| rev:text
| - PARTIAL REVIEW
Service:
-Ah, service. This is the sticky one. Our colourful French server was both boisterous and hilarious. Flip-flopping from outrageous loud jokes (like comparing to my photo-taking to that of "Japanese tourists" - her words, not mine) and matter-of-fact tone (like telling my sister she couldn't have the potato salad with such impassivity we thought it was sarcasm) left us constantly entertained. You either love this act or hate it, but the affirmative will become her regulars and dine at 420 just to chat with her.
- As previously mentioned, on the Friday night we dined, the place was absolutely slammed with I believe about 3 servers running the restaurant and bar. So our server did her best to be attentive, but there were times I got the sense she was feeling a wee-bit scrambled. For instance, she brought by side plates for our appetizers, yet only set three of them down, heading back to the kitchen with the other two not to return until I pointed it out (and of course, she was confused why she brought them back). Drink service was also hit and miss. We waited a little while with empty glasses on our table before being asked about refills, and even when they arrived, the empties were not retrieved (which I found weird). I also never got a soda I ordered, but alas, at least our water glasses were refilled as required, so I always did had something to drink.
-Now, the bad. The service was slow to say the least, with the meal taking an entire 2 1/2 hours to complete. To put that in perspective, last weekend I enjoyed a luxurious tasting menu in less time. Our server was greatly apologetic and appreciative of our patience, but ultimately, the kitchen staff was just too small to accommodate a full house. What this meant was we waited about 60 minutes for our appetizers, another 50 for our mains and about 15 for our desserts- one of which they comp'd to apologize for the delay. There was also clearly some miscommunications going on, as about 20 minutes after we had received and eaten our appetizers, another round of the same ones came by. I hope they didn't throw those out!
FOOD:
Fried Forest Mushrooms ($5)
Herbes de Provence, Malt Vinegar
One of our favourite dishes of the night. These didn't really look or taste much like mushrooms, to be honest, but they were crispy and light, and seasoned flawlessly with aromatic herbs and flakey salt. The malt vinegar side was pretty irrelevant, to be honest (why not a seasoned aioli?), but the mushrooms themselves could hold their own.
Smoked Chicken Wings with Ale Sauce ($12 / 1 lb)
We definitely all loved these wings. They were very meaty and juicy, with a discernable, but not overwhelming smoky flavour. I also really liked the sweet acidic ale sauce, even though I thought could have scaled back on the amount.
Jalapeno Corn Bread ($5/ piece) x 2
This was disappointing, especially after tasting Trish Gill's fabulous version at the Dock Ellis. While the juxtaposition of the sweet whole kernel corn and the spicy jalapeno made for good flavour, the bread itself was really dry. I also really didn't understand the side "dip"- what was that? Honestly, I tasted it, then tasted it again, and again, and all I could detect was neutral oil. If you're going to keep it simple, at least give us some melted salted butter for a little kick of flavour.
Smoked Meat Sandwich ($12)
With Spicy Beer Mustard, Slaw and Pickle
The meat was moist and fatty with a solid smoke flavour that was nicely complimented by the spicy beer mustard. My problem with the sandwich, however, was that the bread wasn't pulling its weight. The juices soaked through the flimsy slices which made eating with ones hands an impossible task.
Reuben Sandwich ($12)
With Slaw and Fries
Pretty much the same analysis as the aforementioned sammy except the soggy bread was even more offensive with the addition of the sauerkraut. Actually, the minute my father picked up his sandwich, the bread nearly disintegrated in the palm of his hand. It also could have used a little grill or griddle action- both to add a nice caramelized crust and to better melt the cheese.
Fries (Side with Reuben)
Get the fries, my friends. These puppies were hand-cut super crispy little nuggets of golden joy just waiting to be devoured by a hungry lady or gent. The best side dish by far.
Pulled Pork ($12)
With Slaw and Sweet Potato Side
Good but not great. Like the aforementioned beef, the pork had a nice aromatic smoke flavour, but was a bit dry and was served luke warm. It also was more "chopped" than tenderly pulled. The bun, on the other hand, was a home run. Buttery exterior and crispy cut sides and soft and cushiony within. Yum.
Duck Confit Burger ($13)
This was the special of the night, and it sounded interesting enough. I was honestly expecting a regular burger patty with perhaps a little pulled duck on top, but instead was brought a solid patty of pressed together duck confit.....
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