We were finally able to get into Ici Restaurant in Toronto; I say finally because, believe it or not, we made reservations between Christmas and New Years! It was on our list of places to try, but alas we had not been able to get in until now! Ici opened in November 2010 on Manning Avenue in Toronto after two years of fighting ridiculous issues with a City Councillor; not sure what the hoopla was over since it’s a very small French restaurant and not a after hours club! They serve “modern French food” with classics such as Lobster Bisque, Steak Tartar and Chicken Suprême.
I have to say, having to wait three weeks to dine with a reservation, I had expectations. It was a blistery cold day in Toronto and this place is in a residential area (the Annex), with street parking only. We had our first snowfall the day before and not everyone shovels their sidewalk as they should; we had to park about a hundred metres from the restaurant and I wore satin sling backs (OK, I’m well-known for inappropriate footwear so this should be of no surprise!) We arrive and the place is T I N Y – seating for maybe 25, half if which is along the bar and kitchen counters. We were sat at the bar. I said, “but we had reservations” this is all we have, was the response. Hmmmm. It’s REALLY S M A L L. No where to hang your coat — they could have used hooks under the bar. The door is covered with heavy velvet drapery, but it’s still not enough to stop the blustery cold from interrupting our comfort. People are turned away at the door, you really do need a reservation. The décor is quaint but nothing special. The napkins are linen tea towels, I like them. There are place-mats at each place on the bar, and we are not overly crowded (I can’t even reach over to touch the next two diners, not that I would want to). The kitchen has a window so you can see the action, and it’s pretty obvious that they are not overly taxed.
The staff is attentive; we are immediately welcomed with a small but very tasty goats cheese tart amuse bouche; it had caramelized onion baked with the tart, creamy goats cheese — it was delicious, which makes us both excited about our meals. The menu is short, only about ten things and they come in two sizes, appetizer portion of meal portion, which works out well for me. We order six oysters as our starter, they are small PEI oysters for $3. each; they are served with grated fresh horse radish, lemon wedges and a classic Mignonette garnish. They are quite lovely with a hint of brininess (I actually like my oysters a bit brinier!) and they are a lite great starter without taking up tummy-space. Because the restaurant space is small and there are not many people, it’s a little quieter than most hot spot eateries, which is nice because I have a difficult time competing with noise, my voice tends to be the same level and I can’t even hear myself talk! I ordered the steak tartar; the server said it was delicately seasoned with shallots, cognac, mustard and cornichons (not capers). I ordered the appetizer portion and it is served as two good sized quenelle shapes with similarly shaped deep-fried mashed potatoes. Although I am not a huge potato eater, my preference would have been the beautiful match-stick fries traditionally served with this dish. I ate half of one of the potatoes and gave the other half to JT. The tartar was tasty, not the best I’ve ever had, but certainly up there. JT had the Seared Braised Beef, Artichoke & Black Trumpet Ravioli, even the appetizer portion was a healthy serving. The meat was so tender and tasty, it was right up there for taste and quality. He said it was good but not the best he’s ever had. We finished with a couple of very delicious espressos. The dinner was nicely spaced out, with reservations at 7:30 we left around 9:30.
Overall rating of Ici (in my opinion): Decor 2.5/5, service 3.5/5, food 3.5/5, Value 3.5/5, Noise: 5/5 (1 being very noisy, and 5 being very quiet).
Disclaimer: We purchased our meal for full price and my opinions just that, my opinions.
The first give-away on Kitcheninspirations:
I picked up these wonderful little Just a Pinch sample packets of flavoured gourmet salts during the Christmas Holidays at Longo‘s new store at the Air Canada Centre. I was so intrigued by them, the possibilities are endless. To enter is easy:
- Answer the following four questions correctly (all of the answers are found in my blog) in a comment on this post will get you one entry.
- For additional entries, leave one comment on the correct post in which you found the answers; each comment (limit one per post, per person) on the correct post will gain you one additional entry.
- Bring a new person to comment on my blog (and they actually leave a meaningful comment), please tell me the person’s name in a comment and you will get an additional entry AND the new person will get one entry.
Contest open until January 22, 2012 at which time I will tabulate the entries and all correct entries will go into a draw. JT will officiate the draw. All five little packets will be won by one lucky individual, anywhere in the world. I will release the winner’s name during the week of January 23. Good luck to you all.
- What inspired me to create this blog?
- What month is my birthday?
- How did we travel to Montreal in the fall of 2011?
- How many pictures did I upload in 2010?
[…] and don’t forget to enter the giveaway! The entries are pouring in, some more correct than others ;-). I noticed that some of you […]
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[…] Remember my very first giveaway? Kristy (Eat, Play, Love; our family food adventures) won some Just a Pinch salts. President Mario Di Giovanni was working the show and JT and I had a lovely chat with him. His passion for his product and company really showed through, it was inspiring. His rubs are family recipes that he diligently copied down while watching his mother cook. Just a Pinch and my very first giveaway. […]
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[…] salts that Kristy (from Eat, Play, Love; our family food adventures) won in January during my first give away. Sadly I didn’t have any on hand but a quick trip to Longo’s this past weekend, I now […]
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1. to document a momentous renovation of your 1928 home, adding about 100 square feet to your kitchen
2. Your birthday is in July
3. Rock Star bus
4.104 pictures
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So sorry it took me so long to reply but the past week has been kind of crazy.
