Red Canoe Bistro

This place i hurd really good things about and till I got there. Place was freezing cold and the girl said she just turned the heat on. First of all why would u turn the heat off if u new customers were coming. Second we order wine she try’s to push for the bigger dollar bottle of wine kinda made us feel awkward. But when we got are wine first bottle we notice some settlement at the bottom of the bottle. So we said what ever we will just drink it. But the second bottle was full of chunks and she told us not to worry about it. Also it was red wine and it was cold as Ice. 3^rd of all the menu is so complicated and took are sever for ever to explain it. Food was alight but would of been better if i wasn’t freezing cold and eating cold food while drinking cold wine. If u go there just go for there epic Pootine it is way over priced but amazing to get.

« Unilocal me what you eat and I will Unilocal you what you are!»
Richie S.
~ Foie gras hoarding, stank cheese sniffing, modern Canadian ~
Jennifer K.
~ A frugal lunch specialist and a Richie S. oakvegas stalker ~
Aside from being half-​drunk elite Unilocalers,
they also have something else in common,
they both know how to enjoy life and good food.
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A Taste of Burlington
July 22^nd til August 5^th 2013
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Appetizer
Local Tomato and Arugula Salad,
Honey Sherry Vinaigrette, shaved Vegetables
or
Roast Local Corn & Bacon Chowder,
Heirloom Potatoes, Scallions, Cream & Chili,
Crème Fraiche
Entrée
House Smoked Marigold Chicken
Capellini Pasta, Basil Emulsion,
Le Douanier Cheese and Exotic Mushrooms
or
Pulled slow roasted Heritage Pork,
Nicklebrook Bolshevik Bastard Glaze,
Local Vegetable Slaw, House-​made Brioche Toast,
Duck Fat Heirloom Potatoes
Dessert
House-​made Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake,
Buttery Biscuits, fresh Strawberries
or
Dark Chocolate Brownie Sundae
Summer Berry Coulis and Chantilly Cream
$ 20
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Minor misstep: Iceberg Slaw on the entrée
Iceberg is not a vegetable
Iceberg is not a salad
Iceberg is not a food
Especially next to warm food
I shall return, I will be back eh?!

I am not sure how I ended up in Burlington and how I ended up eating at Red Canoe Bistro?!
Maybe Richie S. ‘s 5 star review?
Maybe that Taste of Burlington $ 20 Lunch Prix Menu?
Maybe because my Unilocal Friend knows something I don’t know?
I have to say that this is the best prix menu I have for $ 20 in any «licious» event I ever been to.
The atmosphere is welcoming and professional. Love the list of local craft beers they have on the menu and our server was so knowledgeable and patience!
We were able to try out every item on the Taste of Burlington menu and they all so well prepared, delicious and memorable! There was nothing fancy about the ingredients but everything little thing from the temperature, the flavours, and the plating were perfect!
We shared:
— Local Tomato and Arugula Salad
— Roast Local Corn & Bacon Chowder
— House Smoked Marigold Chicken
— Pulled Slow Roasted Heritage Pork
— House Made Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake
— Dark Chocolate Brownie Sunday
— Beau’s Festivale Plus Sticke Alt ($ 11)
Red Canoe Bistro is small. So if you do decide to dine here, I highly recommended that you to make a reservation even for a weekday lunch via Opentable.
I love the concept of Red Canoe Bistro’s «Modern Canadian Cuisine», they also offers tasting menu with wine pairing. Their wine list is just as impressive and they even offers wine flights!
I will be back! When can I be back?!
4.5 Star + 0.5 Star for their Taste of Burlington menu

I had high expectations for this restaurant based on the reviews I had heard, but I was disappointed when I dined here in August of 2011.
The waitstaff seemed very disorganized and it took them 30 minutes to even take our drink orders.
When we were finally served, I ordered an heirloom tomato and artisan cheese salad with heirloom greens, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a shallot and cold pressed soya oil vinaigrette. This salad was fantastic! However my entrée was mediocre. I had the pan seared Manitoulin pickerel, roast local Beauregard yams, and local cherry and wild leek chutney. It sounds good on paper, but the fish was overcooked and had very little flavour. And the vegetable sides were very simple — I felt it was a meal that I could have cooked better for myself.
I haven’t been back since, but I always like to give restaurants a second chance, so I will likely try it again in the future.

Great quite dinner. We have been several times and it has been enjoyable besides for one time due to service not the food (see earlier review).
The restaurant is very intimate with only a dozen tables at most. This night only one other was occupied.
The service was excellent and very prompt.
We started with a chèvre cheese which was brûléed in a lovely tomato served with crisps and a light salad. The varied textures and flavors blended very well together.
Between us we had the lamb and the duck. Although, something I would have expected in the autumn, particularly with the carrots and parsnips it was delicious. I highly recommend the twice baked potato. Incredibly light and delicate, almost like a soufflé.
The beer and wine selection blended very well with the food.
Service was great and the food was excellent.

On a business trip and someone recommend this place as a place I must go to as they try to keep things local. Wife and I both got the 3 flight taste of Burlington menu. Started with a smoked salmon chowder then a pork shoulder on a black bean risotto and finished with a chocolate pumpkin crumble. We also both had a 3 flight tasting of local wines. The food was great and I was shocked at the portion sizes they were not small. As for the price, maybe a bit steep but not to bad.

Walk in and you see a small restaurant where it looks like the panelling they’ve chosen to decorate the walls, bar, etc. hasn’t been stained yet. We’re seated and the first thing I notice as there doesn’t appear to be a door hiding patrons from the kitchen staff — you can see… and hear… most of what is going on «behind the curtain». Snowshoes in the window and Sarah MacLachlan playing quietly in the background.
What the hell have I walked in to!!! Red Canoe Bistro describes itself as «Modern Canadian Cuisine». I have to agree.
Start off with a shared starter — Tasting menu at $ 45 is a little steep, but was delicious. A tasty salad with a grilled veggie salad with Blue Benedictin Cheese. Yum. Seared foie gras beside it with a spicy curry marinating it. Seared a little too long in my opinion, as it came off with the texture that it was just fat. Still, the flavour was great. Soup consisted of winter veggies in a cream broth and mussels. Very nice. The last was leg of pheasant that was really dry, but flavourful.
My broad ordered the foie gras-​stuffed quail. Wow. Just the right gamey-​flavour and foie gras balanced it nicely and the huckleberry with it was a nice touch.
I had the Venison «Buttery Curry» with Bannock. Bannock? What the hell is that and why does it have a large stick hanging out of it?! Well my friends, Bannock is a form of flat bread, the same thickness as a scone cooked on a griddle or fried in a pan. A kind of dumpling, if you will and with the herbs used to make this particular one, this dish had to be one of the tastiest I’ve had in years. The venison was tender, the curry was so rich.
For dessert they offer some unique dishes like Mile High Grapefruit Pie and Mint Chocolate brownie, however we opted for an artisanal cheese plate and some port. It was… good and no better. The cheeses on the plate for the most part are part of a good number of the dishes, so maybe a larger selection could rectify my «complaint», but the 3 year old Mapledale cheddar is Wick. Ed.
With a decently priced bottle of wine, the dinner was about $ 100 per person. Worth almost every penny.
FYI: RCB is up for Burlington Resto of the Year.
FYI #2: Taste of Burlington (Halton’s Winterlicious) runs until March 14 and eventhough we opted out in participating, lunch is $ 20 and dinner is $ 40.
I shall return.