A small corridor in the restaurant

That is just a small part of the restaurant. You’ll have to check out the rest yourself!

I went with a company of five. If you’re lucky / unlucky, there are sometimes live music or entertainment at the restaurant. Though it will be a fun experience, probably not a good idea to go with people you would want to carry conversations with. I was a little disappointed as there was no live band during my visit. However, I was really immersed and enjoying the unique ambiance – felt like a totally different world from the usual Uptown King Street atmostphere.

Camarones in Green Tomatillo Sauce ($15.95)

If you’re similiar to me – with almost no prior encounters with Mexican food – the menu will probably look like a brochure full of alien codes. Luckily, there are helpful explanations under each intriguing dish listed on the menu. I ordered the Shrimp with Green Tomatillo Sauce, with a side of Guacamole ($4.25). It was a fascinating dish. To be honest, it was hard to benchmark is against anything else I’ve ever had, due to the lack of experience with Mexican food, so my enjoyment factor was amplified simply due to the exotic-ness of it.

The serving size was fantastic, way too much for me though. The presentation was unique, with the rice, shrimp in sauce, and a side salad separated on a long plate. Did I already mention… CACTUS!? Ooooooooooooh~

Beef Chorizo Enchiladas ($15.25)

This dish consists of corn tortillas with beef chorizo covered with your choice of sauce, topped with cheese and baked. There’s also a choice of chicken or vegetarian. Again, alien code. Wikipedia tells me that Chorizo is some kind of sausage, and Mexican ones are usually made with chili peppers.

Oaxacan Black Mole Chicken ($16)

Mole refers to different types of sauces used in Mexican Cuisine. Again, thank you Wikipedia – “The best known of Oaxaca’s moles is mole negro, which is darker than mole poblano and just as thick and rich. It also includes chocolate, as well as chili peppers, onions, garlic and more, but what makes it distinct is the addition of a plant called hoja santa. It is the most complex and difficult to make of the sauces.”

As you can see, the vocabulary of a Mexican restaurant menu is as foreign to me as a JavaScript code. Although a little on the pricey side, it was definitely a worthwhile visit. Did I also talk about how I polished off the tortilla chips & Guacamole? Heehee.

P.S. Magarita’s tweets!

One fine evening at dinner with an elderly couple, who has been in this region for many years, we chatted about the recent developments at Uptown. I told the dear lady how much I adore the new Cora’s for breakfast. She, on the other hand, told me:

Nothing beats a greasy breaky at Angie’s Kitchen with a couple of old friends. Pancakes, eggs and mmmmmmm bottomless fresh coffee. Just the right boost for the perfect morning before work.

With Cora’s just a 30 second sprint away, I would assume Angie’s to be having a challenging time maintaining her customer base since both cater to the all-day breakfast lovers. Cora’s healthy focus might attract the younger crowd but it is Angie’s that holds all the memories. Providing comfort food since the 1960s, this place has a great rustic decor and tons of old photographs on the walls to bring you down memory lane.

Break the Fast

I took quite a while to decide what to get as the menu had a wonderful variety. Was craving pancakes but my partner felt like french toast. Wanted sausages while the other demanded eggs. Both of us were starving though. What to do what to do what to do! Decisions decisions decisions!

After a looooong debate, we finally decided on the Country Style Breakfast ($11.95) to share. Yes, one dish to share. We were both skeptical when our server assured us it’ll be enough for the two ravenous customers.

We told each other,

Well, we’ll order again later.

Yea right.

Two eggs, bacon, ham, sausage. Two toast, homefries. Two pancakes, one french toast.

YES. ONE DISH. nom nom nom!

There is also the Angie’s Famous Early Bird Breakfast Special ($4.99) with two eggs, bacon/ham/sausage, toast and homefries – served till 11am. Other interesting menu items include the Angie’s Son-in-Law Sandwich ($7.95) and Dieter’s Breakfast ($3.99).

Pretty cosy place to visit. If only their maple syrup was sweeter, and their pies were prettier. Other than that, great food, great value for money and great place to create some memories.

Any other great diners around Loo?

As winter approaches, I’m constantly craving for two things – a bowl of warm comforting soup and a plate of greasy flavorful  BBQ. Hidden in a small plaza at Laurelwood  is Hog Tails BarBQue, Waterloo’s first down home barbecue restaurant.

