MS Walk 2012

I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I'm going to use the lamest excuse ever and say it's because life got in the way. Going through the wedding, honeymoon, and just enjoying life as newlyweds - can a girl ask for anything more? It's truly been a wonderful 2012 so far.

I promise that I will get back to food posts - there is so much I want to share with you all! From delicious to even-more delicious; I will go back to writing about food; this I promise!

However, today I come with a personal request. You see, my oldest and dearest friend has MS and every year, I pledge to do the MS Walk to raise money for this horrible illness. This year, with life moving so fast, I actually forgot when it was - and just remembered to register today...and the walk is 4 days away. That doesn't give me much time to fundraise, but every dollar counts - just like every step I take on walk day counts.

So please, click here to donate to a cause that means so much to me, and help us get closer to finding a cure.

Adobo Mexican Grill

Downtown Burlington has so many interesting and unique restaurants; I don’t think I’ve even been to half of them in all the years I’ve lived here. Jersey and I were out walking along the lake one night and decided to try out Adobo for some Mexican food.

On John St., Adobo is a small restaurant with a small patio and bright, inviting lights. We were greeted warmly when we arrived and ordered a carafe of sangria to cool off while we browsed the menu. Fresh fruit, plenty of ice and a generous portion of wine made it a delicious and sweet drink on a warm summer night.

The menu is by no means long, but the options are all made fresh in-house. We decided to share a couple of appetizers before dinner, so we opted for the Guacamole ($4.49) with fresh corn chips as one of our starters. The portion wasn’t big, but it tasted fresh and had large chunks of avocado and tomato in it. The creaminess of the guacamole was a perfect way to cut the saltiness of the crunchy corn chips. There were no preservatives, and the guacamole started to turn brown when we were nearing the end. 

Ceviche ($7.49) is a dish of fresh fish that is “cooked” with the use of lemon juice (and in this case, lemon juice mixed with olive oil). Big cubes of fresh white fish and tomato were simply tossed in the lemon/oil mixture with a dash of cilantro. The fish itself was delicious. Extremely fresh (no “fishy” smell at all) and meaty without being tough or chewy, the flavour was phenomenal. Served with fresh chips, it too was a small portion but a neat dish to share.

After our appetizers I wasn’t overly hungry so I opted for the Tacos with shredded pork ($7.79). When they brought it to the table, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting because it looked like a small salad served with a basket of tortilla shells. The idea is to use the shells to wrap the salad mixture into a soft taco/fajita. The shells were warm, fresh and delicious. They were corn shells, so there was a slight grittiness to the texture, but they didn’t taste like the shells you buy from the grocery store. The mixture included lettuce, cheese, pork, sour cream, salsa and diced jalapeno. The pork was tender and flavourful when eaten on its own, but I found that the taste got lost under the salsa and cheese when I ate everything together. The menu said that it came with two flour shells or three corn shells, and I found three corn shells perfect for the amount of meat/salad mixture they gave me.

Jersey wanted something different, and the owner recommended the Pork Mole ($14.99) as one of his most popular dishes. A homemade mole sauce covers a portion of pork so tender it can be shredded with your fork when it comes to the table, served with a side of rice and baked beans. The sauce was delicious. With each bite we tried we could pick out a different spice or flavour, and there was such depth to the dish it kept us wanting more. The pork was tender without being dry and soaked up the sauce beautifully. The rice was rice, and the beans had an odd taste that we didn’t quite enjoy, so we just focused on the pork and sauce.

Overall, it was a great dinner with personalised, friendly service. It was nice to sit in a place that isn’t a chain restaurant, and really enjoy our experience. The prices are reasonable, the food was fresh and tasty, and we had a really nice dinner without feeling rushed or crowded. We will definitely be coming back when we’re in the mood for Mexican. Ole!

Adobo Mexican Grill
399 John St., Burlington
www.adobo.ca

The Purple Heather Gastro Pub

One of the latest fads in food these days seems to be the emergence of more and more gastro pubs, so naturally, when I heard that Burlington was getting one, I started counting down the days. A gastro pub is basically a mixture between a bar and a restaurant – so you’ll see bar food on the menu, but it’s usually kicked up a notch and made fancier. For example, you might have a burger and fries, but the burger has brie and foie gras on it, or something to that effect.

