I have not been to Daniel's in 10 years it was a good restraunt at the time .I went back recently and. times have changed.
The Shanks where served in a bowl of watery broth with some sort of mint flavour with bits of parsley floating around. Very greasy and not very flavorful.
The only good part was, the fresh bread and pate very good.
We returned for our 6th time and once again enjoyed a wonderful celebration meal. If anything, Daniel's food keep getting better. Or, maybe it's just that we now know how to order into his strengths.
Briefly; from the amazingly light multigrain baguette with a complementary ramekin of paté to the rich fruit chutney on the Baked Brie, the plump Crepes filled with crab, shrimp and sea scallop slices swimming in a rich Newburg-like Sauce, - everything was perfection.
We have noticed that Daniel's prices are moderate compared to GTA prices for similar menu items.
A bonus. Wines appear to be priced substantially ($5 -$10) below what other restaurants charge for the identical products.
For anyone in Vaughn, it's so close to you this is practically a neighborhood restaurant. And it's far superior to anything else we've tried in that area.
This was our first visit to Daniel's, an easy drive 20 minutes north of Pearson Airport on the west side of Highway 27. We were warmly welcomed into the cheery country-casual dining room decorated with soft yellow and green walls hung with many interesting paintings by local artists. The husky pine tables were topped with burgundy covers.
Service began with a small loaf of warm multigrain bread accompanied by an amuse bouche of silken chicken chicken liver paté accompanied by pool of gently crafted fresh berry vinegar for bread dipping. This little gem was garnished with dark green leaves of fragrant lovage from the restaurant's herb garden. A simple and delicious indication of a competent kitchen's output to enjoy while we sipped our Pinot Grigio and discussed menu choices.
We started with the French Onion Soup that was thankfully lightly salted and a richly flavored, consomme-like Duck and Mushroom Soup. We also enjoyed Daniel's tasty creation of a just-ripe peach filled with smoked trout in a peach and honey yogurt sauce. We noticed the Wedgewood china's subtle dusty rose pattern were complimented by the table cloths, another nice attention to detail here.
As we finished the trout starter our mains promptly arrived. The penne, tossed with ample smoked chicken, black olives, Bermuda onion, and wild mushrooms in a roasted garlic cream sauce, was judged excellent. The flavorful dish of bay scallops, many medium shrimp and a bit of crab meat was finished in an assertive rose sauce. Warning, this is definitely not the usual mild and creamy sauce rendering frequently encountered in many of our too-Americanized Italian restaurants. The rose sauce's bisque-like flavor indicated a well crafted and concentrated seafood stock as its foundation. Another winner, although if I ordered this again I plan to order a more appropriate glass of baco noir with it.
Although we usually pass up desserts, purely in the interest of rounding out this culinary investigation we ordered the Chocolate Mousse and the Rhubarb Crisp. The mousse was a sturdy rendering of the classic, rich with a high ratio chocolate in an eggy base, certainly not the usual fluffy experience. The homey and densely oat-topped crisp was a rustic rendering that reflected the restaurant's rural location. Its warm and cinnamon-pungent blend of apples, rhubarb and strawberries was subtly sweet and blissfully straddled by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Freshly brewed cups of strong coffee complimented the sweets and provided a definitive end to our delightful meal.
The restaurant's jovial host and server provided pleasantly competent service in a relaxed and friendly manner throughout the meal.
In considering the very satisfying dining experience we had and at about $100 with taxes we found Daniel's to be of good value and plan to return soon. It's puzzling why this fine little restaurant has not been reviewed here before.
