First off -- sorry. We can't believe we haven't made a single post since last year's Food & Beverage reports! What can we say, it's been a year… We've been busy, we spontaneously decided to move to a different city and found our dream house, which is still filled with boxes upon boxes upon boxes. But we've also both been going inward, quite deeply. And it's quite difficult to open outward, I guess, when your innards are all raw and gooey and you're feeling more vulnerable than an accidentally-hatched robin. I'm sure there will be songs about all this at some point, and we'll be throwing our innards back on the table once more, but we're still in cocoon mode (or cuckoo mode, depending on the day!), so you're stuck with the Food & Beverage reports for now. :)
Which, honestly, we're kind of surprised people are looking forward to reading. It kind of feels like "hey, look at all the glorious food we're having, but you can't share it!" But a bunch of you folks have actually asked for this so… if you don't like reading this, we'll give you their addresses. ;)
Our annual anniversary trek to Sir Sam's Inn began rather stressfully. Alyssa had MapQuest-ed the route from our new home the night before, and we gave ourselves an extra hour, just so we could putter our way up and maybe hang out by the water for a bit before our 2:00 massage appointment. However, when we started the car, the GPS told us it was going to take us a half hour more than MapQuest had told us it would. And then as we headed up Highway 11 and got to the north end of Orillia, the traffic COMPLETELY STOPPED. Our "Beat the Traffic" app (seriously, how did we ever drive anywhere before all this technology?!?) showed a line of red for a few kilometres and orange for several more. This did not bode well… It took us 20 minutes to get to the next exit, but we managed to find a back-country route that got us clear of the worst of it. By the time we got back on the highway, though, it looked like we were going to be 15-20 minutes late for our couples massage!
Alyssa closed her eyes and prayed to all the gods she could remember, and Don somehow got us there 20 minutes EARLY for our massage. We were even able to check in early before our appointment (which we hadn't expected, since check-in time is usually 3:00). A familiar face at the front desk, the manager Chris, remembered us and welcomed us back, and we soon ran into the owner Ryan as well. As always, the staff here are incredibly friendly and attentive, and the most commonly heard phrase is "if there's anything we can do for you, let us know!".
It seems we booked a little late in the year to get the glorious room we luxuriated in last year. The room we have this year is lovely, but about 1/3 the size, and 1/4 the closet space. And, spoiled people that we are, we really enjoyed the king-sized bed last year. But hey, how much time do we really spend in the room, anyhow? The weather is wonderful -- so much more comfortable than last year's heat-wave -- and their spring renovations included a new porch with a not-leaky roof, so even if it does rain, we'll have a nice outdoor space to enjoy it. (Although, truth be told, one of our favourite memories from our honeymoon here was the night when a huge storm erupted after dinner, and about a dozen of us all crammed in together into the dry corner, "forcing" us to have a fabulous group conversation that lasted well into the night -- and Margo staying overtime to chat with us all and hand tasty beverages through the windows from the living room.) Bottom line is, we'd be happy in a closet or on a sleeping bag in the hallway, as long as we're here.
So we brought the essentials up to our room, and then headed down the stairs to the spa. Cindy, who usually massages Don, was away (but we'll hopefully see her later in the week), but Cheryl was here for Alyssa, and Cathy subbing in for Cindy. (We're wondering if you have to have a name that begins with "C" in order to work in the spa here?) After the drive up, and the week we'd had, we were definitely putting them through their paces! Although Cheryl said Alyssa's shoulders weren't as bad as last time, so it looks like our yoga classes are doing some good. Don might have snored a few times during his massage… It was one of the quickest hours we'd had, but oh, it sure felt good!
We went up to our room to drink lots of water and sit in dazed-yet-relaxed stupor. That started to feel a bit silly, so we decided to grab our books and have a beer on the deck. At the bar, we met a "newbie", bartender Gordo -- who we liked instantly. No, not just because he's a bartender, but because he's so warm and outgoing, and seems to have a bit of devilish fun in him. We brought our beer and books to the patio and sat under the umbrella, enjoying being back. Then another couple sat down at the table beside us, and it turns out that they're both taking courses at the Haliburton School of the Arts this weekend -- including a singing course with our friend Eve Goldberg! Small world, eh what?
