Kelsey's

I think one of the main attractions to chain restaurants is a sense of consistency – in menu offerings, decor/ambiance and service. When you go to one location here, you kind of know what to expect if you go to another location there. We’ve never had any major issues with Kelsey’s, so when we were out and about in Milton, we decided it would be a pretty safe choice for dinner.

First off, this particular location is probably one of the nicest looking Kelsey’s that I’ve been in. I assume that it’s pretty new, or it has recently gone under major renovations, because it’s gorgeous in there. They have certainly upped the classiness factor in their decor and layout of the dining room.

The night we went happened to be their wing promotion night – half off wings all day – so the restaurant was loud and busy. We were seated pretty quickly and managed to get a table in a small dining area apart from the main room (so that made it a bit easier to have a conversation over the loud drone in the big room). Our server was friendly and we placed our order/got our drinks surprisingly quick.

We decided to share a few items instead of getting larger entrees, and we started with the Ranch Chips. The description promised crispy, hot chips drizzled with ranch sauce, bacon and cheese – kind of like a baked potato but with chips. What we got was a greasy mess that was almost inedible. The chips were soft, cold and soggy with oil, made soggier with a disturbing amount of ranch dressing. There was hardly and bacon, but what was there was cold as well. I really didn’t enjoy this – and according to the menu on the website, it’s no longer a menu item. To that, I say, good riddance!

Another item we ordered that I can’t find on the online menu was the Pulled Pork Pizza: thin crust with barbeque sauce, pulled pork, cheese and chives. The sauce was overwhelmingly sweet, and the pork was sparse. It wasn’t horrible, but it got tiring very quickly because it was so sweet. Although not on the current menu, there is a Barbeque Chicken Pizza in its place. I would clarify that the sauce wasn’t the same before I ordered it, though.

Of course we couldn’t go on wing night and not order wings, so we tried the Honey Garlic. The wings came out lukewarm (not hot at all, but not quite cold) with a sliver of carrot and a sliver of celery. They were coated nicely in the sauce so that the whole wing was saucy without it being so sticky you didn’t want to touch it (even though I eat my wings with a fork....what? Normal people do that!!) They weren’t anything earth-shattering, but they were decent. 

Until a couple of wings into our order I bit into a wing and realised that it was a little too pink for my liking. So I put that wing down and tried another...and it was maybe even a little more pink than the first one. I am all for a bit of pink in red meat, but chicken scares me, and I wasn’t comfortable eating anymore wings after that. To Kelsey’s credit, our server was very apologetic and took away the wings immediately. A manager came by and also apologized and took them off our bill as well. 

Since the service was quite good and they sincerely apologized, the next time we were in Milton we actually decided to go back for a second try.  Again, the restaurant was extremely busy as it happened to be a Thursday again. Unfortunately, this time we didn’t get too far past our appetizer because of two reasons:

1) The service was really, really slow. It took nearly an hour for us to get our appetizer after waiting for nearly half an hour for a table. There were lots of staff walking back and forth and apologizing for the wait, but nothing seemed to be coming out of the kitchen in a timely manner.
2) When we finally received our order (7 Layer Dip) it was cold. Not room temperature or lukewarm, but straight-from-the-fridge cold in the middle and the cheese on top was actually starting to harden. Not sure if they pre-make the dips and pop them in the fridge, but someone forgot to put ours in the oven to warm up.

Again, our server was apologetic and the manager came by to give us the meal on the house as well as his personal card with an offer for free wings next time we came back. I can honestly say that although they are apologetic, that was two incidences that I’m not sure warrants a third – free wings or not. A good restaurant should have good service, absolutely – but to consistently have to apologize for the kitchen? I’d say there are bigger problems that need to be addressed there. So, thank you for the free wings Kelsey’s – maybe one day. Maybe.

Kelsey’s
45 Chisholm Drive, Milton
www.kelseys.ca

Jack Astor's

A friend of ours lives around the Eastgate Square area in Hamilton, and we’re always struggling to find something to eat when we come to visit. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that it’s always ridiculously late for dinner and nothing is open? That can’t be it. (If you know the area and have recommendations, I’m all ears.)

