1560 Yonge Street
Toronto, Canada
Who doesn't love tapas? You order 10 items on a menu and get to try them all. The meal lasts forever because the small plates come out from the kitchen slowly but surely, leaving you plenty of time to chat with your partner. The mediterranean's definitely know how to do it right when it comes to eating and enjoying good company.
After knocking off Embrujo Flamenco and Torito tapas restaurants, of course the next on the list is the highly acclaimed Cave Restaurant situated in midtown Toronto. Upon entering I'm seated at a perfect corner table for two, however am quickly finding that I can't hear a word my compadre is saying as this restaurant is so loud. But, I brush it off...this is exactly how it would be in Spain, right?
Our server is fantastic and right off the bat describes in detail the specials of the day in a friendly and vibrant manner. I don't need him to ask for our drink preferences as I already know what I need to try: sangria. For me, this is the key to a good Spanish restaurant and if anywhere in Toronto can offer a glass of sangria that is even half as good as the ones I've had on the Las Ramblas in Barcelona, then they've won my vote. And, unfortunately this one falls flat. Tasting more like fruit punch than a fruit soaked dark red wine, I drink it down anyway because, well, who doesn't like fruit punch? Moving on to some real wine and getting into the food...
Of the many items that were tasted: eggplant queso fresco, clams and chorizo, spanish cheese's and iberico ham, nothing stood out as particularly splendid. The eggplant, though tasty was quite greasy; I found the clams to be gritty and chorizo dry and tasteless; the iberico ham was beautiful though, cut superbly to melt-in-your-mouth...but generally a restaurant doesn't cook their own ham so I can't give Cava any brownie points on that dish.
Cava has consistently been highly regarded as one of the best tapas restaurants in Toronto, however I would have to disagree. None of the dishes stood out in terms of flavour or presentation and the biggest disappointment of course, is the faux sangria. I would recommend both Embrujo Flamenco and Torito over this midtown spot.
1055 Yonge Street
Toronto, Canada
After trying to get a reservation for two on a Saturday night for the past three weeks at Globe Earth, I finally manage to get myself and my partner a 7pm seating. As you can imagine, my expectations are now quite high, as any place this busy has to be worth it.
Not only is this 'any place' but it's also a partner to the famous Globe Bistro on the Danforth which has won rave reviews (including mine) in the Toronto foodie scene for years. The idea here at Globe Earth is "think global, eat local" where Chef Kevin McKenna takes local ingredients and turns them into simply delicious meals.
Sometimes having a partner restaurant can be hard, as everyone is comparing. Upon entering Globe Earth I find the decor to be cold and dark, not what I would expect of a restaurant marketed to a 'local' crowd. But, the food is the important thing.
I select the cookstown cellar salad to start which is very fresh and light, as well as beautifully presented. My partner goes for the pig bits which is a melange of pate, rillete and, well, pig bits of course. Served with old fashioned mustard, and for $5 a plate, this was probably one of the most flavourful (and reasonably priced) pates I've had in the city.
Moving on to the main courses, however, I found myself disappointed. I go for "Canada's Finest Plate" which is supposedly the freshest of the day, and of course, when a special is offered, it's generally the tastiest item on the menu so there was no contest in making my choice. I was displeased to find that my $30 local yellow perch came with a sad - what I would call a decoration - of turnip puree and some asparagus and potatoes that were in fact cool-to-the-touch. My plate was screaming out for more pizzazz in terms of flavour, and not to mention substance as well. My partner went for the beef cheeks which sadly, were also unimaginative, served on a heaping pile of blue cheese mashed potatoes which were overwhelming to the palate.
Thank God dessert came to the rescue though, so it wasn't all a disaster! I would go back to Globe Earth again if only for the creme fraiche panna cotta. Silky smooth and perfectly set, it really was the highlight of the meal. And it's always nice to save the best for last and leave on a good note.
I expected more from Globe Earth as I've had fantastic experiences at its sister location on the Danforth. Ultimately, Globe Earth fell short with it's unwelcoming ambiance and lackluster (not to mention overpriced) dishes.
1560 Yonge Street
