Review #57 - Cheachie's

Cheachie's Mexican Grill
Variety: Mexican
Address: 102 Chain Lake Drive
Date Visited: Sunday, June 8, 2014
Orders: Dirty Sanchez Burger, Pounder Burger

Taste: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Portion Size: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Presentation: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Value: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Service: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Bonus: -
Minus: -
Final Grade: 84% (Good)

(Scoring: 100% to 140% = Exceptional, 85% to 99% = Excellent, 67% to 84% = Good, 60% to 66% = Satisfactory, 50% to 59% = Marginal, 0% to 49% = Poor, -40% to -1% = Abysmal)

Notes: We'd never visited this place before and didn't really know where it was - just that it was in Bayers Lake. Turns out, it's tucked away in the industrial area near Highway 103, right beside the Lakeview Inn. But, we'd heard good things (especially about the burgers!) and gad a gift card leftover from Christmas, so we decided to give it a try. We arrived just before 5pm (on a Sunday night) and unsurprisingly, it was empty aside from the staff. Off to the right is a comfortable "man cave" kind of area complete with leather couches and a big tv. Off to the left was the dining room area with authentic Mexican decor and music, plus a tv displaying photos of the items on their menu (nice touch!). Everything looked brand new. We claimed the prime real estate next to the sliding door (nice breeze outside) and grabbed our menus. The waitress was very friendly and was able to answer off our questions almost before we were able to get them out. J selected the Dirty Sanchez burger - fresh jalapenos (WAY better than pickled!), cheese, lettuce, guacamole, habanero mayo, tomato, and a side of chili cheese fries. The only way it could have been better is if it'd had a couple of slices of bacon. The bun was big and soft and the portion size was just right. T's Pounder burger was just as big but came with 1/2 pound of bacon. Yowza! She could only eat half of it (and her stomach was rumbling when we arrived!). The side of fries was a little skimpy for this one, but given the size of the burger, it was forgivable. J ordered a strawberry milkshake that was ok but nothing mind-blowing, but T enjoyed her strawberry margarita, which was fresh and tasty. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience, and we'll definitely give it another try - perhaps the Mexican fare next time.

Final Verdict: Good, hearty burgers. Worth a shot!

Taco Del Mar 5 Pound Burrito Challenge

Three weeks ago, I noticed a Twitter post from one of our loyal followers, @michaeldinn, talking about a 5 lb burrito challenge at Taco Del Mar - which recently set up shop at 1526 Dresden Row in the old Quiznos spot. They were looking for another challenger, so J stepped up to the plate.

The rules: 30 minutes to eat a 5 lbs of beef, cheese, beans, rice, pico and tortillas. That's about it.

There wasn't much strategy involved. Having watched plenty of Man vs Food, the goal was to eat fast and mix up the flavours a bit by adding hot sauce every once in a while. I also ate a very light breakfast (watermelon and water), and took the stairs at work all morning in an effort to build up my hunger.

This sucker was made up of FOUR tortillas. I chose to go with all three varieties (tomato, spinach, white and whole wheat as a means to try and mix up the flavours.

Next, they added sour cream, 4.5 scoops of rice, a bunch of pinto beans, four scoops of cheese, four scopes of pico de gallo and some salsa. Then they wrapped it up and made me sign a waiver. Seriously. Needless to say, it was HUGE.

There were three other challengers - Colin and Tim from local radio station Energy 103, and Dal Med student Leo. That's J there in the luchador mask. Yep.

Leo started off strong and made it quite far, but hit the wall. Tim went at a quick pace. Colin and I were mostly just there for comic relief. I was pretty hungry and kept chugging along to the best of my ability, but still not having fully recovered from a bout of Bell's Palsy a few months back, it was hard to keep up. That, and the mask slowed me down a bit, too.

I applied hot sauce every once in a while to keep my taste buds interested, and around the 20 minute mark, I switched from water to iced tea. With five minutes to go, I knew I had about a pound left and there wasn't much hope. I took a few extra bites but I finished with 13 oz of burrito goodness left on my plate. Tim managed to scarf it all back with seconds to spare and Leo squished the last bit into his mouth as time expired. Colin…well…he gave it the old college try!

I'm disappointed to have failed in my effort to take down this challenge, but I'll give it a shot again…someday…maybe…yeah, ok, probably not, but it was fun (and quite tasty!)

Thanks to Justin and the team at Taco Del Mar for the invitation to participate, and for providing some gift certificates for our 2,000th Twitter Follower giveaway. Congrats to @richyule @Shawnamac_ @nsdebbi & @thasmoke!

