Thursday, February 27, 2014

Solstice Restaurant - Clarkson, ON

I share my time between Cumberland, ON (near Ottawa) and Clarkson, ON (part of Mississauga, SW of Toronto). A regular favourite supper dining place of Ruth's and mine is the Solstice Restaurant, in a plaza on the north side of Lakeshore, just west of Clarkson Rd. This place has a cozy atmosphere, the service is always excellent, the menu varied, the prices reasonable, everyone is friendly. Check it out, but save me a table by the fireplace.

We were back here in the last few days (about March 16). The combo meal deals are very good value. Everything above still applies, but I just want to add that the desserts here are very decorative and to die for! Do not leave without trying at least one.
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Monday, April 14th, 2014 - We ate at Solstice again last night. We started with an incredible mushroom soup, followed with an appetizer plate, then the Rainbow Trout with a half litre of their very nice house red. The service and meal were again excellent. Here is a picture of my trout plate.

Having said the above, I want to add a caution, as much for myself as anyone else. We assumed that we were ordering a combo meal since this restaurant previously served us combination dinners (flat or semi-flat price). I have now made this mistake twice: the first time was in the Church Restaurant in Stratford last June (I think) and again last night. When a waiter or waitress announces a special for the night, I automatically assume that it is for a promotional price. NOT TRUE - some restaurants have started announcing premium plates, as their Evening Specials, at undisclosed premium prices, leading the patron to think they are getting a flat-rate meal. Last night I paid $12.50 each for a "very decorative", small, appetizer plate with unusual cheese and beets. Very pleasant but I felt that the extra $25 was very pricey, considering that the trout was also $25 (each) and included a very nice, and generous, selection of vegetables and rice. Perhaps an exceptional server would have made sure that this time we understood that the "Special" was a la carte and that the appetizer was not required, given the significant portions of the main course. So ... on future visits to Solstice, I will ask for the undisclosed prices and a better description of the "Specials" before I order. This is a practice that I have felt was slightly crass and unnecessary in the past ... times change.
Honestly, this addressed to you restaurant owners, I would prefer to have the "Specials" written down, with prices, so I can study them for a few minutes, rather than try to remember what the waiter/waitress said.

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