Widesky Inn

Had a tour of my new field today with Mr. T. Everyone working in this field/plant are really helpful and courteous...cool beans! After a walkaround in the plant, we all decided to go for a brunch, at the famous Widesky Inn.

The diner at the inn is located at the lobby, and fairly small with ~15 seatings. The owner/waitress were very nice though. So came the menu...they have 1 for breakfast and another for lunch. We took both since some wanted to go lite and others un-lite :)

Breakfast items were regular fare (omelette, pancakes etc), same with the lunch (burgers, sandwiches, and a bunch fried stuff). I wanted to try everything of course, but upon recommendation, I went with the Widesky Burger...hehe

2 patties, 2 bacons, 2 cheese and a ham (can't go wrong!)

Here comes the burger...


It was one of the biggest burger I've seen and eaten to date...a close up for comparison



And stacked...



Managed to finish the whole thing, but boy it was a mess! I swear I could've downed 1-2 more of these, but my fellow friends don't buy it; guess they haven't seen me eat yet ;). But having to work later, I decline to their challenge.

The burger was delicious, juicy, well seasoned, and hot off the grill. Cheese was nicely melted (not runny, but sticks to your mouth). Overall, it's one of the best I've eaten.

4.25/5

Apparently, this is part of the initiation ceremony for this field...don't you wish you had one too?

Service: 3.75/5
Ambience: 3/5

Wide Sky Inn
PO Box 247,
Wanham, AB T0H 3P0
780-694-3888

Diurnal Pabulum: Grilled Sirloin

Went for a quick dinner with a colleague at the airport prior to departure. Always passed by Chili's but never had a chance to try till now. To end a long time, sirloin is the way to goooooo :)





The steak is placed right on top of the garlic toast...bad bad idea as the toast is soaked with oil and mushy. Aside from that, the steak was nicely done, along with the sauteed veggies.

Chili's Texas Grill
2480 37th Ave NE Calgary, AB
T2N 3N6
Tel: (403) 291-0520

Tony Roma's

Congratz to both my roomies...one got his DL, and the other got her PR! For celebration, we decided to go to Tony Roma's. My family used to visit the place quite often, especially on Tuesdays with their AYCE ribs, but I never got the chance, so this is actually my 1st time.

To begin the feast, we ordered the Onion Ring Tower...

I'd heard of this before, but to actually see it and eat it is a whole new experience! With the cheese dipping sauce, it sure is good. However, my roomy complained it being to soggy, and is usually crispier. I would think it would taste that much better crispier.



3.5/5

For main dish, my roomies decided to share a whole rib


I tried bit of the ribs, and they tasted ok to me, just tons of bbq sauce on it. The good thing is this place offers 4 kinds - regular, spicy, sweet, and smoked. Based on what I was told of TR's ribs, I've alwasys imagined that there was something special, nonparallel taste and texture to it, but I was disappointed with this one.

3/5

Finally, I myself had the pulled chicken sandwich...(had dinner at home already, so didn't go for the monster meal tonight)

This was really disappointing...it's basically a pulled-pork wannabe, but failed miserably. All I can taste was bbq sauce all over.

2.5/5

Well, there goes my 1st time at TR, leaving with a full stomach but unsatisfied palate. Is this the same kinda TR my family have been raving about? Boooooo..(I still love my Memphis Blues!)

Service: 3/5
Ambience: 3.5/5

Tony Roma's
102-10745 117 Avenue
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 7N6
(780) 538-4546

Madhatters Liquid Lounge

Another engineer joins the boat today - a coop student from UVic - Mr. W. And a welcome lunch is in the order!

Madhatters off we go again. Maybe it's time to try other places...just maybe.

Feeling like chicken, I tried their Tandoori Chicken again, in hopes that my comments to the waitress last time were taken to heart :)



A close up...


More mango chutneys this time round, I like. The chicken were a bit dry this time, but the seasoning has improved...the fragrance of garam masala and cumin and tang of ginger is more evident.

