Alice Fazooli's Finalist Dinner

 



November 24, 2012 Inspired Chef 2nd Finalist LCBO Contest

 

 Inspired Chef 2nd Finalist
LCBO Contest 2012
 



Wow what a great night my family and I had from being the 2nd Finalist with the Inspired Chef LCBO contest at the relaxing ambiance of Alice Fazooli's in Vaughan.

I was personally greeted by a congratulatory manager and enthusiastic staff members at the Vaughan location which, is where we live.

Chef Steve Silvestro came to introduce himself and he was full of warm praise.  After we were settled, he went through his meal plan with me, which truthfully I was not expecting and I was quite impressed that he took the time to consider what to serve us.  

When he told me he was preparing my winning dish Prosciutto & Eggplant Rolatini I was quite astonished and so was my family. My youngest son immediately informed me that no way was he eating eggplant! But managed to clean his plate!!

We started the meal with an array of cheeses, prosciutto, artisan breads, a rosemary white bean dip and white balsamic dressed mushrooms, served on footed wood blocks. Which mirrored the warm atmosphere. What a great start as everyone could choose what they like.

My Parents on the left of me

My husband on the top right and my youngest Christian bottom right

 

 

The expert "Bar Man" Christian Anderson served us a Proseco to toast an exciting evening. This is a dry sparkling Italian wine similar in nature to Champagne and perfect for the occasion as this is my Birthday weekend!

Our wait person Fernando had no problem what so ever learning our names and remembering each and everyone of us and we were 7!

Impressive indeed. 

Alyse & Wait Staff Fernando

 

 

Finalist Recipe

 

 

We enjoyed a medium bodied wine that Christian suggested with my winning recipe and they were a perfect match for the  start of our meal.  Chef Steve made my "side dish" magnificently  and everyone including my sons, who are the first to complain about having to eat vegetables, which is why I added prosciutto to this dish, polished off their portion!

We took pictures between our courses and continued to have a glorious time on my Birthday Weekend. How wonderful to be pampered!

Chef Steve served our party with 2 pizzas for a 3rd appetiser, one with bacon, no surprise there with my sons! and a Margherita pizza for my daughter as she doesn't eat many meats. See the smile on Alyse's face?

 

Chef Steve then bid us a good evening and I was further astonished to find out that he came to that location just to cook for me!!! Queen for the Day 

We then ordered our main meal from the menu.  Choice cuts of steak with a choice of sauces, which we all picked a wine & porcini sauce. This sauce was to die for! I can never quite cook this mushroom as it always remains a bit chewy from being imported dry.  The steaks were accompanied by perfectly cooked broccoli rabe which I can never find in stores and fingerling potatoes, that the boys had never heard of and loved their preparation.

The cook staff prepared this perfectly and everyone's steak was cooked to perfection!  Alyse who always orders just a salad was very pleased with her salad topped with chicken.

We were becoming increasingly immobile from the delicious dishes. Yet, we all ordered dessert. How could we not?

It is my Birthday Weekend after all!

My children all ordered a spectacular Mascapone Cheesecake with strawberry sauce..This could have literally fed two people..there was nothing left on their plates!

This is far bigger than the picture portrays. In fact I couldn't believe it's size.  Two people could have eaten this!

 

My husband and mother ordered their apricot torte which looked and tasted like frangipane, which is a mixture of eggs and almonds poured ontop of a dried or fresh fruit with a crumbly base.

I had their Ciambelle which are tiny perfect circularly shaped donut like bites with an espresso cup full of ganache! Heaven!!!!! I could not finish the ganache!       NO PICTURES!

Too much wine! :D

 

My father who has simple tastes opted for refreshing ice cream.  Most of us followed our dessert with cappuccino's or espressos with my extra ganache poured over these coffee's...ahh decadence, which we will definitely be paying for with many extra visits to the gym. BUT well worth it!.

I felt like a Queen and the service and staff were friendly, personable and professional. Many of the wait staff personally congratulated me. It was so nice for me and my children to be pampered with excellent service and fine food as they are the ones always complaining when I am constantly photographing their foods! So they got to reap the rewards of my labour!

I hope they will not complain for a while!

Christian stuffed to the gills & Robert my oldest

 

Christian went to a Birthday party and still had a pulled pork bun 1/2hr later!

 

It was nice for my parents to be entertained and they were quite honoured to be there watching and enjoying the fruits of  their daughters success as we have had a rough few months with my health problems.

I am honoured and so thrilled to have been picked as the 2nd Finalist for this fabulous contest, in truth I feel as I have won already! Thank you to the companies involved, their subsidiaries and to the LCBO for running this grand contest.

CHEERS!