| Suppose you are on a date with a great-looking charmer who has solid credentials and is thrilled to be out with you. Then, while gazing tenderly into your eyes, Joe or Jane Date opens his or her smiling mouth, and out of it rolls a string of soul-scraping insults. Insult after oblivious, smiling insult.
This is really the only way to describe what it is like to have dinner, twice, at Ric’s Grill. The contrast between what you expect and what you get is sharp and surreal – you are nothing short of stunned. This was my experience on two separate occasions, in two Alberta cities.
Ric’s Grill in Lethbridge is located in the Old Water Tower, originally built in 1958. Reminiscent of something out of the Jetsons’ space-age cartoon civilization, this flying saucer on stilts once held 300,000 gallons (1.3 million litres) of reserve water. For years, it stood an empty and useless silhouette on the Lethbridge skyline. Now it holds a completely renovated restaurant and lounge accessed by a short elevator ride. The appeal of this elevated, circular location is sustained by the contemporary decor of elegant, linear-chic furniture, rich serene tones and windowed views of south Lethbridge from every table.
The prime rib ($32) was ordered medium rare, but the bloodless grey matter that arrived at the table was well done. The Mixed Seafood Grill ($29) of salmon, snapper, tiger prawns and scallops, with leek and lemon cream sauce, was challenging to eat in that most of it stuck to my teeth. The ribs ($25) were hearty and had gusto, but were served tepid. Although polished and informed, our server didn’t seem to notice the overdone quality of nearly everything. Is this the norm?
Thinking that this may have been just a bad night, we dropped into Ric’s Grill in Calgary. Again, the contemporary decor was pleasing, this time with dark throwback corduroy booths lit by dim orange ceiling lights. A little retro, very comfortable – we were optimistic. My guest and I started with a spinach salad with medium rare sirloin ($16). The greens were fine, the sirloin tough. We were heartened by the presentation of the ahi tuna carpaccio ($10) – wasabi-seared squares of tuna garnished with peppercorns like the markings of playing dice – but it failed to live up to its description. Again, pleasing to the eye, disappointing to the palate – fishing tuna out of glossy solidified butter is a turnoff.
Michael, our fun and attentive server, brought us the Raspberry and Brie Chicken ($26). The chicken was strangely rubbery when it slipped right out of its flavourless crust – the kind that threatens to shred the roof of your mouth in the manner of a toasted clubhouse sandwich. The brie had all but melted off and neither one of us could detect any raspberry flavour. My blackened snapper ($18) was overcooked, dry and flavourless, served with an equally dry zested lemon – now why would the peel be intentionally removed? Did it threaten to keep the juice in? Or, in the interest of food cost, was it used for lemon zest elsewhere – three days ago? Even the warmed chocolate molten cake ($6.95) was so overheated that its thick outer crust left only three delicious centre bites to enjoy.
Prime locations, up-to-date interior design, generally good servers, a comprehensive and appealing menu (and even esthetically gorgeous plateware) – all the elements of a potentially great restaurant are here, sans good food. What gives? Ric’s is much like eating at a hotel diner in Middle America or, quite simply, having a meal of leftovers. And the big bill at the end of this over-grilled experience only added oblivious insult to injury. Ric’s Grill is a three – no, make that a one – dressed up as a nine.
Ric’s Grill in Lethbridge is located at #200, 103 Mayor Magrath Drive S.; in Calgary, it can be found at 1436 Eighth Street S.W.
CHARITABLE CHAI
Let’s contribute to the "good" in Good Earth by ordering lots of chai for the month of October. Here’s why: Good Earth Coffeehouse & Bakeries (all eight locations) are partnering with the Servant’s Anonymous Foundation’s World Services Division – Serve Nepal Project to support Serve Nepal’s fight against the child sex trade. For the month of October, Good Earth Cafés will donate a portion of their chai sales to this campaign. |
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