Armview

Rebecca: We decided to go get us some Armview after having seen it featured on the Food Network Canada's new series entitled "You Gotta Eat Here". According to the episode, the Armview is under new management, a duo of young Greek entrepreneurs who love fresh and healthy food. Our meals at Armview were indeed fresh and healthy (the "healthy" part excludes the two large milkshakes we drank). Looking around the restaurant, the majority of other diners had opted for items from the Armview's expanding Greek menu. These people (most likely faithful Armview regulars) know what's up. The Greek selections were absolutely delicious, and likely contributed to the Armview winning the prestigious title of "Best Diner" in the Coast's 2012 Best of Food survey.

I got the Souvlaki Wrap ($10.50) with marinated chicken, onion, tomato and tzaziki. The wrap was huge and piping hot. It came conveniently wrapped in tin foil, so there was no mess or fallout. The chicken was moist and flavorful; each piece was brushed with a marinade of various seasonings which brought some serious spice to the chicken. But, not to worry: any heat was offset by the creamy tzaziki. As you can see from the photo, I chose french fries as my side. Why, oh why didn't I choose the Greek Salad? Sometimes I lay awake at night regretting this awful decision. The Greek Salad at Armview is the real deal - no lettuce, just tomato, cucumbers, green peppers, red onions, Kalmata olives, and big chunks of feta all drizzled in olive oil. When I was in Greece, it was safe to say that I became very closely acquainted with Greek Salad. For only $2 extra at Armview, you must upgrade your side to Greek Salad.

Wrap: delicious. French fries: I can't even look at you right now.

Ben: I had a lamburger ($10), something I’m always tempted to order at restaurants just for the pleasure of saying the word. It’s a simple sandwich: marinated free-range local lamb on ciabatta topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and tzatziki. This is obviously a more “virtuous” burger than some of the others we’ve reviewed; lamburgers typically are leaner than beef burgers and don’t often come smothered in ketchup and cheese (not that that’s always a bad thing). Despite the drawback of being reasonably healthy, however, this burger was not at all lacking in flavour. The patty was thick and juicy, an important attribute as ground lamb can often be quite dry. In addition, even though it’s little more than yogurt and cucumber, tzatziki is a more-than-adequate substitute for mayo or whatever other artery-clogging sauce you like on your burger. To add to my healthiness, I chose rice as the side to my burger. The only problem I had with the rice was that there was way, way, way too much of it. I have a huge aversion to wasting food, but I was forced to leave some on the plate.

Ben is healthy sometimes.

In case you were worried I was going soft, we balanced out our “virtuous” meals with thick, high-calorie milkshakes ($3.50). The menu gives you the option to spike your shake with a shot from the bar for $4 more, but we thought it was a little too early in the day for that. This milkshake recently placed third in The Coast’s Best of Food contest, falling behind Darrell’s and the Chickenburger.  While the flavours of the milkshakes weren’t as inventive as at Darrell’s, the quality was similar. What you want in a milkshake is uniform consistency; too often milkshakes are just chunks of ice cream floating in a sea of ice cream soup. Our only issue was that they didn’t bring us the extra in the mixing cup, so you don’t get as much bang for your buck as at Darrell’s or the Ardmore. All in all though, this was a great tasting shake from one of the nicest places we’ve eaten so far.

Eating healthy at Armview was fun while it lasted. Mmm, milkshakes!

Happy Mother's Day

Rebecca: If you are traveling through Cape Breton this summer, or planning to head to Newfoundland via the Marine Atlantic ferry, you must try to squeeze in a stop at the Black Spoon Bistro, located at 320 Commercial Street in North Sydney. I took my mom here yesterday for a late afternoon lunch; our food was fresh, delicious, and fast. We loved the atmosphere of this small restaurant - the staff were so friendly!

I got the Chipotle Chicken Panini ($9.99), which features grilled chicken, bacon, melty cheese, onion and peppers. Served on ciabatta bread, this panini was grilled to crispy perfection. It was dressed with chipotle mayonnaise: flavorful, just a little spicy, and very tasty. The panini was big enough to be served on its own; however, all sandwiches on the Black Spoon menu are served with your choice of soup or garden salad. Whoa! 

Way, way better than your classic tomato soup and grilled cheese.

I opted for the soup of the day: tomato bisque. The soup was incredibly hearty, and there was no shortage of "Eat your soup, it's good for you" comments from my mother. There were full-size broccoli florets, large cubes of potato with the skins still on, carrots, and onions in there. Delicious! 

