Food, Glorious Food

I have been eating out. I have been eating out A LOT. Just as Superman must fight evil, I must eat!! Each new restaurant offers a challenge I must embrace. 

That might have been a little over the top. It's just that there a number of new haunts in town that beg to be visited. Although I don't have pics of all the food I've eaten, here's the low down on what's been sampled recently:

Corso 32: Thought the hype was an overstatement, but I was wrong. This contemporary Italian bistro serves wonderfully simple dishes focusing on fresh ingredients and less common cuts of meat. I say simple, because I remember a time not so long ago when a menu had so many adjectives, it sounded like a Harlequin romance. Today's era of eating is bringing back simplicity. 

I tried the pear carpaccio salad and chicken liver tortellini, while Ruedi ate a pork cheek terrine and an ox tail pappardelle. What stuck with me was the use of rich meats countered with very simple sauces to bring out the flavours and balance the richness. My tortellini for example, was drizzled with balsamic vinegar among a few other fresh, but basic ingredients. I savoured each bite: something I find I don't do enough of.

I also splurged on a chocolate torta with large, salty hazelnuts flooding the surface. Oh wow. I never get tired of that salty-sweet waltz. This was such a lovely combination of textures and flavours, I just couldn't help but keep eating it.

Cibo: Pasta dishes were the name of the game at this...well, contemporary Italian bistro. My friend Theresa and I ate there before a wonderful, but food-filled wine tasting. We didn't realize this at the time. Pan fried ricotta cakes were the instigator (see first pic), while a squid ink pasta with calamari and a hedgehog mushroom tortellini with a leek sauce followed suit. Sound good? It was!

The Common: Lamb hot dogs with cheese-braised cabbage, crispy onions and other goodies fill a homemade bun. Actually, all bread at The Common is made in-house which thrilled Ruedi our in-house bread maker. The Ruedster ordered a Umami burger filled with minced, flank steak, roasted tomatoes and the restaurant's take on thousand-island dressing. Funky fries with an optional Sriracha mayo make this place one of my new faves. Don't forget to order the lemongrass panna cotta before you jet. The dish is served in a jam jar with a roasted Asian pear on the side. I was sorry I had to share this one.

Tres Carnales Taqueria: Oh just get the fish taco and be done with it! Breaded red snapper is the fish of choice and it's served with a simple cole slaw and subtle sauce. I couldn't have made it better myself. Trust me, check my old posts. I tried and I did not make a better fish taco. Tres Carnales nailed it.