After a second beer (which might have been a mistake, but then again… it's our vacation!), we went back up to the room, because Don couldn't wait to give Alyssa her anniversary present (the actual anniversary isn't until the 17th), which is an iPad! The two of us have been thoroughly geeking out on it ever since.
And now, after all that, we're finally getting to the food!!! First of all, for those of you who are new to the F&B report, we need to give a bit of a preamble here: Last year, our only complaint was the lack of variety in the vegetarian option. Five of our seven nights, the vegetarian option was gnocchi. Now, Alyssa has always loved gnocchi, but after that gnocchi-palooza, can still be muttering "f&#*ing gnocchi" whenever she sees it on a menu. We had said something about it in last year's comment card (hmm… maybe THAT'S why we got the smaller room?), and when Don called to book our week this year, he also mentioned it. The manager put a note on our booking, and suggested Don call back a week before just to make sure everything was in place. He did, and was reassured that all was well. Of course, that didn't stop Alyssa from declaring in the car that "if they offer me f&#*ing gnocchi again, somebody might get punched"...
So back to dinner. We had an 8:00 sitting, and a waiter who was new to us, a lovely young woman named Sarah. As there was no vegetarian option listed on the menu, Alyssa asked what the vegetarian option was.
Can you guess what it was?
C'mon, try...
I dare you...
I triple-dare you...
OK, it was:
F&#*ING GNOCCHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't worry, nobody got punched, and Alyssa is not spending the rest of our anniversary in prison. Seeing (but probably not fully understanding) the look that passed over both our faces, she hurriedly offered that they could do the fish without the prosciutto wrap. And thus, lives were spared.
If f&#*ing gnocchi is the vegetarian option tonight, however, there may be a few words...
We've totally blanked on the name of the wine we ordered last night -- we'll have to look it up and tell you later. We do remember the name of the wine we ordered but they were out of stock, for which Sarah was incredibly apologetic (not a problem, as their wine list is a couple of arms-lengths long). It was a California Zinfandel of some variety, that we think maybe started with an M… Oh bless you, internet! Marietta 2009 Zinfandel from Sonoma. (Seriously, how did we remember things before technology?)
For starters, we both ordered the Roasted Beets & Walnuts Salad, with warm herb & panko crusted Woolwich goat cheese. Flavours to die for! It was laid out on a rectangular plate, with greens on one end, the roasted beets & walnuts in the centre, and the crusted goat cheese on the other side. Each bit was delicious on its own, but when you combined them all together, well… Alyssa might have been moaning a bit. :)
Don had the Grilled Beef Tenderloin Pizzaila, with a mantle of olive oil poached tomato and fresh buffalo mozzarella. Tender (obviously) beef, great flavours. Alyssa went, not for the f&#*ing gnocchi, as you might have guessed, but for the Pan Seared Ontario Rainbow Trout, skipping the panko & prosciutto crust, but topped with a shrimp and apple tartar sauce. Both dishes came with delicious roast potatoes, carrots and cauliflower. We both ate the whole thing, other than one large piece of cauliflower that Alyssa just couldn't cram in...
The dessert options all sounded brilliant, but we were too stuffed to even attempt cheesecake or chocolate mousse cake, so we both opted for strawberries and cream. And, since we were on holiday, Don got an Irish coffee and Alyssa got a Spanish coffee. And we might have moaned a bit more. Even though it was earlier than when we often START dinner at home, we were both totally wiped out from the week, our massages, and perhaps the tasty beverages that had been coming our way, so we opted to skip the bonfire last night, and just retire to our room. OK, maybe with a celebratory scotch to finish off the night… (Yes, the day's booze bill might rival our weekly grocery bill… we shall have to try to contain ourselves a bit better the rest of the week!)
This morning, Don miraculously (or perhaps crazily) woke up at 7:00 and sat downstairs with his laptop and headphones and Logic manual (boys just gotta have fun), until Alyssa's 9:00 "uummpphhhh" of wakefulness.
Breakfast was "the usual" for Don -- scrambled eggs & peameal bacon. Alyssa had "the usual" (coffee, lots of coffee!), plus an omelette with mushrooms, caramelized onions and swiss cheese.
