Nota Bene

Winterlicious dinner last night with the gang at Nota Bene, $45 for three courses:
Hamachi Ceviche
For the first course, I decided on the hamachi ceviche. The yellowtail was fresh, smooth, and fleshy. Chunks of buttery avocado added a nice nutty flavour and textural contrast, chiles offered a nice kick of heat, and a squeeze of lime added a lovely fresh tartness that rounded out all the flavours. What was most surprising, though, was the inclusion of crushed corn nuts! A fun element that added a fantastic crunch and a nice smoky flavour. I thought this was a great choice for the first course — light, fresh, and great for opening up my appetite for the next two courses. 
Cumbrae Farms Boeuf Bourguignon
For my main course, I decided on the boeuf bourguignon. The stew was perfectly flavoured with garlic, onions, and a hint of red wine that wasn't too overpowering. Huge chunks of braised beef were tender and moist, and mushrooms and carrots keep it classic. Nota Bene's version is served on a cloud of creamy rosemary polenta with a hint of horseradish and pieces of smoky bacon. A piece of bread is needed to soak up any remaining broth; too tasty to waste. Comforting, hearty, and filling — so perfect on a cold winter night.
Bittersweet Chocolate Tart
Finally, dessert! I chose the bittersweet chocolate tart, which is a bit of an odd choice for me because I typically don't love chocolate desserts, but this one was perfectly executed. The chocolate tart, as stated, is bittersweet; if you don't like dark chocolate, you won't like this. I actually prefer dark chocolate, and like that it isn't too sweet, which is why I decided to give this a go. The custard was smooth and rich, and the crust was firm and buttery. To accompany it, a scoop of s'more ice cream, extremely addictive on its own and perfect for balancing out the bittersweet chocolate with its sweet milky flavour. Espresso caramel added depth and a lovely smoky-sweetness. No regrets on my course choices at all.
The restaurant itself is sleek, modern, and trendy, but ultimately kind of pretentious. Our server was informative and polite enough, but totally condescending. The others wanted wine, and our server asked them, "Do you know how to choose wine? Do you know what wine pairing is?" Um, are you asking everyone else this? We want informed advice, not judgement. Snobbery is not unexpected, as Winterlicious gives the masses a chance to try out top restaurants at a much lower set price, and restaurants like Nota Bene are used to people dropping $100 on a meal. But that doesn't mean you have the right to talk down to us, right? That having been said, the service was otherwise attentive and meticulous: courses set at the table all at the same time by different servers, water and wine poured when glasses were running low. They made sure we had everything we needed and asked how we were doing at regular intervals. I think on a non-Winterlicious day, the service would be perfect and our server wouldn't be talking to us like we were stupid children.
I think the thing that irked me the most, though, was the water fee. Right after we sat down at our table, our server went around with a carafe of water and asked if still water was fine. Of course, we said it was. It wasn't until he poured our water that he set down the menus which stated that still and sparkling water cost $3.50 a person. I think this is complete highway robbery. It's one thing to not actually tell us that the water you're pouring into our glasses has a fee, but it's another to pour it before even giving us the menu that states the fee. Another thing I didn't like was how our server made it seem like splitting the bill was such a faux pas. He actually said, "If I split the bill, it can't be put back onto one, so you need to make sure you want me to separate these." And then he said, "You want one bill per person? There's not even a couple here?" Like, stop asking questions. You're getting an automatic 18% gratuity for a party of eight people, so just do your damn job. Ultimately, the food is fantastic, but there are plenty of other, much classier restaurants that have way better (e.g. less douche-y) service, Winterlicious or not.

Nota Bene 180 Queen Street West Toronto, ON M5V 3X3 (416) 977-6400

Frida

Steph and I wanted to participate in Winterlicious this year, but since we are both currently on a budget, we decided on only going to one restaurant. There are a ton of great places we wanted to try, but we eventually decided on making reservations at Frida since we were both craving Mexican food and the place has great reviews. We originally contemplated going to Frida a couple weeks ago but decided on going to The Black Hoof instead, so it was really fate that Frida was one of the restaurants participating in Winterlicious so we could eat there for cheaper (dinner prix fixe is $35). Plus, Steph's Mexican friend actually said this place was "the closest thing to home" she had found in Toronto. Hey, if it's good enough for Mexicans, it's good enough for us!

Tortilla chips with salsa verde and jalapeño tomatillo salsa

Pork Carnitas Mini Tacos

Mexico City Style Lamb Enchiladas

We decided to split all of our dishes so we could try more things. The first appetizer we chose was the pork carnitas mini tacos. Five mini tortilla shells are filled with carnitas-style slow-braised pork, then topped with fresh guacamole and pico de gallo salsa. The pork was tender, flavourful, and slightly smoky, and the fresh chunky guacamole and zesty pico de gallo complimented it perfectly. This was probably my favourite dish of the night; I could seriously have eaten like, 18 of them. The second appetizer we had was the Mexico City-style lamb enchiladas. Three soft corn tortillas are filled with lamb barbacoa (Mexican pit-barbequed lamb), and then topped with a tomato-morita sauce, cotija cheese, and diced onions. The lamb was juicy and the sauce had just the perfect amount of spice to it, but I did wish the meat itself was a bit more flavourful (I honestly couldn't tell that it was lamb).

Pollo Pibil

Camarones al Ajillo

For the main courses, we decided on the two meat options. The first one was the Pollo Pibil: Yucatan-style chicken slow-cooked in banana leaves, annatto seeds, and encurtida, served with Mexican garlic rice and Ontario vegetables. I loved the sauce that the chicken was drenched in. I actually have no idea what it is called, but it reminded me of a spicier, slightly sweeter version of butter chicken. The white meat was a touch dry, but was otherwise fantastic. The second dish was the Camarones al Ajillo: jumbo shrimps gently braised with caramelized garlic butter and extra virgin olive oil, served with a bed of rice, green beans, seared spinach, and sweet parsnip. The shrimps were plump and juicy and very flavourful; I'm not sure what really makes this dish Mexican because it's really just garlic shrimp... but you can be damn sure every bit of it was devoured.

Churros de la Esquina

For dessert, we both ordered the churros, which are filled with goats' milk caramel, topped with lemon zest, and served with blueberry coulis and berries. These nearly sent me over the edge, but they were way too addictive to leave even one behind. Perfectly crunchy and golden brown on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, and dusted generously with cinnamon and sugar. The caramel was super-creamy and rich with the sweet tang of goats' milk, and made the churros all the more decadent. If you ever eat here, you must get these for dessert. I honestly would visit Frida again just for the churros.

Overall, Frida serves delicious, flavourful, authentic Mexican food that is beautifully presented. I actually find the presentation is what sets Frida apart from many other Mexican restaurants; it's what makes it feel more luxurious and "upscale." (There is a time for cheap, dirty-yet-somehow-charming taco places, but there is a time when you just want fancier Mexican food. Frida is for the latter.) The restaurant itself is sleek, modern, and contemporary while still retaining a very cozy, intimate feel. And, of course, as the restaurant is named after and inspired by her, there are are Frida Kahlo paintings hanging all over the walls. Our waitress was nice enough, but seemed a little hurried and impatient at times; it is understandable through all the hustle and bustle of Winterlicious, though, especially on a Saturday night when a faster turnover rate is important. Their regular menu is a little on the pricier side, but I would definitely come back whenever the craving for real Mexican food hits and that dirty taco place just won't cut it.


Frida
999 Eglinton Avenue West
Toronto, ON M6C 2C7
(416) 787-2221