Beware, Ye Bloodsucking Fiends

Whether you're a fan of the original Bram Stoker titular character, Dracula, or if you prefer the German expressionist Nosferatu, or if you're anything like me--Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer--vampires have been a part of folklore and pop culture long before Twilight made them sparkle in the moonlight.  In both the western and eastern tradition, the thought of vampires emerged from superstitions about the dead. If a cat jumped over a dead body--vampire.  Forget to ward off spirits by placing a coin or obolus (you crazy Greeks) over the corpse's mouth?  Vampire.  Wake up one morning in a dewy meadow?  Vampire.  (OK, I never actually read Twilight.)  And out of this long mythology of the blood-sucking undead comes an equally impressive list of ways to ward off vampires: a good old-fashioned wooden stake to the heart, holy water, sunlight, and garlic.  According to Mike, some guy who runs a vampire website, "Garlic is indeed effective in repelling vampires. In particular, it is the chemical allicin in garlic that provides the effective chemical and odorous properties."  So beware, ye bloodsucking fiends, dinner club regrouped and headed to Richmond Row to the long-established Garlic's where you can have a serving of garlic for every course including dessert (the house special garlic ice cream).

With a full moon waning, a new Scooby Gang started the evening with an assortment of appetizers.  One Reviewer enjoyed his garlic bisque and commented that it was "thoroughly bisquey!"  The scallops and the fried rice balls were also crowd-pleasers.  Unfortunately, the garlic and brie toast was a bit strong...vampires beware!  From the wild boar entrée, to the roasted chicken, to the seafood pasta there wasn't a single negative comment about the dinner. Double Baby Mama enjoyed the sweetness of having whole garlic cloves with the roasted chicken and The Professional delighted in the heat from the  chorizo in the seafood pasta.  For dessert, Fuzzy Nipples proclaimed the crème brûlée to be the best she's ever had. Semantically speaking, there were a few complaints that the churros weren't hollow and therefore weren't technically churros (which is debatable) but the words "num, num, num," surpass the technicality.  In addition to a fantastic meal from start to finish, both the owner and the chef came to speak to our boisterous group.  The owner talked to us about some of the fresh and locally-sourced items (including potted herbs that line the kitchen window connected to the dining room) and the chef told us about the apiary located on the roof of their Richmond Row restaurant.  The apiary provides the restaurant with fresh honey and offers diners a unique choice of bee-pollen ice cream.  But from what I've read, bee pollen won't ward off the undead so maybe just stick with the garlic.

Wild Boar Entrée

Overall, our dinner at Garlic's was amazing.  However, getting away from the kids and not being attacked by vampires always has a positive effect on any group of parents (since most of us would rather a vampire attack than another evening with our locally-sourced monsters). 


Location: Garlic's of London (481 Richmond Street London, ON)
Entree Cost: $25-30
Number of Reviewers: 11
Value: $ $ $ 1/2
Overall: * * * 1/2