A Riesling Inspired Dinner For The Mystery Wine Group At Splendido Restaurant, Toronto

The mystery wine group is a small group of individuals with very extensive wine cellars who get together at different restaurants for an extensive, uniquely created meal inspired by certain wine varietals. The wines are served blind or double blind and the wines discussed, guessed at, while hors d'oevres are served and then those same wines are enjoyed during the course of the meal. This night, rieslings were the inspiration. Chef Victor Barry created the perfect dishes to pair with these wines. I have always believed that well made rieslings are the most versatile wines with food. This evening's creations proved the point.


We began with reception wines: Piliteri's Sparkling Reserve 2002, a surprisingly good product but the bubbles were very short lived. Then, 3 wonderful wines: J. J. Prum riesling spatelese 1994; Egon Muller spatelese 1990 and finally an Egon Muller Scharzhofberger riesling spatlese 1976, a deep golden wine in remarkably good condition, viscous and brimming with fruit.


We then sat down to begin tasting the dinner wines with the canapes. Those wines were Von Schleinitz Koberner Weisenberg riesling auslese 1990; Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium Trittenheimer Altarchen riesling auslese 1989; Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium Graacher Himmelreich riesling auslese 1988; J. J. Prum Wehlener Sonnener riesling auslese 1990; Egon Muller Scharzhofberger spatlese 1970 (another spectacular surprise, a wine a dark golden brown in colour, still well put together with surprising fruit, despite it's age);


The dinner that I am about to describe was certainly one of the very best eating experiences that I have enjoyed in Canada and a very good example of well composed, contemporary, refined cuisine.


Qualicum Bay scallop, chopped pickled ramps, ramp oil, olive oil and tarragon. A symphony of harmonious flavours.

Impeccably fresh Japanese prawn, barely cooked, presented with the head (for sucking the sweet contents); the tail with preserved lemon puree, tarragon, blood orange and breakfast radish; and a piece of Australian toro (belly tuna, in better condition and fresher than I remember tasting anywhere in Toronto) with pequillo pepper, parsley, fried caper, olive, tonnato sauce and confit of fennel. This dish, in itself was an extraordinary taste experience!

Smoked Rocky Point oyster with a smoked beurre blanc monte, with finely chopped chives, potato foam and potato chips. The oyster was succulent and barely touched by heat. A triumph of subtle flavours of the sea and smoke.

Truffled consomme soup perogie accompanied by bratwurst topped with Guiness mustard and sauerkraut, was presented in a bamboo steamer. We were instructed to pop the entire perogie into our mouths and to be careful as it was filled with a delectable soup of smoked ham stock, maple syrup, finely diced culatello and seasoned with black pepper and nutmeg. The perogie experience was a WOW in the mouth!

Oregon black trumpet mushroom salad with enoki and oyster mushrooms, celeriac, jerusalem artichoke puree, pickled jerusalem artichoke, roasted jerusalem artichoke, jerusalem artichoke chips, ramp "snow", pickled ramps, triple crunch mustard, arugula seedlings, shaved Perigourd black truffle and crisp parsnip shavings, all dressed with a maple syrup, truffled wine and flavoured with nutmeg. Each forkful was an explosion of flavours on the palate.

Seared Rouge Farms foie gras with caramelized pineapple puree, compressed pineapple, pineapple jalapeno relish, heart nuts, coriander seedlings, brioche bread crumbs and a reduced chicken jus. This foie gras was exceptionally well executed, with a paper thin, crispy, caramelized crust and an impeccably rare, delicious, melt in your mouth soft interior, all set off with a complementary range of mildly tart pineapple flavours.

Boudin noir with shaved apple, caramelized apple puree, split apple/walnut sauce,  cocoa nib and apple peel powder, walnut powder, glazed turnip crackling, cocoa tuile and duck confit. A rarefied rendering of earthy flavours.

Chestnut filled agnolotti with suckling pig, parsnip, roast chestnut and hazelnut powder sauced with glaze from the pig roast and brown butter. The pasta was incredibly delicate and all the subtle flavours were so harmonious and pleasing. Pasta does not get any better than this!

Roasted and sous vide, red breasted breast and crown of guinea hen with Red Mill grits and sauce perigourd. The grits were flavoured with parmiggiano Regiano, parsley and chopped chives. The meat was incredibly tender and juicy. One can't see the goods on the plate as they are delectably covered with shaved black Perigourd truffle.  

Lisbeth munster cheese, with poached pear, pear puree, Perigourd black truffle/pear puree, shaved pear, chayote, pickled mustard seed, pickled shallot, chopped candied walnut and "brick" dough wrapped munster. 


