What a Delux

Dining Experience: Dinner 

Venue: Delux

Specialty: Quebecois/Cuban Fusion

Location: 92 Ossington Avenue, Toronto, ON 
Menu items: Pressed Cubano Sandwich, Black Cod & Steamed PEI Mussels and Steak Frites
Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir, Beaune-Burgundy.

It's quite a delight to find restaurants that truly give you a run for your taste buds. It's even more interesting when those same restaurants explore with different types of cuisines, without being afraid to be boxed into a "specialty".  I say Delux is one of them. Some people think of it as French inspired; others say it has Cuban influence...I say, who cares? In my mind, when it comes to Cuban and French, it just doesn't get better than that (ok, maybe if you add some Italian to that mix).

I fell in like with Delux from the moment the fresh Pressed Cubano Sandwich landed on my table.

 

To the naked eye, the sandwich looks like your typical grilled ham and cheese. However, this is way more than a sandwich, its a "deluxury". Cider cured pork shoulder (lamb shoulder could've also worked here), ham, gruyere cheese, grainy mustard, cornichons (aka pickled cucumbers) and red onions, are definitely not the typical ingredients one finds in a grilled sandwich. 
The acidity of the cornichons mixed with the nuttiness of the gruyere and the strong flavour of the pork created that je ne sais quoi I was hoping for.

Moving from the Cuban inspired to the French influence, we are now on to the Black Cod and Steamed PEI Mussels on a Bouillabaisse broth. 

Having previously found Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon at a Toronto spot, I was extremely happy to see yet another place showing off with a great execution of her recipes. Bouillabaisse is a seafood soup originating from the south of France made with various kinds of cooked fish, shellfish and vegetables. The soup is flavored with a variety of herbs and spices such as garlic, orange peel, basil, bay leafs, fennel and saffron.
Delux managed to make the broth with two of my favourite aquatic animals - Black Cod and Mussels. The cod was soft and buttery and topped with a crunchy and perfectly fried skin; the mussels were fresh, chunky and tasty. All in all a great Julia experience.

Fully aware that Delux was known for its Steak Frites; the decision was made to go with this recommend. It didn't disappoint.

Deluxe's Wellington County Flat Iron Steak has been named one of the top 5 Steak Frites to eat in Toronto by Toronto Life, next to Jacob's and CO steak frites. Their stake has a unique earthy mouth-watering flavour; I am sure the fact that the meat is grass-fed has a lot do with its taste, as well the way in which they cook it. Paired with some well done French fries, this was certainly the way to end a meal at Delux. Ok, I take that back...dessert would have been awesome, but unfortunately this Foodie can't over do it. Like my fellow Colombian said, my hips don't lie.

Until next time Foodies.

Buen Provecho,
Foodies Inc.

Follow RecipesDream

Follow @us