Saturday 19 October 2013

Deerhurst - Eclipse Restaurant


    We had a busy day, on Day 2.  Grace and Riley and I had gone horse back riding (check one thing off my bucket list), and Christopher had taken Rowan and Elly rock wall climbing.  We had all had a great day so far, but we were ready for dinner, everyone's tummy was rumbly.


    We headed over to The Eclipse Restaurant.  As we stood at the door waiting to be seated we were asked if we had a reservation.  There was barely a soul in the restaurant and I was wondering if the host had rocks in his head, I was soon to see that he did not have rocks in his head!  The first thing that I noticed about the restaurant was how stunningly beautiful it was.  It is set in a semi-circle that takes full advantage of the beautiful surroundings.  There is a wrap around window that lets in light and also serves as balcony for the nice weather.  The beamed vaulted ceiling was gorgeous!  Everything was a feast for the eyes.


   It was only a few seconds that we were seated when someone came over to take our drink order.  After we had ordered our drinks and before we ordered, I gave the kids a pep talk.  This is an opportunity to try something new.  I would like everyone to order something that they would not normally order.  There were a few long faces, but no real decent in the ranks.  Normally Elly and Rowan will order either a grilled cheese or mac and cheese.  That just drives me nuts!  Why go to a restaurant and order something you could have any day of the week.  Grace on the other hand has champagne and caviar taste buds and we generally have to apply the brakes with her.  


    Rowan was deeply unhappy that I was asking him to step outside of his comfort zone.  He ordered a chicken wrap.  A chicken wrap does not sound like a huge step outside of the boundary line, but for Rowan it was a thousand miles from his comfort zone.  He was not happy about it, but he did it, and I was proud of him.  The one who most surprised me was Riley.  She did not want to step outside of her comfort zone, at all.  In the end she very grudgingly ordered the halibut.  


    We went easy on Elly (mainly because we knew that she would cause a scene).  Elly ordered pizza (the other kids were not amused).  Gracie went with the barbecued chicken breast.  She would have picked something more exotic, but we made her choose from the kids menu to keep costs down, she was not amused (she does not like to order from the children's menu, and we do not like paying adult prices for Miss Champagne taste) !  


children’s menu 
STARTERS 
Dip & Dunk $3.50 
Carrot, celery and cucumber with ranch dressing 
Caesar Salad $4.75 
Romaine lettuce, croutons and bacon, creamy garlic dressing 
Soup of the Day $3.50 
Ask what our chef has in the big pot today 
Tossed Salad $4.25 
Garden fresh and good for you 
FAVORITES 
Personal Pita Pizza $6.99 
A 6” round with tomato sauce and cheese 
Mac and Cheese $5.99 
Penne noodles tossed with a cheesy sauce 
THE MAIN EVENT 
Choose what you want to eat and then pick your side – fries, Caesar or tossed salad 
Grilled Cheese $5.99 
made with real cheddar cheese on your choice of brown or white bread 
Chicken Wrap $6.99 
with romaine lettuce bacon, Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing in a flour tortilla 
Battered-up Haddock $8.99 
Deep fried until it’s crunchy, with tartar sauce 
Chicken Fingers $8.99 
Three breaded tenderloins with plum sauce for dipping 
Two Mini Sirloin Burgers $6.99 
Served with lettuce tomato pickle on the side 
Breast of Chicken on a Bun $8.99 served on a bun with herbal mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato 
ALMOST ADULT 
Comes with fries or mashed potatoes, and your choice of: daily vegetable, Caesar or tossed salad 
BBQ Chicken Breast $10.99 
All natural, hot off the grill 
5oz. Top Sirloin Steak $12.99 
Alberta raised, cooked to your liking 
BEVERAGES 
Fountain Pop $1.69 Pepsi, Ginger Ale, Seven-Up, Orange Soda Comes with a free refill 
Juice $1.69Cranberry, Orange or Apple Comes with a free refill 
DESSERTS 
Brownie $3.69 
with whipped cream 
Fresh Strawberries $3.99 
Four Homemade Cookies $3.69 
Ice Cream $3.99 
Ice Cream Sandwich $3.99Stacked between brownies, chocolate sauce and whipped cream 
Should your child have special dietary needs please inform your server. Our culinary team will do their best to accommodate your needs. If you wish to speak to a member of our culinary team simply ask. 
Quiz Answers: 1. Trillium 2. Maple 3. Beaver 4. Frog 5. Owl 6. Swamp 7. Canadian Shield 8. Otter 9. Raspberry 10. Canoe 
Prices are exclusive of taxes and gratuity. 
July 2012 






