Saturday 27 October 2012

Grecos Wine Bar and Grill

Grecos has been open in Kingston since 1992 and, as their website (found here) boasts, serves freshly prepared classic Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. The restaurant has deeply running Greek roots resulting in a menu complete with inspired entrees, delicacies, seafood, pasta and gourmet pizza. Our trip to Grecos this week served 2 purposes: first, to continue on our 40-week dining adventure and second, to celebrate Tonia's mom, Shirley's birthday.  Happy birthday, Shirley - it was lovely having you join us, and this week's blog is dedicated to you... Not sure if that's a gift or not, but we'll roll with it!

Our evening began quite appropriately.  We were greeted by a very engaging young server named Jake, who - after politely welcoming us with witty banter and questioning whether or not we had been to Grecos before - stated "Prepare to have your socks knocked off!"  While we indeed had been to Grecos before (in fact Todd had visited the night previous to this one with another friend... True story: twice in 2 nights), I couldn't leave the restaurant without thinking that Jake was right and first making sure that my socks were definitely on my feet.  In other words, I was impressed.


OPA!
Jake adding some lemon to saganaki
During our visit, the tables quickly filled and the restaurant volume grew from a quiet "buzz" to a gentle "roar".  Nothing annoying or frustrating - just enough to let you know that the restaurant was busy and full of satisfied customers without the need to look around for proof. Some of the staff reported to dining customers that the restaurant was busy due to a show happening that evening at The Grand Theatre (another wonderful Kingston attraction - check out their schedule of events and shows here); however, I would not hesitate to bet money on the fact that Grecos is busy more often than not, and that the reasons behind this popularity would be large in number. In no time at all, I was perusing a good-sized menu (not a novel, but good variety of choice), thinking of how well priced things seemed to be.  I also found myself mesmerised at the sound of staff exclaiming "OPA!" while delivering saganaki to tables and setting it on fire (in the cooking world, they call this a flambĂ©... but I wasn't sure if I could say flambĂ©-ing or not...). It really is quite something to see. While servers in other restaurants concern themselves with taking the cork out of a wine bottle without spilling any, here, they hold a pan of cheese next to dining customers and light it on fire without burning off a single eyebrow... certainly not a skill within my realm of abilities; but I'm okay with leaving it to the pros.  

Bruschetta & French Onion
Soup
Cauliflower and Cabbage
Soup
Jake quickly offered to give us the run-down of some fantastic specials for the evening - a list that left me impressed by his memory and knowledge of the menu. Adding to his recall of items, Jake could describe flavours and special features of each and every one, making everything a little more tempting.  Samer's interests were quickly peaked to the "spicy PEI mussels" that were being offered (and I was quickly reminded of my good friend, Grant - a born and raised islander who would have smiled from ear to ear at the thought of the dish), but as we prepared to order, my curiosity remained with the blazing cheese - leading us to ordering some for the table.
Athenian Shrimp
Souvlaki


Other orders? Here's the run-down:

Carrie: Bruschetta with feta cheese and French onion soup

Tonia and Shirley: Souvlaki served with Greek salad, rice and potatoes

Samer: Chicken kebab served with salad, rice and potatoes

Todd: Veggie kebab (yesterday!) and Cauliflower and cabbage soup to start with Athenian shrimp as a main (today!)

Bread and "Pink Dip"
Shortly after ordering, Jake returned with a basket of bread and what I think was Taramosalata (my apologies to Grecos if this is incorrect!) - a creamy pink dip. Now, since I was a kid, I have tried to push myself to try things before I know what is in them because I think that I really limited my palate while watching my Mom add certain ingredients to dishes, assuming I wouldn't like them and then being unwilling to try.  This dip would have absolutely fallen in the "no thanks" category if I knew before eating it that it contains fish roe - but believe me: it is delicious. If you are hesitant, open your mind and give it a try. Nothing about the flavour said "fishy" to me - and I am not a fan of fish in general.  I also thought that the free bread basket was a nice touch that I have always believed should be offered by all restaurants.  After all, I was going out to eat because I was hungry!


