Toronto, Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Chocolate Mousse Dome

Dessert Rating: Chocolate Mousse Dome, 4.5 / 5 stars:

I had previously ordered the Pecan and Chocolate tart, which got me because it was served warm. But when a viewing of the Chocolate Mousse Dome arrived to the table next to us, I quickly amended my order. The wet chocolate outside covered the chocolate mousse inside. Yum!

Toronto, Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Lobster

Entrée/ Main Rating: Half Live Lobster, 4.5 / 5 stars:

The half lobster was fresh and delicious, served with melted butter, but not huge. It did not literally move, as the lobster did on Thursday at HiPot, but I believe it was fresh! A generous portion of rice, as well as the vegetables, helped complete the meal. The fresh and warm (!!!) bread hit our soft spot we even asked for more.

Toronto, Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Shrimp Martini

Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 3438 Yonge St., Toronto, ON, M4N 2N2, (416) 483-4800

Overall Food Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars: Wildfire, along with only a few others like Corner House Restaurant, is among the select few where the increased capacity and lower cost of “Winterlicious”, Toronto’s restaurant week, does not challenge the quality, service, culinary talent, and value of the meals being turned out of their kitchens. When I’ve been served “Watermelon cold soup”, with a food cost of about $.25, at past Winterlicious experiences, being served delicious five jumbo shrimp is both impressive and refreshing.

Atmosphere Rating: 4.5 / 5: Dining room seating, with leather seating, is comfortable, beautiful and lit dimly.

3.5 / 5: If you are seating upstairs like we were, you might hear every other table’s conversations except your own,…especially if you are seated in the back corner!

Service Rating: 5 / 5 stars: Leslie was friendly, competent, attentive, filled my water glass constantly and was overall awesome. In other words, nothing like wait staff at other pretentious restaurants, like Auberge du Pommier, during Winterlicious. Some waiters feel earning tip on a $100-$200 meal rather than that on a prix fixe meal is an entitlement and beware as some of them have no problem sharing that opinion, through body language and lack of service, with you.

Value Rating: 5 / 5 stars: A Winterlicious lunch that includes fresh jumbo shrimp, five at that, half a lobster, fresh warm bread, and fresh full size delicious desserts, in a beautiful setting with great service for $25? This is the best value I have ever come across….ever!  A refreshing attitude absent from restaurants like North 44, Auberge du Pommier, Canoe which I avoid during Winterlicious because they try to maintain the same profit margin by skimping out on portions, menu, etc and hence disappoint. If the quality, taste, and value is any indication, owner Jody Ness really cares that his patrons are getting a great food experience.

Appetizer/Starter Rating: The Shrimp Martini, 5 / 5 stars: Fresh jumbo tiger shrimp served with a delicious citrus-vodka infused cocktail sauce did not disappoint. If you are afraid that ordering shrimp in a restaurant means getting 3 limp frozen thawed tiny things, fear no more!

Toronto, Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt, Walnut Butter Tart

Dessert Rating: Walnut Butter Tart Dark Chocolate Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream, 3.5 / 5 stars:

I enjoyed it, but it was small and no nearly as good as the peacan chocolate tart or other desserts I would enjoy at Wildfire.

Toronto, Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt, Beef Brisket

Entrée/ Main Rating: Horseradish Glazed Beef BrisketCrunchy Mustard & Dill Pickle Gravy, Root Vegetable Mash, 3.5 / 5 stars:

This dish had a lovely taste, so it would be rated higher except that the meat was not real beef brisket which I am used to but resembled a dense red meat similar to processed smoked meat or corned beef. To its credit, my friend Cecilia enjoyed it.

Toronto, Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt Hotel, Wrapped Halibut

Entrée/ Main Rating: Rice Paper Wrapped Halibut, Curried Broth, Braised Green Lentils, Thin Cut Vegetables, 3.5 / 5 stars:

The halibut was fresh, the taste was as if I made it at home (read: I am not a chef), the rice paper did not add anything to the taste or texture, I had no clue the broth had any curry in it whatsoever until I was referring to the menu while writing this up, and the lentils tasted like lentils period (not braised lentils). Yes, the vegetables were thinly cut, check. It was not terrible by any means, just nothing too special.

Toronto, Annona Restaurant, Park Hyatt Hotel, Spinach, Ciel des Charlesvoix, Bacon Salad

Appetizer/Starter Rating:  Spinach, Ciel des Charlesvoix & chilli maple roasted walnuts, Warm Bacon, Cranberry Vinaigrette (vegetarian), 3.5 / 5 stars:  

How a warm bacon salad can possibly be considered vegetarian is beyond me.  None the less, Cecilia made a much better starter choice than I! 

After googleing “Ciel des Charlesvoix”, those not in the know will discover that it is a semi-soft raw cow’s milk blue-veined cheese.  Since neither Cecilia nor I like blue cheese, the quality and richness in taste and the excellent pairing with the sweetly (no chili detected!) glazed walnuts was impressive.  The spinach and dressing was ordinary.