Review #61 - Mother's Pizza

Mother's Pizza
Variety: Pizza
Address: 5710 Young Street
Date Visited: Sunday, April 26, 2015
Orders: Garlies, White Pizza, Salami/Feta/Onion (hold the onion) pizza

Taste: 7 + 7 = 14/20
Portion Size: 8 + 9 = 17/20
Presentation: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Value: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Service: 6 + 7 = 14/20
Bonus: -
Minus: 2
Final Grade: 74% (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 place opened after we moved away from the north end, but we'd been meaning to give it a whirl. Formerly the location of a locksmith (if memory serves me correctly), the building either burned down or sustained heavy damage a few years back and re-opened as Mother's. From the outside, the place looks quite sophisticated. Walk in the door and, well, let's just say the decor is a little confusing. On one wall there are some pizza-themed board games, toys and records from the 80s/90s plus retro candy on the main counter, but then there are also some random old antique pieces of furniture (like a random dewey decimal card library filing system case, and a 1920s-style tin Coke sign), some plants in mason jars on the tables, a wacky cafeteria-style floor, and a sleek black and white tiled cooking area with a modern oven…the whole place looked like it was picked up at a flea market. Oh, and on the way to the bathroom, the old Robie Food sign adorns the wall. Throw in the theme from Shaft blasting over the stereo and you've got yourself a rather random dining experience!

T ordered some wine and it was served in the same glasses as the water. We're not kidding, she had to send it back THREE times because there was dust in the glasses (not just a little - enough that you absolutely could not miss it floating around in there - yuck!). That was pretty representative of the calibre of the service - the server never checked in after the wine incident was "resolved" and we had to wait an exceptionally long time for the bill.

As for the food, the Garlies were described in the menu as "Our take on garlic fingers." To us, that implied they were going to be a little unique. They weren't. They were good, but they were nothing special. T's salami, feta and onion (hold the onion) pizza was good but nothing spectacular, either. The genoa salami was tasty but other than that it was just an average pizza, though the crust was unusually dry. J's White Pizza was "unique" to say the least - it featured chorizo sausage, arugula, walnut, mozzarella, provolone, honey and a balsamic reduction. Sounded good and, yeah, it was good. But, we kinda assumed the arugula and balsamic reduction would be more of a garnish, but it was quite literally a whole salad on top of a pizza (see below). A little bit of a warning would have been nice, because that sucker was pretty awkward to eat.

All in all, this was an unfortunate case of a restaurant not being able to live up to its expectations. We walked in expecting something akin to Il Mercato or even Piatto and we basically ended up with something like The Italian Market - it was good, we left reasonably full, but it certainly wasn't an amazing experience.

Final Verdict: Decent pizza, wacky atmosphere.

Review #60 - Habaneros

Habaneros
Variety: Mexican
Address: 1551 South Park Street
Date Visited: Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Orders: BBQ Pulled Pork Burrito combo, BBQ Pulled Pork Crispy Taco Trio

Taste: 8 + 10 = 18/20
Portion Size: 10 + 10 = 20/20
Presentation: 7 + 7 = 14/20
Value: 8 + 9 = 17/20
Service: 8 + 9 = 17/20
Bonus: -
Minus:-
Final Grade: 86% (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: J headed out for lunch with buddy M and decided to hit Habaneros, since T typically avoids most Mexican fare due to the habitual presence of onions. The South Park branch of Habaneros is located in the former home of Cantina Mexicana (aka the place that didn't take T's onion allergy seriously). They don't pretend to be an authentic Mexican restaurant - they claim to be "modern with a twist," which sounds about right. It's a fairly busy lunch spot, so unless you show up a couple of minutes before noon, you can expect to wait. J went for the BBQ Pulled Pork Burrito with tomatillo salsa, mango sour cream (because they didn't have the jalapeno sour cream available), plus lettuce, cheese, fresh jalapenos, pickled carrots, spiced turtle beans and cilantro lime rice. Yum. Adding the combo which comes with tortilla chips, some dipping sauce (sriracha sour cream) and a drink. M went for the BBQ Pulled Pork crispy taco trio, which is a hard shell taco inside a soft shell taco as a security measure for when the hard shell inevitably cracks. M summed it up best when he said "I like it here because it's the best-tasting taco/burrito out of all of the other places I've had before in town." That, too, sounds about right. The service feels a little slow when the lineup is long and the presentation isn't anything to write home about, but it tasty food, generous portions and good value. You can't really argue with that!

Final Verdict: Show up early to jump the queue and enjoy this delicious Mexican-esque fare!

Review #59 - 2 Doors Down (one year later...)

2 Doors Down
Variety: Casual Dining
Address: 1533 Barrington Street
Date Visited: Thursday, February 5, 2015
Orders: Smokehouse Cheeseburger, Old School Cheeseburger
Taste: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Portion Size: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Presentation: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Value: 6 + 8 = 14/20
Service: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Bonus: 1
Minus: -
Final Grade: 79% (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 time last year, we visited 2 Doors Down for J's birthday and walked away bewildered and disappointed to the extent that we decided not to score the joint (see review) and to give them a chance at a later date because they seemed to genuinely try to fix the situation (albeit in a really strange way at first). The general gist: the hamburger meat was oddly chewy (and not in a good way), but more importantly, the pork chop was almost entirely inedible due to a ridiculously high amount of fat on the cut (and we were still charged full price after bringing it to the server's attention).