The night we came, the place was busy, but there was no wait and we were seated right away in a booth along the wall. It was after the mall had closed (it’s actually in the mall parking lot, but I don’t think it’s actually attached to the mall? I could be wrong, but really. Who cares that much, right?) Apparently this post is all about writing in brackets. It’s like...split personality-two conversations at a time-goodness. Awesome. (Totally makes up for the fact I write like.....once...a month....right? This counts as two posts? No? Ok. Fine. Tough crowd.) I always find Jack Astor’s to be dark, and this one was no different. I actually had to strain to read the menu because the lighting was so low. (Don’t you dare make an old joke.) The dining room was loud because there were a few large groups of people by us, and it felt more like a bar than a restaurant. If that’s the atmosphere they were going for, they totally nailed it.

Our server was...interesting. He looked and acted like a Jersey Shore character (Gym, Tan, Laundry, anyone?) and I’m pretty sure he was hitting on me. Not that I’m complaining, but most people don’t do that when I’m sitting next to my husband-to-be. He was extremely attentive at the beginning and was quick to bring us our drinks, but after our food came, the service dropped off and we didn’t see him much until we were ready to pay.

As an appetizer, our server suggested one of the seasonal items, the Baked Brie with Garlic and Berry Compote. I’ve mentioned it before, and I’ll say it again – I love brie. I had high hopes that it would be good because the description sounded safe, but I was disappointed. It came out very hot but looked completely unappetizing. The cheese itself was over-heated and was a gooey, unattractive mess with a thick film of grease on the top. The compote had spread everywhere and mixed with the grease, so it was almost inedible unless you wanted a heart attack. Roasted garlic was scarce and there were only a couple of cloves on the top. My favourite part of the dish was the crisp bread. Overall, it was a very disappointing start to the meal.

You can’t go to Jack’s without getting Pan Bread – it’s like going to a seafood place and having the chicken. You just have to have it, and you have to have it with cheese. I mean, if you’re already eating a skillet of butter, what’s a blanket of cheese really going to do? Go big or go home, my friends. This Pan Bread did not let us down; it was hot and crispy around the edges with a soft, fluffy middle. Plenty of butter sat on the bottom (made me think of a guy I knew in high school who would lick the parchment paper to get every drop of butter), and lots of gooey cheese on top.

I went with the Duelling Sausages Pizza which had both chipotle chicken sausage as well as shitake mushroom chicken sausage along with roasted red peppers and onions. Unfortunately for me, it looked better than it tasted. I found the dough to be too bread-y and was not a fan of the tomato sauce at all (it was too sour for my liking). The key players, the sausages, were bland and I had trouble distinguishing the flavours they were supposed to be. I pouted a lot when I ate it, and could only get through a slice before I gave up. (Side note: when I got the takeout box back from our server, he wrote on the top “a delicious bedside treat for you” .... weird, right???)

Chicken Fettuccine was also on the seasonal menu (how is that a seasonal item? I don’t get it.) and was average. The sauce was creamy but bland and the chicken didn’t have much flavour to it. You could probably do a better job of it at home yourself. Jack’s, if you’re reading this – a little bit of salt goes a long way. Just saying!

The best entree of the night was the Figgin’ Good Burger with a side of fries (someone told me once that it wasn’t very fig-y, so if I ever had it I should order it with extra fig sauce. Thank goodness I remembered because it made a huge difference). Aged white cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, Thai ketchup (couldn’t even taste that) and fig sauce are piled on top of a thick, juicy patty. After the addition of a significant amount of fig sauce, this was one tasty burger! Sweet, salty, juicy, crunchy...all the flavours went fantastic together. It will probably be the only thing I eat from Jack’s from now on, considering the fails we had with the other entrees and how good this was.

All in all, it was a pretty disappointing meal. Bread and a burger don’t seem worth it to go to a restaurant when there are so many other places out there (although I can’t seem to find any around the area I haven’t tried/want to try). Probably not on my “have to go back there soon” list anywhere in the near future.

Jack Astor’s
75 Centennial Parkway North, Hamilton
http://www.jackastors.com/index.aspx

Mickey's Pizza

If you’ve ever doubted the power of word-of-mouth advertising, then I am here to prove you wrong. Case in point: Mickey’s Pizza. I hadn’t heard of it until someone on my Twitter account posted a picture of one of their pies, and my interest was piqued. A little bit of research and asking around the office and a few people mentioned that they heard about Mickey’s and how good they were. My interest piqued some more.

