My Holiday Dinners and Feasts

Happy New Year!

So due to sleeping in and it being a holiday I didn't really update the blog this morning. I didn't know what to post and I wanted it to be a little different. So if you've been following my tweets I've had 8 or 9 Christmas dinners this year. Unfortunately I didn't get pics of all of them, but I did get a few. Just wanted to show you what I've been eating.

Some of the holiday meals were home cooked and some were dine outs. I don't review anything that is homemade by friends or family...because I still want to be invited for dinners! =p But to satisfy your curiosity everything was delicious and I'm so lucky to have friends and family who can cook.

Vancouver Food Blogger dinner at The Irish Heather...review posted tomorrow!
Duck leg with Mushroom & Foie Gras Jus

Christmas dinner with my best friend. We love cooking, we love eating, we love food! The dips we made for our crab cakes. 1) Pesto Cream sauce 2) Sweet Thai Chili with Edamame 3) Curry Pineapple Chutney with Coconut

The crab cakes we made. The only ingredient we prepared was crab meat...everything else was rummage around my kitchen and work with what we have.

1) Crab cake 1: Tropical East! Coconut Curry crab cake crusted with cashews, coconut, and coconut rice crackers. Served with curry pineapple chutney.

2) Crab cake 2: Asian style! Sweet Thai Chili crab cake crusted with peanuts and honey glazed sesame cashews. Topped with Sweet Thai Chili edamame beans.

3) Crab cake 3: Mediterranean style! Pesto and caper crab cakes with Pesto cream sauce.



Dessert after crab cakes was Egg Nog Cupcakes!...and Mochis! You can eat those whenever!


Christmas Eve dinner at Kirin - Peking Duck.
My appetizer. My own creation: Christmas all wrapped up! It was shredded turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mushrooms, purple potatoes wrapped up in filo. Served on home made cranberry sauce.

My friend's drunken risotto made with 2 bottles of Merlot! It also had Italian sausage, onions and spinach. Yum!

Sweet potato mash with toasted marshmallow bake..this was out "vegetable" dish.

Christmas dinner potluck with 6 friends. Sweet potato mash with toasted marshmallow bake, mac n' cheese 1, mac n' cheese with bacon 2, drunken risotto, and honey Dijon glazed ham.

Dessert from Kreation Artisan Cake Bakery

My New Year's Eve 2009 dinner at The Marriott hotel in Vancouver. Charred asparagus with papaya vinaigrette, steamed veggies, roast beef, roast chicken breast, wild mushroom and pearl onion ragout, ravioli with olives, artichokes, baby shrimp and radicchio, roast potatoes etc. etc.

Manhattan Restaurant

Restaurant: Manhattan Restaurant – Review

Cuisine: American/Regional/West Coast
Last visited: December 16, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Waterfront/Downtown)
550 West Hastings Street
Price Range: $20-30

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 1.5 (for a hotel)
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Serves traditional soups, sandwiches, pastas, entrees
• Ocean Wise fish
• Located on 2nd floor of Delta Inn Hotel
• Large windows, but not much view
• Good for business lunch meetings
• Old-fashioned hotel restaurant
• Cozy mom and pop type seating area
• Fresh sheet available (3 course dinner)
• All day dining: breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Dessert menu

**Recommendation: Local Mussels, Wild Salmon, Sterling Silver Steak, Pasta Pearls as a side, and the Chicken En-Sous-Vide (special)

So the restaurants at the Delta Inn Hotel & Suites really need an upgrade. It’s very old-fashioned and traditional and so are most of their menu items. It’s not the best for West Coast so as a tourist, whom you would likely be coming here, I would opt to try something else. This is pretty good if you stick to recommendations, but there is better.

I was served 3 menus at dinner:

1) The dinner menu (which is basically the all day lunch menu with a couple additional entrees)

2) The price fix menu (3 for $28)

3) The fresh sheet with the daily special (which is basically what the chef wishes he could serve on the regular menu…this menu showcases his talent the best)

Basically there were too many menus, which is interesting because they just revised their menus so this was relatively new. I could tell that the chef was passionate about cooking and it showed on his daily fresh sheet. I am pretty sure he is being limited to what he can create because the food needs to suite the image the Delta Inn carries. Their target market isn’t too upscale so the food is nothing gourmet or creative.

