Review #64 - The Arms Public House

The Arms Public House
Variety: Pub
Address: 1515 South Park Street
Date Visited: Friday, July 24, 2015
Orders: Shepherd's Pie, Nachos

Taste: 8 + 6 = 14/20
Portion Size: 9 + 10 = 19/20
Presentation: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Value: 9 + 8 = 17/20
Service: 8 + 9 = 17/20
Bonus: 1
Minus: 2
Final Grade: 82% (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: The former Victory Arms Pub, located inside the Lord Nelson Hotel, recently received a significant renovation, both to its facilities and its menu. The menu before was "ok," but nothing to write home about. Now, it's filled with "comfort food" and other items you might expect to see on pub menus (and some...not so much).

Although it was a decently warm day in the middle of what passes for summer in Halifax, J opted for the Shepherd's Pie. It was hearty, meaty and filling, but perhaps not the best choice for a summer's night. Still, it was a solid meal. It was served with some strange pickled vegetables - onion, carrot, and some kind of Japanese turnip. An odd choice, but ok. For what it was, the price was reasonable, too.

T started off with the beer sampler - four small glasses of four craft beers for an exceptionally reasonable price (hence the bonus point). Off to a good start! She'd had the nachos before and was in the mood for some cheese and chips, covered with some vegetables to help her pretend she was eating something kinda healthy. Well, a cavernous mountain of cheese and chips arrived, but it seems they forgot about the vegetables. Without exaggeration, there were perhaps 20 small slivers of tomato, even fewer of the pickled banana peppers the menu had boasted, and that was about it. Further, after she broke through the peak of Mount Chipsncheez (tm), there was nothing but a pile of dry chips (see photo below). Again, the vegetables on top of the nachos are supposed to help take the guilt out of why you're really there, but she was utterly robbed of this feature, and had to dock the joint a couple of points for this failure. Again, she'd had the nachos before and would have rated them higher based on the previous presentation - it must have been an off night.

(As an aside, it was a good thing J and T didn't invite their good friend S to review his meal - his pathetically small lobster roll served on a crappy store-bought hot dog bun did not look at all impressive).

The server was fairly attentive and pleasant, though we did find it a little curious that J, the only one at the table who didn't also order the beer sample, was given a tiny glass of water while the others were offered pint glasses. She even commented on that, but didn't rectify the situation when the glass mysteriously ended up empty every 10 minutes or so.

Final Verdict: Shepherd's Pie a hit, Nachos a surprising miss, but worth revisiting another time.

Review #63 - Ristorante aMano

Ristorante aMano
Variety: Italian
Address: 1477 Lower Water Street
Date Visited: Thursday, June 18, 2015
Orders: Pizza Quatro Carni, Pizza Pollo

Taste: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Portion Size: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Presentation: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Value: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Service: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Bonus: 1
Minus: -
Final Grade: 85% (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: This place always seems busy, but we were surprised that we were able to walk in and get a table on a Thursday evening...until we figured out there was a big food truck party elsewhere in town that evening. Whatever, it worked for us! We were offered a table indoors or outdoors and T decided she wanted to take advantage of the harbour view in their courtyard. After five minutes, we figured out what there were few other people out there at that time - the sun was on the other side of the building and it got really cold, really quick! The restaurant had a supply of pashminas in a nearby basket for this reason (bonus point!), but we very quickly joined the others who moved inside into the warmth. Unfortunately, most of the tables were already spoken for, but we were seated at the bar on comfortable stools and a beautiful chandelier just inches away. This new space gave us an interesting vantage point (and new appreciation) for skilled bartenders who don't have a lot of space to work with!

The decor of the restaurant was elegant but comfortable. The volume of the music was just right, and as more people entered, it got pretty loud but never really to the point of having to shout. Essentially, it just sounded like we were at a party where everyone - the patrons and staff alike - smiled and laughed the entire time. After taking it in for a couple of minutes, T said "I love everything about this place."