The website is interesting. Mickey’s has a “thing” for dragons and feeding them, and a cute story about the dragon fuelling their oven. There are cute videos on their website under “What’s with the dragon?” that had me hooked. That, and their guarantee that you’ll love their pizza or they’ll give you every penny of your money back, and I *had* to try it. Something that claims to be the “best tasting pizza you’ve ever had” is bold. Because I’ve eaten a lot of pizza.

We pulled up to the plaza one night when there were a group of boys playing hackey sack outside Mickey’s doors – kind of an inconvenience to walk around/through the group when the entire rest of the strip plaza was closed due to the hour, but I guess they liked playing with the smell of pizza wafting by. The store itself isn’t set up for dine in (no tables) and is brightly painted and lit. The walls are covered in quotes printed off from satisfied customers, and a chalkboard on another wall asks a question of the week where patrons can doodle their own answers with the available chalk.

There is a long counter of toppings behind glass (think a Subway or something like that) so you can see your pizza being made – or be like me, and ask for more/less toppings as they make them. A large round oven unlike anything I have seen before takes up a fair size of the space as well. It reminds me of a hair dryer you sit under at the salon, but I liked that it looked futuristic and it was completely open so you could see it. They were really nice at Mickey’s and even let me come behind the counter so I could get a good picture of our pizza while it was spinning around in the oven!

Speaking of really nice, the service here was phenomenal. Everyone was friendly and patient with all of the questions I had, and also with my indecision with what we wanted to eat. Although they have their version of a Chicago-style pizza, called the Killer King, we opted for the traditional crust (I couldn’t handle all that cheese so late at night) and went with their vegetarian pizza, the Green Dragon.

A large Green Dragon ($21) was enough to feed four of us, and was loaded with mushrooms, sautéed spinach, roasted red peppers, green peppers, caramelized onions and olives. We got a mixture of the kalamata olives and the black olives, and topped it off with goat cheese. We had asked for artichokes on it as well, but didn’t notice until we got it home that they forgot it. Regardless, it was still delicious. The dough was the perfect thickness so that it was a little crispy on the outside edges but soft in the middle. Actually, I would have probably preferred that it was cooked a little longer because the dough was so soft that the slices were a little flimsy with all the toppings, and could have stood a little more structure and crunch to it. That being said, the dough tasted fantastic. There’s a slight buttery smell/taste to it that really made it stand out. I know, buttery and pizza dough don’t usually go together, but trust me – it was delicious. The toppings were fresh and plentiful, and I’m glad we went with the goat cheese (feta or mozzarella were also options) because the bite worked perfectly with the subtle vegetables and buttery dough.  Hands down, the best tasting vegetarian pizza I have ever tasted. The boyfriend (I guess I should call him the fiancé now) is normally a meat eater, but he remarked that there was so much flavour and texture happening, he didn’t even miss having meat on it. Now there’s endorsement, for you.

A gem in Clarkson, Mickey’s stands out from the mundane pizza places that sit on every street corner. It’s brought a touch of gourmet excitement to a market that has been saturated with mediocrity. You think you know what pizza is? You have no idea until you try pizza at Mickey’s. They’ve certainly awoken my dragon, and he wants to be fed!

Mickey’s Pizza
1900 Lakeshore Rd. W., Mississauga
www.feedyourdragon.com

Snug Harbour

I don’t know about you, but I am so tired of winter. Cold weather and me aren’t good friends, and don’t even get me started on the amount of snow that we’ve gotten this year. It makes me want to join my cousin in Australia right now, who is going through a pretty stifling heat-wave. Not to say that I particularly enjoy hot, humid weather (I think I like it less than the cold) but for one day, I’d like to not be chattering all day. I’m not even sure I remember what my fingers feel like anymore – and I always wear my mittens.

One of the good things about the winter months is that a lot of restaurants have promotions on to lure customers in from the cold. Case in point: Snug Harbour in Port Credit is offering half price entrees from Sunday to Thursday after 5:00 p.m. until the end of February. Not one to pass up a good bargain, I convinced the boyfriend to go after work one night for dinner.

Driving along Lakeshore, you can see the restaurant sitting at the edge of the pier overlooking the lake. During daylight hours, and especially during the summer, you have a pretty view of the water from the dining room or the extensive patio. The inside decor is dated, with a strong nautical theme throughout. Dim lighting and sparse furniture make for a fairly simple dining area.

