Back to back Biff's! I know I just wrote about Biff's Bistro (Twitter: @BiffsBistro, Facebook: Biff's Bistro) but I thought it'd be nice to share another one of recent my dining experience there with you guys. Unlike the previous post where I wrote about some of the restaurant's a la carte offerings, this post will only focus on the "Biff's Fixe", or Biff's "3 courses for $37.95" prix fixe menu.
Looking back on last week's Biff's post, I realized I didn't include any patio photos! Silly me, especially when we are well into patio weather now too. Well, here they are :)
I really like the rustic French charm of the patio. The trees, the details like the mix of textured wicker and leather chairs, the awning, and the patterned table cloths all contribute to the French bistro setting. Super cute!
We didn't end up having dinner on the patio, though, since the reservation was made a couple of weeks beforehand and we weren't sure if it would be warm enough. So, back inside we go...
Complimentary bread
The five of us all decided to go with the Biff's Fixe since it's such a great deal at three courses for $37.95. And to be honest, prix fixes are the best way to go when dining out with a group of friends because it makes splitting the bill so much easier (I'm also the worst at math so this is really important to me).
For Biff's Fixe, diners can choose from four appetizers, five mains and three desserts. Both the appetizer and main includes a vegetarian option. With the five of us, you would think that there would be a variety of dishes ordered that evening, but on the contrary, we all ordered the same appetizer. I guess that's why we are friends :) Mains were a bit better with three different plates, and desserts we picked two out of the three options. The food blogger in me was really hoping that I could try and get a photo of each and every prix fixe dish, but meh, no luck.
APPETIZER
CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT
with cornichons
MAINS
DUCK CONFIT
Braised kale with bacon, smoked onions, cauliflower, blueberry mustard jus
BEEF BOURGUIGNON
Pommes aligot, grilled Northern Woods oyster mushrooms, spring onions, red wine jus
Served with house made grainy mustard and pickles
CHICKEN SUPRÊME À L’AMÉRICAINE
Dijon wine glaze, garlic & herb crust, fennel confit, glazed vegetables, roasted chicken jus
DESSERT
LEMON TART
Rhubarb, vanilla meringue
TOASTED COCONUT BAVAROIS
Spiced blueberry curd, banana tuile
We all loved the Chicken Liver Parfait, so I guess it was the right choice after all. For me, there was no question that I would choose the Chicken Liver Parfait over the other appetizer options, which were "Seasonal 100km Greens", "Mushroom Soup" and "Salade Caesar" (this is because I never order salad or soup as my appetizer, so nothing against Biff's). The Chicken Liver Parfait, served with crostini, pickles, and grainy mustard, was smooth, silky, and quite dense yet still spreadable. Flavour was good, no complaints. For my main, I had the Beef Bourguignon. The beef was meltingly tender, and the deeply savoury aroma of onions, beef and red wine really came through. The pommes aligot, which is essentially mashed potatoes with cheese, made the whole dish very comforting to eat. I had a few bites of my friend's Duck Confit and Chicken Supreme a L'Americaine. I thought the Duck Confit was excellent. The duck leg was super-crisp skinned and tender, and it was served on a bed of delicious braised kale, bacon, smoked onions and cauliflower. Great dish. I think I liked it even more than my Beef Bourguignon. The Chicken Supreme a L'Americaine was good but definitely not my favourite. Chicken hardly impresses me, unless it's fried chicken.
For dessert, I really enjoyed my Lemon Tart, especially with the touch of rhubarb. Even though I was pretty full after my main, the perfect ratio of sweetness and tartness in the Lemon Tart made me want to keep eating it and eating it. The Toasted Coconut Bavarois was also tasty. It had a texture that's in between a panna cotta and mousse; it's soft, creamy and velvety like a mousse but firmer, yet softer than a panna cotta.
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