To nom or not to nom? @ the Redhouse

The Redhouse

My brother came over for a quick visit on Friday and was starving after a meeting he finished in Kitchener.  When he picked me up from school, he knew he wanted to eat, but didn't know what he wanted.  So I recommended a cute little place on William and Caroline in Uptown called Yukiko's Cafe Bistro.    

To my surprise, the cute little restaurant I was hoping to see has been replaced by the Redhouse. Although the bistro wasn't what I was expecting, I was still excited to try the quaint casual chic restaurant. 

When I looked at the menu, the restaurant was everything I was hoping it would be.  A gourmet restaurant that focuses on quality local fresh food at affordable prices. Since it was peach season, I ordered the peach ginger salad with the added squid.  My brother decided on the home smoked turkey sandwich and the butternut squash soup.  

Our slightly awkward but sweet-as-honey server brought us quartered radishes, cucumbers, and toasted pitas for the complimentary daily hummus.   

Review:  Overall, my brother and I felt a little disappointed with the food, but the service was good. 

My squid, although very tender, was most likely a result of being under cooked.  In addition to that, the squid had a very strong fish smell (which usually doesn't bother me since I'm a seafood lover) and could have benefited from a sprinkle of citrus.  I expected the ginger to be home pickled but turned out to be the same commercial pink preserves that partners your wasabi at a sushi restaurant.

Sadly, the sandwich was not our favorite either.  The turkey itself was delicious, but the beans and corn did not elevate the flavour or texture of the sandwich.  In addition, the bread was too charred for my brother's taste and he had to scrap off some of the burnt bread before he ate it.  

The soup was a little under seasoned and the walnuts sprinkled on top should have been toasted, spiced, or candied just to give the butternut squash a little more oomph.  

The complimentary hummus was probably my favorite dish during our dining experience. 

Conclusion:  Although I'd like to support new upcoming chefs, I felt as though the Redhouse fell a bit short. Conceptually, I think that the menu and the restaurant can go very far, but each plate just needed a little more "something else" to really make the food pop.  I'd like to visit the restaurant again but can not recommend the Redhouse to anyone.  I hope that my second venture in the future will impress me a little more!