Had my first meal at the Hardware Grill this weekend and had mixed results. Service was generally good except when the server disappeared a couple of times.
Bread was tasty but wasn't heated up and the butter was stone cold.
Shared an appetizer: Crispy Duck Leg Confit, with Roasted Pears, St. Benoit Blue Ermite, Field Greens and Maple-Onion Vinaigrette. The duck was crispy, but the skin was too salty.
Mains:
“Surf & Turf” Roasted Organic Chicken Supreme, Melted Leeks, with “Mac & Cheese”- Truffle Oil, Shiitake & Lobster, Natural Reduction - chicken was cooked perfectly, pasta was very rich and the lobster taste was overwhelmed by the other flavours. I think I would have preferred having the pasta as a small appetizer instead as it completely overshadowed the chicken. I'm glad I tasted the chicken first before the pasta took over.
Cedar Planked Salmon, Fingerling Potatoes, Chanterelles, Cipollini Onions, Haricot Vert, Creamed Peas, Morels, & Chanterelle Emulsion - very nice, with a strong cedar taste to the salmon.
Shared Dessert: Canadian Maple Crème Brûlée With Warm Sugar Doughnuts - maple taste was too strong - I felt like I was eating a maple pudding instead of a creme brulee. The doughnuts were good.
I was also surprised at how brown all the dishes seemed to be. A little more colour would have made the plating look more appetizing.
So all in all, not a bad dinner, but I wasn't wowed. Price not including alcohol or tip was just under $100.