Tucked away from the major areas in Waterloo, this place is rather tricky to find, something intended by the owner. This family restaurant is modeled after the best barbecue joints in the States, where the good ones are always located at hard-to-reach spots. Entering the restaurant, I was greeted by walls covered with pictures of adventures and BBQ competitions which the owners participated in at US.

Wall of memories

Brightly coloured walls accented the jolly atmosphere. As a cosy family-owned restaurant, the store is rather small so many customers prefer ordering take-outs. I shared a dish with my lady dining partner – serving size was so huge that we could barely finish!

BBQ sampler platters - BBQ chicken, Southern Style pulled pork and Texas beef brisket

The BBQ sampler platter($16.99) includes three meats (choice of ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, bbq chicken or hot wings) and two sides (I chose sweet potato fries and molasses baked beans). My favourite was the BBQ chicken. Not usually a huge fan of chicken, I was so pleased with the tenderness of it and agree with what’s written on the menu:

We bet this chicken is the juiciest smoked chicken around!

Oh, did I mention that they have AWESOME sweet potato fries?

Hog Tails is an excellent restaurant with sincere service, generous portions and reasonable prices. Check out their website for some barbecuing tips and check out their store for some authentic Southern cuisine.

Happy holidays! Stay safe, warm and continue visiting loudlunch in the new year!

Baker’s Cove prides itself as a restaurant that delivers the freshest seafood dishes. Hence, several menu items were unavailable during my visit. I am an avid fish lover. After being disappointed on numerous occasions  by the dry, tasteless salmon served in several restaurants, I’ve given up on ordering salmon when dining out. However, the excellent reviews on the  Poached Salmon with Fruit Salsa ($12.95) tempted me – I couldn’t resist.

Tender salmon poached in lemon herb tea

It was perfect! Excellent! Bravo! Nothing like the usual overcooked salmon served at other places! Wonderful!

Something to note – Baker’s Cove very thoughtfully offers a regular and small portion. Typically, ladies are satisfied with the smaller portion while men order the regular size. You can choose amongst different sides such as rice, roasted vegetables or fries. Everything is cooked in trans fat-free and cholesterol free canola oil. You can actually taste the difference. The other dish we ordered was the Sole Almandine ($11.95). It is an almond encrusted sole grilled with a light drizzle of lemon butter. It felt sweet and light rather than oily and heavy.

The service was excellent as well. A friendly, attentive and humorous server really enhances your dining experience.

Loyalty Card- 7th meal is free!

Hurray for the perfect salmon dish!

I was pleasantly surprised by the interior deco of the restaurant. With expectations of a bar atmosphere, I was greeted with cozy booths and wooden seats. The brick wall on one side, in combination with the dark red wall on the other, gave the ambiance a deep, romantic and mysterious touch. Wooden pillars with flowers and round bulbs also contributed to a unique dining experience.

Cozy Interior

The service was prompt. Despite reading about Marbles being extremely busy on the weekends, it was unusually quiet at noon on Saturday. Perfect for a lazy afternoon. I ordered the Ratatouille ($14.99) and the Lamb Burger with Chevrai ($12.99), with spinach salad instead of fries for an addition of $2.

Similar to how Blackberry and Apple are no longer associated with fruits at first thought, Ratatouille triggers an image of the Pixar rat instead of a dish. It is actually a traditional French stewed vegetable dish. The one at Marbles has zucchini, sweet peppers, eggplant and tomatoes topped with cheddar and mozzarella. You can also substitute it with chevrai (goat cheese) for $2.

Served with whole wheat bun

My dining partner enjoyed the Ratatouille very much but I prefer the Lamb Burger. The lamb patty was very tender and flavourful. However, the burger was served with raspberry mint sauce on the side which I did not quite fancy. Unique but strange combination I should say.  The Ratatouille was simple, warm and nice but perhaps a little pricey.

Marbles is definitely a place worth visiting again. It has various specials everyday – 2 for 1 burgers on Monday, 2 for 1 wings on Tuesday, pasta Thursday, prime ribs Saturday etc. Hopefully the construction right in front of it will be completed fairly soon.

]]> http://loudlunch.com/2010/10/marbles-casual-fine-dining/feed/ 2 http://loudlunch.com/2010/09/meetpoint-restaurant/ http://loudlunch.com/2010/09/meetpoint-restaurant/#comments Sat, 25 Sep 2010 02:27:53 +0000 Maple http://loudlunch.com/?p=236 Meetpoint is a rare Eastern European restaurant in Waterloo. Its interior combines chic and classy, yet has a menu that remains reasonably priced. However, it is always strangely quiet and deserted every time I visit.

