Still not feeling up to par, but doing better.

I thought I’d do a very short post on places around town that are relatively popular and yet, I don’t see the appeal. I may do longer reviews on these places at some point, but for now this will have to suffice.

1. Lazia – food can be hit and miss. Supposed to be Asian fusion. Once had a salad there that was piled high in a lettuce leaf bowl, and the lettuce was placed on a plate with no way to anchor it. Salad flew everywhere. Still don’t understand why it’s so freaking popular with the downtown business lunch crowd when there are better places to eat.
2. The Mongolie Grill – overpriced stir fry. Buy your own veggies, rice, and sauces, and make your own at home.
3. The Hardware Grill – one of Edmonton’s fancier restaurants. Expensive, and I was surprised at the boring-ness of it all. Everything was brown, and the flavours weren’t memorable. For that price and experience, I likely won’t be going back again. (See link for review of my one and only experience there.)
4. Sorrentino’s – local Italian upscale chain. Went to one location and had undercooked pasta. Had some better meals at the downtown location, but nothing that I’d go back for again, unlike the now closed Il Portico.
5. Blue Plate Diner – I hate to say anything negative about a place that does a great job of promoting local eating and independent businesses, but everytime I’ve been there there the quality of the food has been inconsistent and expensive. If I’m forking out my hard-earned money, I’d rather have good food. The last time I went, earlier this year, I was dragged there by a friend who had a fantastic dining experience there. Based on my past experiences at the Blue Plate, I played it safe and had a burger. It was decent, but nothing special. My friends decided to order the special, and ended up eating my fries instead of their dinner. Let’s just say that my over-enthusiastic friend isn’t going back there anytime soon.
6. Montana’s Cookhouse – steak and burger chain. Never going there again if I can help it. Cold sirloin and mushy, overcooked vegetables. BLEH!