The first dinner I had at Niagara Falls was AG at the Sterling, a well-known farm-to-table restaurant.



This restaurant helped set the standard for incredible cuisine in the area. The whole front page of their menu is dedicated to this concept and even lists many of their local vendors.



This restaurant came on the heels of a double-wing stop in Buffalo, so I wasn't super hungry, but I was definitely wanting a few little tastes.



The entrees featured delectable items like quail and blueberry barley risotto, hand rolled pappardelle and mulled cider glazed duck.



You can do a full prix fixe menu with beverage pairing or do more a la carte.

But, first we started with some warm bread - one with fruit and one more savory. Delicious.



Then, a small cold fish palate cleanser from the chef.



I ordered the Harissa rubbed wild boar fusilli with forest mushrooms, root parsley pesto and "Dark Side of the Moo" cheese. This was unbelievable. Perfect bite to the pasta, but fresh. I still think of this dish.



Then, for dessert, I had the Spring Rhubarb Trifle, which came with diced rhubarb gateau, custard, rhubarb gelee and salted caramel pearls. So yummy!

The Barge had been a favorite local restaurant (it's a barge! on the river!) until it closed. It recently opened back up this summer with a bar-like vibe on the bottom floor and a fine dining atmosphere on the top floor, Bistro at the Barge. We checked out the top floor for my birthday.














Fresh-baked rolls


Cheese & Charcuterie Board - A selection of artisanal charcuterie meats & cheeses served with crostini, fruit, smoked honey, bourbon fig jam, olive tapenade & stone-ground whole grain mustard


Palata cleanser lime sorbet


Sea Scallops - Pan-seared porcini dusted sea scallops over a pepperonata farro risotto



Creamy Chicken Carbonara - Airline chicken breast over linguine tossed in a creamy carbonara sauce with sweet peas and bacon

There's a beautiful restaurant nestled in the woods of Charles Town that logs every single meal they ever make.

The Redbook Restaurant at Hillbrook Inn & Spa serves just one prix fixe meal per evening in three time settings: 6 p.m., 7 p.m., or 8 p.m. There is a four-course menu for the first seating, and the latter two have an additional course, bringing it up to five total.

Since it was just me, and a little cheaper, I went for the early dinner with the four courses.

Once I made my way through this very sweet property, with trees lining the roads, a little creek and a life-size chess board, I parked my car and walked inside.

The building is lovely. It has character, beautiful decorations and a classic elegance.

Soon, I learned that I was the only diner that evening for the 6 p.m. meal. Imagine my surprise when I was literally the only person in the restaurant. Me, my server, and the chef. That's it.

But, it was nice to receive such personalized attention.

Once I was seated, I saw what I would be having that evening. They do update the menu daily on the website, but I hadn't had a chance to see what I would be having until I saw the printed menu at my table.

If you're adventurous, this is a fun surprise. If you're more cautious, not having any flexibility or options could be cumbersome. But, I was thrilled by the experience.

For my first bite, I was offered a piece of bread and some butter. Always nice to have a nice, warm crusty piece of bread.


Then, we moved to the first course, which was a root vegetable salad with beets, carrot, orange and all kinds of tasty goodies. Yummy!


The second course was a roasted red pepper soup, which was so rich and creamy - and the aforementioned bread was prefect with it.

The third course was a slow-cooked ribeye, tomato and basil polenta and a demi glace. This steak was perfectly cooked, the creamed polenta was savory, the demi glace sweet. Perfect mix of textures and flavors. This is my idea of a well-balanced dish.

And, for dessert, poached peaches and a salted caramel ice cream (heaven). It's almost like they tailored this meal for me.

That is actually a cool thing, because they write down every meal they serve in these red books so that if you dine with them again, you are certain to not ever receive the same meal again. They rarely repeat meals and instead draw on seasonal and local ingredients.

The whole concept to me is very cool, especially as someone who likes to document all those experiences and such. So, it's really cool to have everything they've ever done in a notebook.

So, I kept myself entertained while dining, flipping through all the previous meals.

At this very chic, very intimate restaurant in Le Priori hotel, mod light fixtures are set against stone-and-brick walls, and a secret garden terrace removes all street noise out back, making it perfect for a relaxing night with friends. Enjoy chef Christian Lemelin's elaborate take on lobster risotto, a scrumptious pork cassoulet, or fried duck with adobo spice and squash gnocchi (Fodors).

The interior is beautiful with modern decor, dim lighting and deep red colors weaved throughout. I started my meal with an adult beverage - because New Year's. I ordered the "Rhubarbtini," which had vodka, triple sec, eau de rhubarbe and zest.

Yes, I really liked this; but I also really like rhubarb. These martini glasses were like stainless steel. That was a new one for me. Our server helped recommend some drinks and was very accommodating with our broken French.

First up was some bread and oil. Not bad. Little salt, little parmesan, lots of oil - you can't go wrong.

For appetizers, we ordered: Québec farm raised bison tartar with «duxelles», figatelli from «cochons tout ronds» and whipped foie gras $ 24 (Created in 2012) - Celeriac and black garlic pudding, hollandaise with Aliksir black pepper, cipollini confit. It's such a small serving for $24, but man was it good. The tartar is so fresh, the whipped foie gras is light, and these flavors all together were just fantastic.

We also got the Foie gras «torchon» from Canard Goulu farm, golden poultry jus glaze $ 28 * (Created in 2012) Mushroom marinated in Xérès vinegar, confit gizzards, Québec plums & hazelnut, homemade brioche. We knew we needed to try this foie gras, and I was not disappointed. I was never a fan when I've tried it before, but it's also never been this creamy, this flavorful or this absolutely delicious. Paired with some pickled mushrooms, sweet plums and homemade bread - it only got better.

 Just live for the moment and forget about the time at Toast!, the restaurant at the charming Old Port hotel Le Priori (17 rue Sault-au-Matelot). Warm and trendy décor. Our cuisine is inspired by flavours from around the globe. The chef/owner, Chistian Lemelin, develops the daily menu based on what he finds at the market. Help support local agrifood producers! The atmosphere in the main dining room differs from that in the private lounge. Large indoor garden with a covered terrace that is heated in season (Quebec Tourism).

So, next up was the main entrees.

So, I ordered the surf and turf of BBQ octopus and seared veal sweetbreads $ 38 (Created in 2014) Sautéed spatzel and grilled pepper, oyster mushroom, corn, cream, parmesan cheese, blacklong pepper sauce, soubise flavored with saltworth, celeriac salad, coppa.

Wow. Both BBQ octopus and sweetbreads were new to me, but I fell in love with both. I love the slight chew of the octopus - just a little. And the flavors were beyond. The sweetbreads were much softer but with a delicious sear and umami-laden sauce. Lighter touches with the celeriac and the spaetzel salad topped it off. I was really blown away by this meal. I was beyond happy with how delicious and different it was.

After how amazing the meal so far had been, I couldn't NOT get dessert. We went with the Goat Cheesecake, caramelized fig with honey & cardamom with ginger butter cookie, butternut sherbet and buckwheat nougatine.

I love that this dessert wasn't overly sweet, but it certainly felt indulgent. Caramel-y, but salty and creamy. Definitely the perfect way to end the evening.

Do yourself a favor - if there's one restaurant to stop at in Quebec City, it's this one

Grade: A