The service is a bit slow because it’s pretty quiet and there is always only a few tables to serve so they have a small staff. This could mean 2 things: 1) hot made upon order food OR 2) dinner from last night. Rest assure because I am pleased to say it’s #1 and I know this because they have an open kitchen so you can see them making everything AFTER you place your order.

If you’ve been following my reviews you’re probably thinking why is she eating here again?! To be honest, it wasn’t really my choice, however it gave me the opportunity to make a big dent in the menu and as a result give you the best recommendations for what to order. There’s always a positive to repeat dining! I came here for lunch twice and dinner once so I’m combining my review because it’s pretty much an all-day menu they offer.

I posted the review for Manhattan's appetizers yesterday.

To see my Manhattan appetizer review

To see my Manhattan dessert review

On the table:

Complimentary bread: served with house made tomato chutney (tasted like freshly chopped marinara sauce), butter, and olive oil and vinegar. This was followed by a series of appetizers.

• Spinach and Butter Lettuce Salad 2.5/6 (Fresh sheet item)
• Roasted beets, candied walnuts, goat cheese snow, lemon dressing $8
  Added salmon for $5

• This was offered on their fresh sheet as the starter and I ordered it as my starter for lunch.
• I ordered it with salmon and I felt pretty ripped off because it was a pretty small filet. The picture makes it look dry, but it wasn’t as all. They actually do a really good job grilling salmon here. It’s really flavourful and they season it well before grilling it.
• It was very lightly dressed in this lemon dressing that I bet was made with yogurt as a binder. It was slightly creamy, but not thick and still a vinaigrette. It had a little honey or sugar to sweeten things up. I wish he had used some lemon zest in it as well.
• The walnuts were pieces rather than whole and they were candied, sweet and crunchy. It was almost like eating granola though so it didn’t make it as elegant.
• I think it was about 2 whole beets cut into chunks instead of slices. They were nice and tender, but not seasoned.
• The goat cheese didn't taste like strong goat cheese, which I liked. It was really soft, creamy and buttery. It was almost like a marscapone or cream cheese; it was so smooth and decadent. I loved it. I just which they gave more. There wasn't much at all. A crumbled goat’s feta may have worked better because you couldn’t evenly distribute the soft goat’s cheese.
• **Pasta Pearls 4/6
• Israeli Couscous, wild mushrooms, Parmesan cream, truffle oil $15
• Add chicken, prawns, or salmon $8 Add beef $15

• This was a vegetarian dish and I treated it as a shareable appetizer for lunch. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about t he entrée…I was really hungry that day :)
• I’m glad I ordered this. It works much better as a shareable side dish. It’s really hearty and filling for one person because they give you a lot. It tastes like gourmet mac and cheese. I loved it! It’s creamy, cheesy, stingy and it was mainly Portobello mushrooms and a few button mushrooms. They were nice and juicy and went well with the Parmesan cream sauce.

  

• Israeli cous cous are little round balls that taste like pasta, it's similar to orzo. It’s not the first time I’ve tried it, but it’s hard to come across and I really like it.
• I ordered it with grilled prawns and they weren’t that big so I thought an additional $8 was a bit steep. It came with 3 lightly seasoned grilled prawns that were slightly overcooked. I think the dish would be best with grilled chicken.

• Sablefish 1.5/6
• Honey smoked, squash fritters, creamed leeks $20

• Regional, Ocean Wise
• I couldn't taste the honey or any smoked flavour. It wasn’t sweet at all and was pan-fried in butter. I think they forgot to season it because there was no salt or pepper.
• Sablefish is cod-like so it doesn’t absorb flavours like salmon would so I found it quite bland. I prefer fish with the skin, but this one didn’t have it and I also found one bone in it.
• The sauce was too thin for what I think was supposed to be a cream sauce. It was very buttery and they drizzle it with basil oil as well. It tasted like a clam chowder cream base sauce...a bit soupy and too oily, but not flavouful.
• Squash fritters were 1/6 - I thought it was frozen deep fried fish sticks. It was dry and tasted like bread crumbs and it didn't look appetizing at all. It had some curry and fresh ginger seasoning and was crumbly from being over fried. The presentation was really poor too. The side to this dish should be those creamy leek and potato won tons. The creamed leeks is part of the filling for the won tons - they should permanently be on the menu.
• The best part of the fish was the leeks hands down. They were very caramelized, sweet and held on to the sauce very well. I’m pretty sure they use the same leeks or recipe for the creamy leek and potato won tons.
• Wild Salmon 5/6
• Warm apple salad, burnt butter sauce $21.00

