Rave about what you ate recently

[JBear]

Every time I have an amazing meal I lament that this thread doesn't exist, so I'm finally going to just make it. Whenever I eat yummy food, I find myself wanting to rave about it, and the only thread we have for that is food that we've made ourselves, and my cooking sucks! Anyway, I am blessed to live in a city with an amazing variety of delicious restaurants, and Johnny and I have made it our mission to try all of them (and we're > 90% of the way there after several years), so I should have lots to post here going forward!

[JBear]

Last night was our first time patronizing a relatively new vegan/vegetarian cafe/gallery/micobrewery (we didn't partake of the latter because I'm watching my calories and Johnny doesn't drink), and it was delicious. I don't know if Fredericton is just lucky or what, but every vegetarian/vegan restaurant I eat at is amazing.

Anyway, I had a pleasingly modest serving of a panini and the soup of the day, which was a chili. The chili was fine, but the star of the show was that delicious panini, which was the Spicy Tofu panini, consisting of red peppers, spinach, avacado, sundried-tomato mayo, vegan cashew cheese, and tofu. Absolutely stellar.

[Teaspoon]

oven chips n' fish

I am a simple person.

[ArugulaZ]

This could just as easily go into the fast food thread, but what the heck. I had a Carls Jr. Super Star with Cheese today. It's essentially the restaurant's answer to the Whopper, but it's so far ahead of the genuine article that it's like comparing Skippy from the local T-ball team to a powerhouse like Sammy Sosa. They technically do the same thing, but one's in a whole other league.

[JBear]

Dine Around Freddy recently began, which is a weeks-long local promotional event where restaurants around town offer fixed 3-course meal menus (usually 2 choices for each course) with a small portion of the proceeds going to local food-providing charities. Johnny and I partake every year, and we're off to a strong start this year, as The Palate offered pork banh mi sliders as an appetizer (sweet & spicy pulled pork, house slaw, pickled cucumber, miso aioli, and cilantro on ciabatta), atlantic salmon w/ a scallop mousse as the main, and a sticky toffee cake with a caramel rum sauce as dessert. It was all delicious!

[Torzelbaum]

Originally Posted by JBear

pork banh mi sliders as an appetizer (sweet & spicy pulled pork, house slaw, pickled cucumber

Or as some people call them - pickles.

[JBear]

Next up was Maxwell's, and they fucking killed it. The appetizer was polenta fries topped with poblano jam on a bed of pimento cheese, and they were completely goddamned delicious. Easily one of the tastiest things that I've ever eaten, and all 3 flavours complemented each other perfectly.

My main was haddock topped with tomato jam served on a chorizo corn succotash and white bean purée, and it too was very good, although I found myself afterwards wishing that I'd opted for the Aloo Gobi instead, since it came with a fig chutney that I'm sure I'd have loved.

Dessert was a vegan chocolate mousse, which was good, I guess, but dessert is always kind of an uphill climb for me; I am rarely impressed. I appreciated the tiny serving size, at least!

[JBear]

Catch Urban Grill is one of my favourite restaurants in town, and their event menu did not disappoint. I had the provencal bibb to start, which was chunked vegetables, feta, oregano, and a sundried tomato tapenade on a bed of lettuce. My main was skewered halibut bites wrapped in double smoked bacon and topped with a lemon buerre blanc, served on a bed of sweet potato mash with a side of wilted kale and dried cranberries. Dessert was a nice small berry shortcake, with strawberry sorbet and a mixed berry compote on tiny disc of vanilla spongecake.

All told, all very good, but nothing amazing. I suspect I would have preferred Johnny's main of chipotle pork cavatappi, but I wanted something lighter.

The event ends today, so I'm afraid that's all the places we're going to be able to sample this year, but coming up next is the burger battle! Last year I had what was literally the most delicious burger I've ever eaten (it had a blueberry ketchup which I didn't think would work by absolutely did), so I'm looking forward to it!

[Johnny Unusual]

Me and JBear ate at Wolastoq Wharf last night. The first two courses were good but that Raspberry Sour Pie was delicious. JBear liked it more than I did. I really liked it but a little more tartness would have been nice (or at least more sauce.)

[JBear]

Right, yes. So one of the participating restaurants that we'd not been able to make it to extended their event menu by one week, much to my delight. My appetizer was a spinach salad with blueberries, feta, candy pecans and grilled pear served with a honey balsamic vinaigrette, which is just about my ideal salad (replace the feta with goat cheese and you're pretty much there), and it was delicious. My main was pork tenderloin stuffed with smoked gouda, spinach and crab meat, topped
with a maple walnut brown sauce, and served with rosemary parmesan roasted potatoes grilled asparagus. It too was very good, although honestly I think the potatoes were my favourite part of the dish, as they were prepared to perfection. I come from a literal potato farming background, so I've eaten my share of potatoes, and these were divine. Finally, as Johnny mentions, dessert was a raspberry sour pie, and it may well be, without hyperbole, the most delicious dessert I have ever eaten. I certainly can't think of another that I've liked more. I thought it had the perfect level of tartness, and the soft flaky pie crust was amazing. God, I want more right now.