Review – Montfort Restaurant, Burlington, Ontario

After reviewing the last few years worth of our monthly dinners, Bob and I had a chat and decided we should get back to the ethnic restaurants, since there are so many more restaurants around to try that we haven’t considered yet.

He had mentioned Montfort Restaurant, in Burlington. I had dinner at one of the original Montfort’s, in Oakville, about 15+ years ago, so I was interested to see what they were like, after so many years.

We started off at Hess Village again, at KOI, where the beer is cold. I had a Rickard’s White, which seems to be my “usual” these days, when we go to Hess. After a couple of cold beers, we headed to Burlington.

The restaurant is a bit small compared to what we have been in the past, and the waitress seemed to be friendly. We started with a Stella, and then ordered the Appetizer Maza for 2. It included tomatoes with feta cheese, falafel, chicken shawarma, and hummous with meat. A nice appetizer, but when I asked for tahini sauce for my falafel, they said they don’t carry it. A Middle Eastern restaurant that doesn’t have tahini sauce?? They said it was a typo…go figure. One thing I don’t like is being lied to. As I write this, I had read a few other reviews on the place, and others weren’t too impressed with the service. I have to agree. Service is number one in a restaurant, and even if the food isn’t quite up to par, at least the service will offset some of the experience.

For the main course, we ordered the mixed grill for 2, which included souvlaki, Montfort chicken, kafta, and chicken shawarma. We added lamb kebobs as a taster, to see how their lamb was prepared. The food was good, but we could have used bigger portions. It seems that they are trying to save a few bucks, and cut back on a few essentials, such as providing the tahini sauce. Total bill for dinner was $150...a little on the pricey side for what we got.

After dinner, we headed back to Hess and KOI lounge, and finished the night off with special coffees, and admired the scenery.

Overall, it was pretty good. I don’t know if I would go back, as others have said, there are better places to get middle eastern food, at a better price. If you are looking for a better experience, it’s worth trying La Luna out in Hamilton for a better meal.

Review - KOI Lounge in Hess & Sirloin Cellar, Hamilton, Ontario

One of the great things around here in Hamilton, is the abundance of patios to sit and enjoy a nice cold beer on a hot night. Last Tuesday was one of those nights, when Bob and I got together for the monthly dinner. We met up at Hess Village, at KOI Lounge. After a cold Rickards White, we were a bit hungry, so we checked out the KOI menu for an appetizer. We settled on the combo #3, which included lamb chops, spring rolls, beef dumplings, and mango salad. The only complaint I have about it, was that it's advertised as a combo for 2, but it only came with 3 lamb chops...so, they need to fix that up. Same with the spring rolls. We ended up with a bill of $50 for KOI, and then headed down to Sirloin Cellar for dinner.

Bob was set on having a nice steak, which Sirloin Cellar is known. However, Robin, our waitress, suggested that he dive into the rack of lamb. Bob wasn't going to have an appetizer, but he couldn't resist the Oysters Rockafeller. I had the mussels, in a white wine sauce, which were very tasty. For the main course, I had the special - Teriyaki sirloin, and Bob had the rack of lamb. They were delicious. Sirloin was cooked to perfection, and the rack of lamb was 8 ribs...biggest I've seen served at a restaurant!

We ordered a half litre of the Australian house red, and finished off with special coffees and Drambuie. The total bill was $165, and we included a $35 tip, since Robin did a great job. The Drambuie was well worth it, since it was more than a double shot. That's the kind of service you expect at a place like Sirloin Cellar.

After dinner, we headed back to KOI, to enjoy the hot summer night, and to take in the scenery. A couple of special coffees for Bob, and a couple of Grand Marniers on the rocks for me, made for a nice close to the evening, with the final tab at KOI being another $50. Another great night out for dinner and drinks!

Review - Nina's Bistro, Hamilton, Ontario

A few times driving into the city on Main Street, there are a couple of restaurants coming into the city center. For a while, there was a place called Izzy's, which seemed to look ok, but Bob and I never got a chance to try it out. A few weeks ago, another place opened up, and I had driven by it a few times, so I decided we should check it out for our monthly - Nina's Bistro.

