10111 Bellamy Hill Road
780-428-6611
Bree's Selection
With high prices comes high expectations and La Ronde is certainly a restaurant with a reputation. Angela even wore a dress to mark the occasion of Dinner Club’s fifth anniversary. If you haven’t already heard, La Ronde is Edmonton’s only revolving restaurant. Located on the 24th floor of the Chateau Lacombe Hotel, it offers a fine dining experience accompanied by music in a classy atmosphere. Despite a prolonged wait for our drinks, our server Jay turned out to be quite the entertainer. Once he warmed up to us, he even renamed himself El Chino. Our whistle wetters for the night included Inniskillin times two bottles for the girls. It was delicious. Somewhat surprising was the plethora of mocktails offered for Dave’s enjoyment. He chose the Burt Reynolds (cherry juice and Coke) and wasn’t disappointed. Alright, appies: Ang had tomato bisque and gin soup. She couldn’t taste the gin but a clear swirl served as proof it was there. Dave chose another soup selection: a marvelous mushroom medley. The aftertaste was as mesmerizing as the first slurp. Bree’s crab cakes were an obvious choice for her but these ones were especially moist and might have been her favourite so far. For the main course, it was steaks all around. Dave’s was a slightly undercooked rib eye. Angela loved her triple A sirloin. Intrigued by the name deconstructed beef Wellington, Bree took the bait. It was D-licious but she wished there was more pastry. La Ronde’s numerous dessert selections were impressive. Angela’s confection of choice was the banana and mango ice cream bomb. Judging by the fact that she left half the bland ice cream behind, she didn’t think it was the bomb after all. Don’t let the description “Honey and Toasted Pinenut Tart” fool you, Dave’s dessert was more than just a mouthful of words. The ginger taste was a definite highlight. Bree didn’t think her fresh strawberry sampler was super great but it was better than the others. Aside from bring a day too early for the improved view (the downtown core’s Christmas lights started a day later), La Ronde was incroyable, magnifique and… awesome. At a rate of one rotation per hour, we enjoyed two rounds of scenery on one great evening. A la prochaine!
The Burg - July 20, 2013
10190-104 St. 780-760-1780
Angela’s Selection
Congratulations to the Burg for being blessed with our presence on its grand opening weekend. Even so, reservations were not needed as it was surprisingly slow. It was a brick building with an industrial feel. As we entered, there was a pub atmosphere with an open concept to their seating. However, as we ventured farther into the space, wrap around booths offered a more private dining experience. It was the best of both worlds. The top three things we loved about the décor were 1) The cow print design on the benches in the booths. 2) The cluster of bare bulbs that lit our table. 3) The great amount of TV’s showing various games. Our usual game of guess the waitress’s name got a bit carried away. No one guessed her name (It was Shannon) so we tried to guess her other two occupations. She also tried to guess our first names, and when that didn’t go well (Bree is not a Barb), she attempted to predict what we would order. Again, not successful. By this time, we knew we had a kindred spirit in Shannon. Must have been because she was a yoga instructor too. Bree insists we mention that she guessed that correctly. Yay for Bree! Shannon bought her a free drink as a reward. Alrighty, let’s get down to the nitty gritty… food. For a burger joint, the selection was amazing. The appetizers we chose were salt and pepper potato chips, deep fried pickles (the best in the city), and prosciutto wrapped prawns. Truly, it would have been filling enough if we stopped there but of course it’s Dinner Club so we didn’t! Let’s talk burgers. Angela opted for her usual bison burger. Bree ordered the Burg’s self-titled special: The Burg, which came stuffed with bacon and cheese. Not to be outdone, Dave decided on the largest burger on the menu, aptly called The Man Amongst Boys. And despite Shannon’s disparaging remarks, he proved he was a man by finishing it all. Dessert time! There was somewhat of a kerfuffle when Dave did the unexpected by passing on the apple crumble in favour of the ice cream sandwich. Angela saved the day by agreeing to have the crumble. Bree had the lemon tart. As it turned out, the cookies that sandwiched the ice cream were much too tough. The lemon tart was too tart. And the apple crumble was just right. Lucky Angela. The Burg was the trifecta of all awesomeness: Good friends, good food and a sassy waitress. Three bottles of wine didn’t hurt either.
