Update Feb 15, 2014: This restaurant is now closed.
If you didn’t hear by now, it is Griffins 18th birthday this year and to celebrate, they are offering their menu for 50% off till the end of September. Naturally I took advantage of this incredible deal and had dinner there with Fannypack. She’s the best friend ever! She offered to buy me dinner!!!
We’ve never been here before and we sort of had the expectation that since it’s at the Fairmont Hotel, in Downtown, that it would be a fancy place. We were actually quite disappointed. It looks like a dining hall. But I digress, we’re here for the food.
The bread that they serve is a mix of focaccia and some bun-type thing, served with a balsamic tapenade of sorts, I think there was sun-dried tomatoes in it.
The focaccia was not bad, but not the best thing ever either. It had a crunchy crust and a soft-ish center. We decided that this was to fill us up so that we can’t go crazy at the dessert buffet.
Oh didn’t I mention the dessert buffet?? All their entrees come with the dessert buffet!
For my entree I picked the Grilled Rack of Lamb (originally $40) served with vegetable ratatouille in a merlot wine reduction sauce. You get choice of baked potato, mashed potato, or fries. For some reason I picked fries. I really felt like fries that night.
Hmmm…honestly I didn’t enjoy the lamb that much. It was pretty bland yet the top was a kind of sweetish seasoning, which I didn’t like. I am used to a salt-type rub. It wasn’t quite as medium-rare as I would’ve liked either.
I persuaded Fannypack to get the Slow Roasted Alberta Prime Rib (10oz, $38) since I saw most people got it. And as usual, Fannypack doesn’t pick anything anyways! It was served with classic jus, Yorkshire pudding, market vegetables and choice of baked or garlic mashed potato. She picked mashed potato.
It was a good medium-rare. I liked her Prime Rib a lot. The mashed potato was also very, very good. It was so creamy and buttery and yummy. I would go back for that.
Then the dessert buffet. There isn’t actually many things to choose from, as they’re mostly the same sponge cake/cheesecake bottom with different toppings. I picked some cream puffs, plain cheesecake, plus some other types of cakes. most had the almondy-cakey-base which I really dislike. But the cheesecake was so creamy and so good. I loved it. The cream puffs, well, tasted like those frozen ones you thaw yourself.
Fannypack was able to find a small flan which was really good. Overall a good experience. The dessert buffet is not a complete loss. Go back for the prime rib!
I do think I’ll go back to try brunch one day though after reading Sherman’s experience there.
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