Brasserie Frisco, Toronto

Stopped into this place after getting a gift certificate for my birthday for a selection of restaurants. I hadn't even heard of Brasserie Frisco before and thought it was the most interesting of the choices. I would soon find out that my choice was not in vain.

Walking in, the atmosphere impressed me immediately. It certainly did not look like the kind of place you would expect to see in the middle of Toronto's dance club district to be sure. Rich wood and dark colors surrounded the place and quickly brought you into the illusion that you were stepping out of the city and into an authentic French brasserie.

Perusing the menu again I decided on coq au vin. It's a dish I regret to say I hadn't tried before today. When it appeared in front of me I had an instant smile appear on my face. The rich aroma of the jus wafting up from the chicken just made me breathe in deeply and savor every scent. The taste did not leave anythihng to be desired either with the flavours penetrating deep into the chicken.

I completed the meal with a creme brulée. Maybe I'm a little short on imagination but I always like to try it because it's always different wherever you go. In this case the crust on top was done prefectly. Not too thick, not too charred. And the creme was fantastic. It was one of the best I'd had in a long time, and after being dissapointed so many times it was a nice change to be pleasantly surprised.

I'd recommend Brasserie Frisco to anyone looking for relatively inexpensive brasserie food downtown.