I love your restaurant reviews, I always think I should do some reviews of restaurants we visit regularly here but tend to lack the courage every time
Will be back with my answers for the amazing giveaway
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Thank you kindly Sawsan. The reviews started out to document the places for ourselves, but then I discovered Yelp, Open Table and Trip Advisor, so my reviews are multi-tasking! As a professional marketer I firmly believe that feedback, both good and bad is the success thermometer of your business; so many restaurants fail and they don’t know why. If only people gave them feedback! And if they chose to ignore it, well then it’s their funeral!
Trip Advisor has been so good to me, they’ve awarded me several free Shutterfly albums for my reviews! It’s really great fun. I never even knew you could get those great prizes!
Good luck in my first give away!
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Hmm… those packets of salt look too good to miss… so I’ve done a bit of research, and here are my answers 🙂
1. Your kitchen renovation caused you to start a blog. You enjoyed that so much you’ve continued with this blog 🙂
2. July, of course!
3. That Rock Star bus motorhome thingy
4. 104 pics I believe 🙂
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Here you go Eva –
1) Renovating your kitchen inspired you to start blogging
2) Birthday is in July
3) You traveled in a ‘rock star’ bus motorhome
4) 104 pictures in 2010??
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Thanks for entering the contest Bill. Looks like Chicago is getting pelted with snow, we’re on a bit of a hiatus right now, with temperatures getting close to 10°C, so all of our snow is melting. Hope it’s not the calm before the storm!
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Wow, I can’t believe you had to make a reservation so far in advance. The restaurant better be pretty darn good if the waiting list is that long! It does sound quite prestigious with all those people getting turned away. How exciting re your first giveaway!! Here we go…
1. Your kitchen renovations inspired you to start the blog
2. You were born in July
3. You traveled to Montreal in the rock star bus
4. You uploaded 104 photos in 2010 🙂
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Thanks Caroline, glad you could entre. That was some cake you made for your dad! Good luck!
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How odd that they seated you at the bar with resos…
Yay for your first giveaway!!
My answers:
1) Your kitchen renovations inspired you to start the blog;
2) You were born in the month of July’
3) The mega “rock star” bus :); and
4) You uploaded 104 pictures in 2010!
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Hi Kelly, thanks for entering the contest, good luck!
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I always have expectations if there is a long waiting list too. And the oysters and the steak tartare would have been my order too! 😀
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Lorraine, that’s a tough one to control, expectations. It’s a far better experience if people learned that they can actually manage their customer’s expectations and they would have a better chance of a great experience!
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A busy restaurant…and no place to hang the coat in a French restaurant? Ok..not quite up to the expectations…
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It was very tiny, but a hook here and there would not have killed them Angie!
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Okay – I’m going to take a stab at it….
1. You started this blog because you were re-doing your kitchen
2. July (https://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/the-birthday-dinner/)
3. Your friends motor home (LOVED that series)
5. I hope I’m close…but 445
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What, no photos of the your meal in this hard-to-get-a-place restaurant? Awww 😦
Anyway, sounds like the crowd’s a bit of a turn off as well, I am not sure whether I’d fancy enjoying my meal in places like these..hmmmm:p
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Hi Christy, hope you drop by to enter the give away too!
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Will need to research a couple of your questions when I can circle back (crazy week). I can’t say that I’m going to run to this restaurant. Too many choices, too little time. Talk soon!
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Hey Barb! Don’t forget to enter! The contest is open to Canadian residents too:)!
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Hope you do, Barb, I think you would love these little salts!
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I like small restaurants as I do not like to raise my voice to be heard, especially if I go out with my husband on a romantic date!
I agree though… it is all a matter of expectations… I would have been disappointed by this restaurant after such a long wait to get a seat…
I love your give away! Such a fun idea! It took me a while to dig the info, but I am so glad I did as I found some very cool recipes that I had not seen before!
Here are my answers:
1. Your kitchen renovations
2. July
3. Your friend’s 35 foot rock star bus
4. 104
I am off to leave a comment on the posts! 😉
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Thank you Manu, and good luck!
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Hi Eva – just to comment on your restaurant before I travel off to find the answers to your questions 😀 The place sounds very fancy… I love the sound of those amuse bouches you had. I’ve never been able to quite “get” steak tartar. I saw it made once by some top chef on a TV show and they took a little clump of meat and then proceeded to throw so much stuff in… loads of mustard, capers, onion, as if they were trying to disguise the actual taste of the meat 😀 Seemed like a very odd thing to do. Is it good? I never tried it myself.
