#fork fest

sparkly :3

some pics form fork fest last night :3

At Monday night's basketball game Cory informed me about Fork Fest. A whole bunch of restaurants in Edmonton serve three course meals for a flat price of $25 or $45. Unfortunately, there were only three days left. Ailee and I managed to make it out to three different restaurants for three course meals. In these reviews I'll rate each entrée as well as provide an overall rating for the restaurant as a whole (taking food, atmosphere, service and value into account).

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January 25, 2011 - Skinny Legs & Cowgirls ($45)

You had me at bison Wellington. The second I saw this on the menu I called for reservations. Unfortunately, this was as disappointing as Terminator 3. The pastry was reminiscent of McCain Pizza Pockets; it was of low quality and lacked flakiness. McDonald's hot apple pies have better pastries than this. The meat inside was tough and dry - definitely not tenderloin. You can find much better Wellingtons in the frozen food aisle at Superstore. You know an entrée is a fail when the best thing on your plate is the garnish. The vegetables done three ways were actually very nice but didn't come close to making up for the bison puck pizza pocket. There was also a really tasty mushroom garnish. Ailee ordered the lamb shank. This was not bad, but not too good either. She liked the texture but the flavour was nothing to write home about.

Bison Wellington: 2/10

Lamb Shank: 6/10

Overall: 4/10

Bottom line: The menu is nothing special and the food quality is lacking. The atmosphere was average and lacked intimacy. We won't be returning.

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January 26, 2011 - Von's Steak House & Oyster Bar ($45)

This was my first oyster experience. We ordered some oysters from PEI and they were interesting. For my main course, I ordered the Pan Seared White Horse Arctic Char. My fish was not very good; it was firm and dry but the flavour was okay. As with Skinny Legs, the garnish was the best thing on the plate. The broccoli had a nice butter flavour. Ailee ordered the Sterling Silver Tenderloin Tip "Oscar." Lately I've been disappointed every time I've ordered beef so I didn't expect too much. Luckily, Ailee's appetite is proportional to her size, so I was able to eat half of her "Oscar." This entrée surprised me in a really good way - like Terminator 2. The meat was tender and seasoned perfectly. What really stood out in this dish was the Okanagan White Wine Hollandaise; it was delicious. This is a great beef dish. A word of caution, one of my coworkers has since visited Von's and has found that the prime rib and New York steak entrées were nothing special and not worth the price; they were a bit tough and, though they tasted good, you can get similar quality from Outback or the Keg.

Arctic Char: 5/10

The Oscar: 9.5/10

Overall: 9

Bottom Line: Dim lights and a comfortable atmosphere make this a great spot for couples. We'll definitely be returning - I have my eye on their Filet Mignon and Seafood Platter for Two.

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January 27, 2011 - Accent European Lounge ($25)

Sam, Holly and Cory joined us for the last day of Fork Fest. Given the positive steak experience the night before, I was willing to try the beef. Holly and I each ordered the steak. I was quite pleased. It wasn't the best, but it was pretty good. It came with an interesting peppercorn cream sauce that didn't really taste like anything, but it added some subtle flavour. Ailee ordered the vegetarian curry pasta. The sauce tasted great but there were way too many vegetables and not enough pasta noodles. Sam ordered the Chicken Marinara and said it was "so good." It was nice and juicy. Cory ordered the Weiner Schnitzel. He's German and he knows his Schnitzel. He was said it was really good but could use more spice. The meal ended perfectly with a triple layer peanut butter cake - the top layer was like the middle of a Lindt chocolate, the middle layer was smooth peanut butter, and the bottom layer was chocolate cake.

Steak: 8/10

Pasta: 7/10

Chicken: 7.5/10

Weiner Schnitzel: 7.5/10

Cake: 9.5/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Bottom Line: Small place with a laid back feel. Nice menu with very reasonable prices. I'll be returning to try the Beef Goulash and Classic French Mornet.

Holly and Sam