Restaurant Review Series
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Restaurant Review Series |
Date: January 11/2003
Place: On The Front
Meal: Dinner
Reviewers: Laura & Sylvia
Sylvia :
On The Front is on of those
places that you have to see for yourself. The view is incredible, and the
food is excellent. Chef/owner Alastair McKay serves up great food with a
flair, and you can even see him and his crew in action with the kitchen
being open to the seating area. I started with proscuitto wrapped fresh figs
stuffed with herbed goat cheese, served on a bed of mesclun salad. It was
excellent!! My entree was the duck, cooked to perfection and served with
spaghetti squash and pear risotto and a fresh vegetable medley. And just a
side note here; I heard that portions were small - not true at all. We
couldn't even look at the desert menu!! And let's face it, Laura and I are
not shy about filling our bellies, and we couldn't even finish the last of
our drinks, we were so full! Bummer about missing desert, I'm sure it would
have been as great as the rest of it.
I do have one complaint, though. My first impression of this place was not good, and I'm sure other people have noticed this as well. "On The Front" is located on the 14th floor of the Nova building on Front St. Because they are not situated on the main floor, they have a person working in the lobby of the Nova Building, checking your coat and making sure that you get to the right floor. The coat racks are portable steel racks and look really out of place there. I totally understand that they have a unique situation, but they should at least consider a portable closet that gives a more deserving, elegant impression upon arrival. That is the only negative I had about On The Front and it was not really thought about again, once we arrived upstairs.
I think everyone should try this restaurant at least once. It's a little bit of a splurge for some, but sometimes you just gotta treat yourself! And what a treat it was!! I would definitely give On The Front a 10 for fine dining, they deserve it.
Laura
:
Sylvia and I attended On The
Front on a Saturday Night and what a fantastic evening it was! Our
reservation was later in the evening and so it was nice and quiet in there
and we set our own pace. I think everyone should pop in at one point or
another just to let the view take your breath away! Our city is quite
stunning at night. The restaurant is actually located on the corner of the
building so as you eat you have access to view of the twin bridges and
Sarnia as well as Port Huron. I bet in the summer it is even more incredible
as it has a balcony the length of the restaurant so you would able to see
towards Corunna also. It is not a large restaurant, but quite quaint with an
open kitchen and a very friendly staff. We were seated along the windows so
we had the ultimate view. The servers seemed to all work as a team as we had
the opportunity to interact with each person, including the chef, at
different points in the evening. They had a nice pace and did not rush us at
all. We each started with appetizers and the one I chose was foccacia bread
with carmelized onions. It melted in my mouth it was so good. Then for
dinner I chose the rib eye steak, medium rare and it was superb. It just
melted in my mouth it was so tender and juicy. It was accompanied by
mashed potatoes and a medley of vegetables. I could hardly finish it; the
portions were that filling. Big bummer that I was too full for dessert,
but no worries, that means we'll come back and try again!
I do agree with Sylvia regarding the entrance way coat service. Although I can see why they have the very nice gentleman stationed there I had thought it would make more sense to have him located where you get off the elevator rather then below. You would think a sign telling people what floor to go to would be sufficient, unless it is for insurance purposes that someone must be at the door. That is an amazing view when you come off the elevator and if the coats were there it gives the patron a moment to stop and enjoy it. I also wanted to take this time to say that I think On The Front was much more economical then I had expected it to be. Unfortunately somewhere along the line it picked up the reputation of being hugely expensive. Well, let me tell you that Sylvia and I love food and we ordered two different appetizers, two main courses (none of which were the cheapest) and drank 6 house cocktails through the whole meal and it cost us no more than it would have at the Smoked Oyster or at Sheldrake's to name a couple, so if you're spending the money anyways, pop in there. That really bugs me when people give a place a label that is untrue. I hope people enjoy this beautiful restaurant and use it not just for birthdays and anniversaries but for a relaxing evening out without the kids. I second the motion; it gets a 10!
Previous Reviews
Waves Chill n' Grill ~ January 12/2004
Ollie's Bar & Grill ~ Oct 03/2003
East Side Mario's ~ Feb 22/2003
Scroggie's Grillhouse & Bar ~ Nov 14/2002
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