Nice mirror reflecting the open kitchen

Meetpoint has an open concept kitchen where you can see the chef making dough and frying meat. I like that very much, nothing smells as good as the fragrance of your almost-ready-food.  There is a huge flat screen TV in the restaurant, usually showing the Food Network. Seats are cozy but perhaps arranged a little too close for comfort. On the other hand, this place is rarely packed so typically, the table beside will be unoccupied.

Definitely try out the Meetpoint Pizza ($10.95). The veal is roasted over a vertical rotisserie and the dough is freshly made when you order. They also offer a smaller size, which is very convenient for a smaller company or those who would like to try out other dishes.

Thin crust pizza!

I am always too easily filled by carbs so I tend go for The Meetpoint ($10.99) instead. It is basically the same as the pizza, just without the dough. The main difference will probably be its ketchup base rather than their special spiess sauce.

Recently, they have also started a breakfast menu with interesting items such as Kuku $4.99 (eggs, scallion, parsley, chives), Menemen $6.99 (3 eggs with peppers, onions, tomatoes) and Scrambled Tofu $6.99. Generous portions with fresh bread. Their small selection of dessert crepes are also pretty good – soft and fluffy!

However, as a frequent customer, I was sorely disappointed on my last visit. The owner was not around so a server doubled up as the chef. I was keen to try the scrambled tofu but was informed that they do not have tofu when I made the order. Hence, I changed my order to the spinach crepe but again, was told that they do not have spinach in the restaurant. After several attempts at ordering, the server finally decided to tell me what they have in the kitchen and told me to order from that limited list.

By then, I was a little annoyed while he explained that they are extremely unprepared that day with a serious lack of ingredients. WHY open for business when the restaurant does not have the ability to satisfy the customers’ orders?! Luckily, the meetpoint pizza was still available so I ordered that.

Due to the lack of help in the restaurant, I waited more than 30 minutes for the order and it came tasting totally different from what I had before. The meat was dry and the pizza was drenched in sauce. The server/cook also took a wrong order for one table and decided to offer the wrong order to another because the customer was getting impatient with all that waiting. I sincerely wish it was just a really bad day for them.

I am willing to give Meetpoint another chance but I really hope by then, they will have fresh ingredient ready in the kitchen and be ready to actually offer every item they have listed on the menu. It might also help if they actually have the real chef preparing the food. I look forward to my next visit and the scrambled tofu.

Comfy Couches

More than just a place for gelato, Whole Lotta Gelato offers freshly made Whole Lot-a Panini(s) and Whole Lot-a Salad(s). Those who prefer customizing their orders can just fill out an order sheet at the side of the counter instead of choosing from the menu. You can choose up to 4 toppings for the Panini. If you love cheese like I do, you can request for two different types of cheeses and they’ll just give half-half. There are also large and small sizes for the salads. In addition, they offer kids’ meals like the PB & J meal. It includes a drink, toy, choice of chips/carrots/cucumber and bambino (which is…?) Heh.

Panini v.s Salad

Their generous portions always leave me with barely any room for dessert. Then again, there is always that separate compartment in the stomach for dessert eh! Not a fan of gelato? They have sweet crepes on the menu too. However, the crepe machine was not working the last time I went so I have yet to try their crepes. Furthermore, there is a sweeeet $12 all-you-can-eat deal. Paninis, Crepes, Salads and Gelato! Awesome!

Together with great coffee and a simple comforting meal, this gem offers a cheerful dining atmosphere and excellent service. It was my lunch buddy’s birthday on one of my visits so my server prepared a banana split as a surprise. However, he only realized there was no lighter in the restaurant after putting the candles on the banana. Hence, he came over with the unlit candles, sang the birthday song and told us to pretend to blow it. It was amusing and made my day.

You might not be in the mood for gelato due to the chilly weather recently. However, if you are looking for a healthy light meal, head over to Whole Lotta Gelato at the corner of Uptown Waterloo. Then again… Canadians do not consider it cold till it is -30degrees so yeeeaaahhh its gelato time!

Vincenzo’s moved from Belmont Village in Kitchener to the Bauer market place in Waterloo so I finally had a chance to visit. Its a locally owned Italian grocery store with a small cafe at the side. There are hot and cold options, serving sandwiches, salads and hot soups with daily features.

