Toronto FEATURE: Joe Mama's Southern Restaurant: Review

Enjoying a Gladys Knight cocktail at Joe Mama's

My roaming adventures have taken me to the province Ontario, Canada. I always enjoy coming to Canada. I love the wide open spaces, clean air, clean wide streets and the charming friendly people.  A wonderful refreshing change of pace from the crazy rat race of New York. 

 

Upon my arrival to Canada I was greeted by the aftermaths of a winter ice storm. The entire city was covered in layers of ice, from the trees to the road ways. I learned that ice rain and snow had been falling for three days. So, although a little frightening on the roadways, the ice frozen trees added a beautiful artistic touch to the holidays. The neighborhood street sparkled as the bright sunlight bounced off the snow and reflected unto the uniquely shaped trees. It was exquisite.

After a few days of being shut- in due to the icey conditions, I was finally freed to venture out and explore. I received a recommendation from the locals to visit Joe Mama's a Southern Styled restaurant with nightly entertainment. Now, having lived in the south for more than seven years I had to sample this cuisine to authenticate the flavor.

Originally I wanted to visit the restaurant on Saturday because I heard great reviews about a cover band named Shugga. However, for Saturday the reservation was a little difficult to attain so I had to visit on a Friday.  If you are planning to visit Joe Mama's on a Saturday, reservations are recommended.

Joe Mama's is located in the heart of Toronto's entertainment district on the King Street strip . The interior of the restaurant is intimate and quaint. The walls are painted red and decorated with large photos of Motown greats like Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and Stevie Wonder.  There are round marble glass retro light fixtures hanging from the ceiling and attractively placed on the walls.  The entire room was dimmed in a warm red and orange light. The entire space screamed sultry, jazz and soul.

Performance stage at Joe Mama's

Now on to the food. I was eager to read the menu to discover what tasty southern delights awaited me. However, I was a little perplexed as I read through the choices. The menu reflected more of a Cajun style than a southern style.  Some of the menu items included Etouffe, Cajun Cob Salad, Cornmeal Crushed Catfish Sticks, Seafood Soul Pasta and Grilled Cajun Chicken n' Shrimp. I was looking for more southern classic dishes such as mac & cheese, fried chicken or items that were smothered, in gravy or fried.

Cornbread basket

Strawberry butter

 Since I traveled with friends, I was able to try a few dishes. I sampled the Seafood Soul Pasta, Cornmeal Battered Fried Shrimp, Surf n' Turf Fettucini, and Shredded BBq Chicken served with angel hair pasta. For dessert I had Red Velvet cake and  Bailey's coffee. Overall the food was unexciting.  The presentation was nice but the dishes were a little bland and most certainly lacking Southern spices and flavor.

Surf n' Turf

Seafood Soul Pasta

Surf n' Turf Fettuccine

Cornmeal Batter Fried Shrimp

Shredded BBQ Chicken 

Red Velvet Cake  & Bailey's Coffee

However, I did enjoy the drinks. The cocktails are named after musical artists. I found that to be quite cleaver. The drinks tied right into the decor of the eatery. I loved that. The choices included, Barry Gordy which is 2 part Absolut and dash dry Vermouth, Gloria Gaynor which is 1 part Absolut kurant, 1 part Southern Comfort, orange juice and dash of Grenadine, Marvin Gaye which is 1 part Absolute and Blue Curacao, and Gladys Knight, which was recommended as the most popular, is made with 1 part Absolut mandarin, Cointreau, Malibu rum, Grenadine and a dash of pineapple. ( Full cocktail list http://www.joemamas.ca/frames/menu.html)

Gladys Knight Cocktail

My favorite part of the evening was the live music. The entertainment for the night was a cover band named The Grind. The band featured R&B and Funk music. The lead singer was high energy and engaging.

The Grind

The Grind

Altogether, Joe Mama's is a nice place to visit. The menu is a bit pricey, however the atmosphere is enjoyable. So next time you're in downtown Toronto stop by  Joe Mama's (http://www.joemamas.ca/),  if not for the food, definitely for the entertainment.

All Hail the $1 Pizza Slice

Ti's the season for hustle and bustle. This is the time of year that everyone is running around like crazy desperately trying to hunt down the perfect gift. One roams from shop to shop to stand on line after line to get the latest sale items highlighted in the weekly circulars. The whole process is truly tiring but fun nonetheless.  As I roamed through the city this week popping in and out of stores looking for the perfect items, I began to feel famished. I roamed a little further down the street and encountered a 2Bros Pizza.

