The Meal Truth

12 Restobar - Winnipeg MB

2011-01-19T09:23:00.001-07:00

Located at the top of the Radisson hotel in Winnipeg, this restaurant was one of a few options available to us on Christmas Eve. Having searched around for a few places to eat we decided that this, based on reviews, and the menu was probably something we could give a shot.

A few things stuck out as odd as we arrived. First the parking was covered for the Radisson, not enclosed but covered. For those of you who have been to Winnipeg in the winter, you would appreciate an enclosed parkade to a covered one. Needless to say, we dodged the snow drifts that had accumulated in the parkade and found a spot close to the stairs. Then after making our way down the stairs, we noticed that the parkade was not attached to the stairwell, and had to fight the bitter cold to the hotel door. Not a big deal when its warm outside or when not in the middle of a blizzard, but just odd that they wouldn't have a enclosed or attached parkade. Arriving at the front desk we were instructed to take the elevators up to the 12th floor to the restaurant.

Service started off rather quickly as we were only the second of two tables currently seated in the restaurant, and the waitress took our drink orders right away. Now, I haven't really commented on the ambiance of the place thus far, mainly because the name gave it a more elegant feel than the restaurant yielded. With a bar directly located to your left when you walk in and a gaming lounge sharing the space of the restaurant, this place just didn't live up to the image in my mind. Ordering our usual drinks we scanned the menu and decided to order Ravioli bites ($9), and Wonton Prawns ($9) to start, and Spaghetti and Meatballs ($14) and Lobster Ravioli ($19) for entrees.

By now another couple had arrived and been seated, and had been provided bread at their table. Noticing this, and being a bread lover and hungry, I asked our waitress if we too could get some bread, only to be notified that it was an additional cost for us as we had ordered the pasta entrees, which didn't come with complimentary bread. Now I'm not sure that telling a customer who has just ordered two main courses, two appetizer dishes, and a round of drinks, that they have to pay extra for bread is the smartest move. I can understand if we were only having drinks and salad or soup, but really...come on. Needless to say, we declined and waited for our appetizers to arrive.

Onto the food. The Ravioli bites were presented well and looked tasty enough...which isn't that difficult to do. I mean, really, there isn't a whole lot you can do wrong with this dish. But they managed to do it poorly. The marinara sauce that accompanied the bites was horribly bland and barely warmed, so we were left to eat them without, leaving them dry and chewy...something I could definitely do at home better. The Wonton Prawns, based on the description was the most interesting appetizer on the menu. SJ and I were curious how the establishment could deep fry prawns with tempura AND wonton? Did they roll them in tempura then wrap it inside the wonton? Was it diced and mixed with something then stuffed into the wontons? Well to our surprise, the Prawns were indeed deep fried in tempura, and had absolutely nothing to do with the wonton...which was only on the plate as a garnish to hold the aioli dip. How strange is it that a restaurant would call a dish Wonton Prawns (on the dish title in the menu) and the only wonton was one holding the aioli sauce! Really, really strange...

Entrees...again, weird....Two entirely different dish sizes arrived. The Lobster Ravioli that came had a maximum of 8 pieces, which were all undercooked, leaving SJ with a few good bites around the edges of the ravioli. My entree however, the Spaghetti and Meatball dish, was ridiculously enormous! I ate maybe 1/3 of it and passed as much as I could to SJ to eat. The meatballs were unseasoned and bland, and although an option was given on the menu to get Bison meatballs, I decided to get regular. Not sure if the Bison would have been any better, but the regular meatballs, as enormous as they were, were tasteless and a complete waste of food in my opinion.

So finally, after 4 failed dishes and two double drinks we decided to cut our losses and go back to our hotel. Flagging down our waitress for the bill, we asked if the parking would be validated. Our waitress, either new to the country or new to the establishment had to run back and forth a few times to find out. When she returned she gave us instructions on how to pay for the parking, not whether or not it was validated. On our way out we confirmed with the bartender that the parking was indeed not validated with our meal.

For an establishment looking to get patrons, this place has a long way to go. May I suggest you do several things. Get rid of the VLT's. Nothing says "class" like the constant sound of slot machines during dinner. If you are so hooked on the revenue they bring, then just turn the place into a lounge with a small menu. Perhaps offer bread to everyone...really what does it cost you to provide it? Have a little better quality control on the food and portions, and take "Wonton" off the menu...it's completely misleading as far as I am concerned. And validate the parking. If you want people to come, then for god's sake cover the $3 parking charge. Not doing so makes you look cheap and unappreciative of people who come to your establishment from somewhere other than the Radisson. The sad thing is that the view is pretty nice, and this place could have so much ambiance. In a city that doesn't have a whole lot of high end fine dining options (other than steak houses), this place could have been a real hidden gem.

We will not be returning, nor would ever recommend it to anyone looking for a good meal. If you happen to be staying at the Radisson, walk to the street, catch a taxi, and go somewhere else. Based on our experience, our bill being $85 plus tip, we should have spent that money elsewhere.

Location Visted: 288 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg Manitoba

Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Cuisine: American
Presentation: Average
Price: $25-$40/person
Service: Average
Value: Below Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Kansas City BBQ

2010-11-14T16:29:00.001-07:00

Ahh, the great Kansas City BBQ debate. Before we weigh in with our humble opinion, please let me explain that from September to January, KC is kind of like a second home for me, and recently for SC as well. See, we are season ticket holders for the Kansas City Chiefs. While it may seem odd that two people who live over 1600 KM's (1000 miles for those of our US friends) from KC would be season ticket holders...not to mention the abysmal showing the team has had over the last few years...anyone who has ever been to an NFL game understands the allure of the tailgate party. And nowhere in the United States can you find a better tailgating experience than in Kansas City. For the uninitiated, think of tailgating as a big block party with about 80,000 other people. Everyone brings their favorite food, set up grills in behind their cars, and eats and drinks to excess for about 4 hours. Usually starting at 8:00 am on a Sunday morning. It's all about community, fun, and fan frenzy, and I've seen people towing smokers the size of a small vehicle behind trucks, school busses converted to mobile party machines, and even a dude deep frying a turkey one chilly thanksgiving morning. So to understand the importance of BBQ in Kansas City, you need to understand how revered it is in their culture...and tailgating is a great indication. I've been to several other NFL stadiums, and never had an experience that was even close to KC. For example, in Miami one year, I watched rows and rows of people eating picnic style sandwiches (slightly lame and dainty if you ask me) before the game, while up the road in Jacksonville, the parking lot was almost completely empty 2 hours before game time.

For those of you who may think that BBQ is simply setting up your grill in the back yard and throwing some marinated meat onto it, that is NOT what I am talking about here. It's also not that crap that you get in restaurants (the further you get away from Mecca, the worse it is) where some rapidly cooked slab of ribs is drenched in overpowering BBQ sauce. No, true Kansas City BBQ is about time. And patience. It's a craft, a skill, an art, and a science. The meat is smoked over a variety of different aromatic types of wood...slowly...often 12 hours plus, and then accented with different styles of often award winning BBQ sauces. When it is done, the smoked flavour is simply infused into the meat, so you need less sauce to truly enjoy the taste. Likely any kind of meat could be BBQ'd, but the usual fare is pulled pork, pork ribs, smoked sausage, beef brisket, beef ribs, smoked/grilled chicken, smoked turkey and the ever famous burnt ends. Burnt ends, are essentially the end bits of a brisket that has been smoked, and they are usually returned back to the smoker for a longer period of time before being served. It's a bit of a misnomer, as they actually aren't burnt to any degree, but I promise you, a more tender bit of beef will never cross your lips.

The BBQ restaurants in KC range from commercial localized chains, to shacks in some guys backyard. For this review, I have focussed on three of them. This is not to say that there aren't better ones than I have listed here, but these are three of the more popular ones. For our Kansas City readers, I would love for you to chime in on this blog so we can review some other, perhaps lesser known places.

First up is Arthur Bryant's. One of, if not the oldest BBQ restaurants in KC, Arthur Bryant's has a very distinctive old school ambiance and menu. While you can buy meat by the pound, the menu is predominantly sandwiches and sides. We visited the original location on Brooklyn avenue, and after enduring a very long lineup, we were shuffled to the front of the line. While our hearts were set on the pulled pork sandwich, the guy taking our order would have non of it, suggesting...ok, insisting...that we take the two meat sandwich instead. So we each chose pulled pork and ham and shuffled ahead to pay. The sandwich essentially was a piece of Wonder bread (do they still even make that stuff??) with a very decent portion of ham and pulled pork, slathered in very tangy BBQ sauce, covered with another piece of Wonder bread, then drenched in more sauce. The meat was very tender, but in my opinion, I have to confess this was my least favorite meal at a KC BBQ restaurant. I found that it had too much sauce, to the point that it completely overpowered the taste of the meat. Perhaps it was an off day for the sauce guy, but I think there are better places to explore.

Next is BB's Lawnside BBQ. The first time I entered into this joint...can't really call it anything but a "joint", I was a little skeptical. Imagine a roadhouse, but with the walls completely papered in ads for blues concerts in days gone by. But looks can be very deceiving. Seating is either at one of the semi broken down booths, or side by side with the other patrons at long tables...which actually adds to the charm of this place. But BB's isn't just about the food. Every night...or at least every night I have been there, BB's has had live blues music. Sometimes old school, sometimes new, but always smokin hot. They usually charge a small cover (well worth it), and the food is outstanding. They have a plate you can order called the BB King, but beware, you better have a serious appetite. The first time I ordered it, I was thinking to myself that it was only $16, so how much food could it possibly be? Well my friends, that night, for the first time in my life, I got drunk on meat. The BB King is a mound of carnivore delight with four ribs, Italian sausage and either beef, ham, turkey or pulled pork, as well as battered fries and some beans. The sausage is amazing, the brisket tender and flavorful, the pulled pork is out of this world, and the ham, while a tad on the salty side at times, is the single juiciest and tenderest bit of meat I have ever had. Overall, great value for your dollar, great ambiance, and great entertainment.

Finally we come to Oklahoma Joe's. This restaurant has probably won the most awards in Kansas City. With two locations, one of which is in a gas station...yes, I said a gas station...this place is to KC BBQ, what Geno's is to Philly Cheese Steaks. Anthony Bourdain, well known for his Food Network show "No Reservations", selected Oklahoma Joe's as one of 13 places to eat before you die in a Men's Health Magazine article. In it, he says "People may disagree on who has the best barbecue," he writes. "Here, the brisket (particularly the burnt ends), pulled pork, and ribs are all of a quality that meet the high standards even of Kansas City natives. It's the best barbecue in Kansas City, which makes it the best barbecue in the world." Very hard to argue with that once you've eaten there, and the only thing I would add, is that the turkey is the most flavorful meat I've ever had the pleasure of eating. For me, the smoke infused taste epitomizes the whole Kansas City BBQ style of cooking. The only criticism I could possibly muster, is that the portions aren't quite as plentiful as some other places.

So for pure taste, it has to be Oklahoma Joe's for my choice. However, for best food value and entertainment, BB's is a damn close second place. Regardless, both are restaurants on our must eat at list every time we go to KC.

Locations Visited:

Arthur Bryants:1727 Brooklyn Avenue, Kansas City, MO

BBs Lawnside BBQ: 1205 E. 85th Street Kansas City, MO

Oklahoma Joe's: 11950 South Strang Line Road, Olathe, Kansas

Ratings:

Arthur Bryants:

Ambiance: Casual
Cuisine: BBQ
Presentation: Average
Price: $9/serving
Service: Average
Value: Average

BB's Lawnside BBQ:

Ambiance: Casual
Cuisine: BBQ
Presentation: Average
Price: $9/serving
Service: Good
Value: Excellent

Oklahoma Joe's:

Ambiance: Casual
Cuisine: BBQ
Presentation: Average
Price: $9/serving
Service: Average
Value: Good

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Cafe de Ville : Edmonton

2010-09-27T20:05:00.000-06:00

After a long day, and hungry for a unique dining experience, we settle on the Cafe de Ville. This restaurant on the Edmonton downtown fringe is likely pretty easy to miss, but should not be passed up. The decor is rather unique and difficult to classify...sort of a bistro with a distinct European flair.

Can be very intimate in the right area of the restaurant, and the staff is very polite, very unassuming, and between them and the music, almost give the place a bohemian sort of ambiance. Absolutely not pretentious in any way.
We departed a tad from our usual drinks...as we do when we see unique eye catching cocktails...and order the DeVille Island Iced Tea and Frontera Sangria. Both were delicious and a pretty good value for $9, as they were thankfully not filled to the brim with ice.

Instead of bread being brought out to start, we were brought the single greatest mini croissants. Completely unique and unbelievably good, these pastries were glazed on the bottom with honey, and dusted on the top with poppyseed. I cannot say enough about how great these tasted. We ordered a dozen to take home, and while not nearly as good the second day, they were still pretty tasty.

SJ decided to go for the escargot as an appie, while I went with the coquille...a jumbo scallop wrapped in duck prosciutto. Understanding that escargot is somewhat of an acquired taste, these were served in a slightly different way than has been done traditionally. Typically you will find that the escargot are hidden underneath a mushroom cap, and drenched in butter and garlic. And while they are usually pretty good that way, these came with portabello mushroom, various cheeses and a balsamic vinegar, all mixed together that made for a very delightful taste. The scallops that I had were extremely tender, and the duck promiscuity added just the right touch.

For our main course, SJ, on suggestion from the waiter, ordered the lamb, while I went with my usual chicken route. Now it is worth mentioning that neither of us are Lamb fans so this next statement means ALOT. It is impossible to have done the lamb any better. It was possibly the tenderest and juiciest piece of meat that either of us have ever tasted. The combination of pesto, dijon, junipers and chutney provided the ultimate blend of complimentary tastes that made this the perfect meal. My chicken was also prepared perfectly. It came stuffed with wild boar bacon, sun-dried tomato, feta, roasted garlic, spinach, and a touch of amaretto. Furthermore, it was so good I even ate the skin and I never, ever eat chicken skin. However, this time, the skin was crispy and juicy, and did not have the texture of skin...I was very surprised and impressed.

Although completely stuffed, we both felt compelled to order dessert. SJ had the mocha creme brulee, and I chose the chocolate mousse. They were both done quite well, but frankly after being somewhat jaded by the perfection of the lamb, they were both a slight letdown. At any other restaurant however, they would have both been excellent. We can chalk it up to being victims of the the rest of the meal setting the bar so high I suppose.

Overall, a near perfect dining experience. Excellent service and an extraordinary meal make this place an absolute must if you are in Edmonton.

