Bow & Stern (The Amazing Brentwood)

A few Summers ago, we had visited the Abbotsford location of Bow & Stern and came away quite pleased with our meal.  Sure, it wasn't perfect, but for the price, we felt it was decent value.  Fast forward to the present and now they have opened up a brand spanking new location at The Amazing Brentwood.  Situated above Ramen Jinya, this Bow & Stern is rather fancy compared to the one in Abbotsford.  We decided to check it out one Friday night.

We didn't go for any of the appies, instead we had the Hot Seafood Platter.  This consisted of arctic char, lobster tails, tiger prawns, mussels & clams, rice and broccolini.  This was generally quite solid where the prawns were buttery with a sweet snap.  The lobster tails were cooked just right retaining moisture and having that rebound texture.  Clams and mussels were good where the white wine cream broth was served on the side.  It was great to drizzle over the fluffy rice.  Unfortunately, the arctic char was a bit overdone and bland.  Broccolini was excellent being crunchy and vibrant.

For myself, I went for the 2-Piece Cod & Chowder in lieu of the chips.  Being a gluten-free batter, it was somewhat crispy on the outside and plenty gummy on the inside.  It wasn't my favourite.  As for the cod, it was cooked beautifully being moist and flaky.  Loved the tartar as well since it wasn't too thick nor chunky.  As for the Boston Clam Chowder, I quite enjoyed it.  The broth was briny and well-seasoned while the amount of ingredients was sufficient.  It wasn't too rich, which made it easier to finish.

Viv had something a bit lighter in the Salade Niçoise sporting the usual components including seared ahi tuna which was perfectly rare.  It was also bright in flavour and soft in texture.  Nicely salted too.  As for the greens, they were aggressively dressed in a tangy white balsamic dressing which was fine by us.  The usual green beans, olives, potatoes, soft boiled egg and tomatoes were all present.  Loved that he egg wasn't overdone while the potatoes were of the crispy variety.

My daughter opted for her usual in the pan-seared Wild Salmon with dijon horseradish aioli atop rice and broccolini.  The salmon didn't look very moist but in fact it wasn't overdone nor dry (despite the albumin on the side).  It was flaky and mildly seasoned.  The sauce was creamy and not too heavy on the horseradish.  Just like the rice that came with the hot seafood platter, it was fluffy but not too wet.  Also, the broccolini was cooked just enough.

My son decided on an ol' favourite with a twist in the Lobster Grilled Cheese.  This, of course, included Atlantic Lobster, white cheddar, mozzarella and Old Bay cream cheese on grilled sourdough.  It was generally quite good except it was a little lacking on the lobster.  The pieces he did find were great though.  There was plenty of cheese though so it was a solid grilled cheese, especially with the crispy bread.  He went for the yam fries on the side which were crispy.

For my mom, she had the 8oz Top Sirloin with a side of wild mushroom demi-glace (an extra $3).  She asked for it to be prepared rare and it was exactly that.  The char on the outside was crispy and smoky with proper seasoning.  However, the steak wasn't super tender, but understandable considering the cut.  Also, not really sure why she ordered it given it is a seafood restaurant.  We found the mashed potatoes a bit dense, yet still decent.  Broccolini was excellent as with the other dishes.  We found the demi-glace to be too thick though.

Onto dessert, we ordered both the Warm Chocolate Lava Cake as well as the Vanilla Crème Brûlée.  We felt the lava cake was textbook and it offered up moist chocolatey cake with melty chocolate ganache in the middle.  We weren't so fond of the crème brûlée though as it was too thin and also too sweet.  It did have a properly torched sugar topping though.  Overall, we were satisfied by our meal at Bow & Stern but not enough to plan a return visit.  I think there is potential here given the location and seafood-themed menu.  I hope there are some further refinements as time goes by.

The Good:
- Nice dining space
- Most of the seafood was cooked properly
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Batter for the fish was not very good
- Crème Brûlée was below average

Chez Max

Sometimes, we just want to keep things simple and really, when on vacation in a foreign  place, it takes some of the stress away.  This is especially true after driving around and touristing all day.  I did have some ideas for dinner but they were either too far away or was much too formal of a place.  Hence, we did a quick google of what was casual and ultimately decent to eat nearby.  It lead us to Chez Max where the menu items were very familiar: burgers!

