If you’ve got all the time in the world…part 1: Milestones

These days, who has any time to spare, really? You can set aside some time for lunch or dinner out but really that shouldn’t take you a full two hours unless you are having a full course meal and chatting with friends you haven’t seen in years. Recently, we had the misfortune of dining in two places where the food was good but where you wouldn’t be surprised if you grew roots waiting for your meal to arrive.

We had lunch at Milestones in Richmond Hill. The server was polite and friendly but waiting one hour for our order did not really put us in the best of moods to enjoy. Their classic Spinach and Artichoke dip got us all excited of yummy things to come. The creamy and cheesy dip served with crispy tortilla chips had every right to call itself a classic. But after that appetizer, the wait for the rest of the dishes took almost another hour. The excuse: they had several parties going on at that same time and there were not enough staff in the kitchen. Could have been better planned, no? The parties would have been booked in advance.

Spinach and Artichoke dip @Milestones

They did give us some soup some 45 minutes into the wait. It really helped curb some of the hunger. Finally, the dishes came. Grandma had the Miso Glazed Cod—pan seared and served with rice. The glaze was lovely and the fish was nicely cooked.

Miso Glazed Cod @Milestones

DD#1 had the Cajun Shrimp Creole, which had a substantial serving and a very tasty spicy Cajun garlic cream sauce.

Cajun Shrimp Creole @Milestones

Hubby had the Prime Rib (another signature dish) 

Prime Rib @Milestones

while I had the Steak Frites. Both steaks were done nicely and seasoned well. I loved the onion rings—the thin and spiraled crunchiness was a delight to eat! I also had the Parmesan fries with my 7oz steak and they were delicious.

Steak Frites @Milestones

They also gave complimentary dessert and we got the Decadent Duo of the Belgian Chocolate Ganache Torte 

Belgian Chocolate Ganache Torte @Milestones

and the White Chocolate Cheesecake. Yum! 

White Chocolate Cheesecake @Milestones

Ok so by this time we were less “hangry” and dessert usually puts us all in a better mood. They have apologized and tried to appease with soup AND dessert. But it took another 15 minutes for the bill…

Cooking soup: lunch at Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

Spicy broth @ Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

At first we were a bit hesitant to visit Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot at Warden and Finch. The name doesn’t seem apt and the girls had a few giggles upon hearing where we might go for lunch. However, I checked out their website and it seems like this chain, which has branches in the US, China and Japan, may be worth trying.

It was our first time to try all you can eat hot pot so the server/host gave us a bit of a rundown. We selected individual pots (vs a communal pot) which turned out to be great as we all were able to cook our own meals. The girls were pretty excited that they got their own bowls! I liked that they get to do the cooking for themselves! I’ll take any practice they can get!

Original broth @ Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

We first had to select the broth—original, spicy or half and half. As can be predicted, Hubby got the spicy and DD#2 got the original. Grandma, DD#1 and I got the half and half—to get the best of both worlds. This came in a bowl which was actually separated in two! I want one at home! Anyway, I liked the half and half since as the broth kept cooking, the spicy one just got too spicy. The original broth cooked really well. Over in the front, you will also see all the spices that they include in the broth—including cardamom, chili, goji berries, and others I can’t say or spell.

Half and half broth @ Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

They bring in the broth and marbled lamb and beef slices. Once the broth started boiling, we added the other items we got from the chillers. They had other meat such as pork and chicken, as well as various seafood (shrimp, mussels, squid, fish), balls, veggies, dumplings, noodles, and more. They had cooked spring rolls, shrimp crackers and many sauces should you wish to use for dipping.

I just loved the original broth. It hit the spot, kept my tummy warm and filled my senses with full flavours. It was quite satisfying. Servers would come once in a while to refill the broth. They had a vending machine for pop and a dispenser for water, soy milk and tea. I wouldn’t recommend the pastries for dessert though. Good thing there were orange slices which was great to cap the meal.

Well, we had a lot of fun and we were stuffed. Service and food was good so we were happy. I do have to warn you, though--the smell of the broth and all the cooking will stick to your clothes and it was not nice. So, bring a bottle of perfume (or fabric refresher) for when you are done and enjoy!

Different kinds of Trails at PEC

We found and did short rounds of the trails they had at Prince Edward County. These were not your usual trails, though. What they had were fun Art Trails, Taste Trails, and my favourite, Wine Trails!

Going around Picton, Bloomfield and Wellington, we checked out stores, places to eat and drink!

some of the stores in Bloomfield, PEC

We had a lot of fun walking around in Bloomfield. We looked at antiques at Dead People’s Stuff—not creepy at all!

Dead People's Stuff @PEC

There were many quaint stores to explore! The girls had such a great time playing I Spy with Tammy at Hand Works that they didn’t want to leave! They wanted to find all 30 items in the store filled with eclectic items! They have original art, pottery, antiques, and many more.

Hand Works Fine Art @PEC

Of course, after all that walking, we had to get some ice cream! We all enjoyed our flavour picks: Toffee Coffee, Campfire and Key Lime! Deliciously creamy and apparently hand-made in small batches daily! Yum!

Slickers Ice Cream @PEC

Now, I couldn’t go home without doing a bit of the Wine Trail. We went to Sandbanks Estate Winery where the service was just awesome. They had some nice Canada 150 souvenir bottles and I totally loved their dessert wines. I did a white flight in the tasting room and I enjoyed the Love Cassis Aperitivo mixed with a bit of Sauvignon Blanc. Needless to say, I had to bring home a couple of bottles!

We also went to Norman Hardie as we had wanted to try some of the wood-fired pizza (with wine, of course). But the place was packed and we didn’t want to wait about an hour so I just got a bottle to bring home.

Norman Hardie Winery @ PEC

So many more places to explore! We will definitely be back to discover more of these trails.