I don't typically write reviews because I understand people have different expectations and tastes, but The Block is the kind of place where I would be contrite to not share the appalling experience we had - particularly since it was voted one of Calgary's best restaurants of 2014 in a Calgary Herald article.
Arrival/greeting:
It took 10 minutes after being seated to receive menus and water
DRINKS:
I love a good caeser and ALWAYS order one. Although the first couple sips were good, the caeser took 15 minutes to arrive and despite stirring it, it was so overseasoned I felt like I was drinking worchesterchire.
APPI'S
CAULIFLOWER CROQUETTES: Batter was perfect and inside was warm and creamy and sauce complimented perfectly.
POTATO CHIP CRUSTE PRAWNS: Small, tasteless, obviously frozen and tasted as if just defrosted in cold water with no flavor.
SALMON GRAVLAX: Good, nothing special. Smoked salmon on rye crisps with a creamy dill sauce - I can make it at home
BREAD AND BUTTER: $3 for a "selection of bread" which only consisted of 3 oven warmed premade dinner rolls similar to the kinds you would find at Cob's bread if I am being generous and flavored butter - not worth it.
CHICKEN WINGS: Again bland, but breading was crisp and wing was moist and tender
PEAR AND WALNUT SALAD: $14 for a salad the size of a sandwich Tupperware which came at the end of the appi's because the waitress forgot. It was also MISSING THE WALNUTS. After dividing it up and realizing this we waited 10 minutes for the waitress to come back and when we informed her, she responded "oh haha I guess they're missing, I'll go find you some."
MAINS
SIRLOIN STEAK: Completely undercooked. After waiting for the waitress for 15 minutes our hungry friend just started eating the steak which was blue and dripping blood. When the waitress finally returned, he simply informed her that the steak wasn't cooked how he wanted, but he was hungry so was eating it anyways. Her response, "well let me check if you actually asked for that." After finding on her notepad that he did she simply said, "I could have taken it back but you've eaten part of it so haha I guess I can't do anything now."
LOBSTER POT PIE: Precooked pot pie ingredients with a small lobster claw chopped up and thrown in after. Lobster was fishy and best thing about the pie was the crust. There was so little actual filling that it didn't even reach the top of the dish.
LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE: Flavorless, our friend took most of it home to add some truffle salt and truffle oil to improve it
MEATBALL PAPPAREDELLE: Two people at our table ordered this, one came with slices of olive bread and the other had none. When we pointed this out the waitress again said, "oh I guess it must be missing, I'll go see if I can find you some."
ARCTIC CHAR: Slightly overcooked but seasoned very well with crisp skin.
Whatever the Block was serving the critics from the CH article must have been a different caliber of food or makes me seriously question John GilCrhists credability. What we had completely missed the mark and had all of us thinking that the McDonalds across the parking lot would have been a better choice. The bland food, missing items on our dishes and the poor quality and execution of what we had is not at all on par with their high prices. I travel often and have dined at many places around the world, restaurants like these in Calgary masked by a façade of hip and pretty décor continue to disappoint me with their lack of proper customer service and quality of food - we never once recieved an apology from the waitress for our missing ingredients/items.