• Regional, Ocean Wise
• The warm apple salad was not really a salad, but more like poached apple wedges. They apples were poached in apple cider with red onions and maybe some balsamic vinegar. I could definitely taste the sweetness and cinnamon from the cider. They were very caramelized with the red onions and so tender that you barely had to bite into t hem. The sauce wasn’t a sticky thick glaze, but it was actually quite oily from the butter. The ‘salad’ part was more or less a garnish thrown on top.
• The salmon was nice, moist, and well seasoned, but again with no skin. It’s so much more flavourful with skin. However with the apples, I guess you didn’t really need it.
• The round white melon balls are Yukon gold potatoes which were soft, but not cooked to the point where they lost their shape. These were really unique and I liked the presentation.
• The dish could be too sweet for some, but I love sweet with savoury. I think the combination of apples, salmon and apple cider worked really well.
• Chicken En-Sous-Vide 3/6 (Fresh sheet item)
• Chicken wrapped in prosciutto served with leek and potato won tons $22

• Apparently the chef was actually inspired to make this dish because Rob Feenie had made one in a recent competition. (This info was from the server). En-Sous-Vide is a French method of cooking where meats are cooked in a vacuum sealed bag and slowly poached in water at a low temperature until fully cooked. This process helps the meat retain flavour and cook in its own juices.
• This was dark meat chicken (the thigh) which made it even more juicy. It was pounded flat, seasoned with freshly minced parsley and simple seasonings and maybe some lemon. It is then rolled, wrapped with a layer or prosciutto, tied and put into a vacuum sealed bag. It basically cooks in the marinade and it's own juices. It was so juicy and moist that it had a very slippery and smooth texture. If you like dark meat, which I don’t prefer (I know! I can hear the gasps already)…but if you like dark meat you will love this dish. This method of cooking really locks in the flavour and I could even taste the fresh herbs throughout the chicken.
  

  

• It came with 2 sauces for dipping. There was a beef gravy and chicken gravy that was very reduced and sweet and sticky. The beef gravy was a bit random and over powering for the chicken. It was the same sauce that they serve with their steaks, but it isn't as rich or as bold. The make really good gravies here because they take the time to reduce it. Still not as reduced as So.cial at Le Magasin…which is the most reduced I have ever had. I didn't even need the additional sauces. It's already quite salty from the prosciutto and additional seasonings.

  

  

• The prosciutto wasn't crispy and when I cut into in it the prosciutto just slipped off from the chicken. There was also a thin layer of fat between the prosciutto and chicken...it was almost like chicken fat...I really didn't like that part, because it made it oily and I don't like the texture of fat. I found myself eating around a lot of it...but that may just be me.

• The creamy leek and potato won tons were bite sized pockets of perfection. I reviewed these in my appetizer review for Manhattan I posted yesterday.
  
• This dish also came with sautéed whole mini romaine lettuce leaves

• Sterling Silver Steak 6/6
• 7 ounce Centre cut tenderloin with truffle mashed potatoes and broccolini $36
• At Manhattan this is deserving of a 6/6, but overall it’s a 5/6. I still think Gotham’s is a notch better.
• I am a filet mignon girl. If I’m ordering steak I’ll pretty much always order this cut and always order it medium rare.
• Sterling Silver steaks are premium steaks from grain-fed cattle. They are hand-cut and represent the top 12% of all beef. It’s pretty damn good.
• The first right step was starting with a quality ingredient. The second right step was making it right upon order. The chef didn’t start cooking my steak until I was done with my appetizers. There weren’t many people there so he really took the time to make this.
• I asked for it medium rare and it was perfect. It was lightly seasoned with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, had beautiful grill marks and the inside was perfectly pink and warm.

