FRANK Restaurant @ the AGO

seafood ceviche


jambon persillade with housemade cassis mustard and baguette toasts


pan seared, crisp skinned rainbow trout nicoise with fingerling potatoes, french green beans, cherry tomatoes with olive, anchovy vinaigrette and lemon anchovy aioli


grilled lamb and lavender house made sausage with warm du puy lentils and grilled summer vegetables




he <3 suits

summer berry pudding with strawberries, raspberries, red currants and vanilla whipped cream


sour cherry and almond cobbler with amaretto crème fraiche





enjoyed a wonderful summerlicious dinner at the FRANK restaurant at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
i had not heard much about the restaurant previously, so knew little of what to expect

the clean modern interior was much larger than anticipated,
with multilevel seating and an open kitchen where we could see chefs in action
the trademark AGO light wood paneling was upheld throughout the restaurant,
allowing it to feel like a natural extension of the gallery space

i had heard quite a few stories of summerlicious menu items not living up to par of the restaurant's reputation
but was very pleasantly surprised with both the taste and the presentation of the dishes
it was obviously crafted with much attention,

my favourite dishes were the seafood ceviche and the grilled trout
i'm a big seafood person
and am a fairly good judge of freshness
the seafood ceviche was beautifully presented and very light
a great way to prelude a meal
the grilled trout was warm and buttery
with a delicious seared crust

i would definitely recommend the restaurant to those looking for a nice bite after a visit to nearby galleries
the atmosphere was unpretentious, and dressing up was definitely not a perquisite!

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4/5
summerlicious dinner menu: $35 dinner
http://www.ago.net/frank

Art Gallery of Ontario
317 Dundas Street West Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1G4

Restaurant Chartier

quite a line forms by 9pm


dont let the small front fool you...


its MASSIVE inside!


Museau de boeuf vinaigrette & Jambon de pays et saucisse seche


escargots! so delish we did two orders. plus it comes with really fun specialty utensils


Filet de colin creme de champignons  



Pied de porc grille frites


Confit de canard pommes grenailles


Baba au rhum chantilly


lime sorbet


Poire melba chantilly



to cap off our last night in Paris, 
i had dinner at the wonderful gem Restaurant Chartier 
situated near the grand boulevards metro station 
the restaurant has been serving delicious authentic french cuisine at an insanely affordable price since the turn of the century (1900s, not the 2000s)


the decor of the large bright dining hall doesnt seem to have changed much in the past hundred-odd years
with beautiful detailing from the bell epoque and waiters clad in classic wait-staff ware 
the atmosphere of the restaurant is as much of the experience as the food 


the large dining hall is cheerful and unpretentious 
with waiters scrawling orders onto your table cloth 
and food that comes way faster than you'd expect for a restaurant that seats hundreds 


suggestions: 
- like many older parisian establishments, central air-conditioning is none existent. Be prepared for the restaurant to get heated on a hot day, despite the best efforts of the ceiling fans
- the menu is in french with no english translations. waiters are passable in english, but don't expect them to be able to explain every dish. brush up your high school french, or just close your eyes and point. you likely wont be disappointed 
- come early if you don't want to wait. if you're a party of two, be prepared to share a table with another couple. on the bright side, its a great way to meet people. or at least copy your table partner's orders if you can't decipher the menu 


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5/5
three course dinner for 3 with alcoholic drinks: roughly 70 euros 
menu: http://www.restaurant-chartier.com/www/visit/atable.php
Restaurant Chartier 
7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre 75009 PARIS 
01 47 70 86 29