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Taste of Our Town
Ryan Duffy’s Restaurant review
Let’s say you’re allowed one last meal - what would it be? The answer for me has always been surf and turf. Specifically, a big juicy steak and any crustacean - with the emphasis on the big juicy steak.
With that in mind my guest and I headed off to Ryan Duffy’s. You’ll find Ryan Duffy’s conveniently located behind the Radisson Hotel on the corner of Bedford Road and Sackville Street near downtown and the historic Halifax waterfront. The restaurant can’t be missed with its bold red and silver signage. As my guest and I entered the restaurant our appetites were instantly stimulated with a beautiful display of dry aging cuts of meat. Our host Elizabeth greeted us at the door and brought us to a spacious table with cozy red high back chairs. The dining room’s dark walls and chairs with light gold accents, rich red booths and soft lighting made for a comfortable, warm and sophisticated setting.
Our server Vincent promptly delivered our cocktails and set the stage for a fabulous evening. We settled back to review the dinner menu which was well balanced with a wide selection of appetizers, salads, soups and entrees. We were pleased to learn that Ryan Duffy’s only serves Ocean Wise approved seafood too. For those of you who don’t know, the Ocean Wise conservation program was developed by the Vancouver Aquarium to “provide consumers with recommended sustainable seafood choices.”
Our witty and knowledgeable server Vincent was happy to help us with our selections. To start, we ordered the table side caesar salad, the charcuterie plate and the pan seared Rey de Leon diver caught scallops. Andrew promptly arrived with the caesar salad cart and asked how we would like our salads prepared. Anchovies please and don’t be shy with the garlic! Andrew expertly poured, sprinkled and dashed the ingredients into a large wooden bowl and whisked them into a smooth caesar dressing. Toss in some crisp romaine, croutons, bacon bits and fresh parmesan cheese and viola! Now let me tell you, if you haven’t had fresh- made table side caesar salad, then you haven’t had a caesar salad. Truly fantastic!
Before our main courses arrived we made a selection from the wine list to enjoy with our meal. The Ryan Duffy’s wine list offers a great selection of old world and new world wines to pair with your dinner. With our love of Ripasso and Vincent’s two thumbs up we chose the Regolo Sartori Ripasso 2004. A wonderful wine with a rich aroma, concentrated fruit and a lingering finish, it was the perfect complement to our meal. The pan seared Rey de Leon diver caught scallops arrived next. The scallops were seared to a golden brown topped with a light pink pomegranate foam resting on a bed of spaghetti squash with a touch of Ryan Duffy’s honey cream. The pomegranate foam and honey cream added a delicate sweetness while the spaghetti squash added a mild peppery finish to the perfectly seared scallops. Absolutely delicious! In addition to producing honey from Ryan Duffy’s roof top bee hives, Chef Chris Velden makes his delicious creations using fresh herbs he grows in his herb garden atop of the Radisson Hotel. The next appetizer, the charcuterie plate, further highlighted the talents of the European trained Master Chef. The plate is made with a combination of fresh made in-house cured meats which included: salami, Italian bresaola, prosciutto ham, chorizo sausage and duck pâté served with artisan breads. The meats were full of flavour that lingered on the palate and the duck pâté was smooth as butter with a mild finish. Add some red wine and you’ve got yourself a little piece of heaven.
For our entrees we went directly to the steak section passing the temptations of items such as: local wild boar, roasted duck, encrusted rack of lamb and lobster, to name but a few. My guest ordered the 6oz beef tenderloin served with truffle mashed potato. The tenderloin is produced by Top Meadow Farm Artisan Beef, considered to be the highest quality certified Artisan Beef. I chose the dry aged Alberta AAA striploin, cut table side and served with sweet potato gratin. Ryan Duffy’s also offers dry aged local Black Angus tenderloin. Both cuts of meat are dry aged for a minimum of 28 days on site. Add an order of sautéed wild mushrooms and fresh asparagus and you’ve got yourself a fabulous meal. After we ordered, our host, Elizabeth, arrived quickly with the meat cart and cut off a perfect 10 oz dry aged striploin. The meat was a deep red and well marbled. Now this is what eating in a steakhouse is all about!
Both of our steaks were cooked to a perfect medium rare. The lightly seasoned beef tenderloin was beyond tender, juicy and delicious. My dry aged Alberta AAA striploin was first-rate. Upon the first bite the concentration of flavour was apparent and the tenderness was incomparable to any other steak I’ve had. All of the sides were excellent; the truffle potatoes were light with a subtle earthy and nutty flavor; the sweet potato gratin was made of layers of sweet potatoes with a delicious parmesan cheese crust; the fresh asparagus was cooked to a perfect al dente and the sautéed wild mushrooms heightened the flavours of our steaks.
To cap off the evening we indulged ourselves with an order of the triple chocolate pâté. Dark chocolate pâté wedges filled with chunks of milk and white chocolate and a dollop of kumquat sorbet served with a raspberry coulis. The pâté is amazing; rich and smooth. The kumquat sorbet offers a nice balance to the chocolate pâté with its light, refreshing sweetness. If you’re a chocoholic, this dessert is certainly a must try!
I have to say that we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Ryan Duffy’s. With its new location, updated atmosphere, excellent food and Chef Chris Velden’s guidance, Ryan Duffy’s has raised the bar and served notice. Our evening would not have been possible without our welcoming and knowledgeable host Elizabeth, Chef Velden and his team’s culinary expertise and Vincent’s impeccable service. Thank you for a fantastic dining experience!
Ryan Duffy’s is located at 1650 Bedford Row Halifax, NS, and is open Monday - Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and weekends: brunch from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For more information you can visit www.ryanduffys.ca or call 902-421-1116. For more information on the Ocean Wise conservation program you can visit www.oceanwisecanada.org.