We ended up sitting outside across the street (yes, the server had to cross the road!), because it was far too hot inside.  For myself I was all over their All-You-Can-Eat Moules et Frites!  I could pick one of 3 flavours and decided on the basic mussels mariniere with white wine, butter, garlic, parsley and onions.  I would say this was acceptable.  Nothing amazing, but definitely serviceable.  The mussels were a tad overdone, but the broth was tasty and well-seasoned.  The side of frites were crispy and I enjoyed them.

Everyone else went for burgers and Viv ended up with the Jack Daniels with of a shot of JD.  This was served on a freshly toasted bun but the way they cut it was rather strange with so much more bun on the bottom than the top.  The meat patty was thick and rather juicy.  There was a good amount of BBQ sauce that would naturally go well with the JD.  You know what, this was a satisfying American-style burger North of Nice!  Who'd knew?  

My son went for the Royal with greens, tomato, cheddar, onions and burger sauce.  Hey, isn't this a Royale with cheese (see Pulp Fiction)???  Well, this also featured an aggressively toasted bun that was cut like the last one.  The fresh ground beef was moist and nicely seared.  Having burger sauce rather than BBQ sauce, this tasted more along the lines of a Big Mac, but with better meat.  Very strange that the burger ate well despite having more bun on the bottom.

My daughter went for the Madame with greens, tomato, cheese, pickles, sunny side egg and burger sauce.  The bun on this one was cut a bit more evenly.  It featured all of the same ingredients as the royal except with the addition of the egg.  This made things messier and also more wet, but in a good way!  In actuality, this meal was rather good and prepared properly.  A taste of North America in between all the other food we were having.  

The Good:
- Burgers are good
- Made with fresh beef
- AYCE Moules & Frites available

The Bad:
- Maybe a little pricey, but there isn't anything cheap around

Match Eatery & Public House Burger Bender 2024

Here we are again...  Another year, another Burger Bender!  Yep, I look forward to this every time Match Eatery & Public House invite me to try all, and I mean all of their featured burgers for this event (which runs until February 25th).  I believe that Match serves some of the best burgers amongst the chain restaurants in the Lower Mainland.  Actually, they compete pretty well with all burgers in general.  I visited the Ladner location in Delta as usual since this is the newest of the bunch.

Let's start off real strong with their ode to Anthony Bourdain with the "No Reservations" Burger with a 6oz smashed patty, griddled mortadella, white ribbon cheese, dijonnaise, lettuce and red onion on a croissant roll.  This was so delicious with a nicely charred patty that was still moist inside.  The mortadella did its best impression of bacon while cheese was definitely noticeable.  What brought the whole thing together was the croissant roll as it was crispy, flaky and light.  For the side, we had the Breaded Onion Rings (thick cut too) and they were on point as usual.  I feel this is the only way to do onion rings because the breading is crunchy while the onion still retains its shape and texture.

Close behind in our favourites of the bunch was the Seared Tuna Burger with lemongrass seared rare ahi tuna, Asian slaw, avocado, wasabi aioli, sprouts and wonton crisps on a black sesame brioche bun.  The large and thick piece of tuna was cooked to perfection being rare in the middle while charred crispy on the outside.  It was smoky and aromatic while the Asian flavours such as the sesame oil in the slaw and the wasabi were the right compliments for the fish.

So another winner was the Italian Stallion Chicken Parm featuring 2 pieces of crispy breaded chicken thighs with spicy marinara, fresh mozzarella, pesto, butter lettuce and roasted garlic mayo on a herbed parmesan panini.  This was a properly executed sandwich where the chicken was super juicy while the breading was crispy.  Nice tang and spice from the marinara while the cheesiness really came through.  The bun was nicely toasted with a crunch but also soft and flavourful.  We had a Green Goddess Salad served on the side and the dressing was creamy and herbaceous.

The hits kept coming with the Mighty Mushroom with the same 6oz smashed patty with sauteed cremini & button mushrooms, Boursin, dijonnaise, tomato, red onion and lettuce on a brioche bun. This was not devoid of impact since there was plenty of woodsiness from the mushrooms while the boursin did its cheesy herb thing.  Lots of crunch from the fresh veggies and all encapsulated in a aggressively toasted bun.  The side of fresh-cut fries were crispy and plenty potatoey. 