Now I need a nap...

2014 Burger Week Special

Back by popular demand, Halifax's Burger Week 2014 was held from March 20-27 - an extra day because a massive snowstorm derailed many people's plans to get an extra dose (or two) of cholesterol. In total, 50ish local restaurants participated - many offering a $5 special, others offering a special that included a donation to Feed Nova Scotia.

Just like last year, when I had seven burgers in seven days, my office diet competition coincided with Burger Week. But, well, screw that!

Thursday, March 20
Burger #1: I'd never visited Brewsters before, but the words "chicken and waffle burger" made it impossible to stay away. The venue was, in a word, "diverse" - there was a pool section, a VLT section, a horse-betting section, a dance area (where a weird networking schmoozefest was going on), and of course, the diner area with billiard-themed booths and the Dave Matthews Band blaring a little too loud on the stereo. But whatever. Fluffy Belgian waffles infused with a hint of maple syrup, a large crispy chicken breast and coleslaw slammed together and stuck together with a spit, topped with a tomato and a pickle. It was like the worlds of breakfast and supper collided in a flaming pile of awesome. Actually, it was like a "mature" McGriddle (chicken instead of egg). It was hard not to smile and grunt while eating this thing. If I could have done one thing differently, I would have had the coleslaw on the side and added bacon. And cheese. That would have been one hell of a sandwich!

Friday, March 21
Burger #2: I like Relish (the burger chain - the condiment is ok). I like sliders. I like macaroni and cheese. I like waffle fries. I like all of these things put together. But honestly, I wasn't really blown away and I left hungry - and that's after adding an expensive poutine. The waffle fry bun idea was cool, and who doesn't love adding mac and cheese to any main meal, but this was an appetizer, definitely not a main. The mac and cheese was also cold and not particularly cheesy. So, points for creativity, but not my top choice of the week.

Saturday, March 23
Burger #3: We had a hell of a time trying to find seating at Flipburger's new Argyle Street location, but dang, it was worth it. I wanted to give another "mac and cheese burger" a try, and I love Flipburger, so I gave it a whirl. I was NOT disappointed. The mac and cheese was basically a fried patty on top of the burger, along with a plethora of other ingredients including braised short rib (yes!) and pickled onion (usually NO! but on this, YES!). The mac and cheese was not the dominant taste but it worked very well with all elements of the burger. A big win, right here!

Tuesday, March 25
Burger #4: We reviewed Kempster's Cookhouse back in 2011 and it was...okay, but we haven't been back since. But they had an interesting offering for Burger Week, so we gave it a shot. Nacho Libre was a pretty awful 2006 movie featuring Jack Black's lousy moustache, but a nacho-themed burger? Had to try it. To be honest, it didn't feel particularly Tex-Mexy - it lacked that signature seasoning and spice, but it was definitely good - and beefy! It was a substantial sandwich for $5 - the burger was big and fresh, the bun was hearty and tasty, and all of the ingredients were good. Maybe some guacamole would have tied it all together? Not sure. But the julienned nacho chips (ON the burger) were an excellent touch. Definitely worth a try!

Thursday, March 27
Burger #5: We were heartbroken that a massive "spring" storm on the 26th coincided with the last day of Burger Week, but fortunately, many of the participating restaurants extended their offer until the Thursday. Thank goodness, because if not for that, we would have missed out on the best burger of the week! Last year, The Chickenburger's triple cheeseburger was good but not our top choice. This year, it was a cheeseburger topped with a hearty piece of buttermilk fried chicken, cheese, frizzy onions, spicy mayo and honey mustard. In truth, this sucker looked kinda small and homely (the bun was kinda squished). But, looks were deceiving. Holy crap! The burger was so fresh and the chicken was so tasty and had a fantastic crunch. The onions were a nice touch and the mayo and mustard were both subtle but critical to the success of this concoction. It was so good that I actually had to go up and order another one. Not because I was hungry, but because I needed another. It wasn't for my stomach, it was for my mouth. Wow. Hands down, the clear-cut winner of Burger Week. Bravo! And to think, we almost missed it!

Final Rankings:
#1: The Chickenburger
#2: Flipburger
#3: Brewster's
#4: Kempster's
#5: Relish

So, I wasn't able to stomach as many burgers this week as I did last year, but I'm not particularly sad about missing any of the others on this year's docket.

Big props to everyone who interacted with us via Twitter during Burger Week - it's always great to hear what you have to say!

