Winterlicious 2010 #2 (still pre vegan)

For our second Winterlicious meal, Jay and I headed to The Chefs' House restaurant. A place open to the public at which George Brown College hospitality students practice their trade. I was very excited about this for two reasons:
1. they are all learning... meaning they'll be attentive and informative, and the kitchen will make everything from scratch including bread
2. most of them are not yet disillusioned by the incredibly hard work, long hours, bad pay, shortcuts, and bad bosses, out there in the real restaurant life...

this was going to be good... We went for lunch, $15.00 per person, drinks not included...

I felt like carbonated water and I'm glad I did. This is not from a bottle but from tap... I've never tasted water this clean and delicious... our waitress explained their filtration system, but I hardly paid attention... I was too busy watching the flat screen tvs of the action in the very open concept kitchen...
simple bread basket... but so delicious... there is nothing quite like just baked bread...
we also had a couple of drinks because we didn't have to worry about work that day... Jay had a beer... and I had a martini simply because it was called Olympic Gold... it was also very tasty... created by a mixology student
Appetizers:
Me: Double Chicken Broth with Ricotta and Spinach Dumplings
Oh my this would cure any cold... broth so flavorful, and dumplings so soft... I could have eaten a pot of this...
Jay: Chili Fried Calamari, Citrus Fennel Slaw, Caper Raisin Emulsion
tender, light, perfect
Mains:
Me: Mustard-Crusted Whitefish Fillet, Lentil Salad and Lemon Dressing
the mustard was so delicate, it did not overpower the fish, I loved how green my plate looked
Jay: Madras Chicken Curry, Steamed Basmati Rice, Mango Chutney
simply lovely
Dessert:
Jay: Apple Frangipane Tart, Cheddar Cheese Ice Cream
the ice cream surprisingly good...
Me: Sticky Toffee Pudding, Salted Caramel Sauce
wow... it was so good... I love sticky toffee pudding... I plan to find or to create a vegan version...
and a cappuccino for Jay...
Overall: definitely worth going back to... the food was outstanding... service incredibly friendly and attentive (maybe even a bit too much)... because this is a government sponsored establishment no gst... but because it is also a school project it is open only on Mon-Fri and last seating is either 8 or 9pm (I forgot which)... however they do have Guest Chef Dinners which could be a lot of fun for the foodies out there who like culinary adventures...