Location visited: 10137 124 Street NW

Ratings:
Ambiance: High end Bistro
Cuisine: International
Presentation: Excellent
Price: $35/serving
Service: Excellent
Value: Excellent

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Rosies in the Park: Sherwood Park AB

2010-09-01T21:33:00.000-06:00

Breakfast with a friend on a beautiful Sunday morning. We have heard a few good things about Rosies in the Park, a little neighborhood diner in Sherwood Park (close to Edmonton). The place is about 3/4 full when we get there...roughly 11am Ambiance is nice, kind of a little bistro with a cute "homey" feel.

Seated pretty much right away, we are offered coffee, but decide on juice instead (I am SUCH a coffee snob). As they serve all day breakfast, we all decide to order from that part of the menu. I order the Rosies omelet, essentially a ham and cheese omelet with hollandaise sauce on it. SC takes the Ukrainian breakfast special, which is 2 eggs served over 5 perogies, then topped with cheddar and green onions and served with a piece of farmer sausage. SC chooses to have her perogies boiled instead of deep fried - I of course would have chosen the latter.

Perogies were bland, eggs overcooked, but the sausage was really good.
Omelet was really overcooked...actually fried. Not too bad on the fillings, and the hollandaise sauce, even though it was clearly not homemade, was probably pretty good...but greatly overshadowed by the crispy fried egg taste of the omelet.

Service was average...although we had to ask for water a few times, and wait a bit before getting it, but it was somewhat busy when we got there, so it was understandable I suppose.

All in all, nothing special or outstanding compared to a chain restaurant's breakfast. Nothing to brag about and a place we wouldn't return to unless we had to.

Location visited:114 Athabascan Avenue, Sherwood Park

Ratings:
Ambiance: Casual
Cuisine: Breakfast
Presentation: Average
Price: $15/serving
Value: Below Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Copper Chimney: Vancouver BC

2010-08-27T20:35:00.001-06:00

8 pm on Wednesday and I am in need of a drink and something to fill my stomach, attached to my hotel is the Copper Chimney. Looking for a simple easy place to eat and grab a few drinks I decide to check it out. Now I have to admit, it never crossed my mind that this restaurant was an Indian fushion restaurant, I always pictured it as a pub that served pub fair... Even when I lived in Vancouver I always associated the outside with a pub...weird as I was oh so wrong.

Walking in your attention is immediately drawn to the plush hard wood floors, the dark wooden tables eloquently set with white napkins, the open foyer with a beauiftul chandellier which just screamed a quiet elegance. A bar located to the far right backs up onto the staircase leading to the second floor dining area providing a beautiful view of the floor beneath and the stained glass windows. The main floor is overlooked by another beautiful chandelier which provided a soft glow to the room entire room.

Dining on my own, my hostess asked where I would like to sit, The place was rather quiet but for a few tables scattered around, and I decide that a table off to the corner would do the trick. Ordering my usual drink, my waitress (who I later discover is a co-owner brought it by). Now I know I have mentioned this before... I love butter chicken...so having seen it on the menu I enquire with the waitress if it was good, as many other entrees caught my eye and I was struggling internally on whether I wanted my comfort food, or to try something different.

Her reply sold me on the butter chicken, stating it was "a feast and would surely love it". Returing with some bread and butter I decided to go with her suggestion and ordered the butter chicken. The ambiance was warm, the waitress very friendly and I couldn't help but feel comfortable here. My drinks were prefectly mixed and my food arrived within 10 mins of ordering it.

The dish was presented rather nicely with a small copper pot of butter chicken, a bed of rice and grilled vegetables on the side. A very generous size if I may say, so she had the feast part right! The butter chicken boasted large chunks of chicken breast in a tomato based sauce...not very spicy, however, be warned it was a spice that could sneak up on the person who has not experienced spicy food... The vegetables were grilled and cooked perfectly, not at all overcooked leaving a small yet tender crunch. The rice and nan were good portions flavourful and also cooked just right.

After polishing off a few drinks, having a nice chat with my waitress and finishing, yes finishing dinner...I retired to my room. Although they dont accept interact, you can bill it to your room or use credit card. This Indian fushion restaurant was a great find....my waitress very friendly and attentive. I found out during a conversation with her that she co-owns the restaurant with her husband, and it had been here for 7 years. My experience here was exceptional, I would highly recommend it to anyone and will return again during my travels. They have it right, just the perfect amount of Indian and fusion which creates an enjoyable dining experience.

Location visted: 567 Hornby St

Ratings:
Ambiance: Upscale Casual
Cuisine: Indian Fushion
Presentation: Above Average
Price: $30/serving
Value: Above Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Characters: Edmonton Alberta

2010-08-22T14:38:00.000-06:00

Very funky and upscale restaurant just on the downtown Edmonton outskirts. Slightly concerned about the autographed picture in the entrance of Emeril Lagasse (please read the review on Emeril's South Beach location), but we came with an open mind. We had initially tried to get the rather unique sounding table situated in an elevator shaft, but had to settle for a fireplace table instead. Very comfy chairs, very nice decor, excellent layout and open beam design, with an open kitchen and classy warm accents, but very bad service to start off with.

Brought to and left at our table without so much as a hello, the waiter walked off without taking any drink order, and in fact without even waiting for us to sit down. When I come to a place of this style, I expect that he will pull out the chair for SC, or put our napkins on our laps, or engage us in at least a small bit of welcoming banter.

Returning after a few moments, he took our drink orders, which he brought out very quickly. But still...personality on this dude is totally missing in action. Slightly odd and uncultured demeanor, he didn't really fit the style or feel of the restaurant. Not a judgement, just an observation. In a refined atmosphere such as this restaurant, one would expect to be served by an equally refined waiter. This felt more like service at a small rural family restaurant...only without the warmth and charm.

Anyhow, we decided on Seared Scallops with a Butter Poached Lobster Claw, and a rather unique sounding Prawn Dog, served with a jalapeño relish and wasabi sticks for appies.

For mains, SC chose Beef Tenderloin, which comes with banana potatoes, and a light chili hollandaise, and I selected the Veal Chop with Gruyere spaetzle.

Rather than bread, we were served homemade potato chips and fries, with a black bean aioli that was slightly spicy, and absolutely out of this world!!! Again, where most servers would explain what they were serving, this was just dropped off without a word.

Appetizers here were incredible. The scallops are done to absolute perfection along with the Lobster claw, drizzled with an unnamed sauce (further defined as "mostly butter" by our mono syllabic waiter), and the Prawn dog, done in the style of a hot dog...while difficult to eat without using your hands and looking a tad like a pig...was the perfect blend of flavors.

The Veal Chop...bone in...was a good size, and was cooked a little more on the well done side than I would have preferred, however I wasn't asked so I assume it is only done one way. SC's tenderloin was done way more on the rare side than the medium rare side, but was still quite good...although it could have used a bit more of the chili hollandaise. On that note, not sure why it is referred to in the menu as "hollandaise", as it doesn't resemble a hollandaise sauce in any way. I'm all for creative license, but I think a "light chili glaze" or something to that effect would have sufficed. Both of us could have benefitted from some knives designed more for cutting through the meat, but our waiter...who has now been nicknamed "ninja" hasn't brought anything to that effect.

For dessert, we have our menus dropped off...again, without a word from the ninja...and select the grapefruit and vanilla brûlée, and the banana, kahlua, and pecan bread pudding. Dessert is served, strangely with soup spoons. SC and I switch halfway through as SC is less than impressed with hers. I like both...remarkable as I have a distinct dislike for banana, but the bread pudding is very good in spite of this. The creme brûlée is very good as well, especially considering the infusion of an acid based flavor into an egg and cream based dish.

Overall, I would say this place is well above average, but slightly below our usual experience with restaurants in this style. Right at the end, the waiter warmed up quite a bit (just in time for the tip?) and actually engaged us in conversation, but it was a little strange given the lack of engagement throughout the meal.

Location visited:

Ratings:
Ambiance: Elegant
Cuisine: Contemporary
Presentation: Above Average
Price: $40/serving
Value: Above Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Balans Brickell: Miami Florida

2010-08-22T13:18:00.000-06:00

Wednesday after having being woken up early it the morning due to unauthorized construction in the apartment above us and not having a good frying pan or cooking utensils, we venture out for food. Just down the road from our rental is Mary Brickell square which boasts several cute restaurants and cafes. Since our morning trek includes starbucks we have passed this quaint establishment a few times and today decide to give it a shot. Arriving a bit later than usual for breakfast we are instinctively provided lunch menus. With nothing specifically jumping out at us, we enquire if they are still offering breakfast, the hostess acknowledges that breakfast is still available and brings us two menus to review. The chorizo con papas immediately catches my eye, and at 7.95 it boasts two eggs, chorizo sausage, salsa and potatoes...so I decide to give it a try. SJ opts for the breakfast burrito listed at 9.25 and adds chorizo for an additional 2$. Adding two mimosas to our meal for $8 each we enjoy the outdoor atmosphere and the fan that is (thankfully) strategically pointed in our direction.

The service, efficient and fast, lead to our food arriving rather swiftly after our order.

SJ's burrito looked rather appetizing. A large flour burrito delicately drizzled with sour cream and accompanied with salsa. The first bite was great, eggs and cheese well mixed, not too little cheese not too much egg. My plate, with the scrambled eggs, looked rather large, more than the typical two eggs. The salsa provided was fresh and suited the dishes well. The only thing I can say about my meal was the potatoes and chorizo sausage were VERY greasy...so much that I could see the oil collecting at the bottom of my plate, and although I usually enjoy crispy potatoes, I don't enjoy them soaked in oil. There is a distinct difference between crispy and over fried. To top it off, the chorizo was so hard my fork could not penetrate it....honestly. Having had chirozo several times, SJ and I know that it can be prepared differently. So harder than others is somewhat understandable, but these were way over cooked. SJ's chorizo was also hard and barely edible. It may have been the late breakfast order, because it really seemed like these had sat under a heat lamp or on the side of the grill for several hours. The mimosas we ordered were good however and the eggs done well....I mean how can you screw up eggs right?? Well, unless you happen to go to a certain resort in Cuba...but that's a story for another time.

Our waitress was attentive and friendly. However based on this experience, the potatoes and chorizo being sooooooooo oily and hard, I would definitely not return for breakfast. I would however give it another try but stick to the lunch menu and stay away from brunch....

Location visited: 213 SE 1st St. (Mary Brickell Village)

Ratings:
Ambiance: Cafe
Cuisine: International
Presentation: Average
Price: $15/serving
Service: Average
Value: Below Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

The Velvet Glove: Winnipeg Manitoba

2010-08-22T13:07:00.000-06:00

11:30am at the Fairmont Winnipeg and I wander into the Velvet room while looking for a place to work before I catch my flight out.
Greeted by a friendly and professional waitress who is forewarned of my intention to stay for awhile, she takes my drink order. Being 11:30am, I decided that my usual double may be too much for the time of day, and opted for a single. The waitress explained the lunch special and hurried off to grab my drink. The ambiance here is that of modern elegance and the music playing in the background is trendy, mellow and just loud enough to add to the ambiance. After looking at the menu which is filled with light food fair, I decide upon the Baker’s Dozen Adobo Chicken Wings. You probably wonder why chicken wings? Well SJ and I have been in this lounge a few times this week and every time we have opted for something different, and seeing as SJ makes the best wings I have ever tasted I didn’t want to get the wings here. This being said, as we have been soooo busy and between places SJ has not had the opportunity to make chicken wings in quiet sometime, so I am CRAVING wings...thus I succumb to ordering them when he is not around... =P As the place was empty with only one other patron seated, my drink arrived swiftly and my order taken.

Arriving quickly the first bite of my wings was surprising. The chicken was tender and juicy, not spicy, like one would imagine...quiet enjoyable. Garnished with carrot sticks and celery this dish was an adequate size and perfect to nibble on while I remain at the lounge for my extended stay. Could it have been my craving for wings that made this taste so good? I doubt it..... Let me be clear, these are not your typical wings, not doused in sauce, but rubbed with spice and accompanied with a rich blue cheese dressing. They were far from spicy, and had an almost sweet aromatic flavour to them.

Although the lounge got very busy for the lunch crowd, with almost every table filled, my waitress still working alone, managed to effectively tend to everyone and bring me another drink.

Almost 2 hours into my seating in the lounge the place slowed down a bit and I debated internally on ordering desert...not because I was hungry, but just because I was tiring of drinking and had been eyeing two of the deserts listed on the menu from the first day we walked in for drinks... when prompted if I wanted another drink, I opted for a latte and a vanilla cheese cake... had to get a desert and sober up a bit before my next round of drinks with SJ. The vanilla cheesecake was presented very well with pieces of strawberries and drizzled strawberry confection over a pile of whipped cream. Having only a few bites I decided it was good, typical not exceptional...pretty much what you could get at any store.

Oh, one other thing...the bar nuts that they serve. Out of this world!!! Regular peanuts but with a cracked pepper and lime coating that made for an addictive taste. Very good.

11:30am at the Fairmont Winnipeg and I wander into the Velvet room while looking for a place to work before I catch my flight out.
Greeted by a friendly and professional waitress who is forewarned of my intention to stay for awhile, she takes my drink order. Being 11:30am, I decided that my usual double may be too much for the time of day, and opted for a single. The waitress explained the lunch special and hurried off to grab my drink. The ambiance here is that of modern elegance and the music playing in the background is trendy, mellow and just loud enough to add to the ambiance. After looking at the menu which is filled with light food fair, I decide upon the Baker’s Dozen Adobo Chicken Wings. You probably wonder why chicken wings? Well SJ and I have been in this lounge a few times this week and every time we have opted for something different, and seeing as SJ makes the best wings I have ever tasted I didn’t want to get the wings here. This being said, as we have been soooo busy and between places SJ has not had the opportunity to make chicken wings in quiet sometime, so I am CRAVING wings...thus I succumb to ordering them when he is not around... =P As the place was empty with only one other patron seated, my drink arrived swiftly and my order taken.

Arriving quickly the first bite of my wings was surprising. The chicken was tender and juicy, not spicy, like one would imagine...quiet enjoyable. Garnished with carrot sticks and celery this dish was an adequate size and perfect to nibble on while I remain at the lounge for my extended stay. Could it have been my craving for wings that made this taste so good? I doubt it..... Let me be clear, these are not your typical wings, not doused in sauce, but rubbed with spice and accompanied with a rich blue cheese dressing. They were far from spicy, and had an almost sweet aromatic flavour to them.

Although the lounge got very busy for the lunch crowd, with almost every table filled, my waitress still working alone, managed to effectively tend to everyone and bring me another drink.

Almost 2 hours into my seating in the lounge the place slowed down a bit and I debated internally on ordering desert...not because I was hungry, but just because I was tiring of drinking and had been eyeing two of the deserts listed on the menu from the first day we walked in for drinks... when prompted if I wanted another drink, I opted for a latte and a vanilla cheese cake... had to get a desert and sober up a bit before my next round of drinks with SJ. The vanilla cheesecake was presented very well with pieces of strawberries and drizzled strawberry confection over a pile of whipped cream. Having only a few bites I decided it was good, typical not exceptional...pretty much what you could get at any store.

