Linny's

After all these tasting menus and elevated fine-dining experiences, it was time to...  go for another tasting menu!  Now, this was a little different as we made our way out to Ossington for Linny's.  This high-class deli and steakhouse elicits vibes from yesteryear with New York decor and servers with bow ties.  One could easily order a la carte off the menu, but for 2 people to get the Linny's experience, the Friday Night Special (can be had any night) is the way to go.  It is a chef's curated menu that highlights everything Linny's is known for.

This all started with some snacks including the Challah Service where it came with an addictive fresh cheese and blueberries.  The bread itself was fluffy and light with just the slightest chew.  Some nuttiness was provide by the roasted sesames on top while the spread was thick and creamy (like cream cheese, but milder) with the sweetness of blueberry compote and tangy dusting of sumac.  We found a couple of Pastrami Croquettes topped with pastrami seasoning aioli.  These croquettes were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  The exterior was so light, it literally broke apart on contact.  Peppery and smoky, the pastrami and aioli added quite a punch.  Lastly, we had 2 slices of seared Pastrami Sausage which was salty and fatty.  It was sinful to eat, but super tasty.  The mustard helped cut the heaviness and salt.  House-made pickles helped cut even more so.

Next set of dishes included the Fluke Crudo sitting in a fennel oil that was super impactful.  It had enough salt to season the fish while the oil was definitely liquorice-forward.  It was a bit floral with the sharpness of garlic.  We also got the Chicken Liver Toast with cured egg yolk, fried onion and pickles.  First of all, the bread underneath was somewhat crispy with crunchy edges, but still soft in the middle.  I prefer this as it gave us a few textures rather than just crunchy.  The liver mousse was a bit on the salty side, but I enjoyed the boldness with a touch of booziness and sweetness.  The onions were aromatic and nutty while the pickles provided the necessary acidity.  Lastly, we had Linny's House Salad with gem lettuce, cucumber, bulgar and champagne vinaigrette.  Nice interlude in between the saltiness and richness of the current and previous dishes.  We had sweet tanginess and the brightness of champagne to go with the tender leaves.  Bulgar was a nice crunch to the mix.

Then we were served slices of their famed Pastrami with mustard.  Oh these buttery slices were heavenly.  Nicely marbled, these melted in my mouth and had the rich salty earthiness that we all associate with pastrami.  Of course there was a hint of pepperiness as well.  Cutting through the fattiness and saltiness was the tangy and slightly hot mustard.  There was also a plate stacked full of French Fries that were super crispy and totally fried multiple times.  These were more like crisps, but hey, I loved them.  Completely salted and tasting great on their own, but we had some aioli, ketchup and mustard on the side to compliment.

Of course we had to have a steak somewhere in the meal right?  Subsequently, we were presented with The Romanian or Hanger Steak with Grace's garlic and a Beef Karnatzel.  This was a beautiful cut of meat that doesn't get enough love.  It comes from the plate of the cow and is super meaty in flavour.  This one was exactly that and was prepared medium-rare.  It was tender with a pleasant chew while perfectly salted.  Some compound butter made things velvety and flavourful from the pastrami spices.  Hey, that roasted bulb of garlic was aromatic and complimented the beef well.  On the side, we found Cylindra Beets with pistachios and shallots.  The tender, earthy and sweet beets were great with the plethora of crushed pistachios as well as the pistachio puree.  Nice nuttiness and saltiness.  The shallots provided that bright crunch.

Before dessert, we were served some house-made Marshmallows which were light and fluffy.  Onto the actual dessert, we had the Chocolate Babka braided with chocolate and topped with vanilla ice cream.  This pull-apart bread was super soft and airy with a crispy exterior.  The chocolate was semi-sweet with appealing bitterness.  In the end, we really enjoyed this meal because it was completely different than what we had been eating.  Food is more down-to-earth but classy at the same time.  Service was great and we had more than enough to eat.  Would come back when in town.

The Good:

- Not fussy food, but still classy

- More than enough to eat with the tasting menu

- Great service

The Bad:

- Although there was some great light interludes, the meal as a whole is quite heavy