The Rock, Wood Fired Kitchen - Red Deer, Alberta

"My My Hey Hey"

Ive tried it numerous times since it has opened and "rocked" Red Deer. Every time I am left unimpressed and unsatisfied.

I've had numerous dishes from this place since it's opened (Only one photo, the most recent one):
"Get Back Mac", I was expecting some good ol comfort food. It was bland, not cheesy enough
"Classic Rock" Pizza, the basic pepperoni pizza. This wasn't bad, not overly greasy but not overly special. I can get the same satisfaction from Delissio.
"Flirtin With Disaster" Actually not bad, had a nice balance with the sweetness from the onions and a nice minor kick to it.
"Bourban Chicken Wrap" Just a generic wrap to me, nothing stood out in this dish verse a wrap at other restaurants
"Beer Battered Fries" Now this I believe everyone just loves,
"Chicken in a Basket" The fries were the only good thing about this. Too much batter on the chicken.
"My My Hey Hey" This was my latest meal @ the rock. It was bland, tasteless and boring. I was super disappointing since i was craving a creamy and rich pasta dish that day. I would have been more satisfied with sidekicks.

Sorry The Rock but the only thing that I would go to the rock for are it's drink specials. I feel like almost every dish I have is boring, tasteless and just doesn't deliver.

Bamboo Hut - Sylvan Lake, Alberta

I may be a little biased in my Review, but i love almost every dish at this place. And if you don't, we can't associate.

"Mango & Pineapple Cream Cheese Stack" Cream Cheese stacked between deep fried rice patties topped with coconut. This is different, i like it but it's not what I usually salivate over. Its essentially a unstructured cheesecake with asian flare, its a must try but i find that not everyone loves it.

"Deep Fried Bananas with Mango Ice Cream" If you meet someone that doesn't like this dessert... run.

"Salad Rolls"I usually never order these at asian restaurants, most of the time they are paired off with hoisin sauce topped with peanuts. I personally find salad rolls to be pretty boring. But the peanut sauce that comes with these are amazing, especially when its nice and warm... mm. The peanut sauce is the star of this dish.

"Spicy Fried Squid" I liked this so much, I tried remaking it at home.... didn't turn out the same way. Its lightly battered, perfectly crispy with a nice hint of spice to it.

"Spicy Wonton Soup" The name says it all. Nicely seasoned wontons with a spicy broth and lots of veg.

The Curries I've had almost all the curries except the Red Chicken and Pork and Pineapple Red Curry. All these curries carry a creamy coconut base balanced out with numerous spices. I love the green curries, it has the perfect kick to it to blend with the coconut flavor.

Noodle Bowls You can't go wrong with vermicelli bowls. They're light yet filling with their beautifully charred meat.

"Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai" a classic thai dish with intense flavors. You get the balance of sweet, spice and sour. Its a tasty and savory dish that almost everyone loves.

Cashew Chicken

"Cashew Chicken Stir Fry" to me, this is a great comfort dish right behind the green curry. The bell peppers add a nice sweetness to this savory dish. This isn't one of my favorites but I love it non the less.

"Hot Thai Stir Fry" , this is one spicy ass dish. It really helped my heart pump, they were not kidding with the name. Personally, prefer my go to Green Curry dish for spice but when I want something more, I hit up Hot Thai Stir Fry.

"Coconut Pineapple Chicken" If you like pineapple on your pizza, your most likely going to fall in love with this dish. I love the sweetness the pineapple brings to such a savory dish.

"Sues Seafood Stew" "tangy coconut satay sauce" is the perfect way to describe it. It makes your tastebuds do a little dance and you may be tempted to lick the bowl. If you like seafood, this is a must try.

Hot Thai stir fry

Those are just a few quick notes on the dishes I've tried at Bamboo hut. I will one day, try everything on their menu... but it is hard. It's hard ordering a new dish when you just salivate over a favorite. Not saying you'll be disappointed but when you crave something...

I recommend anyone in the area to try Bamboo Hut or their other family owned restaurants Blue Dragon and Sophears in Red Deer. If you have a love for asian food, you will be left wanting more.

La Casa Pergola - Red Deer, AB

Oh La Casa Pergola... the great things I've heard about you. In High school my friend and I stopped by this little place and honestly I wasn't a big fan of their lunch menu...
But I've heard from many locals that this is the place for great authentic italian food. When i mention my "Meh" previous experience, they tell me the dinner menu will be worth it.


So a couple of us stopped by to check out this hidden away restaurant in downtown red deer and my reservations about this place prior were correct.

