After heading in this direction to discover that Gahan House was closed for a private booking (which should have been noted on their social media, and wasn't), my fiancee, a friend of ours and myself headed back to the Marriott to have a bite and a drink at the Harbourstone instead.
Located just off of the central lobby of the Harbourfront Marriott, the Harbourstone is one of the products of the complete renovation of the main floor here. Slightly raised up a few steps from the rest of the floor, it has a very modern feel without being too flashy or in your face. The nicely back-lit bar is quite prominent, running the length of most of the restaurant, while the dining area is filled with a mix of high top tables, regular tables and some more lounge-like set ups with comfy looking chairs and couches arranged around low lying tables. The colour palate is very much fall colours, with bold oranges accenting browns, with a splash of yellow here and there. It's pleasantly warm, with a retro vibe. It can be modern and retro too, right?
We were seated quickly, and as it was a bit late for the supper crowd there were only a few other tables occupied, with a couple of them seeming to be people taking breaks from some of the holiday staff parties that were going on across the hall and upstairs.
Their menu is divided into four sections - appetizers, sandwiches, salads and entrees - each with a sea-themed name and you'd have to be a hardcore fan of puns not to shake your head at some of them. Apps like the crispy duck, Harbourstone poutine (with their Newfie chef adding dressing to it, naturally) and short rib ravioli were all quite tempting. On the mains side of things, their burger sounded good, as well as their souvlaki made from local lamb, and the house-made fried chicken. In the end my empty belly went for an order of the short rib ravioli to share and the fried chicken for myself. Tomato jam and fried potatoes count as vegetables, right?....
Our appetizers came out fairly quickly while we chatted and enjoyed our North Brew beers and Bulwark cider. My friend ordered the crispy duck, which was a bit short on description on the menu, so it was surprising to see what amounted to two good-sized, square egg rolls. The flavour of the duck was not as prominent in the filling as I would have liked, but they were crispy and delicious nonetheless. My short rib ravioli came plated nicely on top of the chunky tomato jam, with shaved Parmesan on top. They were rich and beefy, but the standout for me was actually the tomato jam - sweet, but not too sweet, and with just a bit of acidity; it was a fantastic condiment. My only suggestion would be to remove the tomato skins before making the jam, as the little twirled up bits of skin that result aren't good in any type of tomato-based sauce.
My fried chicken likely held up our main courses from arriving as quickly as they might have otherwise, however it was very much worth the wait. Two hefty pieces of breast and thigh meat were covered in a crisp breading, with just a bit of kick from some hot sauce that was likely in the buttermilk marinade. Both were moist on the inside, and crispy until the very last bite. On the side were some equally well-executed baby potatoes which were butterflied and then deep fried. Golden brown on the outside and fluffy on the inside, they were some of the best tater-like fried potatoes I've ever had.
For dessert we got the dark chocolate and mint mousse, and the pear and raspberry crisp. The crisp was hot and tasty, with the raspberries taking the driver's seat for flavour, while the pear and the chai anglaise cream that you could pour on top didn't really register much. That said, it was still very enjoyable. The mousse had the right balance of being light and airy, but still dense enough that it was pleasingly smooth. Not to mention that it was chocolate and mint, a tough combination to beat in the dessert realm. If you want an After Eight in a rich, smooth format, get this.
Service was quite attentive and friendly throughout our meal.
Harbourstone may have been our second choice that night, but between the great atmosphere, food and service, it's bound to be a first choice in the future. read more