Onto the Burger Bender 2023 Champion, we had the French Onion Big Dipper.  This thing sported the same smash patty with a crispy onion ring, caramelized onions, double Swiss, dijonnaise and arugula on brioche.  However, the one thing that put this over the top was the side of French onion soup serving as a dip for the burger.  Beyond the already deliciously cheesey and onion-forward burger, the dip was rich and sweet without the usual saltiness associated with the soup.  The side of Yam Fries were crispy and sweet.

Lastly, we had the Veg Head and yes, I know what you are all thinking...  But really, I enjoyed this!  The house-made wild rice and black bean patty was super crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  Compliments included avocado, red onion, tomato, jack cheese, sprouts and house mayo on a multigrain bun.  The side of Dirty Fries was a meal in itself with cheese sauce and bacon bits.  As you can see, there is a little of something for everyone at Match's Burger Bender.  Nice job on creating 3 new ones for this year with my favourite being the "No Reservations".  That one is definitely worth trying.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:

- They put in the effort to create some unique burgers

- Each one is very distinct from each other

- On point execution

The Bad:

- Still longing for their donut burger from 2 years ago, are they bringing it back?

Moxie's West Georgia

It has been awhile since I've last been to Moxie's.  I remember it expanded to several locations in the GVRD and then it closed a few locations.  Now it is back with a brand new spot at 180 West Georgia in Downtown.  If this sounds and looks familiar to you, it can be found within the Sandman Inn.  I was offered a $150.00 gift card to try the brand new digs out and also a revamped menu (well, at least since the last time I went).  I ended up bringing the fam with me and went far beyond the $150.00.  So I didn't hold back and topped it up with my own coin.  Loved this new location as it is modern and has some pretty comfy booth seating.  I imagine this would be great before a Canucks game since it is a block away from Rogers Arena.

Back to our dinner, we started with one each of the Salt & Pepper Wings and the Hot Wings.  Both were served with celery sticks and ranch dressing.  These wings were quite large and meaty.  When combined with a perfect fry job, the meat remained juicy and tender.  On the outside, there was a light batter that made things crispy with fairly rendered skin.  As for the hot wings, they were not crispy due to being tossed with sauce.  It was mildly spicy with some tanginess.

Onto the Tiny Tuna Tacos, they were made with wonton shells encasing diced ahi tuna (topped with furikake) and guacamole.  These actually reminded me of the ones I had at Telefèric Barcelona in Palo Alto.  So light and crispy, the wonton shells did not interfere with the delicate, yet meaty tuna.  The guac underneath added some creaminess and a binding agent to keep the tuna from falling out.  That sesame soy sauce was classic Asian with a surprising kick at the end.  The squeeze from the lime wedge added some needed acidity too.  One thing I would like to see is that they plate these in a stainless steel taco holder stand so that they do not get wet from contact with the lime wedges.

Something similar, yet different was the Tuna Stack consisting of diced ahi tuna atop fresh mango, avocado and seasoned sushi rice.  It sat in a soy ginger glaze and was drizzled with spicy mayo.  Loved the addition of furikake prawn crackers as they were super light and crunchy.  As you can clearly see, the stack was made with the freshest ingredients.  Colours and textures were on point.  Loved the sweetness from the mango as well as the sweet soy that had a gingery kick.

Off to our mains, Viv opted for the Chiptole Mango Chicken with atop grilled asparagus and ancient grains.  This was finished with avocado and pico de gallo.  She found this quite filling since it sported 2 chicken breasts.  These were well-charred, yet remained tender.  Lots of smokiness that was tempered by the sweet mango.  With the addition of fresh pico de gallo and avocado, this had a tropical Mexican flavour.

My daughter predictably ordered a fish dish in the Lemon Basil Salmon.  Gently-seared, the salmon was perfectly flaky and moist.  The lemon basil sauce was buttery and rich where the squeeze from the charred half-lemon provided balance.  It sat atop barely-cooked through asparagus and ancient grains.  The grains were chewy and nutty while benefiting from the butter sauce and the lemon juice.  Really brought it alive with flavour and acidity.

For myself, I had the Loaded Cheeseburger with aged white cheddar, 2 strips of bacon, sautéed mushrooms, LTOP, burger sauce and BBQ sauce.  Yes, this was a lot of stuff and the soft potato roll held it altogether conforming to whatever was left after each bite.  I found the burger patty to be fairly large, meaty and moist with a good char.  Bacon was super crispy while the mushrooms were well-seasoned.  Combined with fresh produce and some nuttiness from the cheddar, this was a pretty solid burger.  Fries on the side were crispy and well-salted.

