In Prince Edward County, the opinions about the Drake
Devonshire are mixed – it’s a nice place to hangout (in an area where there’s
not a lot of bars or places close early) but it feels too “Toronto”. In fact,
locals are baffled by why Torontonians want to escape to the county just to
hang out in the city again. To be fair, the venue is nothing like the
multi-floor Drake Hotel downtown or the retro Drake 150 in the financial core.
To start, the sprawling building overlooks the lake and the décor is lighter and
whimsical. For another, the food is much better than the Drake Hotel.
The asparagus almondine ($14) is a simple starter, the
spears of asparagus lightly roasted and topped with slivers of toasted almond
in brown butter. A squeeze of lemon adds a hit of acidity, but otherwise the
nut and vegetable are the prominent flavours. It’s a little plain as a starter,
and works better as a side.
Their warm dandelion Caesar ($14) is on the other side of
the spectrum - packed with flavours: the slight bitterness of the dandelion,
garlicky dressing, a faint umami essence from the bonito flakes, sweetness from
the dry crispy pork floss pieces (in lieu of bacon) and salty pecorino
sprinkles. It’s tasty, but best shared as an entire dish of the Caesar would be
fairly overpowering.
Perhaps, the sole starter, I tried, that could stand on its
own is the salt cod pierogies ($12). The chewy soft dough was a tad thick, but
there was plenty of salt cod mashed potatoes inside. I’ll admit, the slightly
fishy filling requires getting used to, but once you add some of the tangy
crème fraiche or thick apple sauce, it gets tastier.
Overall, the Devonshire prepares fish pretty well. The
trout’s ($28) skin could be crispier, but the meat was moist and flakey. Being
an oilier fish, it was properly paired with a refreshing vegetable medley
consisting of roasted red peppers, zucchini, and green onions. Once in a while,
you’ll also get a sour crunch from the fermented green beans.
For me, the lamb rigatoni ($24) incorporated too many
frou-frou items - hen of the woods mushrooms, pine nuts, and spruce? Sure, I
guess the spruce and the mint will help alleviate any of the lamb’s gaminess,
but all together the elements detracts from having the rigatoni become that
rich homey dish that’s notorious with pasta.
Although I found the Prinzen chicken ($27) dry (it could
have been the piece of breast I cut from the side), my friend found it was
cooked well. For me, it was the saffron spaetzle that stole the show: soft and
chewy with a well toasted crust – exactly what I crave with this German pasta
side dish.
You won’t leave hungry with an order of the pork schnitzel
($26) – I lost count of how many pieces were actually included with the dish.
To be fair, I wouldn’t classify it as schnitzel as the slices were way too
thick. If they’re named breaded pork cutlets with honey mustard, it would be
more accurately described.
The truffle and cheese fries ($11) were okay – it’s hard for
fries to be terrible, but the Devonshire could ensure they arrive hotter and
there’s more truffle oil if you’d classify these as “fancy fries”. Meanwhile,
the hakuri turnips ($9) were surprisingly good – the mini root vegetables
remained crunchy having been lightly poached and then sweetened with burnt
honey.
Drake did not save the best for last … the tiramisu ($10)
and lemon meringue tart ($10) were merely passable. Although they were plated
nicely, the desserts taste like something found in a buffet – and we’re not
talking the one at the Bellagio here. The lemon meringue had a nice toasted
top, but the lemon custard was thick and almost plastic-like, while the
tiramisu so heavily orange flavoured in lieu of espresso.
For being in a location where guests may be visiting to
celebrate occasions, the Drake Devonshire certainly doesn’t treat these events
with much care. In town for a bachelorette, my friend informed the host about
the celebration and asked for a bottle of wine to be brought to the table as a
surprise (a present from a friend who couldn’t attend) and to do something
festive for the dessert. Neither worked out as planned: our waiter came by to
tell us the wine requested wasn’t available (in front of the bride, so any
surprise element was ruined) and her dessert came without fanfare. Note 1 to
Drake’s management: please set-up some sort of communication system between
staff members (hosts, waiters, and the kitchen are a team).
They tried to make up for this by comping her dessert and
giving us tickets to use at the photo booth. Only when we went to take the
pictures, another staff member came by to hush us as there is a guest room
located right beside the booth. Really, why would a manager appease
disappointed diners by giving them something that they can’t use freely and
could potentially make another guest’s stay worse? Note 2 to Drake’s
management: make sure your “make it right” solutions actually serve their
purpose.
Maybe the County natives have it right – sure the Drake
Devonshire has a ping pong table and funky artwork – but can’t you get that
back in the city? If you’re looking for a place to hang out and have a drink after
dinner, the restaurant is an ideal place. But, if you really want the County
charm of laid-back hospitality, you may need to head elsewhere.
How To Find Them
Location: Wellington, Canada
Address: 24 Wharf Street
Address: 24 Wharf Street
Website: http://www.drakedevonshire.ca/dining/
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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