The Moxie's Experience

On my twelfth and final restaurant experience I decided to go to Moxie’s Grill & Bar located at Square one Shopping centre at 100 City Centre Drive in Mississauga. I had not been to Moxie’s for quite some time so I figured I’d try it out. When I got there I noticed every table had a bottle of their house Red wine to set the atmosphere. The lights were dimmed but still allowed visibility. Upon entering we were greeted kindly by the hostess and taken to our seats where or server introduced herself and took our drink orders. They had many drinks to choose from but I got a Moxie’s classic White Peach Bellini. I noticed they had enhanced their menu since I last ate there so I was excited to try some of the changes.

I started off with their Brushetta as an appetizer. It changed since the last time I had it. The Brushetta came out and it was breath taking. It arrived on a channel plate with six pieces of olive oil toast. The toast was topped with Moxie’s house made Brushetta mix as well as three pieces of marinated bocconcini cheese on each piece of toasted crostini. It was delicious. The key component was the Basil reduction placed under the Brushetta to give it an added zing. I was excited to move forward with the meal.

For the entrée I tried their trademark herbed over-roasted chicken. The server let me know that they had made changes to the original but I was ready to try something new based on the Brushetta. The plate arrived and it looked stunning. The chicken, which was a 9-11oz breast, was golden brown and came with a piece of herbed goat cheese on top. It was above a bed of oven-roasted potatoes as well as a mixture of cherry tomatoes and steamed green beans. Overall, the ingredients mixed well together and the plate was very satisfying. Once I finished the plate I asked the server for a desert menu.

For dessert I got my all time favorite Sticky Toffee Pudding. It is a moist date based cake with Moxie’s signature hard sauce, which is their spin off of caramel. It also had a strawberry and a scoop of french vanilla ice cream and garnished with oven-roasted almonds and a mint spring. I give it a 10/10.

Overall I had a great experience at Moxie’s Square One. The changes they made to the menu items I tried worked really compared to what I’m used too. I would definitely go back there to grab food when I am around the square one area.

The K&B Experience

On my eleventh restaurant experience I ended up going to K&B Sushi Bar & Teppanyaki in Oakville located at 2045 Winston Park Drive. I was with a group of friends and we were trying to figure out what to eat. We all agreed on sushi but didn’t know which sushi place to try. We were all sick of 168 Sushi and one person suggested K&B. No one else had ever been to K&B so we thought we would give it a shot. 

At first glance we thought it was closed, as it was pretty late and it wasn’t that busy. The decor and atmosphere is very modern and unique. The lighting is bright with high ceilings and amazing lighting fixtures. We were seated at a booth and they were comfortable with high backings. The server came over and got our drink orders and placed a iPad in front of us. At first I was a tad confused but realized that is how you place your order. It was great! Each item had an explanation and picture to make ordering easy. We ended up ordering a lot more than we thought since the food came out in waves.     

At first I started off with a miso soup and the kaiso salad. The miso soup is a soy bean soup served with tofu, wakame seaweed and green onions. The kaiso salad is a seaweed salad, which was quite good. 

We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share. We got the edamame beans which are boiled fresh soy beans with salt, Ebi mayo which is deep fried shrimp with a garlic butter and soy sauce, Beef short ribs are grilled marinated sliced beef short ribs, Shrimp tempura is deep fried shrimps, Yam tempura is deep fried sweet potatoes, Chicken teriyaki is char-boiled tender chicken with teriyaki sauce and the Atlantic salmon is char-broiled with teriyaki sauce.

We also got the White tuna, shrimp and salmon sashimi as well as the Ebi and maguro sushi.

Then for the sushi rolls we got the spicy tuna sushi which is tuna, tempura bits, avocado and spicy sauce and the spicy salmon sushi which is salmon, tempura bits, avocado and spicy sauce. The dynamite roll is shrimp tempura, tobiko, avocado and cucumber. The green dragon is a dynamite roll with avocado on top. The red dragon roll is a dynamite roll with salmon on top. The volcano roll is salmon, asparagus, tempura and their special house sauce. Finally, the caribbean roll is mango, shrimp, mayo and avocado. 

For dessert I got vanilla and strawberry ice-cream with the deep fried banana. It was amazing.    

Will most defiantly be going back, one of the best all-you-can-eat sushi places in the Mississauga / Oakville area!