On this particular night, the restaurant did not seem overly busy as we saw a few empty tables around us, but we were given a vibrating disc and were asked to wait a few minutes for our table. We sat near the hostess stand and waited as we saw table after table leave, until our buzzer went off and we were shown to a small table along the wall. As we sat and looked over the menu, we saw multiple servers walk by but it was a good twenty to twenty-five minutes before a server came by and told us she would be right with us. Since the restaurant did not look extremely busy (there were a couple of empty tables near us) and there had to have been half a dozen servers, I was pretty irritated. Thankfully, once we were acknowledged, the service improved tremendously and we were well tended to the rest of the evening.

It was explained to us that the half price deal only applied to the Pizzas, Seafood entrees and the Grill entrees, but that there was no limit to how many dishes we wanted to order. Considering the prices for some of the appetizers cost more than the cost of the half price dishes, we opted to share a Smoked Salmon pizza ($17 regular price) as our starter. Again, after waiting what felt like an unordinary amount of time for our appetizer, the pizza was finally brought to us. Six slices of thin crust (whole wheat maybe?) dough with tomato sauce, mozzarella, smoked salmon and artichoke were brought piping hot to the table. The dough had a crisp crust but a soft middle, so soft actually that it was easier to eat the slices with a knife and fork to prevent it from flopping around. The sauce was forgettable and tasted like a basic tomato sauce without much flavour, so that was disappointing. The star of the pizza was the thick slices of hot smoked salmon that was flaky and full of smoke flavour. I don’t tend to like smoked salmon because I find it too salty, but this smoked salmon was perfectly prepared, and coupled with the artichokes it gave it a creamy, earthy taste, that toned down the saltiness significantly. It made for a great start to the meal. 

We ordered a bottle of Beringer zinfandel from California ($33) which has now turned into my favourite zinfandel and we actually found it at the LCBO for $9.95 on another trip. (Which just goes to show the mark-up for alcohol in a restaurant is pretty ridiculous.) The wine itself is light and refreshing with a perfect amount of sweetness. I can see many summer nights in my future with this wine.

For a main dish, the boyfriend ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese ($21 regular price) which came out in a deep baking dish with two slices of garlic bread on the side. The garlic bread was generously buttered, but the bread was chewy which led me to believe that it was not the freshest loaf. The other downside was that the char from the grill was too much and it made the whole piece taste burnt. We opted to not eat the bread and focused solely on the pasta, and we were extremely pleased with our choice. There were large chunks of tender, sweet lobster meat and a generous portion of cheese-laden macaroni. The dish was creamy without being greasy and the top layer had a nice crisp layer from being baked in the oven. The pasta was served piping hot which delayed the cheese from congealing and hardening in the dish. Overall, a fantastic dish that was both delicious and so generous in size we almost couldn’t finish it (almost).

Lastly, I ordered the Seafood Trio ($24 regular price) from the Daily Feature menu with steamed vegetables as the side. The vegetables, if ordered from the menu, are tossed in oil and lightly pan-fried. I asked for them to be steamed, which is not a regular listed item, but the kitchen was happy to oblige. Big broccoli florets and baby carrots were perfectly steamed with just the right amount of crisp. The first item in the trio was the Pineapple Curry Mussels, of which there were three. The mussels were sweet and plump, with a piece of pineapple on each shell. The sauce was so mild that we couldn’t taste the curry at all, and it just tasted like steamed mussels. There were two Blackened Shrimp which were sweet and meaty with a delicious Cajun seasoning. Lastly, a filet of Blackened Salmon was perfectly grilled with a crispy outer layer and a flaky inside. The dish was rounded out with a large wedge of roasted acorn squash and corn salsa. The squash was sweet and soft, but the salsa was nothing special. The cool, sweet salsa did however make a nice accompaniment to the saltiness of the Cajun seasoning off the shrimp and salmon.

If you are looking for good seafood for reasonable prices, I highly suggest going to Snug Harbour during this promotion. Though there were a few hiccups, this has probably been one of my favourite outings in recent memory when comparing value for quality/quantity of food. At these prices, I think I need to be more convincing so we can go back a couple more times before the end of the month.

Snug Harbour
14 Stavebank Rd. S., Port Credit
www.snugharbourrestaurant.com

Sabatasso’s Deluxe Deep Dish Pizza Singles

If it hasn’t become painfully clear, I and the people I surround myself with are pizza lovers. It’s a pretty safe bet that if we frequent an establishment that has pizza on the menu, someone in the group is going to try it. Since we eat pizza so often, we fancy ourselves pizza experts of sorts: always on the lookout for good pizza so we can share our findings with others. It’s a task we happily attack with gusto.

