Red Wine Tavern

It's always very difficult to get reservation for my Birthday dinner since it's the holiday seasons, all the party room or big tables are taken... I finally managed to make reservation at Red Wine Tavern (@redswinetavern) for their chef's table which hold up to 15-16 people which was exactly my party size.

Located in First Canadian Place, they had recently gone through a major revamp with complete renovation of the space, menu and chef. The new executive Chef is Ryan Gallagher, Top Chef Canada contestant and the former sous chef of Lynn Crawford's Ruby Watcho

It's my first time here but that's the only choice I had for such a large party.

Love the light bulbs above our table but the yellow tint make taking picture a pain (>_<) Sorry for all the yellowy pictures here.

It was a 3 course prix fixe menu of  $48pp

 Decided to treat my guest to Charcuterie Platters while we wait for everyone (^_^)

 Grilled Pacific Yellowfin Tuna Nicoise

~ arugula, fried egg, marinated beans, pickled onions, roasted cherry tomato

This was just your regular tuna salad, nothing in special but I did like the added roasted tomato together with the non roasted tomato.

Wild Mushroom Soup

~ parmesan crouton, enoki and celery salad

This was more of a consommé that the creamy mushroom sauce that everyone expected.  I find it delicious with very earthy mushroom-y taste rather the creamy version that we have all the time. Ben find it rather medicinal tasting and didn't really like it.

Chicken Pot Pie with Foie Gras Gravy

~ slow braised chicken, harvest vegetables

 Tried a bite and this was very hearty delicious and you can definitely taste the foie gras, there was actually tiny bits of foie gras in it (^_^)

Butternut Stuffed Fresh Pasta

~ roasted butternut squash, brussel sprout leaves, crushed amaretti cookis, shaved pecorino

 I was the only one who ordered it and found the overall flavor to be rather sweet. Wish there was so sort of saltier toppings or sauce to balance out the sweetness from the butternut squash and cookie.

 Canadian Prime Striploin

~ garlic fried rapini, charred onion jus, fries

Most people order this and we were all pretty surprise at the huge portion. I would have order this as well but Ben ordered this and I knew I would be able to eat his so I order something else so I can get to try 2 dish =P

Cook to order, red and juicy just how we like it 

Fish of the Day

Carrot Cake

~ coconut cream, molases cream cheese icing, walnut daquoise

 Didn't really like the overall taste and found it rather try. I think i prefer the traditional carrot cake a lot better.

 Grasshopper Pie

~ chocolate and mint schnapps mousse, Orea cookie crumble

We all love this although the green of the mint mousse was a bit too artificial, it tasted great.

Just lover everything about this dessert

 Ben also got me a Birthday Cake from La Bamboche (see my post here)

It was one of their new flavor, passionfruit (my fave) and sesame.... I love it since the passionfruit flavor was so strong but not sure it goes with the sesame since you can barely taste it. A lot of my firends didn't like it finding it way too tart/sour... but I ♥♥♥ it, thanks ^(@@)^

Verdict :

Thought the food was good but the service was horrible...

I understand that it will take longer for each course to be ready since we were such a large table but between appetizer and our mains (around 1hr gap), we order more bottles of wine but we had to remind our server 3 times... and it only came after our main arrived and never filling our water in between.

And it took even longer for them to bring out the cake and took almost another hour to get our bill given that we didn't even need separate bills... then another half hour or so to come collect our money.

Really didn't feel like giving that much tip but the 18% gratuity is already added to the bill for 8 guest or more (>_<)

I really didn't expect such horrible service at such a nice restaurant.

Notherless, had such a great time with my dear friends... as we grow older, it gets more and more difficult to meet up like that since everyone are so busy, so thanks everyone for coming.
♥ you all!!!