The Purple Heather opened a while back at the corner of Walkers and Dundas and is on the ground floor of a large building beside a lighting store. The ceilings are super high, and it looks like an upscale pub. There is a large bar and plenty of cozy tables and booths surrounded by televisions.

We have actually visited on a number of occasions, and I even coordinated with the staff to throw Jersey a surprise birthday party a couple months ago. The staff members we have dealt with have all been amazing. They have been extremely knowledgeable about the menu, what beers go well with what types of food, and just all around friendly people. In fact, when we came in after we were engaged, our favourite server gave us champagne to celebrate because she was so excited for us. Again, I cannot stress how important it is to have good customer service because it makes such a difference in whether or not people will want to continually come back.

Just a disclaimer before we get to the food: these are pictures are from a few visits; I did not eat all of these in one sitting....though I could probably try (and fail miserably, but be really happy trying).

For those of us who like to try a few different things at once, there is a Tapas, Charcuterie and Cheese platter where you can choose 1, 2 or 3 items. Obviously it’s me, so we chose three: beef wrapped asparagus, seared tuna and pate. Of those items, I think the beef wrapped asparagus is the only item still on the tapas menu, with other things substituting the pate and seared tuna. I will say that the seared tuna was by far, my favourite thing from the platter. The tuna was fresh and the crust was salty, crunchy and delicious. The pate was creamy, fatty and rich – just as a good pate should be. Finally, the beef wrapped asparagus was a little disappointing. Aesthetically, it was lovely to look at, but the taste was bland and it was cold. The beef was tender though, but again, there was lack of flavour.

Thai Tuna Lettuce Rolls was a do-it-yourself appetizer with fresh cubes of marinated raw tuna, boston bib lettuce, mango coleslaw and a wasabi/salt sprinkle. It was served with a side of hot sauce and Thai sweet chilli sauce for dipping. Oh my goodness, this was delicious. It was recommended to us by our server for the evening, and it was a fresh and yummy appetizer on a hot summer day. The fish was incredibly fresh, and all the flavours combined to make a taste explosion with every bite. I highly recommend this dish as a starter if you are a fresh fish fan (woohoo, alliteration for the win!).

I’m not generally a cheese fan (I know it’s hard to tell because all of my posts have cheese everywhere, but I swear, it’s not usually something I gravitate towards) but I love brie. What can I say? It’s the princess in me. So the Baked Brie with roasted garlic, chutney and bread is a must have when we come. The two large heads of roasted garlic + a tower of crispy crustini + a whole wheel of brie = heaven. The chutney added a sweetness that cut the creaminess of the cheese, and the whole garlic was a great touch.

One of my favourite things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruit in salads. Watermelon is one of my all-time favourite fruits, so the Watermelon and Beet Salad with beets, watermelon, tomatoes and goat cheese sounded delicious. The salad is really light and refreshing, and drizzled with a balsamic reduction, so it doesn’t overpower the taste of the ingredients. The crumbled goat cheese added a sharp creaminess that worked really well with the watermelon.

Moving on to mains, a popular dish they offer is the Beef Bourguignon Pie – an impressive looking pastry shell stuffed with braised tenderloin, bacon, mushrooms and whole pearl onions in a red wine demi. A side of vegetables accompanies it for a very filling meal. Though pretty, and overflowing with meat and vegetables, I found the pie to be lacklustre in flavour. The red wine didn’t shine through, and there were a lot of pearl onions, so I got tired of those really quickly. The beef was tender and cooked well, but again, the flavour was missing. I’m not sure I would get it again.

Jersey’s always wanted to try haggis, so he was pretty excited to find it on the menu, even though it’s not done in the traditional sense. Heather Haggis is duck, lamb, bison and oats (none of the scary stuff in normal haggis) with potatoes, turnips and vegetables. It actually reminded me of meatloaf when I tried it. It was good for a meatloaf, but I’m not sure if I’d say that was distinctly haggis-y.

