Posts Tagged ‘Reviews’
Friday night, Sean and I had the pleasure of enjoying The Children’s Hour in the Cultural Centre’s Blackbox Theatre. The play began promptly at 7:30 and the high-quality of the acting was immediately evident. I have never seen such excellent acting in a Medicine Hat production, many of the actors in The Children’s Hour were near the calibre of the actor’s I’ve seen on Broadway (however, that is hard to judge without numerous over-the-top dance numbers). The storyline was thought provoking and had no shortage of moral dilemmas to ponder following the performance. The bleachers were packed, and the rest of the audience seemed to enjoy the performance as much as Sean and I.
I have only one minor critique to offer, as I usually do in reviews like this. First of all, the play began at 7:30 and ended at 10:10, and it definitely felt that long due to the slow progression of the plot. This fact was not helped along by the two ten-minute intermission that coincided with set changes. In most, if not all, other plays I’ve been to the customary practice is to have one intermission following the longer section of the play, with a significantly shorter section following the break. Until now I had not realized how beneficial such a practice is. The play last night seemed much longer than it was, since the first scene was 45 minutes long, the second roughly 20 minutes, and the final scene was approximately 30 minutes with short intermissions between the scenes. In short, it felt like it was dragging toward the end, which is unfortunate since the play was excellent otherwise.
I hope this play precedes many more excellent performances in this city!
“Oh, the sandwiches!” was the first thing I said when Taylor and I first got some home style sandwiches made to order at Reg’s. Two years later, we still go back just for the sandwiches.
Reg’s offers customers more than just delicious homemade sandwiches and soups. A huge selection of deli meats is also offered, along with refrigerated meats and pre-prepared meals (including jerky), and an assortment of drinks. The deli has a few chairs and tables for deli-goers to sit at while enjoying their meals, or while waiting for their orders.
For an awesome local lunch menu, visit Reg’s at #2 – 12 Sierra Drive Southwest.
I know it is a bit late, but we decided to this post as a wrap up to eating out and our restaurant picks of 2009. Just in time for 2009 tax season though! This is also a follow-up to our original post, Best Restaurants of 2008 – Top 5 which also builds on a poll we ran in 2009, Input Needed: Best Restaurants of 2009. Because of the timing, we won’t do a poll this year, but hopefully we will for 2010. – Vaughn
Moxie’s Classic Grill – Sean’s Pick #1
Moxie’s is much like the other chain restaurants in town. They have reasonably priced food and their service is usually top-notch. I have had a few dishes from Moxie’s, but now I generally center on the steak sandwiches, which is why I have included Moxie’s in this post! I get steak sandwiches at least once from every restaurant I go to, and Moxie’s has the best (with Original Joe’s as a close competitor). If you are as satisfied by a steak sandwich as I am, head on over to Moxie’s, just be sure to order the steak as medium rare for full flavour.
Dublin’s Pub – Vaughn’s Pick #1
I originally wanted to mix it up a bit, but then, I didn’t. I’ve recently eaten at a lot of new places, but now that it’s 2010, they don’t exactly qualify, and furthermore, they just aren’t as good as my all time favourite anyways. While Dublin’s Pub doesn’t exactly win any points for best looking interior or atmosphere, although they have done some recent tweaks that have made it look much better – that’s not why it’s my favourite, in fact, it probably doesn’t even factor in. While atmosphere is important sometimes, the best burger I’ve ever had trumps aesthetics in my mind. I’ve had quite a lot from their menu until I stumbled upon the Danny Devil’s Burger which is a home-made hamburger patty topped with 2 types of cheese, barbecue sauce, tomato and lettuce.
Read our full review on Dublin’s Pub (by Sean)
Pasta-bilities – Taylor’s Pick
Cheap, fast, and delicious. These are the words that best describe the lunch spot that is Pasta-bilities. Although the menu is limited to pasta of the day and not much else, as a lactose-intolerant and a self-proclaimed picky eater I have yet to be disappointed in any meal from this restaurant. Even if you can’t make it there during your lunch break you can buy authentic Italian food from the restaurant to cook at home. The next time you want a change for lunch visit Pasta-bilities, and listen to the Italian music over a dish of hot, fresh pasta.
In the past week I have been to Original Joe’s twice. Each time was with a different group of people, but even if it was not, the food and service is so good that it would warrant going twice in a week anyway.