I went on a random Thursday after 2pm but it was still packed with the lunch time crowd. The queue system is interesting. You have to grab a number from the sandwich counter and they will beep the number when its your turn. Perhaps its meant to reduce overcrowding at the counters and customers will also be able browse around other sections while waiting in line. Might be a little confusing for first time customers but I think its a great idea. You also pay at a separate counter.

Easy steps to build your sandwich.

Heard a lot about their amazing breads and sandwiches. The variety available amazed me. They seem to have everything! I tried the Smoked Salmon Sandwich ($4.95).

After all, its just a sandwich so nothing much to comment about. Good ole’ comforting sandwich with generous servings of salmon and cheese. What pleased me was the effort put into making the sandwich. The server building my sandwich even replaced the original slices of cheese after trying several times because they did not fit well into the perimeter of the bread. Woaaah!

It is highly recommended check out the desserts if you have a sweet tooth like me. There is such a wide selection that I had to spend a looooong time analyzing all of them before deciding. The exorbitant prices of desserts always annoy me but once again, I had to order the Apple Caramel Cheesecake ($2.99) after getting bitten by the cheesecake-craving-bug.

Apples & Caramel bonus!

It was amazing. Two thumbs up!

It wasn’t too sweet, rich but not heavy, cheesy but not dense. Awesome. There’s apple filling in it too!

Vincenzo’s is definitely a place worth visiting. Might be a little crowded at lunch but the great sandwiches and excellent desserts are worth the wait. Get some exotic cheeses and freshly baked bread while you’re there!

At least they have nice doors.

I’ve read many reviews about the terrific food and terrible service at Hometown Eatery and was very prepared for them. Perhaps a little toooo prepared, both my visits were met with the total opposite. Perfect service and mediocre food.

My server’s name is Becca and she’s definitely one of the best server I’ve had in Waterloo so far – friendly, prompt and very welcoming. In addition, a lot of thought has been put into the menu. There are interesting names for dishes such as The KISS (Keep It Simple Sandwiches), Purple Velvet (Beet soup; daily special) and Yummy/Snoppy/Flirty Burgers. I tried the grilled salmon sandwich ($14) and gourmet grilled cheese sandwich with brie ($10).

$10 for a grilled cheese?

The exotic brie grilled cheese was definitely better than the grilled salmon, contrary to what I expected. It was warm and simple whereas the grilled salmon was dry. Hometown’s Eatery is supposedly famous for its cakes so I tried a strawberry cheesecake. Being a huge cheesecake fan, I was a little disappointed. It was okay, but nothing too fantastic. Perhaps the wrong cake?

If I ever return for another meal, it’ll definitely be for the cosy atmosphere, awesome service and quirky menu items. For the food? Meh, maybe not.

Also, it might be a bad idea to visit on an extremely cold day because they charge $1 for just a cup of warm water.

Though I’ve never been a huge fan of restaurant chains, I’ve been very addicted to Canada’s 113th Cora’s Breakfast & Lunch at The Shops in Waterloo Town Square.

Located in the heart of Waterloo, Cora’s markets herself as a healthy breakfast place. It offers the typical diner breakfasts with a healthy twist – loads of fruits together with your french toast or pancakes drenched in maple syrup. The exciting variety of fruits and generous serving size is what constantly draws me back to Cora’s. Fruits are delicately carved, which means orders sometimes take a while. However, do not be intimidated by the long line up for weekend brunch, turnover is usually pretty fast and you’ll get seated in no time.

Heaps of fruit!

My favourite is the Buckwheat Blessing. Sausages in buckwheat crepes, topped with cheese. Yumms. However, I think the Crepomelette won in terms of uniqueness – crepes stuffed with omelette!

The cosy atmostphere and booths of the restaurant sets the right mood for a great meal, especially now that the patio is open. Service is prompt and friendly, perhaps a little slow when they get too busy during the prime brunch hours on the weekends. Other than that, everyone’s all smiles like the Cora’s sun. They also feature interesting fruit facts. Did you know that pineapples are berries and strawberries aren’t fruits?!

There’s always freshly made fudge at the cashier so feel free to grab some before leaving.

Instead of see you again, see you tomorrow!

If only Cora’s was open all day instead of only till 4pm, then I’ll start eating breakfast for dinner. After all, they say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”!