Mea Culpa
So you might have thought that the lack of a blog meant
a lack of a dinner club. Not so. While we continued to dinner club as
much as possible, I failed in my blogging responsibilities. Someone
should have told me that being a mom/wife/teacher/coach and all the
other things that make up my day means that "free-time" is that elusive
phrase normally saved for moments that start with "remember when..." So
here we are with a mad-dash review of three restaurants. In the spirit of my favourite cooking shows (Chopped, Master
Chef, Iron Chef), let's see which chef will remain standing and which
dish will reign supreme!
Our first contestant is a fixture of the Richmond Row eateries: Blue Ginger. Service was paramount here. The owner escorted us to the loft dining area and offered our large group an assortment of appetizers (note: always ask about the cost of "put together an assortment" before blindly offering to
pay for the group). With a
special mention to the Fire and Ice Sushi and an epic review of the
Ginger Prawn Ravioli from NumNumNum (she even drew a picture of her
food) the food was well-received. The Bug continued to be impressed by
the service as the night went on and the special attention from the
owner and our personal waiter was much appreciated. The beer selection,
however, was lacking and Sir RAL and Grasshopper Girl were disappointed
with aspects of their meals (the duck and the crème brûlée, respectively).
Next on the chopping block is a new restaurant in a converted church: The Springs. This busy new hot spot could not seat us until 8:00. We arrived hungry and ready to eat. Yet table rolls didn't appear until 8:45 (and dinner an hour after that). The waitress seemed sorely out of place. For a fine-dining atmosphere she seemed better suited to a pub. When Moves Like Jagger dropped her knife the waitress replaced it with someone else's from the table. Overall, the food was good (the Pumpkin Cheesecake was almost worth the waitress) but--as The Great Cornholyo reflected, "SO HUNGRY!"--it just wasn't worth the wait. The only saving grace was when the chef came to ask us about our evening and explained some of the dishes to us. The Pan-Spanked Chicken (despite our theories) came out of working with troubled youth--apparently "spanking" a chicken with a frying pan is an excellent release for aggression.
Our final contestant is another fixture in the downtown scene:
LaCasa Ristorante. The cosy atmosphere and low-lighting set the mood
for this dinner. The food selection was nothing new (calamari, Caesar
salad, gnocchi, penne, etc.) but executed with such precision that
everyone raved about their meal. Caesar Tagliolini thought it was the
best calamari he's ever had and Scratchy Italian was impressed with the
garlic level on the Caesar salad. The repeated comment for this dinner
was how knowledgeable and fun the waitress was (and yes, Napoleon DiAvolo
did ask a lot of questions). As Napoleon quipped at the height of his
wit (and the bottom of his cups), "LaCasa was La great!"
As you can see, LaCasa was the clear winner. I would be willing to go back to Blue Ginger anytime and I think I would be willing to try The Springs again once they've tweaked their dinner service (and perhaps changed over the wait staff). Here's hoping that this mom/wife/teacher/coach can maintain the foodie and blogger title going forward.
Location: Blue Ginger (644 Richmond St., London, ON)
Entree Cost: $15-25
Number of Reviewers: 8
Value: $ $ 1/2
Overall: * * * 1/2
Location: The Springs (310 Springbank Dr., London, ON)
Entree Cost: $18-30
Number of Reviewers: 7
Value: $ $
Overall: * * 1/2
Location: LaCasa Ristorante (117 King St, London, ON)
Entree Cost: $15-30
Number of Reviewers: 6
Value: $ $ $ 1/2
Overall: * * * *
Our first contestant is a fixture of the Richmond Row eateries: Blue Ginger. Service was paramount here. The owner escorted us to the loft dining area and offered our large group an assortment of appetizers (note: always ask about the cost of "put together an assortment" before blindly offering to
 |
| Fire & Ice Sushi: Blue Ginger |
Next on the chopping block is a new restaurant in a converted church: The Springs. This busy new hot spot could not seat us until 8:00. We arrived hungry and ready to eat. Yet table rolls didn't appear until 8:45 (and dinner an hour after that). The waitress seemed sorely out of place. For a fine-dining atmosphere she seemed better suited to a pub. When Moves Like Jagger dropped her knife the waitress replaced it with someone else's from the table. Overall, the food was good (the Pumpkin Cheesecake was almost worth the waitress) but--as The Great Cornholyo reflected, "SO HUNGRY!"--it just wasn't worth the wait. The only saving grace was when the chef came to ask us about our evening and explained some of the dishes to us. The Pan-Spanked Chicken (despite our theories) came out of working with troubled youth--apparently "spanking" a chicken with a frying pan is an excellent release for aggression.
 |
| Pan-Spanked Chicken: The Springs |
As you can see, LaCasa was the clear winner. I would be willing to go back to Blue Ginger anytime and I think I would be willing to try The Springs again once they've tweaked their dinner service (and perhaps changed over the wait staff). Here's hoping that this mom/wife/teacher/coach can maintain the foodie and blogger title going forward.
Location: Blue Ginger (644 Richmond St., London, ON)
Entree Cost: $15-25
Number of Reviewers: 8
Value: $ $ 1/2
Overall: * * * 1/2
Location: The Springs (310 Springbank Dr., London, ON)
Entree Cost: $18-30
Number of Reviewers: 7
Value: $ $
Overall: * * 1/2
Location: LaCasa Ristorante (117 King St, London, ON)
Entree Cost: $15-30
Number of Reviewers: 6
Value: $ $ $ 1/2
Overall: * * * *
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