Saganaki!

Mussels
The bread on the table was also a nice addition to the saganaki and Samer's mussels that were soon delievered.  While the saganaki wasn't for everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed not only the presentation (seriously - can't get over fire on a plate), but the salty flavour and gooey texture as well. 

As our main courses came, Jake continued to impress.  He was courteous, friendly, kept the laughs coming and our glasses full.  Even with a restaurant that continued to get busier, we were not forgotten - and the food certainly won't be forgotten by us. Very quickly, we all dug in to our delicious plates, and enjoyed every bite.  At the end of the meal, we were absolutely stuffed, but didn't hesitate to share bites of the complementary caramel crunch cake that was brought for Shirley on her birthday (also a very nice touch!) and finish everything off with an Ovation (the mint-chocolate treat given to all patrons... although, I think that in hindsight, Grecos deserved an ovation as well - just another kind!).

Yummy Bruschetta!
All in all, a great experience this week at Grecos. The proof is in the pudding... and the pudding in our case is the almighty FORK RATING SYSTEM:

Carrie: 5 forks! Even though I continuously made a fool of myself by dropping the piled-high bruschetta topping on my lap while biting into it rather than using a knife and fork, I absolutely loved the flavour of it and the soup. I would probably give more than 5 forks if service could also be brought into account (THANKS, JAKE!!)

Tonia: 5 forks! Tonia loved every part of her meal - from the saganaki to the souvlaki to the whipped cream on the caramel crunch cake. 

Shirley: 5 forks! Loved the food and it's presentation.

Todd: 5 forks! (In fact, Todd wanted to add that he would have given the restaurant 5 forks yesterday as well... now that's good food!!)

Samer: 5 forks! Samer especially liked the sauce on the mussels and said that he thought that everything was really good!

What was left of the Caramel Crunch Cake
Overall Score: 5 FORKS!  There has to be a first time for everything - and while I very much hope that we love the 37 restaurants remaining enough to give them 5 forks, I'm not convinced it will happen.  Bravo, Grecos!!

Next week, check in to read the results of our trip to The Pasta Shelf on Ontario Street!

Grecos Wine Bar and Grill on Urbanspoon


Tuesday 16 October 2012

Saigon Delights

There is something that makes me feel like Molly Shannon's character "Terri" in a "Delicious Dish" sketch from SNL when I say this, but I'm going to say it anyway: Saigon Delights truly is... delightful. (If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, you have missed out on classic hilarious SNL and need to click here to see a sample). I will admit that Saigon Delights is a restaurant that my friends and I have been to on a number of occasions in advance of our new adventure - whether to eat out or take home - and there is good reason that we continue to go back: darn good food.

The city of Kingston offers restaurants that provide opportunities to sample food from a variety of ethnic backgrounds - that is one of the wonderful things about living here. (Having grown up in Belleville and Prince Edward County, I know what it's like to have little to no variety other than what you would like on your burger... luckily for both of those areas, things are changing!).  Some of these ethnically diverse restaurants are known for doing things not-so-well, while others are known for doing things well.  Saigon Delights is one of the latter. Offering delicious (and delightful!) traditional Vietnamese cuisine, this food is good enough to have gotten even this simple eater out of her comfort zone and trying new things.

When we arrived at the restaurant at 6pm, there were only 2 other tables seated. By the half-way point of our dining experience, the restaurant was close to full, and the kitchen was pumping out hot and steamy orders. (For the record - this is something that you can guarantee even if you take the food home - it will still be hot when you sit down to eat it in front of the television... Believe me - if there is something I like more than eating out, it is eating food "from out" [normal people call this takeout] while watching my favourite shows on the DVR). By the end of our visit, the restaurant had "thinned out" some, but let's be honest - we are a chatty bunch and some people just can't compete with the duration of our dinners... we also can't expect that people would still be "rolling in" for dinner by the time we had finished up at 8pm (except for a friend of ours who happened to be stopping in for take-out and joined our table for a visit). The number of customers over the course of the evening - and I'm sure tonight wasn't an anomaly - speaks greatly to the food quality.

