Fat Friday - Delux

Yikes! I’m a little behind on sharing our Fat Friday excursions lately. We haven’t been heading out every week as of late, but we do try to get out at least once or twice a month. This adventure was in early January, so you can see the lag time…

For this Fat Friday, we hopped on a streetcar and headed west towards Ossington to pay a visit to Delux with our friends Amy & Kieran (although technically it was on a Saturday.) With write-ups in both Toronto Life (they raved about the Delux Cuban sandwich) and Eye Weekly (a full menu review) we were excited to give it a try.

The atmosphere inside is very relaxed and welcoming. Tables are not crammed together for maximum seating, and instead are nicely spread along the sides with a mix of tables and booths. A giant black curtain greats you at the door, at first seeming a little daunting, but then I realize it might be there to help keep the chill out when guests arrive. Or to create an air of mystique, I haven’t decided. We’ll have to see if it’s still there when the weather warms ups a bit. The lighting is rather dim, which isn't great for photo taking, but is nice for dining.

While their menu isn’t extensive, there was something tempting for everyone to try. I very much like when there are one or two things on the menu that are appealing and I’m willing to try. I DO NOT like when a menu is more than 3 pages! That makes deciding much more difficult. Sure, variety is the spice of life, but as my grade 7 teacher used to say, “Keep it Simple, Stupid” (also known as the KISS rule).

So, on to the food. For starters, Amy and Kieran shared a plate of oysters, of which they could not convince Matt nor I to try. Instead, Matt ordered a green salad topped with a salt roasted pear and hazelnut pralines. And was it every delicious! The juices from the pear worked to compliment and balance the saltiness of the salt crust.

For our main course, Amy decided on the Cuban sandwich, their house speciality, served with fries. Both Matt and Kieran opted for the Steak Frites, of the Wellington County flat iron variety (whatever that means), topped with butter and served, naturally, with fries and a mix of greens. And for myself, I ordered a roasted half chicken in duck confit served on a bed of risotto with a sweet potato puree. Everything was wonderfully seasoned and simply delicious!

We each finished our meal with a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk. I can’t think of a better dessert.