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Here we go:
1) Your kitchen renovations
2) July
3) That incredibly massive “rock star” bus
4) 423
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Hi Charles, it’s really one of my favourite dishes, if it is done well. The seasoning is paramount, but you can still taste the beef (or whatever meat, in Québec they tend to make it with horse meat, but I’ve had it with Elk, Bison and Beef). The texture is also very important, because you don’t want too large chunks of meat that it’s kinda hard to chew, but you also don’t want it so fine that it is mushy. We had a restaurant in Toronto years ago, Mövenpick The Rostli Room who had a wonderfully seasoned tartar, but they served it with little toast points and a shot of cognac. You were supposed to mix the cognac into the tartar, but I liked dipping my toast point into it and dolloping a nice amount of tartar on it. Oh YUM! It is a bit of an acquired taste, that’s for sure!
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My dining out budget is non-existent right now so I’ll have enjoy YOURS vicariously. 🙂 Sounds like I would have had JT’s meal and skipped the oysters. I just can’t get into them raw.
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I’m so glad to be of service, Maria, saves on calories too!
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Enjoyed your review! I love sitting at the bars of some restaurants, but have to agree that had I made reservations that far in advance I wouldn’t have been too happy to find out upon arrival that I had no choice in seating. And, no matter how good the food is, it’s hard to have a focused fine dining experience sitting at a bar, in my opinion!
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Thanks Betsy, it turned out OK, but there are too many really great restaurants in Toronto, so we’ll like not go back!
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I’ll play, too! Some of these I knew the answers to and some I had to go and find, and then missed the comment part and couldn’t find them again!
1. You started the blog to document the renovation of your kitchen in your 1928 house.
2. Your birthday is in July.
3. You traveled to Montreal in a 35 foot motor home (The Rock Star Bus)
4. 104 images uploaded in 2010.
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OK, I need to do some research and come back, in the meantime, love the sound of that restaurant and the tartare.
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Thanks Greg, good luck!
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OK, a kitchen renovation, July, the Rock Star Bus, and 423.
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Oh and I almost forgot – I’m all about wearing inappropriate shoes in winter! 😉
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JT constantly rolls his eyes about my choice of shoes; and if I happen to complain he scowls (like on Saturday, we went down to our ritzy area for lunch and I wore my stiletto boots that are really only 100 yard boots, and I may have said that I was tired of walking, and he scowled at me!).
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LOL. I get that too. That and my feet are continuously cold in the winter because many times I refuse to wear nylons or socks with my fun shoes. That would just ruin the look entirely. 😉
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I know exactly what you mean, Kristy. Dim Paris makes a very clear nylon knee-hi that is about 15+ dernier (that is the thickness of the thread) that makes it look like you’re not wearing anything…not that it warms your feet at all, but they do look sexy! They also have the BEST stay ups that are so shear, even the black is just a hint of black. Worth every penny!
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A seat at the bar with reservations? I agree with John – they should make it clear that’s a possibility. Or offer up a choice when you make the reservation. It sounds like the meal was good though. I do like small restaurants – they feel so cozy and intimate. 🙂 Now for my answers: 1) Your kitchen renovations inspired you to start the blog. 2) July 3) your friend’s “rock star” bus 4) 104 pictures. Have a great week Eva!
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I really like small restaurants too, Kristy. I don’t mind sitting at the bar, we’ve had some incredible experiences dining at the bar, but they really should have mentioned it.
WOOHOO! You are the first to play your luck at the contest! Good luck!
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I enjoy these restaurant posts, Eva, but I’m not so sure I would have been satisfied with a seat at the bar, especially having made reservations weeks in advance. You should have at least been told of that possibility when you made the reservation. Management seems to be taking advantage of the restaurant’s popularity and, if not careful, people will go elsewhere.
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Thanks John, I am very happy you are enjoying them. I like doing them too because I tend to pay more attention to the details so that I have something interesting to write about. I think the management is simply inexperienced, they should have just mentioned that they are so small that bar seating is sometimes the only option — it’s about managing expectations. The food was pretty good, but you’re right, too many other restaurants in the city to experience. Hope you enter the contest, the salts are really cool!
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I’m back, Eva, and I hope I’ve got these right.
1) Your kitchen renovations motivated you to start this blog. (And we’re all glad you did!)
2) You’re a July baby.
3) Emulating Lucy and Desi, in a fashion, you traveled to Montreal in a friend’s motor home.
4) You’ve uploaded 423 photos last year.
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So glad you entered John! Good luck to you!
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Oh, that is a very long wait to get into a restaurant. I can’t believe it was that small and that in your winter, when everyone is rugged up, that there was no where to hang your coat. It sounds like you had an okay time but probably there was a lot of expectation built in with all that wait and that can lead to disappointment. But…at least you got there!
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It is a long wait, Charlie Louie, they should have mentioned it when we booked the reservation. We are not opposed to sitting at a bar for dinner, we’ve had some exceptional experiences, it is simply managing expectations.
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