 

For the most part, frozen pizza has never been high on the list of foods I like to buy. I normally find their toppings unappetizing and their dough inedible. Rising crust, deep-dish... so many options,  and yet so many disappointments. However, I am still drawn to new brands when I come across them, just to see if I can find the diamond in the rough.

While walking around Costco, we came across Sabastasso’s Deluxe Deep Dish Pizza Singles with Sausage and Pepperoni ($10.95 for a box of 12) in the aisle beside frozen sushi (I’m not kidding) and frozen garlic bread. I have never heard of this brand before, but the picture looked appetizing and the price was right. Apparently, I am living proof that advertising works and is aimed at people who like pretty pictures.

Each pizza is conveniently wrapped in individual packages with cooking instructions on each. I hate when cooking instructions are printed only on boxes and not on each wrapper, making me have to keep a large box because I don’t remember how to cook something the next time I go to eat it. But back to the pizza. You can either cook it in the microwave for a few minutes or in the oven. I prefer the microwave because I’m usually impatient and three minutes is a lot quicker than 25. Plus I hate having to turn on the oven and waste all that energy for something so small. However, for the purpose this review, I tried it both ways to compare results.

Microwaving takes 3 ½  to 5 minutes. The first time, I tried 4 minutes, and the pizza was so overcooked it became hard as a rock. The second one I put in for 3 minutes, and it came out much better. Typical of a frozen pizza, the dough was soggy and the cheese made a mess on the plate, but the sauce was very good and the toppings were flavoured perfectly.

Waiting for almost half an hour for tiny pizzas to cook is a difficult task when you’re as impatient as I am. That being said, baking these pizzas in the oven is definitely the way to go. After 25 minutes, I pulled out perfectly baked individual pizzas. The crust was crispy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. The cheese had bubbled into a gooey blanket, and the pepperoni had crispy edges without being dried out. A huge difference from the microwaved version; waiting the extra 20-odd minutes was completely worth it.  

If you like deep-dish pizza with plenty of toppings in individual sizes, I highly recommend this product. Be patient and pop them into the oven if you have the time because it makes a huge difference. Use the time to make a salad to pair with it, or polish off a glass (or two!) of wine – whatever you do, don’t microwave them if you can help it. Reach deep - some of us need to reach deeper than others - into yourself and find your patience! You’ll be so glad you did.

Pepperwood Bistro

I’ve always been a fan of brunch because I like the idea of having breakfast food later in the day or having non-breakfast food first thing in the morning. I blame the rebellious side of me – the same side that will have dessert before dinner or cupcakes for breakfast.

So when the boyfriend and I decided to go for brunch with our good friend LJ, I was anticipating some gastronomic confusion to occur. Perhaps I would forego breakfast and dive directly into lunch foods, or maybe even skip it all and eat ice cream. The possibilities were endless, and my stomach was rumbling the whole ride over.

Pepperwood has been open for as long as I can remember. Facing the lake, it has a lovely patio in the summer that is always packed full every time I pass by. The decor inside is a mixture between old French Quarter New Orleans charm and a warm, quaint bistro. Eclectic art hang on the walls, framed by curtains haphazardly tied to simulate the look of windows. There are booths at the back corner with colourful throw pillows along the bench that add vibrant pops of colour. There is live music on weekends, and near the end of our meal there was a live jazz piano player near the front of the restaurant. The tables are dark wood and covered with white paper tablecloths (I’m seriously going to have to start buying stock in paper tablecloth companies. This is getting ridiculous.) with a stamp of the Pepperwood logo on each sheet.

What better way to celebrate the early afternoon hours of a Sunday than with glasses of wine? Wine by the glass is served in either five or eight ounces and ranged from $6 to $13 per glass. We each went with a variation of white and I was told the house white was particularly delicious. As for the menu, we tried asking what the Daily Catch and the Daily Features were but were told that neither were available because the chef hadn’t decided what they were yet. Confused? We were.

