ENROUTE TV   ENROUTE FM   MEDIA KIT   AIR CANADA   LINKS   WRITERS'   GUIDELINES	FAB FOOD NATION 1   |   2   |   3   |   Restaurant Listings   |   NOV Dressed to Impress Polished servers wearing crinkled 4You designer shirts at Eau (Toronto); spiffy dark Italian suits and ties at Bis Moreno (Vancouver); and the adorable sous-chef whites and cloth caps at Mustang Sally’s Flaming Skillet (St. John’s). Top Restaurant Tipples Yes, sir, I’ll have a Conga at the Conga Room (Calgary), made of Havana Club rum, pineapple juice, OJ, lime juice and a squirt of grenadine. Pass over another Venom (banned in the U.K.!), made of Guinness, Merridale Cyser and cassis, at The Temple (Victoria). And keep those tall bamboo jugs of super-chilled sake coming at Hapa Izakaya (Vancouver). Top Bars for Tippling Life isn’t just about fine food, so here’s a checklist of some hot watering holes: in Montreal, Mile End Bar and the über-chic Time Supper Club; Toronto’s loungy Lobby and sleek Chelsea Room; the Seven Wine Bar & Restaurant in Halifax, with a bar on the main floor and high-end eats upstairs; the celebrity-studded Skybar and the lobby of Vancouver’s chic boutique hotel, which turns into Opus Bar at cocktail time; and in Calgary, the relocated Divino Wine and Cheese Bistro and the liquid side of The Vintage Chophouse & Tavern are the places to nosh and imbibe. Nicest Restrooms Eau’s (Toronto) have seductive dark glossy walls and floors, fluffy terry towels and an attendant. Yuzu Sushi Bar’s (Quebec City) black tilework and waterfall sink are sex in a bathroom. Best is Elixir’s (Vancouver) vision in blue, including a live video feed from the hipster Opus Hotel lobby and the tinted glass wall that lets you sneak a peek at what’s happening in the other loo too. Best Nostalgia Fixes Yearning for mommy? Try these new-school comfort-food treats: smooooth garlic mashed potatoes spiked with kettle-cooked chips at Le Bistro Béni (Calgary); especially satisfying cheese grits at Savannah (Montreal); an old cheddar and pickled onion panini-style grilled cheese at Reservoir (Montreal); a caramel ripple brownie sundae at The Pilot House (Charlottetown); and local Gala apple and sour cream pie topped with PEI cheddar at Tempest (Wolfville). Wash it down with a grown-up Orangeade (OJ, vodka, orange liqueur and soda) at Rosalie (Montreal). Share the Love The best shared dishes – be they communal ethnic, tapas, Izakaya-style Japanese or tasting platters – included fun mu shu lettuce wraps at Baan Thai (Halifax); tiny de carne calzones stuffed with beef, peppers, olives and egg at Passionate Pizza and Sensuous Sushi (Regina); fresh tuna belly chopped with green onion and sided with garlic bread at Hapa Izakaya (Vancouver); and the swoon-worthy seared foie gras poutine with chèvre and duck jus at Bouchon (Toronto). Best Vegetarian Dishes Almost anything at Les Chèvres (Montreal); the Little Creek organic baby greens salad at The Terrace (Kelowna); tender gnocchi with roasted gold beets, bleu cheese cream, spinach and toasted walnuts at Muse Restaurant & Lounge (Calgary); seitan with mushrooms, ginger and basil at Café du Roi (Quebec City); smoked organic tofu salad with chili-cured olives and artichoke hearts at Shelter (Tofino); and the hand-cut fettuccine glossed with black truffle mascarpone sauce at Tutti Matti (Toronto) – so sinful it actually garners licentious glances. Most Mouth-Puckering Uses of Rhubarb A gin, rhubarb juice and Bing cherry mix at Les Chèvres (Montreal); grilled soft shell crabs with enoki mushrooms on a rhubarb purée at Yuzu Sushi Bar (Quebec City); rhubarb mille feuilles of layered rhubarb fool, meringue crisps, lemon curd and rhubarb sauce at Shelter (Tofino); and a fresh-baked rhubarb and custard turnover at Café Köhler (Winnipeg). We All Scream for Trios of Homemade Ice Cream! Everyone’s doing it, and these are worth the brain freeze: Bar Restaurant Holder’s (Montreal) silver dessert cup filled with mango, pear and raspberry sorbets; Bis Moreno’s (Vancouver) gelati in mascarpone, honey and blood orange; Don Francesco’s (Vancouver) scoops of peach, cranberry and champagne ; and Boulevard’s (Edmonton) frozen collection of guava champagne, prickly pear and raspberry lime. [ ] 1   |   2   |   3   |   Restaurant Listings   |   NOV ADD YOUR COMMENTS > letters@enroutemag.net
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