Angela’s Selection
Congratulations to the Burg for being blessed with our presence on its grand opening weekend. Even so, reservations were not needed as it was surprisingly slow. It was a brick building with an industrial feel. As we entered, there was a pub atmosphere with an open concept to their seating. However, as we ventured farther into the space, wrap around booths offered a more private dining experience. It was the best of both worlds. The top three things we loved about the décor were 1) The cow print design on the benches in the booths. 2) The cluster of bare bulbs that lit our table. 3) The great amount of TV’s showing various games. Our usual game of guess the waitress’s name got a bit carried away. No one guessed her name (It was Shannon) so we tried to guess her other two occupations. She also tried to guess our first names, and when that didn’t go well (Bree is not a Barb), she attempted to predict what we would order. Again, not successful. By this time, we knew we had a kindred spirit in Shannon. Must have been because she was a yoga instructor too. Bree insists we mention that she guessed that correctly. Yay for Bree! Shannon bought her a free drink as a reward. Alrighty, let’s get down to the nitty gritty… food. For a burger joint, the selection was amazing. The appetizers we chose were salt and pepper potato chips, deep fried pickles (the best in the city), and prosciutto wrapped prawns. Truly, it would have been filling enough if we stopped there but of course it’s Dinner Club so we didn’t! Let’s talk burgers. Angela opted for her usual bison burger. Bree ordered the Burg’s self-titled special: The Burg, which came stuffed with bacon and cheese. Not to be outdone, Dave decided on the largest burger on the menu, aptly called The Man Amongst Boys. And despite Shannon’s disparaging remarks, he proved he was a man by finishing it all. Dessert time! There was somewhat of a kerfuffle when Dave did the unexpected by passing on the apple crumble in favour of the ice cream sandwich. Angela saved the day by agreeing to have the crumble. Bree had the lemon tart. As it turned out, the cookies that sandwiched the ice cream were much too tough. The lemon tart was too tart. And the apple crumble was just right. Lucky Angela. The Burg was the trifecta of all awesomeness: Good friends, good food and a sassy waitress. Three bottles of wine didn’t hurt either.
Nineteen (XIX) - June 7, 2013
5940 Mullen Way 780-395-1119
Dave’s Selection
It is customary for the restaurant selector to give the other participants a heads up regarding price and dress code. On both accounts Dave failed. We felt a bit under dressed and we didn’t pack enough cash into our wallets. We nearly had to wash dishes! On this wondrous occasion, Ang brought her forever plus one, Graeme. Actually, this was his second time. Overall, the décor looked nice but on closer inspection the tile and leather on the walls looked like they’d become dated in a few years. On the other hand, Bree loved the open concept kitchen and Dave thought the “molecular structure” chandeliers were a cool touch. Let’s talk about our server, Joanne. She started off on the right foot when we realized she had mutual friends with Bree. She had a solid sense of humour and the service was up there with the best we’ve had. Now it’s time for the food: We had two appetizers and two salads to get the evening rolling. The first appie was mussels with hand cut fries and bread with a salted crust. The second appie was lamb ballz with pasta in marinara sauce. Both were delicious, but the salads were other worldly. If you ever have the chance, order the Californian which included mixed greens, cashews, strawberries, feta and chicken. The other salad, the Asian, was equally tasty and provided a zesty alternative to the Californian. For the main dish there was an abundance of seafood on the menu which relegated Dave to the chicken served with a scrumptious side of mac and cheese. Graeme really wanted the short ribs but somehow ended up with the sea bass so Angela switched her halibut and linguine with him. It was a little too creamy for Ang’s liking so the swap worked for everyone. Bree had the beef tenderloin (recommended by Joanne) which she enjoyed immensely. Sometimes selecting the wine based on its name works out. Dog Point tasted so good we ordered a second bottle. It was a decent dessert menu. Angela had the sour cream cheese cake which was light and fluffy. Bree went with the crème brule which was a little on the cold side. Graeme got an espresso bread pudding and didn’t have to worry about anyone stealing it from him. Dave wasn’t adventurous and got his usual apple tart. And to top it all off, Joanne brought each of us a bite of molten lava cake that was off the menu. If you ever hit up Nineteen, dress better than we did and ask for Joanne. Guaranteed good times!
