I had no idea we were even going anywhere.. spur of the moment decision from cheri.
APPEARANCE
dark, chalk red
It is a cute area right where front and wellington meet - a tall, brick building on the south side. If it wasn't for the bright yellow awning, it wouldn't be the same. Lots of black elements - siding, frames, chairs. It was a light evening, relatively warm and their patio was on, so the decision was easy.
NOSE
heavy, hint of deep black berry and american oakA filipino man greeted us after we opened the glass, heavy, long front doors. Inside was dark, kind of romantic, dim candle-like lights, red and black on the furniture and walls. The host followed us with the menus, as we sat ourselves down. Charming wood plank tables with metal black chairs were all around. Warm, yellow-orange napkins, cutlery, plates and glasses were all waiting.
SWIRL
bell pepper, tar, bacon fat
These menus had nothing to do with papillons (butterflies). The white pages looked plain, missed the excitement of the name. As we said we are coming in for a snack, we got the lunch menu. Cheri said this place is known for its crepes, and so we picked out two Galette Ratatouille and Crepe du St Laurent Marche. Our polite french waitress gave us some more time to explore the Les Boissons menu as she poured us water. We went with a Pinot Grigio and a Sangiovese, as this month is dedicated to our Italian wine exploration. Fresh, warm buns quickly arrived at our tables as well as a lovely shot of the chef's gazpacho. It turned out to be very windy, half-way though - the yellow napkins and cutlery flew - almost like butterflies.
PALATE
medium tannins, lean, good balance
Our crepes arrived - wrapped from all sides like squares with all ingredients seen from a window in the middle, topped with sprouts. The Crepe du St Laurent Marche was very special - bacon on top, melting the cheddar underneath and all on top of spliced apples. It came with a side of maple syrup - beautiful flavours both savourily and sweet. If the cheddar was ages, it would have been ideal. Cheri's Galette Ratatouille looked colourful all veggies and egg, but missing gruyere or another worthwhile cheese. For a french place, emphasizing on cheese would have been ideal, but unfortunately not the case - based on our dishes.
FINISH
long, a bit bitter
Lots of interesting dishes to try out. I would challenge them and take Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée or perhaps a dish with béchamel sauce. Also their brunch menu sounds interesting as well as their location in Leslieville.
Overall.. a complex Cabernet Franc
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