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| - Far too expensive for what's provided.
A friend treated me here for a birthday dinner quite recently....a gesture I really appreciate given just how expensive this place is.
The FOOD: We both had the steak frites. The fries were incredibly well done and were quite complimented by the bacon aioli. The salad had a nice mustardy vinaigrette. The steak, however, was NOT cooked to order. Medium rare, by any definition requires a pretty substantial amount of pink...red even. The definition from The Keg (which knows how to cook a steak):
"Medium rare: Warm centre, red throughout."
We instead received a steak with mostly a grey centre and a small trace of pink in the thickest part...that would be Medium Well to Well Done. My fundamental point is that at $27 for steak frites, you had better cook your steak properly. My friend also found some parts so full of gristle that he had to spit them out. Yikes!
The WINE: They have a great selection by the bottle and by the glass. They also offer things by the 1/2 litre, although it's not advertised. Pretty expensive.
The SERVICE: Our server was rather cold and awkward throughout the evening. I knew from her response of "tap, please" to her question of "still and sparkling" that we were in for trouble. The barely suppressed frown was noticeable. Specials were quoted without prices...a pet peeve of mine. No joy was shown in serving us. Water glasses were refilled, but not much else.
OVERALL, given what I've seen from the steak and the service, I have little to say to recommend Carens. Had it not been someone treating me for my birthday, I certainly would have complained about the steak. Maybe come for a glass of wine and some cheese and call it quits.
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