There's nothing that warms the heart more then a nice evening with your friends, sharing a nice meal and community theater. A few weeks ago, a bunch of us went to support our friend staring in a local musical in Carleton Place, ON. To fill our bellies, one of our friends recommended Ballygiblins. We had a little bit of difficulty finding the place right away, but once we got there, I was impressed. The decor was classy, but still light enough for a friendly atmosphere. I did not feel like this place was snobby, but it was welcoming with a touch of class. Being the holiday season, they did a good job at adding a small festive touch while not going overboard.
For my meal, I ordered the bacon and cheddar burger while the boss ordered the soup of the day(it was an apple cream soup) and quesadillas. Our friends all ordered a mix of burgers, sandwiches and the beef vindaloo. The server was very friendly and accommodating. He was quick with the drinks, smiled and had an opinion on the food when asked. With it being such a large table, our food took a little longer to come out, but that was expected. The place slowly filled up and I found it a bit noisy in our area, but our larger group may have had a part in that.
The food that came was presented very well. With my burger, the sauces came in separate tiny bowls for you to mix and apply to your burger. The patty was homemade and the seasoning was excellent. The only complaint about the burger was that they used what I believe was french bread, or a different type of bread (I'll edit this once I remember the name of the bread), instead of burger buns. This made presentation excellent, and innovative, but practicality was not as considered. My patty fell apart and it was a little bit more difficult to eat. Overall, the burger was tasty, moist and jumping with flavour. The soup the boss ordered was raved about at the table by those who got it. I had a small taste and would have to agree. The flavours really jumped out without being too overbearing. The quesadillas on the other hand was much more disappointing. After seeing how everyone else meals were, the quesadillas was...well...quesadillas. There was nothing special about them. The boss was really expecting something more, even if it were some mix of spices, or different types of sauces, cheese, or dips. This was the only unfortunate part of the meal. For those who did order desert, they were happy that their sweet tooth was satisfied. Once again the presentation was wonderful. Someone even ordered a desert after having a tasting of someone else.
The bills for the food came and the totals were very reasonable. Overall, we had a great experience. The food was good, (except for the quesadillas), the atmosphere was well done, and the service was perfect. This is a classy enough place for a date, but not too classy for a family gathering or a "I'm too lazy to cook" meal. I would go back.
Review (out of 5):
Food: * * * * 1/2
Value: * * * * 1/2
Atmosphere: * * * * *
Service: * * * * *
Price Range (dinner): $12 - $24
Website: http://ballygiblins.ca/
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Hy's Steakhouse
For the bosses birthday, I took her out to Hy's Steakhouse in downtown Ottawa. I've heard that this place was where you'd go for the best steak in town. We went on a Sunday night and easily found street parking not too far from the local. The outside of the restaurant was unimpressive. As we walked into the place, it was night and day. The place was decorated in an older style decor, with dark woods, high ceilings, low lighting and painting from the 1800's. The place was very classy. We got seated and were handed our menus and a very thick wine menu. I ordered a very tasty beer and the boss had her martini. We also had a glass of house wine each for dinner. They had a very nice selection of wines to pick from. In the middle of the room, there was a big glass encasing with a huge grill in the middle. This was exciting for we would be able to watch our steaks being cooked. Our server was very friendly and professional. We ended up ordering the same thing, The "only" New York Strip with Hy's special sauce. We also ordered crab cakes, ahi tuna and a Cesar salad for an appetizer.
We got the crab cakes and the tuna very soon, and it was VERY well done. the portions were not skimpy but not too much. The flavor from both were delicious. As we were eating there, the server came by and rolled out a cart by our table. At first, I thought it was just to help him serve. Soon he returned with some bowls and ingredients, and started to make our Cesar salad in front of us. You can't get any fresher then that. As we sat there, we watched him crack the egg, mix in the oils and anchovies, and then served us a excellent, hand made, and very fresh salad. The steaks soon arrived from our glass grilling box. The first cut was perfect. The steak was not dry, but very juicy and full of flavour. The seasoning was well proportioned and the Hy's sauce added a perfect amount of kick. The meat itself was cooked perfectly, but the cut wasn't perfect. By no means was it horrible, but I've had a better cut of steak, and this one had some tendons in it that I was not expecting to see in a higher quality steak. On the side, I ordered a twice baked potatoe. This means, after the first bake, they add the works to it, and bake it again. It was one of the best mix of baked potatoes I have had.
This was a special meal at a fancy place, and Hy's is by no means a cheap place to go. The average main course is about 30$ each. Appetizers range from 7$-15$. The service was perfect, and non-intrusive. The atmosphere would be perfect for a romantic dinner, or a fancy night out. Maybe because it was a Sunday night, or the bad economy, but the restaurant was virtually empty. There seemed like there was maybe 3 or 4 other tables on top of us.
I would go back, and I would recommend other to go here if they are looking for a nice fancy steakhouse. Order the Cesar salad, the novelty is pretty cool.
We got the crab cakes and the tuna very soon, and it was VERY well done. the portions were not skimpy but not too much. The flavor from both were delicious. As we were eating there, the server came by and rolled out a cart by our table. At first, I thought it was just to help him serve. Soon he returned with some bowls and ingredients, and started to make our Cesar salad in front of us. You can't get any fresher then that. As we sat there, we watched him crack the egg, mix in the oils and anchovies, and then served us a excellent, hand made, and very fresh salad. The steaks soon arrived from our glass grilling box. The first cut was perfect. The steak was not dry, but very juicy and full of flavour. The seasoning was well proportioned and the Hy's sauce added a perfect amount of kick. The meat itself was cooked perfectly, but the cut wasn't perfect. By no means was it horrible, but I've had a better cut of steak, and this one had some tendons in it that I was not expecting to see in a higher quality steak. On the side, I ordered a twice baked potatoe. This means, after the first bake, they add the works to it, and bake it again. It was one of the best mix of baked potatoes I have had.
This was a special meal at a fancy place, and Hy's is by no means a cheap place to go. The average main course is about 30$ each. Appetizers range from 7$-15$. The service was perfect, and non-intrusive. The atmosphere would be perfect for a romantic dinner, or a fancy night out. Maybe because it was a Sunday night, or the bad economy, but the restaurant was virtually empty. There seemed like there was maybe 3 or 4 other tables on top of us.
I would go back, and I would recommend other to go here if they are looking for a nice fancy steakhouse. Order the Cesar salad, the novelty is pretty cool.
Review (out of 5):
Food: * * * * 1/2
Value: * * * *
Atmosphere: * * * * *
Service: * * * * *
Price range (dinner): $30-$80
Website: http://www.hyssteakhouse.com/
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