How am I so sure that there isn't something more to people's desire to visit than the food? Well, if I have to be completely honest (and I think I owe it to this project to be just that), it probably isn't the decor.  At first glance, Saigon Delights is a diner.  Simple store-front sign with no ethnic markings other than the word "Saigon", checker-pattern tile floor, low hanging lights with metal lampshades, planters with fake floral arrangements, a check-out counter with fresh fish sauce for sale on display (50 cents each for those interested... also delicious), and a mish-mash of odd decorative hangings including what first appear to be wooden cowboy carvings (upon closer examination, they are not cowboys, but people wearing sedge hats... I am not bright sometimes!) and a framed picture of "Belzac's Coffee Shop".  On top of all of these attractive items (please note, my face is showing sarcasm as I type... I hope you could read it), the service is touch-and-go.  In my visits to Saigon Delights in the past, service has been decent - nothing above and beyond.  Water on table, order taken quickly, food brought to table, water filled as needed, pay bill.  Tonight, however, service was lacking - resulting in us having to go to the counter to place our order; frustrated for having to wait so long for no one to come see us.  That said, other restaurants may not redeem themselves for a return visit from some people if this was the case... but Saigon Delights?  The food will keep me coming back every time - even if I have to punch my order into the register myself.

So, what food did we enjoy so thoroughly? I'm glad you asked... and I wish that I could say the names clearly, but I'm still brushing up on my Vietnamese... Instead, I offer you numbers (which is what you are welcome to use upon your visit).

Appetizers: #3 and #4: spring rolls (FANTASTIC) and salad rolls (FANTASTIC too, according to Samer and Todd - I just won't eat shrimp, so I will take their word for it).

Carrie - #9: a sweet and sour dish (I love me some sweet and sour! Needed a re-do after last week, sadly) with a little spice, piled with chicken, pineapple and mixed vegetables; all over rice.

Tonia - #10: mixed vegetable, red curry and coconut milk stir fry with chicken (you can choose beef, shrimp or tofu if you'd like); all over rice.

Samer - #2: chicken and seafood noodle soup filled with Vietnamese rice noodles, chicken, shrimp and a bunch of other delicious smelling ingredients.


Todd - the special of the day: spicy stir fry with chicken, shrimp, mixed vegetables; all over rice.

It is important to know that in many cases, the descriptions sound similar, and in fact have similar ingredients (rice, vegetables, chicken, shrimp...).  Further, when food arrives, you may look at it and think "But I didn't order what she ordered" because your plates even look similar.  But please don't be dismayed - put your mouth where your money is and dig in. Each dish is different in its own way and well worth the try.


Now, to the nitty-gritty.  Our ratings... and it should be no surprise, they are good.

FORK RATINGS
Carrie: 5 forks. It just tastes good.  Plain and simple.  And even though food is the only factor in the rating, I do feel obligated to say that while I draw attention to the "all beer and skittles" decor (that's cowboy for "unpleasant" - my homage to the carvings), the reality is that I'm still comfortable sitting there for 2 hours with my friends and having a "hog-killing time" (that's cowboy for a real good time).

Todd: 3 forks. No shrimp in the special as advertised, and a whole lot of cauliflower instead of a true representation of "mixed vegetables".

Samer: 4.5 forks. Direct quote: "The soup is back!" (after a couple of bad soup experiences quite some time ago, Samer gave it another go, and was quite content to find it had returned to being delicious).

Tonia: 5 forks. Tried and true... It should also go on record that the spring rolls at Saigon are some of Tonia's favourite in town - and she knows her spring rolls!

