VIEW Magazine
October 29, 2009
It’s been over two years since I last visited Incognito; I decided to stop by recently to check out their new menus, which include some great, inexpensive meals to make finer dining a little more accessible in these cash–strapped times. The restaurant and wine bar proves that you can get a high–end meal without the high–end pricing.
Some of the best deals the restaurant’s currently offering are through their Fabulous Fridays event, which offers drinks for $5–6.50, appetizers for $5–6, and desserts and salads for $5 each. Any of the offers are good deals; who could turn down panko–crusted crab cakes or butternut squash ravioli for $6?
The prix fixe dinner menu is also a great value, at $27.95 per person for a three–course meal. At lunchtime, there’s also the appropriately titled “Economic Stimulus Menu,” which features 10 entrees for $10 or less. They’re a great way to get your feet wet if you haven’t visited the restaurant before.
Price isn’t everything, though, especially when you’re looking a good meal. Incognito is certainly not competitive on cost alone; they back up their values with some pretty excellent food, a nice atmosphere, and professional, friendly service.
The restaurant is located in a little cream–painted brick building down on John North. It’s a nice spot, and the interior has been brightened with comfortable metal dining chairs upholstered in citrus and dark blue toned fabrics, with walls painted in deep red and yellow, and a light sandstone tiled floor. It’s an amalgamation of Mediterranean and French design, much like the menu.
Besides the downstairs dining room, there’s also a space upstairs with a smaller bar for private parties and functions.
My guest and I visited recently for a weekday lunch, and were shown a table near the front of the restaurant and presented with large, beautifully fabric bound menus. There were also a couple of specials of the day, including a pasta dish and an omelette. The menu isn’t huge, but there are options to suit a variety of tastes, including salads ($6.50–9.95), sandwiches and omelettes ($8.95 each) and pastas ($12.95–13.95).
The most expensive item at lunch is only $14.95, and for that you can select a steak with frites or braised lamb shanks. Dinner choices are slightly more expensive, topping out at $25.95 for beef tenderloin, but there are still seven items available for under $20. As Incognito also bills itself as a wine bar, they have a massive wine list, with both Old World and New World options.
I started with the soup of the day, cream of broccoli ($4.95). I was presented with a huge, deep soup plate of thick but light soup. It was crammed with fresh, lightly cooked broccoli and broccoli puree. It was so filling, it could have been an entrée on its own; I had to leave some of it so I could enjoy the rest of my meal.
My guest had the Caesar salad ($6.95), a large dish of romaine leaves in a light but creamy dressing. It was fairly heavily flavoured with fresh garlic. The whole dish was sprinkled with fresh–made croutons, crumbled bacon, and grated Parmesan, and our server offered to season it with fresh ground pepper. He also brought a basket of fresh French bread with butter.
For my main course, I just couldn’t resist the lure of the crab cakes ($9.95). They were served with a mixed green salad, which was accented with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and an excellent house–made balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The three meaty crab cakes were dipped in a light, fine panko breading, and were lightly fried. The meat was combined with red peppers and green onions for an extra kick of flavour. They were delicious, especially with the spicy chipotle dipping sauce.
My guest had the pasta special of the day ($12.95). It was a large dish of penne in a light cream sauce, topped with a pile of thick–sliced bacon and cubed Roma tomato. It was pretty decadent, with the cream sauce, smoky bacon, and earthy, fresh, locally grown tomato.
For dessert, we shared the crème brulee ($6.50). It was very good choice: a big ramekin was filled with the traditional custard, and the sugared top was nicely browned. Like everything else, the desserts are made with care on site.
Incognito proved once again that you can feed to impress without charging customers an arm and a leg. The food is fresh, delicious and accessible, and served up by a professional and knowledgeable serving staff. If you haven’t tried them yet, now is the time. They’re open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, and for dinner only on Saturdays. V
[ALEXANDRA BATES]
INCOGNITO HHH
93 John Street South
905.296.5832
New Eatery Unmasked By Alexandra Bates
The VIEW
INCOGNITO 93 John St. S. 905.296.5832 I was excited when I found out that a new restaurant had moved into the little cream painted brick building at 93 John Street South. The location was empty for some years, and I always thought it had a lot of potential.