My mom got the Mango Fish Burger ($8.99) and chose garden salad as her side. She loved the burger, which was a fresh combination of breaded haddock, finely chopped mango, Swiss cheese and lime dressing served on herbed foccacia bread. She commented that she had never tried anything quite like it before! Her salad was a favorite - she loved the homemade croutons and maple vinaigrette. Her only critique? Too many onions!

That dressing was so, so good. We may or may not have eaten spoonfuls of it.

We were extremely full at this point, but figured that we better take a look at the dessert menu - just to be sure. Of course we were intrigued by the feature dessert - a lemon crepe with ricotta and basil filling, whipped cream, and strawberry coulis ($7.99). We decided to split one, which was perfect because the dessert included not one, but TWO crepes! 

We loved the presentation!

This was one of the most unique desserts we had ever eaten. The lemon crepes were tangy and sweet; the flavor of the basil was easily distinguishable within the creamy ricotta filling. Combined with the whipped cream and strawberry, the flavors all came together in the most unusual way. But we're not complaining - we're glad we tried it. Overall, a very enjoyable afternoon - I love my mom and our food was delicious. Happy Mother's Day!

Saege

Ben: If you’re a student in Halifax looking for a cheap place to eat, Saege Bistro on Spring Garden Road might not be the first place that comes to mind. If you’re a Dalhousie student you’ve probably walked by hundreds of times on your way downtown, but its slightly upscale atmosphere may have thrown you off. However, Saege is not nearly as pricey as you might think – items on their regular menu range from $15-$22. Those who frequent Saege recommend it strongly, highlighting the delicious Scanway desserts they serve. Saege advertises a $10 pizza and pasta night every Wednesday, so we decided to check it out. Our server kindly clarified that this deal was available only with the purchase of a beverage or dessert. Since we wanted dessert anyway (as usual), this wasn’t exactly a problem, but it’s nonetheless something you should be aware of if you’re planning to go yourself.

There was a separate menu for the $10 pizza and pasta, which to my knowledge is not currently available online. I chose a pizza topped with pork, mushrooms and (if I remember correctly) a bit of truffle oil. It was the perfect size for one person; you certainly won’t be packing any to take home with you, but you won’t be left hungry either. The ingredients are fresh and local, a point of great pride for the restaurant’s owner.

Haligonian mushrooms

When I eat “good” pizza, the part that always sticks out most for me is the sauce, especially with tomato sauce-based pizzas. You’re going to be tasting tomato sauce in every single bite, so it had better be seasoned properly. In addition, too much or too little of even a good sauce can ruin a pizza; I find that many restaurants, in an attempt to make the other ingredients stand out, opt for far too little sauce. This pizza, however, had the right amount of flavourful sauce that complemented the other toppings perfectly. While Saege’s pizza might not be as phenomenal as, say, that of Morris East (which I really hope we get to review soon), you have to keep in mind that Saege is not centred on pizza in the way that Morris East and other restaurants are. Given that pizza is not the focus of its menu, Saege was extremely impressive, leaving me eager to try the restaurant’s more famous dishes at a later date.

Rebecca: My pizza was a mix of the familiar and the unusual: tomatoes, basil, mozzarella... and cooked ham and snow peas. I've never heard of putting peas on a pizza, but Saege is known for their interesting and uncommon flavour combinations, and I decided to put my faith in their culinary creativity. I'm a pizza lover (aren't we all?), but I have to say that I was not overly impressed. While it was a risk, I did not enjoy the flavour or the texture that the snow peas brought to the dish. For starters, they were served cold, and I was just not a fan. In fact, I found that the temperature of the entire pizza was a little on the cold side. Second, there were far too many peas - just a hint of that summery, earthy taste would have been sufficient. If the pizza lacked the peas, and was served piping hot, it would have been excellent. For $10, there was no harm done to my wallet. And now I can say that I've tried a pizza with peas - weird!   

Looks great and colourful, but just wasn't for me

Now, I am going to change my tune completely. The dessert I had at Saege, the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake ($8), was one of the best I've ever had. Served with blueberry compote, lemon cream, and a large strawberry, this cheesecake dome was unbelievably creamy (but not too heavy), with finely ground vanilla beans sprinkled throughout. On its own, the cake's rich creaminess and raw vanilla flavour was melt-in-your-mouth goodness. However, if you ran a bite of the cake through the compote and cream with your fork, it tasted even better. The dome's crust was ultra-thin and delicious. I savoured this cake. If you come to Saege, make sure to treat yourself to a dessert; they are the shining stars of the Saege menu. 

