.a. cappucino), however, could have been a lot better.

As for ambiance, what can you really expect from a restaurant overrun by tourists and family outings? The service too was sub-par for a restaurant of this caliber (we waited 40 minutes to place our food orders).

Nevertheless, the occasion and company were more than enough to overcome any lackings at 360. Would I go back to 360? Probably not. The view almost single-handedly makes it worthwhile but given the price and quality, there are far better values around the city.