Chicken Prosciutto and Asiago Melt is a focaccia sandwich with salsa and mayonnaise. The chicken is grilled and marinated so that it is still juicy, and the prosciutto and asiago add a salty depth to the whole package. For an extra amount of money you can upgrade your side to the Duck poutine (duck confit, cheese and duck jus) – and I highly recommend you doing so if you like duck. The poutine is phenomenal and there is a good portion of cheese and duck with every bite.

Shepherd’s Pie is one of my favourite comfort foods, but the Heather’s version includes braised lamb and bison – taking this comfort food up about a thousand notches. The meat isn’t ground as I would have expected it to be, but had more of a pulled pork texture. The pie looks small and unassuming, but I could only eat half of it when I ordered it.

One of the items that I wish they would bring back is the Fish Pie – kind of like a shepherd’s pie but with seafood. In the portion we received there was plenty of seafood with large shrimps and mussels. It was creamy and reminded me of seafood chowder mixed with shepherd’s pie. Hey Purple Heather! If you’re reading this, please bring back the Fish Pie! Thanks and love you lots, xoxo – Neurotic Nibbler

On Wednesdays, they have a special where you can get a schooner of domestic and a pound of wings for $14.95. Do you know how big a schooner of beer is? I didn’t. For those of you like me who don’t know, it’s 32 ounces. Thirty. Two. It’s basically a bucket. On a summer day, it’s a pretty welcome bucket, let me tell you. Paired with a pound of crispy fried wings – I like them to be tossed in the hot sauce and then coated in the dry Cajun spice, personally. Yum. Perfect after work treat.

For desserts, one of the most popular (and most amazing) offerings is the Sticky Toffee Bread Pudding topped with the house-made toffee sauce. Warm, gooey, sweet and full of carbs, it’s a treat that needs to be shared. You won’t want to, but you should. Trust me. Your thighs will thank you.

Or another delicious option is the Phyllo-Wrapped Cheesecake with the fresh cream and summer berries. I am drooling as I’m thinking about this because it was...ridiculous. If you’ve never had cheesecake wrapped in phyllo pastry, then you haven’t lived. I thought I knew cheesecake, but this....this, was beyond amazing. Creamy, smooth, flaky, buttery – I could use more adjectives, but you get the point. Just try it.

Finally, what’s a good pub without some good libations, right? I tend to like sweet white wines, so we discovered Strewn – Riesling and generally get it by the bottle when we’re out with friends. For only $30, it’s a cheaper option and it’s light and summery. I won’t mention how much of the bottle I can drink at a time, because I’m a lightweight, but let’s just say that it is yummy and it goes down much too easily.

So is a gastro pub that different? I’d say so. It’s casual enough that you can go for drinks and chill out with friends in your flip flops and beach clothes, or it’s nice enough to take someone on a date – it all depends on what you want to make of it. The food has high and low points, but for the most part, I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve tried. The service has been wonderful and we have had a good time with every visit. It’s definitely a comfortable atmosphere and somewhere you can consider the local pub. If you come and I’m there, say hi – I’ll probably be the one with the mountain of food in front of her!


The Purple Heather
3600 Dundas St. W., Burlington
www.thepurpleheather.ca

Sokratis

I’m adventurous when it comes to eating, and I am the kind of person that likes to go to a restaurant not only for delicious food, but for the experience. I like to try new things, especially if it’s something that I can’t make at home myself.

I heard about Sokratis offering what they call a “Cyprus Traditional Meze” which is a set meal of many different items so you get to taste a little bit of everything. At $21.99 per person (minimum of 2 people must order at a time) and 16 different items, I took Jersey to see what this was all about. We should have been warned when the menu itself says, “a warning though must be attached to this culinary experience – the quantity and variety of dishes is immense, a true assault on your taste buds.” Instead of being intimidated, I took it as a challenge and decided that my taste buds needed assaulting.

Sokratis is in the West end of Burlington, in the heart of Aldershot. Over the years I have known it to be a Greek restaurant, a breakfast place, and now, back to a Greek restaurant again. There is a large patio outside and plenty of parking around the building. Walking in, there are murals on the walls and a cozy atmosphere with lots of seating. 

