Village Squire, 1975-02, Page 32�1j1ItYPS 0.abtr
Being a chain restaurant
doesn't hurt the Ali Baba
Canada has oeen blessed (or cursed,
depending on your view point) with many
food chains. From the food chain where you
likely buy your groceries every Saturday, to
the pizza parlour to the famous hamburger
chains, to steak houses.
As usual, blanket statements about chains
are dangerous. There are often good and bad
branches even in any one chain and trying to
condemn all chains as being bad, as some
people try to, can be downright unfair.
The Ali Baba Steakhouses are a prospering
chain of restaurants that stretches from
Oshawa to London. If you think it's another of
those quick serve, minimum cost places,
however, you're in for a surprise, both for
your palate and your pocket book.
The Ali Baba Steakhouse on Ontario Street
in Stratford's east end provides excellent fare
for the steak fan. Just pulling into the parking
lot tells you this isn't an ordinary chain
restaurant: there are too many frills, like the
entrance way and the heavy wooden doors.
Inside there's a small lobby for you to take off
your winter clothes, something of a luxury
with most chains where space seems to be
computerized so that every square inch is
profitable.
Soon, however, you're likely to forget
comparisons with other chains because you
forget it's a chain restaurant at all. You are
greeted warmly and shown to your seat and
served in a friendly, small town way by the
waitress. That usual impersonal feeling of
chain operations isn't there.
One look at the menu soon convinces you
this is no MacDonald's either. Top of the
menu for entres is the Mankiller steak at
$8.50. With that you could have Escargot as
an appetizer at $2.75 per order.
Somehow the name mankiller rather
frightened us off. So the lady chose a flaming
shishkebob at $6.95 and the gentleman had a
serving of barbecued back ribs with wine
sauce at a rather economical $4.95. The
appetizer for each was baked onion soup at 95
cents a bowl. The gentleman also ordered a
salad and the lady a side order of mushroons.
Fast serve the Ali Baba is not. It's the kind
of place you go to for a leisurely relaxing
meal. After taking the order the waitress
delivered a bowl of dill pickles and a large
basket of buns. Awaiting the soup we had a
chance to look around. The dining room is
kept intimate by dividing it off with
strategically placed walls which means there
are never more than five or six other tables
near you.
Stucco walls and a roof that's supposed to
look like the top of a cave, and in the dim
candelight almosts succeeds, dominate the
decor. The comfortable big chairs look custom
made. The tables are cloth covered. The one
jarring remainder of chain ownership is the
printed paper place mat which also serves as
30, VILLAGE SQUIRE/FEBRUARY 1975
the menu.
The baked onion soup arrived and proved
almost a meal in itself. ' A thick,
cheesy -tasting crust covered the top and
below was a delicious, tangy soup. One had to
eat slowly recalling this was only the
beginning not the whole meal. We were given
the time to appreciate the soup and eat as
slowly as we wished. Then carne the salad
made with good fresh vegetables.
Then the main course arrived. The ribs
arrived rather quietly but the shiskabob
caused such a stir one felt like a bit of a
showoff. The waitress entered carrying the
flaming meal and the attention of nearly
every patron was drawn. She expertly
transferred the meal from spit to plate but
one had to wonder how many times she
singed her hair before she got it down pat.
The ribs were large, juicy and tasty and
made one glad they hadn't ordered the
Mankiller. The gentleman at the next table
had the big steak and it made one almost have
to loosen his belt a notch just to look at it.
The ribs, pan-fried potatoes, and a portion
of the side order of mushrooms proved plenty
for the gentleman so that the thought of
dessert was uncomfortable.
The lady enjoyed the large hunks of meat
from the shishkebob but wished the rice had
been a little more tastey. The rice had been
cooked with some green pepper but was not
flavoured enough for her taste. Probably a
personal preference though and not one that
probably wouldn't bother most diners.
The lady managed a dish of ice cream but
the gentleman decided to leave well enough
alone. We were given plenty of time to relax
and enjoy the dessert and cottee with no
feeling of being pushed out the door so more
customers could be seated.
When the cheque did come it was a whisker
under S20 for two without tip. You can expect
to get good food and expect to pay for it at Ali
Baba.
Dining listing for
Huron -Perth -Bruce
area
Because of steadily rising restaurant costs
it is no longer possible to classify our listing
according to cost of a dinner for two. Instead a
system of pricing will indicate the
approximate cost of meals such as:
33 inexpensive, SSS moderate or $$$$ higher
cost.
COMMERCIAL HOTEL
Dinner is served from 6-8 six days a week at
this excellent diningroom in Seaforth. Dinner
is in the 15-8 range but A La Carte lunches
can be obtained much cheaper. SSS
;I!;
R IN(1S .......l
Dine in old-fashioned style in this
120 -year-old Inn.
Dinner: 5:30-7:30 daily; Sundays 5-6:30
p.m. reservations only.
The Albion Hotel
Ba}'lield, Ontario
�rte.10111
c
�Ihe .1Eit#le Plnn
BAYFIELD, ONTARIO
(519) 565-2611
ROOMS AND DINING ROOM
DELIGHTFUL SUNDAY BRUNCH
AFTERNOON TEAS
Reopening Feb. 15
with new hours:
12 noon to 10 p.m.
German food lovingly
prepared and served.
OPEN YEAR ROUND
The Bavarian Inn
Hwy. 21
Bayfield, Ont.