Grace Restaurant

I'm an avid top chef fan, and although I feel that the Canadian version doesn't quite measure up to the American one, I'm on a quest to try out all the restaurants owned by the contestant. First on my list is Grace Restaurant, because the executive chef here is one of my favourite contestants (go Dustin!)

I fell in love with the simple and rustically charming décor. The use of pale, muted tones help to create a very relaxing dining atmosphere. Although the restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived at 6:30, it quickly filled up. At one point of my meal, I could hardly hear my own voice.

Some bread and butter to start off the meal. This was pretty ordinary.

The menu here is described as "contemporary farmhouse cuisine". After a lengthy debate, I decided on the pork chop with braised dandelion, creamed corn, corn bread and homemade BBQ sauce, mainly because all the sides sounded so comforting and delicious. And delicious they were! The creamed corn was yummy and satisfying, while the salted herb butter teased out the subtle sweetness in the moist cornbread. I also greatly enjoyed the bacon wrapped carrots that sat atop the pork chop. However, what didn't impress me was the protein itself. Although the BBQ sauce was quite nice, I couldn't get past the tough and dry meat. On a side note, I loved the rustic presentation on the wooden chopping board.

This was the veal tourtière with rhubard raisin relish. What's not to love about a savoury meat pie? I preferred this over my own entrée.

It reminded me of a shepherd's pie, which can never be a bad thing. The rhubard raisin relish was very tasty when paired with the pie. I wished that we were given more relish!

As usual, I couldn't resist ordering dessert. It was a difficult decision, but in the end, I opted for the chocolate hazelnut tart with salted caramel ice cream. The tart reminded me of a mashed up Ferrero Rocher. It was very rich, but luckily I was sharing the dessert so it wasn't too overwhelming. The salted caramel ice cream was a refreshing addition that complemented the tart. All in all, I enjoyed my meal at Grace, but regretted my entrée choice.