This course was enjoyed with a splendid Johnnesberger Hansenberg riesling beerenauslese eiswein 1973, golden brown in colour with tropical fruit flavours and a long finish.

Malted toffee pudding with pear and puff pastry, banana passionfruit sorbet, kumquat confit, pistachio tuile, cinnamon crumble, roasted white chocolate snow and white chocolate mango sauce. 


With our dessert, we enjoyed a marvellous 1971 trochenbeerenauslese Rether Langwerth Von Simmern Itoille, Erzeuger Abfullung.

Mignardises: macaroon, pate de fruits, Paris Brest, chocolate with toffee, sable Breton and a madeline. A tasteful finish to a truly fabulous meal with great wines.

Splendido's New Tasting Menu

I love to share my experiences exploring how our best chefs are evolving their cuisine. Victor Barry and his excellent associates are always refining what the do well and exploring new ways to please our palates.


Tonight was my opportunity to experience Splendido's new tasting menu, supervised by exec sous chef Patrick Kriss, in Victor Barry's absence.


We began with cream of cauliflower shooters perfectly accompanied by pate brisee crackers on which was cauliflower puree with "cracked" coriander, lime puree with lime zest and roasted cauliflower seasoned with espelette and lime juice.

A smoked Rocky Point oyster with a sublime sauce of sunchoke puree and potato foam, topped with sunchoke chips.

Shalom Farms venison tartar was accompanied by a slice of fabulous pastrami venison tongue that was so juicy and flavourful, a parsnip crisp, sea buckthorn puree, elderberry puree, parsnip puree, a granola of oats and sunflower seeds, wrasped hazelnuts and dehydrated parsnip peel powder. A complexity of flavours and textures that all came together in a beautiful symphonic experience.

Then, we enjoyed a dish that I love that only Splendido does, cooking a raw egg at the table with truffled butter (and bacon when it is offered, but today, this was a spontaneous effort just for my guest and I, so, no bacon today). Towards the end of cooking, a waiter brought a small pot of a chicken and truffle jus reduced with port, brandy, madeira, shallots and chopped perigourd truffles. This seductive reduction was spooned over the finished fried egg....then more shaved black Perigourd truffles! What a truly delectable dish!

Another "off piste" addition from the regular menu, in a mini portion, was chestnut puree filled angnolotti accompanied by glazed parsnip, toasted hazelnuts, pine nuts, bits of green onion and coffee, brown butter sauce. What a delectable choice. The pasta was so delicate and the perfect complement to the mild sweet filling and complementary sauce.

Nipissing quail ballontine with chanterelle and hedgehog mushrooms, poached quince and lots of marvellous perigourd truffles. A great dish of luxurious, contrasting flavours.

Next, we were presented with a mildly sweet, creamy texture, perfect boudin noir and crisp, juicy pork belly. These were accompanied on the plate by caramelized apple puree, cocoa nib, confit turnip and walnut oil. Just another fabulous dish that we truly enjoyed.

Whipped Chateau de Bourgogne cheese with endive, confit of kumquat with a grapefruit vinaigrette. This was a dish of sublime subtleties.

Refreshing New Foundland cloudberry sorbet with Greek yogurt topped with crumbled, roasted white chocolate and sided with crisp meringue. This was a very refreshing dish.

Our final dish was a pear and walnut cake with chestnut puree, cranberry and tonka bean and white chocolate ice cream.

Splendido Restaurant's Grand Steak Event

A special event was arranged by chef Victor Barry, a tasting (blind) of some exceptional steaks. But this was also a festive event so we began with 2 kinds of oysters, poached spot prawns, cured steelhead trout, scallop ceviche and dungeness crab, all on a tiered platter service. What a grand beginning! 

Caesar salad with croutons, anchovy and pork belly with a parmesan crisp.

On the plate, 80 day, dry aged, USDA prime rib steak; 80 day, dry aged Cumbrae Farms "prime" rib steak, 70 day, dry aged, Cheese Boutique, grass fed, striploin and a "ringer". A great idea to do a blind tasting, but the presentation was inappropriate to properly compare the various steaks. Note the plate, 3 pieces of "ends" and one centre slice. The charred ends were just that, and that charred flavour created a taste conflict. Also, the central slice was perfectly cooked and the ends cooked well past rare. In a steak tasting, each piece should be cooked to the same doneness. Each piece should be cut away from the edge. Each piece should be roughly the same size and thickness. So, frankly, I really could not taste compare the pieces to properly distinguish between the various steaks. However, all the steaks were very tasty and the ringer, although less well aged, still tasted very good. The distinguishing taste of well aged steaks, a nuttiness with layers of beefy flavour, was highly pleasing for me. The texture of the steaks was good, but again, the texture that I would typically use to judge this feature was completely masked by the  well charred edges. All of the steaks were juicy, but, again, this feature was muted, eating the well charred edge. Don't get me wrong, the edge pieces were very good and we were eating very enjoyable, great steak. But, edge pieces make it difficult to do a "steak tasting" comparison.