Since we ordered the Meze, there wasn’t really a need to look through the menu considering we were about to eat the world. However, the menu was extensive and when I come back, there are definitely items there that I want to try (mmm, moussaka). It was also this outing that I learned Jersey had never tried the flaming cheese before, so we ordered it in addition to our meals just so he could experience pyrotechnic dairy.

Saganaki Opa! ($9.99) is a triangle of keflotyri cheese that comes out on a small frying pan (apparently saganaki is Greek for “little frying pan”) that is held by the server.  The cheese is flambéed at the table and the flame is doused with lemon. The cheese itself tastes a bit like hardened feta, very mild and a little salty. Being in the hot frying pan, the outer layer is crispy and the warm inside is softy and goeey. It’s a fun dish when you’re out with people to yell OPA! when the cheese is lit on fire. 

The food for the Meze came out quickly (I’ll number them so you can appreciate how much food there is), and at first, we thought we had this one in the bag – small ramekins of (1) fresh Tzatziki – creamy, cool and garlic-y, (2) Hummus – smooth and full of garlic with a drizzle of olive oil on top (3) Eggplant Dip – by far my favourite dip, with big chunks of mashed eggplant, tomato and onion and (4) Beet Salad – sweet and tart slices of beets with oil and vinegar, were served with a plate of (5) crispy, warm Pita bread. The dips came at the same time as the (6) Cyprus Village Salad, which was a fresh Greek salad without the lettuce and lots of cheese. Served extra cold and crisp, this was a delicious start to the meal.

This was followed closely by (7) Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions and (8) Homemade Dolmades – stuffed leaves filled with ground beef and pork, and rice in a lemon-cream sauce. I don’t normally like stuffed leaves because I find the leaves extremely tough and the filling bland, but these were delicious. The leaves melted in my mouth, and the stuffing was perfectly seasoned with plenty of meat.

Next up was the (9) Halloumi – two very generous V’s of grilled Cypriot cheese served with fresh tomato slices. Think of it as a salty mozzarella, with a soft texture. It was delicious, but at this point, I was beginning to wish that we didn’t order the Saganaki Opa because I was getting a little cheesed-out.

(10) Grilled Eggplant in tomato sauce with feta cheese on top reminded me of eggplant parmesan, but the sauce was a little bland for my liking. The eggplant itself – I love eggplant – was grilled perfectly and didn’t have the chewy outer layer that sometimes comes with over-grilling.

(11) Smoked Sausage was a few slices of delicious grilled sausage that had the perfect amount of moisture in them. I hate when sausages are over-cooked because they get dry and lose all flavour.

Now, at this point, I will be honest and say that both of us were full. Normal people would have stopped at this stage because there was no need to keep eating. However, with the meal, our server came out and said, “Hope you’re ready, because here comes the big stuff!” I’m pretty sure we both looked at her like she was nuts ... big stuff? We had no idea what we were in for.

She came back with a huge platter that held the rest of the food from our meal: (12) Pork Souvlaki – perfectly seasoned, moist cubes of pork, (13) Grilled Chicken Breast – one for each of us that was grilled well, but I found it to be lacking in flavour, (14) a mountain of sliced Gyro meat that was probably my favourite I’ve ever had because it was so tender and well seasoned, (15) Roasted Potatoes that were almost the size of my fist (though with how full I was it felt like they were basketballs, and finally (16) fluffy Rice to add to the assault.  Though delicious and we tried valiantly to try everything, we barely made a dent in half of the platter before waving our white flags in surrender. 

As we sat and digested this insanely yummy but could-feed-a-small-country feast, our server came back and said that the chef wanted to treat us to a Cyprus treat that he just made – a delicious citrus-y cake topped with coconut. Well, no one needs to twist my arm to eat cake, so although I was pretty sure I was going to explode, somehow the whole piece of light, and not-overly-sweet cake (we shared one!) disappeared. The citrus was actually the perfect end to our meal because it was light and sweet and helped with the digestion. Or so I tried to tell myself. Either way, it was delicious.