We're now digesting and preparing for a busy day. Which may or may not include some yoga stretches. It's a beautiful day, nice and warm with a soft breeze and sunny with non-threatening clouds. There's a boat cruise on offer this afternoon, which we might join. Also on the agenda: reading, visiting the water spa, walking, napping, eating, talking to nice people, looking at nature, sitting...
And, if the chef knows what's good for him, NO F&#*ING GNOCCHI. :)
Which, honestly, we're kind of surprised people are looking forward to reading. It kind of feels like "hey, look at all the glorious food we're having, but you can't share it!" But a bunch of you folks have actually asked for this so… if you don't like reading this, we'll give you their addresses. ;)
Our annual anniversary trek to Sir Sam's Inn began rather stressfully. Alyssa had MapQuest-ed the route from our new home the night before, and we gave ourselves an extra hour, just so we could putter our way up and maybe hang out by the water for a bit before our 2:00 massage appointment. However, when we started the car, the GPS told us it was going to take us a half hour more than MapQuest had told us it would. And then as we headed up Highway 11 and got to the north end of Orillia, the traffic COMPLETELY STOPPED. Our "Beat the Traffic" app (seriously, how did we ever drive anywhere before all this technology?!?) showed a line of red for a few kilometres and orange for several more. This did not bode well… It took us 20 minutes to get to the next exit, but we managed to find a back-country route that got us clear of the worst of it. By the time we got back on the highway, though, it looked like we were going to be 15-20 minutes late for our couples massage!
Alyssa closed her eyes and prayed to all the gods she could remember, and Don somehow got us there 20 minutes EARLY for our massage. We were even able to check in early before our appointment (which we hadn't expected, since check-in time is usually 3:00). A familiar face at the front desk, the manager Chris, remembered us and welcomed us back, and we soon ran into the owner Ryan as well. As always, the staff here are incredibly friendly and attentive, and the most commonly heard phrase is "if there's anything we can do for you, let us know!".
It seems we booked a little late in the year to get the glorious room we luxuriated in last year. The room we have this year is lovely, but about 1/3 the size, and 1/4 the closet space. And, spoiled people that we are, we really enjoyed the king-sized bed last year. But hey, how much time do we really spend in the room, anyhow? The weather is wonderful -- so much more comfortable than last year's heat-wave -- and their spring renovations included a new porch with a not-leaky roof, so even if it does rain, we'll have a nice outdoor space to enjoy it. (Although, truth be told, one of our favourite memories from our honeymoon here was the night when a huge storm erupted after dinner, and about a dozen of us all crammed in together into the dry corner, "forcing" us to have a fabulous group conversation that lasted well into the night -- and Margo staying overtime to chat with us all and hand tasty beverages through the windows from the living room.) Bottom line is, we'd be happy in a closet or on a sleeping bag in the hallway, as long as we're here.
So we brought the essentials up to our room, and then headed down the stairs to the spa. Cindy, who usually massages Don, was away (but we'll hopefully see her later in the week), but Cheryl was here for Alyssa, and Cathy subbing in for Cindy. (We're wondering if you have to have a name that begins with "C" in order to work in the spa here?) After the drive up, and the week we'd had, we were definitely putting them through their paces! Although Cheryl said Alyssa's shoulders weren't as bad as last time, so it looks like our yoga classes are doing some good. Don might have snored a few times during his massage… It was one of the quickest hours we'd had, but oh, it sure felt good!
We went up to our room to drink lots of water and sit in dazed-yet-relaxed stupor. That started to feel a bit silly, so we decided to grab our books and have a beer on the deck. At the bar, we met a "newbie", bartender Gordo -- who we liked instantly. No, not just because he's a bartender, but because he's so warm and outgoing, and seems to have a bit of devilish fun in him. We brought our beer and books to the patio and sat under the umbrella, enjoying being back. Then another couple sat down at the table beside us, and it turns out that they're both taking courses at the Haliburton School of the Arts this weekend -- including a singing course with our friend Eve Goldberg! Small world, eh what?
After a second beer (which might have been a mistake, but then again… it's our vacation!), we went back up to the room, because Don couldn't wait to give Alyssa her anniversary present (the actual anniversary isn't until the 17th), which is an iPad! The two of us have been thoroughly geeking out on it ever since.