My son had the most expensive item (as opposed to what my daughter usually does) with the 10oz CAB New York Steak with buttered mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. As seen in the second picture, this was prepared medium-rare as requested.  Possibly a more aggressive char on the steak would've made it perfect, but ultimately, the meat was high-quality and super tender.  It was well-seasoned and properly rested with no juices leaking onto the plate.  Creamy and buttery, those mashed potatoes were quite good.  This also came with some demi-glace which was silky and full of meatiness.  Great with the steak and the potatoes.

For dessert, we shared the Key Lime Pie with fresh whipped cream topped with graham crumb and lime zest.  I believe there was both pecans and coconut in the firm and sweet buttery crust.  As for the key lime filling, it was smooth, tangy and sweet.  It was a good thing that they did not sweeten the rich and thick whipped cream since the dessert would've been too sweet.  This way, it as balanced and ate really well.  Loved the aromatic and slightly bitter lime zest.  After we were finished I had to think hard to compare my last visit to Moxie's with this current one.  I have to say this was better since the new menu items were prepared properly and were tasty.  Sure, Moxie's is a chain restaurant, but I am not a food snob.  I judge food independently regardless of where I ate it and who made it.   Bottom line is that we enjoyed our meal.

*Partial comp on the meal for this post*

The Good:
- Properly prepared proteins and vegetables
- Well-seasoned
- Nice location, close to many venues

The Bad:
- Restaurant is a bit hidden

 

Yard House

Sometimes convenience is more important than really good eats.  Okay, this may not have been true early on in the life of this blog, but it certainly is now.  Hey, when I'm on vacation, I really should be making decisions based on what works for my family rather than trekking across town to line up at a trendy spot so I can blog about it. Hence, we ended up going across the street from where we were staying over to LA Live.  From all the choices there, we went to the popular chain restaurant Yardhouse.

We started with the Poke Nachos with almost everything on the side, because not everyone wanted everything, but wanted some things.  LOL... So these crispy wonton crisps were supposed to be topped with ahi tuna, avocado, serranos, white truffle sauce, sweet soy ginger sauce, sriracha aioli, cilanto, green onions, sesame seeds and nori.  This was pretty good, especially when we used the sauces with it.  I particularly enjoyed the combination of soy ginger with the aioli.

We also got the Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds with hot honey sauce and horseradish aioli.  This was a fairly generous portion of cheese curds.  Texturally, they were only slightly melted and still had a nice bouncy chew to them.  On the outside, the batter was indeed crispy and light, but completely soaked with grease.  So much so, the parchment on bottom of the basket yielded pools of oil.  Ignoring that, the cheese curds were good and went especially well with the hot honey.

For myself, I had the BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger featuring a 1/2 pound USDA prime blend patty, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, BBQ sauce and garlic aioli.  I asked for the patty to be prepared medium-rare and it came out closer to medium.  No matter though as it was juicy and nicely charred.  Bacon was super crispy and the sesame bun was nicely toasted and airy.  Hence, it didn't eat heavy.  However, the burger was quite filling though.  I got parmesan truffle fries on the side and they were crispy with enough seasoning for impact.

Viv had the BBQ Chicken Pizza which was loaded with tender morsels of chicken.  There wasn't enough BBQ sauce though as the pizza ate dry.  Crust was pretty basic being the thin crust variety.  It was crunchy but not particularly memorable.  With the proliferation of Neapolitan pizza joints all over the place, pizza crusts like the ones found at Yardhouse are very mediocre.  But I get it, a chain restaurant needs to keep things streamlined especially with such a large menu.

For my son, he went for the House Cheesesteak featuring chopped ribeye, white cheddar, steak sauce, roasted garlic aioli and fried onion strings on a hoagie. As you can see, this was rather large and he was completely satisfied by both the portion size and the execution.  The soft roll encased tender beef that had a nice sear (with some crispy bits).  Lots of umami here including beefiness, aromatics and sharpness from the cheese.  The side of yam fries were crispy and not greasy.

Naturally, the most expensive dish was ordered by my daughter which was the Sesame-Crusted Ahi with crispy garlic, sesame seeds, green onions, jasmine rice, charred baby broccoli, baby tomatoes and creamy ponzu sauce.  As pictured, the ahi was perfectly medium-rare with only the slightest sear on the outside.  Hence it was tender and vibrant.  However, it was also quite bland and there wasn't enough ponzu to do anything about it.  The veggies were cooked perfectly though.  Good dish, just needed more seasoning.  As for the other dishes, we were satisfied and thought the pricing was fair.  Pretty good for a chain restaurant and it did the job given what we were looking for.

