Where do I begin? We've been 3 times so far and each time we leave wanting more. Most recently it was simply to have a couple drinks and enjoy the ambiance. Luckily we sat right in front of the bar tenders and were entertained during our stay.
http://www.aydenkitchenandbar.com/
Rating: 1-Poor 5-Great
Atmosphere...................5
Music.............................5
Food..............................5
Service...........................5
Menu selection...............5
Wine selection................5
Price..............................5*
*Price based on quality of food
The first time we enjoyed this restaurant we chose the sausage platter as a starter. Fantastic. And I love that they serve so many things simply on a cutting board. 3 types of sausage each with a little garnish or sauce. The simplicity of this makes it so delicious.
The second time I opted for the shrimp. I adore shrimp, so I'm easily satisfied. But again, the batter, the spicy aioli...it's fantastic. My partner had the scallops, and they too hit the nail on the head. Expertly seasoned and cooked perfectly.
Our mains the first time were the pork loin for me and steak for my partner. We're always hesitant to order steak in a restaurant as he cooks it so well at home. But he was not disappointed. Hard to be disappointed with ribeye. My pork was so tender and juicy and the cheese grits underneath were an excellent accompaniment.
Our second time I had the simple burger. And Oh. My. God. I think I enjoyed the bun the most. Clearly housemade with a buttery top. And the fries. My my the fries. I've never had fries that good before. This could be dangerous considering my office is only a block away. My partner selected the pasta special of the evening, and I can't recall exactly what was in it, but it was good. And service. They are attentive without being annoying, and know how to serve. I like this.
We've only had dessert once, you don't need anything sweet after your main, it's that good. I believe we had the chocolate cake, and it was delicious.
Our most recent visit was just for drinks, and we may have ordered the shrimp with aioli again. :-) The bar tenders are awesome. Not in a showy way, but just entertaining while they mix interesting drinks. My new favourite is a raspberry, gin, egg white thing. I can't recall the name, but it's fun, girly and delicious.
Overall this place gets a 5.
I can't wait to go back!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
the Hollows - Saskatoon
Heard great things about this place. I think most notably is the fact that the decor hasn't much changed since it was a Chinese restaurant. The exterior still has the old signage, including "Chop Suey, Steak etc" listed on the facade. And the "Golden Dragon" sign hanging above the door. The interior retained the Chinese lanterns and I believe some of the old chairs and booths. It's eclectic.
http://thehollows.ca/
Rating: 1-Poor 5-Great
Atmosphere...................4
Music.............................n/a
Food..............................4
Service...........................2.5
Menu selection.............3
Wine selection...............3
Price...............................3.5*
*Price based on quality of food
We arrived on time for our reservation, but I'm not sure they had it, or the server just couldn't read. She seemed a bit...ditzy for the most part. We sat in the Lantern Room. It was neat.
The menu is small, but I understand the chef likes to use local fair, which in March in Saskatchewan, doesn't equal a lot. The wine list is decent, you'll find something. And the mixed drinks seem pretty standard. The server brought the wrong wine for my dining partner (see above), but once we had it straightened out, both were equally good.
We started off with a simple appetizer of poutine and a hempseed sourdough served with honey butter. The latter was delicious. I'm not much of a poutine girl, so the poutine was, well poutine.
For our main I chose a tomato and feta papperdelle, which was tasty, but nothing exciting. I could easily recreate this at home - which I will. My partner chose a trout on risotto. It was very good with a nice crusted exterior. The risotto was quite runny, which is not my preference.
Finally for dessert we selected a lemon and lavender custard. This was fantastic. I believe my comment was "we should have ordered 6 of these for dinner" :-) Creamy and tart with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top. Very good.
It was a nice night out, and I think we'd return, but certainly not eager to get there. Just little things like leaving the menus on the table and forgetting to bring the bill, they don't sit well. But this isn't the restaurant's error, it's the server.
Overall I'd rate this place a 3.
http://thehollows.ca/
Rating: 1-Poor 5-Great
Atmosphere...................4
Music.............................n/a
Food..............................4
Service...........................2.5
Menu selection.............3
Wine selection...............3
Price...............................3.5*
*Price based on quality of food
We arrived on time for our reservation, but I'm not sure they had it, or the server just couldn't read. She seemed a bit...ditzy for the most part. We sat in the Lantern Room. It was neat.
The menu is small, but I understand the chef likes to use local fair, which in March in Saskatchewan, doesn't equal a lot. The wine list is decent, you'll find something. And the mixed drinks seem pretty standard. The server brought the wrong wine for my dining partner (see above), but once we had it straightened out, both were equally good.
We started off with a simple appetizer of poutine and a hempseed sourdough served with honey butter. The latter was delicious. I'm not much of a poutine girl, so the poutine was, well poutine.
For our main I chose a tomato and feta papperdelle, which was tasty, but nothing exciting. I could easily recreate this at home - which I will. My partner chose a trout on risotto. It was very good with a nice crusted exterior. The risotto was quite runny, which is not my preference.
Finally for dessert we selected a lemon and lavender custard. This was fantastic. I believe my comment was "we should have ordered 6 of these for dinner" :-) Creamy and tart with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top. Very good.
It was a nice night out, and I think we'd return, but certainly not eager to get there. Just little things like leaving the menus on the table and forgetting to bring the bill, they don't sit well. But this isn't the restaurant's error, it's the server.
Overall I'd rate this place a 3.
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