A wistful, lighter note to a stress-filled day of bad news for transit advocates.  If you want to read about the TTC, please scroll down to the next post.

Last Saturday was the closing night at the Café Brussel.  Let’s remember the food one last time.

For apps, we shared Foie gras, a plate of Confit d’ail (roasted garlic in olive oil, served with chevre), and the Paté maison.  Champagne was de rigeur in this house where the Champagne list runs for pages.  Roger was serving, of course, Pol Roger for the evening.

On to the main courses.  Poulet rôti aux chanterelles, two beautiful steaks, and for me Bouillabaise.  We washed this down with a bottle of Parker Station 2004 Pinot Noir.  Very yummy.  Frites with mayo all ’round the table.

For desert:  Chocolat Tin Tin, Mousse aux chocolat Belge, Crème brulée, and Tarte aux poires.  Café and Cappuccino.  And even more chocolate, three separate bars of it.

Through all this, we had been up on the balcony, but the crowd thinned out a bit and we moved downstairs to one of my favourite tables, 16, the Tin Tin table, so named because of the Tin Tin drawings and posters in that corner of the room.  Assorted drinks followed including some lovely old Grand Marnier. 

By this time, Evaristo, who works Fridays and Saturdays at the Mambo Lounge next door, came in and was singing from the mezzanine at the back of the restaurant.  Live entartainment had been an idea of Roger’s back when the “new” Café opened, but there were problems with the singer overpowering the diners, and the idea was soon dropped.  A nice touch that we had a singer again for the last night.

Still later, we were down to the hard core reminiscing about the Café and polishing off nearly empty bottles.

Finally, at 4:30 am, I left as the last customer, closing a long run that began back in September 1985 with a little bakery on Broadview.

Roger is going into the wine business, and I wish him much good fortune with deep thanks for more meals and good times than I can count.