Griddle Me This: Where will you splurge on your Valentine?

We spend a lot of time writing about our opinions, but we’re also curious to know what our readers think. The Griddle Me This column is your chance to respond to the community and share your thoughts on some of the best (and worst) your town has to offer.

Where will you splurge on your Valentine's date this year? Photo by Flickr user Khaled! Click for photostream.

Valentine’s Day is approaching fast and traditionally it’s a big day for dining out. But since we’re not just talking about an average Sunday evening, we suspect a number of you will be trying to do a little extra for your special someone this year. We all want to do our best to make it a memorable time, so maybe we’ll even forget about budgeting for just a moment.

If you plan to dine out this year, where will you be taking your date? What restaurant that would normally be off limits will you consider visiting for this special occasion?

As always, we can’t list every restaurant in the city, so be sure to leave us a comment if your favourite spot isn’t among the available poll options.

Off Broadway: Winterdine Festival menu

The Murphys are big players in the Charlottetown dining scene, as The Murphy Group of Restaurants is well known and expanding each year. Fortunately, each of their restaurants has a diverse menu and price point. Off Broadway is one of the older (and pricier) of Kevin Murphy’s restaurants, but unlike many dining spots in this small city, it’s had the power to stick around.

With the Winterdine event in full swing, I decided to veer away from my cheap take-out options for once and get fancied up.

I arrived at Off Broadway and recognized right away why it is known as a great date spot. It’s an oddly shaped restaurant, with just a few narrow hallways lined on both sides by two person booths. Each booth is very private and has curtains you could draw over the entire booth to make it even more intimate. Neat!

Potato and Leek Soup at Off Broadway. Photo by Aimee Power.

My guest and I each ordered from the Winterdine menu ($25) and decided to add on the Wine Flight ($18) to go with our three course meal. My knowledge of wine pairings is slim to none, so I thought we’d take advantage of the Sommeliers they have on staff.

Within five minutes of ordering we received some great French bread with poppy seed butter, along with our first glass of wine. Up first was a Portuguese wine: Gazela Vinho Verde 2008. It was light and refreshing with a hint of sparkle, and it tasted great alongside our first appetizer, which arrived just 10 minutes later. The appetizer was a potato and leek soup with a big dollop of crème fraîche. I absolutely adored this soup! I liked that it had a few chunks throughout and I enjoyed the garlicky taste of the crème fraîche. It would definitely be a great soup for a cold day.

My entrée and second glass of wine arrived about 15 minutes later. I ordered the Chicken Supreme with roasted tomato coulis with Duchesse potatoes and seasonal vegetables on the side. The chicken was incredibly juicy and I really enjoyed it with the sweetness of the coulis. I liked how light this entrée was, but I would have preferred a bit more coulis. The potato looked beautiful, but unfortunately it was insanely over-peppered for my liking. The squash and zucchini on the side looked very delicate, but packed a big blast of flavour, which was tasty and very much needed on this plate.  This was all paired with a glass of Veronese Sartori Regolo IGT 2004. I preferred the woody smell of this wine to the taste.  I thought it was a bit robust for me, but again, wine pairings are not my expertise.

Chicken Supreme with Tomato Coulis. Photo by Aimee Power.

After letting the entrée settle, we were served the final course of the evening. It was a baked apple Danish with Goldschlager Anglaise, paired with a tasty Liberty Blossom Apple Ice Wine from the Rossignol Winery on PEI. I am not usually one for pastries, but I thought this Danish was to die for. Maybe that is a lot of enthusiasm, but it was hevenly when dipped in the Anglaise: not too sweet, packed with apples, and just crazy delicious. I was actually pretty sad to see that this dessert is not on their regular menu.

Apple Danish with Goldschlager Anglaise. Photo by Aimee Power.

Overall, my first Off Broadway (and Winterdine) experience was a positive one. Our server really catered to us, only bringing items when we were ready for them and providing great descriptions of the wines. The value was great for a cheapskate like me and I can definitely see how the atmosphere would make it a great date spot.

