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The food was good for our Mothers day meal, the servers were attentive and friendly. The decor is in desperate need of a makeover. The wall paper in the entry way was way too" grandma's house" We could look past the wall paper what made us uncomfortable was the chef. My mother went to use the washroom only to find the chef standing by the bathroom door. then he opened the door for her. When she came out of the bathroom the chef was still standing by the door., blocking the hallway. Later on we saw the chef run out into the street and start yelling at a young man and swearing at him. the young man looked shocked and uncomfortable. We wondered what the chef was doing chasing down people in the street , who was cooking the food? Bizarre behaviour I won't go back.
Last night my boyfriend and I were celebrating Valentine's Day a little late. I have been to the Hourglass many, many times over the years and have always found the food to be great and the staff warm and welcoming. My boyfriend was not that impressed the first time he been so he was reluctant to go back. I was hoping that this experience would change his mind so we could go back more often. The first impression, with a server who reeked like yesterday's ashtray did not sit well with either of us. I considered asking for a different server but decided that would make the whole evening uncomfortable so we put up with it. Dinner arrived. I had asked for bernaise sauce with my steak but it was not with the meal. The server asked if there was anything else that we needed. I reminded her of the bernaise sauce and she went to get it. I have ordered this exact meal at this same restaurant and others many times so I know what to expect. The bernaise was served in a gravy boat and as soon as I put the spoon in knew something was wrong. It was the consistency of thick lumpy pudding. This was not a sauce. I touched the side of the bowl and it felt cool but not cold. When I touched the sauce on the spoon it was cold. I also noticed that my potatoes were not hot. As I sat and waited for someone on staff to make an appearance in the dining room my food was getting cooler too. Finally I got the owner's attention but he was busy singing a birthday song. The server came by and I flagged her down. She told me the sauce was supposed to be room temp otherwise it would break if they heated it. The owner had arrived by this point and he was agreeing with her. They don't make it fresh each time? In a fine dining chef owned and run restaurant? Supprise!. Okay...but it should be a sauce, not a lumpy cold pudding. They kept arguing that this was the way it was supposed to be. My boyfriend got involved and challenged them to put their finger into it to see for themselves. I was so uncomfortable. It was cold and they didn't even check it. They just argued with me. They took it away to warm it for me. Meanwhile my food sat while I waited and my partner was enjoying his steak and lobster. They brought it back and the top was warmer but underneath it was still cold. Finally the third time it was good. It spoiled the whole meal for me. The owner came by and offered us a free brandy. My boyfriend declined and I declined because the whole experience was horrible and I just wanted to leave. The owner sat down and talked with my boyfriend, who was shocked that a restaurant owner would argue with a customer. The owner was a gregarious sort but I was absolutely shocked when my boyfriend told him that he would not come back and the owner said, "sorry to hear that but it's okay, I have lots of customers". We went to pay and my boyfriend apparently chose not to tip. The server confronted him asking why he was not tipping. She asked if her service was lacking. He said it had been a very unpleasant experience.I did not agree that she didn't deserve a tip and even said, "you can't do that" and started to pull my wallet from my purse. I didn't see the bill and was calculating in my head how much it would have been and I thought it would be about $70. I was looking for three $5 bills that I knew were in my wallet the two of them were still talking. She was aggressive and eventually got offensive. Just as I was about to hand over a tip for her she said something (which I honestly can't remember right now) that was so rude that I said, "I was going to tip you but after that last remark I am not" She sneered and said, "Yeah right". Both of my daughters have been servers and because of that I am a very generous tipper. This server's service was not outstanding but it was not bad so I was truly going to leave her a 20% tip. If she had just left it at "are you not tipping me because there was something wrong with the service" I would have tipped her. I get that my boyfriend helped to escalate things and that was embarassing but since I was the customer who had issues with my dinner why did the owner focus on him? Why didn't they check to see if the sauce was in fact as cold as I said it was. Why did this become such a big deal? By the way, he said his steak and lobster were very good. My food, though not warm, was tasty. Too bad the mood was so awful. The pricing at this restaurant is very good. Filet at $22 compared to the Keg at $28 and the veggies are included! For ambiance, there was a live piano player but we could not see him/her. It was nice background music. The other owner (the woman) is lovely and friendly and didn't seem aware of what was going on at our table. She did come by and ask if everything was good and not wanting to get into it with someone else I said it was all good. At that point I just wanted to be left alone to try to enjoy my dinner. It is too bad I don't feel I can go back. I really did like this restaurant.
We were going for dinner with another couple and we both wanted to go somwhere that niether of us had been before. We had heard good things about the Hourglass and decided to make reservations to try it last Saturday night.
We were happy to find that it was busy, with most tables full, which I take as an indication of popularity, especially in a smaller community. It is not a big resturant but has lots of elbow room so you don't feel crowded. It has lots of nooks and crannies that lends some opportunities for an intimate setting if you wanted.
