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Review
Update - Nov 29, 06
We were enthusiastic about the prospects of Glo when we
reviewed them last spring and in most ways, they've met our
expectation reasonably well.
Bottom line - we like the space, we like the music and we
even like the food.
If only life was that easy...there are still a few glitches
for Glo to work out.
We were on our way home from a movie and wanted something to
eat, Glo was on the way and since they promote themselves as a
pub, didn't think the time of night would be an issue. We
arrived on a Wednesday at 9:45pm. There were about 25 people in
the restaurant and it sure looked open. We stood at the
reception area for several minutes trying to get someone's
attention, the bartender saw us and looked away, eventually ( I
presume he gave up on us leaving) came to seat us. He announced
that the kitchen was closing in 15 minutes and that the late
night menu was in effect. While that wasn't a problem for
us, it seemed ridiculous that if you're closing the kitchen at
10pm, that you'd be using a late night menu at all - 10 PM isn't
late night any where other than Swiss Chalet. Not to mention
that everyone in the restaurant was eating, so the business
level argument is not going to fly this time. Maybe they were
short staffed in the kitchen, but any which way don't try and
sell me on a late night menus before 11pm. If you're having a
labour problem, trim the massive dinner menu, so that you can
sell it until a reasonable time of night.
Anyway, moving on from my rant...once seated the service was
decent, if not a little flighty - maybe it was us, but it seemed
like we were repeating ourselves a lot. It was 'Winesday,' a
cheapy wine promotion, of which I'm always a fan and we ordered
a $21 bottle of Stag's Hollow, Simply Noir - a pinot and gamay
noir blend, I thought it was a little thin, but I can't complain
about the price.
We ordered the tapas platter ($13) and the chicken lettuce
wraps ($10). We tried to order the tuna tartar as well, but they
didn't have it (since there only about 10 things on the late
night menu, I wondered why I hadn't been told about absence of
the tuna before trying to order it.) The tapas platter was
great. For the price, I was totally impressed. It's low on the
expensive ingredients, with a fairly light portion of meat and
cheese, but they compensate with a nice selection of grilled,
marinated veg and pickled peppers (my fave). Since it is
December, I would have replaced the mealy tomatoes with
something more seasonal, but overall we were delighted with it.
The lettuce wraps were standard fare, but tasty with a
selection of dips and crunchy lettuce. We did think that the
fried wonton garnish made a nice addition to the wrap and
thought it be to the merit of the dish if they served a
chiffonade of fried wonton, not just a big chunk, to better
facilitate eating them inside the lettuce.
As soon as we finished eating, at 10:30 pm- they announced
last call, so we asked for our bill and moved on. We were happy
with the food and ambiance and most of the service, but were
still grumbly about the 'late night' issue and the disinterest
in seating us. If they can't make late night work in this
location, or in the winter, or whatever - amend the way your
present yourself and your menu. If you call yourself a pub, I
should be able to expect a dinner menu until 10pm at the
earliest.
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Opening review - April 2006
Replacing the South Bay Pub on the Selkirk Waterfront, Glo has
the benefit of one of the best views in town. The
location should do the selling for them, but with their predecessor's
reputation for some of the worst food in town, I suspect they still have
a bit of challenge ahead of them.
Not without their problems, for a restaurant still well within their
growing pains phase, the food and concept got my attention. With a minor
renovation (it was an attractive space to begin with) and a new menu
there's a lot of potential here. The prices are very resonable and the menu fairly
insightful. I'd even go so far as to say it's among the most interesting
pub menus in town at the moment. With an international, Euro-style menu, they
have an interesting selection of both small and large plates. All the
basics are there - appies, burgers, pizza and pasta - but there is a
clear effort to modernise and provide the consumer with something
different.
Patty had the calamari sandwich with fries ($10). Served with an
extremely yummy and garlicky tartar sauce, the squid was tender and
fresh. Presented on a ciabatta bun, we thought it would have been better
with a higher fibre bread - the white bread and batter from the squid,
made for a starchy mouthful. Similarly, a salad side would have been a
better choice (but Patty had a hangover, so insisted on the fries).
My mum Jeanne, had the seafood paella ($11). It looked like a small
portion upon arrival, but turned out to be just right for lunch (plus it
was served in a big white bowl, which probably made it look smaller).
The saffron infused basmati rice was well cooked and the seafood fresh
and not overdone. I thought it could have handled stronger seasoning,
but Jeanne seemed happy.
I had the lamb burger with soup of the day (corn chowder) ($10). I
was disappointed by the pre-fab burger patty, but otherwise it was a
really good concept. The bun was exceptionally tender, but still chewy
and there was a nice relish on the burger that complemented the
lamb well. The soup was a little rich for my taste, but the serving was
sensible and it tasted good, albeit not terribly exciting.
While we all had beer with our meals this day ($5.50 - domestic
pints), the beverage list is extremely promising. On the beer side, they
have an extensive list of European imports. My only complaint here, is
that they don't have any cider on tap. The wine list stands out for a
pub, with a substantial selection of mid-priced and reasonably
interesting wines. This is definitely a pub where a wine drinker
wouldn't feel left out.
There are a few quirks on the Glo menu that need to be worked out
(like the multitude of dishes featuring lamb shank - I love lamb shank,
but this is over the top). Overall they're attempting something
interesting, but not so interesting as to alienate a pub crowd. I'd like
to see them incorporate more local ingredients in their menu selection -
it seems to be an oversight that could be easily reconciled.
While I like the space, Patty thought it was a little modern for his
taste and was seemingly disturbed by the DJ booth. Fair enough, Glo is
in no way a traditional style pub. That said, with a great view and a
spacious patio sheltered from the wind, even the staunchest
traditionalist could be converted on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
value of food 78/100
quality of food 70/100
service 80/100
ambiance 80/100
average 77/100
reviewed April 17/2006 |
