Portland Variety – home of one of my favourite brunch spots! Every time someone suggests to go their for brunch I’m like a little girl jumping up and down – totally hits the spot for me every time. So imagine my surprise when I saw an invitation to the restaurant to check out their new winter dinner menu! Located on the South West corner of King West & Portland, Portland Variety prides itself for serving “a variety”. Chef Matty Cowan is all about the textures, variety, flavours, and culinary inspirations.
Tequila Bong ($14.00)
- milagro silver tequila, grand marnier, fresh lime zest, cherry syrup, mango juice, hickory smoke
Cauliflower Popcorn
Roasted Heirloom Roots
- Burrata, terragon, walnut pesto, herbs
Whipped House-Made Ricotta
- Spice roasted plums, pistachios, grilled sour dough
Nikkei Ceviche
- striped bass, aji de maracuya, persimmons, taro chips
Grilled Octopus
- Chorizo Jam
Sticky Lamb Ribs
- Harissa & maple glaze, spicy peanut brittle
Piri Piri Fried Hen
- Hot Honey Glaze
Braised Short ribs
- truffled semolina polenta, glazed roots
Gnocchi alla Romana
- kabocha & burnt butter puree, pinenuts, sage
Beignets
- Bite sized vanilla custard doughnuts
So 99% of the time, I hate Tequila – but the Tequila Bong was the best thing that ever happened! Seriously – the cocktail went down so smoothly, I cannot express into words HOW MUCH I loved the drink. I swear it was something to do with the hickory smoke as well! One of my many favourites was the Ceviche – it was different but definitely in a good way. I’ve never had ceviche with a melted cheesy base but it tasted amazing. The brasied short ribs and the sticky lamb were “melt in your mouth” good – the pieces of meat literally just fell off the bone – So incredibly tender and juicy!
This meal was complimentary but Foodinthecitytoronto.com remains unbiased in our content
