A Quick Bite at Local Goes Raw

This past Friday we stopped by Local Public Eatery in South Edmonton Common for some pre-movie grub. We had planned to do a proper review of Local, as it's our favourite unique spot in South Common, but spoiler alert: that plan went off the rails.

It all started out well, a 45 minute wait turned into 10, and our server was quick and attentive despite the heavy crowds. For our appetizer we shared Yam Fries ($8), which are a contender for best in the city (truffle lemon mayo! Pecorino cheese!) and they were fantastic as always. For entrees Steph ordered the Huevos Rancheros ($12), which she quite liked although the salsa was spicer than expected. Jackie ordered the Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($14), which has been a perennial favorite of hers. Initially it was delicious, but then about halfway through she discovered that the chicken was not cooked all the way through. Not just undercooked, but dark pink almost raw. Obviously she felt sick at the discovery and called our server over.

The manager on duty came by right away, apologizing profusely, and comped not only her meal but both meals. We felt that they handled the situation very well, and can assume that an overtaxed kitchen was to blame, but we lost any appetite we had left. We made the decision to not complete our review or assign any ratings as this was an unusual situation and unfair to a restaurant with a great past track record.

Rest assured we will be back at a later date for a true review!

Mini Review: A Veggie Visits The Keg

This past weekend I celebrated my younger brother's birthday with my family. As per tradition, he got to choose the restaurant and out of all the restaurants in Edmonton, he chose The Keg in South Common. Now I have nothing against the Keg, it's a lovely establishment, but as a vegetarian I took one look at the menu and inwardly groaned. There are no vegetarian entrees, as could be expected, but even the salads and appetizers were a challenge. As everyone in my party excitedly picked their cut of beef, I mulled over the few choices available to me.

For salads, the Caesar is out (anchovies in the sauce) as well as the Iceberg Wedge, which if I removed the bacon would just be a slice of lettuce sprinkled with tomatoes. I ended up choosing the Mixed Greens salad ($6.95) to start, which was surprisingly tasty despite the bland description. The house vinaigrette had a lovely, complex flavour and there were plenty of veggies hiding under the lettuce. The soft, warm complimentary bread they brought out was also quite welcome.

For my entree I wanted protein and for that my only choices were in the Starter menu: Baked Goat Cheese ($8.95) or the Garlic Cheese Toast ($5.95). Deciding I didn't need any more white bread this evening, I opted for the goat cheese despite not being a big fan of goat's milk products in general. I also asked for a side of garlic mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables to round out my meal.

The small pat of goat cheese was crusted with sliced almonds and served with tiny toast crisps (so much for no more white bread!) and a "tomato basil salsa" which was more bruschetta than salsa. The cheese was hot and creamy and didn't have the strong flavour I associate with most goat cheeses so I was pleased but could only finish half as it was so rich. The mashed potatoes and veggies were standard but tasty.

Overall I was happy with the food I received, but unless you go there willing to eat a steak, The Keg's menu makes it a poor choice for vegetarians.

~Steph