My Mother and IThis past weekend my mother and I went to Casino Rama for a Christmas party. It felt weird to be going to a Christmas party when it wasn't even December yet. To be honest, I wasn't even aware that it was a Christmas party until three days prior to going. The reason we were going in the first place is because one of our favourite bands were playing; Leahy. They're a Canadian Celtic band. They're from Nova Scotia and currently reside in Peterborough, which isn't too far from where I live! They are an amazing band, and what makes it even more perfect is the fact that they are family, I mean how cute is that?!
When we walked into the hall it was so beautifully decorated. You walked in and there was a wreath probably about eight feet by eight feet with a blonde lady sitting on the wreath waving at everyone who walked in. (Cute idea, but the looked like a dummy, the smile that was plastered on her face was... frightening to say the least). You then walked by Christmas trees decorated with beautiful lights, and ornaments, some ornaments were the size of beach balls. The trees were probably 20-30 feet high. Along the walkway there were hundreds of poinsettia planters which just added such a warm touch to your heart. Then when you looked at the wall they were dressed with hanging jewels.
The tables were beyond beautifully decorated. You either sat at a green or a red table. Each seat was adorned with a beautiful sash along the back of the chair tied with jewels to hold the ribbon on. The napkins were a ruffled silk with a cinnamon stick and pine tree branch, it smelt so beautiful. There was a beautiful glass centerpiece with poinsettias, pine cones and a large red candle in the middle.
When we walked in, we grabbed our seat and immediately the appetizer was served. (I didn't grab a picture of this, it was a beautiful presentation, however, I didn't eat much of it since there was a lot of meat in it. The tuna however was very delicious.Appetizer:
- Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp Caesar
- Tuna Niçoise on Fingerling Potato
- Lobster Claw Bloody Mary
- Oven Roasted Apple & Butternut Squash
- Savory Cinnamon en Croûte
As you all know I am a huge fan of butternut squash, it is such a beautiful flavour, and with the addition of cinnamon it makes it even more perfect. When I sat down and read the menu and saw this soup I immediately threw my hands together, I was so excited. People LOVED the cinnamon souffle, "it's like dinner on top of your soup!". Of course, the addition of puff pastry makes anything taste even more rich, I mean, it's pretty much all butter. What was really interesting about having the soup baked in with the puff pastry on top is the fact that it created a shell, so when you took the puff pastry off you got a huge steam cloud overtake your plate, this was definitely a bonus to the soup!Followed by this was a Salad:
- Earthy Beans and Grain Salad
- Woolwich Goat Cheese
- Orange Tarragon Dressing
Honestly, it was okay. I'm not a fan of beans, and the sauce was definitely mayo based so it made me want to gag. However, I gobbled down the goat cheese and the salad on top. The cranberry sauce on the side was absolutely wonderful and the presentation was just beautiful. I mean really, it definitely got my vote on aesthetics it was so eye-capturing.Next was the Main Course:
- Seared Beef Tenderloi
- Slow Cooked Turkey Medallion
- Foie Gras Herb Butter, Cranberry Compote
- Potato Dauphinoise, Winter Vegetables
- Red Currant Peppercorn Sauce
- Caramelized Onions with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Grilled Tofu and Fennel Salad
- Citrus Vinaigrette
This was seriously amazing. The potatoes and the onion were SO incredibly well done that I felt like a glutton at how fast I munched them down. The tofu, well, you can probably tell from the picture was not the best. Whomever made the tofu definitely isn't a tofu eater because to be honest, all they did was put it on the grill like you would a slab of meat and didn't put any seasonings or sauces on it. I ate it for the protein, but really, no. The fennel salad, well I mean, they hit the nail on the head. My love for licorice flavour how could I say no to a fennel salad? I ate this dish so quickly that my server asked me if I wanted another plate, she's like, "you started after everyone else and you're already done! You sure you don't want anymore?" I HAD to say no, because... Dessert:- Caramel Cheesecake, Cinnamon Ice Cream
- Chocolate Fudge Cake Surprise
Well, honestly, I think I consumed enough calories and fat that I should of gotten in a whole weeks worth of meals. I'm not exaggerating to you either, I had the biggest stomach ache I've ever had. The next day I was scared to go in the car because I thought I was going to puke.
They had drawn the curtains, played some music, and then all these chefs/students from George Brown College came out holding our dessert plates. My camera didn't take the nicest of pictures so it didn't do it justice but the presentation was gorgeous. It was so Christmas-y it was just so beautiful. The flavours were definitely for a very rich palate. The people around me complained that, "who would eat all of this?" Well, let me tell you what I ate.
I ate my whole plate. Then I ate my mothers chocolate cake and her cheesecake. The woman next to her whom I didn't know, I ate her chocolate cake. The old lady next to me whom I didn't know I ate her ice cream AND her chocolate cake. Do you believe me now that I ate a little too much? When it comes to desserts I'm a bit of a binge eater... it's pretty bad. So my review on the dessert? Was it really worth eating all of that fat etc...? No... not really. To be honest, it wasn't that great I was just REALLY craving lots and lots of fat and sugars. The cinnamon ice cream well that was perfect. I mean, really folks how can you go wrong with ice cream + cinnamon? I really don't think you can, unless you're just bad. This however was served over (I can't remember the name of it... but I know it contains lots of sugar and corn syrup), it wasn't fun to eat off of it seriously stabbed your tongue, however it was pretty. The chocolate cake was insanely insanely rich, and you all know how I'm not a chocolate fan. Again, why did I do that to myself. The icing on it was pretty, bluh... it was almost kind of rubbery but the inside was perfectly moist which is why I kept going back to it. The other dessert was a caramel cheesecake. Now honestly, I despise cheesecake, I think it's one of the grossest desserts ever. I thought I would try this because I have a huuuuuge love for caramel. Well, just like the chocolate cake, this dessert had an uber weird coating. It was rubbery, sticky and just odd. The inside, ew. I tried it by itself it made me want to gag. Regardless of how weird the coating was it did taste good and it even made the interior taste good, hence I had two pieces.
All in all the evening was very good. The music was perfect. The decorations were beyond words at how beautiful it was and really made it feel as though it was already Christmas. The food was excellent for the most part. The all around feeling of the night was just so heart-warming, seriously, it was a really happy evening. I'm glad my mom took me here, because it really did mean a lot to me. :)Where are you going for your Christmas party?
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