The La Carnita Experience

On my tenth restaurant experience I decided to try out La Carnita in Toronto located at 501 College Street.  I was in the mood for Mexican food and decided it was a better option verses my second option, Grand Electric. I heard good reviews and in all honesty, it was delicious. I loved the graffiti and the street art throughout the restaurant, it definitely gave the restaurant some character. The layout is long, deep and noisy. I would not recommend if you’re trying to socialize and have an in-depth conversation.  

I started off with a margarita which was served on the rocks, all margaritas should be! They don’t add the salted rim, instead its placed within the margarita. The margarita was quite amazing and surely I had more than one.

The server suggested ordering three tacos per person to start. She explained the Monday La Carnita Taqueria daily special, which I got as it sounded amazing. On Monday’s its the mixed mushroom empanada, which is packed with Swiss chard, queso fresco, grilled corn, truffle crema and of course mixed mushrooms topped with a chipotle sauce. 

I also got the beef cheek taco, which is ancho braised cheek with lime avocado, green cabbage, pickled jalapeño and crispy shallots.  

Lastly I got the carnita taco. It is a confit pork taco with a jalapeño sauce topped with a mango salsa, queso añejo and cilantro. 

I was surprisingly full after but, ensured there was still room for dessert. I saw they had churros and couldn’t keep them off my mind throughout the course of the meal. You get three long and thick churros that are lightly tossed in sugar and cinnamon served with an in-house cajeta sauce. The highlight of my evening by far. 

The food was great and will be going back for sure!

The Roncy Public Experience

On my ninth restaurant experience I ended up going to The Roncy Public Grill & Lounge located at 390 Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto. I have noticed an apparent buzz since the grand opening in December. This sparked my inquisitive taste buds and lead to my recent visit to the The Roncy.  I absolutely love the atmosphere and ambiance inside The Roncy. The service is always friendly, and they make sure to play good music. Occasionally, they might even play a movie.  

Upon my arrival I sat down in the lounge where I ordered two appetizers and a main course.  For the two appetizers I got the three cheese selection and the pulled pork tacos.   

The three cheese selection is a great idea because they have a generous selection of cheeses to choose from. I thought that was a unique and great idea. I got the chèvre mariposa, applewood smoked cheddar and manchego. The chèvre mariposa is from Mariposa Dairy located in Kawartha Lake in Ontario. It is a pasteurized soft cheese made from goat’s milk. I love goat cheese, so this one was amazing. The applewood smoked cheddar is from Cows Creamery located in Prince Edward Island. It is a full-flavored unpasteurized cheddar cheese made from cow’s milk. The manchego is from La Mancha located in Spain. It is a semi-soft pasteurized cheese made from sheep’s milk.  This one was surprisingly good. The cheese selections are served with a fresh baguette cut into thin, lightly toasted slices and complimented with some honey, blackberry compote, candy tomatoes, dried apricots and dried figs. 

For my second appetizer I got the pulled pork tacos. Let’s talk about these pulled pork tacos for a second. These are hands down my favourite thing on the menu and maybe my favourite thing ever from any restaurant. I’ve gone back just for the tacos (and the friendly service of course!). These tacos are absolutely amazing and highly addictive. The tacos are braised pork shoulder served with an apple slaw topped with chèvre crema and hot sauce. They come in two flash-fried corn tortillas served warm. My mouth is watering just thinking about these delicious delights.  Since going, I have had a constant craving for them.  

For my main course I got the fried-chicken and waffles.  Buttermilk fried chicken with cornbread waffles are accompanied by maple bacon butter, blackberry compote and maple BBQ sauce. It was an unbelievably delicious dish.  The chicken was so crispy on the outside and tender on the inside; the waffles were fluffy and totally irresistible.   

My overall experience was amazing.  The Roncy Public is my new favorite restaurant in the city. I would recommend The Roncy to everyone.  It has something that everyone will like. It was definitely worth the long trip and I will be a continuous customer for sure! 

The Walker's Fish Market Experience

On my eighth restaurant experience I ended up going to Walker’s Fish Market located at 2575 Dundas Street West in Mississauga. I was out with some friends and we all wanted to get some seafood. None of us had ever tried Walker’s Fish Market before and were excited to give it a try. 

