Fat Friday - Canteen Part II

It’s actually been a while since Matt and I have enjoyed a Fat Friday out. The last was probably a few weeks before Christmas when we dined on pizza at Queen Margherita with our friend Christine. I didn’t bother to post about that one since we pretty much ate the exact same thing as our first visit (and now that I think of it, we went with Christine that night too).

Over the holidays we weren’t home much to do a lot of cooking; in fact, just quite the opposite. We did enjoy many home-cooked meals and leftovers with our family and friends, but when we got back to the city, we couldn’t find the time or the energy to do much grocery shopping.

Matt’s mom was also visiting us for a few days, so we thought it only fitting to take her to some of our favourite restaurants. The first night we visited the Bell Lightbox and were lucky enough to get a table at Canteen. We were told the wait would be about 30 minutes when we first arrived, and with no place in particular to be that night, we decided to hang out. About 10 minutes later, the hostess told us that a party of four didn’t show up for their reservation, so their table was OURS. Score!

We’ve eaten at Canteen before, but this dinner was a particularly exciting adventure for me. I was brave that night and ordered the lamb gnocchi (first time trying lamb). I know Oliver & Bonacini have a pretty good track record with making some delicious food, so it was as good a place as any to give it a try. The lamb was very tasty and, while I wasn’t sure what to expect, I was nicely surprised by the flavour and texture. The gnocchi, on the other hand, I was rather disappointed with. I’m used to a firmer and more pasta-like texture, but what I was served was much more like pillows of mashed potato (good mashed potatoes, mind you). The dish wasn’t a flop, however, because it certainly opened my eyes to eating lamb, and I might be less hesitant in the future to try it when I see it on the menu (and, as it turns out, sheep now have a dual purpose – food AND wool!).

Diane, after much debate, settled on the vegetarian curry dish, while Matt went with the old reliable – steak frites. Both looked and smelled delicious (I'm working on my photography skills so you don't have to take my word for it...). I especially like that the hand-cut fries come with homemade ketchup and sprinkled with Parmesan. Matt was kind enough to share.