Review #30 - Woody's Bar-B-Q

Woody's Bar-B-Q
Variety: BBQ
Address: 159 Hector Gate
Date Visited: Sunday, February 19, 2012
Orders: Corn Nuggets, Fried Dill Pickles, Brunswick Stew, Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich with Mac 'N Cheese, Sloppy Woody Sandwich with Bar-B-Q Beans, Banana Pudding

Final Grade: 87% (Excellent)

(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)

Disclaimer: To be completely upfront, we received an invitation to attend the "Friends and Family Day" pre-opening party for the new Dartmouth Crossing location of Woody's. This invitation was clearly intended to drum up word of mouth, so we promised ourselves that we would go in and provide a purely objective review of this visit. As such, because the meal was free and the wait staff was clearly on their best behavour, we've omitted our usual five categories (Taste, Portion Size, Presentation, Value and Service) in favour of a straight up final grade.

Notes: Our first Dartmouth review! We were served a trio of appetizers - corn nuggets (kind of like mini deep fried corn fritters - an interesting and tasty mix of crunch and goo), Fried Deep Pickles (with light and corny batter, which complimented the saltiness of the pickles) and Brunswick Stew (a hearty soup that wasn't too heavy). Then we moved on to our mains: the Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich was good on its own, but even better after we added the four varieties of BBQ sauce available on the table - particularly the Tangy Mustard. The Mac 'N Cheese wasn't the greatest, as the noodles were a little overboiled. The Sloppy Woody Sandwich was quite good, and no extra sauce was required, as it was already coated with just the right amount of "secret sauce" (not a kind available on the table), and the Bar-B-Q Beans were nice and tangy, with a modest sprinkle of meat for good measure. We were just about ready to roll when we were brought a Banana Pudding for dessert. The words "banana" and "pudding" don't do this thing justice. It really should be given a sexier name, as we would normally never order something like this, but are we ever glad we gave it a chance. So incredibly flavourful - chock full of banana chunks, pie crust, pudding and whipped cream. So simple, but so perfect. Give it a whirl - you'll be glad you did. All in all, a great meal, albeit a little salty. Regardless, we'll be back.

Review #29 - Curry Village

Curry Village
Variety: Indian
Address: 1569 Dresden Row
Date Visited: Thursday, February 2, 2012
Orders: Vegetable Samosas, Garlic Naan, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Korma, Butter Chicken, Vegetable Kofta

Taste: 10 + 9 = 19/20
Portion Size: 8 + 9 = 17/20
Presentation: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Value: 8 + 9 = 17/20
Service: 10 + 9 = 19/20
Bonus: 1
Minus: -
Final Grade: 91% (Excellent)

(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: A group meal, so we were able to sample a bunch of different offerings. The portion size-to-price ratio is usually little off at Indian restaurants, but Curry Village can be forgiven with food that tastes like this. The Vegetable Kofta was a definite highlight. A delightful dining experience, enhanced by a very friendly and attentive owner, plus an impromptu (and complimentary) birthday dessert.

Review #28 - Jack Astor's Bar & Grill

Jack Astor's Bar & Grill
Variety: Casual Dining
Address: 184 Chain Lake Drive
Date Visited: Sunday, January 22, 2012
Orders: Jack's Veggie Burger with fries, Chicken Fingers with fries

Taste: 5 + 2 = 7/20
Portion Size: 5 + 3 = 8/20
Presentation: 5 + 3 = 8/20
Value: 3 + 3 = 6/20
Service: 2 + 2 = 4/20
Bonus: -
Minus: 1
Final Grade: 32% (Poor)

(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: In a word, this dining experience was "miserable." The restaurant was fairly busy, but not so busy as to have resulted in this level of service. It started off fine, as we were seated and served our drinks fairly quickly, but it all went downhill. The food took more than 30 minutes to be served, and was cold on arrival. One of our guests did not receive his fajitas until a few minutes after our food arrived, so we waited for him. Meanwhile, the server came back to check on us before he was served, so none of us had a chance to try our meals by that point, and that was the last we saw of her until she brought the bills around. Getting a drink refilled was an impossibility, and one of our guests ordered a soda when his meal arrived, and didn't receive it until his bill was already in-hand. As for the taste, the veggie burger was acceptable, but the chicken fingers were incredibly bland, and there were not nearly enough fries on either plate. Minus point for seating us at a table that received a blast of freezing air every time the front door opened. No wonder our food was cold! Service and taste issues aside, everything on the menu is pretty expensive - the value for the money is way off. We won't be back anytime soon.