I love this cake

Ben: I ordered the Gala Apple Cardamom Cake ($8). Cardamom is a spice found in the ginger family that is extremely flavourful in small doses. I had never tried it before, but once I smelled it I knew it would be delicious. It was served with cinnamon gelato and hazelnut caramel, which I almost could have done without, as the cake was delicious enough to stand on its own. Although my dessert was delicious, I wanted Rebecca’s. It was bigger than mine and looked absolutely incredible. If you go to Saege, get her dessert instead of mine.

Yummy, but the cheesecake stole the show

NYC: Top 5

Start spreading the news... New York has delicious food... and we want to eat ALL OF IT! If any of you are planning to visit this wonderful city sometime soon, or just enjoy reading about restaurants from around the world, then this is the post for you. After that, we promise to get back to reviewing restaurants in Halifax.

1. Omai Food of Vietnam
158 9th Avenue, New York, NY
http://omainyc.com/

Rebecca: Omai is one of the New York gems that we wouldn’t have known about otherwise if it wasn’t for our Lonely Planet guidebook. This restaurant is in the Chelsea neighborhood, somewhat off the beaten path from the hustle and bustle of midtown and generally less-frequented by tourists. This small restaurant is modern and sleek with a relaxing vibe. It fills up quite fast, and they do take reservations. We weren’t very hungry the night we went to Omai, so we each decided on a salad. I got the calamari salad (in Vietnamese, Goi muc), which was priced at only nine dollars! This led me to believe that the portions would be artfully-presented, tiny bites - but I was wrong. The salad was heaped onto my plate. Great portions of calamari rings and tentacles sat atop cucumber, tomato, mixed greens and fresh herbs, which were all drizzled in a tangy peanut dressing. The calamari was flash-fried with mint leaves, making for a fresh and delicious flavour combination.

Ben: We checked out Omai after feeling we had eaten far too much greasy, unhealthy food over the past few days. Everything on the menu looked delicious and was quite affordable; I only wish we had been hungrier when we got there. I only ordered the Lobster Roll Salad: lobster and avocado on a bed of mixed greens, doused in house dressing, with a rice paper roll on the side containing the same ingredients. It only cost about $10 and was all I needed that evening.

2. The Carnegie Deli
854 7th Avenue at 55th Street, New York, NY
http://www.carnegiedeli.com/home.php

Ben: The Carnegie Deli loves to show off its well-earned fame. The walls are plastered with pictures of famous diners, including President Obama, and television sets play a looping video of the restaurant’s appearances in popular culture. When you sit down, you immediately receive a bowl of pickles, much to my girlfriend’s delight – I’ll let her tell you more about those. I ordered a pastrami burger, which, like everything at Carnegie, was comically huge. It wasn’t topped with any vegetables or sauces, just a burger and a pile of pastrami in a bun with about an 8-inch diameter. I piled on the ketchup and mustard myself, but it almost didn’t need it – the pastrami provided the seasoning and the burger provided the juiciness. As we looked around we noticed many customers couldn’t even come close to finishing. This only inspired us to plough ahead with our meals.

Rebecca: After sizing up the gigantic ham, pastrami and pulled pork sandwiches of the customers seated around us, I decided that there was absolutely no way that I could eat all of that meat. I decided to change it up a little and order the Western sandwich, $12.95, an omelette-style sandwich with green pepper, onion, and ham sprinkled throughout. According to the menu, the sandwich only contained 3 eggs. This must be a fallacy. Imagine three decks of cards stacked on top of each other. That’s how thick the eggy portion of the sandwich was - not counting the bread. And I ate all of it. Eeek! I had also snacked on those pickles - so crunchy! So salty! So dill-y!

Ben: When we were nearing the finish line of our giant supper, we noticed that many customers were receiving huge pieces of what looked like the best strawberry cheesecake ever. We decided that, nausea be damned, we couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this. We split a piece, which probably weighed about a pound and a half, and enjoyed every last bite. It was dense but creamy, sitting on a pastry crust and topped with fresh strawberries. I have never had cheesecake this good before and I doubt I will again for a very long time. I miss it.

3. Big Gay Ice Cream
125 East 7th Street, New York, NY
http://biggayicecream.com/

Ben: If you watch the Food Network at all, you’re probably already familiar with this now-famous establishment. The truck is what’s really well known, but unfortunately it doesn’t exit the garage until May so we had to visit the shop instead. Rebecca was still stuffed after our cheesecake experience at the Carnegie, so I went solo on this one. I ordered the Salty Pimp ($5), the shop’s most popular dessert. It’s a hefty amount of vanilla soft-serve pumped full of dulce de leche, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled quite liberally with sea salt. They gave it to me quite enthusiastically, yelling “There’s a Salty Pimp coming up…IT’S FOR BEN! Yay Ben!” This type of thing is what Big Gay Ice Cream is known for – in my opinion, ice cream should always be served with exuberance. If you like sweet and salty combinations, you shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to indulge in a Salty Pimp. I adored this thing, even after eating way too much cheesecake. Even with a regular vanilla soft serve base, there’s a lot going on here; each bite delivers a different amount of sea salt and dulce de leche, creating a different balance of sweet and salty every time. Of course, if you’re like me, you’ll probably finish the whole thing in three chomps anyway.

