Summerlicious TO 2013: Bloke & 4th
Last week, we checked out Bloke & 4th for this year’s Summerlicious with some friends. If you don’t already know, Toronto has two great events for “foodies” every year during summer and winter for a select period of time. A nice selection of restaurants offer Prix Fixe menus for lunch and/or dinner and is a great time to go around and discover the wonderful cuisine this city has to offer. We haven’t been to Bloke before, but had a pleasant first experience at this resto-lounge.
The venue itself is great; it looks very modern and chic. The ambiance was nice and although we didn’t stay after our dinner when the restaurant turned into a lounge, it looked like it would be a nice place to hang out with friends.
Everyone at our table got a shot glass of Strawberry Gazpacho for our Amuse Bouche and we were also given some delicious Parmesan Foccacia Bread before we were served our appetizers. My boyfriend and I always end up picking the same items when presented with a menu, so whenever we check out a new place we usually try to pick different dishes so we get some variety going on. Here’s what we ended up ordering:
Her Picks:
· Fire roasted shrimp: with chili honey, guacamole, sour mango, and elephant garlic chips.
· Fish tacos: beer tempura battered tilapia, avocado & apple relish, lime spiked red cabbage, smoked sour cream, and hot sauce.
His Picks:
· Local AAA steak tartare: with gherkins, shallots, crispy capers, horseradish mustard, chives, tempura bits, truffle dressed frisee, and Yukon potato chips.
· Braised short rib: smoked cauliflower puree, grilled asparagus, king oyster mushrooms, natural jus, and carrot chips.
We both got the Bloke & 4th Churros for dessert! [I preferred the Chocolate Sauce over the Bourbon Caramel.]
Overall, we were both very pleased with the dishes we selected. The portions were just enough that we didn’t feel overly stuffed at the end of our meal. The shrimps were not overly spicy and the fish tacos were crunchy and full of flavour. The steak tartare paired well with the Yukon potato chips and the braised short rib was deliciously soft and well-prepared. I really liked the guacamole that was used in the dishes; it tasted very fresh! We also had some White Sangria which accompanied the meal perfectly. I’m not that fond of alcoholic drinks, but their version was very light and refreshing.
If you haven’t checked them out already, give them a shot! I think overall, our whole table was very satisfied with our meal.
Which Summerlicious venues did you check out this year? I’d love to hear your recommendations!
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Bloke & 4th
401 King Street West,
Toronto, ON
(416)477-1490
www.blokeand4th.com