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Taste: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Overall Experience: 5/5

For a total of 18 out of 20 stars

Isaac’s Way: Chorizo and Eggs

Photo from the Isaac's Way official site.

I’ve had few chances to go out for breakfast lately, so I was happy to make it to Isaac’s Way (73 Carleton St.) on a recent Sunday with friends. As Patrick mentioned in a previous post, the restaurant updated its menu recently, including the breakfast options.

We were seated immediately at one of their many booths. I was not feeling too adventurous, so I opted for an old favourite: Chorizo and Eggs ($8.50) and a coffee. As we waited for our food, we all noticed the quiet jazz playing and commented on how it was a nice soundtrack for our morning.

The food arrived in about ten minutes, which I think is very good for noon on a Sunday. My eggs were just over easy, as I had ordered, with no hint of being overcooked. The chorizo was pan fried and cut once lengthwise. It was the crumbly Mexican type, not the Spanish dry-cured style. I like both, but this choice is clearly better suited for breakfast. The spice level was good for breakfast, although I wouldn’t want it any spicier, personally. The chorizo and eggs was served with deep fried home fries, two slices of cantaloupe, 1/4 orange, and two slices of buttered toast. My coffee was hot, fresh and never empty.

It was a nice easy-going breakfast with friendly service and accurate delivery. Nothing extraordinary, but very satisfying.

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Taste: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

For a total of 16 out of 20 stars

Dine Around Freddy menus revealed

We’ve been pretty excited about Dine Around Freddy 2010 since it was officially announced a few weeks ago.  Running from February 18th to March 31st, the event will see several local restaurants offering specialized three-course menus at a flat $25 price point, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Canadian Diabetes Association. Of course, the eaters among us are wondering, “What will they be serving?”

Well, wonder no more. The Fredericton Tourism site has been updated again with menus that list all of the dishes diners will be able to sample. Most of the menus include some degree of choice, where diners can choose between two or three appetizers/entrees/desserts, and a few even appear to include a wine or beer pairing.

Overall, it looks like the participating restaurants are really trying hard to make sure you get your money’s worth. What stands out to you? Are there any restaurants on the list you haven’t been to before, but now plan to check out?

Further reading:
Dine Around Freddy 2010 participating restaurants

Readers pick the best staff in town

It was a tough battle, but the Garrison District Ale House came out on top as the readers' pick for having the best staff in town.

Choosing a single Fredericton restaurant to declare as having the best staff in town is a daunting task, so I’m happy to report that voters came out en masse to show their support for their favourite local staffs. The criteria were loose: you could vote for the friendliest team, the most efficient, the most knowledgeable, etc. Really, it depends on what you as a diner feel is an important quality for a restaurant staff to have.

More than 600 votes later, it appears voters have chosen the Garrison District Ale House (26%), followed closely by The Blue Door (21%) and The Snooty Fox (18%). Congratulations to each of these teams — you clearly have some fans! Of the choices we provided, The Lunar Rogue and Isaac’s Way also performed admirably, taking 15% and 8% of the vote respectively.

Also interesting, however, were the restaurants we neglected to include in the poll that received mentions in the comments on our post. We can’t include them all, but here’s a sampling:

“The Palate on Queen has the best staff – very friendly, great recommendations, FABULOUS food…” (Pat)

“[The Relish staff] seem remarkably attentive to their customers and very, very eager to please them.” (Ashley)

“The people at Cedar Tree Café are pretty much the nicest ever, and as a bonus the food is delicious.” (K)

“I love the staff at Dimitri’s. There is one waitress there who has been there since I was in High School, and she still rocks. Just enough service, without being overbearing, and always makes sure we are taken care of.” (Tony Lewis)

Again, kudos to everyone at the Garrison District Ale House and keep up the good work! You’ve clearly been doing something right to make your guests feel so welcome.

The Blue Door: Vietnamese Caramelized Ribs

The Blue Door is the spot to be for a night out with atmosphere. Photo via official website.

I’ve had a mixed bag of experiences at The Blue Door in the past, but it’s also been a fairly long time since I got to try their dinner menu. I decided to return on a weekend evening to see how things have changed.

