Four Sunday Lunches at Edulis: A wonderful Series of Gustatory Experiences.

Here I go again about Edulis, but, this restaurant and what it serves is unique in the Pan-Canadian field of restaurants.

Sunday lunches at Edulis are for me, one of the great ways to while away an afternoon with friends. There is no menu, only what chef Cabbalo has just locally discovered and been inspired by. Four to 5 courses, another trust the chef menu and chef Cabbalo is one of the most trustworthy chefs in North America. Chef Cabbalo expresses his rustic sensibilities in a remarkably creative, down to earth sophisticated manner. What may not be well known is that co-owner chef Nemeth, Cabbalo's wife, it an erudite source of inspiration on this team. For me, this Edulis experience, as well said by chef Tobey Nemeth, is a celebration of the craft and tradition of cooking.

Sunday lunches are an exceptionally reasonable $40.00 and all wines are available at half price ("just for fun"), a remarkably whimsical turn of events for a restauranteur and a truly generous gift by co-owner chefs Cabbalo and Nemeth, to their patrons.

In this review, I will present what I was served at more than one lunch to give you all an opportunity to see the range of dishes and flavours that Cabbalo and Nemeth create so admirably, just for lunch.

Sunday Lunch #1

Squash soup with fresh porcini and bacon.

Last of the season heirloom tomatoes, frisee and Monforte feta.

Fennel salad with fresh albacore tuna, coriander seed and fried bread (no photo).

Cucumber salad with smoked beef schnitzel.

Pickerel baked with peppers, onions and potatoes, served family style.

Chocolate cake with hazelnut toffee and chantilly creme, the perfect finish.

Sunday Lunch #2

Tuna conserva with peeled tomatoes and new onion. 

Schiacchiata a l'uva (bread with grapes) with thyme,  taleggio cheese and torpedo onion.

 Frisee gently warmed with Cantabrian anchovy and fried bread.

 Wood roasted romanesco broccoli with raisin vinaigrette.

 Green beans with cucumber, bacon and celery leaf.

Wild arctic char with fennel and artichoke salad.

Smoked pork shoulder and spiced meatballs with radicchio, fresh shelling beans and tomatillo, served family style. This was a terrific stick to your ribs dish. 

Blackberry cake with vanilla ice cream.

Sunday Lunch #4

A Special version of the featured lunch was prepared for me as i was going for some routine tests the next day. My version had no salt, no milk products and little oil.

 The squash presentation for my squash soup.

 My squash soup with kale florets, pumpkin seeds and wild sumac.

 Everyone else's version of squash soup with the addition of buffala yogourt.

Mussels 2 ways, escabeche (sauteed in a vinegar sauce) and tigres (stuffed with chopped mussels, onion and tomato sauce).

Chard with raisin and pine nut gremolata.

Crispy squid and pig's foot sausage with ajo blanco (puree of bread, olive oil, garlic and almonds) and frisee. This was a terrific dish.

Welks and pine mushrooms, a remarkable combination of harmonious flavours and textures.

Soft scrambled duck egg with white truffles....eaten before the photo! Delicious!

Chum salmon with radish, black garlic sauce, apple and green chick peas

Blanquette de veau, the version for my guests, served family style, with chanterelle mushrooms, carrots, shallots and turnips.

 Blanquette de veau, my version.

The wonderful veggies that accompanied my veal dish, carrots shallots and turnips.

The rice for my dish.

Mixed green salad.

A fabulous apple cake with chestnut mousse.