One final remark - this time last year, we were on the cusp of surpassing the 1,000 follower mark. This year, we're just a handful away from 2,000. We're disappointed that once again, The Coast has snubbed us in their Best of Food survey's "Best Local Food Blog" category, but whatever - we really appreciate your support!

In a couple of days, we'll be announcing a special giveaway contest to our Twitter followers to coincide with a special event that J will be taking part in. Stay tuned...

Review #56 - 2 Doors Down

2 Doors Down
Variety: Casual Dining
Address: 1533 Barrington Street
Date Visited: Saturday, February 8, 2014
Orders: Old School Cheeseburger, Smoked N.S. Pork Chop, Mac Bites
Taste: TBA
Portion Size: TBA
Presentation: TBA
Value: TBA
Service: TBA
Bonus: TBA
Minus: TBA
Final Grade: TBA

(Scoring: 100% to 140% = Exceptional, 85% to 99% = Excellent, 67% to 84% = Good, 60% to 66% = Satisfactory, 50% to 59% = Marginal, 0% to 49% = Poor, -40% to -1% = Abysmal)

Notes: Well, this is a first! We're actually so mixed on this dining experience that we've decided not to give it a score. Here's what happened...

J had been excited to visit 2 Doors Down (from the folks who brought you Chives Canadian Bistro), who boast "fun, rewarding, delicious, unpretentious recipes made from scratch with great attention to detail," so we decided to give it a try. The decor was pretty cool - modern and carefully thought out. Even the bathrooms were pretty stylish (and not in a douchey kind of a way). We arrived before the rest of our party and sat down at our table which was, in two words, "sticky" and "glittery." It was as though we'd arrived on the heels of a birthday party and nobody took the time to wipe the table properly afterwards. J's napkin was actually kinda stuck to the table (but, gotta say, they were REALLY nice napkins - really big and very high quality!). The rest of our group arrived shortly thereafter and perused the drink menu that was filled with many interesting selections. But we're not here to talk about drinks, this is Halifax FOOD Reviews, after all!

J selected the Old School Cheeseburger with Mac Bites to start. T mentioned her onion allergy and requested the Kung Fu Chicken, but the waiter returned shortly thereafter to report that the dish had an onion component that couldn't be substituted. He made another recommendation, the Smoked N.S. Pork Chop (a house favourite), so she gave it a go. The Mac Bites (deep fried bites of macaroni and cheese with house-made ketchup) arrived fairly quickly and were pretty good. The cheese was pretty subtle and not really the star of the show, but it was a nice little appetizer. Once the mains arrived, J had some difficulty with the burger. Due to a recent medical episode, he had to "knife and fork it," but because the bun was soft and borderline flakey, it pretty much fell apart. In addition, the meat (a mix of ground chuck, brisket and short rib) also fell apart easily and had a really bizarre chewy quality to it - to the point where J had to consider whether he had a mouth full of gristle (it wasn't, but it isn't a great sign when you have to think about it!). To be clear, the whole production was tasty but it didn't hold together well and it raised a few too many questions. Furthermore, J's brother had the same meal and ate it by hand - he, too, had problems keeping it together and wasn't sure about the meat, either. In his words: "It just wasn't that enjoyable of a burger." Good thing they had those substantial napkins!

T's pork chop arrived and it looked off right away - just about everyone at the table asked if it was actually cooked. As it turned out, this was because nearly half of the chop was inedible fat - see for yourself in the picture below, ALL of that is the fat that surrounded the edible meat! Given that another guest at the table had ordered the same meal that had only a small strip of fat on an otherwise gorgeous chop, we deduced that T had clearly been served a very poor cut. This was rather unfortunate, as what she could eat was quite delicious, she just wished there had been more of it. The waiter's eyes widened when he stopped by the table and saw just how much fat was left on the plate, and actually poked at it with a fork to confirm that it was all fat. He returned shortly thereafter and offered a salad to help fill T up (which she politely declined - everyone else at the table had long since finished their meals), as well as a complimentary dessert. When she mentioned that we were there for a birthday and already had plans for dessert, he offered to give her a carrot cake to go, which she accepted. However, when the bill arrived, the full charge for the fatty pork chop remained. Offering a salad and a dessert were classy gestures, but we feel that, given the circumstances, most restaurants would have either discounted or waived the charge for such a poor meal. Needless to say, we are a little bewildered by that. She also missed out on the tasty-looking block of deep fried mac and cheese because it apparently had traces of onion in it, but she wasn't really offered much of a substitution - her meal basically consisted of a big chunk of fat and a few vegetables. Not good.