I love this pizza pallor. It's a perfect place to grab a nice warm tasty inexpensive meal in a hurry.  The spices and flavors in the pizza are simply wonderful. The crust is toasty and brown with just the right amount of crunch.

In 2007, 2Bros Pizza  opened its doors at St. Marks Place, New York and instantly became a neighborhood staple. Since then the company has expanded throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. What is so awesome about this pizza is the quality of taste for the excellent cost of $1.00. In a city where everything seems to cost a stack of bills, it is refreshing to find a delicious treat for one bill. 2Bros Pizza are located:

• 32 St. Marks Place, New York, NY 10003 - East Village
• 36 St. Marls Place, New York,  NY 10003 - East Village
•  601 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011 - Chelsea
• 755 6th Ave, New York, NY 10010 - Flatiron
• 542 9th Ave, New York, NY 100018 - Port Authority
• 557 8th Ave, New York, NY 10018 - 8th Ave
• 31 W 46th St., New York, NY 10036 - Midtown
• 395 Ave Extensions Btwn Fulton & DeKalb, Brooklyn, NY 11201

 2Bros Pizza offers an array of flavored pizzas including Cheese, Chicken, White pie which is classic white pizza with mozzarella and ricotta, Hawaiian pizza, Vegetable and Sausage and Peppers pizza.  So during this holiday season as you journey through New York City shopping, enjoying the holiday lights, sipping hot chocolate, and taking in all the holiday cheer, stop by a 2Bros Pizza and enjoy a heavenly slice of delight.

Bourbon Street Bayside

 BAYSIDE VILLAGE, QUEENS 

 

 My roaming adventures this week lead me to  Bourbon Street restaurant in Bayside, Queens.  

As I drove down Bell Blvd I happened to notice Mardi Gras masks and a large sign that read "Bourbon Street." I said, this looks interesting I better investigate. Now, having resided and fallen in love with Louisiana, I had to authenticate this Cajun cuisine. When I walked through the door I was greeted with a warm smile from the hostess who lead me to my seat. The interior was charming and the ambiance was casual and relaxed.  There is a full bar and large televisions excellent for watching sports.  Away from the bar were quiet dinning areas. The walls held colorful vibrant paintings of jazz musicians, Mardi Gras masks and swanky scenes of New Orleans.  Each table setting included colorful  Mardi Gras beads. The archway has an enchanting French style gate that provided a nice French Quarter “N’Awlins touch.

Now on to the food.  The bread basket came with an array of breads including honey wheat, white roll, corn bread and everything flat bread. The basket was accompanied with a sweet homemade pecan butter. It was a wonderful complement to the breads.  I also had the opportunity to taste a fresh batch of apple cinnamon butter, a holiday specialty for the season. My waitress Kim, who was quite delightful provided some marvelous suggestions to acquaint me with the menu.

 

The water came in the charming bottle

Everything Flat Bread

My meal commenced with BBQ Shrimp. Now this was no average bbq shrimp I have ever tasted. This dish was comprised of plump jumbo shrimp seasoned with Cajun spices in a secret cream sauce served with garlic bread.  The cream sauce was buttery, rich and creamy. It had the right balance of spice with a hint of barbeque. The shrimp was seasoned to perfection and the garlic bread was fluffy with a light crunch. I tell you this reporter had a superb time sopping up each drop of the delicious cream sauce.

BBQ Shrimp with French Bread

Next Kim recommended Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese. This hearty dish was prepared with spicy, crispy buffalo breaded chicken cutlets served on top of a mountain of penne pasta swimming in homemade buffalo butter cheese sauce topped off with large crumbles of blue cheese. D-Lish is all I could say as the flavor fusions exploded in my mouth.

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

My meal concluded with a grand slice of homemade apple crumbled pie served with a drizzle of raspberry sauce and a heavenly scoop of vanilla ice- cream.

Homemade Apple Crumbled Pie

Other scrumptious menu items include Pulled Pork Nachos, Almond Crusted Coconut Catfish, Seafood Gumbo,  Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya and so much more. Bourbon Street offers daily dinner specials and live music. Other specials include Thursday night $1 sliders,  Monday - Friday 2 for 1 appetizers and $3.50 Apple Martinis and Cosmos. Upcoming holiday events include Brunch with Santa on Sunday, December 15 at 11:30am and Ugly Sweater Party, Wednesday, December 19th at 8:30pm. I'm looking forward to the Ugly sweater affair. Bourbon Street also serves gluten free and vegetarian dishes.