We all had something different to eat and enjoyed it all. I had the Lobster Bisque (which apparently is a specialty of the chef) and the Neptune Schintzel. I am a big guy who likes to eat and I was stuffed! My wife had the Mushroom Caps for an appetizer and the Crusted Salmon. She is a bit of a picky eater and she had nothing bad to say about the meal. My wife and I split a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. The other couple had the Calamari and the Escargot appetizers along with a Crusted Halibut and the Filet Neptune entres. They also really enjoyed their picks. For dessert we had the cheescake which was giant, an ample portion of lemon merangue pie and a creme caramel. We were all very pleased with the portions and the flavours of everything. I would like to return and try some of their other offerings.
The servier we had was a bit stilted but she was unobtrusive and her serving timing was perfect, the food was hot and delicious. If I had to chose, I'll go for timing and flavour.
The wives enjoyed the giant camp coffee pots they use for serving coffee with dessert.
It was a very pleasant evening out with friends and it took us about 3 hours from start to finish.
I think it was well worth the $107 I spent as my half of the bill ($124 with the tip.).
My husband and I have been dining at the Hourglass for the past two years. It is our favorite place to go for a nice evening out. Yes, the interior is a little dated but that is what I find charming about it. The staff is always pleasant and more than helpful. Several times that we have been there the owner has come around to ask everyone how their meals are which I always love to see.
Our favorite thing to order is the Neptune Schnitzel. I've loved schnitzel for years and was always searching for the best schnitzel place in town. I had a couple favorites but the moment we came across this place I knew the search was over. The meat is so thin and the batter is the right amount of crisp. It just melts in your mouth. The sauce has perfect flavor and they aren't stingy with the crab and shrimp. I always love the potatoes served with schnitzel too... they usually sit right next to the red cabbage and soak up just a little hint of the flavor. And I hate red cabbage but something about this is all kinds of right in my books.
I cannot praise this place enough. We have never had a negative experience and whenever we bring friends and family there they fall in love! I do think a few renovations to update the place wouldn't hurt... it would draw in a much larger crowd but I kind of hope they don't because I'm selfish and I love the laid back, quiet atmosphere. It's great for sharing some special time with your loved one.
We tried this restaurant on Thursday night.
It was very cozy. We had a prime seat right by the fireplace and the ambiance was very relaxing and soothing. It was like dining in someone's home, with the tables nicely set with decent linens, Christmas carols playing softly in the background and lovely tiffany lamps providing the lighting.
We shared a Caesar salad that was very well made with nice fresh greens, a flavourful dressing and crispy croutons. My husband had the 10 oz rib eye steak and it was cooked to perfection - medium rare just as he had requested. I had the mushroom schnitzel and it was one of the best schnitzels that I've had. It was nice and crispy but the meat was nice and moist. It was a huge serving and the mushrooms on top were just delicious. The entrees were accompanied by pan fried potatoes, red cabbage and asparagus. Our entrees were priced at approximately $19.00 for my schnitzel and $25.00 for my husband's steak. For the quality of the food and the ambiance it was excellent value for the money.
Highly recommended.
The Hourglass has a very relaxed atmosphere and a small staff. It is a good choice for an intimate evening when you are not in a rush, although they can accommodate larger groups. They feature live piano on the weekends. In my opinion, the food is excellent. My wife and I dined there tonight. We each tried the evenings specials. She had the steak and I had the schnitzel. Both featured seafood and bernaise. We also had two appetizers and a cheap bottle of wine. I was immediately impressed by the presentation of the meal and commented on it. It was served on a large glass platter with plenty of room for fresh vegetables and red cabbage. I really enjoyed this meal. My wife also enjoyed her meal although it was much too large for her. As it is Valentines Day, they seated us in a very private area and were not obtrusive with the service. We had a very good experience and will be returning.
Feb. 09 we went for dinner, nice seating and the music was great.
I had the potate skins, which were burnt on the skin side but the inside was okay. I had the steak, med/well which came rare! The staff never returned or came close enough to call to untill everything and everyone else was finished. They did eventually take it back and do it right and it was very nice tho I was to full to take more than a bite to try it. I think if it had been done right it would have been great. I plan to give them another try.
It was okay, but we thought it would be more. The first thing I noticed was that the lights were quite low, which is nice, but these people need to clean the walls. Were at a table beside the wall and it was disgusting having to look at a dirty wall while you are eating. Flys were bothering us. It needs to be cleaned or painted. The food was not what I expected. Ordered steak medium and it came rare. The potatoes were pan fried and that was okay, but they were a little hard to chew because they didn't seem fresh, like maybe sitting around too long. The desert I didn't like -- I'm pretty easy on the rating of food. I won't return here.
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