Get Thee to the Greek: dinner at Mezes and dessert at Caffé Demetré

We met up with friends over from Vancouver some time ago. We hadn’t seen them in years! We decided to go to Mezes to have some authentic Greek cuisine while catching up.

My co-workers had recommended we try grilled octopus and quail (which we didn’t try during the Taste of the Danforth), so we started with those to share.

The Octapodi Skaras (grilled octopus with EVOO) came in a serving of two tentacles, beautifully grilled with red pepper and lemon wedge. It was tasty but the meat was a bit rubbery. I still prefer squid. 
 

Grilled Octopus @ Mezes

 The Ortikia (grilled quail) was bony but super tasty. The thin layer of meat absorbed the seasonings well and the skin was crispy. The quail was halved and served with tzatziki (yogurt and garlic dip).

Grilled Quail @ Mezes

Our friends ordered lamb leg and chicken souvlaki while hubby and I shared lamb souvlaki and grilled calamari. 

Lamb Souvlaki @ Mezes

 The meals were served with elliniki salad, potatoes and rice. The salad was a hit with me--lettuce, tomatoes and olives drizzled with olive oil and topped with a generous helping of feta cheese. It was delicious!

The souvlakis were beautifully grilled with just a slight char. The grilled calamari was tender and perfectly-cooked--definitely one of my favourite dishes.

Grilled Calamari @ Mezes

 The great food was made even more enjoyable with the wonderful company. By the time we left, the place was packed and had a line-up (on a Wednesday night)! 

We headed to Caffé Demetré to continue catching up. They had a new menu and we wanted to order everything! It was a fresh and fun menu with headings such as “Game of Cones (for ice cream) and Baking Bad (for cakes).”

We settled on a couple of desserts to share: Moo La La (Xocolātl Roché ice cream with hazelnut and bananas which we had in crepe) 

Moo La La @ Caffe Demetre

and Boomeringue (caramel meringue torte with ice cream and caramel drizzle). Both were delicious but the Boomeringue was a clear winner with the majority. 

Boomeringue @ Caffe Demetre

Under “Sip Happens,” we got some coffee and tea.

Greektown was a great choice for a nice dinner and dessert with friends. Had we chosen other restaurants or dessert places, I doubt we will be disappointed. You definitely will not go wrong with Mezes and Caffé Demetré.  Opa!

The day we ordered a 24oz steak: dining at Peter’s Fine Dining

Peter's Fine Dining at Markham

Hubby said he chose to take me to this fancy steakhouse because of the fantastic reviews. And he was not mistaken. From the mouth-watering steak to the uber-attentive staff, Peter’s made it a delightful dining experience. They also had an extensive wine list and a good variety of steak cuts and seafood.

Hubby and I ordered Caesar salad to start, served tableside, as one would expect in a fine dining place. Our server was so amiable. It was like watching the Food Network as he gave me the instructions on how to make fresh Caesar dressing at home.  It was not as wonderful as the one at The School but appetizing nonetheless.

Caesar salad @ Peter's Fine Dining

We decided to split a 24oz Porterhouse steak as it seemed the better value vs getting an 8-ouncer each. And boy, did we overestimate our capacity. Maybe 10 years ago, a 12-ouncer would not have been so huge (am I dating myself?). But when our big, honking chunk of meat arrived, I was all too glad we did not order extra sides of baked potatoes and veggies as well. How the heck were we going to finish this?! Well, of course, we managed because it was just delicious!

24oz Porterhouse steak @ Peter's Fine Dining

 Every so often, one of the well-dressed servers would check on us to see if we were enjoying our meal and our Merlot. They were attentive without being overbearing. The fine food and superior service made for a wonderful evening. Will not hesitate to recommend this place-- and share some of the tea and antacid that I bought to help us digest when we got home!

Wilkommen: a stop at little Bavaria in Frankenmuth

Frankenmuth, MI

After our trip to Chicago and before heading back home, we had a stopover in Frankenmuth, Michigan. We were way past the lunch hour so we were hoping the line ups were not long at the famous chicken dinner places that the place was known for.

Zehnder's

We decided to give Zehnder’s a try. A 2-piece chicken dinner, all dark, was about $11. Not too bad as it came with mashed potatoes, cabbage salad, stuffing, and freshly baked breads. The famous chicken dinner was not all it was hyped up to be, though. It was just ok. Would prefer Mary Brown’s over this any day. It was not too bad either. For hungry folks like us having lunch past 2pm, we would take anything!

Sides and chicken seasoning @ Zehnder's, Frankenmuth

Famous  chicken dinner @ Zehnder's, Frankenmuth

This little Bavaria was so scenic it almost reminded me of walking some streets in Germany. 

Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth

 It was quite quaint with horse-drawn carriages and covered bridges. 
 

Wooden bridge, Frankenmuth

wooden bridge, Frankenmuth

 Riverboat cruises were also available. 

River cruise at Frankenmuth

We enjoyed walking around the area ending with more shops at River Place!

River place, Frankenmuth

And what is a Bavarian village without a brewery? Michigan’s oldest brewery can also be found in Frankenmuth!

Our last stop was a few miles off of the main town at the World's largest Christmas store. 

Bronner's

Bronner’s is a Christmas wonderland, a shopper's dream with thousands of trims, décor, and gifts. 

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland

Bronner's amazing store is the size of 1 1/2 football fields! We got lost in worlds of miniature villages. They did not only have Christmas items, there were also Halloween and Easter stuff.
 

Miniature villages at Bronner's

More displays @ Bronner's

Christmas in little Bavaria to begin our own Christmas countdown—what better way to end our vacation?! Frohe Weihnachten!

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