I had heard that the fries here were to die for, and managed to convince my eating companions to share in a start of Pepperwood Poutine ($9.95). The house fries are thin cut shoe string fries that are fried to a golden, crispy brown and sprinkled with a healthy dose of salt. Topped with dark ale gravy, cheese curds, shredded braised short ribs and chopped scallions, this dish is one of the best poutines I have had the pleasure of trying. The braised short ribs were tender and melted in your mouth. Coupled with the dark ale gravy, we all agreed the fries were actually on the salty side and I would recommend you ask that the fries be unsalted if you order this dish. The cheese was minimal, but what was on the dish was adequately melted to coat a few fries at a time. 

The half pizza and salad ($12.95) came with your choice of any of Pepperwood’s fresh pizzas and either a Caesar or a Bistro greens salad. The Caesar salad was nothing special and tasted like any other Caesar. The boyfriend chose the Brew House pizza: pepperoni, smoked bacon, roasted peppers and charred onions as his half, and was disappointed. Though the thick cut pepperoni was delicious, it was overshadowed by disappointing pizza dough that was cooked to a hard crisp and covered in a forgettable tomato sauce. He made the comment that he could have made a frozen pizza and had the same results rather than spending twice as much on half a pizza here.

My choice for the day was the Prime Rib Dip ($12.95) which came with a healthy portion of fries and a dill pickle. Caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and carved prime rib are piled onto a French baguette and served with a cup of au jus that tasted faintly of the gravy from the poutine we started with. The bread was fresh and crisp on one side and unfortunately soggy on the bottom. The caramelized onion was done beautifully and its sweetness complimented the sweetness of the cheese and saltiness of the meat perfectly. The prime rib itself was pretty average in my opinion. There was a fair amount on the bread, but the taste did not stand out as anything special. 

The best entree at the table was definitely the Crispy Salmon Salad ($18.95) which had a large (maybe five ounces) filet of salmon fried until the skin and outer edges were crispy but still stayed light and flaky on the inside. The mixed bitter greens were topped with sweet vinaigrette with fresh blackberries and chunks of feta. It was a delicious combination of texture and flavours, and made a great light choice.

A staple on the Burlington lakeshore for as many years as I can remember, Pepperwood serves okay food for okay-to-high prices. The service did not stand out as being either good or bad, but then again, neither did the food. Overall, Pepperwood Bistro is a pretty average restaurant, but it has a great patio in the summer if you want to be downtown.

Pepperwood Bistro
1455 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington
 http://www.pepperwood.on.ca/index2.html
      

The Olive Press

Coming home late from work on a cold night, I normally don’t feel like puttering around my kitchen and making an elaborate meal. These are usually the nights when I call home to the boyfriend and the roomie to see if either of them are feeling particularly adventurous to make dinner, or better yet, if anyone wants to go out for dinner. It’s always a small victory when I manage to convince both of them to go out for a dinner with me so I don’t have to cook.

This particular evening, we decided to go to the Olive Press because I have been numerous times before and the both of them wanted to try it. It’s usually fairly busy near the end of the week, with people parking along Dundas because there are no spots in the lot. The boyfriend called before we left and was told there was a 20 minute wait – not bad enough that we wanted to go somewhere else, so we all piled into the car for the short drive.

Once there, we were a little worried about the parking situation as there were cars parked along Dundas – usually an indication that the restaurant was going to be busy. However, we got into the parking lot and there were plenty of spaces and we lucked out with one close to the entrance. The restaurant is already decorated for the holidays, and there is a gorgeous trimmed tree right by the front door. The restaurant is softly lit with white, floating balls as light fixtures. Dark wood tables covered with strips of white paper (again, with the paper table covers. I don’t get it.) and dark wood floors create a warm, cozy atmosphere. Nostalgic music streams through the speakers softly enough to notice during a lull in conversation, but not too loud that you had to yell to be heard. We were seated right away by the hostess in a table that felt like it was in the middle of the walkway. I noticed that the restaurant was less than half full, and asked if we could be moved to one of the empty booths along the wall. We were told that the booths were kept empty for groups of four or more, and since we were only three, we had to stay where we were. I wasn’t overly happy with that since it was already past 8 p.m. and there were plenty of empty booths to choose from.