3.5/5

My affable mentor Mr. L ordered the Mexican Chicken Taco Loco Salad. Apparently he was on a challenge to go back in time on the weighing scales ;)



The salad sure looks tasty, but I wonder if it's going to help achieve his goal :) Salad these days...they are like candied apples.

Everyone seems to enjoy their meal on this occasion, and no wonder we are back here again.

Service: 3/5
Ambience: 3.5/5

Madhatters Liquid Lounge
10508 100 Avenue
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0V9
780-532-9080

Best Western Grande Prairie Hotel

It's only been a few months since I've been here, and yet I have to say my first farewell to our beloved manager. Guess the saying is true that people come and go over here, but let's hope that's not the case while I am here, coz we are a great bunch as it stands :)

The venue for the farewell dinner was down at Best Western Hotel, and it was a buffet style dinner, just what I needed after a long day at work.

So here's my full plate on the 1st round..



And a close up of our main star...Roast Beef


The veggies were nicely glazed and seasoned, especially the carrots and parsnips mix. The roast beef is nothing to shout about, but given my hunger, it was really good, moist and tender (tip: pick a slice near the sides). This is also the first time I tried horseradish on my beef, and to my surprise, I actually like it! Gravy is of course 1st choice, hands down a must :)

3.5/5

Next up are desserts, the best thing in a meal! Just like anything in life, always end it in a sweet note...something I always tell myself when deciding if dessert is worth the extra calories :)



The unique cylindrical chocolate cake...


The peanut butter squares, nanaimo bars were regular. To this date, I still find nanaimo bars too sweet for my taste. The chocolate cake, looks nice, but tastes ok...slightly disappointed by the dryness of the cake. The outer chocolate layer is good though.

3/5

Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5

Best Western Grande Prairie Hotel
10745 117th Ave
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 7N6
(780) 402-2378

Diurnal Pabulum: Earl's

Driving down to Kananaskis for a 2-day gathering of the new team as part of our company's reorganization. On the way to there, the ops team decided to drop by Earl's for dinner.

With Mr. G around, appies are always a must...here are the Sushi Plate and the Chili Chicken.




Rolls were ok...really liked the thinly sliced tuna and salmon wrapped around them. The chicken were good, cripsy exterior with juicy and tenderness inside; plus the sauce was delicately portioned.

Here's the seafood linguine a colleague had...(looks tasty, but not as much seafood as the one in Madhatter's)


As for myself, the Cedar Planked Salmon...


Perfectly grilled, delicious sauce, and moist brown rice (close to being risotto but drier). Absolutely loved it!

Earl's
10640 MacLeod Trail SE, Calgary
(403) 228-4141

Flames Central

Met up with Ms. J and a friend of a friend in Calgary this afternoon, and we decided to have dinner at Flames Central. Big bright red building, this place has always attracted my attention, so it's nice to finally pay a visit.

Ms. J had the Carbonara...


Myself, I had the Grilled Free Range Chicken...


Delicious food, great atmosphere. Worth a visit!

Flames Central
219 8 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2P 1B7
(403) 237-9799

Shark's Club

Went for lunch with a few colleagues today, down at the Shark's Club, thanks to an invite from a friend of a friend. Everyone's especially hungry today, and most of us ordered entrees.

Here were what we ordered...One had the Butter Chicken



This dish looks really good...love how they present it. The thick and creamy curry sauce...gaaahhhh...if only I have 2 stomachs!

Another had the Clubhouse Sandwich with a side of soup





The sandwich looks normal, nothing special. As I was eating, I was thinking of ways to assemble a unique sandwich, something that will entice the eyes without one even smelling and tasting...like an inverted sandwich (bread sandwiched between layers of meat ;))

Personally, I picked the Chicken with Sambuca Prawn, along with a side salad. Although they call it tossed salad (like anywhere else), this one is actually pretty loaded...more like a chef's salad to me.







