LXI: Double Nudity and Mis Trucos

It sounds sexy, doesn't it? But appearances can be deceiving. In this case, I am just referring to how I felt doubly naked today as I forgot to bring/wear a watch (I have probably only gone watchless for 3 days in the past ten years, not including rare outings to the beach. I blame 6:30am yoga.) and my cell phone died at the start of my evening out.

At least I had worked out where I was meeting my friend before Argo, my cell phone (yes, I name my things...), took a nap. How did people function before cell phones? I was so paranoid that today of all days would be the day that someone might intercept me on my dimly-lit walk home from the bus stop. But that was later on. The walk, I mean. No kidnapping took place.

Everyday I read the Metro newspaper, and each Thursday I look forward to their food section -- the restaurant reviews in particular. A little while ago I had mentioned the list of restaurants that I felt compelled to visit. Tonight, we went to Mis Trucos, a Mediterranean tapas restaurant that is housed--literally--in a house. It's located on Davie Street between Thurlow and Bute, and you'd never notice it unless you knew about it. So start noticing, guys, because this place was unforgettable.

I don't want to set the bar too high for when you go (because you must go), but the ambiance, service, and FOOD were special. It's like you're visiting someone at home. You enter, see a Macbook (it plays the music), bar area, and kitchen. There are tables and chairs of course, but also a living room section with a coffee table, sofa, and armchair. The furniture is mostly from Ikea, and the mood is super laid-back and just...cosy. It's the pleasure of eating out but with the comfort of eating in.

We ordered and shared (another bulleted list!) a pitcher of sangria with:

• wild venison tartar, brioche, truffle, and quail's egg
• white truffle and lobster risotto
• foie gras mousse, crostini, and pickled raspberry
• crispy bread wrapped wild gulf prawn and aioli
• molten chocolate cake with coffee ice cream

Some of the decisions were easy as they were based on Metro's recommendations. The order the dishes arrived (above) are practically the same as my order of preference. That venison tartar, though taken from the descendants of Bambi, was one of the yummiest things I've ever eaten. The quail's egg made it a bit salty but the tartar was tartar-riffic! The risotto was also excellent -- and I generally shame my Milanese heritage because I don't like risotto (in a world where pasta and pizza are available, why would someone choose risotto?). I would definitely go back and order those two dishes again.

The foie gras wasn't too heavy but we agreed that there was a bit too much spread onto each crostini, and the prawn wrap was good too...but after starting with two of the restaurant's most highly-praised dishes, it's hard to bring yourself back down to earth.

We ended up paying $90 for the three of us, which includes a 20% tip, and I can definitely see myself coming back soon. Travelling sisters?