Oh, one other thing...the bar nuts that they serve. Out of this world!!! Regular peanuts but with a cracked pepper and lime coating that made for an addictive taste. Very good.

Overall experience was great. I did not feel rushed, the waitress was friendly and accomodating and the atmosphere good.

Location visited: 2 Lombard Place

Ratings:
Ambiance: Contemporary
Cuisine: American
Presentation: Above Average
Price: $20/serving
Value: Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Hamilton Beach Grill: Vancouver BC

2010-07-01T10:24:00.000-06:00

Out for dinner with a couple of friends and they suggest the Hamilton Street Grille. Coinciding with the annual “Dine out Vancouver” event, we decide to give it a shot. Now if any of you have participated in Dine out Vancouver, it’s a local opportunity to taste the best cuisine that Vancouver has to offer at affordable prices. There are many restaurants that participate, and the Hamilton Beach Grille was one of them this year.

Most participating restaurants will also offer their regular menu as well, in the event that you don’t find anything off the special menu to your liking. Having been told by our friends who were accompanying us that it was one of their favourite restaurants we decided to give it a shot. The restaurant’s design was funky and eclectic with open beamed ceilings, and soft lighting which added to the overall charm of the establishment.

SJ and I, having reviewed the dine out menu, decided to order from the regular menu...I mean isn’t the premise of this blog so we can give the “man on the street” review? That wouldn’t be possible ordering from the Dine Out Vancouver menu knowing it should be the best of the best, specially prepared to entice return visits...plus nothing quite jumped out at either of us (lol). For appies we chose phyllo prawns and black and blue ahi tuna. These were presented well and tasted perfect. The prawns accompanied with mascarpone, crab, sun-dried tomato stuffing and a roasted garlic tomato sauce, was succulent and very enjoyable. The Ahi Tuna seared rare accompanied with wasabi and ponzu sauces, was equally enjoyable and these two appies set a very high expectation for our entrees. I decided on Cavatappi (a spiral pasta) with house-made chorizo sausage covered with a tomato cream sauce, while SJ choose the Mushroom Risotto, which (as described in the menu) came accompanied with braised leeks, parmesan cheese and truffle butter. SJ was rather unimpressed to discover zucchini pieces and onions scattered throughout the dish when it arrived...which were not mentioned in the menu nor mentioned by our waitress (who, to her credit was on her first day of work...so we won’t mention how disjointed the service was and just assume she has improved or moved onto another establishment).

The Mushroom Risotto although cooked perfectly was bland and not nearly as creamy as SJ would have expected. This dish came topped with deep fried onion frazzles which SJ claims made the dish bearable. My pasta, which was overcooked, lacked sauce. The dish was largely unimpressive, sausage dry, and also overcooked. Now I may be picky, but I sort of expect pasta to come with some sauce. This was quite reminiscent of pasta that had been cooking too long, along with a sauce reduction. If that’s what they were going for, they succeeded.... SJ and I were rather disappointed as the appies were so great...obviously we both chose mains that left something to be desired.

For desert we were convinced to try their Ginger Bread pudding....and we were glad. I am not a fan of ginger bread, but this dish, served warm and sprinkled with ginger then topped with ice cream was absolute heaven. SJ and I devoured it without hesitation.

The overall experience had highs and lows. The appies amazing, the mains disappointing and the desert heavenly. We may visit this establishment again to test out other mains, but with Vancouver being a city with so many chefs, amazing and surprising restaurants, we may not get around to it. There’s a lesson to be learned here in that exact vein. With the decline of service levels as a whole, and in a competitive landscape such as most urban centers are, you really only get one shot to impress, or conversely, disappoint. Something to keep in mind.

Location visited: 1009 Hamilton Street

Ratings:
Ambiance: Contemporary
Cuisine: American
Presentation: Average
Price: $20/serving
Service: Average
Value: Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Cheesecake Factory: Miami Florida

2010-06-14T22:17:00.000-06:00

After dropping some serious coin at the mall we decided to drop in and have a quick bite. Now here in Alberta, there is a pathetic carbon copy of this place called the Cheesecake Cafe so if you have only ever been there, don't be fooled, this place is quite different in many ways...

Monday evening at roughly 10pm and the place is completely packed. We provided our names and were given a pager. Having been told the wait would be roughly 20 mins we waited patiently until our pager began to vibrate, only to find out we were in for another 10 minute wait in a seating cue. What’s the point to making us wait twice? Regardless, our waiter dropped by quickly to grab our drink orders, which we inhaled instantly. After drinking down 2 pomegranate mojitios prior to ordering our appies and mains, we quickly realized that at $9 each these mojitios would not only be highly addictive but quite expensive. But damn they were good!!!

We ordered the sliders to start, and when they arrived, we couldn't help but notice the sheer size of it. Downing 4 sliders and a mound of fries, we were relieved that we chose it to share. The size of the sliders were larger than average, all in all a larger portion than we expected. More like a main, than an appetizer.

While ordering our second round of drinks we advised the waiter of our chosen mains; the burrito grande and the green chili cheeseburger. On our 3 round of drinks we notice that it's been a while since we ordered our entrees. Looking around we can see people seated after us that were already eating, so we enquired with the waiter how much longer the meals would be, as 45 mins had passed since we ordered. Looking slightly concerned, he said he would check with the kitchen and be right back. Now let me take a moment to describe our waiter, young, tall, handsome with a great smile and personality. And let me clarify here, that I would not have noticed him, however SJ (the secure man he is), made a comment on how good looking the waiter was and how HE could almost have a man crush on him...so of course I now took a good look! [SJ's edit...know your enemy]

Anyhow, I digress. After about another 10 mins, a manager shows up to apologize that we haven't received our meals and explains there was a mix up in the kitchen. He offered us something more to eat...salad, anything, while we wait.....we politely refuse and explain we probably couldn't eat much more. He left assuring us that he is having our meals brought out as soon as possible, and insists we order dessert on the house.

About 5 minutes later our waiter returns with our entrees, his demeanour quite a bit different, no mention of the mix up....very odd. Usually when something happens in a kitchen the waiter goes out of his way to recognize the mistake and ensure the remaining experience is a good one. I can only chalk it up to inexperience, although he was good for the most part, it was obvious he didn't like the fact something had gone wrong and seemed a bit distant until we finished half of our meals. I can't really conclude the exact reason the service changed, could have been he was busy, maybe he just didn't know how to act and assumed that we were not going to tip well....no idea...I will say that the service was good for the most part though, just not the same as prior to our issue with the entrees.

Regardless, we finished as much as we could, as the portions...if you've never been...are HUGE. And I do mean HUGE. My burrito grande was just as the name suggests, GRANDE....and oh so good. Accompanied with guacamole, salsa and sour cream this burrito was sooooooooo good. Although I was stuffed, I actually managed to consume half of it. The green chili burger SJ ordered was equally large. Accompanied with Spicy Fire-Roasted Green Chiles and Onions topped with Crispy Tortilla Strips, Melted Cheese, Tomato Salsa and Chipotle Mayo the burger, onions was very satisfying.

As the manager had insisted that we order desert, we went for...well cheesecake. Unfortunately we were so full we didn't get to eat it, and it "died" in our fridge along with the half of the burrito I couldn't finish. Now I know from experience, the cheesecake here is heavenly, so although we didn't have it on this occasion, we know it would have been great.

We paid the bill, and left a decent tip. As SJ and I left, we were stopped in the parking lot by our waiter. SJ left his cell at the table, and our waiter noticed when he grabbed the bill and ran out to hand it to us. A very nice thing to do. [SJ's edit. Second time I have left my cell phone somewhere. Age is definitely creeping up on me]

The experience on the whole was good. I probably would have appreciated a discount on the bill rather than free food, but regardless, we were treated well, our food was great, and the quality equally good.

SJ and I will definitely return to another cheesecake factory in the future.

Location visited: 7497 Dadeland Mall

Ratings:
Ambiance: Contemporary
Cuisine: American
Presentation: Average
Price: $20/serving
Service: Average
Value: Above Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

The Ground Floor Urban Diner: Winnipeg Manitoba

2010-06-13T21:31:00.000-06:00

Arriving 1 hour prior to close, we entered a rather empty restaurant. The ambiance of this place is difficult to explain, but we settled on "upscale casual". Regardless of the label, the atmosphere would be greatly improved by dimming the lights and changing the window coverings, as the venetian blinds tend to cheapen the overall effect.

Drink orders were taken right away by a pleasant and professional waiter. Having been given 3 menus to look at, we chose to stick with the diner menu which provided a list of entrees. The menu mentioned that the entrees come with sides, however the sides were not listed on any of the three menus we looked at. The table also had a jam stand, which seemed out of place given the paintings and music. Now, granted, we were in an hour before close, so maybe that was the reason they were out. But I got the feeling the restaurant isn't quite sure what they want to be yet, as the music, the fixtures, and the paintings, all said "upscale casual", yet the jam stand screamed "Dennys".

We ordered the chicken fingers for a shared appie, which came with a jalapeno ailoi, and SJ ordered the rigatoni with meat sauce and Caesar salad, while I chose the double stuffed pork chop with rice and a Greek salad. Upon placing my entree order the waiter informed us that the pork chop entree took 30 mins to prepare and that he always informs patrons of this prior to ordering. Good practice in setting expectations.

Presentation of the chicken fingers was a bit odd as they were garnished with lettuce, tomato, and a pickle....along with a few peppers skewered on a toothpick. Furthermore the aioli dip came in a plastic container. Those are two things you just don't expect to hear in the same sentence...aioli and plastic container. Just call it as it is....dip. The dip had a hint of honey mustard which was good, but not spicy at all as the description would suggest. The fingers themselves were a good portion. Tender, not over cooked, and lightly battered.

The salads came, and the Greek salad was pretty good. Chunks of feta, piled in a plate with ample veggies....no skimping here. Caesar salad was ok, not too overpowering, although a tad too much dressing. The croutons were homemade and nicely done. Maybe if they had mixed it better in the kitchen it would have covered each leaf adequately instead of drowning the leaves towards the bottom of the salad.

We had held out a lot of hope for the entrees, because we really didn't want to give this place a bad review as they had asked us to anonymously review them....but here we go. The double stuffed pork chop was cooked just like mom used to make...a large bland piece of tremendously overcooked meat with sauce drizzled on top of it. Now in my world, a double stuffed pork chop, means a pork chop that is fileted with stuffing throughout. Here however, the small amount of stuffing that there was, was injected, and only close to the bone. Leaving me with a piece of VERY over cooked pork that was bland and tasted like something that had been sitting in the oven for way too long. Frankly, if this is the amount of stuffing that comes in a double stuffed pork chop, I would really hate to see the "single" stuffed chop. Clearly, the "double" referred to the massive pork chop. This was an apparent example of quantity rather than quality....very sad indeed because the stuffing was rather good, but the amount (2 tablespoons at the most) did not offset the horrid pork chop.

SJ's rigatoni was actually done pretty well though. The pasta was cooked properly, and the meat sauce wasn't too bad. It would have benefited from some more spice however, or even some chili flakes to spice it up a little more. When we requested some chili flakes, the waiter enquired with the kitchen but to no avail, instead offering Tabasco sauce as a substitution.

After digging out the little stuffing available from my ginormous pork chop and using it to offset the lack of taste, we were done...deciding to skip anything else offered.

Overall experience, odd and slightly disappointing. It really does seem that this establishment is not sure what they want to be when they "grow up". The disjointed ambiance and menu, accompanied with a lack of quality in the entrees, would make it unlikely that we would return again. I would only recommend this place if you were staying in the attached hotel and looking for a quick meal, or they give it a distinct identity. Perhaps investing in some resources that could make meals in which quality reigns over quantity. This experience had highlights and lowlights making me wonder exactly how much thought went behind the recent overhaul...they have a bit of work to do yet in our opinion.

Location visited: 190 Smith Street

Ratings:
Ambiance: Contemporary
Cuisine: Canadian
Presentation: Average
Price: $20/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Cafe Prima Pasta: Miami Beach Florida

2010-06-09T19:56:00.001-06:00

Wednesday night at 9pm and the place is still quite busy. The patio
is full so we are seated inside. Upon requesting a seat outside we are
accommodated and are seated at the bar to wait. Having our usual drinks we opt for singles. Now if you have ever been to most places in the US, you will know that they "free pour" the drinks, so a regular drink has the strength of 1.5 or a double...this place is no exception! When our table was ready, the host grabbed our drinks and escorted us to our table. The atmosphere is very cool, you can tell it started off, and has remained, a family oriented establishment. The walls are covered with pictures of famous people who have visited this restaurant, and it lends a very quaint and comfortable feel to the place. In addition, the staff is very friendly and our waiter in particular was very knowledgeable and engaging.

Seated outside our waiter immediately noticing we had drinks, and asked us if we had any questions or if we wanted anything further. I, the water drinker, requested a glass of water with a lemon in it. Shortly after having received our water, a few rolls of fresh bread were delivered. Looking around for butter, we requested some, which came shortly...however, a minute later our waiter dropped by with a unique olive oil mixture that they usually serve with the bread....and WOW was it good! I'm sure we have all been privy to the common practice of dipping bread into an olive oil/balsamic vinegar solution, but this had pesto, chili flakes, and bits of garlic, which was simply an amazing combination... Sooooooooo goooooood.... So we forgot all about the butter and stuck with the dip.

Our appies arrived quickly...crab cakes and bruschetta. The bruschetta had buffalo mozzarella something that I have never had before, but oddly found it adopted the flavor of the brucestta, making the entire dish quite appetizing. Eloquently presented, it came in a plate of three and was perfect. The bread wasn't too hard, just the right toasted consistency and the tomatoes scattered throughout. Our crab cakes were accompanied with a mango salsa/chutney and a small salad. The presentation of the two were great and the taste, out of this world...just the perfect blend of herbs and being on the patio we noticed the location, although off the "beating tourist path", was noisy as traffic passed by. But being off the strip has definite advantages, as this place maintains more of a quaint feeling. If SJ and I had walked away with just our appies we would have walked away completely satisfied.

Dinner arrived and the special that SJ ordered was a tomato bolognese sauce with cream and itailian sausage. Simply amazing! Filling, generous portions, creamy and scrumptious. My veal piccata paired with lemon sauce and capers, and was simply to die for. Not too salty, not too much lemon. The dish was perfect, and the pasta that accompanied it was done perfectly...not over cooked at all...just right.

Finishing off our bottle of wine SJ and I couldn't help but wonder why there aren't many more places like this around, a flourishing family restaurant that serves great food, great quality, and provides that feeling of comfort and home.

At the end of the meal, the waiter brought us a few biscotti cookies...adding to the warmth of the experience. This place is a gem. A cozy little neighborhood restaurant with chefs who prepare wonderful dishes, that are served by excellent staff. It is a must try if you're ever in Miami. If you like Italian food, you're sure to love this place.

