Carens Wine and Cheese Bar

Let me start by saying I REALLY need a new camera. The one on my beloved phone just doesn't do culinary works of art any justice - especially when it's dark. Having said this, I will post the pictures I took because they're the only visuals I have.

My work wife and I, D went to Carens Wine and Cheese Bar at 158 Cumberland Street last night for an impromptu dinner. (I completely forgot TIFF was happening, so Yorkville was hopping more than usual on a Friday night. No movie star sightings, but we did see a few strange characters).

We sat outside - Carens has a lovely patio, and for those who get chilly, each table has its own red afghan.  The menu offers a good selection of dishes - each dish incorporating at least one type of cheese. 

D ordered the Stilton Stuffed Burger (topped with cognac sauteed mushrooms and housed in an onion bun). Now, I'm not a fan of cheeses that are blue and stinky but, MAN, this burger was amazing (D gave me 1/8 of   her dinner). I find stilton cheese overwhelming - similar to how I feel about lamb - it's a bit too strong and gamey for me. But THIS burger sat on a small bed of arugula, a bitter green that cuts through the strong taste and provides a balance to the meal. I can honestly see myself ordering this dish, stinky cheese and all.

I ordered the Sticky Beef Ribs, which came with roasted corn and a side of spicy macaroni and cheese. The ribs were cooked in an orange glaze sauce, the texture: completely fall off the bone. My only complaint was that the ribs were lukewarm when they were served (but this could've been due to the fact that we were sitting outside). The corn was nicely charred and the mac and cheese...oh...the mac and cheese, despite being a side dish completely stole the show. 

Four types of cheeses - sao miguel, cheddar, Swiss and parmigiano reggiano in a spicy sauce. Mmmm...all I can say is that I savoured every single bite and was scraping the bottom of the ramekin. Not too heavy and not overly creamy, this was probably the best mac and cheese I've ever had in my life.

And then there was more...having enjoyed an amazing meal, D and I both ordered dessert. She had the chocolate lava cake - it was warm, with just the right amount of sweetness, and had a taste of orange liquer in it.

I had a cold dessert...vanilla panna cotta - which ranked right up there with the mac and cheese. I enjoyed every single bite and was actually sad to finish the last bite. 

Great company, good conversation and one of the tastiest meals I've had in a very long time. What a lovely way to kick off the weekend.

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

P.S. I should also say that every dish we had was paired with a different kind of wine. I won't go too much into this, but my tastebuds were definitely singing by the end of the night.