The Good:
- Well-portioned
- Decent pricing with all things considered
- Huge menu (something for everyone)

The Bad:
- Pizza was meh
- Service was good, but long periods of time without anyone checking on us  

White Spot R+D Kitchen

Over the years, we've seen the metamorphosis of such restaurant chains like Joey and Cactus Club.  Formerly casual and family-orientated, these 2 places did not sport much in the way of gourmet eats.  In fact, I remember that Joey used to be Joey Tomatoes and Cactus Club had cows adorning the walls.  The sudden change in direction for these 2 chains happened many moons ago and they have been attracting a younger demographic.  Now it seems like White Spot wants to get into the action with their new R+D kitchen at The Amazing Brentwood.  We decided to check it out.

Now, the menu does have some specialized items only available at R+D, but much of it is still very White Spot including their signature burgers.  My parents stayed with the traditional and got some Dippin Chicken to start.  Nothing out-of-the-ordinary with this as it sported the usual chicken breast strips that were fried golden brown.  The coating was thin, yet crispy.  Inside, the chicken was tender and moist.  They chose the plum sauce as their dip.

For their main, they shared the 9oz NY Strip with roasted tomato onion adobo, rainbow carrots, roasted baby potatoes and crispy onions.  They asked for it to be prepared rare and it came exactly as such.  Although the sauce was pretty flavourful and spicy, my mom wasn't too fond of it.  Potatoes and carrots were nicely roasted but not overdone either.  Although advertised as 9 ounces, this appeared to be bigger.

My son went with the R+D House Wagyu Burger with aged white cheddar, hickory smoked bacon, arugula, tomato, pickle and mustard onion confit.  This burger was all classic White Spot except for the addition of arugula and the confit.  He found the bacon to be crispy while the confit to be sweet with a bite.  However, the most important part was not that great.  The burger patty was dry and not really discernible as Wagyu.

For myself, I decided on the Gochujang Fried Chicken Burger with Crispy chicken thigh, Gochujang sauce, savoy cabbage and mayo.  This was pretty solid with a juicy chicken thigh that was fried crunchy.  It stayed as such even though it was doused with gochujang sauce.  I know that gochujang has been overused as of late, but I enjoyed the sweetness and heat regardless.  Fries were a bit soggy though.

For my daughter, she went for the Tuffled Mushroom Pizza with cream sauce, seasonal roasted mushrooms, black truffle cheese, roasted garlic and arugula.  She instantly regretted ordering it after biting into the crust.  Honestly, if White Spot wants to compete with the big boys in the chain restaurant world, they need to up there game with the crust.  It was no better than the store-bought ready-to-bake variety.  It was not good.  On the plus side, the toppings were solid and flavours were earthy.

Viv opted for the Crispy Skin Arctic Char with rainbow carrots, roasted baby potatoes & basil hollandaise.  The skin was indeed crispy but you can clearly see that part of it was wrecked by either the cooking utensil or being stuck to the pan.  Not particularly appealing to look at.  Fish was a little overdone, but not by much.  It was well-seasoned.  Veggies were solid being cooked just enough.  

Of course my daughter wanted dessert, so we ordered the Triple Dark Chocolate S'mores Brownie consisting of Ghirardelli triple dark chocolate brownie, marshmallows, graham cracker crust & raspberry coulis.  The light brownie itself was rather sweet, but the tart coulis balanced it off.  I think the marshmallow was the culprit for the sweetness though.  Overall, this visit to White Spot R+D Kitchen was disappointing.  White Spot holds a special place in my heart as I grew up eating Pirate Paks and enjoying their classic dishes.  However, if they are trying to enter the crowded field of more premium chain eateries, they need to do much better than this.

The Good:
- Nice dining space
- Excellent service
- Menu has some new things and classic items

The Bad:
- That pizza crust is plain embarrassing when Pizza Garden in the adjacent food court does it way better
- Overall, the food needs to be better. It is as if they are trying without actually looking at what the competition is doing.