And now, after all that, we're finally getting to the food!!! First of all, for those of you who are new to the F&B report, we need to give a bit of a preamble here: Last year, our only complaint was the lack of variety in the vegetarian option. Five of our seven nights, the vegetarian option was gnocchi. Now, Alyssa has always loved gnocchi, but after that gnocchi-palooza, can still be muttering "f&#*ing gnocchi" whenever she sees it on a menu. We had said something about it in last year's comment card (hmm… maybe THAT'S why we got the smaller room?), and when Don called to book our week this year, he also mentioned it. The manager put a note on our booking, and suggested Don call back a week before just to make sure everything was in place. He did, and was reassured that all was well. Of course, that didn't stop Alyssa from declaring in the car that "if they offer me f&#*ing gnocchi again, somebody might get punched"...
So back to dinner. We had an 8:00 sitting, and a waiter who was new to us, a lovely young woman named Sarah. As there was no vegetarian option listed on the menu, Alyssa asked what the vegetarian option was.
Can you guess what it was?
C'mon, try...
I dare you...
I triple-dare you...
OK, it was:
F&#*ING GNOCCHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't worry, nobody got punched, and Alyssa is not spending the rest of our anniversary in prison. Seeing (but probably not fully understanding) the look that passed over both our faces, she hurriedly offered that they could do the fish without the prosciutto wrap. And thus, lives were spared.
If f&#*ing gnocchi is the vegetarian option tonight, however, there may be a few words...
We've totally blanked on the name of the wine we ordered last night -- we'll have to look it up and tell you later. We do remember the name of the wine we ordered but they were out of stock, for which Sarah was incredibly apologetic (not a problem, as their wine list is a couple of arms-lengths long). It was a California Zinfandel of some variety, that we think maybe started with an M… Oh bless you, internet! Marietta 2009 Zinfandel from Sonoma. (Seriously, how did we remember things before technology?)
For starters, we both ordered the Roasted Beets & Walnuts Salad, with warm herb & panko crusted Woolwich goat cheese. Flavours to die for! It was laid out on a rectangular plate, with greens on one end, the roasted beets & walnuts in the centre, and the crusted goat cheese on the other side. Each bit was delicious on its own, but when you combined them all together, well… Alyssa might have been moaning a bit. :)
Don had the Grilled Beef Tenderloin Pizzaila, with a mantle of olive oil poached tomato and fresh buffalo mozzarella. Tender (obviously) beef, great flavours. Alyssa went, not for the f&#*ing gnocchi, as you might have guessed, but for the Pan Seared Ontario Rainbow Trout, skipping the panko & prosciutto crust, but topped with a shrimp and apple tartar sauce. Both dishes came with delicious roast potatoes, carrots and cauliflower. We both ate the whole thing, other than one large piece of cauliflower that Alyssa just couldn't cram in...
The dessert options all sounded brilliant, but we were too stuffed to even attempt cheesecake or chocolate mousse cake, so we both opted for strawberries and cream. And, since we were on holiday, Don got an Irish coffee and Alyssa got a Spanish coffee. And we might have moaned a bit more. Even though it was earlier than when we often START dinner at home, we were both totally wiped out from the week, our massages, and perhaps the tasty beverages that had been coming our way, so we opted to skip the bonfire last night, and just retire to our room. OK, maybe with a celebratory scotch to finish off the night… (Yes, the day's booze bill might rival our weekly grocery bill… we shall have to try to contain ourselves a bit better the rest of the week!)
This morning, Don miraculously (or perhaps crazily) woke up at 7:00 and sat downstairs with his laptop and headphones and Logic manual (boys just gotta have fun), until Alyssa's 9:00 "uummpphhhh" of wakefulness.
Breakfast was "the usual" for Don -- scrambled eggs & peameal bacon. Alyssa had "the usual" (coffee, lots of coffee!), plus an omelette with mushrooms, caramelized onions and swiss cheese.
We're now digesting and preparing for a busy day. Which may or may not include some yoga stretches. It's a beautiful day, nice and warm with a soft breeze and sunny with non-threatening clouds. There's a boat cruise on offer this afternoon, which we might join. Also on the agenda: reading, visiting the water spa, walking, napping, eating, talking to nice people, looking at nature, sitting...
And, if the chef knows what's good for him, NO F&#*ING GNOCCHI. :)