We were seated with our menus for what felt like an inappropriate length of time before we were acknowledged. A busboy came by and said although he wasn’t our server, he could take our drink order since our server was busy with a large group on the other side of the dining room. We gave him our drink orders (a Pepsi, a root beer and I ordered a Shirley Temple) and proceeded to continue waiting. Our server finally got to our table along with our drinks, and apologized that she had been busy with another table. Had we been approached when we sat down and given the explanation that our wait would be a bit longer, I wouldn’t have minded the slow service at the start. However, as it was not explained until long after we waited, I felt like we were neglected.

As we waited for our appetizer, a basket of fresh bread was brought to the table and olive oil and balsamic vinegar was poured onto a side plate for our dipping pleasure. The bread was warm and crispy on the outside with a soft middle. It made me wish there was more than one piece for each of us, since I’m pretty sure I could have eaten my weight in that bread alone.

Our appetizer came out next, and we had opted for the Three Cheese Bruschetta ($9.95). Four thick slices of rosemary focaccia topped with fresh chopped tomatoes, romano, mozzarella and feta cheese were baked until hot and crispy. The bread was amazing – the edges were crunchy but the middle was soft and fresh. The thick slices prevented it from becoming too soggy and everything held together well. The bruschetta itself was a slight letdown because it tasted like fresh diced tomato, but had no other distinguishing features to make it stand out as a bruschetta. The server mistakenly listed goat cheese as one of the three cheeses, and we were confused that there was no goat cheese taste. The portion was huge and was a good sharing option for the three of us.

The roomie was in the mood for pasta and ordered the Seafood Portofino ($21.95) as her entree. There were a handful of large black tiger shrimp a few scallops and seven mussels. The menu described the dish as having a white wine cream sauce coating linguini noodles, but it was disappointing and tasted similar to a bland alfredo. The dish was not very hot, which made the sauce thick and easily tiring. The roomie said that although it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t anything special either.

Parisian Chicken pizza ($16.95) was the boyfriend’s choice for the evening, and was easily the best dish out of everything we ordered. Roast chicken breast, chilis, spinach, bacon, mushrooms and cheese are layered on top of a parmesan sauce and a crispy, fresh baked crust. Though I could not taste the chilis, the combination of all of the other ingredients coupled with the creamy yet slightly tangy parmesan sauce made this one of my favourite pizzas ever. The portion size was healthy and even after sharing with the roomie and I, he still had to take some home.

Following the recommendation of the server, I decided to try one of the Olive Press’s new dishes, the Italian Braised Beef Ribs ($19.95): three beef ribs slow-roasted in a house barbeque sauce, served with roast potatoes and vegetables. The dish came out and looked impressive – these ribs looked like they should have belonged on a brontosaurus and I felt like Fred Flinstone when I was eating them. The dish itself did not taste as good as it looked. The vegetables were extremely overcooked and were a soft, mushy pile that I couldn’t eat more than a bite from. The roast potatoes were nicely seasoned and had a crispy skin and soft middle. The ribs themselves were the biggest disappointment of all – the house barbeque sauce was reminiscent of cheap grocery store sauce mixed with ketchup that was overly sweet but left no flavour.

Our server came by after we had started our meal and asked how our meals were, especially the ribs since she recommended them. I mentioned that they were “okay” and to her credit, she asked if there was anything else I would prefer instead. I didn’t want to be a bother, so I politely declined and said that I would be okay with finishing my meal. She came back at the end of our meal and said that we could have a dessert, compliments of the house because she felt bad that I didn’t like my ribs. We were very impressed by her genuine care, and we opted to share the Triple Fudge cake as our dessert.

The cake itself was unfortunately not a dessert I would try again. My general concern with chocolate cakes when I go out to a restaurant is my fear of it being too dry. The Olive Press unfortunately fell into this category. The thin cake is sandwiched between layers of chocolate and topped with a chocolate ganache. Though the dessert is not overly sweet, the cake was dry and the chocolate layers tasted almost like melted chocolate chips. As a whole, by far one of my least favourite chocolate cakes I have had in a restaurant.

Though our experience started off on a low note, the service we received picked up and was fantastic after we were finally acknowledged. The food had some strong high notes (the bruschetta and the pizza), some low notes (the chocolate cake and the vegetable medley) and the majority was average. The prices are reasonable for the portion sizes you are served, but the service and food seem to be inconsistent. I would go back simply because the service we did receive at the end was better than many restaurants I have been to, as well as for the Parisian Chicken pizza. If Santa could bring me that pizza, I would be one happy girl.



