Chef Xavier Perez Stone Showcases Harmonious Melange of Mooliciousness for Grand Velas Riviera Maya Resort

Palate Cleansing Cocktail

When I was invited to a dinner by Chef Xavier Perez Stone of Cocina de Autor restaurant at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, hosted at Rostizado, I was expecting a tasting menu full of what we in North America generally associate with Mexican food - tacos, moles, poblanos, yucca, plantains, tamales, etc etc. Instead we were presented with a series of dishes utilizing modern techniques and Mexican ingredients. Chef Xavier Perez Stone is quite accomplished, having won Canada's Iron Chef competition in 2014. Grand Velas has a series of high class resorts in Mexico and is touring around Canada in an effort to encourage more Canadians to visit.

Going Old School at Gary Danko

Glass of champagne to start

On the humans first trip to San Francisco in 2009, they had dined at Gary Danko. At the time, none of us were foodies, and it would be years before I would start my blog, Mr. Moo’s Adventures. However, they were looking for a nice restaurant to have dinner at, at the concierge at The Argonaut Hotel where they were staying arranged a reservation for them to dine there. Since they hadn’t been to Gary Danko in almost 6 years, they wanted to try it out again to see if it was as good as they remembered, or if it was because they hadn’t done a lot of fine dining previously.

Brewing up iCoffee

iCoffee Opus Single Server Brewer

These days, everyone’s at least heard of a single serve coffee brewer, and a lot of workplaces have them. The most commonly known single serve coffee brewer brands tend to be Keurig, Nespresso and Tassimo. I’ve tried all of these at one time or another, with varying opinions as to the success of making a cup of coffee that actually tastes like coffee, not to mention the convenience or lack thereof in some cases.

I had never heard of the iCoffee Opus single serve coffee brewer until they sent me one to try. It’s designed to work with Keurig K Cup pods, as well as reusable fill your own pods. Having used Keurig brewers frequently, the two machines are similar in a lot of ways.

Gastropub Style at Central Social Hall

Sparkling Wine

Central Social Hall opened in 2012 in downtown Edmonton, by friends Jesse Kupina and Jerry Rota. The duo with other restaurant and night club experience under their belts noticed that there was a lack of pubs in Edmonton that actually encouraged people to socialize with one another, and generate discussions, thus Central Social Hall was born. Although it’s been on the corner of 109 Street and Jasper Avenue for almost two years, only one and a half blocks away from where I live, I have to admit that I’ve never stopped in. The idea of pub food was not particularly appealing to me, and at the menu launch event, Jesse Kupina even admitted that they neglected to make food a focus when they initially opened. In order to make themselves stand apart from their competition however, they’ve realized that they need to put an emphasis on their food, making Central Social Hall more like a gastropub.

Beautiful Bites at Bar Bricco

The brainchild of Daniel Costa of Corso 32 fame, it seems that anything he dreams up will be moolicious! Touted as a casual place to grab a drink and quick bite to eat after work, Bar Bricco is most definitely a few steps above the local pub or bar. Located in a small space beside Corso 32, it’s only open evenings and is always packed. Although snagging a table can be a challenge and requires quite a lot of patience, there is also seating at the bar, as well as at a standing bar along the window facing out to the street.