2/19/2010

I've been to various locations of The Keg in Toronto (Leslie, York St., St. Lawrence Market, Mansion, Ajax, Scarborough, Richmond Hill) at least a few dozen times altogether over the years. I'll begin by admitting that red meat isn't my first choice of food when I sit down at a restaurant, but few restaurants cook it consistently well like The Keg.

I've had all of the appetizers, and while they're all good, most are pretty basic things that can't really be screwed up. The spinach and crab dip is good, and comes with fluffy little pita triangles. The baked goat cheese is good, but small. The bacon wrapped scallops are very tasty, but are not large, and just a few. The Ahi tuna is great, and so is the French onion soup. The only real standout is the escargot, which is baked in a mixed spice sauce, and topped with mushroom caps. Hot sourdough bread is served on the table, with both regular and three-cheese butter, which is really good, though sometimes hard as a rock.

I usually order the Sirloin Oscar, cooked Chicago medium. Oscar means that it's topped with different types of seafood (shrimp, scallops), and then bathed in a perfect béarnaise sauce. There are several options for sides, but the garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus are best. The filet is appropriately tender, but sometimes seems smaller than the advertised weight. I haven't tried any of the larger steaks, or the rare-only baseball.

The prime rib is incredible, and probably better than anywhere else I've had it. The small order is a huge portion, and it's as good as the filet, if not better. It's served with a very spicy horseradish sauce, but you can also ask for it with anything else.

The salmon and lobster tail dinners are OK if you're not in the mood for meat, but you'd be better off with the teriyaki chicken.

The only desserts worth getting are the Billy Miner pie, a soft ice cream chocolate and caramel dessert (and appropriately incredible), and the crème brulée.

The wine menu is just OK, but at least they have the sense to include a number of J. Lohr bottles of good vintage.

Service is usually great, and not at all annoying except for the fact that they tell you their name.

When I think about steak, The Keg is usually the first thing to come to mind, and that's a good thing.

Oh, I should add that the management at almost all of the locations is incredible, and should there be anything even slightly wrong with your dish, they'll comp you drinks, desserts, and possibly even the entree.

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8/5/2009

"It's the light," the manager said.  Yes... the light.  Sitting around a table with eight of my closest friends, all of them having come to the unhappy conclusion that their meals were overcooked, it couldn't possibly be the horribly rough texture of the meat, or the fact that you had to slice into it like a cold, rubber tire, no.  When the manager asked how our meals were and we all pointed out they were overdone, he astutely observed that the skylight we were sitting under was playing tricks on our eyes and in fact the meals were cooked perfectly.  It was just... wait for it... the light.  He even offered to take us to another room with our meals so that we can see for ourselves.  I can only assume that all we would have seen is an uncomfortable little man whose pathetic bluff was called.

This sad story sums up the unfortunate end of a once great relationship I had with The Keg.  Anyone who grew up in and around the Toronto area has undoubtedly visited The Keg at least once.  One might even call The Keg a trendsetter in that it was one of the first midrange chain restaurants in Canada, well before Moxie's or Jack Astor's, and in its heyday, it was more about the experience of a good meal then just going through the motions.  In fact, I can recall as a kid having my dad's birthday there and the waiters singing rousing, embarrassing numbers that were downright hilarious and borderline risqué as far as a seven-year-old was concerned.  Maybe it's with that rosy hue of childhood memories then that The Keg fails to impress the odd time I visit now.

For the most part, the meal is nothing special now.  Sure the warm sourdough is nice, and the prime rib is decent, but it's nothing to write home about.  Bottom line, you can get a better steak for less money elsewhere.  If you're going to go, the Keg Mansion on Church has a great atmosphere and wait staff that are happy to chat up the ghost stories.  Otherwise, some of the other Kegs around the city at least have decent patios.  I'd recommend avoiding The Keg at Yonge and Sheppard at all costs though.  Everything seems to indicate it's on its last legs.

Despite us complaining about nine overcooked meals, only the birthday boy got his replaced with the final meal removed from the bill.  They also botched one of our side orders.  I tried to explain to my friend that it was actually the right side, and that it was just the light, but somehow he didn't believe me.

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