restaurants tagged posts

If you don’t know about Bistro Narra, you should. It is a gem of a restaurant in the Churchill Meadows community of Mississauga. Olive it because the chef’s classic European training shines through in the consistently delicious food. Olive it because I can enjoy this lovely dining experience at very reasonable prices. Owned and operated by Austrian-trained chef Franz Hochholdinger and his wife, Esther, it opened in December 2010 as a sister restaurant to the Apricot Tree Café.  I have been lucky enough to dine at Bistro Narra on several occasions recently.

The Chicken Crêpe (available at both restaurants) has long been a favourite of mine. Plump morsels of juicy chicken breasts, mushrooms, tender zucchini, and sweet peas in an exquisite cream sauce (subtly laced with tarragon) are wrapped up in a dainty crêpe and served with a mixed greens salad. Perfectly portioned and pleasingly priced at $11.00 at brunch.

My father said that his Norwegian Crêpe was excellent. Smoked Norwegian salmon, bocconcini cheese, purple onion and roasted peppers are wrapped in a crêpe and blanketed with a rosé dill sauce. $12 at brunch.

Our friend enjoyed the Narra Breakfast which was an elegantly plated healthy breakfast of delicious Gravad Lax (dill-cured salmon), poached eggs, citrus dressed spinach salad with strawberries, feta and almonds and toast at $8.50.

On another occasion, when I dug my fork into the two poached eggs that were perched atop peameal bacon and  English muffin halves, their sunny yokes spilled out happily over my plate and ran into the homemade Béarnaise sauce in a delicious embrace. The al dente asparagus and house frites were the perfect vehicle to deliver the yummy sauce to my lips. At $8.50 I would have to say the Narra Benedict is the one of the most delightful versions of Eggs Benedict in my little corner of the world.  Oh, and there was fresh fruit on the plate.

My son swooned when he ate his plate of flat iron steak cooked to perfection, bright green asparagus, homemade Hollandaise sauce and house frites all for the incredible price of $12 (sadly, it’s no longer on the menu). I love to see my son swoon.

Even the regular coffee comes to the table with a bit of a creamy head on it – a small detail that is enough to keep a coffee lovin’ gal coming back for more. A couple of my friends decided Bistro Narra was the perfect spot to commit to a monthly girlfriends’ brunch date. Bravo Chefs Franz and Esther Hochholdinger!

www.bistronarra.com

Bistro Narra is the sister restaurant of the Apricot Tree (opened in 1993).  The Apricot Tree is a casual café that serves European pastries, as well as delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most people who have dined at the Apricot Tree quickly become loyal customers, including me!

Check their website for details on giveaways and special offers throughout the year, in celebration of its 20^th anniversary.

www.apricottreecafe.com

Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza is opening tonight! Read my latest post here: Hot Off The Olive Press SPECIAL EDITION Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza is Opening October 23, 2013

Latest News on Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza Streetsville: Updated October 20, 2013

Stay glued to my blog Streetsville…there will be a big announcement coming this week.

Latest News on Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza Streetsville: Updated August 2, 2013

Don’t worry Streetsville. Though the front sign has been taken down from Goodfellas, word is that it is being replaced with a better sign. And while the Streetsville Main Street Square is being redesigned, the planter boxes from Goodfellas’ patio have been moved to safer locations. Meanwhile, I frequently see workers inside Goodfellas. Can’t wait for the opening of Goodfellas and the redesigned Streetsville Main Street Square.

Latest News on Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza Streetsville: Updated June 20, 2013

“Good things come to those who wait”. And when Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza opens up its first flagship restaurant in Streetsville, it’s going to be fabulous. I recently had a conversation with one of the owners of Goodfellas, Rocco Giovannelli, who confirmed the partners’ commitment to doing things right, from the start, so that when they do open everything will be in place to bring you an enjoyable restaurant experience.

