Dinner in North Bay's Canadore College Culinary School

Last week while visiting our family in North Bay we were lucky to have lunch at the North Bay Canadore College Culinary School. I say that we were lucky because there appears to be an air of exclusivity to dine there. There is a substantial waiting list, and the school does not publicly advertise however somehow everyone knows about it and people wait months to have lunch or dinner at the school.

Apple Fritters. They may not be in the category of 'diet foods' however they are delicious. A pure perfection. The best I ever had.

Lawrence and I were were looking forward to this lunch for months, very exciting. How often do you get a chance to dine at a culinary school?

Spring Rolls. Delicious spring rolls wrapped in philo pastry. Yummy and sizable appetizer. One of my favorites.

The best thing about this experience is that you participate along with students in their learning, while they train in the many aspects of hospitality industry. It is great to see how professional they are while serving water, how masterfully the table is set, and its wonderful to reassure them when they get a little nervous that they are doing a good job.

Mulligatawny Soup. With a touch of curry and apples a magnificent concoction.

The lunch menu had a choice of 3 appetizers, 4 main courses and 3 desserts. Between my husband and I and his parents we tasted almost everything. Collectively everything was delectable and service flawless. As far as I know the menu changes each semester. It really adds to a dinning experience and the students learn to make different things.

Salad Algonquin.

I would recommend that you look into contacting a culinary college in your community and see if they serve lunch or dinner. This really was a wonderful and unique experience partially due to the educational aspect but also to the wonderful menu slections that were representative of the local Northern Ontario region. At the end of the day the food may not be as perfect as in a high-end professional restaurant but to me it was a heart warming experience to participate in a learning adventure for those students. Plus it can be surprising how good the entire ambiance, food and experience can be, much better than in some 'established restaurants'.

Beef Provencal.

Jamaican Vegetable Turn-Over.

Raspberry Mousse Mirror Cake.

Coupe Pomegranate.

We had a wonderful, interesting and most importantly delicious experience. Hopefully next time will try dinner! :-)

A Dazzling Dinner Party and The Best Wine Ever

Over the past week my husband and I took a week off to visit family and friends. In the next little while I will write about all of the interesting and delicious things we did however today I will write about one of the highlights of our vacation which was visiting our dear and wonderful friends. Our schedules and the fact that we live in different cities don't allow us to see each other too often. However when the stars align at the right moment and we finally get together we always have an amazing time.

For this visit we decided that we would have a cooking party at their beautiful home. I love these types of gatherings, the atmosphere is more personable and relaxed, everyone feels at ease, we all can catch up and at the same time lend a hand with making something delicious and simple.

The menu idea came from Lawrence and myself. Since we just recently returned from Japan we thought it would be fun to make sushi for our friends. Hence the Asian dinner theme developed. On the menu: Variety of Dim Sum Dumplings, Spring Rolls, Vegetable and Shrimp Tempura and Sushi. Plus a lot of delicious and breathtaking wines.

To celebrate our visit our friends opened a number of very special wines from their wine cellar. They were all delicious and melt in your mouth delectable but one in particular stood out from the rest.

Alban Vineyards Reva Syrah 2003, Edna Valley, Calfornia, USA

This wine was 'melt in my mouth' perfect. A full body syrah with immense aromas of cassis jumping out of the glass. However the wine didn't taste overpowered by fruit, it was thick and smooth and extremely velvety. This wine is perfectly balanced, it spilled all over the taste buds creating an unforgettable experience of luxury and wine perfection. The tannis are detectable but blend marvelously in with all the other flavours to create a velvety mouthfeel.

This wine is perfectly crafted and balanced. The best wine I have ever tasted and if I could imagine a perfect wine this would be it.

As the evening grew into the night we spend countless hours chatting, laughing and enjoying each others company. We ate delicious food, we drunk amazing wine and even some fabulous pink champagne. It was a perfect night with perfect friends, and we look forward to many more.

Thank you so much for sharing your treasures with us, we truly appreciate it and we can't wait to have another wonderful evening with you guys as soon as the stars align to a perfect consolation.