| rev:text
| - While not yet "as good as it gets", 5 stars shows the potential this place will almost surely attain! I can't in good conscience give less: 4.5 is closer the mark; 4 would do them a disservice. Reason being while there's room for improvement, this revitalized Roncy relic really hit the ground running!
(That's a hell of a lot of Rs. Yay for alliteration!)
Restored from a truly odd marriage of 50s diner and 80s Chinese Food Place, the owners (and their team of family and friends) really went the extra mile: what they couldn't salvage for its original purpose, they re-purposed (check out the awesome wall-mounted tea lights!). Seriously, this place is eye candy of the highest order (and I'm not talkin' about the servers or clientele, though surely there are plenty enough beautiful people milling about on a Saturday night).
It's small, equal parts cozy and sweaty, with a half-dozen bar seats, a half-dozen tables for two, a table (or two?) for four, and the large front table that seats eight pretty comfortably. Note that they *do* take reservations, though I suspect this may not last as their popularity grows and the limited space demands greater turnaround.
As for the food, drinks, and service, while there are still some kinks to be ironed out -- hence the room for improvement -- they've got the foundation of something great.
Some highlights and notables:
* Steak was asked for rare and arrived thusly, something I'm not accustomed to in this city. With four of our table ordering the steak it's pretty impressive the small kitchen hammered them out in a timely fashion and perfectly cooked to boot! All were nicely aged and damned tasty. Highlight indeed!
* Fried chicken, three pieces with a mess of delicious collard greens and ham gravy... good but not great. Two pieces were succulent and finger-lickin'; one piece was smaller and overcooked, suggesting their fryer-timing is still being fine-tuned. The head chef, Peter, is apparently known for this dish and I'll guess it'll ultimately be a big win once the kitchen staff perfects it.
* Taro chips. GET THE TARO CHIPS.
* House Manhattan is an interesting take on the classic, though I found the cinnamon on the candied apricot garnish had permeated the drink too much for my traditionalist tastes -- no worries, it's easy enough to ask for a classic, dry Manhattan.
* Some very interesting house-made ice creams, including one made with Hockley Stout and another with bourbon. "Sweet" indeed! At $4 a pop they're on the pricey side for two adorable little scoops, but they're a fine -- and novel -- way to close out a meal and definitely recommended at least once.
* Service can be a bit slow, but it's exceedingly friendly. These are good people looking to establish a new neighbourhood institution -- it really shows through in the way they interact with patrons (and each other). Respect, friendliness, attentiveness, and appreciation. They're not taking anything for granted and I love that.
Final curiosity: On our first visit we were graced by a sit down from a staff-member (who asks to remain anonymous!) as the night wound down. She cheerfully answered our questions, and relayed some very interesting stories... foremost being that The Ace is apparently haunted by the ghost of the previous proprietor of the Chinese joint... but the spirit is friendly, and happy to see the place jumping again.
If you get a chance and they're not too busy, ask about the renovations, the ghost, and the general tale behind the place. The Ace boasts a good yarn, and it's worth a listen! (Not to mention repeat visits!)
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