We started at Hess for a few beers to enjoy the warm weather. Hess Village is always a good place to go when its warm out. Patios abound, and its a good place to chat. Later on in the evening, things pick up and the younger crowd comes in. We only stayed for about 2 hours, then walked over to Nina's. Bob had wondered about the place, so it was a good choice.

It was quiet when we got there about 5:30, and we sat down and had the pleasure of Nina, the owner, serving us. We had mentioned to her that we wanted her to show us her best, so Bob started off with the stuffed baby portobello mushrooms, and I had the crab cakes. The mushrooms were good, but Bob had said that La Paizza stuffed portobello was better. It looked good to me, but he knows portobello mushrooms! The crab cakes had to be the best I have had. Crispy on the outside, and lots of crab on the inside. I hope it was all crab, and not the crab-like substitute. If it was all crab, then it was an excellent choice!

Bob had the stuffed chicken, which he seemed to enjoy, and I had the bacon-wrapped fillet. It was done perfectly, and being hungry guys, the portions were well worth it. Potatoes and veggies were done to perfection. We had mentioned to Nina that it would have been nice to see a rack of lamb on the menu, or maybe even a pork tenderloin. There are so many options for mediterranean food, that she could make a great menu up as things pick up.

For dessert, Bob ordered the lemon cheesecake, which was good he said, and I ordered a custard. I wanted something light, but was disappointed that the dessert I got was a day old at least. Creamy desserts like that, need to be fresh that day, or forget it - its like chewing rubber. I had to send it back, and of course, desserts were on her. We ordered a bottle of wine, and had a spanish coffee afterwards. For $125, it wasn't bad at all. Generous portions, and tasty food, made for a great evening. We gave some suggestions to her to improve, which she graciously accepted. I think we will go back in a year, and see how she is making out. If she changes up a few things on the menu, this could be a place to be.

After dinner, we headed to Koi in Hess Village for a nightcap, and enjoyed a few coffee and Drambuies. It was a nice evening to sit outside and enjoy!

Review - The Copacabana Brazilian Steak House, Niagara Falls

Well, out of all the times Bob and I have gone out for our monthly dinner, in search of something good and well worth the price, we decided for May to hit up a place called The Copacabana Brazilian Steak House in Niagara Falls. He had heard about it, and we figured that we should try it out, because it was known as a "meat eaters paradise". We headed down to the Falls, and pulled in about 3 pm, and went to the old casino, to pick up free tickets to Yuk Yuks, with Mark Forward headlining. We hit a few slots, and had a couple of drinks, then made our way to the Copa around 5:20. Parking was a bit steep, around the back of the restaurant, so if you plan on going down, park for free at the Fallsview Casino, and walk over. It's about a 5 minute walk, but it beats paying $6 (I know, we are cheap, but that is 2 drafts later in the evening...). When we got in, we noticed that the outside patio was nice, but on Friday night, the weather was "iffy", so we decided to grab a table inside. We were taken up to the back lounge area, with comfy booths (not that Bob and I wanted one...don't even think we are "that way"...not that there is anything wrong with that). We were introduced to the salad bar/buffet, which had lots of typical salad bar type things...smoked salmon, mussels, shrimp, and various salads, which were light and tasty. I had a potato salad with peas, and it was light, and didn't weigh me down later.

When we got back to the booth, our waiter took our drink order, and tonight we figured we would have a nice red wine to go with all the meat we were expecting to have...since Brazil wasn't represented, we opted for another South American wine, Trumpeter Merlot. As soon as we sat down, the wait staff started to bring the skewers of meat - tonight, we were informed, they had 14+ meats available for us, and we started with garlic marinated sirloin, and pepper steak. These were fabulous, but, as always, we kept eating as they brought out more and more different meats. BBQ pork sausage came out, followed by honey garlic chicken, leg of lamb, bacon wrapped turkey breast (unbelievable taste!!), beef ribs, and the prime cuts; top sirloin, prime rib, and filet mignon. Well, the best meat we could have was the top sirloin, and every slice they served us (there are 4 roasts on a skewer, and you get a slice off each roast if you want) was BBQ cripsy on the outside, and nice and pink on the inside. Every bite was fantastic, and went well with the marinated mushroom salad from the bar. We learned pretty quick that the top sirloin was the best they had available, so we tended to taste that more often. We were a bit discouraged when the waiter said there was a 2 hour limit, but, being big eaters, we were stuffed way beyond comfortable after an hour and a half. As we came to the close of dinner, the place started to get busy, and the band started with some brazilian music, and out came a couple of dancing girls, to rev up the crowd. When the entertainment started, they brought us some BBQ'd pineapple, sprinkled with cinnamon, which was exactly what we needed after gorging ourselves on the top sirloin. Bob topped it off with a Spanish coffee, and I settled for a regular coffee. All in all, a fabulous meal, if you were ever wondering what it was like.

