I am not a food connoisseur by any means so I am in no position to be writing restaurant reviews. I do know good food when I taste it though and think it deserves recognition. So let's not consider this a review, so much as a post about a good meal.
On Tuesday night, Hubby and I went to Fredericton for dinner and the symphony as part of my birthday present. I know... he's such a sweetie.
We had a wonderful dinner at The Palate on Queen street. As a vegetarian, I rarely have to choose from a selection of menu options but their dinner menu is chock full of mouth-watering options that are suitable for herbivores. I had drooled over the menu for at least a week beforehand though, so after only a minimal amount of waffling I knew what I was going to order.
For an appetizer, we shared Caramelized Apple and Walnut Brie: toasted balsamic croutons, fresh apple, and radish in a maple vinaigrette. It is as good as it reads. Hubby has not yet been the biggest fan of brie but really loved this dish. The sweetness of the apple and the slight oniony flavor of the radish, mixed with the creaminess of the brie and the crunch of the croutons... well, need I go on?
For a main course, I had the Artichoke and Tofu Cassoulet, a tomato bean stew full of roasted vegetables, artichoke and tofu. I absolutely love artichokes but I have only ever used the canned variety in dips and have never attempted to use them fresh. Frankly, they're one of those vegetables that you imagine using a hacksaw to get into... slightly intimidating to say the least! I may have to take the plunge though because I adore the texture and the taste of them. Add tofu and spiciness in a tomato sauce and I am in heaven. This dish did not disappoint.
Hubby had the Halibut Puttanesca: Atlantic halibut slowly poached in a Puttanesca-style sauce served over semolina gnocchi and ratatouille. I can only comment on the bit of gnocchi I had that was melt-in-your-mouth goodness. He cleaned his plate which is testimony enough, if you ask me.
Wondering what Puttanesca is? I had never heard of it so I did a little digging. The sauce is tomato-based, with anchovies, capers, and black olives. Pasta Puttanesca is loosely (pun intended) known as "Whore's Pasta", apparently named for the ladies of the night because they would put pots of it in their windows to tempt men into the bordellos and because it was quick and cheap to make.
What a great meal and the service was really good. I am really excited to try brunch there on a Saturday morning.
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