Dickson and I had originally intended on sampling Cafe de Ville (10137 124 Street) in December, but an unfortunate series of circumstances kept us from the restaurant. We finally rebooked our trial engagement for Friday.

On a very chilly weekend, we bustled into the small, dimly lit dining room, already about half full. Intimate and cozy, the restaurant had a mostly mature clientele who seemed to fit in well amongst the aged (or is it classic?) decor.

My main reason for wanting to give Cafe de Ville a whirl was due to an Entertainment Book 2-for-1 coupon I had. As such, it seemed most economical for us to order full entrees to take advantage of such an offer and make the most of our first experience there. The Chilean Sea Bass special ($30) sounded good to me, served with a basil-saffron risotto and steamed vegetables. Dickson decided upon the Chicken stuffed with wild boar bacon, sun-dried romas, feta, roasted garlic, spinach, amaretto, tomato cream ($26). He was intent on comparing their chicken with Sorrentino’s version.

While waiting for our plates, we received a small basket of warmed cheese croissants to tide us over, a lovely treat that tasted great without the normally requisite pat of butter. Our entrees arrived shortly after, and thankfully for Dickson, the portion was noticably larger than what Sorrentino’s had offered last week (the inclusion of two sides helped with this immensely). More than that however, the chicken itself was moist, and the accompanying tomato cream sauce was richly satisfying. As for my fish, it was fork tender, as it should have been, flavored with a subtle white wine glaze. Paired with a perfectly prepared plump and savoury serving of risotto, I was comfortably full at the end of it.

Dickson would like to blame me for “making him fat” over the course of our restaurant experimentations, but he didn’t struggle too much this time around when I suggested we give their desserts a try. With an on-site pastry chef, I figured Cafe de Ville should have above-par sweets. Like Manor Cafe, they had their daily selections out for display on a platter for visual consumption, and though I was tempted by the delicate handmade sugar cage atop the Coconut Tart, I ultimately chose the Molten Chocolate Cake, while Dickson ordered the Mandarin Creme Brulee.

After the fifteen minutes that was required to finish preparing my dessert lapsed, we were presented with two elegantly presented dishes. Unfortunately, Dickson’s Creme Brulee was pre-made, and hence cold to the touch. We both preferred a custard slightly warmed by freshly torched caramelized sugar, so that prevented thorough enjoyment of his selection. The Chocolate Cake, on the other hand, was great – I was greeted with a warm, melted chocolate centre dabbed with white chocolate chips that while rich, wasn’t sickly sweet.

Our waitress had been friendly throughout the entire evening, so it surprised me that when we handed her our coupon before she went on to tally the bill, she suddenly became quite brisk with us. When we asked for a clarification on the discount (they had taken off $12 instead of the value of the lesser-priced entree), she pointed to the receipt as if that was enough to clear up our confusion. I found out later, after leaving the restaurant, that the coupon itself was misleading, as it wasn’t a true 2-for-1 deal; there was actually a maximum amount allotted for subtraction. Regardless, we still gave her a good-sized tip, because she probably thought we were cheap enough, but I am of the opinion that she really didn’t deserve it, as we ended the evening on such a soured note.

So while the food ultimately stands up to allow for a recommendation if your parents or grandparents are looking for a quiet place for a meal, for the younger set, Cafe de Ville is too stuffy without the fine dining credentials to encourage frequent returns.

For a pre-show dinner within walking distance of the theatre, Dickson and I met up at Sorrentino’s (10162 100 Street) on Thursday night. I had visited this location many years ago in my university days, but don’t recall anything of note from that experience. That said, I knew that of all the locations, this was the swankiest, something reflected in the prices.

Upon entry, my coat was taken by the host (that’s post-New York number three), and I was led to a table in the back corner, along a glass wall that separated a private dining room from the main seating area. When Dickson arrived, we found out just how inconvenient this spot was, as his chair was knocked about more than a few times from patrons streaming into the private room. As the restaurant was chock full of empty tables and cozy booths at that time, we probably should have been proactive and requested a seat change, but it was curious as to why they chose to seat us in a spot seemingly earmarked for those deemed unworthy.

Menus at each location differ slightly for one another (in both selection and price), but the range of pastas, fish and meat entrees would appease any palette. I had read on Chowhound that Downtown’s Bison Cannelloni (as opposed to the more traditional veal-based filling) was worth a try, so it wasn’t hard for me to make a decision. Dickson was tempted by the fish special, but ended up choosing the Roasted Guinea Hen Portofino, stuffed with shrimp, prosciutto, provolone, mustard seed, and served in a vermouth cream reduction (for the record, he thought briefly about asking for lobster in place of shrimp).

Before our entrees arrived, our waitress (who was obviously new and very keen) offered us slices of warm bread and a chili and salt-infused olive oil for dipping. Dickson wasn’t impressed, and preferred the salted baguette offered at the southside location.

The wild mushroom reduction on my Cannelloni was creamy goodness, but the spiced ground bison was out of place; it probably would have been more suited for lasagna…or a taco. Dickson’s chicken was a bit on the dry side, though he did enjoy the rather peculiar addition of seafood to the dish.

For an Edmonton stalwart, I have yet to be blown away by Sorrentino’s. Dare I say it is encroaching Earl’s territory, being both overhyped and unexceptional?