We decided to return a year later to see if anything had changed - fortunately, it went much better this time around! The restaurant was mostly empty, possibly due to an oncoming snowstorm. There was a sign on the door indicating they would be closing 2.5 hours later after we arrived, but we figured there was no way we would flirt with that time limit. Last year, we were unimpressed by the "sticky" and "glittery" tables. This time, they were noticeably un-sticky and clean - the the extent that the server actually stopped by to tidy up an unnoticeable spot after we were seated. T was also a fan of the cork used as a silverware holder and J enjoyed the aesthetic quality of the modern silverware (hence the bonus point). We enjoyed the big, high quality napkins last year and were pleased that they were still being used this time around.

J decided to give the cheeseburger again, this time available in a "Smokehouse" (smoked Gouda, bourbon BBQ sauce, crispy shallots, bacon, onion jam, chipotle aioli) variety which he selected. When T learned the Chicken Pot Pie was not available outside of the prix fixe menu (boo!), she went with the Old School cheeseburger (cheese, pickles, ketchup, mustard). Given the sparse crowd, we were a little surprised by the 20+ minute wait between the order and the delivery, but the waiter was pleasant enough so no big deal. The first thing we noticed was the burger bun - last year, it was soft and borderline flaky and it pretty much fell apart. This year, the pendulum had swung pretty far to the opposite end of the spectrum and they were served on what seemed like store-bought Ben's burger buns - not bad, but nothing special. The meat, like last year, was a little chewier than the average burger (the result of them being a mix of ground chuck, brisket and short rib), but unlike last year, they held together a bit better and didn't taste borderline gristly. The fries were crispy and tasty but there weren't many of them and the house-made ketchup was sparse and tasted kinda funny. Unique, but as T put it: "Heinz would have been better."

We can't really understand why these burgers, at $17.50 (Smokehouse) and $16.50 (Old School) respectively, cost considerably more than the most expensive (non-seafood or challenge) items on the menu at Ace Burger or Flipburger. Perhaps it's the ambiance? Perhaps it's the quality of the meat? We're not sure. It was a nice meal, but it was a little little pricey for a couple of cheeseburgers and fries.

Lastly, we noted and appreciated the inclusion of Tootsie Rolls with the bill instead of the usual mint (or, nothing). A nice, fun touch.

Final Verdict: A vast improvement, but we're not in a hurry to return.

Review #58 - Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca

Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca
Variety: Pizza
Address: 5144 Morris Street
Date Visited: Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Orders: VPN Margherita, Della Terra

Taste: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Portion Size: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Presentation: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Value: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Service: 9 + 10 = 19/20
Bonus: 1
Minus: 2
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: After narrowly missing a downtown holiday party due to a slightly later than expected night at work, we were all dressed up with no place to go. Fortunately, we peered down from our parking spot and noticed Piatto. J had heard about this place that was "legally allowed to make Neapolitan pizza" (or something like that), so we gave it a shot. Walking into this industrial chic joint, it looked a lot more formal than it actually is. By that, we noticed that it's actually the kind of place you might want to bring your family - the kids and play around on the Vespa scooters parked randomly throughout the restaurant. That said, it wasn't too kitchy, either. It was a nice mix. Not sure how else to describe it! It was clear that we'd missed the dinner rush, which was fine by us, and it also meant that the host was able to pay a bit of extra attention to us, explaining the menu in great detail in a way that wasn't too overbearing. It was obvious that he took great pride in his work. Although the nightly complimentary soup and appetizers had all but disappeared, there were a few scraps left for us, which we gladly inhaled (we were kinda hungry after missing out on the party, after all!) T noshed on some olives while J indulged in some tasty squash soup served in an espresso cup. So, what's an enoteca? We didn't know, either, but apparently it means "wine repository." It didn't take T long to select the reasonably-priced wine flight (sampler), which included generous pours of a variety of wines. We enjoyed watching our pizzas being cooked in the cool wood-fired oven and it wasn't long before they were delivered - J had the VPN Margherita - traditional Neapolitan pizza with just tomato sauce, cheese and olive oil. It was fairly big but not too bulky, just enough for one. Though, the crust was "a touchy burn-y" for our liking. T had the Della Terra (from the earth, perhaps?), which was a vegetarian offering featuring olives, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, cheese, basil and olive oil. According to T, "It tastes exactly like the Margherita," so the ingredients didn't seem to add much. In addition, the cook obviously missed a pair of olive pits and T hurt her tooth. That was a little disappointing (and painful!). So, bonus point for the awesomeness of the wine sampler and for the host's passion, but two minus points for the pits. All in all, we enjoyed the experience, but T put it best when she said "They talk it up until it's hard to live up to it. When it arrives, it's just a pizza. It was good, but it's not the best pizza I've ever had in my life. An authentic experience doesn't necessarily mean it's the best."

Final Verdict: Enjoyable with a great atmosphere, but authentic doesn't guarantee excellence.

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...