For this month’s girls’ night, we decided on Pigeonhole. Now that Betty is pregnant, I always check to see if the restaurant has food that she’ll like so she doesn’t end up hangry. We met at Quebecois’ house for a glass of wine before heading to the restaurant. For this post, let’s listen to “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple.
Pigeonhole was hopping on a Friday night. At 7:00 p.m., most of the tables were full or in the process of being turned over for a new party. When asked if we wanted still or sparkling, we opted for the latter. Quebecois thought the restaurant served in-house sparkling water, which is only a couple of bucks a person, but we learned too late that they have only small bottles of sparkling water ($6). The sparkling water tasted fresher than most bubbles, but when it comes to water, I prefer it el cheapo, straight from the tap.
Quebecois looked at the wines on the menu and mentioned to our server that many were “young”. She and her husband are really into aged wines. The server said the restaurant likes its wines young and fresh. We ordered a bottle of Hiedler “lӧss” ’20 ($65). Quebecois commented the wine had low acidity and no strong taste, which she preferred. I enjoyed how cold the wine was and thought it tasted better than when it warmed up in my glass.
The wagyu beef tartare ($21) was even better than the last time I tried it. The beef was chilled, creamy and salty from the cheddar and horseradish. Betty enjoyed the kick of flavour in it, which I thought tasted like pickles. I would get this again.
Quebecois wanted the scallop crudo ($17). Kournikova enjoyed the chili-citrus vinaigrette, which she thought was almost as good as my homemade chili oil. I found the scallop a tad fishy, but I loved the pop of basil and the crunch from the Marcona almonds.
I wanted to try the mushroom croquettes ($9). Small but mighty, hot and crunchy, this was a one bite wonder. I would order this again.
The group’s favourite dish was the charred cabbage ($17). This dish is pure decadence. Imagine the flavour from the crispiest skin on a porchetta or torched salmon belly with kewpie mayo, but it’s cabbage. Covered in cheese and most likely a lot of butter and mayonnaise, everyone ate with their eyes closed and a smile on their lips. Kournikova mentioned she liked the little jalapeno spice that hit her throat at the very end.
I took all the photos this time and I’m pleased with the one of the roasted mini peppers ($9). The peppers were blistering hot, with a delicious char on them. Simple, but perfectly cooked. I was glad Kournikova wanted this dish, as I wanted something more wholesome after the cabbage.
Kournikova picked the Berkshire pork chop ($48). Maybe I’m not used to fancy pork, but I found the texture tough. The baked split peas reminded me a little of baked beans, and the roasted onions were silky smooth and delicious.
Betty always likes to order a pasta dish, so this one was for her. The ricotta cavatelli ($30) came with lobster mushroom, bacon, rosemary, and poached egg. The noodles were firm. I know the term “lobster mushroom” describes a specific type of mushroom with a unique appearance. However, I wish it was called something else because once I see the word lobster, I can’t stop expecting to taste lobster.
Our next outing will be at Kama, a restaurant I was reluctant to book before because they require a credit card when reserving via Opentable. However, my friends don’t flake, so I am willing to break my number one restaurant rule of never reserving a table at a new restaurant using my card. Thanks for the company, ladies, I’m already looking forward to the next dinner!
Hitting the Sauce 