We apologize in advance for the lack of food pictures in this post – we went here before we thought of starting a blog. All future posts will have mouth-watering pictures.
Rebecca: In order to celebrate our one-year anniversary, we decided to
save our money for a couple of months in order to enjoy a delicious meal
at the much-talked-about Bicycle Thief, located in Bishop’s Landing on
the waterfront. When we arrived at the restaurant, dressed in our Sunday
best (turns out there’s no dress code), we were lucky to have a
reservation because the restaurant was loud and packed. After a brief
wait at the bar, we were escorted to our table, which was tucked in a
corner beside a window next to a giant bottle of Moet. Our coats were
whisked away and drink orders were taken quickly.
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| We be classy sometimes |
As a mojito
lover, I went with the Blue Mojito, a spin on the traditional drink that
featured a blueberry flavored alcoholic base as well as fresh muddled
blueberries. Ben went with a Chilean Chardonnay. As we contemplated the
menu, our drinks came served up with delicious, warm baguette bread and a
substantial amount of spicy tomato spread.
For our appetizer, we decided to go with the snails ($10) as an homage to our time in France. It’s important to emphasize that these are snails, not escargots. To be honest, escargots are what we were expecting - snails cooked in-shell with a garlicky, buttery taste. These snails, however, were nothing like the snails we had had in France. We have never tasted snails so meaty in texture - it was almost like biting into a Portobello mushroom. In true Italian fashion, they came served in a tomato, prosciutto and mushroom sauce. After we had devoured the appetizer, I commented on what I thought was a skimpy portion of snails.
‘You know, I have to say that I was disappointed in the number of snails in our appetizer,’ I said. ‘There were only 4 snails in that thing… I only had 2.’
Ben’s face turned the same colour as the sauce. ‘I had 4 snails.’ he muttered.
It turns out there were 6 snails in total in the dish, which is great value considering the $10 price. To be clear: the Bicycle Thief had not skimped out on the snails at all – my boyfriend had just eaten all of them.
For my entree, I ordered the organic chicken breast loaded with ricotta (they aren’t kidding when they say loaded). The chicken breast ($25), which was hefty in size, came served with piped mashed potatoes, an assortment of vegetables and two little baked tomatoes. My first cut into the chicken breast caused a pocket of ricotta, finely chopped almonds, spinach and garlic sauce to come oozing out. Talk about amazing. The combination of perfectly cooked chicken with the textures of creamy ricotta and crunchy almonds got better and better with every bite. Meat stuffed with things never disappoints.
Ben: I ordered the pork tenderloin stuffed with caramelized Honeycrisp apples and raisins, topped with pan jus spiked cider and mascarpone (also $25). The pork was juicy and flavourful; like the chicken dish, the stuffing spilled out after the first cut. The unbeatable sweetness of the (local) Honeycrisp apples contrasted beautifully with the mascarpone, upstaging the meat as the most memorable part of the meal (no easy task). Once again, meat stuffed with things never disappoints. As with the chicken, the pork was served with piped mashed potatoes and vegetables, although the baked tomatoes were wisely omitted as they would have overwhelmed
the sweetness of the dish. There are some meals you can still taste weeks after they’ve vanished from the plate – this one will leave you salivating for months.
The menu was a modern twist on Italian cuisine but also had hints of traditional Nova Scotian fare. Both of us have been to Italy, and the Bicycle Thief is certainly heartier than what you can get from your average Italian trattoria in terms of how many meat dishes are featured on the menu. However, for the traditional pasta lovers out there, don’t fret - they’ve got you covered too (I’ll be trying some of their pasta next time for sure). All of the dishes are unique and thoughtful, and feature high quality ingredients which definitely justifies spending a little bit more than what we would normally. The ingredients were fresh and local; service was quick and professional. It was a true fine dining experience; only the atmosphere was fun and loud.
We decided to finish off our meal with 2 scoops of gelato, the same gelato served at Il Mercato and A Mano. We went with Raspberry and Chocolate – the gelato was pretty standard, but nonetheless a nice way to finish the meal.
The Bicycle Thief is definitely a contender for our new favourite restaurant in Halifax.
For our appetizer, we decided to go with the snails ($10) as an homage to our time in France. It’s important to emphasize that these are snails, not escargots. To be honest, escargots are what we were expecting - snails cooked in-shell with a garlicky, buttery taste. These snails, however, were nothing like the snails we had had in France. We have never tasted snails so meaty in texture - it was almost like biting into a Portobello mushroom. In true Italian fashion, they came served in a tomato, prosciutto and mushroom sauce. After we had devoured the appetizer, I commented on what I thought was a skimpy portion of snails.
‘You know, I have to say that I was disappointed in the number of snails in our appetizer,’ I said. ‘There were only 4 snails in that thing… I only had 2.’
Ben’s face turned the same colour as the sauce. ‘I had 4 snails.’ he muttered.
It turns out there were 6 snails in total in the dish, which is great value considering the $10 price. To be clear: the Bicycle Thief had not skimped out on the snails at all – my boyfriend had just eaten all of them.
For my entree, I ordered the organic chicken breast loaded with ricotta (they aren’t kidding when they say loaded). The chicken breast ($25), which was hefty in size, came served with piped mashed potatoes, an assortment of vegetables and two little baked tomatoes. My first cut into the chicken breast caused a pocket of ricotta, finely chopped almonds, spinach and garlic sauce to come oozing out. Talk about amazing. The combination of perfectly cooked chicken with the textures of creamy ricotta and crunchy almonds got better and better with every bite. Meat stuffed with things never disappoints.
Ben: I ordered the pork tenderloin stuffed with caramelized Honeycrisp apples and raisins, topped with pan jus spiked cider and mascarpone (also $25). The pork was juicy and flavourful; like the chicken dish, the stuffing spilled out after the first cut. The unbeatable sweetness of the (local) Honeycrisp apples contrasted beautifully with the mascarpone, upstaging the meat as the most memorable part of the meal (no easy task). Once again, meat stuffed with things never disappoints. As with the chicken, the pork was served with piped mashed potatoes and vegetables, although the baked tomatoes were wisely omitted as they would have overwhelmed
the sweetness of the dish. There are some meals you can still taste weeks after they’ve vanished from the plate – this one will leave you salivating for months.
The menu was a modern twist on Italian cuisine but also had hints of traditional Nova Scotian fare. Both of us have been to Italy, and the Bicycle Thief is certainly heartier than what you can get from your average Italian trattoria in terms of how many meat dishes are featured on the menu. However, for the traditional pasta lovers out there, don’t fret - they’ve got you covered too (I’ll be trying some of their pasta next time for sure). All of the dishes are unique and thoughtful, and feature high quality ingredients which definitely justifies spending a little bit more than what we would normally. The ingredients were fresh and local; service was quick and professional. It was a true fine dining experience; only the atmosphere was fun and loud.
We decided to finish off our meal with 2 scoops of gelato, the same gelato served at Il Mercato and A Mano. We went with Raspberry and Chocolate – the gelato was pretty standard, but nonetheless a nice way to finish the meal.
The Bicycle Thief is definitely a contender for our new favourite restaurant in Halifax.
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| So long for now Bicycle Thief...until we have salaries someday |
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