Bistro Seven Seven

Guten Tag everyone!  I’ve got a wonderful surprise for you all.  Recently, my mother-in-law came to visit and brought along a wonderful surprise, my niece and sister-in-law! It was very nice to be with family again, even for the brief amount of time that we had.  Anyways, we were able to enjoy a wonderful meal at a local restaurant.

A little background information about the restaurant I’m about to review.  I have had many patients, I stress many patients, that have raved and recommended Bistro Seven Seven in Alliston ON.  I have heard that the food is second-to-none and the service is top notch.  Rumour has it that the prices are fair as well and, during the week, a three course price fixe menu is available for a very reasonable price.  Well, after much debate, we settled on finally visiting Bistro Seven Seven.

The restaurant, located in the heart of Alliston in an old century home by the railroad tracks, is owned by two brothers who grew up in the area.  While not technically French classically trained, the brothers technique with food is exquisite.  They clearly have a defined vision for their restaurant.  The food is locally sourced and prepared utilizing French techniques.  The surprising aspect of their food is the complex and varied flavours found in each dish.  The dishes aren’t confined to traditional French palates though as there is fusion with other cultures like Indian and Japanese flavours.  The service is quite superb, albeit a little slow, which is just fine for the upscale atmosphere that they are trying to convey.  You definitely aren’t rushed out the door but not completely forgotten, at least not the entire time.  My aunt, who lives in Barrie, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece were promptly seated and they had no problems accommodating a young one.

After scanning over the varied menu, we had settled on our dishes.  The orders were placed, the water glasses filled and refilled and wonderful conversation followed.  After about 10-15 minutes, an amuse bouche was presented to our table.  That evenings amuse bouche was actually two surprises for the mouth.  The first offering was a salmon crusted tempura ball and the second was a bread dusted cheese ball.  Both were excellent and a nice primer for the rest of the meal.  The salmon was a little spicy, not overtly spicy, but enough to arose the tastebuds.  The cheese ball was good, but perhaps a little overpowering in regards to the aged cheese selection; perhaps a milder cheese would have been more apropos.

Tempura salmon ball (lower left and upper right) and fried cheese ball (upper left and lower right)

My sister-in-law and I opted for the price fixe menu, which was a three course meal with varied selections for each course.  For the appetizer, my sister-in-law decided to go with the curried squash soup.  It was very, very good with a definitive East Indian flavour profile.  The Indian spices were robust and well rounded, but surprisingly not spicy.

Curried squash soup

I went with the Bistro Seven Seven salad, with a cranberry vinaigrette.  The salad greens were fresh and crisp and the goat’s cheese crumbly and tasty.  The vinaigrette was slightly too sweet for my tastes, but did balance the saltiness of the cheese.  A nice, light appetizer that helped frame the rest of the meal.

Bistro Seven Seven house salad

Additionally, an order of the very famous Bistro Seven Seven scallops was selected for an appetizer for the entire table.  In regards to the scallops, I have heard very positive reviews from patients and have read in the local paper that the scallops are a house speciality.  I even have one patient, who had tried scallops in the past and did not care for them, absolutely rave about the scallops at Bistro Seven Seven.  And, without a doubt, they were exquisite.  The scallops were perfectly cooked, with the nice caramelization on the exterior and firm yet not rubbery interior.  The seasoning was perfect.  The sweet potato puree with oyster mushroom and cognac sauce and balsamic reduction was the icing on the cake, or in this case, the scallop!  The scallops were so good that my Aunt, known forever in this blog as LH, ordered them for her entree as well!  A perfectly executed dish that definitely lives up to the billing of Bistro Seven Seven signature dish.

Bistro Seven Seven signature dish: Sea Scallops with sweet potato puree

Perfectly caramelized and cooked scallops

After the appetizers were cleared from our table, a raspberry sorbet was presented to the table.  An excellent palate cleanser and a nice, elegant touch by the restaurant!

Raspberry Sorbet

Next, our mains arrived.  As mentioned, LH opted for the Bistro Seven Seven signature sea scallops (points there for alliteration!).  My mother-in-law decided to go with the special of the night, a 10 ounce grass fed ribeye with a side of roasted potatoes.  Let me say, right off the bat, if you have not had grass-fed beef, you have not had a proper steak.  The steak was cooked to perfection (medium rare) and seasoned simply with salt and pepper.  Wow, was it delicious.  As good as the offering from Bymark (read our review here)?  Not quite, but pretty darn close.  As good a steak as you will find in any major steakhouse, but right here in Alliston!  So good 🙂

Grass-fed Ribeye with roasted potatoes

My sister-in-law opted for the wild boar and gnocchi dish.  The creaminess of the sauce was the first thing I noticed.  Let me just say that there is no lacking of butter and heavy cream in the dish!  The potato gnocchi were cooked a perfect al dente and were not overly dense.  Unfortunately, the wild boar was lost in the dish.  Overall, the dish was still very good.

Wild Boar Gnocchi (sorry for the shaky photo)

I opted for the wild rainbow trout.  The fish was from Manitoulin Island and was coated in pistachios before being pan fried.  The fish was very fresh and tasty with no “fish odour.”  The mushrooms were a nice accompaniment to the fish as was the Israeli couscous.  I really enjoyed the rainbow trout, but sadly there were not enough pieces!

Rainbow Trout

Due to time constraints, we were not able to enjoy our creme brulee, which was the dessert of choice.  Our wonderful waiter was kind enough to box up a brownie each for me and my sister-in-law to take home.  While no pictorial evidence exists, the brownie was actually very good.  It was dense and sweet, but paired nicely with some vanilla ice cream.  Overall, an excellent casual fine dining experience.  The food is first rate, service excellent and atmosphere and ambiance a class above the rest.  It is nice having a restaurant of this calibre locally, one that sources local produce and meats.  Will definitely be back!  If you are in Alliston or close to Barrie or Newmarket, take the 15 minute drive to Alliston and check out Bistro Seven Seven.  You will be glad you did!