The salad was good...crisp greens with plenty of cheese and bacon :) The main dish though was the hilite. From the juicy prawns, to the tender chicken, drizzled with plenty of cream (sambuca) sauce...plus the extra jest from the diced peppers and veggies; I am gastronomically and palate-ly delighted!! Later I learnt that sambuca is actually a liqeur...whatever it is, it sure adds lots of goodness to the cream sauce.

4.25/5


Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5

Shark's Club Bar & Grill
9898 99 Ave
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0R5
(780) 513-5450

Diurnal Pabulum: Cedar Plank Salmon

Stayed at Radisson Hotel for a night before heading out into town due to fully booked hotels. In house restaurant has a really nice name to it - Botanica. Hungry I am...Food Salmon is!





Botanica
2120 - 16th Ave. N.
Calgary, AB
T2E 1L4
(403) 291-3287

Madhatters Liquid Lounge

Had an invitation from one of the vendors for an after work appie party at Madhatter's. I remember this place fondly, as this was the 1st place I had really good food in GP. This was when we had the engineering group lunch to celebrate my 1st week at work :) (time sure flies...) Too bad I didn't get to take pictures last time, as I didn't want to break the decorum on my 1st day out.

The party room was at the back of the bar, and it was pretty packed when I arrived. Here are some of the finger foods served...

The veggies...normal stuff


Next comes the salt & pepper wings, honey garlic ribs, sweet sour pork on fried noodles, and spring rolls...



The spring rolls, wings, and ribs were so-so, nothing special. However, the sweet sour pork was delicious. They were really thin strips, so came out really cripsy. With just enough sauce to go on top with the noodles and spring onions...good mix! Reminds of the Szechuan Ginger Beef in Richmond :)~

3.25/5

Next is the gyozas...



The gyozas are regular, and the sauce is a tad too sweet. I prefer to have gyozas with soy sauce. Nice presentation though!

3/5

Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5

Madhatters Liquid Lounge
10508 100 Avenue
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0V9
780-532-9080

Shark's Club

Got invited for lunch today by Mr. B, my wonderful foreman...to the Shark's Club. It's close to the office, and a good place to eat and make it back in time for an afternoon meeting.

Ordered the Ahi Tuna Wrap, hoping it was as good as they had described it in the menu. The menu is like most bar & lounges, offering anything from burgers, salads, and sandwiches. However, they also steaks, stirfry, and pasta for those big eaters.

Here's what came for me...





The wrap is quite well done, with just enough sauce in it, maybe albeit too much noodles, and light on the meat. It's filling though, given the amount of carbs in it. The tuna also has a nice tinge of spice to it.

3.25/5

Given the extensive menu, I'll definitely visit this place again to try other stuff. A google on Shark's club yield surprising results...apparently they have branches in Vancouver too (never seen or heard of it though).

Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5

Shark's Club Bar & Grill
9898 99 Ave
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0R5
(780) 513-5450

Milos Steak House & Pizza

Went on an unthordox engineering meeting today. First we went to tour the Cutbank/Musreau plant, followed by white-water rafting! How I wished every meeting was like this :) It was fun and great for viewing the inner personalities of people you work with.

After the exhausting exercise, we decided to go for dinner at a local diner. A few of us started with the soup to warm the stomach...

Minestrone soup was what they had on that day...

It was so so, tasted like it's out of the can with mushy pasta (or maybe it is...)

2.5/5

Next came the entrees...a colleague decided to go Greek and ordered the beef kebab (everything's got to do with beef in Alberta!).



The portion's pretty big, and the salad looks awesome (I love feta...), but the kebab looks a tad dry...being hungry as we were, no one's complaining.

For myself, I got the steak with the fixings...


Baked potato just won't do without these lovely companions...



A close-up of the medium rare beef...



Steak was medium rare as ordered (good stuff), but it seems small (or maybe I was too hungry...). The garlic toast was a bit too toasty (hard in a sense), but the baked potato was definitely a win for a starving man.

