Mystic Designs Food Blog

This place has the right atmosphere for a sporting event with some great friends. However, the food and service can be touch and go.

Case in point. I had some plans on Saturday evening with a friend, and we were going to watch the Habs game. So I made sure that I could make reservations to guarantee us a place. I phoned them up and was denied over the phone. I was told that they did not take reservations, and I would have to arrive early for a seat.

So we arrived about 20 minutes before game time, and were seated at the bar. There was no big issue so far, since we had a place to sit, and lots of TVs were surrounding us.

As for food, I already knew what I wanted, and was ready to order without even needing to look at the menu.

So when the waiter arrived and asked if I wanted to see a menu, I said no thanks, and began to order, the a plate from the Mexican menu, and before I could finish my order he said that I should look at the menu before making an order, and he handed me a one page menu with about a dozen meal items on it. He then proceeded to explain that I could not order anything from the regular menu or the Mexican menu tonight.

I was a bit confused, since this has never happened to me before, and I’ve had dinner here about once a week for close to 2 years!

So since I couldn’t get the Mexican dish I wanted, I ordered my backup meal, the Hot Chicken sandwich. I was shut down with that order as well.

I memorized most of that menu, so I can tell you right now what was listed on there, and only one or two items were listed for each meal category:

- Chicken Breast
- Blitz Burger
- 1/2 or    Whole rack of Ribs
- Baseball Steak
- Buffalo or Kamikaze Wings
- KO Salad

Now. If there was a special event, then I could probably expect an “Event Menu” to be used, so that the kitchen was not flooded.

This wasn’t what tweaked me though.

What got me was that when we arrived there were several tables empty, and all had “RESERVE” on them, for 2, 4 and 12 people.

Next what got me was that we sat next to the kitchen door, so we saw the dish I wanted pass by about 15 times! And I couldn’t understand how, then I noticed that the tables around us were handed the regular menu!!!

Explanation?
I can’t think of anything!

We were there for the entire game, we would have been fine if it took a little longer to make!

Now for service. Our waiter was doing just fine. He refilled promptly and he even attempted to order our regular dishes for us, but he was apparently locked out at the POS machine.

On top of all of this, we lost the game! Grrr…

I’ve never eaten at a Dairy Queen: Grill & Chill before, and I’ve seen commercials for years, but there were never any locations nearby, so it wasn’t convenient to travel to the US or another province to try them out.

I finally had my chance to try it out, and I suppose my expectations were set WAY too high, because the final result was so low and my disappointment was so high that I can’t see ever returning again.

The food was prepared probably days in advance and obviously microwaved, perhaps a few times. But that wasn’t the worst part, the food itself was comparable to something you’d find in a frozen TV dinner.

I ordered the deluxe chicken sandwich. As much as I wanted to order the Flamethrower burger that I see all the time on the commercials, I really wasn’t that hungry, and it was a really hot day and I didn’t need to feel any hotter.

It arrived and was quite soggy, and tasted alright, but the Stouffers / Lean Cuisine microwave Panini tastes about the same, except not as soggy, and it’s only $2.49 in a grocery store, this one was $8.49. Though the French fries were good, it really didn’t make up for a poor sandwich attempt.

If I wanted a microwave sandwich I would have gone across the street to the grocery store and bought one on my own.

There was self serve soft drink dispenser, so with my combo, I received fries, a drink and a mini-Blizzard (and I really emphasize on the word MINI, because the mini-Blizzards here are about half the size of of the Quebec mini-Blizzards!)

I overheard my friends mention that the ice machine wasn’t working, so when she handed my cup, I requested some ice, and she insisted that the machine worked, so I went over to fill it up. The ice didn’t work, so I went back over and said it didn’t work, but was ignored. So I went back in line and waited my turn, again, and then requested ice. I then filled up my drink and it was obviously watered down and warm, and it melted the little bit of ice that was in the cup. I figured it was a 7up issue, so I dumped it, and switched to Orange, and it was actually worse!

Service was alright, though they had a hard time understanding their own menu. So after a few corrections, they did finally get it right. Though, their Blizzard left a lot to be desired.

Let me put it this way, the DQ Blizzard flip would have never passed the test, it was half melted when I received it, and there was not much “extreme” in the “Extreme Chocolate”. It actually tasted similar to a Wendy’s Frosty, vanilla ice cream and chocolate flavouring, but no crunching or chewing or anything that I am so accustomed to when ordering an “Extreme Chocolate” Blizzard.

If the place was super busy, and the staff was running ragged, I might understand a few of these faults, such as the melting ice cream, due to the overuse, but the place was practically empty, and this was the supper hour.

If this was a service issue, then I could probably link this to the one particular location and not hold it against any of the others, but the food quality itself was so substandard to begin with that it had to have been designed to be like that.

Rubbery chicken in a soggy panini bread, the burgers, which I didn’t try, but others at my table compared it to the “Amtrack midnight special burgers” that most certainly was not a compliment, because Amtrack is certainly not known for it’s fine dining.