After the tasting, we were served great side dishes of truffled mac and cheese, mini baked potatoes liberally sprinkled with shaved white truffles, terrific crispy french fries, wonderfully crispy onion rings, and, perhaps the best creamed spinach that I have enjoyed at any restaurant, so good, despite being quite full, we asked for seconds.


Northern spy apple tart tatin, a beautiful presentation, served with creme anglais and vanilla ice cream. Certainly one of the best versions of tart tatin that I have tasted in Toronto.

We had the opportunity to enjoy some fine wines brought by the members of our group.

County General, The Best Burger Under 13 Bucks, and More

County General is Chef Victor Barry and Sommelier Carlo Catallo's effort (both co-owners of the fabulous high end Splendido Restaurant), on Queen Street. Resident chef, Garth Legree has a knowledgeable hand with rustic cuisine. This is a fun place, featuring great meats supplied by Cumbrae's, one of Toronto's top 3 butchers. It also has a very good bar.

A terrific, hearty white bean, ham and mustard soup with croutons.

Smoked pork belly and steamed buns, one with kim chi, two with avocado and two with green apple slaw (my fave). Terrific sandwiches!

The "general's" reuben. I asked for mine without cheese. Wonderfully smoky brisket, braised red cabbage, County dressing  all on fry pan grilled country rye bread. A great sandwich!!!

The only failure of the the experience, fried chicken thigh sandwich. Buttermilk brined chicken, avocado, chutney, coriander and green onion on "milk" bread. The fillings for the sandwich were perfect. The problem was the batter. It was not only too heavy but also soggy and I expected CRISP, from this group.

For me, I would have to rank this hamburger, ordered medium rare to rare and executed perfectly, as the best hamburger in the city under 13 bucks!! Forget Burger's Priest! This is great beef, juicy without being fatty from too much added fat and minimally handled to make for very good texture. I could eat this burger daily!

Dinner Honouring Nathan Myhrvold author of Modernist Cuisine, Splendido Restaurant, Toronto

Nathan Myhrvold is a brilliant polymath, one of the early founders of Microsoft Corporation, a high school grad at 14, he entered UCLA, going on to gain two masters degrees and a PHD, all before the age of 23. He began a career at Microsoft as their chief technology officer until his retirement in 1999, after which he chose to pursue other interests, especially cooking seriously.


Nathan attended La Varenne cooking school in Burgundy to gain a better understanding of cooking principles. He also was a member of the championship BBQ team in Memphis in 1991.


However, Nathan was also self taught and initiated the beginnings of what became his opus, Modernist Cuisine, the culmination of years of work for himself with collaborators. Initially he worked by himself in small spaces that ultimately became the 20,000 square foot cooking Lab where at the height of production of the book, 30 people worked.


Nathan and his co-authors Chris Young and Max Bilet managed to whittle his opus down to 5 volumes and a work book, which is both tear proof and water proof, 2438 pages, 1522 recipes, 3,216 photos all encased in a case weighing in at 50lbs. The ink alone weighs 2 kilograms! 


This past Spring the book launch was the most highly anticipated publishing event in the cookbook world.


It has been reviewed as “the most astonishing cookbook of our time”; “the cookbook to end all cookbooks” says David Chang; and from Ferran Adria – “This cookbook will change the way we understand the kitchen”; “a breathtaking new benchmark in understanding cooking, Modernist Cuisine is destined to be as important a work for the 21st century as Escoffier’s Ma Cuisine was for the 20th century.” says David Kinch.


Personally, I found Nathan to be delightful, passionate, engaging, remarkably brilliant in not only his grasp of concepts but also in his ability to explain complex matters in a clear and simple manner. His memory is also remarkable and when you ask him some question about a cooking concept or method of making eggs, for example, he will immediately reach for one of his 5 books and turn to the page with the item that you asked about, with it's photos, recipes and cooking insights. This dinner, created by Splendido chef Victor Barry, was for Nathan.

Canapes (no photos):

Foie gras parfait with crab apple on brioche.

La Meq oyster (New Brunswick) topped with Apple Mignonette.

Whole mini-carrots flavoured with cumin and tarragon.

Duck rillette with pear and triple crunch grainy mustard.

