Looking to eat at Il Mercado on this shopping holiday type day, we find it lined up out the door. Where to go? Wait, The Cellar is just around the corner, let's try there!
We are a party of 6, which can be a problem at times. Not today - we get a nice table in the corner, in the back room, which I like for the cosy warmth and overall feel.
Menus are provided, and we sit. And wait. And wait. Finally someone comes with water, I guess trying to make sure no one dies from thirst. We indicate, subtly, that we are ready to roder, and, in about five minutes a server comes to take drink orders. Um, no, we are now ready to order everything, perhpas even recite the menu by heart. But here, the journey takes a good turn.
The server figures it out, and says, OK, sure, let's go. And we get in our food, and drinks orders in one trip, bread (very tasty bread) arrives, and lunch is saved.
Remembering the old Inn at Bay Fortune potato/cheese/bacon strata thing they used to have here, I am happy to find it under the appetizer section. We order from all over the menu, and, with one aberration (they had run out of burgers?!? Huh? How does a restaurant run out of hamburgers at lunch?) everything comes as ordered. The shellfish eaters are happy, the wine by the glass is interesting, and fairly priced,the soups are very good, and flavourful. My spinach salad is yummy, with spicey coated walnuts and mandarin oranges; and the potato strata thing is excellent. The combination of the two, with my Portermill Station Chenin Blanc, makes for a nice, tasty and almost healthy lunch.
I had to leave a bit early, and don't know if the rest of my party got a dessert, but despite the initial feeling of being ignored by the wait staff, this was a good, happy dining experience. On my way out of the place, I see Cathy Levangie, the owner, relaxing at the bar with a glass of wine. I give her a wave, she acknowledges with a brief finger waggle, and I head out into the bright sun.
No comments:
Post a Comment