J ordered the Quatro Carni (four meat, pictured left) pizza - salami, pancetta, prosciutto and italian sausage, exactly what the doctor had in mind when he suggested that J watch his cholesterol! It was a little salty but the it was a delicious combination and the crust of both pizzas was obviously freshly made and damn tasty. T has a bit of a prosciutto hang-up so she didn't much care for it, but was delighted with her Pollo (chicken, pictured right) pizza, which was generously dressed with goat cheese, grape tomatoes and cilantro. It was a bit busy for J, but perfect for T. So, we both left happy, and with plenty of pizza left over for the next day's lunch.

Final Verdict: Excellent pizza, excellent atmosphere, but make sure the patio isn't too cold before you sit down!

Review #62 - Tarek's Cafe

Tarek's Cafe
Variety: Mediterranean
Address: 3045 Robie Street
Date Visited: Friday, June 5, 2015
Orders: Half & Half (Beef and Chicken Shawarma), Chicken Souvlaki

Taste: 8 + 7 = 15/20
Portion Size: 10 + 7 = 17/20
Presentation: 8 + 7 = 15/20
Value: 9 + 8 = 17/20
Service: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Bonus: 3
Minus: -
Final Grade: 83% (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: Situated in a little strip mall on Robie Street near Young Street, we'd driven by Tarek's many times but had never actually gone in. We'd stopped into the neighbouring Subway a couple of times, but...yeah, we just never really thought about going until their fluorescent roadside sign said "Why not give Tarek's a try?". We had plans to have dinner with C&C, who live in the area, so...why not? As it turned out, they were big fans and were glad to join us.

Walking in, we were a little taken aback by the ambiance. First, there was an old cabinet packed to the brim with a bunch of dry and canned goods available for purchase - pasta, and the like. Next, lining almost the entire length of the room was a huge lunch counter with a bunch of guys working fast and furious - one of whom looked up and flashed a quick smile and bid us welcome before returning to his task. Then, there were a handful of quaint tables with beautiful floral paintings directly on the tabletops. In truth, it didn't feel as though the decor was particularly calculated, it was more of a lunch counter - which was part of the charm.

When we went up to the counter to order, the smile guy dropped everything to take our order. We were a little overwhelmed by the massive menu on the board above the counter so we asked for his suggestions, noting T's onion allergy. For J, he suggested their most popular item, "The Half and Half," which was a plate featuring both chicken and beef shwarma. Sold. He had to think a little harder about a suggestion for T, as he wanted to ensure she could have something without onion. He ended up suggesting a modified chicken souvlaki - modified in that he would prepare it personally and omit a couple of things to ensure it was onion-free. Few places go to such lengths to ensure her allergy concerns are addressed, so we immediately made a mental note to give them a bonus point.

When contemplating beverages, smile guy nodded to a cooler with his head and said "Just take what you want, we trust you." Although our table was well within eyeshot of the lunch counter, that friendly attitude counts for something. Bonus point #2.

When J's plate arrived, it was a MASSIVE mount of meat, rice, tzatziki sauce, hummus, salad and pita bread (see below). The salad was kinda buried under the mountain of food and he literally had to dig for it. The rice was ok but could have used a bit more spice. The beef shawarma was a highlight - thinly sliced and well-seasoned - while chicken was good but nothing special, ditto with the salad. The tzatziki sauce was really good, particularly when applied to the meats. The hummus was good, but there wasn't really enough pita to scoop it up.

In truth, T felt a little awkward reviewing her chicken souvlaki because they took such care to take her allergy seriously. In a word, it was good, but it was really just a wrap and it didn't come with anything, so she left a little hungry. Still, she enjoyed the experience - particularly the sweet painted table tops (bonus point #3), and looks forward to a return visit. We both do.

Final Verdict: Go hungry and with an open mind and you will probably leave happy!

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.