Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger
  • ~ Home ~
  • ~ What I Think ~
  • ~ What I See ~
    • Events
    • Food
    • People
    • Places
  • ~ What I Make ~
  • Blog Series
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

Out & About #247 | Adventures in Barrie Day 3: Brunch at Farmhouse + Tanger Outlets

6/26/2016

 
On the final day of our weekend trip, we took advantage of the summery temperatures to hop into the pool for a quick morning swim before returning to Allandale Waterfront for brunch at The Farmhouse.
Picture
The upper patio happened to be completely occupied, which actually turned out in our favour as we could enjoy the view of the skies and hanging lights above from ground level.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Our server promptly welcomed us and allowed just enough time for settling in before returning to take our drink orders. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Iced water was requested, along with an interesting cocktail of sweet tea, lemonade, and vodka - termed "John Daily" - were ordered to start. Honesty, I had high expectations for this drink, as they had claimed to brew their sweet tea from scratch, making the final product resemble a sweetened iced tea, but instead found that it tasted relatively alcohol-free. I hadn't bothered to question our waitress regarding this, though did ponder whether the reduced input of vodka was a consequence of my outwardly youthful appearance.
Picture
Picture
Not nearly as keen on the brunch items as I had been on our day or arrival, I opted for the lighter dish of Chilled Crab & Watermelon Salad. It was listed on the menu as a starter, though I figured it would be filling enough for me when consumed in conjunction with dessert afterwards.
Its arrival was less than grand, however, especially given its $14.50 price tag. A stout, circular stack veering profoundly far from the presentation I had expected, it was essentially a palm-sized chunk of semi-ripe watermelon topped with several spoonfuls of a crab meat-mayo-celery mixture and plated with painfully tiny dollops of "spicy aioli". Although more filling than its appearance told otherwise, the dish wasn't anything I couldn't have recreated at home at a much lower cost. (I mean, I purchased two extremely ripe watermelons from T&T and P.A.T. for less than the entire appetizer!) The spicy aioli sauce wasn't exactly impressive either: there was barely enough for dipping, and tasted like a mere combination of mayonnaise and Sriracha. (Also, the plate hadn't been cleaned properly at all. Sauce streaks wiped in a haphazard manner were clearly on display from all angles.)
Picture
Picture
The Maple Syrup Smoked Trout Benny was one of The Farmhouse's own unique takes on the classic Eggs Benedict. Depicted as a mouthwatering platter of sweet, crispy fish, homefries, and fresh fruit, the result was kilometers short of amazing. All of the aforementioned elements were present, but in significantly smaller numbers (with the exception of the homefries, which were still done to perfection as our first visit).
A small plastic cup of fresh fruit had indeed been placed on the side of the plate, though its contents were simply two sad chunks of honeydew and watermelon (likely from the same fruit which my appetizer had been derived from).
Picture
Picture
On a more positive note, the poached eggs had been executed very well: runny, yolky goodness oozed out onto the dish from underneath a completely cooked soft white shell.
To this moment, I still can't believe that Eggs Benedict were more affordable than a tiny salad. Perhaps I'm just bitter, but it is, in fact, the truth.
Picture
Ending the meal with a sweet finish, we collectively agreed on the Chocolate Torte with Gluten-Free Pecan Crust.
Picture
Despite its small stature, the dessert packed in a great deal of energy (cough CALORIES cough).
The roughly-sliced, 2 inch by 2 inch square piece of caramel-covered creaminess was equal parts crunchy pecan base and impossibly smooth chocolate cake. I do feel the need to complain that the dessert had been plated onto a warm, narrow dish, causing the vanilla ice cream to exhibit signs of liquification before even hitting the table; a whole strawberry had been added as the finishing touch, though its over-ripe properties lent a less-than-stellar vibe to the final product. While I don't believe the Chocolate Torte warrants its eight-dollar charge, it was still a splendid dessert to fill the void in my stomach post-poor decision-making.
Picture
On the journey home, we stopped over at Tanger Outlets briefly to ease feelings of satiation. Unlike Toronto Premium outlets, this shopping destination was entirely indoors, meaning that A/C was in abundance. On the other hand though, selection and diversity of styles and sales falls far behind the former.

Nonetheless, I quite enjoyed the experience and was even able to pick up several deals!
Picture
Picture
Picture
See you next time, Barrie!!​

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Who Am I?

    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    Categories

    All
    Ahgabond Adventures
    Ahgase
    Arctic Aquarium
    Atlantic Canada 2018
    Barrie
    Beauty
    Birthday Buddy
    Chinese New Year
    Conquering COVID 19
    Daily Randoms
    Eyes On You World Tour 2018
    Food
    Friends
    Hallyucon
    Hamilton
    Hong Kong
    Iron Ring
    J Movie
    K Drama
    K-Drama
    Korean Beauty
    K Pop
    Los Angeles 2017
    Macau
    New York 2018
    Ottawa 2019
    Pilates
    Random Rant
    Restaurant Review
    Seoul
    Shopping
    SSMC
    Taiwan
    Vacation
    Vancouver 2013
    Vancouver 2014
    Vancouver 2015
    Vancouver 2016
    Vancouver 2020
    Vancouver 2022


    trazy.com

    RSS Feed


WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

Contact ME

​Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now
© Quirky Aesthetics. All rights reserved. Last modified: August 10, 2015.