The total tab for the dinner for 2 was $127, with tip, took it to $145. We threw one of the meat guys $5 for taking care of our top sirloin needs, and we are sure we got our money's worth. It's $35.95 per person, and well worth the taste of BBQ'd meats, in a way you have never tasted...they were all marinated and cooked to perfection. I would suggest that you hold out for the top sirloin, and make that your first choice, and then sample the others as you see fit. Out of all the restaurants we have frequented, this is one that we will definitely go back to, and we are looking at trying it in the summer time, on the patio, a little later in the evening. They don't take reservations, and you will have an hour wait at least once 7 pm comes around, but, it will be well worth the wait.

Visiting the Copa for dinner has given me a new lease on the Falls...it was going downhill pretty fast with the touristy crap, but if the Copa sticks around, then things will improve dramatically. Excellent meal, excellent service, and one of the best meals Bob and I have had!

Check it out, and remember, hold out for the top sirloin!!

Review - The Keg, Upper James, Hamilton

I know, I know...it seems like forever since I was able to sit down and update this blog...things happen, and sometimes work gets in the way of my extracurricular activities. That in mind, brings me to this post, which was long over due, as was the night itself.

Bob and I met up at The Keg on Upper James for our monthly dinner out, at about 5:30. It's been going on monthly for almost 5 years. However, the last 6 months worth have tended to be a "dine and dash" experience, which neither of us particularly enjoy. We decided that the Keg night was going to be different. Time to relax and enjoy the ambience that the Keg can give. We started the night with a nice Grey Goose martini, with extra olives. I was going to order mine "dirty", but, that would be a waste of a good vodka. With the hot bread that came with the drinks, we started to wonder if it was going to be another fast night out. We told Kendra to go slow, so we could enjoy the dinner tonight. After a few yuks about work, we started into the appetizers. We noticed that they have changed the menu a bit since last time, and what jumped out was an Ahi tuna appetizer, which, when presented, looked really good. Bob, always being on the safe side, had ordered a shrimp cocktail, to wash the tuna down, just in case (note - usually you get 5 shrimp, which you can't really split equally or gracefully at the table...Bob asked for an extra one, and Kendra thought she would be cute, so she cut one of the 5 lengthwise...had to laugh, but a little disappointed that they just didn't throw in a 6th shrimp!). The tuna was great, with a slight wasabi sauce on the side over some diced mushrooms. A far stretch from the Keg, since the appetizers are usually overwhelming at best. The tuna was a nice touch, and added a little elegance that the Keg had been losing over the years. We will do it again for sure.

After the appetizer, we ordered a Fetzer merlot to go with the prime rib we were about to order. The last time we were at the Keg, we were a little disappointed in the serving of the prime rib. It seemed they were cheaping out a bit, especially for a couple of big eaters like us. Bob had told me that he has that fixed...he told them that the last time we were there, we were disappointed in their prime rib, which is supposed to be their specialty. Kendra said she would take care of it, and off she went. After a couple of glasses of wine, dinner was served, along with a side of veggies - asparagus, szechuan green beans, and mushrooms. Prime rib was done perfect, but the baked potatoe looked and tasted as if it had been leftover from the day before. I don't fall for this "double baked" potatoe they have come out with. I prefer a fresh one, baked once. Given that it is a steakhouse, and a staple is the baked potatoe, you think they could have had enough of them and not reuse. Other than the baked potatoe, everything was great for dinner. Another bottle of wine came to the table, and I didn't think we would get through it, but we did. For dessert, I ordered the creme brulee, which a standard for me. It tasted a little store bought, and not freshly made, but I guess with the Keg, you can't ask for everything. A little too sweet, but still a nice finish for the end of the meal. Bob indulged in the Billy Miner pie, which is another staple of the Keg chain.

