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| - I have heard good things about Pump House Grille from a few people, so my boyfriend and I decided to give it a try on Friday night. It was cold and rainy, but still very busy with the NBA playoffs happening. We walked in at 6:30 PM without a reservation, but we waited only about 15 minutes before we were seated.
I did not expect to see a bigger, roomier, and nicer dining area in the back. The service was good, the staff were polite. There are also quite a few TVs, and it seems like a lot of locals were there to watch the Raptors' playoff game.
The server gave us a list of the day's specials, but we decided to stick with their menu items. We started off by ordering the Potato Skins with bacon, spring onions, and cheddar. It was decent, but nothing special.
For our mains, we tried the Seafood Diavolo and Penne Arrabbiata. Dave mentioned below that it is a good amount with leftovers, but we did not expect such BIG portions. We felt full just by looking at the size of our pastas! The Seafood Diavolo was not appealing (being saucy and orange in colour...), but the jumbo shrimps were cooked perfectly and there were chunks of lobster which were quite tasty. The creamy rosé sauce made it very filling, and it was not spicy at all. The Penne Arrabbiata looked a lot like something we used to make (too often) back in university (...with Classico sauces!). We expected to see slices of sausage but it was more like ground pork. It was more peppery, rather than spicy, hot with a kick as it should be. Unfortunately, both of the pastas were overcooked, too.
Perhaps it was an off night for the chef, or it was a new chef...but we would only dine at Pump House Grille again if we happen to be in the area. Well...we may return when they are doing their specials.
* Mondays to Fridays from 3 to 5 PM -- 59 cent wings (only until the end of April)
* Wednesdays from 5:30 to 9:30 PM -- $1.50 per oyster
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