Location: 111C Queen St. E
J says: When our server came to sweep the crumbs from our table between courses, he carefully opened A's fork 90 degrees to give himself access, swept, and then returned the fork to its formal alignment. This attention to detail was present in all facets of our meal, except for our delightfully green serving boy, who stammered out our plated ingredients but charmingly so. The food was detailed and diverse, every bite a different combination of complementary ingredients. My first course was a thick piece of tuna sashimi, dressed with sprouts, crisp toast, and a half-dozen other things including dollops of rich mustard, olive and I honestly have no idea what else. Simply too many good things to remember. Second course was foie gras and hen. It was the first time I tasted foie gras and I finally understand why, despite moral objections, the dish is still pursued. It is richness defined. I was in a duck haze by the time the steak course came, buried in chanterelles, wine, and chili puree, paired with parsnip and potato. I could barely finish it. The cheese course was a welcome "break". Dessert consisted of a heavenly white chocolate cream (I didn't recognize the name it was given - but the texture was like mousse crossed with ice cream) with an espresso interior, decorated with beignets and a handful of other things lost in the fog of gluttony. The worst thing on any of the plates was still objectively very good, and A's crisp-fried sweetbreads were one of the most perfect and greatest things I've ever tasted. They managed to do all of this with a friendly, generous and humorous attitude (evidenced by the "Happy Anniversary" they wrote on our dessert plates in chocolate - A has mentioned in passing to the hostess about our date). There is simply nothing else I could've asked for. In fact, I left feeling positively stuffed; I might have asked for less. Rating: JJJJJ
A says: George is rated as not only one of the best restaurants in Toronto, but one of the best in Canada. So when we decided to try it for our anniversary, we had high expectations. Despite being in a bit of a sketchy area on Queen East, the interior space is an inviting mix of industrial details and elegant finishes, making it feel luxurious without being pretentious. After some convincing from J, I agreed to do the 5 course tasting menu which you must choose without knowing what each course is going to be and the chef prepares at his discretion. When two people commit to this (our server's words), the chef prepares two completely different menus, so your table actually gets ten items. Here's what I remember about what I ate, although I'm sure I'm missing things from each course: Amuse Bouche - A mini pastrami and cheese sandwich with a mango relish; 1st course - Lobster on a quinoa cake, cauliflower puree, pomegranate, and rapini salad with a fried bread crisp; 2nd course - Seared foie gras, pan fried sweetbreads, sauteed mushrooms and pinenuts with green onion and passionfruit puree and a quail egg served with a relish and duck skin cracklin (Note - our server did ask if we were alright with foie gras beforehand in case we had objections. We didn't and it really is ridiculously good. Like butter made of meat.); 3rd course - Water buffalo with broccoli and hollandaise sauce, matchstick veggies, and a swirl of seasoned potato, crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside; 4th course (cheese course) - Goat cheese aged in ash with housemade breads, spiced nuts dusted with powdered sugar, apple slices, and preserves; 5th course (dessert) - Chocolate souffle with gingersnap cookies, white and dark chocolate sauce and cognac ice cream. Each plate was composed like a work of art and no two bites of that meal were the same. The service is impeccable and the food is excellent. Eating at George was more than just a fancy dinner, it was a culinary experience and absolutely worth every penny. Maybe one of the best meals I've ever had. Rating: AAAAA