I’m glad to say that the owners of Incognito have capitalized on that potential, and have opened a great little eatery and wine bar. My guest and I visited on a recent Friday afternoon, towards the end of the lunch period, which runs from 11:30am until 2pm.
The main section of the restaurant is located on the ground floor of the two–story building, and my guest and I were told that we could choose our seats. We sat by the window in the bright and sophisticated dining room to take advantage of the warm spring sunshine.
Tables were well spaced and white clothed, and the comfortable seating was upholstered in vibrant citrus colours. The rough–plastered walls were decorated with many paintings, including work by local artists. After dropping off ice water with lemon, our server took our drink orders.
The wine list is long, as one might expect as Incogneto also bills itself as a wine bar, and wines are sold by the glass, half liter, and bottle. By the glass, prices range from $6 to $7.75, and bottle prices are fairly moderate, ranging from $26 to $119 with most in the $30–$40 range.
I selected a glass of the decadently sweet Strewn Riesling Gewurztraminer ($6.50), while my guest had a ginger ale ($2). With our beverages, our server dropped off a basket of French stick slices with butter and onion marmalade.
The marmalade was very good, if a bit unusual: our server explained that they put rough–shredded onions in a balsamic vinegar and brown sugar sauce, which is reduced to achieve a somewhat sweet, but also nicely spicy, condiment. As it was lunchtime, neither my guest nor myself ordered an appetizer: we both moved right into a main course. Choices ranged from salads and sandwiches ($8.95–$9.95) to full–fledged entrees like the four–bone rack of lamb (18.95), with a number of options in between.
One that particularly caught my eye was the Venison Burger with caramelized onions ($11.95), but I decided instead on the Panini special of the day ($8.95), which, like the burger, included a choice of organic mixed salad greens or thin–cut frites. I ordered the frites, but received the greens. I contemplated sending it back, but the salad looked good, and I decided to keep what I’d been given. The salad was dressed in a light vinaigrette and topped with cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, and was very fresh and tasty. The sandwich itself was freshly pressed and still very warm.
The filling consisted of chicken strips, Swiss cheese, and broccoli, which made for a delicious combination. The cheese was melted in the grilling process and thoroughly coated the lightly steamed broccoli and tender meat. My guest decided to try a more substantial lunch offering, choosing the pasta special of the day ($11.95). It was described by our server as penne pasta served in a cream sauce with venison sausage. The serving size was perfect for lunch, and contained a good number of thick slices of the mild game sausage.
The sauce was on the lighter side, but still retained its creaminess and flavour. While we skipped appetizers, we decided not to miss out on dessert. There is no written dessert menu at Incognito, but our server listed the four choices available ($6 each).
My guest had the chocolate lava cake, which was a small flourless chocolate cake filled with hot chocolate sauce and topped with crème fraiche. He pronounced it excellent: very rich, but not too sweet. I chose the crème Brule, which was served in a warm ramekin. The top was nicely browned and bubbly, and the custard was extremely rich.
The portion was also larger than expected. Both dessert plates were also accented with ripe strawberries, which were a beautiful (and delicious) addition. We also both ordered regular coffee ($2 each). There was a little mix–up with our bill: we received our neighbours’ slip.
However, the problem was quickly and cheerfully rectified. The total bill was just over $50 with tax, which I felt was reasonable for the quality and quantity of the food, and the ambiance and service in the restaurant. Even though there were a couple of small hiccups with the service, our server was warm and professional throughout our experience, and I would not be deterred from dining again.
The focus really seems to be on delighting the customer: the menu is flexible and changes regularly, and guests are encouraged to order off of the menu if they don’t see what they want. Incognito is open for lunch, tapas and dinner seven days a week. Private rooms and catering are available, and reservations are welcome.