3.25/5

Good "meeting" overall, a really enjoyable day. Thanks for the ride home Mr. H!

Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3/5

Milos Steak House & Pizza
9901 100 St Grande Cache, AB
T0E 0Y0
(780) 827-2585

Diurnal Pabulum: Bison BBQ

Had a taste of my 1st bison meat today...in sausage form!

It was really meaty, crumbly, and leaner than the leanest beef you can find...perfect for sausage I find. Nicely BBQ-ed for a perfect lunch.



Be sure to try it out at Centre 2000 when they offer their summer bison smokies.

Centre 2000 Tourism & Trade Centre
11330 106 Street
Grande Prairie, AB
T8V 7X9
(780) 513-0240

Jake's Down South

Went out for lunch today with a friend of a friend, and he recommended this place. The menu is pretty extensive, and they actually serve something exotic...Alligator Crostini!

As we're really really hungry, we ended up just ordering a full lunch instead of those alligator appies, but definitely worth a taste next time I am here.

The items on the menu all sounds good, but one that caught my eye was the MONTE CRISTO. Here's the description...

A Jake’s legend! Thick cut bread, spicy capicolli ham, chicken breast, jalapeno havarti, thick...dipped in egg and grilled.

What can go wrong with an all meat sandwich? Nothing! And it didn't disappoint :)


The sandwich came with a side salad, and their popular maple vinaigrette. It tastes really good, or maybe I was just hungry...

A close-up...



Besides the bread being a little soggy on the inside (guess they just spread too much butter on them), everything else were superb! Coming back here for a lunch is a definite yes-yes.

3.75/5


Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5


Jake's Down South
10810 107A Avenue
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 7A9
Phone: (780) 532-5667

Delmonica's Restaurant

Went for lunch today with a group of newly found friends whom I met in a course previously. As we're tight on time, and don't really want to go fast food, we ended up at Delmonica's Restaurant, located just next to the Stanford Grande Prairie Hotel.

They had a regular menu there, but we went with their "famous" lunch buffet. Not sure what's the big deal as there are not much variety to it....2 kinds of salad, chicken breast topped with tons of cheese, meat loaf, and the regular mash potato...plus desserts of course.

So here's what I got on my 1st round...


The meat loaf was really soggy for some reason, even though it looks perfectly cooked from the outside...tastewise, it's pretty good actually. The chicken breast was the real surprise here; it looks really plain, but o boy, it was GOOD! Tender, moist, loads of melted cheese on it...awesomeness :)

Next up is the dessert...


For dessert, they have quite the variety, but after eating 5 pieces of chicken, there's only enough room for 2 kinds -_-...and I went with the ever-tempting mousse and the rhubarb crumble (next to the mousse). It was a good end to a filling meal.

I asked the waitress before I left if they changed their buffet menu everyday, and she said yes. Definitely worth another visit!

3.25/5

Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5

Delmonica's Restaurant
11401-100 Avenue
Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
T8V 5M6
Phone 780-539-5678

Bar One

Just arrived in GP yesterday, and ready to begin my food journey.

Stayed at the Sandman Hotel downtown just to be in walkable distance to work. There are 2 restaurants in the hotel - Denny's and Bar 1 - and to the latter I went for dinner.

Ordered the Chef's Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast.


Regular tossed salad imo, and normal grilled herb chicken breast. But hungry I was, and that was gone in 10 minutes. Only gripe...the waitress offered a few choices for dressings, but realized later only vinaigrette was available.

3/5

Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 3/5

Bar One
9805 100 Street
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6X3
(780) 513-6640

Diurnal Pabulum: BBQ Burgers & Dogs

Yes, it's hot dogs of course!

It was rainy out in Richmond, and bro and I were just travelling around hunting for BBQ and roasted pork when we stumble upon a BBQ event.

It was quite the lineup of people and grubs. We sure had our fills :)





BMO
6088 No. 3 Rd.
Richmond, BC
V6Y 2B3
Tel: 604-668-1575