cluny bistro: a parisian dream

welcome!! though this blog has been dormant for the past 21 months, rest assured i have been dining all over this wonderful city of ours (and in many other cities, as well). i figure i will jump back into blogging with a recent visit to cluny bistro, as an homage to our french-honeymoon in summer 2014. 

from the moment you enter cluny bistro & boulangerie in toronto's distillery district, it is evident you are in for a treat. the decor is lovely and purposeful: the stunning tiles, detailed tablescapes and warm atmosphere are just the beginning. though it was a busy saturday night, the service didn't slow. we were treated to effective service, on-point suggestions, and friendly banter.

warm and elegant atmosphere, complete with interesting wood detail and beautiful colour scheme

house-baked, fresh multigrain and white bread served in an endearing basket (with soft butter)

i started with the deconstrcuted cluny "caeser", though it didn't particularly scream "caeser", it was delicious: romaine topped with smoked cheddar, crispy chick peas and a light, garlic-based caeser vinaigrette. the crispy chick peas were a nice touch and added a delicious crunch

had to order the much-talked about crispy sesame-baked asparagus frites. these are lightly battered with an amazing flavour. the spicy yogurt dipping sauce added a great contrast.

rk was crazy about the spicy salmon tartar: there was no shortage of avocado in this dish. the homemade chips were a nice touch. this resembled more of an elevated chip dip than your standard tartar, but it was delicious.

as my main, i devoured the melted gruyere, served french onion soup style. having ordered this previously, i knew what to expect with the glazed onions and rich beef broth. any cheese served in a cast iron dish is a hit in my books.

finally, we had the veal meatball tomahawk. this delicious and dense tomato-braised meatball was bursting with flavour. not your typical meatball, it was a meal on it's own. the meatball was accompanied by a side of parisian gnocchi, which added a little kick. 

beverages: rk (old-fashioned connoisseur) raved about his old-fashioned, and particularly enjoyed the flavour-filled smoothness on a cold january evening
wine: 2013 pinot noir from bouchard pere et fils (bourgogne, fr) 
          2014 chinon, from beatrice et pascal lamert (loire, fr)  

all in all, we were too stuffed for dessert. cluny bistro offered an aesthetically pleasing, inviting atmosphere. the food was rich and delicious. we will return.