The partners have already sponsored two chefs from Italy. But the experience will go beyond the food. Goodfellas is working on setting up an impressive entertainment line-up that Rocco promised will be wonderful.

All of this will take place in a beautifully renovated space. The process has involved a lot of determined hard work, including removing 14 truckloads of dirt from the basement to build a wine cellar, that will include a harvest table and reclaimed chandelier – the perfect room for a private dinner party. It has included opening up the windows along two sides of the building, so light can pour in and the restaurant can spill out onto the sidewalk. If you have driven by recently, you may have noticed the lovely patio that is taking shape. There will be a separate party room in the back of the building that will hold 30 to 40 people. All of the millwork, using stunning reclaimed wood pieces, has been done off-site and is ready.

When you open up an 1836 circa building, unexpected challenges are bound to pop up, resulting in lots of paperwork submitted to the City of Mississauga to bring the building up to current standards. Support beams were installed, gas lines replaced, and electrical brought up to current codes. The renovations are in their final phase.

So as much as we all are anxious for Goodfellas Streetsville to open, we need to give them a little more time to get things just right.  One day, in the not-so-distant future, we will be sitting on their outdoor patio, watching the happenings at Queen and Main Streets – and eventually in the newly redesigned Streetsville Main Street Square. Goodfellas is going to be great for Streetsville.

Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza in Streetsville: Update Posted February 20, 2013

Just got word this morning from Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza that their Streetsville location will hopefully be opening in 6-8 weeks from now. Perfect! Just in time for a wood oven pizza dinner and a glass of wine on a warm spring evening, hopefully on their sidewalk patio. I have never tried Goodfellas but olive the location in the heart of Streetsville, at the corner of Queen Street South and Main Street. After dinner stroll through the village shops, wander down along the Credit River trail to Streetsville Memorial Park, then loop back and treat your kids or yourself to a Murphy’s ice cream cone back on Main Street. I am looking forward to the days getting longer and the pizza coming hot from the wood burning oven to my sidewalk table. I can’t wait to try out Goodfellas’ southern Italian cuisine and if olive it, I will tell you all about it. Stay tuned.

View Larger Map

While Chris Hadfield (Canadian astronaut now circling the earth on the International Space Station) was dining amongst the stars on a breakfast of orange juice, Cornflakes and coffee, my Dad and I were enjoying a yummy breakfast down here on planet Earth at Bobby’s Hideaway in Streetsville, Ontario.

If you know Streetsville, you probably already know that Bobby’s Hideaway is famous for breakfast. But what olive the most about Bobby’s is their delicious House Vinaigrette – a perfectly balanced, well-blended dressing with a taste that leaves you wanting more, more, more! I must have more! It is divine on their Analyse This Greek Salad (a pleasing twist on the traditional Greek salad consisting of the usual fixings along with shredded carrot on top of mixed baby greens). Olive it on their Bob Cobb Salad – a satisfying salad of flavorfully marinated char-grilled chicken breast, perfectly ripe avocado, egg, Blue cheese and crumbled bacon adorning fresh salad greens.

Olive it so much that I decided I would try to recreate the recipe at home. I googled recipe after recipe to see if I could get any hints. I even feigned food allergies to try to trick the waitresses at Bobby’s into giving up the secret recipe but their lips were sealed and alas, the recipe remains secret.

Thankfully, Bobby’s sells their delicious House Vinaigrette in take-home bottles at $5 per bottle. There aren’t any labels on the bottle, no ingredients lists either (to keep it secret) but you need to know that it must be refrigerated quickly, even before opening, so get it right home and into the fridge. Make up a batch of Olive’s Salade Maison, throw in some kalamata olives and crumbled Bulgarian feta cheese, dress it with Bobby’s House Vinaigrette and you will have my version of Bobby’s Analyse This Greek Salad on your own table.

All Bobby’s sauces are homemade and well-crafted. Bobby’s serves quality all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s home-style comfort food in a casual setting.