Milestone's

In my University days, Milestone's was one of our "go-to" restaurants, whenever we need a place to go as a group. Mind you, another "go-to" place was The Prow at Canada Place; but it's long gone now. Why Milestone's? Well, it appealed to most people, portions were good and prices were reasonable. Since those days, the prices at Milestone's have crept up dangerously close or at par to fine dining establishments. In terms of portions, they are still good; but unless my eyes are deceiving me, they seem a bit smaller. Nowadays, I rarely visit Milestone's. In fact, it's been a year since my last visit there. Tonight, we went to the Brentwood location, which also happened to be our ol' standby while I was at SFU. Lots of memories here and lots of good times.

We started off with a Milestone's classic, the Spinach and Artichoke Dip with fresh red tortilla chips. I often wonder why they even bother putting a small amount of salsa on the side. Honestly, it's enough for 2 chips max. Whatever, the main attraction is the dip itself. 15 years ago, the dip was served in a really large ramekin. Then suddenly it decreased in size to a square
bowl. Now it appears that it has reverted to a large size in an oval bowl. One thing that I noticed right away was that the dip was quite watery. There seems to be less cheese than before. While chatting with Whipping Girl recently, she confirmed that the dip is indeed less cheesy. However, the dip still tastes really good with a nice creaminess with finely chopped spinach and chunks of artichoke. Continuing on the classic dish theme, I opted for the Portobello Mushroom Chicken. It consists of 2 grilled chicken breasts topped with a creamy portobello sauce on a bed of capellini. The sauce is what makes this dish. It's creamy, earthy and garlicky. When mixed into the capellini, it's a great pasta dish. Unfortunately, the chicken was a bit overcooked this time.

Viv went for another staple at Milestone's, their juicy burgers. She went for the Californian which consisted of spicy avocado salsa, tomato and double-smoked bacon. Predictably, the burger was juicy and quite large. At least to me, the burgers seem roughly the same size as before being quite large and moist. Normally, she'd get the crispy curly fries as a side; but she opted for salad this time. No matter anyways, because my son's Grilled Cheese kids meal came with fries. The chances of him finishing it is as good as getting good service at Po King (which incidentally is closed for a month while on "vacation"... Right...). The children's menu at Milestone's is actually quite extensive. A surprise to some since it doesn't seem like a family-friendly restaurant. Despite costing $10.00, there is a decent amount of quality food which includes a drink, entree and dessert. Another solid, if not unexciting meal at Milestone's. We really do not eat here regularly anymore since there are so many other independent restaurants that are about the same price or less. However, if you have a group of people or just want something predictable, Milestone's is a safe choice.

The Good:
- Good Portions
- Solid food
- Comfortable dining space

The Bad:
- Prices are creeping up there (same with Earl's, Cactus Club and Joey's)
- Food is a bit on the "safe" side much like other chain restaurants