  

• I cut into it with ease and it was like eating soft cheese. It was so buttery and smooth and the fat was so marbleized it cooked throughout the steak and made it super juicy and tender.
• The sauce was a rich thick red wine reduction with maybe some balsamic vinegar to give it a tang. It was actually very reduced, thick, and sticky. Almost as reduced as So.cial at Le Magasin, but till this day So.cial still takes the lead. A minor complaint is that they served too much gravy with it. I can’t really complain because the sauce was SO good, however my steak and potatoes were swimming in it

• 

• The mashed potatoes were 6/6 too! It looks super plain and bland, but it was full of flavour. It’s one of the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had . They were super creamy almost like the texture of a creamy yogurt. It was completely pureed and tasted like there was pureed roasted garlic in them. I was definitely in awe because I have no idea how they could get potatoes so flavourful with them still being completely white. The truffle oil was also very apparent and it brought such a delicate sweetness yet distinct flavour to the potatoes. The potatoes I could eat by themselves easily...a whole bowl of it too, but with the gravy – that just put them over the top!

Added note: From here on any menu item deserving of 6/6 I’m creating a separate post for. This way you will be able to click on my “Food 6” label and easily find the best food.

Sometimes the restaurant isn’t a 6/6, but an item I order could be a 6/6. When I have time I’m going to go back to my old posts and create separate posts for all other items I have given 6/6.

• To see my review for Manhattan's Desserts: Big Apple Split and Chocolate Cake
  

The Hub Restaurant & Lounge

Restaurant: The Hub Restaurant & Lounge - Review

Cuisine: American/Pub food
Last visited: December 1, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown/Downtown)
1165 Mainland Street
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5 (Based on signature items)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Pub/comfort food/classic American or UK dishes
• A couple classics w/twists
• Pub food served nicely on white plates
• Wine list/bar
• Attracts ages 30-45
• Focus on appies
• Brunch served on weekends until 2pm
• Old/classic rock music
• Good for sports fans/games
• Casual, but lively
• Happy/Appy hour 4-6pm $6
• Hearty food
• Hub prime rib special after 5pm Sunday and Monday 16.99 9oz

**Recommendation: Wok squid, Lobster Wings, Chocolate Chip Pazookie

The Hub is a new restaurant that just opened in Yaletown. It was previously Brown’s Social House and the owners are still the same however the restaurant is now new and independently owned. For me it was more restaurant/pub/sports bar than lounge. It attracts a 30-45 year old crowd and it’s one of those casual places where they serve traditional pub food on nice white square plates.

Located in Yaletown it faces lot of competition. So how does it compare?

Society – The Hub has same comfort food concept, but it’s less gourmet & trendy. Society is more lounge.

Glowbal – The Hub serves their version of Kobe meatballs, but I didn’t try them yet.

Yaletown Brewery – The Hub serves more traditional items (a couple globally inspired ones eg: Wok squid, Teriyaki rice bowl)…and it has the same sports bar atmosphere, but attracts an older crowd

I came here on a night of an event – their grand opening, so under the circumstances I can’t comment on the service or overall food on a usual night. I personally experienced good service this night though. I sampled their signature dishes, so I will comment on those. That being said, I cannot speak for their overall food since I tried most of the favourites.

The Hub’s claim to fame or signature dishes include:

hubSNAX: wok squid, lobster wings, poutine, bruschetta

hubMAINS: crispy chicken club, beef dip, crab mac n’ cheese, red wine braised beef

hubSWEETS: pazookie

For my review on The Hub's signature dessert: "The Pazookie"

The photos are not representable of what they actually serve since everything I had was sample size…except for the Wok Squid, bruschetta and Pazookie.

On the table:

• **Wok Squid 4/6
• Tossed with garlic, chilies and ginger $10

• Basically calamari with an Asian spin. It tastes like deep fried squid you would get at a Chinese place, but made by white people. It’s still good though. The squid was lightly battered and tender, not tough.