Overall, I had a delightful time. I would have enjoyed hearing some jazz and dixieland music splashed in between the sports report on television. Nevertheless, a girl can't have it all. I miss the southern comforts of Louisiana daily, however, Bourbon Street brought this reporter a little taste of home. The price was moderate, the service was great and the was food fantastic. So if you're roaming through the Bayside, Queens area and you're looking for a new food adventure, check out  Bourbon Street, where their motto is  Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez....Let the Good Time Roll!

Bourbon Street is located 4012 Bell Blvd, Bayside, NY.  http://bourbonstreetny.com/index.html

FEATURE: New Euro - Soul Restaurant Opens in Rosedale, Queens

ROSEDALE, QUEENS, NY

As I roamed around this past weekend looking for new and interesting things to report, I stumbled upon a new eatery in Rosedale, Queens called Pa-Nash Restaurant & Lounge.  This rare jewel serves what the owners call Euro Soul food which is a fusion of Mediterranean, Moroccan and Caribbean Soul food. Sounds delicious I know. I strolled in and was blown away by the beautiful Moroccan inspired decor. Highlights of the luxurious interior included dazzling chandlers dripping with clear glass drops that sparkled in the light, tall soft cushioned silver seats, and a illuminating bar stocked with the finest top shelf drinks. The upscale furnishings provides a Manhattan chic with local comfort.

I was introduced to manger Mel Renci who gave me the grand tour. On our walk down to the lounge area he explained that Pa-Nash is a family owned business. The owners, who wish to remain anonymous are from Ocho Rios, Jamaica W.I. Renci said the owners wanted to provided the Queens community with a new food sensation. The restaurant opened Tuesday, November 18th. The restaurant is currently in its introductory stage. Renci stated the grand opening is scheduled to happen during the Christmas holiday. An official date has not yet been announced.

The lounge area, called the Euro Soul Lounge, located on the lower level is truly striking. Here I really saw the Mediterranean Moroccan style come together. The furniture included wall to wall leather seats coated in rich warm colors of yellow, red and chocolate, complemented with beautifully beaded pillows. There were mosaic textured walls that added visual depth. Overall, a really vibrant charming space. The Euro Soul Lounge also provides weekly live entertainment. The music varies from Classic R&B, Smooth Jazz and Reggae. The entertainment is presented by JT Mac Productions.

Now, on to the food which was quite delicious. The menu featured many interesting combinations of food.  Renci recommended I try the Three Cheese Penne Mac & Cheese Roll. He said if I tried nothing else on the menu I must have that dish. So I did. The Three Cheese Penne Mac & Cheese Roll is a signature appetizer. It is made with asiago, white cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. I found it very clever that someone thought of the idea to put mac and cheese in an egg roll. It had a delightful crunchy texture with a creamy cheese filling.

Three Cheese Penne Mac & Cheese Roll

Next I tried the Fig Glazed Chicken Wings served with Hot Chile Sauce presented on a bed of spinach. The meat on the tender wings practically melted off the bone filling my mouth with a bust of sweet spicy flavor.  The meal was complemented by the signature Pa-Nash Coconut Martini.

Fig Glazed Chicken Wings

Coconut Martini

Other delightful delectable include Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Jumbo Shrimp, Toasted Coconut & Almond Crusted Salmon over Buttered Cabbage, Pistachio Crumbled Lamb Chops with Rosemary Syrup and Israeli Cous-Cous plus many more. The specialty drinks include Fresh Pineapple Mojito, Lemon Drop Martini and Orange Mint Tea.

Pa - Nash is located at 144-14 243rd Street in Rosedale, Queens.  The restaurant is opened Tuesday to Thursday 5pm - 10pm, Friday -Sat 5pm - 12pm and Sunday 11am - 8pm. Live music can be enjoyed Thursday - Saturday 9pm -1pm and Sunday 4pm - 7pm.

So, if your looking for a restaurant with great food, elegant flair, friendly service, amazing live music and local comfort, Pa- Nash is for you. Pa-Nash Restaurant & Lounge where their motto is life with a bit of Pa-Nash!