We were greeted at the door by some friendly hostesses who brought us over to a nice table near their beautiful fireplace. I really liked the atmosphere as it reminded me of the restaurants you find near the east coast. It was very bright inside and had sail boats and pictures all over the place.    

 We got the Appetizer Platter for the table. It consisted of a sampling of Walker’s specialise which are their baked brushetta, salt & pepper calamari, dynamite shrimp and blue crab cakes with all the accompaniments. The baked bruschetta is marinated tomatoes baked on foccacia bread with mozzarella and asiago cheese finished with an olive basil pesto. The salt & pepper calamari is crispy fried sea salt & pepper baby squid with spiced chili, pommery mustard sauce and fresh lemon. The dynamite shrimp is crispy fried baby shrimp tossed with sweet and spicy sauce with chopped romaine and green onions, which was definitely my favorite of the platter. Then there is the blue crab cakes which are crispy fried crab cakes with charred corn arugula salad, sweet red onions and hot and sour roasted red pepper puree. The platter offers a great variety of appetizers as you can try all of their best ones. 

By time the entrees came out we were all still pretty hungry. For my main course I got the Lobster & Mushroom Mac & Cheese. It consists of buttery lobster meat, caramelized onions, garlic and wild mushrooms baked with aged cheddar, Parmesan and goat cheese cream sauce. It was good, not the best lobster mac and cheese but it was still pretty tasty.

Walker’s Fish Market is worth the try and I will definitely be going back for the Dynamite Shrimp!  

The Big Smoke Burger Experience

On my seventh restaurant experience I ended up going to Big Smoke Burger located at 100 City Centre Drive in Mississauga. This amazing burger joint was originally called Craft Burger with one location in Toronto at 50 King Street East. I had been going there for years before they changed their name to Big Smoke Burger. Aside from the name change nothing else had changed. The staff, menu and ingredients all stayed the same. They started opening up more locations all over the place from the Eaton Centre, Square One Shopping Centre, Yorkdale Shopping Centre and many more. 

Big Smoke Burgers are handcrafted burgers and are made fresh daily using quality ingredients. They use only Ontario AAA ground beef that is always fresh and never frozen. They also offer chicken, lamb, organic and veggie burgers for the people who don’t eat beef or would like to switch it up. Their burgers are always juicy and the staff are always friendly. The service is always consistent and be prepared to wait for a bit. This is because the burgers are cooked as the orders come in and takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes.

I got the classic cheese burger which is a 6oz charbroiled burger served on a sesame seed bun. The fixings that I added to my burger was smoked Canadian cheddar, goat cheese, lettuce, red onion, caramelized onion, ketchup and mayo. I also got a side of their tasty crispy breaded onion rings that are hand-cut and seasoned to perfection. To drink I had to get their old fashioned strawberry milkshake, which is absolutely delicious and could easily be dessert. 

Everything is fresh and mouthwatering and defiantly worth trying at least once!
I would recommend Big Smoke Burger to everyone. 

The Copacabana Experience

On my sixth restaurant experience I ended up going to Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse located at 6671 Fallsview Boulevard in Niagara Falls. This is the original Copacabana location and my personal favourite. There are two other locations in Toronto, one at 150 Eglinton Avenue and the other at 230 Adelaide Street West.   

I absolutely love the Brazilian atmosphere and aroma of the barbecue throughout the restaurant. Copacabana is very unique and has a exciting concept that touches the Brazilian culture, which I find fascinating. They truly focus on superior food quality, exceptional service and an exciting dining experience for every guest. They offer over 20 different cuts of perfectly seasoned and grilled meats along with a full buffet. They really try to satisfy every appetite.   

The buffet includes a variety of fresh mouthwatering choices from a selection of salads, pastas, gourmet hot dishes, seafood, fresh oven baked breads, sautéed dishes and any other dishes the chefs have prepared.  

There is a vast variety of meats to choose from, which would include their skirt steak, filet mignon wrapped in bacon, parmesan filet mignon, garlic steak sirloin, top sirloin, beer & garlic chicken drumsticks, turkey breast wrapped in bacon, flank steak, lamb chops, beef ribs, rib-eye steak, chimichurri steak, BBQ pork ribs, parmesan chicken, moroccan chicken, pork sausage and my personal favourite the prime rib with cheddar cheese. All of these meats are on long metal skewers that come straight off the grill. The server then cuts them off for you, as you place them on your plate. The meats keep on coming until you have tapped out. They also come around to the tables with three of my favourites which would be the corn bread muffins, the deep fried bananas that are tossed with cinnamon and the roasted pineapple that has cinnamon and brown sugar on them.    

