Following our first Dine Around experience and lingering sickness we had to turn down a Dine Around meal with friends earlier in the week, so when we both had had long days and weren't feeling up to cooking we decided a quick meal out was on the cards. Having not long finished snowing the streets were icy and the air frosty which worked in my favour as we went to the second closest restaurant offering a Dine Around menu, and a long stander on my "places to try" list. Veneto is in the Rialto Hotel and bills itself as a Tapas Bar & Lounge. It has a pretty swanky looking bar, a few booths, and then a cosy dining room out the back. This is where we headed and first up were drinks: I started with the Paul Mas Viognier which was smooth and delicious and Wil chose the Fat Tug IPA from the Driftwood Brewery. This wasn't exactly to his liking as he isn't too into the hoppier beers so he switched it up in time for his main course and went with a Pilsner Urquell (on tap!).
For the first course there was never any doubt that Wil would chose the duck poutine but my decision was harder. I very much wanted to try the poutine also, but felt like I should choose something different. Luckily the server jumped in and said the Creole onion and sharp white cheddar soup was pretty awesome, and perfect on a miserable night. She was not wrong and I very much enjoyed my soup: it warmed me right up and the garlic croutons were just perfect.
Onto the mains and things were a little trickier. Wil went for the Pan Seared Chicken Supreme which he mowed through and thoroughly enjoyed. I opted for the steak, once again guided by our server, and was not disappointed. Thankfully this was leaps and bounds ahead of the steak Wil had ordered on Saturday. It was served with some nice thin fries and seasonal vegetables, one of which was parsnip and I was pleasantly surprised. It is only in my adult years that I have ventured out of the safety of potatoes and into the arms of the other root vegetables but now converted I am a great fan.
Having feasted there was almost no room for dessert, but given that I had convinced Wil to come here based on the chocolate and peanut butter creme brulee we had to make room. Disappointingly dessert differed from what was advertised: the peanut butter and chocolate was now a brownie, and the brulee was now kahlua flavoured. These were Wil and my choices respectively and while they were both pretty tasty I have to admit this was the course that let the meal down, ever so slightly. Maybe it was because I had enjoyed a fantastic creme brulee at Il Terrazo the week prior but this one just didn't quite cut it, and I expected more than Wil's brownie delivered.
Having said that we did enjoy a really great meal and will definitely be back another time to try more of their extensive wine list, and hit up some of the tapa plates served in the bar out the front.
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