Location visited: 414 71st street (Miami Beach)

Ratings:
Ambiance: Romantic
Cuisine: Italian
Presentation: Above Average
Price: $30/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Above Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Scoozis :Vancouver British Columbia

2010-06-06T18:20:00.001-06:00

Now some places deserve special mention for the experience, the staff and the food. This is definitely a place that has not only left me with amazing memories and a warm feeling, but a place that will definitely see my return. Scoozis, a restaurant that probably needs no introduction to Vancouverites, as it has been around since 1988, is a warm inviting family of staff and patrons. The food is made with love and attention, and the staff a true delight. On this occasion (my first in several years), I was pleased to have the honour of meeting the owner, Michael, a man who went to culinary school in Montreal and has created everything on the menu. His creations are infused with the flavours of the Mediterranean to create something very special.

I can’t explain how comfortable I felt here, as a person dining alone I was provided special attention and the staff made me feel extremely welcome; like one of the family. Those that know me, know that I tend to draw some attention, this could be because of my (often referred to) infectious smile or sweet demeanour, but the experience here will leave me with a friend and a love of not only this place but also the food. [SJ: or possibly because you talk to EVERYONE and you're attractive? jeez Lol]

So in the spirit of reviewing here I go:
Calling ahead to find out if the restaurant served spirits, as the website only mentioned beer and wine, I was pleasantly surprised to find a new friend, wonderful people, and a great time. This Mediterranean restaurant close to my hotel, was not only what I needed after a hard week, but a jewel to find in an industry mainly unconcerned with personalized customer service.

Located on Howe in downtown Vancouver, Scoozis boasts an outside patio and a comfy indoor atmosphere. Seated immediately by the host (Editors note: Michael the owner as I discover later) in the middle of the restaurant close to the kitchen. Speaking in Greek (I can only assume) he proceeds to call me a princess and mentions something in passing about how beautiful I look. Now, in most cases I would assume he was hitting on me, but the way he said it was meant to be a compliment and nothing more. After being seated, Mike, a man I later discover has been working with Michael for 44 years, takes my drink order (of course my usual). Now having been sat by myself in an open area I was feeling a bit left out as the staff were busy tending to tables and passing by to smile. Michael noticing I was ready to order, dropped by and asked me if I was ready. Having looked at the menu and being interested to try something homemade, I ask him if the meatballs were. Immediately as if I had asked a silly question, Michael said he had to show me something and proceeded to grab my hand and lead me into the kitchen and on the stove was a rack of freshly made meatballs. Breaking off a piece to have me taste it he proceeded to ask me if I liked them. Now if you’ve never tasted these meatballs, they are great. Not salty nor overcooked, and just the right combination of garlic, onions and seasoning to make me order that for dinner.

Trusting Michaels knowledge of his menu he brought me half a dozen spicy meatballs, served with hot pita bread, ceasar salad, tzataiki sauce and feta cheese. The dish, a good portion, was filling and delicious. At this point I had a strange feeling that Michael thought I was someone else, as he mentioned he would come back to chat then proceeded to ask if I still worked at the same place. Immediately clearing up the mistake we both had a great chuckle over it, and although I feared the wonderful service would end, it didn’t. As customers continued to pour in he took time to sit and talk, discussing life, the journey to where he is, and taking me on a tour of the restaurant. Adorning the walls of this place are photos of friends and family. Taking the time to show me his journey in life, pictures of his children and the friends that have enjoyed 40 plus years of marriage, it was obvious that not only his food was infused with love, but the entire restaurant, as he surrounded himself with great memories and people.

For desert Michael brought me his version of an apple strudel to celebrate my recent engagement to the love of my life. Covered in honey and garnished with strawberries, pineapple, and cinnamon, this Scoozis version of an apple strudel was simply heaven. Leaving the coffee selection up to him, he brought me a Spanish coffee (which was damn good, topped with cream and a strawberry) and we continued in pleasant conversation between us and the staff. Learning about his past and the journey he has taken to get where he is, I walked away with an appreciation of what life can bring those who believe in themselves and those around them. Scoozies, a place where you can experience a meal and a snap shot into a family...the experience left me with a warm glow (not from the alcohol) about life and love in general.

Location visited: 445 Howe St

Ratings:
Ambiance: Casual
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Presentation: Above Average
Price: $20/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Above Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Steamworks Brewing Company: Vancouver British Columbia

2010-06-02T23:02:00.000-06:00

Lunch time in Vancouver and where to go? Meeting with a friend I looked around for a place that’s casual and close enough to the office. Steamworks shows up in my internet search, and not having been there before, I decided to give it a shot and invited SJ and my friend to meet me there. JR, my friend, suggests we meet in the lower level as he knows the bartender there and will provide not only personal attention but fun times. Parking beside the restaurant is paid parking and very convenient. For those of you who have tried parking in downtown Vancouver, you’ll appreciate the convenience of this lot, as the entrance is right off of it. Walking in we noticed the decor is trendy and pub like. Walking down the winding staircase to the basement we notice JR seated waiting for us. Almost immediately the bartender, a very pleasant and easy going guy, took our drink orders and began to go through the recommended dishes with a refreshing honesty. All of us decide for fish and chips as they sounded great and were well recommended.

Pounding back a few drinks our meals arrived without delay. The fish adequately portioned and served with a bit of coleslaw and a mound of fries. I would suggest the coleslaw is more of a decoration as the plates all came with a few bites of it, which was good considering the portions of the fries and fish on the plate. However, if you like coleslaw, you should request more than usual, I am sure they would gladly accommodate such a request. I digress, what to say..... the fish, halibut, were beer battered and lightly deep fried. Not too greasy or over battered...there are few places that have passed our "fish to batter" ratio and this is one of them. The halibut, flaky, juicy, and tender, came in great portions...I thoroughly enjoyed all three pieces of them. The tartar sauce that accompanied them was perfect and, we believe, homemade. SJ has only ever had better tarter sauce in one place, and it was in England. We enjoyed the fish and chips so much that we all requested more tartar sauce and our server brought three more portions for us. I have a tendency to only eat a handful of fries, and in this occasion I ate a few more than usual as they were crispy enough without being greasy or oily, and as I liked the tartar sauce so much, I dipped a few to finish the sauce off.

The overall experience was great. Better than what you would expect for pub fare.... the bartender was entertaining, friendly and honest.

JR's presence made our experience memorable, and the food was a perfect choice...not too heavy or greasy. We would highly recommend that if you’re looking for a good place to have a few drinks and some well cooked pub fare, this would be the place to check out. Remember to visit the bartender downstairs, he is funny, enjoyable, and definitely added to the great experience.

Location visited: 375 Water Street

Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Cuisine: Pub Fare / Contemporary
Presentation: Average
Price: $20/serving
Service: Above Average * ( this could be due to our overly entertaining bartender)
Value: Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Stan’s Pizza Joint: Burnaby British Columbia

2010-06-01T20:38:00.000-06:00

Tuesday evening, later than usual, we find ourselves searching for a place to eat and one of our favourite restaurants comes to mind. La Vita Bella in Burnaby. This restaurant, family owned and operated is never too far of a hike for us. So believing this place is owed a review, as the last three times we visited it was great, we make the trek out with Italian food on our minds. Parking around back and walking around to the front we notice it was closed. Closed on a Tuesday? Odd day to be closed, especially when both SJ and I felt like some hot focaccia bread with homemade tapenade. Damn Tuesdays!! So staring at the closed sign like two lost puppies and craving Italian we scoped out the surrounding establishments. Located across the street we noticed a place boasting pizza....Stan’s pizza joint...close enough to Italian and fast...being as hungry as we were at this point we would have gone for anything!! Walking into this place, it offers no real character, nothing special, just a few tables and chairs, and a bar located in the back by the kitchen. Really just a typical fast food pizza joint. After taking a peek around for a suitable piece of realty to sit down on, we were greeted by our server. Friendly and efficient, she dropped off the menu and took our drink orders with ease. Arriving a few minutes later with our drinks she took our dinner order... for the only person serving she was very proficient and knowledgeable, didn’t waste time and was polite.

As I mentioned SJ and I were famished, so ordering the medium size of The Joint Full Load pizza, priced at a mere $13.00, didn’t scare either of us. As we waited for our food to arrive a bunch of younger adults walked in and took a table next to us. Watching the TV’s hanging on the walls we collectively laughed at the comedy network, which was cleverly playing to entertain us. When our pizza arrived, the waitress noticed we were missing chillies and parmesan cheese, so she swiftly grabbed two shakers from another table and brought them to us. Gazing upon our pizza, SJ and I couldn’t help but notice it was, just as the menu suggested, LOADED with toppings. Not like other pizza places that mention items on the pizza but give you 10 small pieces to spread evenly on a large pizza....this was loaded and smelled heavenly. Not wasting another moment, we dove in and devoured the first slice. The crust was crispy yet the inside tender and fluffy, kind of like the crust you get when ordering a pan pizza at pizza hut.

The toppings were fresh and as I mentioned before, very plentiful. SJ not being the chicken lover I am, commented that the pizza would have been better without the chicken as it dulled the bite of the pizza sauce. I concurred, that although the pizza was damn good, it could have done with a tad more oomph in the sauce to offset the bland chicken. Leaving the plate almost empty, and with our stomachs about to burst, we rolled out of the joint and wobbled to our car...

Overall experience: Very good. With the combination of an attentive server, a great pizza and a fast meal this place will be visited again should we feel like a good pizza at an amazing price.

Location visited: 4527 Hastings Street

Ratings:

Ambiance: Pizza Joint / Casual
Cuisine: Pizza
Presentation: Average
Price: $13/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Great

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Stella's: Vancouver British Columbia

2010-05-31T23:54:00.000-06:00

A tradition SJ and I have when in Vancouver is to visit one of our favourite tapas bar’s, Stella’s. Now, having been introduced to Stella’s over a year ago by SJ and having great experiences since, we continue to hit it on every second or third visit to this fine city.

An always interesting mix of clientelle, this multi location restaurant in Vancouver is a place to hang out, have good conversation, and drink from a vast and incredibly unique selection of (predominantly) Belgian beers. I will never forget our first visit to the location on Commercial Drive. It is a pub atmosphere that serves only tapas, of which we had mussels served in Stella (yes the beer), Jumbo Tiger Prawns that were more like mini lobsters, and something else that fails to come to mind. Everything was amazing, thus we continue to return to either of the two locations, and recommend it to everyone we know as a place to go for great beer and tapas. As mentioned this place appropriately named Stella’s, is largely about the beer. There is a full 4-6 page menu exclusively of Belgian beers
from numerous microbreweries and trappiste breweries in Belgium.
Ironically the name Stella’s was likely chosen to capitalize on the success of said beer, however we are told that it is a beer largely looked down on by the Belgian beer elite.

On this occasion, we went to the Stella’s on Cambie, that features a dinner menu as well as tapas. Neither of us had an idea Stella’s offered dinner, so it was a pleasant surprise. SJ and I ordered the Bière des Ours, one of SJ’s favourite beers of all time and extremely difficult to find. This beer is honey in color and taste and goes down a little too smoothly. Not a beer drinker myself, I have taken a liking to it. We chose Jumbo Prawns from the tapas menu to start, as the three course prix fixe provided nothing of interest for appies, and while these were not the massive prawns we had on our first visit to Stella’s they were still relatively large. Must say however, they were a bit over cooked and rubbery, but tasted good none the less. The only comment I must make about this dish is that the Prawns came unpeeled with the shell fused to the meat and covered in a sweet sticky glaze. Some people do eat the shell, I however don’t and never will, so I painstakingly removed the shell in order to eat it. I am sure I am not the only person out there who removes the shell so I would suggest to make the experience better, that they provide a finger bowl as my fingers were sticky and covered with sauce making the experience very messy.

SJ ordered the Belgian meat balls to start and thoroughly enjoyed them. Covered in a beef based gravy these meat balls were adequately portioned, juicy and well seasoned. SJ’s brother in law, SW, opted for the prix fix including the appie and decided on the roasted beet salad. SW’s salad was well portioned and more of a salad than the typical beet salad one would expect, decorated with pecans and a few beets to offset adding a savory taste to the salad as a whole. SW thought the salad was good, but missed dressing. SJ’s sister, HJ, opted for the BC Haibut with a basmati risotto. It is important to note, this isn’t your typical risotto, it was more of a basmati rice in a creamy sauce accompanied with peas, so if you are expecting “real” risotto, as we were, you may want to steer away from this dish.

The Halibut however was done quite nicely according to HJ. SJ and SW opted for the Fraser Valley Pork Loin Chop which was accompanied with a mashed yam patty on top of a corn and bean succotash. SJ and SW enjoyed the maple glazed pork chop, SW enjoyed the succotash and yams considerably more than SJ (not so much of a vegetable guy). For dinner I opted for the Chicken Milanese which was very good. The Chicken was accompanied with potatoes which were rather dry, and I would suggest a better accompanying vegetable as it didn’t add anything to the dish other than filler. The Chicken was a rather large portion, so the potatoes wouldn’t have been eaten regardless of how good they were as I could barely finish the chicken.

As HJ had raved about the cheesecake we decided to give it a try, and wow was she right! The Mascarpone and Bourbon Cheesecake was amazing, topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with nuts, this is a MUST have... shared amongst the table we devoured it.

The service as a whole was adequate and the waiter engaging. [SJ’s note: SC in the past had a preference for the Brazilian type. Our waiter brought back some memories and hot flashes....lol] The muscles from Brussels turned out to be Brazilian, lucky SC as she guessed his nationality correct in our friendly wager...[SC note: guess old habits die hard- LMAO]

Location visited: 3305 Cambie Street

Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Cuisine: Tapas / Fusion
Presentation: Above Average
Price: $30/serving
Service: Average
Value: Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Blue Heaven: Key West Florida

2010-05-26T15:33:00.000-06:00

As our previous evening at Emeril's left us with a significant amount of regret and disappointment, we decided to take a day trip from Miami to see the famed Florida Keys, and have a "do over" of our celebration. After a 3 hour drive and a pit stop in Marathon for a helicopter tour, we ended up in Key West.

Spending the first few hours shopping, where I got thoroughly ripped off on 2 dresses that I bought...but alas, a story for another time.
SJ had done a little investigation as to which restaurant we wanted to review, and settled on a small Caribbean place called Blue Heaven. The restaurant is located just off of the beaten path about a block or so from the great Ernest Hemmingway's former home, and in fact is a place he used to referee boxing matches at in a past incarnation of the building.

We were immediately seated as we entered, and chose to eat in the main part of the restaurant, which is outside. There is an air conditioned indoor area available by request, but I'm sure you would be missing the real ambiance of this place.

