Out and About – Food of Spain, Tacos at Milagro, Barque Smokehouse, Niagara Icewine Festival, Grand Electric

By Spotlight Toronto On January 24, 2012

January seems to be all about Icewine, taco tastings, Spanish cuisine, and..more tacos.

Jennifer Bylok
Last Sunday, Mark and Jen attended a taco tasting at Milagro, hosted by Joel Solish (@foodie411). It featured 5 tacos made by 5 different chefs (we did not know which chef created which taco), and each taco was paired with either a wine, a beer, or a tequila. Our favourite tacos (and those that won first and second place, respectively) were those created by Chef Nick Liu (chef of Niagara Street Cafe until the end of the month) and by Chef Rossy Earle, best known for her SupiCuCu hot sauces.

David Ort

The highlight this week has been staying in and planning our trip to Spain in a few months. In true immersive food geek fashion this means cooking as much Spanish food as I can and the best guide I have found is Claudia Roden's The Food of Spain. Everything from the citrusy marinated mushrooms to the iconic potato omelette have been delicious.

Pauline Dong

When the cold weather sets in, nothing seems quite so satisfactory as meat…lots of meat! This brings me to my first visit to Barque Smokehouse. Arriving at 9 pm without a reservation on a weekend night, we were prepared to wait but, even though the restaurant seemed packed, they were able to seat us at the bar immediately. First up were delicious pulled duck tacos with a smokey hoisin sauce and small pieces of crunchy duck skin. Next was a sampler platter for two that included beef ribs, brisket and chicken thighs. It looked so good that we fell upon before I remembered to take a picture. It was generously sized and there were enough leftovers to make up lunch for two the next day.

Last but not least was a dessert of apple cinnamon bread pudding, a perfect not-too-sweet ending to a hearty meal. Together with friendly and efficient service, It was a great experience and I'll definitely be going back for more.

Nina Popovic

Last week in during a snowy day, I needed a really quick place for a bite that was close to work. Atelier proved to be just the spot. Sandwiches, salads, soups and desserts all available to go or enjoy in the small lounge. I opted for a thick, hearty carrot and sweet potato soup with a side salad – just what I needed on the cold day. If you work in the King and Spadina area I'd definitely give the place a try. Also, this past weekend I rediscovered the romance of Niagara on the Lake after a fresh snowfall – beautiful, quiet and serene. NOTL is top of my list for a weekend getaway with friends or significant other.

Suresh Doss

I had the opportunity to revisit Grand Electric and eat this time. Had a variety of tacos, all of which were good, and a few different bourbons.

Out and About is a new weekly roundup of what the Spotlight writers have been up to.

Contributors and where you can find what they're up to; Nina Popovic @popnina, Catherine Solmes @ccath, Pauline Dong @paulinedong, Mark Bylok @markbylok, Jennifer Bylok @jenniferbylok, Mike Di Caro @mikedicaro, Allison Slute @allisonslute, David Ort @ortdavid, Suresh Doss @spotlightcity