Bistro Tournesol

Once a year the four ladies meet for a dinner. We always look forward to the occasion and do a lot of research to find the right spot. Unfortunately Sybil chose to spend the day with her husband in Stratford. We understood but really missed her. Annette and Bea took my advice that Bistro Tournesol was the perfect choice for us. I had dined here a few weeks previously and couldn’t wait for another occasion to come back.

Philip Lewicki is one of the owners and he works the front of the house. He is handsome, charming and extremely efficient. No wonder this restaurant is such a success. Craig Lockhart is the chef and he deserves a medal of honor for his outstanding creative skill. I hope to meet Mel Bryan, the other owner, on my next visit.

The food is exquisite from beginning to end. I can’t remember eating so much for a long time but wasn’t willing to give up one morsel. Every bite was perfect. It was outstanding.

This is Summerlicious time and we were offered 3 courses for $25.00. This is the bargain of the century considering the quality and presentation of the food.

Bea, Annette and I opted for the Smoked Salmon and Smoked Tuna appetizer. It was wondrous. The perfectly prepared fish was nestled on a bed of chiffonade of cabbage. Tournesol Mixed Salad with sunflower seeds in a strawberry–black pepper vinaigrette was another choice. East Coast Crab and Fish Cake is served with chiffonade of Napa cabbage.

I remembered the Planked Salmon from my last visit and loved it so much I wanted to enjoy it all over again. This delicious moist salmon is served to each guest on a small cedar plank. Perfectly cooked vegetables graced the plate. We didn’t need it but we all devoured the bowl of Scrumptious French fries.

Bea chose the Confit of Duck. We enquired as to the meaning of confit and were told it means the food product cooked with its own juices. The duck was enjoyed. Penne Pasta with BBQ Chicken, Mushrooms, Zucchini and Fresh Tomato was the other option for this evening. Vegetarian Pasta option is available.

We all ordered the Lemon Curd Tart. Each plate contained a large fresh, perfectly crusted, lemony lemon tart. I didn’t know anything could taste this good. Fresh preserves decorated the plate. We didn’t miss a crumb. Tomorrow we could worry about dieting. With food this exquisite we were bound to enjoy every bite and every minute. Bittersweet Belgium Chocolate Mousse with white chocolate shavings and almond biscotti was very tempting. The third option was a Fruit Crumble with Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream. The Summerlicious menu offers several choices in each category. The regular menu is still available. The food here is creative, perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious.

I adore meeting with my dear friends and I certainly loved our choice of this fine dining restaurant.