OVERALL RATING: 4.375 forks.
Not too shabby for a Tuesday night.

Next week's destination?  It will be a surprise! Tonia's mom's birthday is next week, so she's joining in on the fun and picking the location :) 


Until then, happy eating!

For a complete Saigon Delights menu, click here

Just had to share the sign for the special!

Saigon Delights on Urbanspoon




Sunday 14 October 2012

Green Tray

It's time to talk Green Tray!  Really, I should have written this sooner, but time has escaped me... alas, finally, here I am!

First, though - a clarification.  I spoke with my friends (the regulars of the group - Tonia, Todd and Samer), and we have opted to make the FORK RATING SYSTEM based entirely on food.  Our reasoning?  The reality is that all of the restaurants we will visit are going to be quite different with respect to service type, decor, etc... So, the forks will be left to the food, and I will be in charge of painting the picture for readers.  Hopefully you can follow me easily enough along the way! 

Photos courtesy of Green Tray website

Our trip to Green Tray was Wednesday last week.  Since I'm new at this whole blogging thing, I didn't think to take pictures - but after talking to my tech-savvy sister, Krista (check out her website: The Family Geek at http://www.thefamilygeek.ca/), it became clear that I should.  For this instance, you'll have to settle for what I've found on the internet.  In the future - I promise to be more diligent.

Green Tray advertises itself as a cafeteria, restaurant and a cafe; providing the opportunity to grab-and-go, sit and enjoy a meal, or relax over a drink and snack.  While the term cafeteria isn't really all that appealing and not necessarily one that I would use to advertise, I can see the parallels. The name Green Tray is actually very appropriate for the restaurant.  Yes, quite literally, the trays are green... but it's more than that.  The restaurant decor speaks "green": clean lines and open space.  It is a relaxing atmosphere with an air of sustainability, comfortable wicker chairs, clean white tables and a complete lack of clutter.  Something that isn't lacking, though - customers.  In our 2 hour visit, customers were coming and going - some to use the express counter and take their food to go (there's the cafeteria aspect), others to enjoy their dinner on site, and a few who sat studying and snacking.  The majority of visitors seemed to be students, but that certainly didn't make the restaurant feel as though it was suited only to that market of customers. 

The organization of the restaurant is different from many.  Everyone orders from the same register in front of the express line.  You help yourself to drinks, and if you choose to stay on site to eat, they will deliver the food to the table of your choosing once it is ready. The menu? The website (found here: http://www.green-tray.com/ ) states that "Green Tray Restaurant is an Asian Fusion restaurant serving a wide selection of cuisine such as Cantonese Dim Sum, Chinese Stir-fry, Taiwanese Bubble Tea, Korean spicy dishes and Japanese Sushi." ...Which, to me, summed up to somewhat confusing at first glance... But with a little dedication (and by paying attention to the headings that I seemed to miss at first!), it was actually nice to have a variety. 

Now, I am not a very adventurous eater (part of the reason why this 40 in 40 adventure is so great for me, and perhaps why my above statement about variety may raise eyebrows), so I opted for the wonton soup and a spring roll to start, and as my main, sweet and sour chicken over noodles.  Tonia and Todd also ordered soup to start; Tonia having curry chicken as a main and Todd choosing steamed vegetables and spicy Korean chicken from the express line over noodles. Samer ordered the Vietnamese chicken noodle soup.  Here's where the not-so-positive aspect of the evening comes in... Three of our orders and the starter soups were made to order from the kitchen.  Of course, Todd's meal came from the express line, so it was ready first. The timing from there was odd.  Tonia's curry chicken arrived before the soups and my spring roll, and then Samer's Vietnamese chicken noodle soup was quite some time after everything else, leaving him to sit and wait awkwardly while the rest of us felt badly for starting to eat so that our food didn't go cold. The soups, though - very hot (nice on a chilly evening, but I still miss that skin on the roof of my mouth) BUT very bland.  I added some soy sauce for flavour, and that definitely helped.  The spring roll was good - nice and flaky, flavourful...Then, as I plunged into my HUGE portion of sweet and sour chicken (all of the portions are quite large - so be prepared!), I was disappointed to find that my noodles under the chicken were barely warm. For me, this was a frustrating thing because I had specifically avoided the express line in order to ensure that things would be hot and fresh... Instead, I was left wondering if there was a mass quantity of noodles in the kitchen ready to warm up and add to any meal. Generally, the food was also greasier than what I expected.  When I think "green", I think fresh ingredients cooked without, or with few oils.  While I'm not a chef and may have no idea how to cook this kind of food, I certainly think it could have been made with less oil - especially the soup (which had oil on the surface).

