Feast: Spamalot

A few weeks ago (okay, it was more like a month ago), TFE and I headed into Toronto for a day to ourselves. We had EXCELLENT seats for Spamalot -- quite possibly the best Mirvish-sponsored production I've seen in six or seven years...so much better than re-hashed Andrew Lloyd Webber and that fiasco that was Lord of the Rings.

Anyway, we decided to have brunch at TFE's spot of choice, Cora's:



My darling dearest had a big breakfasty thingie (left) and I had eggs benedict with brie and mushrooms (right). I must admit that I wasn't impressed. It all looked hugely wonderful...and huge, but this was an instance where the kitchen spent more time making things look appetising as oppose to tasty (the poached egg might as well have been a boiled egg and instead of fresh mushrooms that were sauteed (or even raw), the plate boasted canned, cold and waterlogged mushrooms). I won't be going back again.

Prior to heading out we decided to partake in Summerlicious, an annual (this is the third year) restaurant festival where some of the city's better restaurants offer very reasonable three-course, prix fixes. After perusing the menues, we decided to sup at Urban:





Yummy! It totally made up for Cora's. For starters, TFE had the soup (which he didn't let me photograph) and I had the goat cheese and grilled portobello mushroom phyllo tart, mixed greens with cherry tomatoes, roast fig jam and chervil oil (top). Our mains were a grilled beef striploin with sweet potato mash, red wine jus and veg (middle, left (mine)) and grilled baby back ribs Crown Royal molasses sauce, toasted pinenut and parsley rice with baked beans (middle, right (his)). For dessert, I got an extra-thick crusted creme brulee (whee!!) and TFE had the mixed berry and apple Crumble served with Devonshire custard.

I must admit the dinner entertainment was unintentionally supplied by the next table--the tragically beautiful people who insisted on wearing oversized sunglasses indoors and looked down their noses at those of us who were...shall we say...country bumpkins. You see, they were stylish, beautiful and rich and had very, very hard lives: She (the stick insect) cut her very stylish, beautiful and somewhat overpriced burger into quarters and ate only one or two pieces (I assume because eating the rest would be far too much...even though she could down the fries without a problem) was forcing herself to get married in Sonoma because "that's what has to be done" and to honeymoon in some private island in the Caribbean because "that's what has to be done." Her dining companion (not her fiance) was a loud talking name dropper who apparently knows Bruce Springsteen's therapist, among other degrees of separation from other Hollywood types. Every time the name dropper dropped a name, his volume would go up--quite hillarious, really. He was concerned for his friend because she was so upset about this huge wedding:
"Why are you getting married to him? Do you have to?"
"Well of course I have to. I need his money so I can live...otherwise I would stay single if I could afford it."

Yeah...that's going to be a marriage that lasts.

cheers!
jasmine

tags: Cora's Spamalot Summerlicious Urban Restaurant