Ordered the Calamari, personally I found it unappetizing and soggy. The sauce, I was told, base is sour cream and it was weak and tasteless... Never had tasteless sour cream. Wasn't a very special dish. I love calamari and find most restaurants make it a little too oily, it wasn't oily here... when i say soggy, i mean it was un crispy from maybe not being properly cooked or sitting there too long before it was brought out...

I had the Fettuccini Con Pollo , small portion for $17. And boy.. was it small. I could probably grab the whole portion in my small hands and cover it all.
I understand fine dining and their small portions, but this place is not exactly the real fine dining experience.
I also found this dish flavorless. The Chicken was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. But that was the only appetizing aspect of this dish.
The pasta sauce is described to be made with all these cheeses yet I honestly didn't taste anything. It just tasted like watered down white sauce with a faint faint hint of cheese.
I think those cheap side kick packages at the grocery store have more flavor then this dish.
And the price... not worth it.
(They ran out of broccoli that night and subbed mushrooms.)

Overall, my experience wasn't memorable at this joint. I love the ambiance of the place. Its quaint and sadly it would be a great restaurant if the food was more flavorable, or at least the price should not be that high for the quality of the food.
Don't see the great food that everyone else is saying so personally, I will not be returning to this restaurant.

The Coconut Room - Red Deer, AB

Cafes like these are all the fad these days. I'm not a big coffee drinker, prefer to get my caffeine fix from some good ol' green tea but I've heard from many coffee drinkers that they love going to the Coconut Room for 'Real Coffee'. I stopped by here with a friend for lunch when I  heard they have a great lunch menu! I wasn't expecting much for their lunch menu, knowing it was more of a cafe with pastries, but they really only had three meals to be served for their lunch. We had the coconut curry (Which i'm starting to think its one of their most popular dishes) and what I believe was called the burrito bowl...

Its a very open space, with a small gallery in the corner.. did i mention it on top of Sunworks? Nice to do a little shopping on your way out! Their plating is simple yet fitting for the atmosphere. A bit expensive for what you get... but you pay for the quality not quantity.
Didn't find much special about the burrito bowl, pretty generic in my opinion. The Coconut Curry on the other hand, I can see why most people mention this dish when they talk about the food there.
Its a pretty tasty dish, very sweet.. what i love about this dish, is that they put a dollop of coconut on top of the curry, so you can mix it in or add a little to each bite. Both dishes are very hearty. They offer a mason jar with cinnamon sticks and apples... Personally, I didn't like it but it's nice to see that added touch.

They do offer many soups and salads, all of which sound very tasty. And they have a large selection of home made pastries. I've seen from their facebook page that they do offer a changing dinner menu, all of which looks pretty tasty and worth the try. 

If you like coffee, a quiet atmosphere, do not want gluten in your pastries, want into that whole healthy raw food or want to try out one of those trendy cafes that are popping up everywhere than this will be your place. Or even if you just want a decent snack while you are in downtown, try their coconut curry.

It's a quaint little cafe, I'm glad I tried it out. Doubt i'll be there again soon, or often... not really my type of restaurant but It's definitely worth it to stop by and check it out. 

One Eleven Grill - Red Deer

I remember the days when it was the Med and I didn't mind it. Looked to me they kept the same contemporary deco from the Med. Checked this place out for a friend's birthday on a friday night and it was pretty packed. Overall great atmosphere and they do offer live jazz music on Friday and Saturday nights.

But on to the more important part, the food....

I've heard many good things about their blueberry ribs but I knew i would never be able to finish a main dish of them. Luckily they do offer an app of mini ribs that have blueberry sauce on them. Honestly I'm one of those people that prefer traditional dishes and usually dislike any meat mixed with fruit sauces/purees or even the classic combo of chocolate and fruit...
But I'm glad i tried these mini ribs. Huge serving, I ordered it with the soup and salad and thought i might have to be wheeled out of there.
The pork ribs were succulent, very tender and the blueberry sauce was not over powering at all. You'd get the hint of fruity sweetness, not over powering at all! I loved it!

We ordered the red velvet cake for desert since they were all out of the cheesecakes. Wasn't a huge fan of the cake, it was a bit too dry for me and .. the desert wasn't really anything special nor really that tasty, just tasted like a dry flour cake with cream cheese icing.

Everyone else at our party enjoyed their mains. No complaints. Great atmosphere, an interesting menu - always something to try, tasty food and decent service. A place worth trying.