To top off the meal, we both had a Spanish coffee, and enjoyed the quiet ambience of the restaurant with everyone slowly leaving. Turns out, we didn't get out of there until 11:30!! Pretty late for a Tuesday night. However, we were never rushed, and with a bill of $208, I don't think Kendra was going to kick us out any time soon. Given the fact I had to work the next day, Bob topped up the bill to $250, and all in all, a great dinner and night out. We will definitely put the Keg back on our "to do" list real soon!

Review - Superbowl Party @ Liquid Kitty, Hamilton

This is another post that has been put on the back burner for the last few months, and for some reason, I just couldn't let it go. There were a group of us that went to the Superbowl party at Liquid Kitty Lounge, which is underneath Tailgate Charlie's in downtown Hamilton, courtesy of free passes from Y108. I felt an obligation to post on the experience, if anything, to save the aggravation of others for future sports "parties".

First off, the place was packed, and kudos to the servers and bartenders that kept the beer flowing. Having the Budweiser collectable glasses were a nice touch, along with the VIP passes (see picture). They kind of made you feel special. Then it went downhill from there. I swear that the "kids" at the party had never seen beer before, and most acted like idiots. It didn't make for a good day at the bar. At the end of the first quarter, a guy at our table was so smashed, he ended up spilling a large draft over a couple of buddies that were with me. Besides the jokes about getting the nice gals to suck the beer out of their pants, I am sure that sitting around in someone elses backwashed beer was not their first choice. OK, things happen, so we can let that slide.

Let's get to the biggest disappointment of the night - the "buffet". Turns out that in order to save a few bucks, the bar thought it would be best to serve these things, that looked like "boxed lunches". It may not have been too bad to eat after a few beers and during halftime, but it was almost as if the meals were prepared a few days in advance, and kept warm until the big day. Super Sunday? Try Super Soaked...I am pretty sure that any moisture that was in the food when they packaged the meals, was sucked right out and stayed in the cardboard, which felt like a slightly warm and soggy tortilla. I never got a chance to eat the box, but I am sure it would have ranked up there, compared to the bland hotdog, a few onion rings, and 3 chicken wing pieces. I can't sell them all the way short, because they had chili available also, but I have to ask...who makes chili with canned baked beans?? Not the recipe I have.

We couldn't take it anymore, so we finished up our beers and headed out before the 4th quarter, disappointed in the bar/restaurant's effort to make it a memorable experience. From then on, after that, we have decided to do our own thing, and have the spread at my place, with food that is fit for the occasion. They had a chance to do it up well, but they couldn't handle it. That will be the last time we head there for a sports "party", so to speak.

If you don't want to be disappointed, stay away...the food of yore from that building is long gone, and the substitute merely caters to the tastebuds of drunk students. Sorry Tailgates, you need to do more to get me there next time.

Review - Yuk Yuks, Niagara Falls, ON

It's been awhile since my last posting, so I figured I would do a catch up. So, even though it has been a few months, I will continue to post over the next week or two of the latest and greatest.

Last week, I had the chance to get down to Yuk Yuk's, in Casino Niagara with Dave. The tickets were comps, so we figured we would check it out. The entertainment was good, with the headliner being Dan Quinn. We had a good laugh. I don't think I would pay $17 for a Friday night performance...but, that would depend on who was there that night.

As for the bar, bottled beer was a reasonable $4.50, and service was good. We got there just before 9, and as a result, ended up sharing a table way off to the side. I would suggest that if you want to get a good seat, get there early when the doors open (8:30), and sit and relax with a drink and get ready for the mayhem when everyone else decides to sit down. The performance was almost 2 hours. Maybe with the location (casino), the fact that there were older folk in attendance, you didn't quite get the yuks you would expect with the jokes. Maybe their hearing aids were turned down from all the bells and whistles from the slots.

All in all, a worthwhile visit, and I am sure we will check it out again. They serve appetizers, so I will check those out next time.

Pizza Pizza goes WWW

Well, I figured I would post something here about my first experience with Pizza Pizza online. I just made my first order, and I am impressed. The menu system works well, and easy to understand, and I found it easy to go back and change my order a few times. They even called me back to confirm what I had ordered, since it was my first time. So far so good...the time they did the order was 7:42...40 minutes for free, so let's see what happens!

All in all, a great experience so far!