Grab a drink at Burlington’s Martini House — stay for the honey chicken
Photos of their patio marquee caught my attention - white, bright with twinkling lights adding to the ambience. It was time to go to Martini House.
The indoor space in this 1812 heritage building is chunked into several spaces. Tables are separated with Plexiglas in wooden frames that match the decor of muted taupe and dark brown. Indoors and outdoors there are white tablecloths - seen infrequently in recent years. Did this signal good things to come? Yes.
Executive Chef and part-owner Jayke Carter is responsible for the food experience. His journey from George Brown College included time at local restaurants and he achieved some celebrity for winning Chopped Canada in 2014. Martini House opened 21 years ago and Jayke joined them in 2018, leading an overhaul of the look and feel, with a menu that leaned toward affordable casual fine dining.
The menu changes periodically and has just changed somewhat from the time of my visit. There are always daily features in the categories of pasta, steak, appetizer, entrees and dessert. For example, the Butcher Block - the chef's selection of different cuts of beef - might feature a tenderloin or sometimes even a 40-ounce steak for sharing.
Since patio and indoor dining resumed, they have been busy most days, so reservations are recommended. It was clear that some diners were regulars and Carter is grateful for the support they receive from Burlington. They tried to keep up Burlington traditions in September putting on a curbside ribfest described as a massive success, making close to 500 racks of ribs.
We began with two appetizers. The bruleed brie was topped with crushed pistachios and paired with lightly macerated fruit and toasted bread. The roasted head of garlic was a nice touch that I've not seen in restaurants of late. Given that the meal does not begin with complimentary bread it was a great choice for a shared starter.
The shrimp pork dumplings - like everything except the bread - were made in-house. The delicate dumplings filled with mushroom and water chestnuts were cooked in and served with a mushroom broth with Asian notes of soy and hoisin. The dumplings were plated on dollops of sambal aioli. The only quibble was a flat plate that foiled our attempts to scoop up every last drop of the broth.
About this time, the lights were dimmed, leaving a wee candle as the main illumination. It's a pity that this date night" custom blinds diners to the beauty of what comes out of the kitchen. Given that appetites and enjoyment of a meal are linked to what we see, monochromatic visuals seem counterproductive.
The pasta of the day was orecchiette in a celeriac sauce. I have no grievance with celery root and use it in my own cooking, but it was impressive that such an ugly vegetable could be transformed into such a lovely sauce. A protein can be added to the pasta - in our case, tail-on shrimp.
The honey chicken was gorgeous, tender with a crisp skin sprinkled with crushed pistachios (making a second appearance). The menu referred to porcini, but it was instead plated with new potatoes, cauliflower, mustard seed and celery.
Although celery is part of the mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, celery) that so many dishes begin with, it's unusual to see it as a side. Flashback to Victorian times and you'd discover that celery was the it" vegetable. They even had special serving dishes for the delicacy." In their podcast called Proof," America's Test Kitchen says that, Celery was the third most popular menu item in New York City restaurants in the late 19th century, and in some instances, it cost more than caviar."
Dessert also featured an ingredient that's been ignored for a while - bananas. We decided to split the banana split. That was a good decision since the serving was very generous and it's hard to imagine how one person might have eaten it alone.
It was delicious but with only a wee scoop of ice cream. Made in-house with Amarena cherries and coconut milk it was technically a vegan ice cream. Served with flourless chocolate cake that made it also gluten-free. The bruleed bananas were drizzled with bourbon caramel and sprinkled with sponge toffee and peanut butter dust. Lots of textures and tastes - a fun and satisfying end to the meal.
Vegetarian and gluten-free menu items are tagged and Carter boasts that his team does a phenomenal job with dietary restrictions.
He shared how they had just recently done a vegan tasting menu - something they can do when requested in advance. He said, I love, love doing those. It's an opportunity to get outside the box." It seems he loves this approach enough to have just launched Dinner by Jayke - an eight-course ever-changing tasting menu. You will be given an idea of the menu but be ready for some amazing surprises along the way."
Of course, there are martinis - too many to even count.
Diane Galambos is a food writer who shares stories and recipes at her blog kitchenbliss.ca. Follow her on Instagram https://instagram.com/kitchenblissca
Martini House
437 Elizabeth St., Burlington
905-333-9553
The look: Bright enclosed patio; stylish dark interior
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, Monday - closed
What I paid: Bruleed Brie $18; Shrimp Pork Dumplings $18; Pasta plus Shrimp $33; Honey Chicken $26; Banana Split $12; Cappuccino $4.50
Wheelchair access: No