I remember initially reading about Tesoro Cafe Bar (11244 104 Avenue) in Vue Weekly, and being drawn to it because of its Thursday night special – two pastas, a salad, a glass of wine and gelato all for just $20. Well, as it seemed I would never make it there on a Thursday, I decided it might make a good location for our pre-show dinner on Friday, regardless of any particular deals.

Dickson, May and I walked in, and were immediately surprised by the interior of the restaurant. Like Caffe Sorrentino, Tesoro is another one of those quick bite establishments with prominent placement of a refrigerated deli case. Even with dim house lighting and tea lights on every table, Tesoro still gave off a cafeteria-esque vibe. The wicker-based chairs may have had something to do with that as well.

However, with the recent addition of a full sit-down dinner menu, we were willing to overlook the casual decor. The menu included the requisite pasta, panini and thin crust pizza options, as well as fancier fare such as osso buco, all priced under $20. On this night, I was swayed by the Gnocci Alla Margherita ($10.75), made with homemade tomato sauce and fresh basil, while Dickson chose the Gnocci Sanmaio ($10.75), made with hot Italian and Chorizo sausage, truffled mushrooms, tossed in a Rosé sauce, and May ordered the Panini Prosciutto Derosa ($7.75), which featured Italian ham, eggplant, and herbed ricotta.

Our food arrived promptly, and Dickson and I were pleasantly surprised at our portion sizes. As with our dishes at Olive Garden a few weeks ago, however, I much preferred his plate. The homemade tomato sauce with my gnocci contained some heat and flavour from the crushed red pepper and garlic inherent within, but was a tad too sour for my liking. The accompanying bread was also in need of a good toasting – drizzled with some olive oil, and placed on a panini press for two minutes, it would have been crisp and ready to soak up the excess sauce.

I wouldn’t mind returning to Tesoro on a Thursday evening to give their Pasta e Vino a whirl, but other than that, I think there’s better Italian to be found elsewhere.

For a special lunch on Friday, my coworker Sharon and I decided to “stay in” and dine in the restaurant located on the main floor of our building – The Copper Pot (101, 9707-110 Street).

While I’ve had take out from the restaurant in the past, I’ve actually never had a sit-down meal in the dining room itself. When new management took over The Copper Pot late last year, the specials board, usually prominently displayed outside its glass doors, disappeared, and we feared “new” meant “more expensive”. While costlier than take-out from the nearby Zuppa’s, I found out that an afternoon with a view is well worth the price.

I had made reservations for the two of us a few days previous, but it turned out it wasn’t really necessary. We were the second party seated just before noon, and were able to pick out a choice sunlit table overlooking the serene Ezio Farone Park. The decor was elegant and simple, and while the banquet fabric may need to be updated soon, I did appreciate the small touch of the copper-look salt and pepper shakers on the table.

The lunch menu was fairly standard – soups, salads, sandwiches and pastas making up most of the midday fare, and while nothing really jumped out at me, I was happy with my selection of the Turkey and Brie Clubhouse (sliced deli turkey, blackforest ham, brie cheese, lettuce, tomato and raspberry mayo served on multigrain bread), which included a side soup of the day. My dining companion chose the Chicken Supreme, a marinated, grilled free range chicken breast served with roasted red potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Our food arrived at a record rate (Sharon had commented that this would not have been the case under the previous owner). My sandwich was two-tiered, with a generous amount of sliced turkey and ham adorning the bottom half, bracketed by crisp, perfectly buttered bread. The smoked chicken soup was perhaps a little spicy for my taste, but contained a surprising amount of meat for the serving. Sharon was also very happy with her meal.

The service was excellent throughout (our waiter asked “May I, Miss?” before removing our plates), and with a priceless view and a bill totalling only $14 before tax and tip, I would not think twice before dining here again.

All throughout university, May and I had wanted to pay the cafe inside the historic Rutherford House (11153 Saskatchewan Drive) a visit. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Hub Mall and the rest of campus, Janice, Annie, May and I decided to meet there for lunch this afternoon.

With just eight tables, reservations are a must. The charming dining room was bright with windows along one wall, and quirky books and artifacts lined the shelves, reminding diners of the history of the space.

I had expected only scones and perhaps finger sandwiches on the menu, but boy was I wrong. Their tempting list of savouries included pies, quiche, and even chili. Though the dessert trays were beckoning, we were much too starved for subsistence on sweets alone. I decided on the Brie and Cranberry sandwich, with a side of the soup du jour (potato and leek with stilton).

As for drinks, the back page of the menu should satisfy most tea enthusiasts, with nineteen varieties to choose from. Luckily for me (as this was my first meal of the day), they also had coffee available, served in a coffee press.

Our orders didn’t take long to arrive, and all of our dishes were very artfully presented (rosemary-as-garnish seems to be a theme as of late). My soup was delicious – rich and creamy, the blue cheese blended in well alongside the pureed potato. The sandwich was an interesting experiment – the bap was nicely crisp and toasted, and although the halves oozed with melted brie, the over-generous amounts of cranberry jam all but overpowered the cheese.

Over the course of our meal, two surrounding tables had ordered an assortment of dainties, causing some dessert envy on our end. As such, I will most certainly be back another day for high tea! The Arbour Restaurant is the perfect place to catch up with friends, to take Mum for brunch (as per Janice’s suggestion), and works well as a starting point for a great afternoon – the nearby trails and campus in fall are ripe for exploration. With free parking out front, you really have no excuse not to check it out!

Dining room

Menu

Coffee press

Brie & Cranberry Sandwich

May’s Chicken Cordon Bleu

Annie’s Roasted Vegetable Strudel

Janice’s Turkey Pot Pie

It’s a wonder how I’ve managed to have this blog for nearly a year and not yet have written a post about Olive Garden.

As chain restaurants go, Olive Garden is pretty consistent – service is friendly, portions are generous, and of course, the unlimited salad/soup and breadsticks that accompany entree orders deserve praise of their own.

Dickson and I hadn’t been to the restaurant in quite some time (their long wait times are a deterrent for empty stomachs), but despite the expected 25 minutes of idle hunger that night, we stuck it out.

It didn’t take us too long to decide on our dishes – I chose the Lasagna Classico (layers of pasta, meat sauce and mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and romano cheese), while Dickson opted for the Chicken and Gnocci Veronese (sautéed chicken with traditional Italian dumplings and roasted red peppers in a parmesan and ricotta cheese sauce). Of course, we both knew the pasta would play second fiddle to his breadstick obsession.

After some salad, soup and breadsticks, our entrees arrived. I was curious to see how their lasagna would taste compared to Sorrentino’s, and I’m sad to say that the latter won this battle. The pasta was a tad overcooked, and there wasn’t enough sauce to moisten the too-dry meat contained within the layers. Dickson’s gnocci, on the other hand, was excellent. I really should have ordered that dish instead.

Everyone has those select few establishments that seemingly can do no wrong. Olive Garden is one such place for me.

Lasagna Classico

Chicken and Gnocci Veronese