The Olive Press
2322 Dundas St. W., Oakville
http://olivepress.ca/

Mangiamo Pizza Buffet

I actually heard about Mangiamo through a review I read on Twitter a while back. I'm starting to notice a trend here – Twitter is going to make me: 1) very poor and 2) unable to remember how to work a kitchen appliance. The premise sounded simple enough – an all-you-can-eat gourmet pizza buffet, with soup, salad and pasta to boot. Best of all, it was only $8.99 for each adult.  How could you go wrong?

I gathered a couple of pizza-lovin' friends and we all headed to Oakville. Mangiamo is located in a plaza that has a few small restaurants and a grocery store, so there is plenty of parking. At first glance, it made us almost hesitant to go in.  For one, the store is very bright and very exposed – it almost felt like a school cafeteria rather than a restaurant. There is a cash register right by the door and a small buffet bar at the front by an open window to the kitchen. There is also a fountain-pop machine, seating for about 50 people and a poster on the wall that reminded us of those old-school United Colors of Benetton ads.

We were surprised to find that although we arrived around 7:30 p.m., we were the only customers in the restaurant. We were greeted by friendly staff who pointed out where things were and we got settled at a table. We were asked if there was any particular pizza we wanted, and I asked if they could make us a mac-and-cheese pizza, since the review I read raved about it.  We were told they would put one on for us, and to let them know if there was anything else we'd like. On the first round, my friends decided to jump right into the pizza – there were about three or four slices each of a pepperoni, a Hawaiian and a vegetarian. I opted to try their special of the night – build-your-own tacos – and a forkful of spaghetti with meat sauce. The taco bar had two filling options – ground beef or bean chili – and a variety of toppings. The strangest thing I found was there was no cheese among the toppings, but there was a bowl of shredded carrots.  I've never had carrot on my taco before, so that was new for me. Not sure if I'd do it again – I think I'd prefer cheese, please.

The taco fillings were dry from being in the warmers for too long, but the toppings were crisp and fresh. The spaghetti sauce tasted homemade and had plenty of meat and tomato in it.  Unfortunately for my friends, the pizzas were cold and hard from sitting out too long. Here is where I was blown away by Mangiamo: We were asked how we were enjoying our food and we mentioned that although everything tasted OK, it would be better if they were not cold and hard from being out so long. Upon hearing that, they immediately apologized and then TOOK AWAY all of the old food and started making us fresh food. Keep in mind that they were about an hour away from closing, and we were the only people in the restaurant.

The hot, fresh thin-crust pizzas started coming out, and we were in a carby, cheesy heaven. All of the dough tastes like it's fresh and hand-tossed, and all of the ingredients were sliced thick and plentiful. Chicken with sweet-chili Thai sauce was the early frontrunner for best pizza (ever).  Big chunks of moist chicken breast with sweet onions and a sweet chili sauce that gave it a slight kick. The Hawaiian pizza had sweet pineapple and large cubes of peameal bacon with a homemade tomato sauce. Even the pepperoni pizza was better than most I've had from restaurants – each slice was covered in pepperoni that was thick and baked until crispy around the edges, and laden with gooey cheese. A Thai curry pizza followed – a mild curry sauce base topped with diced chicken breast, onions and fresh chopped cilantro. An explosion of flavour and freshness with every bite. The pièce de résistance was hands down the mac and cheese. A thin, crispy crust topped with soft mac and cheese and baked until the top is crispy and the cheese is melted and crusty, then sprinkled with Parmesan.  Carbs + carbs + cheese = the three C's of happiness. It was an instant hit with our group, and I can easily see why it's a crowd favourite, especially with kids. I even suggested that if they put sliced hot dogs on top they'd have both kids and university students knocking down their doors to get a slice.

The staff told us that the chef likes to get creative and invent pizzas depending on what ingredients happen to be available, or whatever strikes his fancy for the day. The atmosphere could use a little work, but the staff goes above and beyond to make your visit a pleasant one – even bringing the pizza to your table once it's out of the oven. As with any buffet, you run the risk of finding food that has been sitting out for too long, but if you mention it to them, they are more than happy to make you fresh food. The best part of Mangiamo is the variety of pizza you can ask for, or that they've already thought up for you. If you can dream it, I bet you Mangiamo is willing to put it on a pizza crust for you. 



Mangiamo Pizza Buffet
579 Kerr St., Oakville
http://www.mangiamopizzabuffet.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/mangiamopizza