Our waitress was with us a few minutes later and thoughtfully brought a frosted glass for SJ's Stella...to "make it go down a little faster". Very considerate as it was a typical muggy Key West afternoon. I went with a key lime lemonade, that was a little on the tart side, but still very refreshing, recommended by our delightful waitress.

Now I have to pause here for a moment to describe the environment. We are seated in an outdoor courtyard at a table underneath some umbrellas...with a bunch of roosters running around fighting each other for some food scraps. Very unique, unassuming, and certainly not the kind of place one would expect to find dishes comparable in quality to a 5 star place in a big city.

When our waitress came back with our second round of drinks, she also took our orders. She was very helpful in recommending a few "signature" dishes such as the Sautéed Yellowtail Snapper with Citrus Beurre Blanc Sauce and the Pork Tenderloin, both of which we ordered as mains. We also ordered Seared Sea Scallops Provençale and the Caribbean BBQ Shrimp as appetizers which came quite quickly.

The shrimp were very nicely seasoned, seared with jerk seasonings, deglazed with beer, and served with freshly baked corn bread muffins. A very nice sized appie... The scallops also cooked perfectly, accompanied with a citrus beurre blanc sauce and garlic bread making this dish simply incredible! The mains arrived very swiftly and absolutely did not disappoint. Neither of us are fish people, but on this evening SJ stepped out of his comfort zone for the sake of this blog (what a guy! Lol). The fish was spectacular, splitting our mains to ensure each of us got a good sample, I couldn’t help but admit that some fish...yes some fish when one right can be very tasty!!. This fish was Flaky, tender, and accented with a ridiculously good beurre blanc sauce and pasta. I chose the pork tenderloin with a mango chutney and curry butter sauce on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes. Very nicely prepared, and the sweet potatoes gave just the right amount of sweetness to the dish. We were both highly impressed by the quality and the experience thus far...

For dessert...um, hello...could it be anything other than Key Lime pie??? Authentic tasting (and color...yellow, NOT green), and served with a large amount of meringue on top, it was a perfect end to a perfect meal.

And to top it off, our waitress suggested a great place for us to go watch an amazing sunset. All in all, the perfect evening, and a full two thumbs up, if we had more thumbs to give we definitely would. IF you are ever in the Keys, a place you must go as we will definitely ensure to recommend it and return in our travels

Location visited: 729 Thomas St. Key West Florida

Ratings:

Ambiance: Unique and quaint
Cuisine: Caribbean Fusion
Presentation: Above Average
Price: $30/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Above Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Emerils: Miami Beach Florida

2010-05-25T10:02:00.000-06:00

BAM! Somebody needs to kick this place up a notch!!

Located in the heart of South Beach Miami, attached to the Loews Hotel is Emeril's restaurant, named after the famous chef Emeril Lagasse. Parking was easy as we opted for valet. The usual cost at Loews for valet parking is $25, however if you get your ticket validated, it is dropped to a mere $16.

Now having dined at several high end restaurants, we expected much better than what we saw at Emerils. The entrance was trendy and impressive, however the seating area left something to be desired, ordinary and rather pedestrian. SJ and I were celebrating our recent engagement, and so we decided to spend it at a place we figured we were assured a fabulous meal. This being said SJ mentioned it to the hostess when she took our reservations and throughout the meal there was no mention of our celebration, quiet odd... Makes you wonder why they even bothered to ask?

In any event, we were seated immediately and handed a wine list to peruse through, but no menus. Soon after, another server arrived to fill our glasses with sparkling water instead of the still we requested. When our waiter arrived we pointed out the mistake and actually had to ask for menus....it seemed as though they had forgotten to give us them in the obvious confusion among the two servers. Our mojitios arrived and after having a few sips we both commented on the fact we were literally eating the mint leaves, as the drinks were very muddled, something we have never experienced before to such a degree...especially not in what is essentially the second home of the mojito. All this had given us time to look at the wine list where we noticed wines ranging from $40 to $4,000. Figuring that we would try something different than our regular gerwurztraminer, We mentioned that we were looking for something sweet in a white wine, but not as sweet as a desert wine. She immediately mentioned that her favorite was ice wine, as if she had not even heard our comment. So when we repeated that were not looking for a desert wine, she said she would have someone who "knew about wine" to come by to assist us. The server who arrived was not the most knowledgeable and had to flip through the wine list several times to finally recommend a wine he thought would fit our needs. Now, understand that neither of us are wine snobs in any way, but wouldn't you have a reasonable expectation that in a restaurant that has several $4000 bottles of wine on the extensive menu, that it would also have a sommolier?? The wine that arrived was nothing close to what we wanted and it was then apparent that this restaurant didn't have anyone knowledgeable enough to recommend a wine....again very odd...the only saving grace was that the bottle was in the lower price scale.

Overall the service was very sporadic and used numerous staff to serve...or not serve in several instances. Again, we actually had to ask for our menus as ample time had passed and we had not received any... When we were ready to place our order, we watched eagerly as our waiter (or the one we assumed was our waiter) walked by 5 times during which both of our menus were closed...the universal signal for "we're ready now". Finally noticing we were ready to order he came over. We got appies to share, calamari and lettuce wraps, with mains of scallops and the 8ounce filet mignon.

Shortly after our order was taken, the waiter arrived to apologize as the kitchen had run out of scallops, so I settled for the spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli instead. At this point we were very disappointed with the overall service and wondered if the food would save the day. 1 hour into our seating we still had not received our appies, this could be due to the server not having taken our food order for about 30 mins into our seating, regardless, this is still unacceptable. Shortly after the 1 hour mark we finally received our appies... And wow did they save the day. The tuna wraps were amazing, with a touch of chili sauce, giving them a little kick. The tuna, fresh and laid on a bed of crispy wonton strips, was absolutely perfect. The calamari was prepared with a New Orleans Olive Salad, Smoked Tomato Sauce, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese and was equally amazing. Not being a big fan of olives, I couldn't help but devour this dish. Not too many "legs" and lightly breaded. The combination was delightful and unexpected.

Our dishes were cleared and, our waiting staff started to redeem itself...always ensuring that our wine and water glasses were filled, and even going so far as to refold my napkin when I went to use the restroom. Within a decent amount of time our meals arrived...after taking a small detour to another table by mistake. SJ's steak was prepared perfectly, and was the cut and quality one would expect from a place where you pay over $45 for a steak. It had a touch of blue cheese on it which certainly added to the overall taste. My ravioli was huge, and came Roasted Tomato-Sweet Corn “Vierge”, Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Shaved Parmesan Cheese; somewhat bland without it, but tasty one it was added.

After we had finished our meal, the service reverted to it's previous quality. Our plates had been cleared and we had refused dessert, yet waited over 30 minutes for our bill, and actually had to walk up to the server's station to have somebody process our payment, as we had been sitting at our empty table for quite some time waiting.

Overall, I would absolutely NOT recommend this restaurant, unless you are very patient, or have low service standards.

Location visited: Emeril's Miami Beach

Ratings:

Ambiance: Trendy
Cuisine: Contemporary
Presentation: Average
Price: $50/serving
Service: Below Average
Value: Below Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Century Grill: Edmonton Alberta

2010-05-16T18:16:00.000-06:00

Celebrating my 35th birthday we decided to have dinner somewhere we hadn’t been in a while. We recalled that we had enjoyed the food here before and thought it was time to revisit The Century Grill in Edmonton. While it was 6pm on a Wednesday, the parking lot was completely full. This could partially be because the restaurant is located next to two of the busiest restaurants in Edmonton, Red Lobster and Olive Garden. Restaurants, I might add, that have gone downhill horribly since the early years, so don’t expect us to review them anytime soon. It would likely just be a bitchfest. Anyhow, back to the Century Grill. As it was raining, SJ being the gentlemen he is, dropped me off at the door and went to find a spot. Waiting for him in the door way I briefly took note of the layout and ambiance of the entrance. The entrance is modern, the lighting soft, and to the left of the dining area is a raised private dining room surrounded by white curtains. Something I would think may be quiet interesting for private parties. The restaurant was busy, and as we were seated, we joined my family and ordered our usual cocktails. Our waiter was pleasant and knowledgeable, and arrived shortly thereafter with our drinks. For appetizers we chose three dishes to share: Parmesan chicken balls, calamari and gyoza.

The chicken balls came 4 to a bowl and were quite large. I think they thought size would outweigh quality in this case, because they were breaded and bland. The tomato sauce which accompanied them was sparse and did not do very much for the lack of spice or taste in the chicken balls. I would have expected a better seasoning in the breading, but for this dish it seemed obvious that they expected the sauce to offset the blandness...a disappointment in our eyes as they did sound good on the menu. Reality however was not dissimilar to something you could get frozen in the appies section of the grocery store.

The calamari however, were excellent. Not leggy (just rings), they came slightly peppered with Serrano peppers scattered to give a nice kick to the dish, and accompanied with a garlic dip . We were all very impressed with this dish. The Gyoza were also great, pan seared and lightly basted with a sweet soy Wasabi glaze that was great. The mushroom bed they were served on were tender and added quiet well to the dish.

SJ would almost call what I have a chicken fetish, because I LOVE chicken...(mainly breast- don’t like bones or skin...yuk!) This being the case I opted for the Free Range Chicken. When I ordered, I politely asked the waiter if there was bone and skin on the chicken, as the menu didn’t specify skinless..(a lesson I learned in Vancouver after ordering Coq Au Vin once only to find it was dark meat, and had skin and bones! So now I make sure to ask!). Advising me that this dish did indeed come with the leg bone in and the breast skin on, I asked if he could have the kitchen remove the skin from the dish, a request they complied with happily. The chicken was very good and tender (without skin) but the risotto was cooked a bit too much for our taste. It was (as many restaurants make the mistake), over cooked and bland. The sauce however when mixed with it made up for the lack of taste and texture.

Now one thing you may have noticed by now, is the complete lack of fish dishes in any of our reviews. This is on purpose. Neither of us are fish lovers. Frankly speaking, for the most part it always tastes like...well...fish! And all of you out there who in your minds are saying "that's because you haven't had it prepared with...", please stop. Trust me...it still tastes like fish. The exceptions to this rule are Salmon (occasionally), shellfish, and TUNA!! But there is a catch. You must have the Tuna seared, and not cooked. Yes, it's raw...get over it. But it's the best thing on earth to eat, and in fact, the more you cook it, the more it starts to taste like fish. Ironic. Having lived in Bermuda for a few years, SJ got turned on to Tuna...no, not the canned variety...and even went so far as to go fishing for it on a few occasions. A story he tells ad nauseum that involves tuna, a shark, and blah blah blah. Anyways, SJ opting for the Ahi Tuna, crusted with Captain Crunch cereal....yes you read that right. The texture was excellent, but you really couldn't taste the Captain Crunch. Fortunately there was a good sauce drizzled over and around that nicely complimented the dish.

Now completely stuffed, SJ and I shared a desert with my father. My dad, never having had crème Brule was convinced to order it, which he loved. The desert a vanilla bean crème brulee was amazing, the right texture and very tasty. YUMMY.....

The manager, having heard that it was my birthday, stopped by to thank us for choosing the restaurant to celebrate my special day, and handed me a $10 gift certificate for use on a future visit. In my opinion, it was a very classy move...for a moment there I was worried the staff would pop out from behind his back and start embarrassing me...(something I have always found tacky for a restaurant....SOOO glad they didn’t do that here or it would have seriously tainted my perception of the overall experience.)

Overall, the experience was decent. The staff was friendly and attentive, the food and the ambiance mostly good. I did think it was a bit louder than I would have preferred, as it was difficult to carry on a conversation around the table we were seated at, but for the price, the day and the company...we thoroughly enjoyed the celebration.

Location visited: 3975 Calgary Trail

Ratings:

Ambiance: Trendy and Fresh
Cuisine: Contemporary
Presentation: Above Average
Price: $30/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Good

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Zaika Indian Bistro Bar: Edmonton Alberta

2010-05-08T19:54:00.000-06:00

This Indian restaurant in Edmonton, is a fresh spin on traditional Indian cuisine. As soon as you enter, the fragrance of Indian spices and fresh naan fills the air. As a lover of Indian food, I have been here a few times without disappointment. I have tried both the buffet and the menu, and have loved both. Very busy this specific evening we were fortunate to be seated immediately. The decorations in the restaurant are ultra funky and modern. The light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, provide a soft light which illuminates the entire dining area and establishes an ideal ambiance for relaxation. Ordering our usual cocktails we decided to peek at the drink menu and were enticed into trying one of the unique drinks that they serve (more detail further down). When our drinks arrived the waitress had missed the “tall” glass, making my drink stronger than I usually like, however, with only two waitresses serving this entire restaurant, I can understand. Sharing the responsibilities of hosting and serving, a second waitress (which we would discover was the owner) came by to take our orders ensuring to ask our preferred spice level. Ordering the Samosa trio, (substituting the vegetable Samosa with another beef as SJ is not a veggie man) and chicken wings (hot) for appetizers, we decided upon something different than our "usual" as entrees. Now I LOVE butter Chicken, and Beef Vindaloo, and this place does both very well, but as we opted to step outside the normal Indian food box, we ordered the Lamb Korma and Mint Chicken (medium). Each entree comes with Basmati rice and naan bread, so no need to order more.

Mainly occupied with patrons of Indian descent (always a good sign), this restaurant never ceases to deliver a wonderful modern Indian meal. The Samosas were easily the best we have ever tasted, not greasy at all, and accompanied by a house made chutney and sauce. Excellent combination of spice and flavour, the meat wasn't over cooked or tasteless, and we dove in and devoured them without a second thought. The chicken wings were mildly disappointing however. They came presented well, however were drenched in a tomato based sauce. The sauce had the consistency of a typical Italian spaghetti sauce, and although it was rather good, it was still all over the wings making them very messy to eat. In our opinion, a little less sauce would have done the trick. Furthermore, although we asked for hot chicken wings, they were far closer to medium than hot. Maybe looking at SJ’s white face the owner thought his stomach couldn’t handle hot sauce. SJ tends to eat spicier food than I do though, and that’s saying a lot...considering my Caribbean roots. He is definitely full of surprises!

The basmati rice was cooked perfectly and presented in a small bowl off to the side. The naan, was great as well. The Lamb Korma was exceptional. Cooked tender and juicy, and didn’t have the overwhelming lamb taste as it was likely steeped in the Korma sauce. Not being a lamb eater, I thought it was great. The mint chicken was very similar to Butter Chicken, however infused with a mint in the sauce, making it a unique and "must try" dish.