On a good note, while we ate, I noticed how comfortable it was to sit there.  The temperature of the restaurant was nice (I can't stand cold or hot air blowing on me while I'm eating), the seats were cozy, and as we continued to be our usual boisterous selves, we didn't seem to be bothering any of the other customers - including those studying (unless, of course, they were just being polite).  In addition, the staff were polite and courteous, which goes a long way. 

And now, the nitty gritty. 
THE FORK RATINGS (food rated on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best possible score):
Carrie: 2 forks. Greasiness and lack of flavour.  The spring roll saved this one.
Tonia: 2.5 forks. I sampled her curry chicken - while the rice wasn't super fresh, the dish was pretty flavourful!
Todd: 2 forks. Lukewarm noodles were saved by the spicy-ness of the Korean Chicken.
Samer: 1 fork. The soup was very bland and left a lot to be desired. Avoid.

OVERALL SCORE: 2 forks
Generally speaking, I think that if other factors other than food were considered here, the rating may be better. I also know people who go to Green Tray quite frequently (especially for use of the express line); but all in all, only 2 forks would dig in to this food.


See you next week!  We are heading to Saigon Delights on Bagot Street!

Green Tray on Urbanspoon


Thursday 11 October 2012

And the adventure begins...

Nestled in south eastern Ontario, Kingston is a city that is set on Lake Ontario and is rich in history and beauty. I have had the pleasure of calling Kingston home since 2006, and one trend has remained consistent for me since my move here: I love to eat out.  Lucky for me - whether driven by the wide variety of food interests of the 120,000+ residents or impacted by the tourists that frequent here - there are a lot of restaurants to choose from when I feel like "heading out for a bite".

For the last couple of years, my friends and I have committed to getting together once a week to enjoy good food and good company.  Our mantra is "the more the merrier", and we inevitably always find ourselves sitting with a delicious spread in front of us, catching up on the week with laughs abound and looking forward to what the next week will bring.  Then, last week, we thought "how many restaurants are we missing out on?".  The reality for Kingston is that there are hundreds of restaurants across the city.  The reality for us, though, is that while we have been to a good number, we often "default" to those with which we are most familiar. 

And so, the idea was born.  What if we challenged ourselves to eat at a different restaurant every week?  How many "hidden gems" would we find? 

40 Restaurants in 40 Weeks.  The idea is simple.  We continue our traditional get-togethers, but now we won't repeat a restaurant visit until we have been to 40 different establishments.  We are doing our best to avoid chain restaurants, and each week, we will rate our overall experience using the scientifically proven and highly effective "FORK RATING SYSTEM".  Five forks is the best experience possible with food, decor and service all being kept in mind... Zero forks... well, lets hope we don't get there.

So now, it begins!  Last night, we met at our first stop in the adventure and the restaurant that I will write about soon: Green Tray.

Stay tuned for details of our visit to Green Tray, as well as 39 other establishments in Kingston that we will visit in the coming weeks and months! Please keep in mind - my friends and I are not professional food critics... just people who like to eat (my waistline can attest to that fact).  Why not spread the word on what's out there?
Photo courtesy of Queen's University Website