  

• They use fresh ginger, red chilies, and green onions.
• It’s a little spicy and has a nice heat at the end which I like. (Spicier than lobster wings)
• It doesn’t say on the menu, but make sure you get it with their homemade sesame ginger dipping sauce. Great combo because the squid has heat and the dip cool s it down. The balance is great.

• It looked and tasted almost like tzatziki, which I wasn’t expecting. It’s probably made with either yogurt or sour cream. It tastes like sour cream mixed with sesame and ginger vinaigrette salad dressing. It was cool and tangy and the sesame and ginger taste came through.

  

• **Lobster Wings 5/6
• Crispy coating, sesame ginger dipping sauce $13

• Yes! A lobster wing! You can only imagine my excitement when I saw this. They serve 2 lobster tails split in half. So you get 4 “lobster wings in total”. That would be enough just for me. But I guess if you have to share…I would only share with one more person.

• It has a very light crispy coating or dusting, which is great because you don’t want to waste the natural flavour of the lobster by masking it with a thick batter. The batter is seasoned with salt and something else that carries a little heat...maybe paprika? (The wok squid is spicier)

• The menu says it comes with the sesame ginger dipping sauce, but they decided to go back to tradition and served it with clarified butter. I tried it with the sesame ginger dipping sauce and it was good, but to be honest I actually enjoyed these lobster wings plain. It didn’t need any dips. The batter was seasoned enough and the lobster meat was crunchy and tender…would hate to mask any of those flavours or textures.

• For $13 it is a pricier appy, but you have to somewhat expect it if you’re getting 2 lobster tails. Hmm I wonder if this is on their happy hour menu. Because that would be such a deal for $6! I think it is since the menu says ALL hubSNAX, but they probably give you less. I just don’t really how well this item will do since it is a bit “gourmet”. How many guys go watch the game thinking let’s order some lobster wings? I hope it stays…for selfish reasons.
• Bruschetta on Filone Bread 2/6
• Tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, shaved Asiago $8

• This was really average for me. It can’t compete with Glowbal’s Bruschetta sampler, but that one is in a different league.I really like that one.
  

  

• The tomatoes were a bit powdery in texture. I wonder if they used BC tomatoes rather than Roma. It was missing onions and seasonings. They drizzled balsamic glaze over top, but it was nothing I couldn’t put together at home. The Filone bread was nice and crunchy though.
• Crispy Chicken Club 2.5/6 (on left)
• Fresh Filone Bread, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pepper jack cheese $13

• The good: The chicken for sure! This was the crispiest chicken; I almost thought I was eating ground peanuts. Nothing soggy about this, it had almost a nutty flavour because it was so crispy and the chicken was still juicy.

• The bad: I didn’t like how thick the Filone bread was. It got overpowering and I couldn’t taste the other ingredients.

• Beef Dip 3/6 (on right)
• Fresh Filone Bread, prime rib, au jus $14

• Relatively thick slices of beef, not shavings. It’s prime rib so it worked. It was very buttery and juicy meat. The meat was actually kind of fatty so that’s probably why it was so juicy too. They used some grainy mustard instead of horseradish, and I think they could have used a bit more. I would have also like some caramelized onions.

• Unlike the chicken club, the Filone bread worked for the beef dip . Since you would dip it into the au jus, having a thick bread would allow it to easily absorb all those flavours.

  

• Crab Mac & Cheese 2.5/6
• Gruyere, Parmesan, Aged Cheddar, garlic bread $15

• You know I love mac & cheese, so I can get quite particular about it.

• The cheese sauce was creamier rather than stringy and I like it when it’s creamy AND stringy. You could taste the buttery Gruyere, but it wasn’t really cheesy in flavour. It actually had a little heat to it too. Most of the items had some degree of spiciness, which made the food more bold/pub-ish.

• There was crab throughout, but I didn't really like the type of crab they were using, or maybe it was how it was used. It was so flaked I couldn’t tell if it was crab or unmelted grated white cheddar cheese. It was a bit dark too so I couldn’t see what I was eating. I didn't know it was crab until I re-read the menu.

