Saturday, July 9, 2011

Summerlicious @ Blu Ristorante, Yorkville-Toronto

Summerlicious is finally back in Toronto and this year there are a total of 150 participating restaurants that offers a delicious 3-course prix fixe menus with prices ranging from CAD $15 to $25 for lunch and $25 to $45 for Dinner.

I had my first Summerlicious Menu at Emily's Birthday where we celebrated at Blu Ristorante and Lounge in the trendy Yorkville Area. Blu's $45 Summerlicious Menu featured the following:

APPETIZER
choice of:
-Blu Caesar
crisp romaine hearts, caesar dressing,
croutons, parmesan chip
-Arugula Salad
goat cheese, walnuts, cranberry
and a chianti vinaigrette
-Soup of the Day
--------------------------​--------------
ENTRÉE
choice of:
-Fusilli al Gorgonzola
gorgonzola cheese, leeks, bourbon,
cream sauce and arugula
-Grilled 10 oz Beef Striploin
mushroom veal jus, served with
roasted herbed polenta and peppers
-Baked Atlantic Salmon
honey glazed cipolini, sautéed rapini
with a lime, caper, white wine sauce
--------------------------​--------------
DESSERT
choice of:
-Tiramisu
-Vanilla Crème Brulee
-Chocolate & Raspberry Tartufo

Wanting to try more than one dish Calvin and I both ordered different dishes so we could swap.


Foccacia Bread
Foccacia Bread
The Bread was served slightly warm and had a nice Herb Crust. It was Dense and nicely salted.


Calvin's Appetizer: Blu Caesar (Crisp Romaine Hearts, Caesar Dressing, Croutons and Parmesan Chip)
Blue Caesar
I had a small taste of the Caesar Salad. The Romaine was crisp and I enjoyed the Garlic Dressing.


Arugula Salad: Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Cranberry and a Chianti Vinaigrette
Arugula Salad
This was my appetizer. The Arugula Salad was delicious. The Dressing had a nice Sweet and Acidic Balance. I loved the mixture of Arugula, Cranberry, Walnuts and Goat Cheese.


Grilled 10 oz Beef Striploin, Mushroom Veal Jus, served with Roasted Herbed Polenta and Peppers
Grilled 10 oz Beef Striploin, Mushroom Veal Jus, served with Roasted Herbed Polenta and Peppers
This was Calvin's Main Course and I definitely enjoyed it more than my Main Course. The Striploin was well seasoned, had a nice crust and a Meaty Texture.


Baked Atlantic Salmon, Honey Glazed Cipolini, Sautéed Rapini with a Lime, Caper, White Wine Sauce
Baked Atlantic Salmon, Honey Glazed Cipolini, Sautéed Rapini with a Lime, Caper, White Wine Sauce
This was my main course. This would have been a perfect Fish Dish had they not overcooked the Salmon which made it dry (I requested to have it Pink in the middle).


Vanilla Creme Brulee
Tiramisu
This was Tina's Dessert. I had a taste of it and found it to be ok. One could definitely taste the Vanilla inside but the texture was a little too smooth for my liking


Chocolate and Raspberry Tartufo
Chocolate and Raspberry Tartufo
Tartufo (Italian Ice Cream) was my Dessert. The Dark Chocolate had a nice bitter flavor but I didn't quite like the dense texture of the Tartufo. It was still a little Frozen.


Tiramisu
Tiramisu
This was Calvin's Dessert. The Tiramisu was beautifully presented but tasted so-so. I had a couple of spoons of this dessert and found the Savoiardi was dry giving it a hard and chewy texture. Maybe it's because I took it from the edge of the Tiramisu


Overall I enjoyed my Arugula Salad and Calvin's Steak. If only they cooked my Salmon Pink in the middle it would have been perfect! Food aside, the ambiance of the restaurant was Romantic and was definitely a good place to celebrate Emily's Birthday!


Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Price: $$$$$ (Approximately USD $55 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 17 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto, ON M4W 1L4
Tel: +1(416) 921-1471 ‎ ·
Web: www.bluristorante.com
Map:

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