By time it came to a dessert option, there was absolutely no room left in my stomach. Unfortunately it was my birthday and the server was kind enough to bring over a birthday desert. Let’s just say I was not able to finish it. 

By the end of your dining experience you will most likely have meat sweats. Words of wisdom and trust me on this one, don’t fill up on the buffet! It is definitely worth going to and I strongly recommend at least trying it once!  You will definitely fall in love, but you won’t be able to go all the time. 

The Olive Garden Experience

On my fifth restaurant experience I ended up going to The Olive Garden. The Olive Garden is located at 2011 Walden Avenue in Buffalo. This hidden gem is one of my all time favourite restaurants. Unfortunately The Olive Garden was closed down throughout Canada but there still remains a few locations in Alberta, Winnipeg and British Columbia. There are hundreds of locations in the United States. I was in Buffalo for a little shopping trip so any chance that I get to The Olive Garden, I gladly take it. 

We went in around 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. and there was absolutely no wait, which is pretty well unheard of! Everytime, no matter what time it is, there is always either a short or very long wait-list at the door. So we were quite happy to be seated right away. Our server was very nice and brought over some wine to taste before she took our orders.  After our orders were taken, our server brought over their famous bread sticks and unlimited Garden-Fresh house salad. I don’t know what it is, but they are both absolutely to die for. I normally fill up on just the appetizers and take my entrée to go. 

For our appetizer we chose the Create a Sampler Italiano. You get to choose from two or three choices of either calamari, stuffed mushrooms, fried zucchini, chicken fingers, fried mozzarella or toasted beef or pork ravioli. We got two orders of the fried mozzarella and one order of fried zucchini. It is served with a warm marinara sauce. 

For my entrée I got the Chicken & Shrimp Carbonara. It is sautéed chicken and perfectly seasoned shrimp tossed with bucatini pasta in a parmesan cream sauce with savoury smoked bacon and roasted red peppers topped with freshly grated parmesan cream. It was extremely tasty, but I was too full to even finish half of it. 

I always feel at home at The Olive Garden. It’s like being at my extended Italian families house for dinner. The prices are great and no matter what you order it is always delicious. If you have never been, I strongly recommend the drive to one of their many locations. 

The Axia Experience

On my fourth restaurant experience I ended up going to Axia Restaurant. Axia is located at 5045 Plantation Place in Mississauga near Erin Mills. They offer four different menu selections that are unique and authentic. The items range of from Chinese to Korean to Japanese to South East Asian. They bring together a world of Asian cultures into one dining experience. 

For my appetizer I started off with a Japanese starter, the Edamame. They are fresh green soybeans that are lightly salted with sea-salt in their shells. For my main course I also got a Japanese main dish. I decided to get the Sushi and Tempura Bento Box. I did make some modifications to the dish to please my tastes, which were an additional cost which I was okay with. 

My Bento Box included four pieces of Spicy Salmon Sushi which is salmon mixed with a special spicy-mayo sauce and tempura crunch. It also came with five pieces of Shrimp Tempura Sushi which is shrimp tempura with avocado, cucumber, kani and tobiko with a spicy-mayo sauce. It also includes a few pieces of hand battered Shrimp and Sweet Potato Tempura served with a sweet tempura dipping sauce. It also included two Beef Gyoza dumplings, along with a garden salad and a cup of miso soup. 

For dessert I had the delicious deep fried bananas with a mango ice cream. It was drizzled with warm chocolate, sprinkled with icing sugar and topped with whipped cream. I would defiantly recommend going to Axia as it is well priced and the food is absolutely outstanding!   

The Jack's Experience

On my third restaurant experience, I ended up going to Jack Astor's Bar & Grill located at 2967 Argentia Road in Mississauga. This is one of the newer Jack Astor's locations and is an enjoyable environment to be in. The atmosphere is ambient and full of high energy.      

