Hardware Grill - Eating Out

I joined some fellow Edmonton foodies at the Hardware Grill some time ago. (Ok, it was probably 2 months ago and I'm only NOW getting to posting it! tsk tsk). I was looking forward to getting together with some new and old foodies and pushing my taste buds to newer levels.

I am not too adventurous in the carnivore department. It took me almost into my adult life to actually eat and somewhat enjoy meat. I have also not eaten game or most seafoods and I certainly do not even know how to prepare most of it. But, I've always thought if I was going to go out to an upscale restaurant, this is where I would try these things since they usually offer extraordinary tasting & innovative meals.

The chef's table was reserved for us and a 5-course chef tasting menu (~$90) with optional wine pairing ($35) was presented. We were seated at the chef's table, which is 6 seats, facing all the action of the kitchen. The first course arrived, an starter of ultra thin slices of duck.


The next course was a beautiful sea bass with scallop and lobster on a bed of creamed spinach. Followed by kobe beef carpaccio with perfectly seasoned potato chips and aioli dip. I also opted for the wine pairings, which matched wines with each course.


Quail atop a red wine risotto and camembert cheese, followed by venison with squash and gnocci in a cherry reduction. I believe I ate enough food to feed many, many people. My mother would be very surprised to see all that I ate too. I'm finally a child that will at least try and eat the food off her plate!
The end of the meal came with a scotch pudding and cinnamon donut. If you have been counting, you will notice that we were treated to 1 extra course!

Overall, everything was top notch. Meal, wine, service and atmosphere. We had mixed reviews on what was the favorite course. I love rich foods with lots of flavour notes so I found the quail course my favorite. I really enjoyed the alioli and chips and the warm, sugary-sweet donut was so mouth watering with its flavor and texture. I think I would have preferred a chocolate or fruit based dessert at the end of my meal but that did not stop me from scraping the bowl clean here!