Owned by one of two sisters, this restaurant (located beside the other sisters spice shop) is simply amazing. This being our third visit, and having sampled both the buffet and several menu items, this funky upbeat gem is absolutely great. The food is amazing and the service matches. Furthermore, the drinks are unique, and the mango mojitio was ridiculously addictive. Infused with mango and mint, this drink goes down too easily, and had us ordering more (and more...and more). Definitely our newest drink addiction. (A combination I will make at home as well on my way to the closest AA meeting...lol)

Location visited: 2303 Ellwood Dr

Ratings:

Ambiance: Trendy and Fresh
Cuisine: Indian
Presentation: Good
Price: $15/serving
Service: Average
Value: Great

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Coras: Edmonton Alberta

2010-05-07T16:12:00.000-06:00

My 35th birthday morning and all I can think of is creton (Kre-Ton) and some amazing fruit from Cora’s. Now those who know me, know I am not usually a breakfast person. I don’t like greasy bacon or runny eggs, so it’s a meal I usually skip or make at home by utilizing toast or cereal. However, it being my birthday, I felt like something out of the ordinary. I had visited Cora’s a few times when I lived in Gatineau and Ottawa, and SJ has frequented it in Winnipeg as well, and we both have missed it dearly. Only recently has Edmonton been blessed with this place, so whenever we are free and feel like breakfast, we make a point enduring the inevitable lineup to go there.

Having introduced several friends to Cora’s with no bad comments, I can honestly say the food is amazing. This establishment, which can best be described as a funky diner with extreme color, almost always has a line up to get in. So on a cold day, make sure to dress warm. On this occasion we waited for about 20 minutes to be seated. Once seated however, we immediately ordered orange juice and a fruit smoothie. At a little above $4, I figured it would be a good compromise to orange juice, which I don’t usually enjoy. The smoothie came presented well in a small serving plate surrounded with a slice of cantaloupe and a wedge of pineapple on the glass. The person preparing the smoothie made a bit of a mess as it was dripping down the side of the glass which prevented me from picking it up to consume. This wasn’t a big deal until my sleeve touched the glass leaving my shirt stained red. (Thank god for Tide to go!!) Flagging down our waitress to request glasses of water we ordered our meals. SJ and I decided upon the Cora’s special, which includes: Ham, bacon, sausage, potatoes, two eggs, a crepe and toast. SJ opted to add onions and cheese to his potatoes, whereas I did not. I recall from a previous visit thinking it didn't really compliment the meal, and for the additional cost wasn’t worth it. SJ later commented that I was correct, as the onions, which were fried and greasy, were piled on top of the potatoes, and somewhat wrecked that portion of the meal.

Now, SJ and I cannot come to Cora’s and not get Creton, so we each ordered a side of that to spread on our rye toast. IF you’ve never had Creton before, it’s a Franco Canadian delicacy. Somewhat like a ground pork spread, it’s hard to describe except to say, YUMMY! Always add mustard on top...makes it taste sort of like a mini ham sandwich. It's damn good regardless.

The one thing you must know when coming to Cora’s is that 1) you will almost always wait in line, 2) the waitresses are also the bussers. So the service is a little lacking as the restaurant is always packed and trying to get the next table in and out of the doorway. I was thirsty, so I polished off my water and SJ’s (he doesn’t usually drink water-so it’s never a big deal), however the waitress didn’t come back to fill up our water until after we ordered. As I mentioned the service is a little hit and miss, depending on how busy they are. This visit I felt as though we needed to flag her down to order extra rye toast and creton, and the second order of toast was mistakenly whole wheat, and not the rye we ordered. Overall experience this time was consistent with our past visits, the meal great, garnished with tasty fruit and not greasy, the service rushed and nonexistent. This meal and every meal we have had here is the single reason we continue to return (besides the creton, which SJ claims he too can make...lmao)

Location visited: 2920 Calgary Trail

Ratings:

Ambiance: Diner
Cuisine: Breakfast
Presentation: Great
Price: $15/serving
Service: Below Average
Value: Great

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Joey: Edmonton Alberta

2010-05-06T21:55:00.002-06:00

Dinner out with a girlfriend of mine and so we decided to go to my old stomping grounds and hit Joey’s. In the past little while I haven’t been back there mainly because the experiences have been so hit and miss with the service. But figuring the small hiatus may have improved things...or at least my outlook...I try my luck again.

Walking in we took a peak into the bar area and decided we would rather have a table in the restaurant. We provided the young hostess with our names, and proceed to wait for a few minutes until we are seated. This is not a problem as the waiting area is spacious enough and usually offers white and red wine, or samples of something good off of the menu while you wait. Almost immediately the manager came out from the lounge to advise us that there was seating available there, and asked if we would like to sit in the lounge. Somewhat hesitant we mentioned wanting a booth and that we were ok with waiting. Rather persistently he proceeded to “sell us” on sitting in the lounge by bringing us to an available booth. Both of us found the insistence rather odd, but seeing as the menu was the same, and it was indeed a booth, we just agreed and sat down.

Now if you’ve been to Joey’s lounge, you’ll know it’s rather dimly lit, funky, and a happening place to check people out or go for drinks with a group of friends. This time was no different. Surrounded by Cougars and Lions my friend and I proceeded to chat and order our drinks. The waitress, a pretty girl boasting a large fake smile, proceeded to take our drink orders. Within a matter of 30 seconds however, she asked us twice if we had any questions about the menu. Not quite sure if she experienced deja vu but we sure did! Ordering the grilled chicken souvlaki and china town lettuce wraps we enjoyed our drinks. Most lounges have music that almost overwhelms any chance of conversation, so I can say that Joeys, at least on this particular day, had the perfect volume.

My entree, accompanied with French fries (they call them shoes strings, but they are nowhere near as good as the original shoe strings they used to offer!) arrived without the gravy I had ordered, which the waitress promptly brought when she was alerted to it. The grilled chicken souvlaki, wrapped in paper to prevent dripping, was pretty good. I would have appreciated it served without the wrapper, but I can imagine those not skilled with messy food would make a mess, so I guess it’s ok as a standard. One thing really stuck out though...after I ordered the gravy I remembered....I don’t like the gravy here. It’s not gravy, but rather soup. I kid you not, that is the exact texture it has, plus it's watery and salty. Au Jus at best! Needless to say, I stuck with ketchup for the hand full of fries I ate. My friend, having dusted off the lettuce provided with her entree, asked our waitress for a few more pieces when she checked on us for a final time. We both could have sworn she forgot as the lettuce took about 10 mins to come out! Odd seeing as there really is nothing to do but take them off the head and wash them. Anyhow, overall the meal was forgettable...nothing particularly special other than catching up with my friend.

As we left, I was reminded why Joeys is part of my OLD stomping grounds, and will remember that there are so many better places to spend my money than. It’s not extremely bad, but far from outstanding...just average all around.

Location visited: 9911 19th Avenue NW (South Edmonton Commons)

Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Cuisine: Steakhouse and Fushion
Presentation: Average
Price: $16/serving
Service: Average
Value: Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Gabby’s: Toronto

2010-04-30T23:25:00.000-06:00

Monday dinner time and the sun is out, Toronto traffic busy as expected and we are looking for a quick bite on our way to the airport. GPS shows us a place called Gabby’s so we thought we’d give it a shot. Feeling like a few drinks and a light dinner this pub seemed perfect. As we entered the establishment the bartender was quick to motion for us to sit anywhere, and then came to take our drink order. After he explained the specials, we ordered our usual drinks. Our first impression of the place was that of an older neighbourhood pub where blue collar friends congregate after work for beer and wings. The group of guys sitting at the bar loudly expressing their profanity laced opinions, proved our first impressions correct. The menu offered an exhaustive number of items, ranging from the usual pub fare, to fajitas, entrees, and deserts...honest to god there must have been well over 100 items available on the menu. This instantly made us rather sceptical towards any one item actually being good, given the vast plethora of offerings. The bartender continuing along in the same efficient and speedy manner, seemed rather eager to serve us, coming back a few times to take our meal order...It was almost odd.

Having fish and chips on our minds we both ordered the fish and chips platter. Shortly after ordering, our meals arrived. The beer battered fish and chips were accompanied with premium malt vinegar, and surprisingly non premium tartar sauce. This wasn’t even your regular type of tartar sauce, but rather the mini Kraft tartar sauce packages, which seemed rather odd. In my humble opinion, they should just make their own...or at least take it out of the package back in the kitchen. Providing Kraft packages seems rather fast food like and didn’t quite go with the overall ambiance of the establishment. Nonetheless, Kraft tartar sauce aside, the two adequately sized pieces of fish were tender and not oily by any means. The fish was flakey and cooked perfectly...quite the surprise, not at all what we were expecting. I guess you can’t always judge a meal by the number of items offered on the menu. We finished our meal and determined that for a little neighbourhood pub, this place was a nice find. Other than the loud group of guys and the few trashy women who seemed to hang off of their arms, this place is offered us well mixed drinks and a great fish and chips platter. That being said, SJ and I will return should the mood strike us again

Location visited: 383 Eglinton Avenue East

Ratings:

Ambiance: Pub
Presentation: Average
Price: $15/serving
Service: Good
Value: Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

The Sushi Dragon: Toronto

2010-04-28T22:44:00.001-06:00

Thursday evening and looking for something close to the hotel to eat, having just joined my cousin and his wife after not having seen them for a while, we were looking for something that would quell our hunger and provide enough time to catch up and chat...sushi came to mind. What better place to relax and eat than a sushi place? Looking for another sushi place, which apparently moved, we stumbled across The Sushi Dragon situated on Dixon, so we figured we’d give it a try... At first glimpse of this place, I immediately noticed we were one of only a hand full of tables who had chosen this place to eat....good or bad, I don’t know....it was 8pm on a Thursday, maybe after the dinner rush for them? Regardless, as the place was empty we were seated promptly and our drink orders taken. Ordering the large Sake and an order of miso soup for each of us, as well as a soft shell crab, we began catching up. Never having had soft shell crab I had no idea of what to expect. It came cut into 6 pieces on a platter formed as a whole crab...and was surprisingly good. I never thought eating crab shell would be ok, but I guess that’s why it’s called soft shell...it felt like a crunchy tortilla battered crab...not bad for my first impression. Now I am far from a avid sushi eater, it’s something I have to be in the mood for, but always enjoy the rolls thoroughly. We took turns ordering rolls, and decided upon the Spicy Tuna, Lobster Rolls and The Big Canadian (I believe- well its stared with the big). Again, not having been an avid sushi eater I can only trust my cousin and his wife’s opinion of the sushi, I thought it was alright..I have definitely had better elsewhere, but these rolls were huge... I usually hate placing a whole piece in my mouth, but trying to accomplish that with these was like mild suffocation!!

Apart from the place being a tad chilly the overall the experience was good. The food was delivered at the right time, well presented and enjoyable. If I am ever in the mood for sushi, I would go back.

Location Visited: 634 Dixon Road

Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Presentation: Average
Price: $15/serving
Service: Average
Value: Average

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Movado: Winnipeg Manitoba

2010-04-28T08:49:00.007-06:00

On the road by myself...in Winnipeg no less. So where to eat? I'm not really in the mood for something fancy, and I've left my book back at my hotel. I know, I know...nothing more pathetic than someone sitting alone in a restaurant with a book. Anyhow, with no reading material, I decided to go to Movada, a modern looking sports bar. Now, I have to admit, I'm instantly suspicious of empty restaurants, moreso when they are connected to, and share a kitchen with a Perkins (do they still exist????). But there's a hockey game to keep me occupied, and I'm having a nachos craving.

I'm not entirely sure how to describe the ambiance except to say that if anyone has been in a Molson's Brew House at 8pm on a friday night, that was virtually empty, then you've been to Movado. The solitude is welcome to me, but it makes the restaurant seem a little sad and pathetic.

Now, the last time I was here was about 5 years ago, and the decor was significantly more warm, funky, and mellow...not so much "sports bar", although they have always had big screen tv's with sporting events on.

Service was fairly quick (not surprising with only 6 people in here), and the waitress courteous. After placing my drink order, she delivered it just in time to take my nachos order. Good thing I was only looking for nachos, because the menu has been downgraded to standard pub fare.

Anyhow, the nachos came, and...damn! A heaping plate of chips with green pepper, black olives, jalepinos, onion, ground beef, and CHEESE!!! Wow. Not sure I've seen this much cheese on a plate of nachos that I haven't made at home. And to think, one of the options for the nachos was to get EXTRA cheese. Can't even fathom that one. I'd be backed up for a month!!

Pretty darn good value for $12. Looked great, tasted great, and hey...3 more tables walked in while I was getting ready to leave.

[Ok. Update. The till is down, so I must either wait to pay my bill, or pay cash, and they likely don't have change for $100. The waitress has seemingly disappeared, hopefully to hand write my bill and try to scrape up $75 in change.]

Location Visited: 305 Madison St. Winnipeg

Ratings:

Ambiance: Sports Bar
Presentation: Average

Price: $12

Service: Average
Value: Good

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Pangaea : Toronto Ontario

2010-04-22T21:35:00.003-06:00

Big city life provides enough competition to ensure that when you go to an upscale restaurant, the experience is always worth talking about; Pangaea (pan-gee-ahhh!) is no exception. Calling to make reservations on a Friday evening we were delightfully pleased to find this place could accommodate us. Upon leaving the hotel our GPS decided to stop working, so we contacted the restaurant to ask for directions. The hostess was very helpful and provided us with enough directions to get to the restaurant. Adding to her helpfulness she was calling us to make sure we weren’t still lost as we walked in. (Yes we were pretty lost and far from the restaurant when we first called..). Remembering our names we were seated immediately, and although by this time it was almost 9pm, the restaurant was still rather busy.

Walking through the French doors into the dining area we couldn’t help but notice the artsy yet very elegant decor; sculptures adored the walls, the ceiling flexed into a wave pattern and a slim tree placed in the center of the room collectively made this place scream quality(the washroom area however, was a slight departure from the overall dining room ambiance...quite the trip if you ask us!). The manager, a rather ebullient man, Jovan Roknic, dropped by as soon as we were seated to welcome us, and recommend we wait until we speak with him to order a wine with dinner.

For appetizers we chose Calamari and house made Lamb sausage. The Calamari was delightfully presented and attached in a circular ring with a small “leggy”, but thankfully missing tentacles, piece on top to finish the unique presentation. [Editors note: Moxies review about tentacles]. Paired on the plate with anchovies, capers, gaeta olives, onions, roasted garlic, lemon and beurre noisette (French term for "brown butter" or literally "hazelnut butter") was a complete delight. For a person who doesn’t usually enjoy the strong taste of capers and olives, this dish was cooked perfectly. The accompanying ingredients...the aforementioned onions, garlic, capers and olives, provided a perfectly complimentary taste for the calamari. SJ’s house made lamb sausage which came with pearl barley and a grilled apple salad with arugula, rosemary and lemon vinaigrette, was also a pleasant surprise. The lamb, a meat usually known for having a slightly sharper taste, was adequately paired with a wonderful vinaigrette which made it ideal.

