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| - Not unlike the most popular senior back in high school who suddenly asked me out after I gave my weird Grade 10 self a "She's All That"-style makeover (hi Chad!*), Carens is very good-looking and...well, that's about it.
The menu sounds great on paper, but the food is underwhelming and overpriced. Spicy Baked Mac & Cheese ($16, $21-32 with additions) is tasty as cheese-drenched starch generally is, but has none of the spice it advertises - it's just normal. I don't even like spicy food and I still thought it needed a kick. It does come piping hot in a respectably-sized dish, but without any sides to speak of, it leaves something to be desired. You'll likely need to order one of the salad appetizers to balance it out. Unfortunately, even a usually reliably flavourful standby like the Niçoise ($18) is pretty bland here.
Crabcakes ($16) and ravioli ($15) come 2 and 3 pieces to a plate respectively, so plan accordingly or be forced into an accidental diet.
Service is as slow as Chad, even if your party is one of only two groups having lunch, which was the case when I was here earlier this week. If you're seated upstairs and your server goes downstairs, I hope you're not in a rush.
*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.
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