Review #27 - China Town Restaurant & Lounge

China Town Restaurant & Lounge
Variety: Chinese
Address: 381 Bedford Highway
Date Visited: Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Orders: China Town Soo Gai/Chicken Fried Rice/Egg Roll & Beef & Broccoli/Chicken Fried Rice/Egg Roll, side of Sweet & Sour Chicken to share

Taste: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Portion Size: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Presentation: 8 + 9 = 17/20
Value: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Service: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Bonus: 1
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 recently moved off of the peninsula, so we decided to include non-peninsular restaurants in our reviews. On the way home, we stopped into China Town on the Bedford Highway (T had never been there before). Our three previous experiences in reviewing Chinese restaurants were met with decent yet unspectacular (Silver Dragon, Mr. Chang's) or less than stellar (Jean's) scores, but we had higher hopes for this place. The first thing that we noticed was the spectacular view of the Beford Basin (hence the bonus point). It added a wonderful ambiance. As for the meal itself, it tasted pretty fresh, there seemed to be some form of curry added to the egg roll batter which was surprisingly nice, and the rice did NOT taste burnt! One minor complaint was that some of the sweet & sour chicken balls had a bit too much batter, but overall, it was a solid experience, and we anticipate a return visit or two in the foreseeable future.

Review #26 - Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal
Variety: Indian
Address: 5175 South Street
Date Visited: Saturday, October 15, 2011
Orders: Samosas, Pakoras, Butter Chicken, Chicken Korma, Naan, Rice

Taste: 10 + 10 = 20/20
Portion Size: 3 + 3 = 6/20
Presentation: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Value: 5 + 5 = 10/20
Service: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Bonus: -
Minus: -
Final Grade: 70% (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 brought a fellow Indian food lover along with us for our first trip to Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, it will probably be our last visit unless we someday win the lottery. Let's be clear here: all of the dishes tasted excellent. What left a bitter taste in our mouths was the cost and the portion size. The samosas and pakoras were very tasty and there was enough there to share, but the mains came in bowls with barely a small fistful of food in each - there wasn't really enough to feed the three of us, and we all left kinda hungry. At almost $30/person (all of the above plus a single glass of the cheapest wine on the menu, plus tax and a 15% gratuity came just over $87), that shouldn't happen. If it weren't for a Team Buy voucher, we'd probably still be there washing dishes out back. Although the quality and taste of the food were both very good, the cost is just too high and the quantity far too low to merit a return visit to this restaurant, which is a real shame, as this was only the second restaurant to earn a 10/10 from each of us on the Taste scale.

Review #25 - Silver Dragon Restaurant

Silver Dragon Restaurant
Variety: Chinese
Address: 2827 Robie Street
Date Visited: Thursday, September 15, 2011
Orders: Combo #12 (Ginger Beef, Szechuan Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice) & Combo #10 (Sweet & Sour Chicken, Beef & Broccoli, Chicken Fried Rice)

Taste: 7 + 7 = 14/20
Portion Size: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Presentation: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Value: 7 + 8 = 15/20
Service: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Bonus: -
Minus: -
Final Grade: 77% (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: Nothing particularly special, but decent Canadian Chinese food. The Szechuan Chicken was a little watery and the oil used to cook the Chicken Fried Rice could stand to be changed, but everything else was good.

Review #24 - Kemptster's Cookhouse & Eatery

Kemptster's Cookhouse & Eatery
Variety: Diner
Address: 3644 Kempt Road
Date Visited: Sunday, September 11, 2011
Orders: Bacon Cheese Chicken Grill Sandwich, KCH All-Day Breakfast

Taste: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Portion Size: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Presentation: 8 + 4 = 12/20
Value: 8 + 9 = 17/20
Service: 7 + 6 = 13/20
Bonus: -
Minus: -4
Final Grade: 72% (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: This dining experience would have been one of our better ones, had it not been for the toast. Not even kidding. T wasn't feeling particularly good that evening and wanted some comfort food, so the KCH All-Day Breakfast was the logical choice (though it ended up being far from comforting). J was more in the mood for a sandwich, and the Bacon Cheese Chicken Grill with garlic pepper mayo also sounded right on the mark. When the meals arrived, the latter was pretty much bang-on (with the exception of the mayo, which looked a little past its prime). It tasted good, looked good, and was just about the right amount of food. The breakfast, on the other hand, was not up to snuff. The eggs were not over easy, and the toast was all but burnt. We asked the server for another order of toast and she went off to place the order...but didn't get around to it until we reminded her five minutes later. By that point, the eggs were cold, so we sheepishly asked for more of those, too. When the new food arrived a few minutes later, the toast was exactly the same. We felt terribly embarrassed having to order again, but seriously, it was black. We realize that it wasn't the server's fault, but although she was apologetic to us, we clearly heard her tell the cook a few seconds later: "I don't know what they're talking about, it doesn't look burnt to me." We felt partially vindicated as her co-worker walked past and said: "It does to me." To be fair, we weren't charged for the breakfast, so she did make the effort to make it right. But the talking behind our backs and poor attention to detail has us questioning whether we'll return to Kemptster's. Which, really, is too bad, because that chicken sandwich was pretty good!