After our appetizers were finished and we had ordered our entrees, Jovan stopped by to assist us with the wine list. Asking us what we had ordered for entrees, and what our price range was, he scooted off and grabbed a bottle for us to taste. I had ordered Qualicum Beach Scallops, and SJ the Duck Breast, so Jovan chose a French white wine called viognier ($48 for the bottle...affordable!). Not too sweet, not too dry, just the right compliment to our meals.

At first, I assumed he must have been a sommelier as he seemed very knowledgeable about pairing the correct wine with our entree’s. After asking him, he joked about being the dishwasher and engaged a server to confirm his position there (Manager). The group of employees seemed to enjoy their work together, and the interaction between them was entertaining and well worth the money spent. Jovan was extremely personable as he made the rounds from table to table, and made our experience there memorable.

My entree, Qualicum Beach Scallops, accompanied with “Paella” risotto, chorizo sausage, saffron, mussels, clams, tomato and asparagus was succulent and cooked to perfection. Many restaurants make the mistake of over cooking scallops, leaving them too rubbery and devoid of taste, not this place....nooooo... they wouldn’t make that mistake. The amalgamation of sausage, mussels, clams and risotto was heavenly... I don’t know if there is one dish they couldn’t get right.

SJ’s chose to go “off the beaten path” and try something out of his ordinary comfort zone. So he chose the Duck Breast, which was paired with pan-roasted, potato rösti, butternut squash, sautéed rapini, and was accented with a cassis reduction. The duck was cooked to perfection, and the fat usually found on duck breast was crispy and cooked in a way you could eat it. This is a big deal for me as I hate...let me reiterate hate...the texture of fat. Given enough time and privacy (it’s a little embarrassing), I would painstakingly pick every ounce off of my food...SJ made me have a bite just to ensure I agreed with his opinion, and I actually did!

For desert we chose the Warm Citrus Doughnuts filled with ricotta, then rolled in sugar and accompanied with arrack poached kumquats, and an orange-cardamom shake. Knowing that we were stuffed by this point, we chose to split the desert and the waiter was kind enough to bring the shake in two separate glasses. These donuts were warm and well presented. A MUST TRY if you go here...I normally opt for chocolate but based on the description and the meal experience, I couldn’t help by give them a try...and OH MY they were good...

Overall experience: having tried four different dishes with desert, and loving each of them...I can’t imagine you could make a bad choice here. Its obvious in the presentation and preparation, that this place has spent a great deal of time finding the proper ingredients to blend together in order to create an award winning culinary experience.

Location visited: 1221 Bay Street (at Bloor)

Ratings:

Ambiance: Romantic
Presentation: Exceptional
Price: $50/serving
Service: Exceptional
Value: Exceptional – However, if you aren’t used to paying for quality not quantity, then you may disagree with that assessment.

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The Salisbury House: Winnipeg Manitoba

2010-04-20T23:53:00.001-06:00

Ask any Winnipegger and they will likely say this place is akin to home coming home. This Winnipeg institution, owned in part by equally legendary Winnipeg musician Burton Cummings, is a hybrid of cafeteria and diner style ordering and has one of the best burgers this side of the border. Now we know that’s a really subjective statement as there are all different types of burgers. SJ and I recognize this and categorize burgers by the establishment and the way they are prepared and cooked. Obviously a burger that you order at McDonalds or Burger King is different than those at an establishment like Earls, which is different still than the Salisbury House. The burgers here are made fresh, and topped with all the fixings you want, from bacon to chilli to onions. These burgers definitely do not fall in the fast food category, even though they are served in this type of establishment.

Originally we went to the location at the Esplanade Riel bridge, only to discover that it was not open. We can only assume that they close it during certain times of the year due to a lack of foot traffic, as it is literally located on a bridge. So we found another location, as there are several, so it wasn’t too difficult.

This location was surprisingly slow for the time of day, however this lent to the great service the staff provided us. Grabbing a tray and walking by the display cases lined with pies, I decided to give their chocolate pudding pie a shot. I was feeling like something sweet. Serving ourselves to the fountain drinks while reviewing the menu situated atop the grill, we all decided to order a “nip”; after all, you can’t go here without getting a “nip” can you? Taylor, SJ’s daughter, ordered the chilli nip, while I had a ½ pound nip and SJ a ¾ pound nip (pig). As the friendly cashier took our orders and assisted with carrying our trays to the table, I couldn’t help but feel very comfortable here. Although this place was very much a diner, where you’d in most cases be left to fend for yourself, this staff member was more than willing to offer any assistance we needed, including assistance with ordering. When our meals were ready, the lady brought them to our booth. Taylor was surprised to see the chilli not only came in the burger, but was also poured on top. Although she wasn’t thrilled with having to eat her burger with cutlery she enjoyed the burger thoroughly. My “nip” was juicy, garnished only with fried onions and cheese. My first bite was heaven, you could tell the meat was fresh, and although it was a tad greasy, the extra calories were worth it. The combination reminded me of in-and-out, the ever popular California burger joint...something rare and delicious! Don’t ask us why they call them nips, however for me a nip sounds like something small, and these burgers were not small by any means. [Update - The nip, as quoted in Wikipedia was named in 1931, as the original owner disliked the word “hamburger” . He decided to name his burgers “nips” as he considered them a “nip” of a Salisbury steak.]

The only disappointing bit of this experience was the chocolate pudding pie, as it seemed old and devoid of taste. The pudding component was bland, and the chocolate cream that adorned the top of the pudding was akin to Styrofoam and would have come off with one forkful. Taking 2 bites of this pie, I decided that chocolate really wasn’t that important, and as I was stuffed already it was time to go.

Outside of the dessert, the experience was good. The staff were attentive and friendly, and the “nips” delicious...which we recommend sticking to. You can’t go wrong there.

Location visited: 2727 Portage Avenue

Ratings:

Ambiance: Diner
Presentation: Average
Price: $10/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Above Average

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Kawaii Crepe : Winnipeg Manitoba

2010-04-17T19:28:00.001-06:00

A funky little cafe conveniently located in the heart of the trendy area of Winnipeg...Osborne Village, this crepe cafe has some of the best crepes around. Having lived in Quebec where they pride themselves in crepes, that’s a large compliment. Bustling with a diverse crowd of patrons, Kawaii, pronounced Ka-why , in Japanese meaning “cute”, not only delivers a variety of crepes, but provides an open concept where the crepes containing your fillings are made while waiting. I must say that watching your crepes being made is definitely enlightening and entertaining. The cooks begin by delicately spreading the batter onto a round cooking griddle, swirling it into a nice thin round shape, then proceed to flip it in half, and then fold your choice of toppings into the crepe. It definitely lends to the anticipation of your first bite!

The atmosphere is very casual, with funky plastic chairs and tables; however, I highly suggest you grab a seat when you walk in, as seating is limited and it's often very crowded. Many patrons opt for takeout and if you live close by is definitely convenient.

Kawaii has something for everyone’s taste buds, from Savory; herbs, spices and meat fillings that are available at anytime of the day, to Sweet; fruits and sugary goodness. If you’re feeling creative, add extra toppings to any of the existing combinations to create your own unique combination.

As I make crepes at home that are often filled with Nutella (which incidentally lines the cooking area), bananas, strawberries, whipped cream, or eggs bacon strips and cheese, I went for Savory. I was looking for something different that would excite me, rather than something I can make very well at home. The Czar: filled with grilled chicken, lettuce, parmesan and ceasar dressing was great. On first bite, the crepe was crispy on the edges, yet soft in the middle. Having made crepes, I now understand why they spread them so thin and flip them in half; not only to create the right serving size that fits into the cute hand held wraps they provide, but also to ensure the crepes don’t get over cooked and crispy all over. A practice I will adopt for when I make mine from here on in. SJ who opted to create his own crepe combination, chose the Divine Brown (butter and brown sugar) adding Strawberries, Peaches and Pineapple. Unfortunately his crepe was first made with the standard butter and brown sugar only, then placed back on the grill and modified to include Strawberries, Peaches, and Pears...no Pineapple. The cook also apologized for overcooking the crepe, however SJ liked it better. In fact SJ later returned for a breakfast crepe filled with cheese, bacon and eggs. Not quite as good as the sweet (didn't like the savory with the sweetness in the crepe), but still quite good.

If you’re in the mood for a nice breakfast in casual setting, Kawaii crepe not only meets your expectations, but takes it once step further by providing a French Press (on request) to your table for your coffee needs...something I have not seen in the past. If you don’t mind waiting in line to order and to get your food, this is a must try.

Beware: SJ and his Brother went back for seconds as the taste enamoured them to come back for more, however at $5/serving, you can’t afford not to try more than one if your stomach can handle it.

Location Visited: 201-99 Osborne Street , Winnipeg Manitoba

Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Presentation: Good
Price: $5/serving
Service: Below Average
Value: Above Average

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Mitzi’s : Winnipeg Manitoba

2010-04-17T19:23:00.002-06:00

While sitting in Mitzi’s it struck me that there are likely few restaurants with Tudor Style decorations on the wall, in a semi rundown building, where you would expect to be served the best chicken fingers known to man. Loud and always busy, we were seated right away at noon. The crowd was mainly those on lunch break or meeting friends downtown to share a quick bite. Seasoned to the tight time frames of their patrons during the day we were tended to immediately. Two glasses of water were brought when the waitress took our drink orders, and immediately after we received our lunch orders. As it was lunch, we opted for the small chicken finger meal, which comes with a Chinese soup that arrives while your meal is being cooked, 5 pieces of chicken fingers, coleslaw and fries. Quite the value for 8.95! The starter soup was consomme based with rice and green onions, very tasty for such a simple soup. Looking around I noticed this place served traditional Chinese food, however having been here on several occasions for the chicken fingers, and having bragged to SC about them, I figured we should stick with the plan...next time however SC will give the Chinese food a try, I mean if their chicken fingers are so good I wonder how the Chinese food is?!

Swiftly our lunch dishes arrived and upon first glace I could have sworn I ordered the small; the fingers provided, although smaller than those traditional ones provided at other establishments, were more than the equivalent of 5 chicken fingers.....I am not complaining. The fingers as always were amazing, breaded with a light batter, flavourful and juicy, and accompanied with a honey dill sauce that complemented them perfectly. The fries, crinkle cut like those in your high school cafeteria were as expected and the coleslaw perfect. SC commented that it tasted like KFC’s coleslaw, which it did, a rare combination nowadays.

When finished devouring the chicken fingers, most of the fries and coleslaw, SC and I stood up to pay at the till. While standing at the till I noticed that they were selling Mitzi’s hats to assist in the fundraising for cancer, very admiral in my opinion. We paid the cashier and promptly left 30 mins after our arrival.

SC believes this place to be a quiet little hole in the wall restaurant, with a Chinese food facade with the BEST chicken wings she has ever tasted, and I concur.

Overall opinion is as it always was, this place does not disappoint. For a quick lunch or a casual dinner this is a must try and in my case, over and over again. So next time you’re downtown Winnipeg and looking for a place to have a quick bite, drop in at Mitzi’s have a chicken finger or 10...we guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Location Visited: 250 St Mary Avenue

Ratings:
Ambiance: Diner
Presentation: Average
Price: $12/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Above Average

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The Original Pancake House : Winnipeg Manitoba

2010-04-17T19:11:00.002-06:00

When we entered the Pancake House we were seated right away...rare for this place on a weekend morning, even at 11:30 when we arrived. The atmosphere of the place is similar to any pancake house or generic chain restaurant...wide open and unimpressive. Shortly after having looked at the menu, a waitress came by to ask if we knew what we wanted for drinks. English obviously being her second language, she had some difficulty answering our questions on whether they had milkshakes and or smoothies, so we decided to look at the menu and order from it rather than query her further. Several minutes later we were approached by another waitress who was much more familiar with their menu. She took our drink menu stating she didn't know what one of the drinks listed was, and that they were no longer providing Fruitopia. We ordered our drinks, orange juice, coke, and two hot drinks.

Our drinks arrived promptly and we were ready to order. Not being a breakfast person, I decided on a turkey club on rye with a tossed salad and Italian dressing. Stuart chose French Toast with cream cheese and strawberries.When our orders arrived we were shocked by the sheer size of the food on the plates. My turkey club, was rather filling and I probably ate ¾ of it and a few bites of salad. The salad seemed fresh, no limp leaves or bad taste for the few bites I had. The club had ample mayo, which is not the norm for most places serving clubs, fresh lettuce, well cooked (almost crisp) bacon and fresh tomatoes .I had no complaints about the taste of this Turkey club, I would say it's marginally better than most I have tasted thus far.

Stuart's French Toast, of which he also ate ¾ of, was supposed to come with cream cheese and strawberries, but instead showed up with some sort of runny cream cheese icing and canned strawberry pie filling. This is not to say that it didn`t taste ok, just that the description in the menu surely outdid the reality of the meal.

I would highly recommend this place offer half sizes, because the plates, although reasonably affordable, are more than the average person can eat. In my opinion a tad wasteful. It seems to be patterned after the US philosophy of whereby if you can`t wow them with the quality of the food, make up for it in sheer quantity instead. Service was reasonable, and we were checked on a few times during our brunch.

For a pancake/breakfast place, I would say the overall experience was average. I do not have anything exceptional to say, nor bad. The service average, the meals better than average, but way too big, but then again, for some that's a great thing...I on the other hand would prefer to enjoy a smaller but better quality serving, than to throw away half of my plate after I`m full or bored of eating with the bland taste.

Location Visited: The Pancake House: Polo Park in the Clarion Hotel

Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Presentation: Good
Price: $12/serving
Service: Good
Value: Good

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Chicago Phil's : Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

2010-04-14T21:07:00.002-06:00

Loaded with toppings this pizza demands an empty stomach prior to consumption. The toppings fresh and the cheese plentiful. My first bite was good, however as I took a few more, something seemed to be eluding me. The pizza was good, there were tons of toppings, the crust was near perfect, however it just didn’t win the vote for the best pizza... what could it have been??? Ah yesssss, the one thing that can make or break a truly great pizza... pizza sauce, it needed a bit more. SJ, stubborn like most men can be when faced with some criticism of their favourite food...scratch that...favourite anything ... proceeded to say it wasn’t missing pizza sauce, then took it back after a few more bites and proved me entirely right. Continuing along the “you just shot my baby” routine, SJ made excuses as to why it couldn’t have more pizza sauce, because anymore sauce and the toppings would slide off. (SJ comment - What I actually said was that with this many toppings it would make the crust soggy. And I've never said it was the best pizza...just the best in Winnipeg. I've found women tend to be prone to exaggeration and selective memory, and sometimes even a woman as awesome as SC fits the mold). Now I have to admit, that could be a plausible explanation, but I wasn’t buying it...it needed a tad more pizza sauce. So as far as I was concerned this pizza although full of toppings, with a light yet crispy crust was missing sauce..end of subject. I can’t say anything more about it....just SAUCE, besides that, it was a better than average pizza. 14” stuffed full of toppings, great crust, piping hot when we picked it up... I will definitely come back to give it another shot and see if it was an off day or if, they, unfortunately, after numerous years in business, don’t have the sauce to topping ratio figured out yet... Oh and for those thin crust lovers, they offer thin crust as well. ;)

Location visited: 70 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Ratings:
Ambiance: Take out only
Presentation: Average
Price: $25/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Above Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Ichiban: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

2010-04-12T23:11:00.001-06:00

Having had SJ's "day job" purchased by a Japanese company, we recently learned that Ichiban (in Japanese), means "Number 1". This restaurant clearly has long ago stopped attempting to live up to its name. Arriving 5 minutes early we were politely asked to wait to be seated. The entrance, which was dimly lit with a display case of Japanese souvenirs, provided a slight distraction from the tacky decor. While waiting, we reviewed the articles on the wall usually reserved for great reviews of said restaurant. In this case however, one of the two displayed boasted that in 1973 Liberace consumed a meal there. In my opinion...not the best use of advertisement or space, and immediately lent credence to the fact that this place was in dire need of an update. I mean, come on...an extreeeeemley flamboyant lounge musician from the 70's ate there???? 33 freakin years ago??? Yikes, we must try this place!!!

