Unadventurous Restaurants [General]

2008 Mar 14
I had to laugh at Captain Caper's comment about his father liking "unadventurous food". I am faced with this problem when my parents come for a visit: where to take them and their bland desires?

As they are coming for a visit over Easter, does anyone have any suggestions where to take them? My sister has made me promise to never take them anywhere "weird" again: apparently my father complained for six months after I forced him to try an East Indian restaurant buffet!

2008 Mar 14
Moxie's! :)


2008 Mar 14
Elizabeth I think your parents and my parents are in the same gene pool LOL! If you are looking for somewhere downtown Mother Tucker's is a sure bet. Do you think they would like smoked meat? Dunn's just opened a location on Dalhousie where TJ Pagoda's used to be and they have another location on Elgin. The quantities are huge though so bring your appetite. They might also like the Mayflower restaurant on Elgin. They serve alot of plain stuff like steak and kidney pie and liver and onions. There is also the Elephant and Castle in the Rideau Centre (great fish and chips) or the Colonnade Pizza.

2008 Mar 14
If you're in Kanata, The Glen's a good bet. Food that's unadventurous but delicious!

2008 Mar 14
Friday's Roast Beef house is pretty good as well. Roast been can, I think, be considered unadventurous, but at Friday's it's so darn good!

2008 Mar 14
My parents like the Pelican Grill, Mr. B's and Robbie's on Walkley. I really like the Pelican as well and I'd say it does well to attract both the foodie and non-foodie. I never have a problem going to Robbie's either. Haven't been to Mr B's in years.

2008 Mar 14
Elizabeth, if your parents don't have any hang-ups about the "gambling" atmosphere, (it being Easter and all), you might want to consider the Rideau Carleton Raceway. It is a fun time out, and they have an ok buffet. The buffet is different for different days of the week (ie, Lunch, Dinner, Weekend Lunch, Weekend Dinner, Special Feature Buffet etc), so you'll have to call the Racetrack to see what is on when. The Racing Schedule may be adjusted for the long weekend as well. My folks are very "old school" and they enjoy going out to the Racetrack because it has food they are familiar with, and they can eat as much or as little as they like. Plus I don't find it uncomfortable being there (as I sometimes do in other venues) because there is enough variety in the food that I can cope, and the sights and sounds are entertaining (especially if there is racing). And ultimately, I know that we all can have a good time together.

If you have minors in your group, you'll have to check with the Restaurant on how that works. If I remember right kids are welcome in the dining room, but I think they have to enter from an entrance seperate from the casino. I know that about 10 years ago, our whole extended family (teenagers included) went for lunch and racing... the kids loved it (they are horse crazy to start with). They got a real kick out of the horses' names and trying to guess who would win. All in all, no one was bored, and well I always have found that a challenge when bringing all the generations together.

And if you do choose to bet, you can do so for as little as $ 2 a race. And if you're having a good day, you might just make enough to cover part of the cost of lunch. (I always play it safe and bet $ 2 to win, place or show).

But bare in mind, that if you want to do this you'll need to make reservations soon they'll be busy over the holiday weekend.

Good Luck!
U U U --> Lucky Horseshoes

2008 Mar 17
Prime 360 has a pretty traditional steakhouse menu and a nice Sunday brunch.

2008 Mar 17
Faced with the same situation, i might pick the Manx. Based on the spectrum of visitors I've brought there, inc. those with "conventional" tastes and less so, from vegans through raging carnivores, children through adults, i've found the Manx to have a little something for everyone. Most came away pleased. As important, i didn't feel like i was sacrificing to accommodate their tastes.

2008 Mar 17
Did anyone mention Kristy's? Do I even need to mention that? I think Full House might fit the bill as well here, The Shallows as well... anything that's billed as "Continental Dining", wtf does that mean anyway?! I find most chain restaurants very unadventurous, that would cover Kelsey's, Moxie's, Outback, Montana's, etc.

2008 Mar 17
Rockwell's in Merivale Mall. Senior city. Plus you can get any meal of the day there.

2008 Mar 18
Another senior city restaurant would be the Carlingwood Mall restaurant.

2008 Mar 28
Thanks everyone! We chose the Rideau Carleton Raceway. I neglected to research the ambiance first! My parents enjoyed the food, but none of us enjoyed sitting in a giant hall with 300 other people. I have never seen so many toupees in my life! The service staff were harried and stressed (with no smiles) and the tables and chairs weren't very clean.