Dave’s Selection
It is customary for the restaurant selector to give the other participants a heads up regarding price and dress code. On both accounts Dave failed. We felt a bit under dressed and we didn’t pack enough cash into our wallets. We nearly had to wash dishes! On this wondrous occasion, Ang brought her forever plus one, Graeme. Actually, this was his second time. Overall, the décor looked nice but on closer inspection the tile and leather on the walls looked like they’d become dated in a few years. On the other hand, Bree loved the open concept kitchen and Dave thought the “molecular structure” chandeliers were a cool touch. Let’s talk about our server, Joanne. She started off on the right foot when we realized she had mutual friends with Bree. She had a solid sense of humour and the service was up there with the best we’ve had. Now it’s time for the food: We had two appetizers and two salads to get the evening rolling. The first appie was mussels with hand cut fries and bread with a salted crust. The second appie was lamb ballz with pasta in marinara sauce. Both were delicious, but the salads were other worldly. If you ever have the chance, order the Californian which included mixed greens, cashews, strawberries, feta and chicken. The other salad, the Asian, was equally tasty and provided a zesty alternative to the Californian. For the main dish there was an abundance of seafood on the menu which relegated Dave to the chicken served with a scrumptious side of mac and cheese. Graeme really wanted the short ribs but somehow ended up with the sea bass so Angela switched her halibut and linguine with him. It was a little too creamy for Ang’s liking so the swap worked for everyone. Bree had the beef tenderloin (recommended by Joanne) which she enjoyed immensely. Sometimes selecting the wine based on its name works out. Dog Point tasted so good we ordered a second bottle. It was a decent dessert menu. Angela had the sour cream cheese cake which was light and fluffy. Bree went with the crème brule which was a little on the cold side. Graeme got an espresso bread pudding and didn’t have to worry about anyone stealing it from him. Dave wasn’t adventurous and got his usual apple tart. And to top it all off, Joanne brought each of us a bite of molten lava cake that was off the menu. If you ever hit up Nineteen, dress better than we did and ask for Joanne. Guaranteed good times!
Numchok Willai's - March 8, 2013
10623- 124 Street (Edmonton) - March 8, 2013
Bree's Selection
Because of limited parking out front, we sneaked around to the back and discovered an entrance from that side too. The restaurant consisted of a small space holding twenty tables and three large buddhas. The table cloths with elephants embroidered on them were mighty cool but nothing else stood out. Even though the decor didn't grab our attention, the food certainly did. And after all people, isn't that why we go to restaurants? For the love of food. We shared only one appetizer which isn't like us at all: fried wontons with a fish sauce on the side. They were crispy delish. The rest of the meal was sharezies (which translates to fight Zawada for your right to eat). No food forts allowed. We had pa-nang chicken, steamed egg plant, pad thai, hot basil beef and coconut rice. It was a cage match between the chicken and the beef for which was best. Bree felt it was a split decision. Dave didn't give the egg plant a chance, didn't even try it. Bree and Ang were steamed! Ha ha. Oh dessert, sweet dessert. Ang's coconut black sticky rice and mango was good but she was no fan of the hard rice. Bree and Dave ended up with variations of the same dessert: deep fried banana with whipped cream and chocolate and ice cream, but Bree opted out on the ice cream. It was comme ci comme ca according to Bree. Dave loved it long time. All told we were in and out within an hour which compels us to offer a strategy for restaurants that rush: order one course at a time. For instance, order appies. Relax. Drink. Rinse. Repeat... until you're through all the courses. On the way out the door, we had a nice chat with Santi (the owner) about an article in Avenue magazine that ranked Edmonton restaurants. Having been to most of the restaurants on the list, we're confident with placing Numchok Willai's fifth on our list (based on food alone).
Until we meet again...
Bree's Selection
Because of limited parking out front, we sneaked around to the back and discovered an entrance from that side too. The restaurant consisted of a small space holding twenty tables and three large buddhas. The table cloths with elephants embroidered on them were mighty cool but nothing else stood out. Even though the decor didn't grab our attention, the food certainly did. And after all people, isn't that why we go to restaurants? For the love of food. We shared only one appetizer which isn't like us at all: fried wontons with a fish sauce on the side. They were crispy delish. The rest of the meal was sharezies (which translates to fight Zawada for your right to eat). No food forts allowed. We had pa-nang chicken, steamed egg plant, pad thai, hot basil beef and coconut rice. It was a cage match between the chicken and the beef for which was best. Bree felt it was a split decision. Dave didn't give the egg plant a chance, didn't even try it. Bree and Ang were steamed! Ha ha. Oh dessert, sweet dessert. Ang's coconut black sticky rice and mango was good but she was no fan of the hard rice. Bree and Dave ended up with variations of the same dessert: deep fried banana with whipped cream and chocolate and ice cream, but Bree opted out on the ice cream. It was comme ci comme ca according to Bree. Dave loved it long time. All told we were in and out within an hour which compels us to offer a strategy for restaurants that rush: order one course at a time. For instance, order appies. Relax. Drink. Rinse. Repeat... until you're through all the courses. On the way out the door, we had a nice chat with Santi (the owner) about an article in Avenue magazine that ranked Edmonton restaurants. Having been to most of the restaurants on the list, we're confident with placing Numchok Willai's fifth on our list (based on food alone).
Until we meet again...
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