  

• Red Wine Braised Beef
• Rich demi-glaze, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables $20

• I don’t even know how to rate this since it was only a sample…I would need to go back and re-order it to be fair. All the other I can an idea, but with a dish like this – a sample won’t do it. If I were to rate it as a sample I’d say 3.5

• The demi-glaze was reduced with a nice red wine and it tasted like a rich gourmet beef gravy. It was sweet and also savoury and goes great with the mash. They actually used the same demi-glaze as the gravy for their poutine.

• The beef was very lean and the cut was a brisket. It was tender, but not shred away with your fork tender. You still had to work at it a bit, but it was still good. Maybe they could marinade the meat longer to tenderize it…I bet they do slow cook it for a while so I don’t think that’s the part that needs attention. I think it would have been a 5/6 if they used the rib instead of brisket…but it would also be more expensive.

• The mash was a traditional creamy mash...it was actually very creamy and very smooth. There was nothing fancy about them, no chopped chives or roasted garlic, just a creamy smooth, very pureed mash. I liked it.

For my review on The Hub's signature dessert: "The Pazookie"

Society - Restaurant & Lounge

Restaurant: Society

Cuisine: American
Last visited: November 18, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown/Downtown)
1257 Hamilton Street
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2
Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• Comfort food with a twist
• Executive Chef Brandon Thordarson
• Hometown classics/favourite - made gourmet
• Attracts trendy crowd - Glowbal feel
• Great decor/playful and contemporary ambiance
• Better for drinks/desserts
• Part of the Glowbal Group family
• Heated patio, outdoor seating
• Busy during peak hours/after hours/weekends
• Express lunches (under 45 min. or free)
• Housemade Ketchup
• Open 11:30am-12am
  
• Open 4:30pm Sat/Sun

**Recommendation: Junk food platter, Flight of hand cut french fries (not the poutine one though), housemade ketchup, roast garlic aioli

The Glowbal Restaurant Group is a powerhouse when it comes to opening restaurants. Society is the newest addition to family located where the old Coast (another Glowbal restaurant) used to be. I was really excited to try Society, however the ambiance and overall experience was more exciting. On paper the menu looks delicious and the majority of dishes are well-presented however the flavour and execution were lacking. I wanted to like it because I do think the Glowbal restaurants are good, but for the price I was paying I think Cactus Club does a better job. I would even prefer Glowbal/Trattoria before Society.

The food is definitely your American classics like mac n' cheese, shepherd's pie, milkshakes, cookies, cotton candy, and meatloaf - however everything is done with a twist or "Glowbal style", which means gourmet or fancy. The ideas are there, but I found that everything I tried I could easily think of a place that makes it better. In fact I'll list where I think they're better.

I thought the only thing that was up to Glowbal standards was the decor. The atmosphere is casual, playful and pretty girly yet the crowd is 25-45 and trendy. The staff "uniform" are light blue jeans and plain white t-shirts yet the atmosphere is more luxurious than this. It really does carry that "opposites attract" theme they are aiming for. I would go back with friends, but only for the experience and to enjoy some drinks or desserts. I MAY go back to try other things so I can really make a fair judgment.

• Click for my review on the junk food platter

On the table:

• Mac and Cheese Balls 2.5/6
• Jalapeno & white cheddar $8
• It was 6 white cheddar and jalapeno macaroni and cheese rolled into balls, lightly breaded and deep fried. It's served with housemade ketchup.
• They were well fried well with a crispy exterior however the inside was just not cheesy or creamy enough. It looks better in the pictures. When I order mac n' cheese I expect it to be indulgent and very cheesy...that's the point right? But it wasn't. It wasn't necessarily dry but they need to use a stronger cheese because it was kind of bland. The jalapeno kick was right on though and I did like that part.
• They serve it with their housemade ketchup which is great! However these mac n' cheese balls are best eaten with their roast garlic aoili. Dipping the mac n' cheese balls in this aoili gives it the flavour it needs...with this condiment I'd give it 4/6.
• Deep fried mac n' cheese balls are better at Cheesecake Factory in the States
• **Flight of Hand-Cut French Fries served 3 ways 3/6 $9
  
• It's pretty well-priced, however I think places like Fritz and even New York Fries do a better job. The fries were soft, but not really crispy. They're comparable to Fritz, but I think Fritz does a better job overall. The execution of each is better at New York Fries although the fries themselves aren't as good as the ones at Society.
• They need wider dishes to serve them in because only the top of the fries had sauce.
• **Au Natural - housemade ketchup, roast garlic aoili 3/6
  
• These condiments are great...I'd give both 6/6
• The ketchup tastes like ketchup, but better.
• We dipped all the fries into the garlic aoili.
  
