Say hello to Toronto's first Irish steakhouse!

Okay, so Toronto has Irish pubs obviously (a good chunk of which Gavin Quinn's family owns, in fact) but last night Mark and I visited Toronto's first Irish steakhouse: Quinn's Steakhouse & Irish Bar.

This place is serious about its whiskey - Quinn's has about 150 different types! But if whiskey isn't your thing, there are quite a few beers on tap and some great cocktails - I really enjoy the Corcair (Gaelic for "Purple") which has Chambord, Smirnoff Vodka, cranberry and pineapple juice.

In terms of food, here are the highlights:

• Smoked Clare Island Organic Salmon on Irish Soda Bread: The salmon is smoked in-house and the soda bread has a nice sweetness to it - the texture was neat, it sort of melts in your mouth. You can find soda bread dishes like this nearly anywhere you go in Ireland - very authentic.
  
  
• Irish Beef & Guinness Stew: Love the flavour the root veggies bring in, especially the parsnips. Meat is very tender. Guinness taste is not as noticeable as I would've liked, but the dish was tasty overall.
  
  
• Prime Rib au Jus: Mark ordered this dish and, upon reflection, we think we would've liked the New York Striploin better, but we can't complain: The portion size is good and the multiple accompaniments that come with it are nice touches. The roasted garlic mashed potatoes are smooth and flavourful - I'm Irish AND obsessed with mashed potatoes and I really enjoy Quinn's take on them.
  
  
• Cheese Board: We sampled both Irish and Canadian cheeses - in the Irish camp there is Cashel Blue, Dublin Cheddar and Guinness Cheddar. In the Canadian camp there is Blermite, Ewenity Cru (a sheep's milk cheese) and Firecracker Horseradish Cheddar; the latter is our favourite. It is soft and spreadable, and has a nice horseradish bite to it. The board also has some truffled honey drizzled over walnuts - the truffled honey must be what gives such a unique flavour, and it goes nicely with the cheeses.
  
  
• Chocolate Brownie: It has a chocolate espresso glaze and a raspberry sauce - probably one of the best brownies I've ever tasted. The chocolate was rich and the brownie was dense - very decadent!
  

Did I make you hungry? :)
Yours in food,
-Stacey