If you like Greek food, and are looking for something a little different, try the Meze. You can’t beat the value for how much awesome food you get, and it’s a fun experience to share with friends. Next time, I probably won’t take warnings as personal challenges, although it was fun to try!

Sokratis
437 Plains Rd. E., Burlington
http://sokratisgreektaverna.com/

Pluckers Wing and Crab Shack

One of the first reviews I wrote on this blog was for JTPluckers, back before I thought to bring my camera when we went out to eat. Thankfully, Pluckers recently opened a new location in town, and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to redeem my blogging ways and go back. I would have gone back to the original location I reviewed on Walkers Line, but it closed for renovations (though I have it under very good authority that it is re-opening soon).

The new location is in Aldershot, an older part of Burlington that seems to be rejuvenating itself with the addition of new stores and restaurants. I hope the area is revitalized, I grew up in the area, and the church I’m going to get married at is also in the area. It deserves attention – North Burlington’s been stealing the thunder for too long, and it’d be nice to see the area West of IKEA get a facelift.

But I digress. The new Pluckers (notice that the JT has mysteriously dropped from the name) is where the old Chaps used to be, and has been given a pretty sophisticated makeover. There are no chickens flying airplanes here, but there are lots of televisions, a gorgeous bar and an even more gorgeous fireplace. They’ve really classed it up, and it now looks like a modernized sports bar.

On the night we came, the place was full of people watching the hockey game and a few local softball teams as well. That being said, we were seated right away, and the service was friendly and timely. We had a fantastic server, and although I don’t remember her name, she was awesome. She knew the menu inside-out, and was attentive to our every need.

To go along with the new decor, the menu has been amped up significantly as well. There are still the same items as before, but there are some neat additions like the Lobster Poutine – which we had to try. When our server brought the dish to our table, I was shocked at the size of it. Plated on a long rectangular plate, there was a mountain of fries, light peppery gravy, plenty of cheese curds and a surprising amount of lobster and crab. The fries were hot and crispy, so the cheese melted into delicious strands as you pulled it away from the plate. The sweetness of the seafood, the saltiness of the cheese and the pepper in the gravy made this a fantastic dish. I have never seen a seafood-based poutine before, and after tasting this one, am waiting to see it start popping up on menus everywhere. It was delicious and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes poutine.

An order of Cheese & Bacon Biscuits came four to an order with a side of same gravy used in the poutine. For under $2, we thought that it was good value and ordered it for fun. Unfortunately, the biscuits were a disappointment as they were dry and crumbly. My idea of a perfect biscuit requires it to be buttery and flaky, and these missed the mark. The taste was odd; almost like a dried herb seasoning was heavily mixed into the batter, and there was no cheese or bacon to be seen.

Remembering how much Jersey liked the wings on our last visit, we ordered a pound of wings in the House sauce, and a side of their hottest sauce, Mayday, on the side. The wings were large with just the right amount of breading on them to give them a slight crisp but not overwhelm the meat. They were juicy and came to the table piping hot in a mini fry-basket. The sauce was as good as we remembered; slightly sweet, smoky and peppery. Mayday sauce was indeed spicy, and even I couldn’t have more than a few tastes of it. I’m glad we asked for it on the side because I have no idea how someone could order their wings tossed in that. It makes my eyes water just thinking about it.

We wanted something different and our server recommended the Po Po Boy: hollowed out baguette halves stuffed with fried seafood, coleslaw and a mayonnaise-based sauce. The dish comes with a side, and we asked for a garden salad, but alas, the salad never did come. (So if I ever get scurvy, you can’t say I didn’t try.) The sandwich was sadly, our least favourite item of the night. Jersey was sad at how few ingredients were used to stuff the bread, as there were maybe three chunks of fish per half loaf. I was more disappointed in the bread, which tasted stale to me due to it being hard and tough. With so many other items on the menu that caught my eye, this will be a dish that I will pass next time.

