I went to Dadeo with my sisters a few weeks ago, for lunch. The place is located in the grunge-chic Whyte Ave. of the city, and in an unassuming building with just a simple purple-coloured neon sign to announce its presence.
Inside, think 1950's diner-style decor. Booths, vinyl-covered chairs, and funky juke-box music, with an adult-only sort of atmosphere.
Service was efficient and quick. Place was packed full for their lunch special of various types of po'boy sandwiches. I had the cajun blackened catfish po'boy with a side of glorious sweet potato fries, which came with some creamy, sinfully-delicious dipping sauce. The po'boy was very large and I actually ended up eating only half of the bread and all of the fish from the sandwich. I had most of my fries, though, because they were spicy and crispy and had this great coating on them which gave them the cajun flavours. One sis had the fried oyster po'boy, and the other tried the calamari one. From what I can tell, they enjoyed their sandwiches and fries as well.
I was stuffed by the end of lunch, and my meal only cost me $8.95 (plus tax and tip). Not bad considering how much I felt like I had eaten. I didn't bother ordering a drink because I needed the cleansing power of the water to help degreasify my meal and also dilute the spiciness of the food.
Overall, fantastic experience, and I'm totally coming here again with Hubbs next time. Dadeo's - if you want funky cajun diner-style grub in an adult-only restaurant.
Rating: 9. 5 / 10
For a very belated Christmas present, Hubbs and I took his Granny and Grampa to Ric's Grill Downtown the other night.
The restaurant is located on the corner of a chic part of downtown, in a historic brick building with lots of character. The inside of the place is appropriately romantically-lit (read: dimmed lighting, soft music), and decorated with a nice upscale modern yuppie look.
We were seated right away, in our choice of table or booth. Granny chose table, and we ended up at a lovely table near the window (although we couldn't see out the window while seated due to the higher ledge).
Ice water was brought out to us quite promptly, although our drink orders took a few minutes. The drinks were yummy though (mine was a chi-chi, Hubb's was some banana liqueur drink, and Granny had a blush wine), and perfect choices for everyone. Our server was appropriately friendly but not overly-so, and he gave excellent advice to help guide our orders. Hubbs and I ordered a starter of crab cakes, but our guests didn't want to share these with us. The crab cakes were not greasy and very tasty, although a tad rich for my tastes (the centers having some sort of creamy texture to them). Our bread was amazing, however; the crust was crispy, the center of the bread was warm and soft, and it was a great way to start off the meal.
For main entrees, Grampa had the teriyaki chicken, Granny and I the prime rib, and Hubbs the black and blue tuna. All of these entrees came with a choice of side as well as a starter soup or salad, which I appreciated as it made me feel better about the cost of each entree (ranging from $29 - $44).
There was another delay before our meals were served, but the wait was worth it. Judging from Grampa having finished off his entire meal (leaving nary a morsel on his plate), he liked his chicken and stuffed potato. Granny also liked her prime rib, although this was her first time having it medium (as opposed to well done), so we were worried she would find it too raw. She said it was tender and tasty, much to our relief. I thought the prime rib was delicious, although it wasn't the best I had ever tasted. I also adored the mashed potatoes, which I believe to have been peppered and cheesed. Hubbs ate his whole dinner and said it was fantastic.
After dinner, the four of us shared an order of Ric's apple pie, which I knew from previous experience to be a delicious slice of heaven. True to form, it was so good that Granny and Gramps, who both claimed they would only take a bite of the pie, ended up eating half the slice.
We were satisfied with the food and service from beginning to end, and more importantly, we were delighted that our grandparents were able to venture out of their dining comfort zones and enjoy this delicious meal with us. The company was impeccable, and the food was good, and the ambience was quiet and intimate, which was what we had wanted.
So, overall, I give Ric's Grill a very positive rating, and recommend the place to anyone wishing to have a quiet, delicious, slightly-fancier dinner in a more upscale steakhouse.
Rating: 9.5 / 10