My guest and I were seated as soon as we walked in. The restaurant is arranged to include a number of smaller nooks, just perfect for a couple to hide out in, while the lighting is set to “sensual” and the music a little more energetic than you might expect from a restaurant of its type — I caught several Chemical Brothers songs, as well as some DJ Shadow. I can see why our readers deemed it Fredericton’s best date restaurant.

Our server was friendly, unobtrusive, and clearly focused on providing a good experience: a pro, through and through. We ordered drinks, which arrived quickly, along with complimentary bread and an order of Sweet Potato fries ($6.50) that we requested. They’re easily among the best sweet potato fries in town and they come with a chipotle mayo, which isn’t particularly spicy, but does add a wonderful smokiness to the fries.

For my main dish, I ordered the Vietnamese Caramelized Ribs ($19), which included a portion of steamed rice, roasted vegetables with kimchi, and two large pieces of pork ribs, with about 3-4 bones each. The portion was definitely larger than I expected, but I can’t complain, because the ribs were pretty great. As the name suggests, they were sweet with noticeable flavours of ginger and soy sauce. They were still solid enough to maintain their shape, but the meat was tender enough to easily remove it from the bone. I assure you I worked hard to get as much of it as I could.

The roasted vegetables might have been a bit on the plain side, but the addition of kimchi made them more interesting. I don’t have much experience with kimchi, but it tasted mostly like I expected: cabbage with pungent spice, a bit of salt, and a few other notes I can’t quite identify. It’s definitely not something my palate is accustomed to, but I can’t say I disliked it.

Overall, we were both very happy with our meals. We finished off the evening with a pleasant cup of coffee courtesy of Rothesay’s Red Whale Coffee Co. and made our exit.

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Taste: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Overall Experience: 5/5

For a total of 18 out of 20 stars

Griddle Me This: Who has the best/friendliest staff in town?

We spend a lot of time writing about our opinions, but we’re also curious to know what our readers think. The Griddle Me This column is your chance to respond to the community and share your thoughts on some of the best (and worst) your town has to offer.

Great service can go a long way when you want a pleasant night out. Who do you trust for great service? Photo by Flickr user Sarah0s. Click for photostream.

Last week, we asked you about your pet peeves with regard to restaurant service. This week, we put that knowledge into practice and ask you who has the best and/or friendliest staff in town.

I’ll leave the exact criteria up to you to decide, but basically we want to know: where have you consistently had the best experiences with regard to staff competence and friendliness? Where do the waiters really know their menus? Where are they not shy to flash a smile and remember your “usual”? There’s a lot that restaurant staff can do to improve their customers’ visits, so here you can recognize their efforts and thank them by giving them your vote.

As always, we can’t list every restaurant in the city, so be sure to leave us a comment if your favourite service team isn’t listed in the available options.

The Lunar Rogue: Rogue’s Breakfast

I am a fan of The Lunar Rogue. It ain’t fancy, but it’s what I refer to as an “old man bar” and it reminds me of the kind of place my parents would hang out at if they were British ex-pats or alcoholics.

The Lunar Rogue Pub (625 King St.) Photo by Frank D Scott, via the Rogue's Facebook group.

On this visit I ordered the Rogue’s breakfast ($6.99), which is a standard eggs, toast, potatoes, and cured pork products meal, but also comes with three small pancakes. I was hoping all that would be enough grease, sodium, starch, and refined sugar to quell my red wine hangover (spoiler: it totally was!). The options I chose were eggs sunny-side up, whole wheat toast, grilled homefries without onions, and (obviously) bacon.

There was a little bit of a wait for our food, but this didn’t concern me too much since it was busy and our waitress was still reasonably attentive, offering beverage refills and assuring us our order would be up soon. Speaking of refills, my second cup of coffee was terrible — just ghastly — which was especially strange because the first cup had been pretty good. I got exhausted watching our server. She seemed to be one of only a couple of wait staff covering the packed bar.

When the food did arrive, I noticed right away the strong, possibly onion-y odour emanating from my plate. I thought the kitchen had included onions with my grilled potatoes, even though I’d asked for them without. After a few bites I discovered they were actually loaded with garlic, which turned out to be awesome. Let it be known I approve of garlic homefries.

