Moriarty's Bistro and Wine Bar

The day after our d'Lish visit, a friend called to offer us a couple tickets to the Christmas Pops concert - of course we couldn't refuse. With me working that day, we thought it would be best to grab a bite downtown before heading to the Winspear, and we found Moriarty's at the top of our list.

Arriving around 6pm with no reservation (on a Saturday evening no less), we were seated at a table for four in the middle of the room, making me wish I had thought to make a reservation so we could have sat in one of the more comfortable looking booths. Deciding to skip appetizers after glancing down the menu to see the 'Modern Opera' dessert made by Duchess, we went straight for mains. Charles opted for the Root Beer braised short ribs ($23), while I went for the Black and Red Chicken ($21; I think the black was the wild mushrooms it was served with, while the 'red' referred to the red wine reduction). We also asked the server to pair a glass of wine with each of our selections, which she was glad to do.

As the space filled up quickly around us, we had time to enjoy a few sips of wine before we found our mains in front of us. Charles really enjoyed his short ribs, which were fall off the bone soft and full of flavour, and I was happy enough to eat the rejected golden beets left on the plate. I enjoyed my chicken, with the rich red wine reduction and earthy mushrooms playing well together. Though enjoyable, the amount of mashed potato on my plate, and even the size of the chicken breast itself, was daunting, and in the end I had to leave quite a bit of food on my plate.

Making good time we were looking forward to the 'Modern Opera' ($12) mentioned above and were sad when our server told us they were out. Taking another look at the menu, we decided to share the profiteroles ($11) instead. We were pretty shocked when a plate of three profiteroles arrived - they were gigantic, and one between the two of us would have been more than enough. Unfortunately the dessert was disappointing, with choux pastry that was dry, tough and hard, and thick, sweet fudge sauce that didn't seem to help much. In the end we popped off the tops of two, ate the gelato and left the rest.

Although we'd likely skip dessert next time, our mains at Moriarty's were certainly enjoyed. The rather large entree portions were a little frustrating, so although I can certainly see us heading back to Moriarty's, it will likely be to share some flatbread or a few small plates, hopefully in one of those booths.

Moriarty's Bistro and Wine Bar
10154 100 Street
780.757.2005