Another person ordered a Poutine, and I suppose it’s not the store’s fault if they’re not in Quebec, but he couldn’t eat it because it just wasn’t edible.

And I tried the chicken strips, which were 99% batter, and 1% tough meat. It tasted like it had been dipped in batter and fried about 4 or 5 times, and then nuked in the microwave too long, so it had become tough to tear apart to eat.

Cleanliness of the restaurant was also not a real strong point it seems, the tables were filthy, and not just crumbs from one previous customer, it looked like layers of sticky mess from several previous customers.

So my final review of this place is certainly a resounding 0.0 And there were no redeeming qualities of a place that I held so high in my mind for so many years.

My lunch at a truck stop tasted better than this!

Buffet Casa Corfu, located in the Vieux Rosemont district. This place has been around for a few years now, and I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials advertising the huge all-you-can-eat buffet they offer on CTV News. And selection they have. As long as you pace yourself, you’ll be able to get to try a bit of everything on the menu, but if you pile up your plate too soon, then you’ll miss out on some of the best food items, like their rich and delicious dessert section. I’ve always wanted to go, and so I decided to gather a few friends and try it out one night.

We walked in, and were greeted by a man in a business suit and a walkie-talkie, he called one of the waitstaff who quickly whisked us away through the buffet and up the stairs to our table, overlooking the entire buffet with a view across the restaurant at the street below. Our waitress arrived, brought us glasses of water and offered to bring soup to our table.

After finishing our soup, which was hot and quite tasty, we began to wrap our heads around the sheer size of the buffet. Over 100 dishes all divided into their country of origin. Italian foods, such as pastas and pizza in one corner, Greek and Indian food in the middle and Chinese Food on the other corner. Along the borders are a salad bar with dozens of salads and fresh fruits, an ice cream bar with a variety of toppings, a sushi bar, followed by a roast section with a chef cutting fresh slices of turkey, chicken, beef, lamb and pork, all to order. Next to that is the seafood and across is the dessert section, with a dessert chef maintaining the cakes and pies at all times.

I did have one issue with the buffet itself. The bright red heat lamps. I could not see what I was selecting from the buffet. Everything was just bright red. But that wasn’t the real issue. These heat lamps were only there for decoration, because all of the food was lukewarm. And we ate around 7pm, so it’s not like we arrived just before they closed, the place was full, and the food was being brought out fresh. It just happens that nothing was really all that hot.

I’m not really a fan of buffet sushi, but when I saw the two Japanese chefs continuously making fresh sushi, so I decided that I had to try it out. And yes, it was fresh and included all of the usual accompaniments that are found at sushi bars, such as chop-sticks, soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

The main buffet items may not have been that hot, but the specialty items, such as the roast meat section was certainly as fresh as it could get. The chicken was actually rotating on a spit at the buffet, and the chef would slice off pieces for you when you arrive. The beef was cooked perfectly, and the various sauces and side dishes nearby were quite delicious. Unfortunately though I wasn’t able to try out one of the filet of sole dish due to the fact that someone had just sneezed into it. I thought that’s what the sneeze guard was there for. Guess it doesn’t work if you stick your head under it, and then don’t have the decency to  turn away. Well, I suppose things like this happen in a buffet setting, but gross.

After finishing up these dishes, I headed down to the salad bar to cleanse my palette and wait to see if I would have more room for the desserts. With over a dozen salad items, I had a hard time to select a few items, because I still wanted to have room for dessert, and by now I was already pretty full. I chose a few leaves of lettuce, some light dressings and a few cold pasta salads.

NOW, time for dessert. What should I eat? I know I want to try out the ice cream bar, and those cakes look delicious, especially the cheesecake and the cupcakes. I wanted to try them all, and I did fill my plate, but sadly I wasn’t able to finish everything, but did get to take a few bites from each dessert, and it was all so delicious and sugary sweet. The dessert chef was quite proud of his section as he promptly filled up any empty spaces left from the buffet-goers.

Payment time. Our bill was brought to the table, and when I asked if they had Interac debit payment, they said I could use their ATM machine ($2.99 fee, plus bank fees). I noticed the machine when  first entered, but I saw them walking around with wireless pinpads, so I figured that they would naturally have Interac. If I really didn’t want to try this place, I probably would have avoided eating here, just on this basis alone. I never carry cash with me, so not having debit payment available in a restaurant that charges almost $20 for their buffet disappoints me to say the least. I did manage to pay with my credit card, but I’m not crazy about credit either, but it’s always good to have a backup plan for just such emergencies.

