On with the show!*Note that the writing style is different. I'm trying something new.*
There’s that moment, when you’re going out for supper with
friends, and you just know in your gut that it`s going to be a one-of-a-kind
experience. My friends and I had been anticipating going to The Willow for the
last month. With a perusal of the menu a couple weeks before and the assurance
of a reservation a week in advance, the four of us were amply prepared for what
was to be one of the most deliciously food-laden nights of our monthly Culinary
Dinner Dates.
Drinks in our glasses and mouths watering, we got right into
it. We were first treated to a gift from the chef: pan-seared pickled beef
tongue mixed with peppers and topped with a mint leaf. Nervous about never
having tried beef tongue before, I was coaxed into eating it. The tongue was
very fork tender with the peppers adding some chew. It was all brought together
by the sweetness of the mint, and I am not so nervous about beef tongue
anymore!
Our appetizer, The Ploughman’s Board, was a shared
assortment of meat, cheese, bread and pickled morsels accompanied by candied
spiced pecans, blueberries, and fresh preserves. Our favourite off the
Ploughman’s Board were the pecans, as they were an unexpected sweet touch
among the otherwise staple selections.
Individual starters at the table included a savoury, bowl of
nirvana that is The Willow’s Land Chowder. Welcoming chunks of potato and
greens bathed in a creamy soup of leek and topped with a done-to-perfection
piece of braised pork belly. The bread from the Ploughman’s Board was superb
with the chowder when dipped in it.
The Hot Off The Press starter consisted of
an apple sage pressed pork belly topped with a genius bacon fat poached egg. It
actually tasted like bacon, and sparked a debate about whether or not duck fat
would work as well as bacon fat.
Our last, but not least, starter at the table
was a very light and crispy Summer Beet Salad. Tender beets mixed with micro
greens were void of the usual earthy taste which can be hard on the palate.
They were complemented well with aged shaved Chevre cheese and interesting apple
miso vinaigrette that tasted more like chamomile and vanilla than apple and
miso.
After a refill of drinks and a silverware change, we
received the entrées – and they did not disappoint. The Taste of Italy
chicken had a very natural lemon flavor and was paired with grilled polenta,
carrots and a black olive tapenade. At first the polenta was bland, until
paired with the olive tapenade; only then did it make up for its lack of oomph.
The Beef Steak dish had perfectly cooked medium-rare meat with bold flavours. Slightly
under done potatoes were made alright by the spinach salad and the nice
surprise of blueberries and blue cheese.
The Chef’s Offering of the night was bacon and blue cheese-stuffed
chicken breast, the filling of which can only be described as a maple creamy
cheese delight. A nicely textured smoked cheddar smashed potato and tender
greens supplemented the chicken.
However, despite all the delectable entrées at the table,
the one everyone wished they had ordered was the Tea Time duck breast. Describing
it as purely magnificent when combined with the sour cherry sauce is by no
means an understatement. Along with the duck was a kohlrabi and apple concoction
that had a gritty texture which was odd on the tongue, but once started was
hard to stop eating.
Even though we were all immensely full, we still wanted to,
and did, order dessert. Now, there are only five desserts on the menu at The
Willow, so what did we do? We ordered them all. And it was by far the best
decision we had made all night.
The Angel Eyes caramel macchiato angel food cake was the
first to arrive, and the first to be devoured. It was soft and moist. The
coffee banana caramel was being wiped off the plate in an effort to not be
missed. Topped with fresh peach slices and cinnamon whipped cream, it was the
favourite dessert of the five.
The Peaches And Cream cobbler was warm and topped with red
wine ice cream and the same cinnamon whipped cream. There were plums in the
cobbler with the peaches which added a nice, welcomed depth to the dish.
Smokey
The Cheesecake was a close-second favourite of the boys. The smoked blueberry
and coconut combination was a delightfully unexpected one. With the word
‘smokey’ in the name, you’d have expected the cheesecake to be heavy, but it
was quite light and very flavourful.
The Chocolate Rootbeer Float had a very strong taste, which
could be discouraging to some – it was to me – but the rest of table seemed to
really enjoy the drink, and the brownies in it.
Finally, the Ice Cream Sandwich
was an adorably stacked dessert with a browned marshmallow on top of ice cream
placed between two coconut and chocolate brownies. The sweet ice cream was
incredible when taken in with the super soft brownies.