A couple months ago, Original Joe’s moved into the building where the East Side Mario’s restaurant had previously been. Since then it has been completely revamped. The walls have been torn down and everything is now wide open. Seating is comfortable and the lighting is dim, creating a more comfortable and personal atmosphere. The service is probably the best I have ever had in town, and the food is wonderful. It looks although Original Joe’s will prosper far better than East Side Mario’s did.
Each time I have been there, the servers were coming by regularly to see how things were and check up on drink levels. A couple times they even brought drink refills to our party before they were completely empty, which showed good attentiveness to their customers.
The food each time has been fantastic, and the best thing is you get 2 sides with most of the meal choices without having to pay extra (in comparison to other restaurants that only offer 1). Even while dining there during an Olympic hockey game that Canada was playing in, the food was prepared and served quicker than I thought it would have been.
When you are finished your meal, instead of lining up at the cash register to pay for your food, the server will bring a debit machine to your table. This allows your server to see you through your entire dining experience instead of leaving you to lining up and waiting for someone else to proceed with the meal payment.
The only possible quarrel I have is that since everything is entirely wide open, it can be very loud, especially if it is hockey night or a band is playing. Another downside is that you must be 18 years or older to enter, so minors unfortunately cannot experience the awesome food.
Original Joe’s definitely gets two thumbs up.
Dale’s Pizza, located at 687 South Railway Street S.E., in the same building as the popular pub, The Silver Buckle lays a hidden gem among pizza lovers.
I have experience the pizza menu that Dale’s Pizza can offer around three times so far (that I can remember). Each time I have sat in the pub to enjoy the pizza goodness with a couple Guinness’ (which is on tap by the way at The Silver Buckle). It may seem odd to review such an obscure pizza place, but, trust me, it’s because of the quality and taste that I am passionate about it. I’ve probably ate every kind of pizza available in this city, and for sure, Dale’s Pizza ranks above them all for me. With a mixture of fluffy homemade-style pizza crust and just the right amount of tangy pizza sauce and mozzarella, you are sure to get your stomach’s worth of good deep dish goodness. The price ranks a bit above places like Pizza 73 and Pizza Hut, depending on the toppings. But the taste surpasses both of the aforementioned places in my opinion.
We usually order the large or medium size (depending on the amount people with us) with Pepperoni and Salami and top it up with the right amount of parmesan and chili sprinklings. If you haven’t tried Dale’s Pizza yet, it’s worth the test especially if you are already at The Silver Buckle. It’s not overly greasy and it’s not bland at all. Be careful though, you may gain some lethargy after eating it, especially after a couple beers, candy, and playing Nintendo 64 – that’s just my experience anyways.
On Saturday, November 28, Taylor and I went to the Three Days Grace show opened by The Used and Default at The Medicine Hat Arena. Overall it was a good show and one of the few non-punk rock shows I have been to.
Default is a fairly good band, and it being the first time I have heard them since about 2003, I enjoyed their performance except for the fact that the lead guitarist, Jeremy Hora, looked very apathetic. It looked like he could care less that he was in front of a thousand people. Luckily Default’s bass player, Dave Benedict, who bore a striking resemblance to Liam Neeson, used his Qui-Gon Jin Force powers to get the crowd pumped for the upcoming acts.
The Used probably had the best stage presence of the 3 bands in terms of engaging the audience, but that fact was dampened by the lackluster lead singer, Bert McCracken, who kept calling everyone in the crowd a “little bitch” and saying he was going to “F— everyone in the crowd.” I looked around at the crowd and realized the show was All Ages, so I imagine the very young impressionable minds ate it up and the older crowd must have thought “What kind of a show is this?” In addition, although the music itself sounded good, it was nearly impossible to hear Bert McCracken’s voice over the roar of the instruments.
Three Days Grace, who I have not listened to since their first CD, put on a great performance. I found myself pretty stoked to see them, especially their drummer, Neil Sanderson. Being a drummer myself, I usually fixate on the drums during any band performance. I found Neil Sanderson’s technique quite interesting if for no other reason than he most often keeps time with his left hand on a right handed kit. THE JUMP – Read the rest of this entry »
On October 24th, Taylor and I revisited Devine Grill, but this time we dined in the restaurant, as opposed to our last visit where we dined on the patio.
