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Deville Dinerbar: After the Flood

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

in restaurant, comfort food, deli, downtown core, trendy, <$40

Deville Dinerbar outside

the pitch

Tonight we went to watch the Avengers movie at Cinema Banque Scotia and wanted to first grab something quick nearby, so we had booked a table at iBurger next door. However, after the day's heavy rain, we found out that the latter was closed due to flooding in their basement. So we decided to walk over to Deville Dinerbar and give it another shot.

the mood

Deville Dinerbar inside

Deville is more-or-less a trendier version of its sister deli Reuben's (a favourite of ours). With its retro/modern pink-ish décor, fruity cocktails and large booths, it's an ideal place to bring a date, or to hook up with girls for that matter (there were several girl-only tables). We thought the bar near the entrance was better suited for us, being a group of two guys.

tagged: date night, hookup potential, sit at the bar

the food

You'll find typical diner food “with a twist” at Deville: finger food, burgers, sandwiches, ribs, roasted chicken… They up the ante by adding some interesting and/or “exotic” ingredients to raise regular comfort fare to the next level.

starter

Salt and Pepper Calamari

price: $13 - rating: hit

We're always on a hunt for “the best fried calamari” in town, so we order it when available. Those were near excellent. The rings were spot-on tender, but the batter was a little skimpy and not crunchy enough (maybe it was because one of us “spilled” a whole lot of lemon juice over the dish). And rather than your typical marinara type sauce, they were served with a spicy cream-based sauce (Peruvian Aji Rojo). PS: we were too hungry to take a pic before diving in (sorry).

main

Texas Style BBQ Brisket Sandwich

price: $18 - rating: so-so

"Ten-hour slow roasted beef brisket slices basted in root beer BBQ sauce, cheese, sauerkraut & Russian dressing on marble sourdough rye". Is it a good sandwich? Yes. Is it a favourite of mine? No. The beef slices were tender and the BBQ sauce was very good. However, the sauce was a little too sweet for my taste; luckily the sauerkraut lent a tangy hand to cut through that sweetness. Good sandwich overall.

main

Hibachi Steak Sandwich

price: $20 - rating: so-so

"Marinated grilled flatiron steak with Asian coleslaw, baby Daikon sprouts, cilantro-lime mayonnaise on grilled brioche bread". The flavours were definitely there for this sandwich, but it was just impossible to eat; the steak slices were too thick and long to bite through, and the bread got soaked and started falling apart fairly quickly, which is not unusual for a steak sandwich I guess. Finally, I prefer thicker, crunchier fries to accompany this kind of food.

tagged: too messy

the service

We love sitting at the bar, it's like having your own waiting staff. Our bartender/waitress was attentive and very friendly; she made sure we had everything we needed and sparked a little conversation. The food came at the right time and the rest of the staff was attentive (after I dropped my napkin, I didn't have time to look for it before it was picked up). Oh, and they usually have hot bartenders so try not to stare too much ;)

tagged: hubba-hubba

the verdict

While the food won't blow you away and is a little spotty, it is still good, original diner food. Deville has a nice vibe that makes it unique, especially with the modern decor and the jukebox app that lets you request songs. We enjoyed ourselves both times here and we would probably come back; it's an overall pleasant experience.

tagged: solid 4

price per person: $32