Took a trip downtown to visit the restaurant of one of my mentors, Fernando Garcia, newly of LaVinia. A quaint dining room reminiscent of his homeland Spain with vibrantly colored red and blue walls, and hand crafted Spanish upholstery. His menu paraded Spanish staples, all excellently prepared, succulent octopus Gallegan-style, Madrileno tripe stew (my personal favorite) and authentic Paellas. He lead us through many of the appetizers in a family fashion, the three of us sharing the majority of the tapas selection he offered. We then moved on to a delicate cauliflower potage, a family style serving of roasted veal and salmon, an intermezzo of peach sorbet served in a shot of Grand Marnier and finally chocolate flan. Food was minimalist and tasteful as the Spaniards are oh-so-known for, and the wine list offered gems from around the country. If you are interested in an authentic dining experience, you must make your way down to Etobicoke for a meal here.
Following that we checked into Toronto beer bar favorite, C'est What. Ventured out in support of Light for the Flight, a musical event supporting thyroid cancer patients. Went to the performance room in the back, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the bar was uncompromising; the same beer selection is available in the function room as is in the main room. The bartender was also very knowledgeable; recommended beers for me all the way through. Tucked into to tasty Canadian only brews, including Beau's, Great Lakes Brewery, Sawdust City and C'est Whats very own. As we had just finished a dangerously large meal at LaVinia, but were feeling the affects of a couple bottles of wine and a few pints, we grabbed some sweet potato chips to nibble on. Nothing special, but it does wonders for your sobriety. If you like Canadian micro brews, you need to make it here at least once! We plan to revisit, as it is conveniently located within walking distance of Union Station.
LaVinia
laviniarestaurant.com
2350 Lakeshore Blvd W
Toronto
C'est What
cestwhat.com
67 Front St E
Toronto
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