Sherman's Food Adventures: Chaise Lounge

Chaise Lounge


Meeting up with my softball team during the game (since I can't play due to my concussion), I noticed that there were 3 identical bats. Last year, I bought an Easton Synergy Speed since I was so impressed with its power after I had tried it out. Apparently, Silent Bob and Milhouse were impressed with it too and they each had bought one as well. Now we have matching shafts! Er... Anyways, the team was stressing out prior to my arrival because they didn't know where to eat. Oh, how I love these guys, letting me be in control of their eating destinies... Oh yeah, they're great people as well... LOL... Originally, we were thinking of something in Richmond and possibly spicy. But not everyone wanted spicy nor anything Asian - more like something that was middle-of-the-road. Oh I see, for one of the few times, we were seeking out something average. Average food eh? We could go to a chain restaurant, but that would just seem like a cop out. Therefore, I suggested Chaise Lounge out on Main Street.

Although the place looks spacious from the outside, it was actually a tight fit for all 11 of us. No matter, it worked and we were hungry. It was pretty packed for a Monday night, which would probably explain the lack of staff. The one waitress was doing her very best to greet, seat, clean and serve while keeping a cheery disposition. We applauded her for not being completely frazzled. Despite being incredibly busy, she still attended to the little things like replacing dirty cutlery and bringing us condiments. Due to our hunger (and I'm not sure why I was hungry since I didn't play softball), Milhouse, Judes and I shared 3 appies ($19.oo if you get 3) which included Potato Skins, Dry Ribs and Calamari. We really liked the Potato Skins. They were large and had a nice layer of soft potato. These were fried up perfectly crisp without being incredibly greasy. A good amount of melted cheese and crisp bacon lined the inside. With a dollop of sour cream, these were money. The Dry ribs were pretty typical in easy-to-manage pieces which were actually quite moist. They weren't as crisp on the outside as much as we would've liked though. Moreover, the ribs could've benefited from a touch more salt. The same could be said about the Calamari as well. The batter was pretty bland and even a generous dunk into the tzatziki, there was a lack of flavour. On the positive side, the batter was crunchy and not oily. However, the squid was a bit chewy. We did like the addition of fried peppers though.

For myself, I had the Lamb Shank, which was reasonably priced at $16.00. In fact, everything on the menu was very inexpensive (especially since the place is not a dive either). Although the meat was fall of the bone, it was a bit dry and stringy in parts. This could've been due to cooking or reheating it at a too-high temperature. Now with that being said, it was still sufficiently tender. Moreover, the sauce was quite good with a hint of red wine and the sweetness of onions. The mash potatoes were more starchy than creamy, yet it was house-made with moist chunks of potato. The side of veggies were a bit inconsistent with the red peppers being perfect while the zucchini being mushy. Boss Woman ended up with the 3 pc Fish & Chips which again was a good value at $13.00. However, it was pretty mediocre. The fries were of the frozen generic variety which were not very crispy. As for the fish, which was cod, it was fried up nicely being flaky and moist. However, the batter was a touch thick and full of grease. The tartar sauce was pretty creamy with not many distinguishing flavours. Gyoza King had the Roast Chicken and it was okay. The dark meat was moist and tender while the white meat was a tad dry. That is pretty normal for a non-brined roast chicken. The skin was nicely rendered except it was not crispy. The chicken was seasoned enough that there was enough flavour on its own. Again, the veggies were okay except for the mushy zucchini.

Milhouse went for the Prime Rib Sandwich which was majestically plated with a tonne of onion rings on top. Despite being sliced thin, the piece of prime rib was a healthy portion. I got to try a piece and it was moist and tender. The onion rings were pretty generic, but at the very least, they were fried up crispy. Dark Helmet had the Prime Rib Dinner and it was essentially the same as Milhouse's sandwich except with the usual sides. LuLu Bomber had probably the best deal of the day being the 8oz NY Steak with mushrooms, baked potato and veggies for $11.00! Yes, that is not an error, it really was only $11.00. Bam Bam also had the same meal and although it was a great value, the quality of the steak wasn't the best. It was a bit chewy and had some gristle. But let's get real here, what does one expect for that price anyways? And they wholeheartly echoed these sentiments because you get what you pay for.

Judes and Bear both had the Burger which was a really large patty on a nice Ciabatta bun. However, the meat was quite dry and chewy. For Bear, he had the Jalapeno Cheddar which added a kick to the burger, but since Judes had the Classic, it was not that flavourful. Okay, with certain execution issues aside, we were all satisfied with our meals. Why? The reasonable prices helped realign our expectations. Considering that each dish was roughly $5.00 or more less expensive than a chain restaurant, we experienced some of the best average food we've ever had. And that is not a bad thing.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Decent decor
- Friendly service (too bad there was only one server)

The Bad:
- Average food
- Tight seating
- Our server was great, but she was definitely overextended

Chaise Lounge on Urbanspoon

2 comments:

Les said...

How were the wings, heh. Noticed the picture but no review :-)

Sherman Chan said...

@Les Whoops... LOL, the wings were not bad. A touch saucy but not overcooked...

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