We were greeted at the front-door by a few friendly hostesses and seated at a comfortable booth in the dining room. Our server’s name was Matt and he was very nice, outgoing and helpful. We ordered an array of appetizers to share with the table.            

We started off with the Jack's Cheese Garlic Pan Bread. It is their signature fresh-baked loaf, topped with a melted three-cheese blend and served in a pan with garlic dip. Then the Roasted Garlic Bruschetta that has Roma tomatoes, red onions, roasted garlic and fresh basil topped with Feta and Parmesan- Romano cheeses and drizzled with roasted garlic lemon aioli and a balsamic glaze. It's absolutely amazing. 

We then had the Spinach, Artichoke & Goat Cheese Dip. It's a creamy blend of goat cheese and cream cheese, caramelised sweet onions, artichokes and spinach. This is served with warm nacho chips. Next we got a pound of their jumbo wings, that are flour-dusted and tossed in honey- garlic wing sauce. Finally we got the Grilled Chicken Quesadillas. It's grilled chicken, pico de gallo and lots of melted Monterey cheese in toasted flour tortillas. Served with salsa and sour cream. We added their delicious in-house guacamole.  

We were tempted to order deserts but were too full. We left feeling stuffed and satisfied. I will most definitely be coming back as their is such a variety of food items to choose from. Great restaurant experience!  

Halifax Donair Experience

For my second restaurant experience I chose Halifax Donair.  This hidden gem is located in Milton at 295 Main Street East. This small town delight reminds me of the sweet Maritime culinary experiences one will find on the East Coast. The East Coast donair is not like any other donair one will find elsewhere. The meat is seasoned and spiced a certain way and has a vastly different flavor. Originally the Greek and Turkish delight was made with lamb, but the Maritimers put their own spin on it.

Halifax Donairs they specialise in authentic East Coast Donairs, Pizzas and Oven Baked Subs to say a few. It is a small ‘mom & pop’ type shop, which is typically only take-out or delivery orders. They do have a small area for people to eat-in or wait for their orders.  

    

I obviously had to try their famous East Coast Donair. The Donair is stuffed with a mildly spiced beef that is served on a warm pita, topped with fresh tomatoes, onions and their famous sweet donair sauce. This is made into a cone which is then wrapped in foil with one end left open.  They come in a variety of sizes which depends on how much meat one wants in the donair. 

I got a medium donair with the works and extra sauce. It was absolutely delicious and I will most definitely be a continuous customer. It did get pretty messy once taking off some of the foil wrappings but totally worth it! If you have not tried an East Coast Donair, you are clearly missing out!     

The Keg Restaurant Experience

Over the weekend I went to The Keg Steakhouse & Bar with some friends. This Keg was located at 3130 Argentia Road in Mississauga.  The atmosphere of The Keg is laid back and modern which encourages guests to relax and feel at home. We were greeted at the front door by some outgoing and friendly hostesses. We were seated at a booth near the fireplace which was very nice and cosy. 

Our server was warm, friendly and knowledgeable. She went over all the nightly features and got our drinks. She helped us answer any of our questions and with the process of deciding what to get. We then ordered our meals and began our experience. 

The server brought over some warm bread for the table. Not long after the appetisers came to the table. We got the Garlic Cheese Toast for everyone to share. It has cheddar, monterey jack and parmesan cheeses on top of oven toasted bread that is a crispy golden brown. We also got the Scallops & Bacon. These delicious bacon wrapped scallops are served with a zesty martini cocktail sauce and a lemon wedge. 

Not long after we were finished our appetizers our main courses came out. One of my friends got the 8oz Grilled Top Sirloin which is considered their most flavourful steak. They got it cooked to medium and accompanied by the twice baked potato. My other friend got the 8oz Top Sirloin & Lobster Keg Combination. It is a naturally grilled steak cooked to medium-well accompanied with an oven baked Atlantic lobster tail with warm butter served with mixed grilled vegetables. I had the Zesty Salmon which is a 6oz grilled salmon fillet cooked to medium that is basted and marinated in a sweet and mildly spicy sauce. I had the rice pilaff to accompany the salmon along with steamed mixed vegetables. 

The dinner and the service was phenomenal and I would strongly recommend going to any of The Keg Steakhouse & Bar locations. The Keg is a perfect restaurant for a date, family outing, night out with friends, casual dining experience and or a work lunch or dinner.