Sneak Peek at what’s on the Winterlicious menus at Cafe Boulud

Is it us, or has Winterlicious returned with more excitement over the past couple of years? It’s become a reason for visitors to come to Toronto in the Winter season and for city folks to bundle up and step away from their screens momentarily. From January 31 to February 13th over 200 restaurants across the city and surrounding GTA take part in the semi-annual culinary showcase. Also, on the calendar are a series of exciting food events. It’s a great excuse to celebrate our vibrant dining culture in both new, and established, restaurants. Reservations have officially opened online and by phone. Wondering what you should put on your list? Topping my list is Cafe Boulud for it’s upscale, creative, flavourful  and well portioned menus.

Yes, we said “menus” as there are slight variations from the lunch ($33) and dinner ($53) Winterlicious offerings between appetizers and entrees. Chef de Cuisine Nicholas Trosien oversees the kitchen here in Toronto and it’s been exciting to follow his passion and precision in feeding our souls. Trosein applies traditional French cooking techniques with Chef Daniel Boulud’s most loved dishes that stem from his family meals in Lyon, France. From flavourful rillettes to roulades and bouillabaisse to a fresh take on nicoise salad, every dish is served with love.

Winterlicious
Mouclade Moule with Frites ~ PEI mussels, fennel confit, shoestring fries. During “Fete de la Moule” in France, not only do visitors feast during peak mussel season and enjoy the festivities but there’s also a friendly competition in some regions amongst restaurants to see who can pile the most discarded mussel shells.

The most challenging part about Winterlicious here is deciding on what to order. The 3-course prix fixe menu for both times of the day are worth repeat visits. By the way, you have better chances of scoring your reservations during the weekdays.

So, what’s on the menus? We had a chance to try almost all of it! Here’s a look at some of the dishes…

Winterlicious
Smoked Salmon Rillette Appetizer includes nasturtium pickled sea asparagus (samphire) and served with potato gaufrette is a flavourful starter – one that had us hanging onto for every morsel.
Seared Tuna Nicoise ~ an elevated dish with blue fin tuna seared with house made tomato togarashi. Base is an anchovy and olive puree along with quail egg, and saffron potato. (Dinner Appetizer)
Duck Confit & Pear Salad ~ inspired by one of the Chef Daniel Boulud’s most popular dishes, this Winterlicious dish showcases the crispy skin duck with spiced mixed greens (sourced locally within 100 km) balanced with light sweetness of pouched pear and crispy chickpeas.  On both Lunch and Dinner menus as an Appetizer.
Beef Bourguignon ~ braised short rib, with confit potato, heirloom carrots, house made pork belly. Dinner Entree
Bouillabaisse ~ beautiful and fresh Red Snapper with fine herbed crust,  side of PEI mussels, wild shrimp, confit tomato.  Dinner Entree.
Chicken Leg Roulade ~ the lower leg is deboned and made into a roulade, baked spinach subric presented as green medallions, served with a layered potato tartiflette. Lunch Entree.
Also, desserts all made in-house… Dulcey Crémeux Verrine, Pistáchio Mousse, Triple Chocolate Dome available on both lunch and dinner menus.

There are also featured cocktail and mocktail options available during Winterlicious. Recommended wine pairings also available during this event.

Winterlicious reservations are now open. Visit the site here. 

 

 

 

About Sonya Davidson 952 Articles
Senior writer. Covering arts & culture, wellness, food, travel and special events.