The Dinner

We began with a delightful salad of chanterelles, roasted Jerusalem artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke puree, Jerusalem artichoke chips, pickled Jerusalem artichoke, triple crunch grainy mustard, pickled honey mushrooms, arugula, truffle baton, truffle snow, shaved king oyster  mushroom, all combined with a truffle vinaigrette and beautifully presented on a wooden platter.

Squab and foie gras terrine was also composed of jellied squab consomme and was presented with chanterelle mushroom, sliced radish, quince, parsley, candied walnut, julienned truffle and truffle snow. A lovely composition of flavours and textures.

Quallicum Bay scallop was accompanied by roasted endive, endive leaves, treviso leaf, verjus gel, confit grapes (amazing flavour with the scallop), raw grapes and a pine nut/raisin vinaigrette.

Egg yolk raviolo (no photo) was much anticipated, a perfect soft yolk in the pasta and joined by wilted spinach, ricotta and topped with brown butter, nutmeg, parmigiano Reggiano and shaved white truffles.


Tuna, pig's trotter breaded and fried and sweetbreads, were accompanied by parsnip puree, roasted brussel sprouts, brussel sprout leaves and dressed with a classic vinaigrette and chestnut jus.

A pre-dessert arrived consisting of cherry puree, granola and truffled yogurt espuma.

Our dessert was a carrot pain d'espice, a carrot cake with spiced ice cream accompanied by candied pecans, carrot ginger foam, coriander leaves, ginger crumble and bourbon soaked raisons.

"Bacon and Eggs" at Splendido Restaurant!!

From time to time, a visit to Splendido provides a wonderful culinary surprise by chef Victor Barry. This time, a novel dish and a new pastry chef awaited us. It was also the beginning of the arrival of fresh white truffles and a special truffle menu was available.


We were surprised by the presentation on a wooden platter placed  before each of us. We were asked to make our own "bacon and eggs". The arrangement on the platter consisted of a spoon with truffled compound butter, a raw egg in it's shell and thin slices of culatello. We were instructed to place butter in the very hot cast iron pan, add the egg and the bacon (with the tweezers provided) and cook each ingredient to our liking. A waiter came around with a saucepan with a red wine reduction, pearl onions, button mushrooms and chopped black truffle, that was spooned over our finished eggs, while in the hot pan. How yummy!! We ate this fabulous presentation right from the pan and mopped up any delicious residues with the wonderful house made rye bread. For me, this is one of the great dishes to eat in Toronto, at this moment! 

The finished "bacon and egg" ready to be eaten.

The new pastry chef introduced himself with 3 desserts which we all shared. First, a very refreshing and palate cleansing Ontario plum, buttermilk panna cotta with caramelized white chocolate and pomegranate.

Next, a very seasonal and well-made heirloom carrot pain d'espice with bourbon-soaked sultana raisons, ginger and spiced ice cream.

And finally a milk chocolate tart ( I never eat milk chocolate and so would never have ordered and tasted this dish, but this dish was the desire of one friend) with mango, passion fruit and pecan and pistachio praline. I was so surprised to be so seduced by this wonderful dessert....me, eating milk chocolate??! None of my friends believed that they saw me eating this course, with such relish!

FRIDAY LUNCH from The County General

Forget the myriad of burger joints that dot downtown Toronto. The best burger you are likely to find in this city is available at The County General. Rare on the inside, charred on the outside, it is moist without spurting rivulets of grease down the chin.Shades of New York where every restaurant with a thought of creating the city's best burger has a secret blend from Pat LaFrieda, Victor Barry sought help from Cumbrae's. Served up on Thuet's milk bun, the patty is garnished with the classics--lettuce, a slice of heirloom tomato, a slick of mustard with a spear of dill pickle for crunch. Mustard and pickle? In house,naturally.

Though bigger than a slider, this is a burger that will not leave you stuffed. This is a good thing since you will also need to try the fried chicken sandwich. Cooked sous-vide, the juicy thigh is then battered and fried to perfection. Unlike most fried chicken coatings which end up as a pile of greasy crumbs around your plate, this almost-transparent batter clings to the meat. Again, garnishes are minimal but effective: an avocado chutney, cilantro, and pickled shallots. Once again, Thuet's milk bun is the base, as it is for a catfish sandwich.

An heirloom tomato sandwich is scrumptious if messy, as any good tomato sandwich should be. It also has a dab of avocado plus lettuce and tomato.Its base is a baked-in-house white sourdough.

The Reuben sandwich had a couple of bread issues. Also baked on the premises, the rye bread was just short of a full load of flavour. To add insult to injury, it was closer to "burnt" than "toasted". However, what was between those slices was fine: smoked brisket, a slice of gruyere and rather mild sauerkraut. The homemade side of Russian/thousand island dressing was, of course, several levels above the usual.
Fries come with an excellent smoky catsup. Alas, our fries were ruined by steam by the time we dug in.