 Starters, Sampling, Sharing Light 
Five Spice Veal Cheek & Kimchi Spring Rolls |Mango lime salsa $8 
Chicken Pho Soup |Broth, rice vermicelli, coriander, poached chicken $9 
Eclipse Gourmet Poutine |Ontario baby fingerling potatoes, Thornloe garlic $9 
cheese curds, Niagara red wine gravy |Add pulled five spice veal cheeks $2 
Cherry Tomato Bruschetta |Feta cheese, herbal flatbread, basil oil $11 
Fish & Chip Bites |Haddock, thick cut fries, mushy peas, curry tartar $12 
Shrimpcargo |Butter, white wine, garlic, triple melted cheese, $12 
toasted baguette 
P.E.I. Steamed Mussels 1 lb. |Thai red curry – coconut broth, mango, $13 
tomato, charred bread or white wine, garlic, root vegetables 
Maple Seared Atlantic Scallops |House pickled beets, buttermilk maple $15 
dressing, candied pecans 
Black Pepper Tuna |Seared rare, garlic puree, smoked avocado $15 
yogurt, compressed watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, crispy puff rice 
Confit Pork Cheek Tacos |Asian nappa cabbage slaw, hoisin sauce, $17 
spicy pepper puree 
Signature Salads 
Eclipse Summer Salad |Changes daily using local farms fresh produce, $8 
Four Season’s seedlings, Deerhurst’s own apiary wildflower honey vinaigrette 
Caesar Salad |Crisp pancetta, northern Ontario Thornloe Romano cheese, $9 
foccacia croutons, Eclipse original garlic vinaigrette 
Grilled Flank Steak Salad |Muskoka Cream Ale bbq sauce, frisee, arugula, $12 
smoked avocado, asparagus, orange, crispy onions 
Panko Crusted Goat Cheese “B.L.T. Salad |Sugar shack smoked bacon, $12 
field tomatoes, butter lettuce, soft poached egg 
Grilled Calamari & Chorizo Salad |Beefsteak tomatoes, capers, frisee $12 
Sides |Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewer $6 |Grilled Chicken Breast $5 
Should you have special dietary needs please inform your server. Our culinary team will do their best to accommodate your request. If you wish to speak to our culinary team about your request please ask. 
| Prices exclude tax and gratuity | June 2013 
Bowls 
Cheese Tortellini Carbonara |Crispy prosciutto, parmesan cheese $14 
Shanghai Noodle Stirfry |Fried Udon noodles, shiitake mushrooms, $16 
carrots, red onions, Asian greens. with chicken or shrimp $21 
Cinnamon Scented Lamb Curry |Coconut rice, cucumber riata, pineapple $18 
chutney, toasted Naan bread 
Seafood Risotto |Atlantic lobster & scallops, freshwater shrimp, mussels, $28 
wild mushrooms, grape tomatoes, mascarpone cheese, fresh herbs 
Mains 
House Made Eclipse Beef Burger 6 oz |Choice of green salad or fries $11 
Beef Dip |French baguette, triple cream Brie cheese, crispy onions, red $14 
wine jus, choice of green salad or fries 
Eclipse Burger – Asian style |Kimchi & shrimp, green salad or fries $14 
“DFC” Deerhurst Buttermilk Fried Chicken |Mushroom gravy, waffle, 
coleslaw, fries 2 pieces $15 |4 pieces $19 
Provimi Veal Liver |Fingerling potato, bacon & pearl onion ragout $20 
Grilled Swordfish |“Big Ass” pickled garlic, esplette pepper & rapini sauté, $26 
white wine - olive oil broth, grilled lemon 
DH Maple Cured Salmon |Warm fingerling & bacon salad, green beans, $28 
foie gras butter sauce 
The Whole Duck – Pan Seared Breast, Confit Leg, Foie Gras Butter | $32 MAP surcharge $6.00 
Potato cake, spiced butternut squash puree, asparagus, vine cherry tomatoes 
Lamb Duo – Pan Seared Loin & Braised Osso Bucco |Celeriac puree, $38 MAP surcharge $8.00 
cippolini onions, king eringi mushrooms, rainbow chard, mustard jus 
Items below served with asparagus, mushrooms, garlic mash, red wine jus 
Grilled Air Chilled Half Chicken $25 
Alberta AAA New York Steak |12 oz $32 
Apple Glazed Berkshire Pork Chop |11 oz $32 
Western Center Cut AAA Beef Tenderloin |8 oz $38 MAP surcharge $8.00 
Sides |Lobster tail 4 oz $15 |Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewer $6 



    Christopher and I practiced what we preached.  We too stepped outside our comfort zone and tried something that we would not normally order.  We decided upon the Pan Seared Whole Duck.  Mom had made duck when I was little, and I had really enjoyed it, but had not had it as an adult.  To be honest I had never seen it offered anywhere else.


    It was shortly after we had ordered that it became very clear why the host had asked if we had a reservation.  It seemed like in the blink of an eye the restaurant filled up.  Every where you turned was a full seat!  Pretty much the fanciest restaurant that we have ever taken the kids is East Side Marios, and so the kids were shocked at how long it took for them to get their food.  "Patience Patience, good things come to those who wait" I told them, met by eye rolls.  
    When our food did come out, it was beautiful.  The little girl who did not want to order the Halibut was practically licking the paper.  The presentation was really neat.  My Mom is from Scotland, and when we were little she would sometimes as a special treat give us "Chips in a Poke".  "Chips in a Poke" are thick fries in what looks like an upside down party hat made from newspaper.  Riley's was an upscale version, and she LOVED IT!  All of the kids loved their choices and actually said that they were glad that they had stepped outside of their comfort zone (someone should write that down).
    I would like to say that our meal must have come from pigmy ducks, because "the whole duck" was not a lot of meat.  Having said that, it was delicious and I am pretty sure that I would have licked my plate had we not been in a nice restaurant.  The asparagus was so good.  The surprise hit for Christopher and I was the "potato cake".  It looked like a nondescript pancake, but looks can be deceiving.  They were packed with flavour!  Christopher and I both fell in love and wished that we could have had more.
    Normally we do not order desert at restaurants.  It is really expensive to take a family of 6 out for dinner, and dessert is an added expense.  The other part to that is that we are ordinary too full to eat another bite.  We decided to splurge and order dessert.  Christopher and I looked at the adult menu, but were sold on the kid's dessert menu.  "Brownie with whipped cream",  yummy.  Now stop reading and take a peek at the picture in the bottom right corner of my first picture... I'll wait....  does that look like "a brownie with whipped cream"?  It was so decadent and rich and sooooo good.
    We staggered out of the restaurant feeling full to the ears and buzzing with happiness.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day.  We had treated ourselves to another amazing experience at the amazing Deerhurst Resort.


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