I make it no secret that I’m a big fan of any and every restaurant that is run by Costa Elles and Chris Tzaneteas. If they so chose, they could open up a restaurant and make Tex Mex elegant. So, it goes without saying that special occasions in my life are marked by dining at one of their establishments. Fifth & tenth year wedding anniversary as well as graduation dinner were celebrated at Seven Wine Bar. And this year we went to Mosaic Social Dining for my 35th birthday.
Photo credit: chotda from Flickr
As a special surprise, they were running a low season special where during the weekdays it was not only happy hour but their entire menu was 50% off! Thanks to what I like to think of as the super birthday discount, the meal between Cokebaby and I came out to $38 before tip! That was with me having two glasses of wine, and Cokebaby a beer and espresso with dessert.
And what delightful treats did we enjoy?
Trio of dips with flatbread ($7). The dips that evening were a thick French onion, pomegranate creme fraîche, and decadent sweet potato.
Grilled calamari ($9). Unlike the breaded deep-fried stuff you find at most places, this was served unadorned of crushed carbs on a bed of shaved fennel and beets with greens.
Pork belly poutine ($9). What can I say? I have a weakness and this dish delivered.
Trio of mini burgers ($9). It’s always nice to see local produce on any menu so we were happy to see that the meat (lamb & beef) came from Oulton’s Farm. Usually there’s one burger served with a really strong cheese which I enjoy the most but that was missing and therefore missed by me. A minor disappointment but it was nice to see lamb as one of the burgers.
Espresso cheesecake ($7). Totally an unexpected texture, this dessert was like a lightly espresso-infused marshmallow on a graham crumb base.
Overall, it was another wonderful meal at one of my favourite spots in the city. We spent the evening with another couple and this truly is a must for an authentic social dining experience. When you’re sharing plates, there’s something more intimate about the meal. The menu changes fairly frequently, with a few staples remaining. The updates and vegetarian options for a number of menu items provides many reasons to return.
[Speaking of returning to Mosaic...Are you a geek girl in the Halifax area? Come to a special tweetup at Mosaic on May 7 at 5 p.m. RSVP by leaving a comment on the Halifax Tweetup wiki or on Twitter with the hashtag #halifaxchicks.]
Kimberly Walsh is a social media and online community manager. You can follow her on Twitter @AliasGrace.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been avoiding that place since the stick-insect waitress chicks let me sit outside on the patio for 20 mins alone (awaiting a delayed friend) without asking if I’d like a drink or menu. They stood inside at the empty bar gossiping and giggling and when another stick-insect chick with long blonde hair arrived they were all over her, two of them! Still ignoring moi.
Anyone over 40 is invisible in Mosaic.
Gifted: That’s terrible! I hope you made a complaint to management. In all my experiences that I’ve had there (or any of their establishments) I’ve only had excellent service. It’s amazing how poor service can tarnish the reputation and return business for a restaurant and I can totally empathize about not wanting to return. There’s one restaurant in the city that I gave several chances, but didn’t bother complaining because there are plenty of similar places I can spend my money. Halifax, if nothing else, has ample dining opportunities.
Well, I guess they redeemed themselves at the Tweet up, or at least the company redeemed Mosaic.
Gifted: I’m glad they’ve been redeemed. Hopefully your next experience there will be equally as good. The tweetup was great and I’m hoping the next one will draw in an even bigger crowd of geek girls.