Finally, I have to mention the fantastic service we received – not from our server, but from the owner of the restaurant, Todd. He came by when he noticed I was taking pictures and we had a nice chat about how the new place was going, plans for the Walkers location, and so on. When the food came, he made it a point to ask us how things were going, and I was honest with my feedback. Here is where I was really impressed: instead of making excuses or placating me, he took my feedback humbly and openly. He didn’t try to tell me I was wrong, or that it must have been a bad night because they’re always perfect,  rather, he took what I said and really listened. It was probably the most sincere reaction I’ve received when giving feedback, and I appreciated it. Now, will changes be made because of me? I don’t know, but I am so impressed that he took the time to genuinely care and want to listen to what I had to say. That, my friends, is good management and great customer service.

Pluckers Wing and Crab Shack
355 Plains Rd. E., Burlington
www.pluckers.ca

New York Fries - Poutinerie

My very first request post (Hi, chilliwacklegend!) and I’m all too happy to oblige! Not sure if you’ve heard the ridiculously crazy/awesome radio ads for NYF’s poutinerie items, but they are pretty awesome. I mean, they got Gordon Pinsent to talk about denim-wearing kittens and unicorns – these poutines must be amazing, right? Besides, I like poutine, I like butter chicken, there really wasn’t much room for error...or was there?

Now, there are two camps of people out there – those who love the fries at NYF, and those who don’t. I fall into the in-between group, where I don’t mind them, but I don’t crave them like I crave fries from other places. I find them too...potato-y (and yes, I realise they are potatoes, but they’re too potato-y, and I’m sticking to it.) That being said, I like the rustic taste of them with the bits of peel still on, and the fact that they’re generally not greasy. Consider me the Switzerland of NYF if you will, neutral on all accounts (except for the gravy. I would bathe in their gravy.)

NYF Poutineries are select locations that have “special” poutine flavours in addition to the regular menu items: Braised Beef and Butter Chicken. The boyfriend and I purchased a small size of each while we were at Burlington Mall one day, and for just under $14 we had them both in our grubby little hands, ready to enjoy.

Butter Chicken (on the left) consists of the butter chicken sauce (chicken, tomato paste, cream, onions) and cheese curds over a bed of crispy, hot fries. The fries on this day were delicious. Crispy, hot and plentiful, they really filled the cup to capacity. There were curds, but they were drowned out by the sauce, so it was almost as though they weren’t there. The butter chicken sauce had potential, but I found it to be lacklustre in seasonings and heavy on the cream. The chicken in the pictures show large chunks that are bigger than the cheese curds, but the chicken was very minimal in our bowl, and was more shredded than cubed. That being said, the meat was tender when we could find it. Overall, it didn’t blow me away as I had hoped, but it wasn’t bad. Just needs a bit more seasoning and chicken.

Braised Beef (on the right) is described as “slow-cooked Angus beef, carrots, onions and mushrooms in a red wine sauce over real Quebec cheese curd and fresh cut fries.” Again, the fries were delicious and the cheese was minimal, but the braised beef and sauce was...interesting. The boyfriend liked this one better of the two, but I likened it to beef stew with a wine aftertaste. The beef was tender and the carrots and mushrooms were soft (not mushy), but the sauce just didn’t do it for me. I think it would have tasted a lot better if there was a stronger beef flavour to the sauce, rather than the sweetness of the wine.

New York Fries has a fantastic idea with the introduction of the poutinerie flavours, but the execution needs a little bit of tweaking to knock it out of the park. Off the top of my head, I would love to see a teriyaki chicken or meatballs in tomato sauce for something different.  Pulled pork with sweet bbq sauce and cheese curds would make my day. For now though, I’m going to stick to the tried and true classic poutine with extra gravy.

www.newyorkfries.com

Zellers Family Restaurant

I always associate “family restaurant” with breakfast. I know there are other options, and they’re usually open all day, but the majority of the time that I find myself at one, it’s for breakfast – or they have an all day breakfast menu, and I love breakfast foods, so I’m ordering breakfast anyway. So. To recap: family restaurant = breakfast. That’s the kind of math I like.

We were out shopping early one morning and decided to stop into the Zellers restaurant for some quick breakfast because I remembered that it used to be pretty inexpensive when I used to go years back. I also remember liking their grilled cheese a lot, but for this trip, I really felt like breakfast.

