Restaurant Review - Barbizon Restaurant

I had wanted to go eat at this restaurant, ever since I saw a clip on local TV about it, fine dining and a rack of lamb dinner the specialty of the house. So, my recent birthday was the perfect opportunity (which was actually more than a month ago, I had computer problems - don't we all), and we reserved a time in the early afternoon on a Monday. There were few people there when I and my beautiful Thai Bride arrived, just one other table was occupied, so we had our choice of the upper seating area (a little dark in my opion), and the lower seating area, which had all glass ceiling, this was a little too bright with the sun overhead (fortunately there was some shade, but not enough for my beautiful Thai Bride, though we ended up not moving). The waiter was courteous and helpful throughout. We ordered two appetizers and a main course for each (sadly, though, they don't serve the rack of lamb for lunch) (and I mentioned to the waiter that this was a Birthday celebration).

Barbizon Restaurant is located at the corner of Hurontario and Eglinton, in a renovated farmhouse tucked behind Spence Diamonds, and beside a long strip mall, there is a Scotia bank next door to it. Around the outside, there is a lovely garden, with flowers and fresh herbs.

The first food to arrive, not too long after we ordered it, were the two most interesting of the many appetizers on the menu, hand-rolled Vegetable Spring Rolls and Cajun Style Crab Cakes. Both were $10 in price.

These were both quite tasty. The fried spring rolls came with an interesting and quite delicious sweet tamarind sauce, in stark contrast to the normal plum sauce you often find served with spring rolls. The crab cakes, which were good but not spectacular, were served with a chipotle aioli, though this was not hot at all.

My beautiful Thai Bride chose the salmon in white wine sauce, and selected the mixed greens salad with a Vanilla Citrus vinaigrette. Both were quite tasty, I had some of each.

And I chose the Venison Osso Bucco, and selected the sweet potato fries. The fries were by far the best part of this dish, my beautiful Thai Bride agreed, something that I would like to attempt myself to make, and the venison was very tender and not too gamey.

To top off this very good meal, we ate one of their excellent desserts, the Bourbon Chocolate Torte, which was wonderfully chocolate-y.

I would definitely go again to this restaurant, though not so often, it is fairly pricey.