Billy's Seafood Company

What a huge disappointment! If a restaurant is going to tout itself as chic, upper end, then produce something worthy of the boasting. An overpriced meal that tasted as if it went through the dish washer. I ordered Atlantic Salmon,  poached and drizzled with apple cinnamon glaze. I am still waiting for the drizzled glaze. Everything was bland; fish, rice and vegetables. The only saving grace was that the fish & vegetables were fresh and not overcooked. My friend, Pam, had the Traditional Fish & Chips and I got to taste it. The batter was not cooked through and the fries were heavy tasting; maybe the oil should be changed. If you love salmon, SJ Ale House is the best.

SERVICE: The server was sweet and had a great memory.

QUALITY: Everything was fresh, but "where was the flavour"? Little effort in presentation.

ATMOSPHERE: Small, cozy and a great environment.

VALUE: Way overpriced for this tasteless meal.

Would I pay a return visit: Not for a long, long time.

Swiss Chalet

People go to Swiss Chalet because of the chicken and so we went for that reason. Chicken is a comfort food and it doesn't matter how it is cooked it is always enjoyable; I love their roasted white meat with the dipping sauce. Three of us started with soup, it was burnt. The assistant manager quickly visited our table and replaced it with a cream soup. It was great, I wonder if it comes canned? It's a great place to for a family meal.

SERVICE: I find the servers always serious....hope they are happy at work.

QUALITY: The sauces are rich in flavour, dozens of spices. Vegetable are always just right. Presentation is always cafeteria style.

ATMOSPHERE: Clean, fresh, busy; it doesn't lend itself to quiet and relaxing.

VALUE: Cost is average and worth the purchase.

Would I pay a return visit: Sure, why not.

Alley Gria

              

I really do want to see a restaurant succeed and especially a  unique one as this restaurant. But our first visit to Alley Gria left a bad taste in our mouths. We ordered about 10 of the signature tapas and shared.

Albondigas (meat balls) gave me the impression that they had been freezer burned. Aliktas de pollo (chicken), the flavour was the same as any other restaurant. What I did like was the wrapped salmon, fried zucchinni, saffrone rice and the brushetta. But as much as I liked these items, I have had better. We spent more here, than for a meal, and left looking for McDonald's.

SERVICE: Our server was great, fun and attentive

QUALITY: Disappointed; flavours were not as intense as I had expected; nothing extraordinaire

ATMOSPHERE: Crafted from an old warehouse; well done, great place to relax

VALUE: High prices for finger foods; this visit was not worth the expense

Would I pay a return visit: Always give a place a  second chance; maybe it was a bad day....for me or the cook?

Vivaldi's

We always have a great meal at this restaurant. Last Friday night my husband ordered Tabbouleh Salad; chopped parsley, tomatoes, onions, cracked wheat, spices, fresh lemon and olive oil. A really nice salad, I love salad and I love my husband for sharing. For the entrée I ordered Pollo Portobello; which is sautéed chicken breast with mushrooms in garlic parmigiano cream sauce topped with mozzarella, served over orzo pasta. The pasta was bland, maybe no salt in the water? The mushrooms and chicken were perfect, although a little too much cheese. Still very enjoyable.

SERVICE: The servers are great, always friendly and efficient

QUALITY: Made from fresh produce; great taste  and well presented

ATMOSPHERE: Small, intimate, clean and well designed; sometimes a pianist

VALUE: Average price and worth every cent

Would I pay a return visit: Again and again

The Wok Box

What a great experience. We've been there twice and both visits left us wanting to return. On our first visit I ordered a large bowl of Wonton soup. It was large. Filled with shrimp, celery, carrots, broccoli, water chestnuts, baby corn and snow peas. It took me an hour to eat , and I enjoyed every morsel. We did order a noodle dish, but I can't remember a thing about it, the soup had me mesmerized. On the second visit I again ordered Wonton soup!!! 
 

SERVICE: Self service, counter staff still learning to deal with customers

QUALITY: Flavours were excellent, not salty or sweet

ATMOSPHERE: New, clean, great brick interior

VALUE: Cost was average and worth the purchase

Would I pay a return visit: Can't wait until the next time and maybe I'll order a different dish.