Restaurant Porn: Splendido in Toronto

[Tran_Bronstein]

Foodies,

Board members Jay Shampur and I and our friend Michael Wright dined last night on the amazing 18 item Tasting Menu at Splendido restaurant, one of Jay’s favorite haunts.

Recently, they made the decision to do away with the a la carte menu and be the tasting menu only destination of the city. Based on what we had, they are wildly succeeding. The place was packed on a Thursday evening as well as having a private event in their downstairs cellar.

Due to the insane number of available items in this extravaganza, food porn is limited simply due to the fact that my very full battery actually ran out of power due to all the photo taking, note taking and Tweeting going on throughout the night. Never fear, though, their tasting menu is changing for the season so there will be another opportunity to return. Let me go through the food items first:

1. SNACKS

Really these are two flights of an assortment of canapés or amuse-bouches consisting of a perfectly dressed oyster, Shamu Blue popcorn popped in bacon fat and dressed with shaved dried scallop and bacon, dehydrated and fried salmon belly skin that went great with the Rosé Champagne, crab cornets and lobster in its own liver pate.

The second flight started with a porcini mushroom topped cracker made out of porcini mushroom itself, a fresh homemade ricotta bowl, a Halibut sashimi topped with Canadian wasabi and a roasted heirloom radish wrap.

I want to stress – these were just the opening snacks! We hadn’t even gotten to any courses yet!

[Tran_Bronstein]

2. COURSES

Okay, now things got ridiculously orgasmic as the courses came out in perfectly timed succession.

First up was a smoked trout with creme fraiche, chives, and avocado oil along with pickled roasted garlic. Then came a hickory smoked oyster sitting on top of smoked potato purée. After that was an heirloom golden and red beat dressed with horseradish foam and nori dust.

The next serving started with another vegetarian dish of a slow roasted Bolero heirloom carrot that takes 5 hours to make. Next course was an egg and Madeira sabayon served in egg shells. After that was a shaved black truffle ricotta and black truffle ravioli. Our main was a 65 day dry aged rib cap steak.

[Tran_Bronstein]

3. PRE-DESSERT, DESSERT AND PETIT FOURS

Our pre-dessert was a stellar cucumber sorbet, rosewater panna cotta and sponge cake. First time I have ever had a pre-dessert but definitely an idea I must now steal for my own at home entertaining.


Dessert was a neat little upscale homage to milk and cereal with a panna cotta dressed with homemade granola and a crisp made out of the milk. After dessert came petit fours of 3 different types of artisan handmade chocolates, blueberry marshmallows, passion fruit jelly and mini-macarons.

[Tran_Bronstein]

Yes we had with with all of this. We had 5 wines to be exact as follows:

THE WINES

Champagne Camille Savés Grand Cru Cuvée Rosé

A very good Rosé Champagne with lots of fresh strawberry flavors and aromas riding a backbone of yeast flavor with plenty of fine bubbles. I found that it did more cleansing of the palate than actually matching up with the food but still very refreshing.

Karlo Estates 2012 Lake on the Mountain Riesling

Jay hates Ontario Riesling and he’s the one who brought this. What does that tell you? Extremely Alsacian in style with just a hint of off-dry sweetness, this barrel-fermented Riesling had a very silky texture that leads you to believe it is a higher ABV than the 12% it actually is. Gentle and refreshing lime sherbet flavors and aromas.

Norman Hardy 2012 Unfiltered County Chardonnay

A very nice Chardonnay that gives Chablis a run for its money. Lots of yeast and ginger spice flavors and aromas. No malolactic done so no overdone buttery flavors. Nothing wrong with those, BTW, when done correctly. Excellent food pairing wine.


Cave Springs 2008 Riesling Icewine

The best Riesling icewine from Ontario I have ever had, besting the two previous bests (Henry of Pelham’s and Inniskillin’s) with a ton of blossom honey, lemon-lime and green apple flavors and aromas. Despite the age, it is still a straw gold color indicating no maderization has occured at all. Would be a great pairing with fish. The 2013 vintage has just been released to LCBO stores here as well. Superb stuff.

Giuseppe Campagnola 2007 Casotto del Merlo Recioto della Valpolicella

Tannins have fully receded in this wine, leaving a very smooth sweet wine with lots of rich cocoa, tobacco, and cherry flavors with lovely acidity and a buttery texture. This was a superb match with the 65 Day Aged Cumbrae Farms Rib Cap that it prompted Michael to ask me how I knew it would be such a great pairing. I guessed based on how well my Vintage Port has gone with steak previously.