There are some people who questioned what Victor Barry was thinking in choosing to go so down market. From his perch at Splendido, he is a king of fine dining. We question no more. Victor Barry is also the king of diner fare.

 





Price: Five sandwiches, $67.47 and well worth the money.
Location: 936 Queen Street West (at Shaw)
Phone: 416-531-4447

My Culinary Highlights for 2009

I travel a lot for both business and pleasure and have the opportunity to eat in so many places; a kaleidoscope of experiences. One has to eat. Better at the most interesting places possible, whether they be simple or haute experience.

Of course, from a travel perspective, there was no comparative culinary experience to my time in Spain, mostly in the region around San Sebastian. The important chefs of the region have taken regional influences, the influence of classic french cuisine and the new innovations brought about by some of the great Spanish chefs to a new plateau of experiences. Simple regional products expressed in new ways that make the product stand on it's own, but with visual and taste highlights that allow these regional foods to reach our senses in such a novel, but well expressed manner, that the gustatory experience is truly unforgettable.

I have to mention simplicity at it's best, expressed by the small shop in New York called Porchetta, that mainly sells porchetta take away sandwiches that are perhaps just the best sandwich experience available, perhaps anywhere. The pork is so flavourful, tender and juicy, the meat stuffed with wonderful elements such as fennel pollen and the crackling included in the sandwich, nicely crispy, but not tough at all. The perfect bun for this, ciabatta.

Locally, Toronto and vicinity has it's own regional players. The Black Hoof.....out on a culinary and nutritional limb with such landmarks as cauliflower soup with bone marrow, lots of charcuterie, lots of what Jennifer Mclagan refers to as "good fats", a wonderful horse meat tartar open faced sandwich....the pure sweetness of the meat quite exceptional. Note Bene, chef David Lee's reduction of his former elevated cuisine to his version of wonderful bistro food, using such great products as his specially reserved  60 day dry aged, Cumbrae's prime beef to which he bastes the end product with the ashes of thyme and rosemary swirled in a balsamic vinegar and fruity olive oil blend. The "new" Splendido's chef Victor  Barry does many wonderful executed versions of simple food elevated to a higher level of expression, such as his 60 day dry aged Cumbrae's rib steak, grilled and finished cooking sous vide over several hours, presented medium rare to rare, was perhaps my finest beef experience in Toronto this year!

And, for those of you not familiar with Indian haute cuisine, speak with the talented owner chef "P.K." at Dhaba restaurant to recreate some of the exceptional highlights of his regional cooking that are expressed differently than the regular menu selections at his restaurant.  The chef/owner of the new Linda Thai restaurant in the new Don Mills shopping mall created a novel well executed expression of european influenced thai cuisine at a special event organized for one of the local culinary societies.

For a Japanese experience with Kaiseki cuisine and perhaps the truest local expression of this effort, one must journey to Hashimoto.  I discussed my desires for an exceptional experience with the chef, and to be frank, with no cost budget as a guide, as I know from personal restaurant experiences at the highest level in Japan why the most interesting and extraordinary culinary experiences there are so costly. The chef was given a totally free hand to source fish and shellfish from anywhere and to create a true Japanese gastronomic experience. The result was expressed at a level I have only experienced in Japan. The fish and shellfish so exceptionally fresh and so beautifully presented with visually complementary tableware elements.

Finally, Chef Michael Stadtlander is back in the game with a restaurant design that expresses his personal taste and desires.......when you see it and appreciate the details, the design elements will take your breath away....even more so with a visit to their washrooms!!.....and then there is the food experience. Michael's personal philosophy and taste presented in such a moving and unique way and visually expressed on his personally handcrafted tableware. For me, being enveloped in chef Standtlander's visual and gustatory expression was a landmark for me in 2009.

These were the highlights of some of my personal culinary experiences for 2009. Wishing you all a healthy gustatory new year filled with culinary delights.

The "new" Splendido restaurant

Posted by Josh

What a change! The new decor is very comfortable, unintimidating and very friendly. Prices are down at least 20% and the new cuisine format is still very creative, but features wonderful comfort food taken to a higher level. I had the memorable chicken liver/fois gras pate with preserved plum and apple mostarda. I also enjoyed a fabulous gutsy dish of lovely pulled suckling pig, with crackling and my favourite blood sausage in Toronto (a quality tradition with former executive chef David Lee and new co-owner/chef Victor Barry). The second new co-owner is the highly knowledgeable, well known sommelier Carlo Catallo.