The rest of my meal was good as well. The eggs were just right (runny, but not too runny), as was the bacon (crispy, but not too crispy). The pancakes were a little dry, but less so than most other restaurants and they were more flavourful as well. My only real complaint was that I got just one piece of toast. I like to have a 1:1 toast to egg ratio, as I find this is optimal for dipping in soft yolks.

The Rogue is my go-to breakfast destination downtown. Their menu doesn’t include frittatas or sweet potato home fries, and they don’t serve skinny, bland blueberry pancakes masquerading as crepes, but for pub breakfast it’s inexpensive and consistent, if not especially unique.

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Taste: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Service: 3/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

For a total of 16 out of 20 stars

Leo’s Thai Kitchen: Pad Thai Chicken

Leo's Thai Kitchen (375 University Ave., Charlottetown). Photo by John Morris (morriscode.ca)

For a few years, the only Thai restaurant in Charlottetown was aptly named “Thai Food” (Kent St.), but last year Leo’s Thai Kitchen opened up. Rumours started sprouting that the couple that owned “Thai Food” had separated and Leo went off on his own and opened this restaurant with the exact same menu to create competition. It seemed to be just a silly rumour, but people consistently tell this tale. Regardless, the only thing you need to know is that there are now two Thai places in Charlottetown with the same menu. Got it? Good!

I stopped into Leo’s Thai Kitchen (375 University Ave.) mid-afternoon on New Year’s Eve. It was fairly busy, but even with the small number of seats in this take-out spot (6-8 small tables) we managed to snag a table near the cash. The menu is posted on sheets at the table and on a wall of meal photos near the cash. There weren’t many descriptions on the menu, so I found the photos helpful to figure out a few of the dishes. I ended up going pretty simple with the Pad Thai Chicken ($9.50) and didn’t take them up on their offer to make it spicy. What can I say, I’m a bit of a wuss.

What was left of my Pad Thai Chicken. Photo by Aimee Power.

My meal arrived in about 15 minutes and it was a massive plate of pad thai! Everything about this dish was delicious. It was piping hot upon arrival, and there were plenty of my favourite ingredient: bean sprouts. Thankfully, there was no lack of flavor despite me ordering it mild. I really enjoyed having the crushed peanut on the side as I am picky about proportion and thus enjoyed the control of mixing it up myself. None of the components were huge in size, so every bite had a little bit of everything. After getting my fill, I still had about half of my dish left, which held up great as leftovers.

Despite it being take-out, I thought the staff were great. They were quick to offer cups of water to everyone as there is a water cooler nearby, and were very eager to offer suggestions on their dishes. I definitely don’t go to this place enough.

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Taste: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

For a total of 17 out of 20 stars

City announces Dine Around Freddy 2010

Fredericton foodies can look forward to Dine Around Freddy, kicking off Feb. 18. Photo via Flickr user Kaytethinks. Click for photostream.

Fredericton Tourism recently announced a city-wide event that might be of interest to food lovers. Dine Around Freddy 2010 will run from February 18th to the end of March. In that time, several participating Fredericton restaurants will be offering special menus to entice you. For $25, diners will be able to order a three-course dinner of appetizer, main, and dessert, with part of the proceeds going to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

It seems like a fantastic opportunity to try out some restaurants you’ve never been to, while also putting a little money towards a charitable cause. You can be certain that the Our Word of Mouth gang will be checking out as much of this as we can.

Participating restaurants include:

• The Blue Door
• Brewbakers
• Racines
• The Terrace Dining Room (Crowne Plaza)
• James Joyce Irish Pub (Crowne Plaza)
• El Burrito Loco
• Cannon’s Cross
• Snooty Fox
• Garrison District Ale House
• Lunar Rogue Pub
• Chez Riz
• Caribbean Flavas
• The Schnitzel Parlour
• Bruno’s Restaurant (Delta)
• DJ Purdy’s Lounge (Delta)

Further reading:
Official press release