The decor is a minty green and chrome mixture, which makes it look like an old-school diner. There is a children’s play area in one corner, and a large bar with stools along the back wall facing the kitchen. It was a seat yourself situation, so we found a small table since all the booths were either occupied or hadn’t been cleared yet.

The service here is friendly and genuine. There were two servers helping out the whole restaurant, and though it was a bit of a wait for our food, she kept refilling our drinks and apologizing for the wait since they were so busy. I didn’t mind too much since she kept us from feeling neglected, and I appreciated that she kept checking on us.

Eggs Zenedict ($8.99) consisted of poached eggs on a toasted scone with peameal and hollandaise. The hollandaise was supposed to have been sun-dried tomato, but they were out and gave us regular hollandaise instead. The scone was dry, but had no distinct taste, which made us wish we had ordered the regular Eggs Benedict instead. The egg was poached perfectly, and the peameal was average, but the hollandaise was creamy and warm. The dish was served with crispy potatoes and a fruit salad that looked more grey than it should have been (we skipped the fruit).

Seafood Crab Cake ($7.99) was a crab cake topped with a poached egg on top of an english muffin and smothered in hollandaise. This was the more disappointing dish of the two, since the crab cake had such a strong “fishy” smell to it that it really didn’t make it appetizing at all. The bright side is the egg was again, poached to perfection, and the english muffin was chewy and warm. I ended up removing the crab cake and just eating the rest on its own. 

Sadly, this breakfast was disappointing on a few levels. The good part was the great service we received from the ladies that served our table. Next time, I’ll stick to the grilled cheese, please.

Zellers Family Restaurant
777 Guelph Ln. (Inside Burlington Mall), Burlington
http://www.zellersrestaurants.com/

Bombay Grill

Years ago, my sister went on a kick where we tried various local eateries based on reviews (see, they work!) just to see if we could expand our horizons a bit. I had found positive reviews for Bombay Grill and we decided to try it out; however, when we pulled up to the plaza it was in, it looked like a ghost town and we were concerned. We tried it anyways, and haven’t looked back since – dare I say, this has been my favourite Indian restaurant in Burlington since that fateful day? 

My sister was visiting and we decided to go to Bombay Grill for a late lunch one afternoon, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that there have been renovations to the interior since our last visit. There are booths lined up against the wall, and they have been busy painting the walls to freshen up the look. The tables are covered in deep red linen tablecloths and soft music play throughout the dimly lit dining room.

We started with the Papri Chat, a cold appetizer of crunchy wafers topped with chickpeas, potatoes, yogourt and tamarind. I love the crunch of the wafers and the softness of the potatoes and chickpeas and all the different flavours that are in this dish. It really is an explosion of texture and flavour with every bite – from the creamy tartness of the yogourt to the sweetness of the tamarind...I could eat this all day. Granted, it looks like a messy blob when it comes to the table, but the taste more than makes up for it.

Beef Curry consisted of large, tender cubes of beef simmered in a thick curry sauce and served in a little silver bowl. The meat itself was melt in your mouth delicious, and the sauce, though seasoned well, did not have an overpowering curry taste/smell. I liked it, but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.

My sister and I can’t go to an Indian restaurant without ordering Butter Chicken, and Bombay Grill does not disappoint with this dish.  Moist chicken pieces swim in a creamy tomato sauce with the slightest hint of sweetness. The creaminess isn’t so overpowering that you tire of the dish, and makes for an excellent sauce for soaking up the naan and rice.

Speaking of which, the naan here is fantastic. Chewy and warm with crisp edges and brushed with the slightest bit of oil, one portion was large enough for the two of us to share along with the rice. A large plate of fluffy rice accompanied the curry, and I appreciated that it wasn’t greasy but was very hot. 

Bombay Grill has a warm and inviting atmosphere, and the food tastes fresh and delicious. The service is attentive without being overbearing, and the prices are average for the quantity of food you receive. Tucked away in a retail plaza, it can get surprisingly busy around prime meal times, but it is definitely worth the wait. For Indian food in Burlington, I have always recommended Bombay Grill to people, and have never had anyone complain. Try it. You’ll see what I mean!

Bombay Grill
3480 Fairview St., Burlington
www.thebombaygrill.ca