Pulitizer worthy review written on sticky notes and emails.
NA is a Toronto based over-night pharmacist to the stars ( well, Randy Macho Man Savage once stopped by her store after midnight - unsuccessfully looking for smokes). This self-taught writer produces such lyrical reviews that we classically trained journalists (Ryerson Pyrotechnical Institute ;-) ) want to weep and, of course, instantly plagiarize.
Be it cutting notes about over-the-counter pizzas, or scathing emails about nasty neighbours, her emails are worthy of public consumption. The following, with a bit of preamble by me is the latest missive that had me in awe and using my oft neglected dictionary!
So what about Splendido and Dining Date Night?
This email is in response to a question that was put to her about the value of a new discount programme for some of Toronto's most ritzy (i.e expensive) restaurants. The wag jag style programme is called diningdatenight.com. You pay the online company $10.00 and they say they will get you deep discounts at chi chi restaurants.
We are always interested in discounts but unwilling to part with a fin because of an internet come-on, so we asked NA about her recent experience with diningdatenight at Splendido ... a restaurant that once charged us $64.00 for a few rounds of bottled water (I won't tell you what the meal cost).
Below is NA's take on the Internet discount programme and the College Street eatery:
DINING DATE NIGHT AND SPLENDIDO
Yup .. a friend and I saved $72 off of our total bill! you do have to take a subprime table in the "retro-storage room" or " the hyperboreanesque cool of the meat locker" (;-p) .. the meal was the best I've had in North America this year (including a close 2nd by Popeye's. I have a diversely discerning palate - have you evah had creole onion rings, o' Lordy Darla Sue!) - PEI oysters came with such interesting toppings as a boozy apple calvados puree, champagne foam and horseradish vodka, the rosemary focaccia bread was my culinary carbohydrate holy communion - if transubstantiation was fo real yo - the spirit in the sky would def choose this as his hotrod.
... other apps we downloaded include soft pillowy agnolotti with pumpkin & ricotti - yielded to the bite so willingly.. the most nubile of a terrorist martyr's 72 virgins .. bedded on clouds of milk foam, amaretti and pumpkin seeds, & Fois gras parfait (need I say more..) with pear puree.
Mains were lamb & sweetbreads with date chutney ... which I didn't taste, as enthralled as I was with the veal tenderloin with smoked brisket and bone marrow jus with oyster mushrooms. Desserts were white chocolate cheesecake with apples, apple sorbet & cheddar cheese on the side, & chocolate/caramel verrine - a sort of parfait/sundae with peanut ice cream - had Nutcracker cafe p.c. - frangelico, malibu rum & amaretto.. def recommend the website (diningdatenight) - have a good selection of restos - I paid 10$ and we saved 72$ betwixt us both.
Cheerio!
Noi