4. Grimaldi’s Pizza
1 Front Street, Brooklyn, NY
http://www.grimaldis.com/

Rebecca: Just off the Brooklyn bridge, Grimaldi’s has been named the best pizza in New York by food critics, travel writers, and locals alike. Grimaldi’s is not flashy despite these intimidating claims. Upon seeing the long line of hungry customers trailing down the sidewalk alongside this average-looking pizzeria, you may wonder, is it really worth it? It is. Some info: Grimaldi’s doesn’t serve by the slice, and for take-out they throw your pizza in a brown bag, not a box. For this reason we decided to wait in the long line to be seated inside. Upon seeing the pizzas, as well as the chefs expertly tossing dough and adding toppings, we became very anxious to order. We went with the small (FYI: it was by no means “small”) original pizza ($12), topped with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. We added Italian sausage for an extra two dollars. I also got a black cherry soda that was brewed in Brooklyn. After eating this pizza, no other pizza compares. The tomato sauce was spread above and below the mozzarella. The freshness was unbeatable. We each ate three large slices. So good!

Ye olde Brooklyn soda.

Cheesy melty goodness.

Ben: This pizza was phenomenal. I cannot emphasize enough how much you need to go to this place. $14 buys you more than enough, and it’s well worth the long wait in line. Walk across the bridge afterwards if you feel like working off your meal – the Brooklyn side is far less packed with tourists than the Manhattan side, and you get a view you won’t soon forget.

And the best for last:
5. The Highliner
210 10th Avenue, New York, NY
http://www.thehighlinernyc.com/

Rebecca: What a little gem this restaurant was! We can’t take the credit for finding it though; this was another great recommendation from our Lonely Planet book. The Highliner is housed in an old steelcar, with a stylish retro vibe, shiny metal interior and romantic atmosphere. We ate here twice during our 5-day stay. For our first visit, I ordered the black bean vegetarian burger ($13) and added avocado for an extra dollar. Most veggie burgers I’ve had in the past were either disappointingly flavourless or dry - this one was no such thing. The patty was flavourful and tender, the beans were left almost intact, and there was a certain spicy, Asian-inspired flavour to it. The bun was fresh and delicious, and the regular toppings (a quarter of a pickle, tomato, and lettuce) were great. There was half an avocado on my burger, and it was sliced and arranged beautifully. The fries were served in a cone of wax paper placed in a tin. They were thin-cut, seasoned with sea-salt and herbs. This American fare had serious gourmet status - with a budget-friendly price!

Ben: The first time we went here I ordered the Seared Rare Tuna Steak Sandwich, served with wasabi mayo and a tin of fries on the side. This was simply amazing tuna, good enough to make you swear off the canned stuff for the rest of your life. It fell apart in my mouth so easily I barely had to chew, that’s how tender it was. The wasabi mayo was not too spicy, and was the perfect topping for this sandwich. And it cost just $11!

Rebecca: For our second visit, I decided on The Highliner ($11), a wrap containing scrambled eggs, bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, avocado and tomato. It was served with a tin of those delicious fries. The contents of the wrap were fresh and high-quality, causing me to wonder if the Highliner actually makes any money. It was a huge wrap, and afterward I was so stuffed I was only able to pick away at my fries. As a french fry lover, this took a great deal of self-restraint. No one likes to be in a food coma while they’re in New York City.

Ben: The second time we went I ordered clams served on a bed of linguini in white wine sauce with grape tomatoes ($14!). This plate was so beautifully presented and so delicious it could have been served at three times the price in a fine dining restaurant. Unfortunately the restaurant was rather dimly lit, so you don’t get a picture. There was a lot of food too – seven large clams and a good amount of pasta. My only complaint was that I didn’t get a side plate for my shells, which made eating it awkward and caused me to make a huge mess.

Some general words of advice from both of us when dining in New York: you are expected to tip more. 18% is usually the minimum. Secondly, most restaurants in the city are quite small, so you will be seated DIRECTLY next to other diners. Finally, for some reason, America only has those annoying glass ketchup bottles. Can’t we get a plastic squeeze bottle up in here?