On the heels of our great meal at Violino (10133 125 Street) two weeks ago, Annie decided that she wanted to hold her birthday celebration there this year. Though she had called too late to book the private room upstairs, our party of 7 were comfortably seated at a quiet table on the main floor. Violino was notably busier than our last visit, with a Sienna Collins-hosted fundraiser taking place on the second floor, and the University of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera having dinner just a few tables away.

The menu had changed slightly (they eliminated the Carbonara from their pasta section and added a 24K gold leaf cake to their dessert list), but Annie and I were both happy to see that the Risotto con Funghi was still on the menu.

We also ordered wine that evening, settling on a Chilean Merlot. That was the start of rather curt service from our waitress, who was impatient from the get-go, returning much too frequently for our drink orders as individual guests arrived, and not offering even the semblance of a smile or friendliness in our interaction. When we asked her to exchange our teapots of lukewarm water for water more conducive for tea, she was abrupt and rather rude about what was clearly her mistake. It would be a shame if Violino lost return customers due to her less-than-warm demeanor.

As for the food – Annie thought the risotto was better this time around, but I thought it was comparable with our last meal. Mack enjoyed his Tiger Striped Agnulotti with Lobster (served with a really generous amount of seafood, and was the best value at $26), while Dickson didn’t think very highly of his Ziti Al Forno.

The very friendly host brought out Annie’s candle-topped cake (leading us in a “rousing” rendition of “Happy Birthday”), and helped serve slices of the cake to everyone at the table. We did linger for quite a while (despite telling glances from our steely-eyed waitress), and though we may have overstayed our welcome slightly, it was nice to chat in a dining room that had nearly emptied out by 10.

While I won’t let this experience color my overall positive impression of Violino, I would be interested to see what a third visit would bring. In any case, it was a lovely dinner, Annie – happy birthday!

Always ready to try the new restaurant on the block, Mack and I originally planned to visit Fatburger (1755 102 Street) on the weekend. However, deterred by a long line up and a movie showtime, we decided to save our burger stand experience for a less busy occasion.

So although it was out of the way on Tuesday, we made our way there after work. By 6, quite the line started to form – I’m sure this location will be fending off curious customers for a while yet. Upon entry, we ordered a Fat Deal and a Chicken Deal (combos including “skinny” fries and a drink), which were called out, and repeated, Starbucks-barista-style, to the employees stationed at the grill. We were then handed paper cups to fill with soda ourselves, and a number to display on our table so that our food could be delivered to us.

While waiting, I surveyed the decor: friendly and fun, with red-dressed booths, a checkered floor, jukebox, and flat-screen televisions, it was basically a “modernized” retro diner. The washrooms were exceptionally clean, very surprising for a fast-food establishment, with tile pictures of male celebrities on the wall in the women’s toilet and vice versa for the men.

A tray was brought to us a few minutes later. My chicken burger wasn’t bad, and the fries were reminiscent of Wendy’s, but with a combo price ($9.99) and quality comparable to Red Robin’s, I think I’d likely choose the latter, if not only for their bottomless baskets of “fat” fries. That said, we will be back at some point to at least try out their homemade onion rings (fresh made every morning, supposedly), and for Mack to garnish a future burger with a fried egg.

Give Fatburger a whirl, but in the end, it really is just a burger.

After New York, I thought it’d be best to avoid “fancy” restaurants for a while – not because I don’t enjoy being catered to necessarily, but because I feel I’ve enjoyed my share of fine dining for several months. When May suggested we try out Jack’s Grill (primarily because she had a gift certificate that would cover about half our meal costs), I agreed, but knew that if their hospitality matched their menu prices, my verdict of the restaurant would be influenced by my desire for anything but formal dining.

Located in a Lendrum strip mall (5842 111 Street), a rather unusual spot for a high-end eatery, it is easily missed due to an exterior that blends in with neighbouring merchants. Upon entry, I was greeted by a friendly hostess who immediately took my coat (I can’t seem to get away from mandatory coat checks) and seated me at a table alongside a wall of windows. Whoever designed the restaurant should be commended for not only the placement of glass, but also for the inclusion of a garden of sorts outside the window. With a parallel bank of trees decorated with twinkle lights, if led in blindfolded, diners would never guess that Jack’s Grill was situated in a strip mall to begin with.

May arrived soon after, and we took our time with the one page menu. We skipped over the appetizers directly to the entrees. May decided to try the Slow Braised Lamb Shank ($32), while the Chinook Salmon ($36) as described by the waiter sounded too good to pass up.

While we waited for our plates, May and I were both surprised at how busy the restaurant was over the course of the evening. Though never completely full, I didn’t think those with expensive tastes would wander out of the downtown core to feed their hunger for gourmet cuisine.

May’s lamb was perfectly prepared – tender off the bone. She didn’t like the accompanying braised cabbage or gremolata much, but finished it all the same. My salmon was good, but the butter sauce it came in was better (it’s pretty difficult to mess up pan fried fish, I find).

Service was decent throughout (including the server who refolded our napkins while we were away from the table), and our water glasses were never less than half full. Still, without a gift certificate in hand, I would be hard pressed to return to Jack’s Grill. There are better fine dining options in Edmonton (Hardware Grill, for example) that I would turn to first on occasions requiring a high standard of excellence.