MELLOW VIBE AT HONEY WEST
When I am in downtown Burlington, I feel like a kid in a candy shop.
Restaurants abound, and right in the middle of things, on Elizabeth Street close to Lakeshore, is Honey West.
We ventured out on a busy night downtown as the Sound of Music festival was going on, but still managed to get parking just a couple of blocks away. It was one of those nights that we’ve had plenty of lately: clouds threatened rain that never came, and the Jays were behind on the big screen TV, 4-0.
But I still felt pretty relaxed. Easygoing jazz in the background (Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald) made for a peaceful vibe; off-white curtains let muted sunlight into the open concept dining room.
We were seated in a back corner, close to the side entrance, which offered a sneak peak into the kitchen if we leaned over a bit. Our table was next to a large post, which made it a little awkward to get in and out.
Once settled, we took a look at the drinks menu. An interesting array: “classic-ish” cocktails, mostly on the lighter side with an old-f ashioned to round things out; Honey West martinis, most leaning a tad toward the sweet side; and a selection of cocktails that featured Bubba’s cold brew coffee, in case you need a pick-me-up during your down time. Reds, whites and sparkling wines were mostly from the states or abroad (Barefoot, Ghost Pines), with a Cave Springs Riesling representing nearby Niagara.
It was a few minutes before our server came to greet us and take our order for the cocktails, though the room was not overly full. But the drinks came out soon after. The Moscow mule? Summertime in a glass. Served in a stainless steel and copper Absolut Mule mug, the vodka got its spice and tang from FeverTree ginger beer and lime. The Negroni was also refreshing, but the Campari bitter weighed in a little too much. It could have been evened out with vermouth.
Meanwhile, a young man began to “check-check” on the mike. He tested the sound levels for a while and eventually, his mother came to drop off his guitar. Live music is the norm at Honey West on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and this particular performer used his lovely voice and guitar skills to perform some popular tunes with tasteful embellishments. Once he began to play, my foot didn’t stop tapping.
Honey West is a bit of a mix in terms of food — part elevated bar snacks with a little bistro fare added in, like mussels, along with entrées such as pappardelle and tenderloin.
We started with crispy chicken wings. These had a bread crumb crust which was, in f act, nice and crispy; the meat was tender and fresh. With buttermilk dipping sauce, a very nice start.
The mussels arrived next with a simple parsley, butter and white wine sauce. They were cooked competently but the sauce could have been distributed better. It all lay at the bottom of the bowl so when I got that far, the mussels had a much richer and more flavourful character.
The dining room started filling up around 8 p.m. and the atmosphere was relaxing and jovial. One man slipped in through the side door and hung out by the kitchen; other patrons appeared to enjoy the music as much as I did. When the guitarist sang “The Lazy Song,” everyone looked quite content to be nibbling away at their meals and lazing about.
Next out: the beet salad. Yellow beets poked out from a large salad dressed with a rather thick and sweet balsamic vinaigrette and quite tasty chili-spiked walnuts.
The balsamic made a few reappearances through the night. I ordered the trout, which came with maple hoisin sauce that tasted similar to teriyaki sauce. The dish was supposed to come with crushed almonds and beets but instead arrived with grilled asparagus, drizzled with balsamic. Spiced rice was also listed as a side but they’d run out, so I got asparagus soup instead. Rustic and comforting.
My companion’s grilled asparagus salad was essentially fresh mixed greens with cucumbers, mushrooms and goat cheese topped with a chicken breast and asparagus stalks leaning on it. It had the f amiliar black drizzle and though the salad itself was fine, the chicken was a touch dry.
The music played on and we ordered desserts. Two sandwiches of vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookies came on a long white plate, flanking f anned out strawberries.
The cookies were so crunchy that they made an awkward partner for the ice cream spurting out the sides. But I did notice, peeking into the kitchen, that the creamy cold treat was made in house.
It took a while to get the bill — but we just kicked back and enjoyed the guitar licks. If you are around during the day, Honey West offers a $12 lunch that includes drinks.
Alana Hudson has cooked at restaurants including Le Bernardin, Vong, and Avalon.