The Argyle Street Grill
345 St. South, Caledonia. 905-765-9622, theargylestreetgrill.com
The Draw - Appropriately priced, local, fresh food; happy staff;
and attentive service.
The Drawback - Seats fill up fast. Plan your evening accordingly.
Don't Miss - The scallops; bison meatloaf.
Price $$ - (average entrée price $15)
"Do you think we can get a spot on the patio?" We both had a
chilly November laugh before entering the warm dining room. My
dining partner this evening, if you've yet to guess, is a
comedian. No, really, that's his job! He's also my brother.
Wade Taylor isn't just an owner, he's a chef, and he has forged
his career taking food seriously. I have been looking forward to
this meal while remaining cautiously optimistic. Tonight we were
in the hands of Chef Josh Anderson and Sous Chef Dave Aul. And
the new menu, which locals have been telling me about, was
finally within my grasp. Would the menu live up to expectation? I
had waited three weeks for the chefs to get comfortable with the
new menu. More than enough time for them to settle in.
We arrived at approximately 3:50pm. I like to get a spot just
before the dinner rush so I can observe the staff grow from a
mid-afternoon crawl into a full on dinner service dash.
The waitress was a busy, blonde haired lady, who smiled and told
us that she would return momentarily. Two minutes and thirty-four
seconds pass, "Where would you like to sit?" she asks. I pointed
to a table in the middle of the dining room. "That one!"
I had read that the Argyle St. Grill was upscale. So before
going, I donned the most blue collar clothing I could find, which
wasn't hard; it's my normal dress. With true class and
appreciation I was given seating wherever I wanted, despite my
humble appearance, they made me feel very welcome. A truly
upscale restaurant doesn't care how you dress, because class is a
mindset, not an appearance. You work hard for your money, so if
someone is willing to take it from you, they better offer a
service you will remember. The Argyle St. Grill lives up to its
upscale reputation with values of inclusion and kindness, making
you feel on top of the world, and appreciated during your meal.
The wine menu is diverse and contains many red and whites from
Ontario. Local wine is meant to match local food so the selection
makes sense. A 6oz glass of wine will run you from 5.90 for
Dragon Blended California Red to upwards of 8.40 for an
Australian Blass Cabernet Sauvignon. Quench your thirst
confidently with the grill's smart selection of well-priced wine.
To start, I tried to order mussels, but they are no longer on the
menu. However, there is an interesting twist to this; the grill
holds a free mussel bar on Thursday evenings, which is great for
bringing the community together and even better for us sea-
foodies. Free mussels and reasonably priced wine in this
atmosphere is magic.
"I would like to start with the scallops, please."
"Excellent choice," she said, again smiling.
"And for my main entrée I would like a medium rare steak."
My brother ordered the bison meatloaf with an extra helping of
asparagus.
The maple bacon-jelly was a steady, sensual, salty-sweet flavor
on the upper decks of my mouth. The scallops, perfectly cooked,
smashed like waves into the bacon, creating a delicious ocean-
meets-farm taste. One doesn't speak while eating these scallops.
You simply close your eyes, jettison your thoughts, and float.
The steak was exactly as it should be. There was no obnoxious
sauce hiding the cut, considering where it came from, why would
there be? This cattle's been locally raised on a hormone-free,
vegetable based diet, about twenty minutes outside of town since
1969. I ordered medium-rare and that's exactly what I received;
tender and juicy with a warm center. The steak was grilled
beautifully, with deep, black, crosshatching and a juicy shine on
the top.Some restaurants will pre-fry your chicken wings before you order
them. Whether this is for efficiency or crispiness it is a
practice that I wouldn't boast about. The Argyle St. Grill makes
your wings when you order them, and they know what they're doing,
because the skin is crispy and the meat's so juicy I found myself
desperately clearing every bone before surfacing for air. I
ordered my wings without the flour dusting and the staff was more
than happy to oblige. Each bite cracked through the skin into the
soft texture of chicken meat dowsed in spicy juices causing your
tongue to capsize again and again in attempt to capture the taste
as much as possible before swallowing. The aroma teases you
between bites, beckoning you to pick up the next wing, until
there is nothing but a monument of bones left to prove that
something this good actually exists on earth.
Albeit my steak was cooked with caring hands and to perfection, I
just couldn't help but feel an innate jealousy toward my
brother's plate. That bison meatloaf sat on the plate like it
owned the whole dining room... read more