After having been seated promptly at 6pm around a grill where the cooks are known to prepare an "entertaining meal experience", we immediately noticed the crowded space allotted to the amount of chairs surrounding the grill. So we promptly repositioned our settings to provide some room to eat. About 10 mins into our seating a woman came by to take our drink orders, both SJ and I had our usual which was prepared in the...well...usual fasion. (double dark rum and coke, double gin and ginger ale).

While seated at the table we couldn’t help but notice that the music was extremely irritating. SJ’s daughter, Taylor, commented that it sounded like a sheep being slaughtered in the background, which of course made us laugh as it really did! To further add to the amusement, a few minutes later we overheard our table mates mentioning how horrible the music was. I can certainly appreciate that it must have been authentic, however, like the decor, 1970's Japanese music may not be an enticement to most Canadian patrons.

After having received our drinks, the same woman, now 20 mins into our seating, took our orders. I can only assume the delay was so we could get liquored up in order to tolerate the sheep mutilation...AKA the "music". About 30 mins into our seating our soup, which came with each of the combo meals ordered, arrived. It was a welcome sight, as we were all starving by this time. Unfortunately, "dish water" would be the best description available for this chicken broth with vegetables. Mine, was very salty and the vegetables undercooked. SJ’s , salty with the vegetables overcooked, and Taylors, the same. I had to wonder if I got a different batch because mine had a lot more kidney beans than SJ’s and Taylors. In any event, mercifully the soup was quickly rushed away by the servers and the cucumber salad with our substituted appetizers arrived. The combo meals come with chicken livers cooked in a special way on the grill as an appetizer. Neither of us being fans of liver at all, we both decided to pay extra and get the Gyoza, provided at ½ price for a substitution. While the cook prepared the chicken liver for the other patrons at the table, SJ and I enjoyed our Gyoza and cucumber salad. The cucumber salad was rather good, with a spoonful of canned crab thrown on top. Presentation as a whole, was sadly lacking for the salad, but the Gyoza came presented reasonably well, with a bit of salad on the side and soya sauce for dipping. The Gyoza and cucumber salad was indeed the highlight of the evening, but this we did not know until later. In an effort to try everything, I was invited to try Taylor's Chicken Liver that her 10 year old palate seems to like. Sadly, you can dress up a liver anyway you want, but it still has that pate texture that we can’t handle. by this point we was starting to feel slightly rushed, as while I was busy reaching over to try the Liver, my cucumber salad was abducted by the man clearing the plates. I wonder if they teach the servers to be ninja’s, because he was damn quiet and damn quick...I almost didn’t see him leave!

Now we can admit we are fussy when it comes to preparing food and not mixing things that have touched raw meat (mainly chicken) with anything, so please take this with a grain of salt...the cook surely did,,,except it was more like a spoon full...but we will get to that soon enough. So here it goes, the cook turned the raw chicken over with the same spatula he was cooking our fried rice. I am sure he has done it a million times, but wow, that’s a little scary from a salmonella perspective. Again, I am very picky (read Monica from Friends) with respect to chicken and cooked food/vegetables.

In any event, the cook, in one of his handful of entertaining "feats", took the rice bowls he filled and flipped them over to us and presented them on our plates. The remaining bit was generously divided amongst those who did not order fried rice, to give them an example of what it tasted like. The rice however, was salty, mushy, and overcooked. And while this made it easier to eat with chop sticks, it was not impressive to the taste buds. I could really go on and on about how horrid our experience was here, the food...all of it was over cooked and salty. Burnt "baby" lobster, rubber chicken, and the filet tasted remarkably like liver....I am serious, I don’t know if they store them together in the kitchen, but even SJ confirmed my opinion. The Shrimp, at $35/plate plus extras, was not cleaned or de-veined. One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is paying a lot for quality, not getting it, and then noticing that they didn’t de-vein the shrimp. Do I really want to eat shrimp filled with poop? If I was paying $5/plate, I would expect that, but at $35 I think it is justified to have expected more.

As a whole, this was VERY disappointing. To recap: feeling crowed and rushed, horrible music, salty over cooked food and to top it off, the cook, who did...ummmm...maybe two entertaining things during the course of the meal, definitely indicates a "no-return" rating for Ichiban. For a place that is "renowned" for the entertaining cooking experience, he definitely didn’t deliver. A few flips and bangs of the salt and pepper shakers at the end of the meal is not worth the $175 spent. To put it mildly, his personality was completely "missing in action". So our unanimous vote (including Taylor)...go elsewhere. This place is tacky, outdated and obviously very tired..There are soooo many better places to eat, so keep your money and eat somewhere else.

Location Visited: 189 Carlton Street, Winnipeg Manitoba

Ratings:

Ambiance: 70's Lounge
Presentation: Average
Price: $35/serving (excessive)
Service: Average
Value: Below Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Kelsey’s Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

2010-04-11T11:57:00.004-06:00

We originally planned on dining at another restaurant, however with a 30 min line up we decided to give Kelsey’s a shot. We have been to Kelsey’s on several occasions in the past, in various cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Calgary and have never found their food to be anything special, this time would be no exception.

We were promptly seated and our drink orders taken. The waiter, who was very friendly and attentive, laughed at my light hearted comment about only being there because the other restaurant had a wait. On this trip we had a 2 year old boy and 10 year old girl with us. Parents out there can attest that having a well behaved 2 year old in a restaurant for more than 1 hour is sometimes a miracle, and that it can turn ugly rather swiftly when they are hungry, bored, or restless. In an attempt to ensure that we had a happy and occupied child, when the waiter took our order we requested that a small side plate with 10-12 fries be brought out earlier to feed him. The waiter at first seemed a bit confused by our request, but quickly caught on when we said to just take the fries off from one of our other plates. After ten minutes our waiter arrived with a small plate with some fries. As we were primarily focussed on occupying the kids to ensure that they didn't disturb the restaurants other patrons, we hadn't really noticed, until we had nothing left to occupy the child with, that our food had exceeded 30 mins from the time we ordered to arrive.

Approximately 10 minutes before our food came out the waiter dropped by quickly to advise us that our food would be right out. As we had been waiting for a bit, I assumed right away would have meant within the next few minutes. Considering that we both ordered the peppercorn burger with fries and gravy, and his daughter had the mild chicken wings, you’d wonder what took 40 mins to make? Where they slaughtering the cows and chickens in the back? Growing the potatoes maybe? The restaurant really wasn't that busy, and now I remember why I don`t usually come here.

The meals finally came out, although not all at once, as we had to wait for one of the orders of fries. Strangely they actually "deducted" the 10-12 fires they had brought us earlier from one of the plates. Certainly in their right to do so, but a little odd nonetheless. Although the burger was rather plain for toppings, the toppings were enough to offset the peppercorn spice. With two large onion rings, gruyere cheese, and ranch sauce on it, it was rather good. The fries were fresh and the beef based gravy was rather good as well. The chicken wings, keeping in mind my obvious bias for my partner's wings, were mediocre at best. They were medium in hotness, but soggy and tasteless, again something you could buy from the frozen section of your local grocery store and consume without having the hassle of paying a tip or going out.

From right after our drinks were ordered this experience sort of went downhill. I don't think it was really due to the waiter, who was attentive for the most part. Although we when we were ready to leave, we had to sit for another 15 mins to get and pay our bill. This experience has reminded me again why there is absolutely nothing particularly outstanding or memorable about the Kelsey’s chain, and because the food is average at best, the service should be that much more exceptional to make up for it. Odd that in a restaurant vertical that includes Earls, Joeys, and Moxies, Kelsey's still has yet to undergo any kind of renovation or re-inventing of itself. It still looks, feels, and tastes exactly like it did in the 90's...and it wasn't really all that great then either.

Location Visited: 655 Empress St , Winnipeg Manitoba

Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Presentation: Average
Price: $15/serving
Service: Below Average
Value: Average

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Moxies: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

2010-04-10T10:02:00.003-06:00

Friday evening and looking for a few drinks and appies. Upon entry into the lounge our hostess promptly cleaned a booth for us while engaging me in some friendly conversation. Our waitress promptly brought our menus and took our drink order. Although the place was loud, it was still quiet enough to carry on a conversation without having to raise your voice. The music was funky the patrons were mainly dressed casually, except for the few people looking to impress. We started off by ordering the drink special, The G.T. Gin, being my man's current favorite alcohol made the choice easy, and also the combo platter with hot wings and a honey dill dipping sauce for our chicken strips.

Our drinks came very quickly and as we both took our first sip, we realized that this version of Gin and Tonic, was indeed special. A dollop of slush, a double shot of Gin, lime juice and lime leaves, this drink left our mouths watering after each sip. Four drinks later…well, that’s another story.

The combo tray was presented well, with a great use of the flatbread to create a division of items. Upon first bite into the chicken wings, I thought they were reasonably good. However I must admit my guy's wings are the absolute best, which leaves me a tad biased towards other wings. These wings were spicy, but not unbearably so. Unfortunately though, they were also a bit soggy and seemed as though they had been sitting for a while prior to arriving at our table. The flat bread although covered with rosemary, tasted rather bland unless dipped into the accompanying garlic cream cheese flat bread sauce. The chicken strips, accompanied with the honey dill dip, were tender and juicy, and the highlight of the platter. The calamari was good, not rubbery or over cooked and was largely comprised of rings, not the "leggy" parts you see frequently (we tend to be fair-weather calamari lovers…enough with the tentacles already). The avocado rolls tasted ok, but again, would have been much better had they been hot and fresh. As they were the last item that we tasted however, it may have been a factor in the freshness. The plum sauce that accompanied them was good, and nicely accentuated the rolls.

As mentioned before, the combo plate seemed as though it had been sitting a bit, or possibly “pre-made” so everything was lukewarm and a tad on the soggy side. It almost gave off the taste of those frozen appetizer packages that you buy at the supermarket.

Kayla was our waitress and as a whole very attentive and friendly. Quick to bring fresh drinks, and she answered all of our questions about the food knowledgably.

The overall experience would have been excellent had our food arrived hot. Overall, we didn’t go into it with super high expectations though.

Location Visited: Polo Park Mall

Ratings:

Price: $28 (Combo Platter)
Ambiance: Casual/Lounge
Presentation: Great
Service: Great
Value: Good

Overall experience: Slightly disappointing

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Coco Brooks: Calgary Alberta Canada

2010-04-10T09:48:00.004-06:00

Located in the heart of a rather industrial area, in a completely unassuming strip mall-esque building; the sign for cocobrooks above the entrance is the only thing that distinguishes this place as an establishment meant for eating at. From the outside of this restaurant you would have no idea what kind of magic is created with these four walls. We boast this as one of the best pizza's in all of our travels. It is always a place we stop in
during our trips to this fine city. It's definitely a must try for pizza lovers.

Upon entry the establishment it resembles more of a food court atmosphere with tables, plastic chairs and TV's. The line on the side to place your order is usually quite lengthy during the lunch rush, but moves very fast as they pre-bake some of the favourites.

On this particular visit the woman taking our order was friendly and courteous, and the pizza, (which comes only in individual size servings) was, as with our past experiences, simply amazing. On this trip I had the Bacon Double Cheese, and SJ ordered the Mile High, which is his pizza of choice. My Bacon Double Cheese pizza had a light tomato with ground beef sauce, smoked bacon, white onion, mozzarella, and aged cheddar. The Mile High, boasts about half an inch of pepperoni, salami, ham and mozzarella, with a light tomato sauce. The crust, which is always crisp yet soft, was loaded with toppings. They don't skimp on the toppings here, or the cheese, so come with an empty stomach as you will be assured to walk away full.

The variety of available pizzas has something for everyone. Most of the pizzas are mainstream, but they do offer a few variances to satisfy more eclectic taste buds. The prices are great for the quality and amount of toppings offered. At an average of $7.00 per personal pizza, your wallet can’t complain.

When our number was called we added the complimentary chillies and parmesan to both, (located by the fountain pop dispenser), and dove right in. The pizzas were hot, freshly made and cut into four slices for easy consumption. Not much to say other than, it ALWAYS tastes great.

When you open the box for the first time the smell wafts up and entices you. One of the most unique things about this establishment is the quotes and parables on the recycled boxes the pizza is served in. These make for interesting reading, and are geared towards lifting the spirit. Although some are religious based, the owners provide a small note to explain and apologize if any offense is taken. The boxes and napkins are made from recycled material and unlike many pretenders, this place is very conscious of their foot print on the environment and ask you also recycle your box when finished.

Cocobrooks also carries numerous other items on the menu such as calzone, pastas, salads, desserts, and a good "bake at home" selection. If you love pizza, and are ever in Calgary, be sure to check out one of the three locations...you will not be disappointed.

Location Visited: 2020 32 Avenue NE Calgary, AB

Ratings:
Ambiance: Casual/Food Court
Presentation: Good
Price: $6-$10/serving
Service: Good
Value: Great

Overall experience: A casual dining experience with amazing value.

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

And so it begins...

2010-04-07T23:20:00.001-06:00

Frequently travelling across Canada and the U.S., we are privileged with eating in various cities, experiencing the life of the city and through the magic of food, different cultures. We have truly seen it all. This blog was started because we got tired of people who wrote amazing reviews of restaurants only to find out, they did so because they were biased, had no accounting for taste, or the experience they spoke of was sadly not the norm. So as “ undercover food critics”, we will give you the REAL skinny on these places, from price, ambiance, value, presentation, service and overall experience; everything you need to know what you’re getting. We NEVER inform the establishment that we are coming, and we feel this lends itself to a true “man on the street” dining experience.

You’ll hear about the best of the best and the worst of the worst. So join us on what has been one hell of a food ride thus far, as we finally unveil, without prejudice, what we really think of the food and let you decide where to eat your next meal.

The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics