Joey's Don Mills Rooftop Patio: A Lunchtime Treat

 

As restaurant patios reopen as part of Ontario’s phase 2 plan, the elegant rooftop patio at Joey's Don Mills is open at 50 per cent capacity, and the street is set up for expanded outside dining. All of the employees wear a mask, but aside from these protocols, the staff and servers are excited to be back and are as helpful and charming as they have always been. Arriving early to grab one of the limited rooftop patio tables on a sunny Friday afternoon, we downloaded the menu as we arrived, and took the elevator up to the top floor. Under the culinary direction of Joey's Executive Chef Chris Mills, Joey's menu gallops all over the globe. Inspired by his extensive travels throughout Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim, Joeys menu features innovative offerings such as Japanese Pan Fried Gyoza and Szechuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps from the Far East, Bombay Butter Chicken from India, and Prawn and Lobster Ravioli from Italy. As much as we love to cook, it's so nice to finally be able to dine out with family and friends.

The rooftop patio at Joey's Don Mills with all the tables at least 6-feet apart or 

with acrylic panels installed between the booths

All of the servers were masked and the menus were digitally downloaded 

onto our iPhone as we checked in 

Cold Heineken Beer

Japanese Gyoza pork dumplings with sliced scallions

Tuna Poke Bowl with sashimi grade ahi tuna, crispy wontons, green papaya slaw, 

miso dressing, and brown rice

Yellowfin Tuna Salad with seared rare tuna, mango, peanuts, avocado, crispy wontons, 

and cilantro ginger dressing

Crispy Chicken Sandwich with honey mustard kale slaw, and jack cheese on a brioche bun

served with frites

https://joeyrestaurants.com

Pan Roasted Mushroom Pasta

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Chef Chris Mills, Joey's

1 pkg Barilla Campanelle pasta

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb double smoked slab bacon, sliced into 3/8-inch thick slices

1 lb mixed mushrooms: crimini, oyster, shimeji, or whatever your preference

2 tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup green peas, thaw at room temperature if frozen

4 pinch nori, sliced

1/2 lemon, juiced

3 green onions, greens only

4 tbsp crispy onions, optional

Sauce:

1 3/4 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup soy sauce

4 tsp dashi powder 

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 cup Grana Padano cheese, finely grated

To make the sauce, combine the whipping cream, soy sauce, dashi powder and sugar in a small saucepan, and warm over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking to ensure the sauce does not burn on the bottom. Once the sauce comes to a simmer, remove from the heat and whisk in the grated Grana Padano. Reserve sauce.

Cut the bacon into approximately 3/8-inch pieces, and set aside. Slice the crimini-style mushrooms into 1/4-inch slices, and pull the other types into 1-inch pieces. You are aiming to create bite-sized yet chunky pieces of mushrooms.

Fill a large pot suitable for boiling the pasta with water and set over high heat. In a large Dutch oven-style pot, add the olive oil and bacon and cook over medium heat. Cook for approximately 4 minutes, stirring every few minutes to achieve even browning of the bacon. The pasta water should be boiling at this point, add the pasta, and stir immediately to avoid it sticking to together. Cook the pasta for 10 minutes, or until al dente. 

Increase the heat slightly on the Dutch oven to medium-high and add the prepared mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until they have begun to caramelize on the edges, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and chopped garlic and cook until the garlic has just started to brown, but not burn. Quickly add all of the reserved sauce, being sure to scrape any remaining sauce out. 

Quickly add all of the reserved sauce, being sure to scrape any remaining sauce out of the pot with a spatula. Remove from the heat and reserve. Once the pasta is cooked, add the Dutch oven back on to the stove over medium-high heat. Drain the pasta and add directly to the sauce. Add the peas, lemon juice, and sliced nori, then stir and simmer for 30 seconds to a minute, or until the pasta is well coated with sauce and the ingredients are all well distributed.

Serve pasta on 4 separate plates or family style, garnishing with the sliced green onions and crispy onions.

Chilled Polish Beet Soup: Crimson Chlodnik

 

Wonderfully light and refreshing, Chlodnik is the ultimate Polish summer soup. Pronounced 'who-wad-neek', the key ingredients in this fabulous fuchsia soup are fresh young beets. Chlodnik is typically made with a selection of crunchy raw chopped vegetables such as cucumbers and spring onions, and flavoured with some chopped dill. The soup's brilliant magenta colour can vary depending on how much dairy is used, so for a crazy crimson Chlodnik, use a little less buttermilk. Smacznego! Bon appetit.

Chlodnik (Chilled Beet Soup)
Serves 4-6

1 bunch fresh red beets
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 bunch of dill
1 bunch of spring onions
1 cup Greek yogurt
3 cups buttermilk 
salt and pepper

Wash the beets, then wrap them individually in foil and roast at 450°F for 1 hour. Cool completely, then peel and dice the beets — use plastic gloves if you don't want crimson hands.

Finely dice the cucumbers and spring onion, then chop the dill. Combine the vegetables and beets in a large pot and mix gently. Add the yogurt and buttermilk and mix again, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Chill the soup for minimum 2 hours, but it tastes much better if left in the fridge overnight as it allows the flavours to meld and become more intense. The soup can be served as is, a little chunky, or can be processed in a blender for a finer consistency. Serve cold with a dollop of sour cream a sprig of dill, and even some chopped hard boiled eggs for a traditional Polish Chlodnik.

Mughlai Karahi Gosht: Slow Cooked Lamb Curry

Mughlai cuisine is strongly influenced by Turkish cuisine of Central Asia, the region where the early Mughal emperors originally came from, and has in turn strongly influenced the regional cuisines of Northern India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The flavours of Mughlai cuisine vary from extremely mild to spicy, and are often associated with a distinctive aroma and taste of ground and whole spices. This recipe for Karahi Gosht by Maunika Gowardhan, an Indian chef, food writer and author of Indian Kitchen: Secrets of Indian Home Cooking, is a slow cooked curry that's infused with spices including black cumin seeds, kashmiri chilli powder, ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala, plus tomatoes and thick yoghurt, then garnished with fresh cilantro, slivers of fresh ginger and chopped green chillies if you have the courage. 

Indian Kitchen by Maunika Gowardhan

Indian chef, food writer and author Maunika Gowardhan

 
Mughlai Karahi Gosht

Serves 2

Recipe courtesy of Maunika Gowardhan

1 lb lamb, cut to bite size pieces
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3/4-inch ginger, roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
9 oz fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced
9 oz onions, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp kashmiri chilli powder or mild paprika
Salt to taste
3 tbsp greek yoghurt

1 tsp coriander powder
1/8 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp black cumin seeds coarsely crushed

1/4 tsp black pepper coarsely crushed
1/8 tsp garam masala powder
1 green chilli slit lengthwise, optional
1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 tbsp chopped mint leaves, optional
1/2-inch ginger slivers for garnish

Add the lamb to a mixing bowl. Crush the garlic and ginger to a coarse paste and add to the lamb. Stir well and set aside for an hour or overnight if you have time. 

In a heavy bottom large saucepan or kadhai heat the oil on a medium heat. Add the marinated lamb chunks and fry for 5-6 minutes stirring well to seal. Add the sliced tomatoes and cook for a further 8 minutes. The tomatoes will begin to break down and soften. Add the onions and chilli powder and stir well cooking for a further 3 minutes. Season to taste. Now lower the heat and simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes stirring half way through the cooking process.

Add the greek yoghurt to a small bowl and mix in the ground spices; coriander, turmeric, cumin and black pepper. Add this to the karahi gosht and stir well making sure the yoghurt does not split. Continue simmering on a low heat and with the lid half over the pan, cook the lamb for 45-50 minutes stirring half way through cooking making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Turn the heat off and while it’s still warm add the garam masala, coriander, mint and ginger slivers. Maunika suggests serving the curry with roti, naan or pulao. 

Coronation Chicken Salad with Alfalfa Sprouts

 

Originally, Coronation Chicken, or Poulet Reine Elizabeth, was made for the coronation banquet of Elizabeth II in 1953, but it is said to have been partly inspired by a similar and earlier recipe known as Jubilee Chicken, made for the Silver Jubilee of George V in 1935, which mixed the chicken in mayonnaise and curry. Created by the founder of Le Cordon Bleu cookery school, Rosemary Hume, rather than her better-known business partner, celebrity florist Constance Spry, as is often claimed, the original recipe for Coronation Chicken was published in the newspapers ahead of the coronation so that the 'common' people might partake of what their new queen would be eating on her very special day.

Coronation Chicken Salad
Serves 6

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp mild curry powder
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp Maldon salt 
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
6 stalks celery, very finely chopped
1 container of onion, pea or clover sprouts
1/2 cup pecan, toasted

Dressing:
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 cup crème fraîche
1/2 cup mango chutney
2 tbsp curry powder

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub the chicken with oil, curry powder, salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until cooked through. Let it rest for 10 minutes then pull the chicken apart into bite size pieces, then allow to cool completely before adding to your salad. In a big bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dressing until well combined. Mix the cooled chicken, finely chopped celery, halved grapes with the dressing, and chill until ready to plate. Serve the Coronation Chicken Salad on its own or over mixed salad greens and garnish with additional onion sprouts and pecans.

Grilled Eggplant with Feta, Herbs & Vinaigrette

 

The combination of the feta, mint and cilantro adds a wonderful fresh note to the smokiness of grilled eggplant, and becomes completely transformed over a few hours as the dressing is absorbed into the flesh. This dish looks especially nice served on a platter, with the feta and herbs scattered overtop. 

Grilled Eggplant with Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette, Feta & Herbs
Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Fine Cooking

For the vinaigrette:
1 small clove garlic
Kosher salt
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 small shallot, very finely diced
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin seed, lightly toasted and ground in a spice grinder
Pinch cayenne, more to taste

For the eggplant:
1 large globe eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
Kosher salt
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

With a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and a pinch of salt to a paste, or mince the garlic, sprinkle with salt, and mash into a paste with the side of a chef’s knife.

Combine the garlic paste and a tablespoon of the lemon juice in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Combine the shallot with the remaining lemon juice and a pinch of salt in another small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Whisk the olive oil, cumin, and cayenne into the garlic mixture. Season to taste with salt or cayenne, if necessary.

Preheat an outdoor BBQ to medium-high. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt. Grill until golden-brown grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the eggplant and grill until tender and well marked on the second sides, 3 to 4 minutes more. The interior should be grayish and soft rather than white and hard. Top the grilled eggplant slices with the shallots, feta, and herbs. Whisk the vinaigrette and drizzle it on top, and serve immediately.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana: A Culinary Classic

 

One of the most celebrated dishes in Italian cuisine, Bucatini all'Amatriciana is named for the Abruzzese town of Amatrice, a tiny town in the Sabine Hills bordering Abruzzo about 100 miles from Rome, and considered by many Italians to be birthplace of the best cooks on the peninsula. Ever since Abbruzzese shepherds began the tradition of eating this spicy pasta after a day in the chilly mountain air, the cooking process has always begun with the rich smell of a fatty piece of pork bubbling in the pan that gives the simple pasta a luxurious depth. Tomatoes, sautéed garlic, olive oil and dried red chilli flakes complete the sauce, which is usually served over bucatini, a thick strand pasta with a hole in the centre. The beauty of this culinary classic is that it's quick and easy to make, is enormously full flavoured and absolutely delicious.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Serves 2

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz tomato passata

4 oz finely chopped Guanciale, Pancetta or unsmoked bacon

1 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste

8 oz bucatini

1/2 cup shaved Pecorino

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente, then drain. Heat the olive oil and cook garlic until softened, adding the finely chopped guanicale at the end. Then add the passata and dried chilli flakes and simmer over low heat to thicken the sauce slightly. Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and serve with grated Pecorino cheese.

Fishbone by the Lake: Modern Portuguese Cuisine

 

The first Fishbone location opened in Stouffville in 2011, followed by Fishbone on Musselman's Lake in 2014, where they serve about 200 guests a day during the summer months in their pretty outdoor waterfront location. Chef Pedro Pereira wears all the hats; he designs the restaurants, does some of the building, and creates all Fishbone menus, which for the Musselman's Lake locale is focused on refined pub-style food and delicious homemade pizza made in a wood-burning oven, accompanied by “probably the best view in York Region”. The menu also includes fresh shucked oysters, PEI Mussels, Shrimp Tacos, Grilled Spanish Octopus, Lamb & Beef Burgers, Grilled Lamb Chops, their famous deep-fried Brussels Sprouts served with sweet chili sauce and smoked peanuts. “We try to be as seasonal as possible and as local as possible,” said Pereira. “We have so many farms up here, it really is a luxury to be in this area.” With a dedicated friendly staff, unexpectedly refined menu and tranquil waterside location, it's no wonder that Pereira's waterfront oasis is one the hottest restaurants in the area.

Pereira has also been focused on providing meals to front-line health-care workers during the pandemic. He came up with a program where guests are able to purchase meals for health-care workers, whereby Fishbone has provided meals to staff at Markham Stouffville Hospital, Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie and Markhaven Home for Seniors to name a few. “It makes a difference. We attach a little message from the person who bought the meal.” 

Fishbone menu of Portuguese-inspired cuisine

White Sangria

Heirloom Tomato Salad with House Ricotta, Basil Oil and Flor de Sal

Cold Shrimp Tacos 

Piri Piri Cornish Hen with House Cut Frites

Lamb & Beef Burger with Bacon, Brie, Tomato, Red Onion, Lettuce, Pickles 

and Piri Piri Aioli on a Briche Bun with House Cut Frites

Cavatelli with Argentinian Shrimp and Bay Scallops in a Bail, 

Tomato and Sambuca Sauce 

Funnel Cake with Strawberries and Vanilla Iced Cream

Pastéis de Nata with Vanilla Iced Cream

https://fishbonerestaurants.com