Again, we were really looking forward to trying 2 Doors Down, and it's really unfortunate that we had such a mediocre experience. It's still pretty new and it's trying to find its feet, but we see a lot of promise, and truly believe that they are building toward something special. As well, we feel that the server tried his best to make things right. He took the onion allergy really seriously and we feel that he made a genuine attempt to have the cooking staff serve something that wouldn't make T sick. When he realized how poorly the meal was executed, he tried to make up for it. That's worth something in our books. Lastly, three of the six people at our table seemed really happy with their meals. These are the reasons why we have elected not to give this restaurant a proper review at this time.

So, while we're not in a hurry to head back to 2 Doors Down, we will probably circle back to it eventually to give it another shot. You may question why we have not afforded the same courtesy to some of the lower Halifax Food Review scorers, such as Jack Astor's, Athens and Hamachi Mura. While it's conceivable that we could revisit one of those places someday, we just don't feel that they made enough of an effort to be worth another review. For the reasons indicated above, 2 Doors Down just feels a little different.

Final Verdict: To be announced…

UPDATE: Shortly after this review was posted, a member of our party contacted the management at 2 Doors Down to discuss the experience, particularly the charge for the aforementioned pork chop meal. General Manager and Co-Owner George Davis quickly looked into the issue, offered a sincere apology, and mailed a note (and gift certificates) to T's attention.

This gesture was appreciated, but to be crystal clear: the intention of this review (and this blog in general) was certainly not to score a free meal. We have never - and will never - give a review, positive or negative, in anticipation of a freebie. (Yes, we once accepted a junket invitation but we were open about it and were sure to post an honest review - if it had been crap, we totally would have said so).

We started hfxfoodreviews in 2010 as a means to share our thoughts on Halifax-area restaurants with those who are interested in hearing impartial opinions from a couple of average locals with modest palates. For what it's worth, this is why almost all of our reviews are done in pairs - so that one person's standpoint doesn't dominate the review. It's also important to us that the restaurants do not know that we're reviewing them. It's unfortunate for 2 Doors Down that they served such a bad cut to people who have been posting reviews for nearly four years, but really, it shouldn't matter who's in the seat - everyone deserves nice food and a quality dining experience.

Anyway, we would like to acknowledge 2 Doors Down for making an attempt to rectify this situation. It reinforces our decision to refrain from scoring this particular meal. Honestly, we are really surprised that they have not yet responded to this review, either by commenting below or via Twitter, but we do appreciate their actions based on the call from the other member of our party. We don't know when we'll head back, but we will give them another shot at some point. Stay tuned...

Review #55 - Economy Shoe Shop

Economy Shoe Shop
Variety: Casual Dining
Address: 1663 Argyle Street
Date Visited: Saturday, December 28, 2013
Orders: Salisbury Steak Dinners

Taste: 6 + 6 = 12/20
Portion Size: 6 + 6 = 12/20
Presentation: 6 + 6 = 12/20
Value: 6 + 6 = 12/20
Service: 6 + 6 = 12/20
Bonus: -
Minus: 1
Final Grade: 59% (Marginal)

(Scoring: 100% to 140% = Exceptional, 85% to 99% = Excellent, 67% to 84% = Good, 60% to 66% = Satisfactory, 50% to 59% = Marginal, 0% to 49% = Poor, -40% to -1% = Abysmal)

Notes: Every time we've been to the Economy Shoe Shop before, it's usually been for nachos. It's kind of this place's signature dish. You go to the Shoe Shop, you get the nachos. That's just what you do. But it's not what we did this time - we wanted an actual meal and the special of the night was Salisbury Steak, so we both decided to give it a whirl. Big mistake. We alerted the waiter to T's onion allergy and he said he'd ensure that there were no onions in the vegetables that came along with the meal. Off to a good start...but unfortunately, nothing took off from there. Our meals were served fairly quickly but to say that we were underwhelmed would be an understatement. In fact, we were borderline disappointed. The portions of meat and vegetables alike were surprisingly small - T doesn't usually eat a lot and even she walked away hungry on this night. We also realized a little too late that the meat was chock full of onions - so, while the waiter paid heed to the onions in the vegetables, he didn't think to check into the meat (hence the minus point). We were in a relative hurry to get to the Mooseheads hockey game, so we didn't bother to complain. Needless to say, though, if we chose to return at some point, it probably won't be for Salisbury Steak.

Final Verdict: You're probably better off sticking with the nachos.