So all in all it was a decent meal. A lot of chefs working on the buffet floor maintaining the dishes and bringing out fresh food. The temperature of the food in the main buffet area was unacceptable, especially considering they had bright red heat lamps that really were only for show, but hid what the actual food looked like. The prices I must say are quite a bit steeper than I had imagined, especially since there were no real standout expensive food items in the buffet to warrant such a price, but the service was quite good. Water glass was refilled very often, and thankfully so. The food was heavily salted and the water really helped wash it all down. I would probably return again someday, but I don’t think I’ll make it a regular place to visit, unless I try it again at lunch and compare it with the dinner buffet. No Interac is completely unacceptable in this day in age. Almost like going into a coffee shop that doesn’t have free Wi-Fi.

Whether it be for lunch, dinner or weekend brunch this place is almost always busy. Food flies out of the kitchen the entire time, serving a wide selection of Italian, Greek, Chinese and Seafood. With a meat section where you can get your money’s worth on just one plate of turkey and roast beef.

A salad bar that spans the entire wall of the buffet that includes various types of cold pasta, cheeses, eggs, preserved root vegetables and a fruit salad along with the standard green or iceberg lettuce, variety of salad additions such as croutons, bacon bits and dressings.

The service does tend to be a bit slow, especially when it’s busy. So if you want your drinks,  be sure to order them when you first get served, and be prepared to pile up your empty plates in one corner of the table. The food tends to be on the salty side, so if you’re like me, you’ll want to ask for a pitcher of water (or the drink of your choice) so you won’t be stuck with an empty glass, and be thirsty for more.

The dining room is divided up into 4 rooms plus a bar area, and when full, it gets quite loud, but surprisingly not nearly as bad as some buffet’s I’ve been to. The decor is what  you’d typically find in a large buffet setting, a fusion of Greek and Italian styles. Tiled flooring in the buffet and carpeted in the dining area. Tables tend to be close together, but can easily be moved to accommodate larger groups.

They don’t tend to take reservations, so arriving early on in the buffet time is recommended (3:30pm is when it starts in the afternoon, but only gets busy around 5:30pm).

Methods of payment include cash and major credit cards, and only recently have they added Interac direct as a payment method, which I applaud them for. I rarely carry cash with me, and I will not pay $3+ for ATM fees. Due to this fact alone, I’ve gone from visiting this restaurant about once per month or so to now about once per week.

If you’ve never been, then you’ll probably want to try a bit of everything, but if you’re a regular, then you have your own favourites, and some regulars know what items to eat and get their money’s worth, such as the seafood and meat sections, and spend their entire meal piling up their plates with those items. I still haven’t perfected my technique, because I like to start off with the soup and pizza each time, which fills me up before I even get into the main buffet area. But to each his own, I enjoy it this way, and because this is an affordable buffet,

And if you’ve still got room for dessert, there are 8 flavours of ice cream that vary depending on the day, and a variety of puddings, such as chocolate, vanilla and bread pudding. A varied selection of cakes, such as Black Forest, Boston Cream, Cheese Cake and Carrot Cake. Also pies such as Lemon, Cherry and Coconut Cream Pie. Most are available all the time, but some go into rotation, so you’ll see it one day, but something else will replace it the next.

I don’t really need to seek out the most expensive items in the buffet to get my money’s worth. At under $12 for a dinner buffet, it’s the best price in town, and well worth your time to check it out. The food always comes out fresh, and the combinations are almost endless. So if you’re looking for decent food at a good price, then you’ll find it here. The people eating, the fresher the food, you won’t find any empty trays here.

Fresh, hot food, though a bit on the salty side. Service is alright but can sometimes be slow. Tables and the buffet area is clean, but the carpets in the dining area tend to be stained and littered with food and utensils under the tables. But all in all the price is right. So I highly recommend this place.

Celebrating over 10 years in the community, Super Gyros has provided food goers with all kinds of interesting and tasty Greek food. But the food choices don’t end at the spit. Foot-long steak and cheese submarines with their signature sauce. Meaty hot dogs, tin pan sized portions of poutine, and now pizza have been added to the ever growing menu options.

The price may be a bit steep for a fast food restaurant, but if you want to try a bit of everything, then you want to try the Mixed Plate. Slices of chicken, beef, rice, greek salad, french fries, signature sauce, Tzatziki sauce and pita bread. Enough to share or take home for a few meals afterwards.

After completing your meal, this place offers something that you won’t find in many other fast food restaurants. If after managing to eat through their large portions and if you have room for dessert, then there is always the homemade Baklava. Extremely rich and sweet. And even includes a warning about how sweet it is.

Recently renovated, the restaurant has doubled seating capacity with a clean and friendly atmosphere, now including table service. Friendly staff, good food, and large portions make this restaurant a regular staple of mine, and I recommend making the trip if you’re from out of town.

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The quintessential Montreal Sports Bar. The place to enjoy “The Game” with friends. Huge TV screens, popcorn cart and decorated with a museum collection of sports memorabilia. When it comes to food though, not all locations share the same standards. During the 2011-2012 hockey season I’ve taken the personal challenge to visit each of the “La Cage” locations in and around the Montreal area, and would like to share my opinions of each location. Including photos, reviews and information from each visit.