4.5/5
433 River Avenue
Previsit:
Again, I had been here before my most recent visit to this restaurant but it was worth it to go back again... and I'll go back again at some point. The area that Burrito Del Rio (BDR) is in is perfect for the type of food they serve, coupled with the relaxed atmosphere of the place. To give you an idea of the atmosphere, it's like a Mexican version of Subway - except way better.
The Service:
Again, this is not the type of restaurant that I can talk about the food service in the same way that I did about Chop or Buccaccino's, but I can say that the girls that work the counter have been friendly and efficient both times that I have been to BDR.
The menu is written on a chalk board above the counter where you choose all your fixings. It's not the most organized thing in the world but you can figure it out (as long as you have your glasses on). You can choose from tacos, burritos, fajitas, and even a 'burrito in a bowl'. The burritos come in medium or large. There is also a variety of meats to choose from (beef, pork, chicken) or you can opt to go vegetarian. All of the meats are pulled and seasoned - but not too strongly.
Choices to make:
- black beans or refried beans?
- cheese?
- lettuce, tomatoes, peppers? (I may have forgotten something here)
- sour cream?
- salsa? mild, medium or spicy - you can add hot sauce to make it even spicier
- sides? you can purchase chips or guacamole for an additional cost.
- drink? this is a good idea. they have a selection of Mexican beer as well as different types of pop, juice and water
I had the chicken burrito with black beans, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, spicy salsa + hot sauce with a side of guacamole. I really like spicy food so I was not bothered by the heat but I would suggest that if you do not like heat, choose either the mild or medium salsa.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
The Ivory
4/5
200 Main Street
Previsit
We've been here before clearly it is good. I personally love Indian food, especially since I've been there so it brings back good memories. We went to the Ivory on this occasion because I had no desire to cook and we hadn't been here in a while. The ambiance is quiet and it is never very busy when we've been there but they seem do to steady business. The employees also have the customer in mind first because they sat us in a section that wasn't supposed to be next so that we didn't have to sit beside a large (louder) group.
On a price point note - for what you get I would recommend this restaurant for lunch over dinner because you get the same options for the buffett but it costs more at dinner. There is also the option to order off the menu instead of having the buffet but I personally prefer the buffett because I can choose multiple dishes and try new things.
The Service
As stated above, we were seated away from a large party, which meant that we got a window table - looking out on to Main Street. Although this may not seem like the greatest view ever - because it was dark out it was nice to see the lights out on the streets. They have a decent selection of drinks to chose from and the servers were on top of that aspect of our dining experience.
Buffett:
So I can't rate the service for food because they don't really serve the food - it's help yourself. The food itself is so good though and I definitely recommend you try a little bit of lots of things. Plan for multiple plates.
The dal makhani is my favourite but the butter chicken is also fantastic. Both of these are great when you pour them over plain rice (do not take the pilaf because it messes with the flavours of the other dishes). Palak paneer is another dish that is good poured over rice. It's pureed spinach with cheese - which may sound nasty but it's really delicious, just make sure that you scoop up some of the cheese because it's hard to find in the buffett tray.
The masala gobhi is a cauliflower dish with potatoes and spices, so if you like cauliflower and spice it is very good. This dish is not very saucy so you wouldn't need to have it with rice. They also have vegetable pakora and samosas which do not need to be eaten with rice.
Finally, I would suggest that you get naan bread of some sort (buttered or garlic) so that you can mop up the sauces on your plate. This is essential because it mixes all of the flavours together so you can relive your meal all over again.
Drink:
They have a decent selection of beers on tap, but I had a 'red skirt' it was promising - grenadine, cranberry juice and vodka - but I found it too sweet.
Dessert:
The dessert is also part of the buffett, which is nice because everything is different from the typical North American dessert menu. There is rice pudding, coconut fudge, and these donut type things that are soaked in sugar syrup.
200 Main Street
Previsit
We've been here before clearly it is good. I personally love Indian food, especially since I've been there so it brings back good memories. We went to the Ivory on this occasion because I had no desire to cook and we hadn't been here in a while. The ambiance is quiet and it is never very busy when we've been there but they seem do to steady business. The employees also have the customer in mind first because they sat us in a section that wasn't supposed to be next so that we didn't have to sit beside a large (louder) group.
On a price point note - for what you get I would recommend this restaurant for lunch over dinner because you get the same options for the buffett but it costs more at dinner. There is also the option to order off the menu instead of having the buffet but I personally prefer the buffett because I can choose multiple dishes and try new things.
The Service
As stated above, we were seated away from a large party, which meant that we got a window table - looking out on to Main Street. Although this may not seem like the greatest view ever - because it was dark out it was nice to see the lights out on the streets. They have a decent selection of drinks to chose from and the servers were on top of that aspect of our dining experience.
Buffett:
So I can't rate the service for food because they don't really serve the food - it's help yourself. The food itself is so good though and I definitely recommend you try a little bit of lots of things. Plan for multiple plates.
The dal makhani is my favourite but the butter chicken is also fantastic. Both of these are great when you pour them over plain rice (do not take the pilaf because it messes with the flavours of the other dishes). Palak paneer is another dish that is good poured over rice. It's pureed spinach with cheese - which may sound nasty but it's really delicious, just make sure that you scoop up some of the cheese because it's hard to find in the buffett tray.
The masala gobhi is a cauliflower dish with potatoes and spices, so if you like cauliflower and spice it is very good. This dish is not very saucy so you wouldn't need to have it with rice. They also have vegetable pakora and samosas which do not need to be eaten with rice.
Finally, I would suggest that you get naan bread of some sort (buttered or garlic) so that you can mop up the sauces on your plate. This is essential because it mixes all of the flavours together so you can relive your meal all over again.
Drink:
They have a decent selection of beers on tap, but I had a 'red skirt' it was promising - grenadine, cranberry juice and vodka - but I found it too sweet.
Dessert:
The dessert is also part of the buffett, which is nice because everything is different from the typical North American dessert menu. There is rice pudding, coconut fudge, and these donut type things that are soaked in sugar syrup.
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