Le Papillon on Front

Date Visited: Winterlicious Dinner on Sunday Feb 8, 2015
Company: +Will

Will and I had originally planned to have a Winterlicious lunch at Le Papillon on Sunday but we ended up cancelling the reservation late minute. We were still in Waterloo and just decided to stay for lunch there instead. I really wanted to try their famous French Onion Soup which was one of the entrees during lunch and not dinner so I was pretty disappointed... Once we got back to Toronto in the afternoon, we Netflix-ed The Interview and then realized it was dinner time already! I suggested we just find somewhere nearby to grab Winterlicious and Will was actually down to try Le Papillon's dinner menu so we headed here for some french cuisine even though I couldn't have the soup.

We've never really noticed the location before even though it's in an area we walk by quite often. Upon entering the restaurant, you really get a rustic feeling from the high ceilings, brick walls, and dark wooden accents. It also came off a bit fancier but with some charm to make it less itimidating. We were placed at a table near the bar which separates the front and back sections of the restaurant. You can't really tell how large the restaurant is until you enter the back section. Our waitress was very sweet and gave me the best news of all when she said that you can switch the appetizer soup for the French Onion for an extra $5. We got some bread to start but it wasn't the best. It was hard and dense and the packaged butter was rock hard.


But of course I had to order the French Onion Soup to start, it's considered one of the best in the city. The bowl didn't look very large but it was actually very deep. I tried to get a photo of some cheese drooping and soup underneath but as soon as I punctured the top, the soup burst out and almost overflowed. The broth was the perfect thickness, temperature, and taste, I was very impressed. The cheese was gooey but most of it sank to the bottom and I was left with a lot of difficult cheese to eat at the end. My only complain was the little burnt pieces of cheese at the top, I could really taste the burnt flavour even after it being drenched in the soup.

For my main, I ordered the Duck Confit, duck leg confit with wild berry sauce, potatoes and market vegetables. I don't think I've had proper duck confit before so I was pretty excited to try it. The presentation was very appealing, the leg was larger than I was expecting and placed on a colorful bed of sides and sauce. The leg was very tender and the sauce accompanying it was just superb. The combination of the creamy mashed potatoes, sweet sauce, and some duck was just heavenly. Definitely up there on one of the most memorable dishes I've ever had. I wish I hadn't been so full from the soup to fully enjoy every bite of it.

For dessert, I went for the Traditional Cheesecake which was topped with some whipped cream, fruit sauce, and chocolate sauce. The slice of cake I got was pretty small (not that I needed more), like the smallest slice they could cut for someone. The taste was good but didn't blow by mind, it could have been more creamy and cheesier. The graham cracker bottom had an excellent flavour though. I also wish they had a bit more fruit drizzle on it as I got one piece of berry and it gave the cheesecake some personality paired together. The waitress also wouldn't take my dish until I finished my last bite of cheesecake, it was hard but I did it. She was super friendly and also said I picked the perfect menu :)

Food: 4.5/5 - Amazing meal, haven't stopped thinking about it since.
Decor: 3.5/5 - Very spacious, warm, and romantic.
Service: 4/5 - She was a bit chatty but extremely friendly and not annoying.
Willingness to go back: 4/5 - Definitely, I'm a bit intimidated by french cuisine though so Winterlicious was a good time to go.
Overall: 4/5

Website: http://papillononfront.com/

Petit Thuet

Date Visited: Lunch on Sunday Sept 8, 2013

Company: Grabbed a quick bite for myself on the way to a TIFF volunteer shift

As I was walking along King Street after leaving Roy Thompson Hall after a TIFF volunteer session, I randomly glanced upon Petit Thuet, a small bakery very close to Will's place that I had never seen before. Thinking back, I was a bit nippy so I was probably looking around for a place to grab a small bite. I walked by and it looked a bit intimidating truthfully, so I continued walking, contemplating whether or not I should have gone in. The next morning however, I walked by again on the way to RTH for another volunteer shift and took the steps into the bakery this time. The place was very lighted from the sun outside, shining through the windows with high ceilings. There were a few people in there, sitting and having coffees. They didn't seem to have very much selection that Sunday morning with about 3 choices of sandwiches. I also noticed that they were also pretty pricey, about $8 for a small sandwich. 

I ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich off the top of my head and got it heated to go. I regretted not getting a croissant while there as I read on Foursquare right after that they were a signature item. They also had a few macaroons that also seemed popular from reviews. I had a nice conversation with the waiter about TIFF and he said that the bakery caters to celebrities and it's where they get their bread from while in Toronto. The owner's son who is also an employee gets to meet many of the celebs while delivering their food (fun fact!). The owner also has a book on display and for sale near the cash register.

Anyway, I got my sandwich and ate while walking down King St. The sandwich was nice and warm when I took it out. It's pretty standard sized but just a bit thinner than usual, so I thought that there wasn't much pulled pork between the buns. However, the it was packed a lot of flavour despite its look. The sauce was very sweet and the cheese was melted which added a nice texture. The bread was crispy fresh and the sandwich wasn't too heavy and very delectable.

Food: 3.5/5 - Excellent quality, but over priced.
Decor: 3/5 - Simple, spacious and classy.
Service: 3.5/5 - Kind of pretentious but friendly.
Willingness to come back: 1/5 - Too pricey for me, unless I wanted to try a macaroon or croissant.
Overall: 3/5
Website: http://www.petitethuet.com/

Mamie Clafoutis

Date Visited: Lunch on Saturday Aug 3, 2013
Company: Getting a quick meal for a group of 4 before Osheaga

It was our first full day of Osheaga and +Elliott wanted to take us to a nice breakfast place for brunch. We Bixied over to this restaurant on St Denis but was met with disappointment seeing the large line of people waiting outside. Instead ,we went to the Boulangerie next door to grab some French baked goods and enjoy it outside in the park nearby.

The bakery was very spacious and modern, but still had an authentic feeling to it. Upon entering, we had to grab numbers to get our orders taken. All the foods were on display for our choosing and there were tons of options to satisfy what kind of food you wanted: pastries, desserts, breads, they had it all! I decided on a Chicken Curry Sandwich for lunch and a Raisin Roll for some sweetness. The servers were very patient and didn't rush your orders, they even toast the sandwich for you to have it warm. They had an upstairs with a bathroom and I assumed a sitting area but I didn't get to see it. It looked like a large area though so it was probably a nice and comfy cafe area.

We all got our orders and walked over to St Louis Square and sat on the benches to eat our meals. One noticeable thing was that all the breads were extremely fresh. The loaf was delicious, I loved the hardness as it was still chewable but not soft and soggy. The chicken curry in the sandwich was very mild but had nice flavour. The sandwich was actually very large once you start eating it, they put a lot in there! I couldn't finish it all when I still had my Raisin Roll to go. The roll was a pastry dessert coiled up with fillings of raisins and custard between the layers. It was a delicate, but fun roll indeed! The pastry was flakey but the custard added moisture so it didn't fall apart. The taste wasn't overbearing or sweet and had an excellent balance between all elements. I was extremely happy with my lunch choices that day and that we got to go to an authentic french bakery!

Food: 5/5 - I don't know what could've been better!
Decor: 4/5 - Great lighting, space and look.
Service: 3.5/5 - Took some time but mostly from waiting for them to toast the sandwiches, good system of serving people.
Willingness to come back: 3.5/5 - I would eat the same thing again too.
Overall: 4/5
Website: http://mamieclafoutis.com