Both Taylor and I were immediately impressed with the decor inside the restaurant which created an elegant atmosphere. What is more, there was an assortment of appealing art on the walls that we later found out to be all local, which were separated into three galleries around the restaurant. As it turned out, one of the sets of art on the walls turned out to be from Donna Macauley.
Almost immediately after sitting down, our waitress arrived to request our drink orders. She returned many times during our meal to ensure everything was going smoothy and to refill our drinks. Our meals were prepared in a timely fashion despite the large crowd of people dining in the restaurant, and like last time, the experience was exceptional and memorable.
After our meal was over, our chef, Todd, came out to talk to us briefly, as we kind of knew each other through Medicine Hat Media’s previous post on Devine Grill. It is wonderful to see the owners and chefs come out to talk to their guests.
The local art on display were from the following artists/establishments:
Check out Devine Grill for an awesome, fresh and local restaurant.
A couple of weeks ago (I’m a little behind on my posts) Sean and I and a couple of friends decided to go on a grand adventure to a new restaurant. Although I have been aware of Mauro’s for a while, it was only recently recommended to me so we decided to give it a whirl.
Mauro's Storefront - Photo via Medicine Hat Restaurants
This locally owned and operated pub is located on 3rd Street of the Gas City, which is a little out of the way for many, but it is well worth the trip. Upon arrival Sean and I noticed their small patio that offered a couple of nicely secluded tables and immediately knew where we would be sitting. Once we entered the restaurant there was a “please wait to be seated sign” that is apparently not meant to be acknowledged, so we continued on to the patio.
Although the table was a little small to fit the equally small patio it served our needs just fine. We were quickly greeted and given menus, but since we were the first of the group to arrive we informed the waitress that another couple would be joining us. Unfortunately, she didn’t produce the two additional menus we needed, so we had to share. As Sean and I had already made our selections by the time our friends arrived it wasn’t a big deal, but it was still an inconvenience. Our waitress was prompt to ID everyone in our company, something that is much more welcome than noticing underage folks in a “no minors” facility.
After we received our drinks the food was quick to arrive and it was really delicious. Sean had a decadent steak and pasta dish (which is on special on Thursdays) and I enjoyed an excellent pasta chuta. The menu itself is quite expansive, focusing on Italian cuisine, and the most expensive selection is around $20 for a 12 ounce steak. THE JUMP – Read the rest of this entry »
On Saturday, September 13, Taylor and I went to Red Dog Diner in Lethbridge.
The restaurant, styled after a Montreal-style deli, is locally owned and operated by a resident Quebecker known as “Le Boss”. The diner is located in the heart of downtown Lethbridge, offering a centralized location to many businesses, tourists and pedestrians.
Photo by paige_eliz via Flickr
Red Dog Diner has a wide array of food, including a variety of poutines, steamed hot dogs, beef and chicken burgers, and soups. The food is prepared quickly, but not at the expense of being low quality. Both Taylor and I ordered the chicken burgers and were thrilled by the outcome.
The chicken burger, unlike most food places, did not contain a chicken breast for the meat content, but rather, it was sliced deli-style and fried. The fries did not seem like typical out-of-the-box fast food fries, but appeared to be freshly cut.
If you are looking for a unique diner experience and are headed to Lethbridge, check out Red Dog Diner.
Red Dog Diner is located at 545 – 4th Avenue South in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Original Photo Link
Food Network Review
Red Dog Diner Fan Club (Facebook)
Thuy Tien is a Vietnamese restaurant located in downtown Medicine Hat. Taylor and I are no strangers to the restaurant staff, as I am sure we are no strangers to them. We first went there in the spring of 2009, and have been back numerous times since.
The restaurant offers a large menu, including about 75 different dishes, most of which include the best rice ever, which is then complimented by the best soy sauce ever. The dishes usually include chicken, pork or beef, but also branch out to some more interesting items, such as quail.
The decor of Thuy Tien creates a relaxing environment with comfortable chairs, large tables, interesting tapestries and artwork and soft music. There is also a large aquarium by the cash register that children seem to love, which also gives me an air of nostalgia as it reminds me of a Dairy Queen in Regina that also had a large attention-grabbing aquarium.
The food is good and the location is accessible. Check out Thuy Tien if you want to try something new.
Thui Tien is located in downtown Medicine Hat at #647 – 2nd Street S.E.