The Keg (Burnaby)

I'm sure some of you are wondering why I'm posting on The Keg of all places.  Well I've said it many times over - I don't mind dining at chain restaurants (and apparently the Edmonton Oilers management team too).  I'm certainly no food snob and really, not all of my meals are necessarily a hole-in-the-wall or fine dining.  Sometimes, we just have to hit up the ol' standbys and be content.  This was partly not my decision anyways as my son wanted steak and sorry, we aren't going to Elisa (although I love the place).  So we headed over to our local Keg instead.

Now everyone knows that their Sourdough Bread is pretty good and also the 3-cheese butter that goes with it.  Normally, that butter is a "secret", but apparently, they are serving that by default now (so you don't actually have to ask for it anymore).  Served warm, the bread was soft and lightly chewy inside with a slightly crunchy exterior.  With the melted butter and cheese, we had to be careful not to eat too much of it, so we had enough appetite for dinner.

We started with some appies first including the Spinach & Crab Dip served with tortilla chips.  Don't let the seemingly small amount of dip fool you.  It was actually more than enough for the chips on the plate.  It was cheesy and creamy with enough crab that we noticed it.  Chips were not overly thick and crunchy.  Not the best crab dip I've ever had (that would be the one at the shuttered Coquille), but it was still good.

Next, we went with the classic Tuna Tartare with seasoned ahi tuna and fresh avocado.  Strangely, I always order this but every time I find it underseasoned.  I mean it isn't necessarily a bad thing as I can taste the natural flavours of the fresh tuna, but just a bit more oomph would go a long way with this.  The light and airy crisps were the perfect vessel for the delicate tuna and avocado.

We also had the Scallops and Bacon because my son absolutely loves both scallops and bacon.  Perfect dish right?  Well, this was prepared quite well with slightly crisped up bacon (mostly the edges) and plump buttery scallops wrapped within.  This would've been flawless if the bacon was a bit less fatty, yet that is really hard to control and I'm not pinning it on the restaurant.  Served on the side was some cocktail sauce.

For myself, I had the Iceberg Wedge Salad with tomato, crispy smoked bacon and blue cheese dressing.  As you can clearly see, they didn't hold back with the blue cheese as there was a big chunk on top.  Hence, this made for a very sharp-tasting experience.  If you like blue cheese, this would be more than satisfying.  The iceberg was fresh and crisp while the bacon was crunchy and smoky.

Onto the mains, I went for one of my favs - the 12oz Baseball Top Sirloin prepared medium-rare.  Since the steak is so thick, it can only be ordered medium-rare or rarer.  I found this to be perfect because it was between rare and medium-rare, which is my preference.  Hence, it was juicy and mostly tender.  Being top sirloin, it had a bit more chew.  The nicely charred steak was seasoned properly as well.  I have never been a fan of Keg fries and this didn't change my mind.  I would prefer them to be thicker and much crunchier (these were soggy).

Both Viv & my mom ended up with the 10oz Prime Rib with baked potato, horseradish, au jus and fried onions.  Personally, I would've ordered the 18oz size because I like it thick cut, but they don't have the appetite that I have!  Even though it was fairly thin, the meat was still juicy (despite what the picture shows) and tender.  It was dry-brined enough that the flavours penetrated the meat.  Baked potato was soft and tender with all the fixins'.

My son had his favourite cut being the 12oz Peppercorn New York Striploin with twice-baked potato.  Usually, he just gets the regular striploin, but for some reason, he went peppercorn this time.  Good choice because this meant more flavour with a smoky pepperiness.  The steak itself was thick and prepared perfectly medium-rare.  On the side was the classic twice-baked potato which was crispy on the top and soft in the middle with plenty of bacon bits.

My dad didn't have any red meat and went for his usual fish dish being the Salmon Neptune.  This was actually quite good as the fish was flaky and moist.  We found cream cheese, crab and green onion topping rather rich, but it helped seal the moisture in the salmon as well as providing a firm "sauce" of sorts.  It was served with asparagus and extra veggies in lieu of mashed potatoes.  They were vibrant and barely cooked through.

For dessert, there was no doubt as to what we were ordering for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, the Billy Miner Pie is "the" dessert to have at The Keg.  Secondly, it is complimentary to the birthday person (it was my son's bday).  So here it is, the full Keg experience.  No, it really isn't that fancy, but it is fancy enough that we were happy with the food, price point, ambiance and service.  Not bad for a chain restaurant and since it was packed, other people must have the same opinion too.

The Good:
- Well prepared steaks
- Okay pricing with all things considered
- That sourdough with 3-cheese butter

The Bad:
- Pricing is reasonable, but you will still spend some $$$ there