Sambucas on Church

My second Summerlicious was at: 

$25 Dinner
(*Items I would recommend and/or order again)

P.E.I. mussels, clams, scallops and julienne vegetables in a light tomato broth
The mussels, clams and tiny scallops were tossed in a watered down tomato broth with some carrots and peppers. It didn't really have a flavour like the mussels at Bier Markt. 


 Wild mushroom crepe with balsamic glaze
The crepe was nice and thin, but I didn't like the combination of the balsamic glaze and the mushrooms together. It was a little too strange for my tastes. 


Veal scaloppini stuffed with chorizo, wild mushroom, roasted pepper, caramelized onions and spinach, topped with Jack Daniel’s tri color peppercorn sauce and served with grilled vegetables and herb roasted potatoes

 The thinly sliced veal had a grainy texture like ground beef and it was wrapped around a lot of things. I was rather confused by it since the dish didn't really have a common theme or stand-out flavour.


Pan seared halibut with papaya and avocado relish, served with grilled vegetables and herb roasted potatoes
The halibut was nice with thick and flaky flesh topped with an interesting relish and grilled vegetables. 


Gnocchi with lobster meat, crab meat, and spinach in a parmesan chardonnay cream sauce
I was really excited to eat my own plate of gnocchi (especially after L'unita's amazing gnocchi). However, I was rather disappointed by the super watery sauce and bland chewy gnocchi. The lobster meat was nice and sweet and I thought they had the right idea for the dish - it just needed a thicker sauce and better cooked gnocchi.


Sweet coconut Malibu rum crème brûlée
There were actual coconut shreds, which threw off the texture of the creme brulee for me and it was definitely flavoured with Malibu rum. The sugar was way too hard and thick for a creme brulee. 


Lemon meringue pie
The lemon meringue was the best dessert of the night. Tart lemon filling and a thick meringue always makes me happy. 


Almond and raisin bread pudding with crème anglaise and vanilla ice cream
This dessert was okay too, but again the creme anglaise was rather watery. 

Overall: I wasn't impressed by Sambucas on Church; the service was a bit of a mess with one waitress covering most of the tables and the food coming out slowly. Also, the food was mediocre. 

Website: http://www.sambucas.ca/home