Jmoney Rambles

Last Saturday night I felt like being lame and stayed in. As is always the case, I PVR’d You Gotta Eat Here. They showcased a restaurant out in Caledonia that featured a Two Way Poutine. Leave it to say I was immediately intrigued. I texted Marie instantly and arranged for dinner plans. Steph and Kathy joined us and we were off to The Argyle Street Grill to see what all the hype was about. Steph had noted she’d tried to eat there a couple of times before and came up short as they were full. I made reservations through the site (why don’t more restaurants do this?) for 7pm. I was a bit surprised at how busy it was even on a Wednesday evening. Our server Courtny (who I’ll get to later) noted there was a big spike since they were featured on TV a few days prior and that the past weekend was completely stacked.

We figured to split a few appetizers to get the ball rolling.

Two Way Grand Poutine – $11

This is what drew me in to The Argyle Street Grill to begin with so why not start here. This had a base of hand cut fries, which was then topped with Cheddar Curds. It’s covered on one side with Braised Beef and the other with Pulled Chicken. Each side with its own gravy. This dish was fantastic. Marie & Steph preferred the beef side and I preferred the chicken but honestly both were delicious. They don’t skimp on cheese that’s for sure. It melted everywhere. I had high expectations after seeing this on TV and it was more than up to the task.

Garlic Bread With Cheese – $7

Marie had been to The Argyle Street Grill before and was very high on their Garlic Bread. They buy their bread fresh locally from The Hagersville Bakery just 10 minutes up the street. Again this was great. The Baguette was warm and crispy. It’s brushed with a healthy (unhealthy?) dose of Garlic Butter and topped with Mixed Cheeses. The photo doesn’t do justice to the sheer length of the Baguette.  It’s telling when you have a long plate and they still have to pile pieces on top to fit it all.

Molten Marble Planks – $8

Marble is my favourite cheese so this was an automatic choice. The Argyle Street Grill chops their Marble (bought locally from Jensen Cheese), coats it in Panko Crumbs and then deep fries them. I can’t begin to describe how much I loved these things. I’ll never go back to Mozzarella sticks after eating Marble Planks. The Panko was thick and had an almost crunch to it. The Marble was melted through and oozing out as soon as you take a bite. At no point was it burning hot or a mess though. Absolutely perfect temperature. They came with a side of Chipotle Marinara. I didn’t get any sense of taste difference from any other Marinara but it’s such a trivial point. The Marble Planks were a big hit and I’d order these again in a heartbeat.

We probably should have stopped there but lets get to entrees shall we?

Chicken Clubhouse – $10.50

Steph ordered this sandwich and subbed in a bowl of Potato Bacon soup. Sadly the photo I took of the soup turned out poorly and wasn’t usable. It should be noted that both Steph and Marie loved the soup. The Sunflower Multi-Grain Bread was packed with Pulled Chicken, Lettuce, Tomato and Red Pepper Mayo and then Panini Pressed. Steph enjoyed it but in her own words “it’s good but I wish I ordered something else. It’s just a sandwich.”

Philly Steak Panini – $12

Kathy was the second half of the sandwich duo. She never finishes her entree so of course I scooped it. In fact I’m eating it as I write this post. Like the Clubhouse, this sandwich was packed with Shaved Sirloin. It’s covered with Mozzarella and then topped with Mushrooms, Onions, and Red Peppers. Going from my own experience, I was pleased with this sandwich but it didn’t blow me away. I’m not a fan of hot Red Pepper and removed them after the first bite. The meat was tender and juicy. The Garlic Panini had great flavour and worked perfectly. Good but nothing I’d go out of my way to order.

Stellar Ribs – $13 (Full Rack $20)

While the sandwiches were good but hardly memorable, Marie‘s Stellar Ribs were just that; STELLAR! They’re given a dry rub of various spices, slow cooked for 3 and 1/2 hours and then basted in a Stella Artois BBQ Sauce. The ribs essentially fall off the bone and are bursting with flavour. I’d say these were some of the best ribs I’ve ever had and I told Marie that I would immediately order these if I’m ever back.

Asiago Chicken Linguine – $14

Lord knows I don’t need any more pasta after my Italian run of reviews over the last little while but I couldn’t pass this up. Honestly though, I wish I had. I wasn’t a fan of the Pulled Chicken. Every bite tasted like Turkey. Steph informed me that’s what truly fresh Chicken tastes like. I’m still skeptical but taking her word at face value. I don’t care for Olives at all and this was loaded up with Olive Tapenade in every bite. It had copious amounts of Sun Dried Tomato (YEAH!) but was very scarce when it came to Asiago (BOO!). The pasta was cooked perfectly but I would expect nothing less. Odd as it is to say, I don’t think I was the right person to eat this. Everything was prepped well (Asiago aside) but none of the flavours worked for me.

Butterscotch Pots De Creme

Argyle 4 Way Cheesecake

Girls will always save room for dessert. They loved both desserts but the 4 way Cheesecake (1 Creme Anglaise, 1 Strawberry, 1 Butterscotch, 1 Chocolate) was the big hit. The cookie crumble base put these over the top. I’m not typically one for Cheesecake but I tried the Chocolate and was pleasantly surprised. They were all rich but none overly sweet. A perfect way to end a great meal.

Shout outs to our server Courtny (no e). She was FANTASTIC! From start to finish she was very attentive, easy to talk to, and went above and beyond to answer questions during a busy dinner service. We couldn’t have been happier with her and you should consider yourself lucky if she’s serving your table. She was an absolute treat.

All in all we really enjoyed out experience. The appetizers were all phenomenal and I’d order any of them again without a second thought (Two Way Poutine wins hands down though). The entrees were a mixed bag. The sandwiches were good but nothing special. My pasta simply wasn’t to my liking. Big thumbs up to the Pork Ribs though. We all agreed we’d come back in the summer when the patio is open. Make your way to Caledonia and take a seat at The Argyle Street Grill. It’s worth the drive.