• 
• Poutine - cheese curd, chicken gravy 1.5/6
• Can easily find a place that has better poutine. It doesn't even look like a poutine.
  
• Where are the cheese curds? They were melted right into the chicken gravy I think.
  
• Chicken gravy wasn't think or dark enough.
• Chili fries - housemade chili, cheddar cheese, sour cream 2.5/6
  
• The chili tastes like Bolognese meat sauce, the same thing they probably use in their lasagne except with red kidney beans mixed in.
• They topped it with shredded mozzarella and sour cream.
  
• It didn't taste bad, but it can easily be found better somewhere else especially when the chili tastes more like spaghetti sauce.
• 
• Loaded Prime Rib Burger 2/6
  
• Crispy bacon, sun-dried tomato aoili & caramelized onions $15
• It's served with fries. The presentation was great and it looks really good, but it looked better than it tasted.
• It could have been better if they only balanced the ratio of the ingredients.
  
• The caramelized onions we're great and so was the aoili, but it was all lost because the patty was so thick and overpowering.
  
• 
• The beef patty was very salty, but not falvourful. It was like eating pure ground beef with a lettuce leaf.
• It's weird because the middle was dry and it should have been moist because it's the thickest part so it should take longer to cook.

• Lobster Gnocchi 1/6
• 1/2 Atlantic lobster, tarragon cream, Parmesan crust & garlic bread $18
• It came with a side of garlic bread. This was not well presented, not worth the price and the portion was pretty small.
• The gnocchi was made really poorly. They were made much too big for gnocchi and it was very plain, mushy and too soft. I felt like I was just eating dough, they used too much flour and not enough potato in the mixture. There was no flavour or potato texture. There were also no fork ridges on them either and gnocchi should have them to hold the sauce.
• I have definitely had better gnocchi elsewhere...even their family restaurant Trattoria does a better job.
• There was actually 1/2 an Atlantic lobster in it (8 pieces), so that was good. The pieces were really tender and it was the only good thing I got from this dish.
• The cream sauce was bland and not strong enough to stand up to the overwhelming sized gnocchi. It was basically butter and cream...and cheese and tarragon which neither I could taste - a bit on the thin side too.
• Baked Lasagne 3/6
• Kobe meat sauce, tomato fondue, roasted peppers, herbed ricotta & garlic bread.
  
• You had to have seen this coming. A Glowbal restaurant without some "Kobe meat sauce" or "Kobe meatballs" just wouldn't be a Glowbal restaurant.
• This is almost their signature, so you knew it would be good...but that's the thing, it was just good, not outstanding or anything.
• It had about 7 layers and the bottom layer had roasted red peppers and the layer above had the ricotta. There wasn't enough though and the lasagne noodles and meat sauce over powered these 2 layers. I always think meat lasagnes are best homemade though.
• Lobster Shepherd's Pie 2/6
• Atlantic lobster, creamed potatoes $18
• There were carrots, celery and onions and it felt like a twist on a chicken pot pie rather than a shepherd's pie. It tasted like a chicken pot pie except with lobster...and not much of it. For $18, this was not worth it. There was way more lobster in the lobster gnocchi. This one had 5 pieces. The portion was small and it didn't look that appetizing.
• The gravy tasted like a chicken gravy rather than a lobster gravy. There was no lobster flavour except for the actual pieces and it was a bit on the watery/buttery/oily side too. I expected more from it.
• The creamed potatoes were good though. It was really smooth and creamy. I think they melted cream cheese into them because they were very flavourful and delicious. This was better than the lobster mixture/stew.
• Overall I was most disappointed with the lobster dishes, this one tasted better than the gnocchi, but it wasn't difficult to surpass that dish.
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• Recyclable/Re-usable take-out bag that probably wastes more than it saves due to the size of it.

• I also tried their junk food platter (the dessert) which I will post about tomorrow.