Canon Restaurant Review: Romano's Macaroni Grill, Buford, GA

Earlier this evening, myself and 36 other people went to Buford and dined at Romano's Macaroni Grill to celebrate the birthday of a friend. Okay, it wasn't 36 people, more like 14. Nevertheless, that's a lot of people to sit at one table. Actually, it was three tables turned into one table, but you know what I mean.

We get there, and wait a couple of minutes outside while the staff gets our tables set up. Well, at first we didn't have enough room, so the staff had to set up another series of tables so everybody had enough room to move around in the place. Even without our mass of tables, the dining area did seem a bit crowded, as there didn't look to be too much room between tables. The dining area itself is somewhat dimly lit, as it was to read the menu with the lack of light in the place. I would prefer a more well-lit area, but that's just me and others probably don't mind as much as I did. Romano's has an open kitchen, so diners can view their food being cooked if they are close enough. This did me little good, as we were on the other side, but I found it to be interesting.

The waiting staff provided us some bread and a plate of appetizers before our order came. The bread was all right, not the best nor the worst I've ever had. The appetizer plate contained some calamari, some toasted bread, a giant cheese stick type dish called a mozzarella fritta, and a couple of slices of Parmesan cheese. I must say that the toasted bread was better than the untoasted bread, and the fried calamari was also quite tasty, particularly when dipped in the marinara sauce. I wish I could have tasted the mozzarella fritta, but that sucker was gone before I could look up.

As far as the main dish, it took a while for me to decide. Originally I was trying to decide between the Lobster Ravioli and the Chicken Parmesan, but I really wasn't in the mood for Chicken Parmesan, and I was kind of worried that the lobster in the Lobster Ravioli would be frozen, and I've seen enough episodes of Kitchen Nightmares to know that frozen lobster is nowhere near the same as fresh lobster. Call me crazy, but that's why I didn't get the ravioli. Instead, I went with a dish called the Penne Rustica. According to the menu, the Penne Rustica is "Succulent shrimp, roasted chicken and aged prosciutto tossed with Parmesan cream sauce and imported penne pasta, then baked until golden." Well, that sounded good enough to me. Other people ordered dishes such as the lobster ravioli, chicken parmasen, grilled prime pork loin, and I think somebody got a New York strip steak, but who the heck knows?

Since our party had 14 people, and the rest of the restaurant was filled with diners, it took a good while to get all of the food served, but not terribly long. I digged in to the Penne Rustica, and there were parts of the dish that were satisfactory, such as the penne pasta and the chicken, which was nicely cooked. The sauce wasn't too bad, and it had a little bit of a tarty kick to it. The shrimp, however, was quite rubbery, and I don't want to accuse anybody of using frozen shrimp, but by golly that shrimp tasted as if it had in the freezer for a while. The waiting staff was quite attentive at first, but once the dishes came, it became nearly impossible to get a refill on a drink or get the tables cleared for desserts.

Overall, even though most of my dining companions seemed to enjoy their dishes a lot, I can't say that I shared their enthusiasm for Romano's Macaroni Grill. It wasn't bad, and if I were asked to dine there again, I wouldn't exactly refuse, but overall I was slightly disappointed, to be honest. Overall, I'll give Romano's a 5.4 out 10. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any ideas for future reviews, or comments about this review, then share them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com

Canon Restaurant Review: Outback Steakhouse, Commerce, GA

Before I begin, I would like to apologize for my lack of activity this weekend, as quite frankly I just didn't have enough time to devote to the blog the last couple of days. Also, I'll probably be out of town for a couple of days this week, so don't expect too much activity for the next couple of days. But I will try to be back and devote all the attention a site like The Canon Review deserves.

Anyway, today I had the pleasure, or so I hoped, of dining at Outback Steakhouse in the lovely city of Commerce, GA. My brother Ben and his wife Rose, along with loyal Canon Review reader Dickson S., had been to this particular Outback on more than one occasion, and each of them have had rave reviews about this place. Well, I had never been to this particular Outback, or any Outback Steakhouse for that matter, so when they asked me to join them today, I accepted just to see what all of the fuss was about. Also, I had nothing else going on today.

We get there at about 6:00 or so, and the first thing I notice is that the location is kind of hidden in the back of a shopping center. I wasn't that surprised because there's only so much space in Commerce, and by the time this Outback was built most of the more desirable locations were already taken. I don't think it's had an effect on its business, as the restaurant was gradually filling up throughout our stay there, I just found it somewhat curious is all. When we got there, there were only a couple of tables filled, which isn't surprising considering it's 6 p.m. on a Monday. Heck, I actually prefer eating somewhat early at any restaurant just for that reason, so you miss the crowds and nothing is out of stock by that point. We get seated at a booth and wait a couple of minutes for our server to appear. The interior of the restaurant is rather dark, and there are some typical Australian artifacts like a boomerang on the walls. Also, there were at least three big screen televisions, and each one was tuned into a different channel for some reason. I guess because there was nothing special on at the time. After perusing the menu, which was about seven pages, for a few minutes, I decide to be different from the rest of my compatriots and not get a steak, even though I like steak and the name of the restaurant contains the word "steak" in its title. Instead, I go with one of the featured items on the menu, the BBQ Mixed Grill which came with three coconut shrimp, barbecue chicken, and some baby-back ribs. The dish also came with a side of fries and some coleslaw, which I'm not crazy about but I figured I would try anyway. My dining companions got three different cuts of steak, Rose ordered the Victoria Filet's with blue cheese and an add-on order of grilled shrimp, Dickson got the Teriyaki Marinated Sirloin dish, while I believe Ben order a New York Strip steak but to be honest, I'm not 100% sure about that one. They all ordered their steaks well done. Also, they ordered a Bloomin' Onion and one Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla.

First we were served some bread, which after 10 seconds of researching on the internet, I have found out that the bread is known as Bushman Bread. It's a honey-wheat type of bread that is colored black, in case you're like I was and have never been to Outback before. The bread was okay, it wasn't exactly something I would order on its own, but it wasn't anything I would refuse to eat either. Our appetizers came soon after, and I only had a little of the Bloomin Onion, mainly because I'm not a huge onion fan. To me it was just ok, but I found no fault with how it was made, as it was nice and warm. The chicken quesadilla, on the other hand, was delicious. The dish was packed with chicken, cheese, sauteed mushrooms, bacon and honey mustard, and the combination of all of those flavors was just excellent. Heck, I could have just ate a whole one of those chicken quesidillas and I would have been happy with my meal. I even got the courage and tried a little bit of the beer that Dickson ordered (a Shock Top), mainly due to his prodding that I take a sip. Well, I don't drink beer (or any alcoholic beverage) and after tasting the beer, I'm not going to be drinking any more anytime soon. To be honest, I've had beer a couple of times, and I can't see how anyone can stand the taste, but to each their own. I think I'll just stick to drinking soda and juice.

After we polished off most of our appetizer, our main courses came. I started off mainly with the chicken, and it was everything I could have possibly hoped for. The sauce they used on the chicken was rather bold, although not spicy or anything like that, and added a real kick of flavor to the chicken, which was cooked perfectly and wasn't too tough to eat. The coconut shrimp was very good by itself, although I must say I didn't care much for the dipping sauce that the shrimp came with. It tasted rather bitter, like it had too much lemon flavoring in it or something, and I did not think it went all that well with the shrimp at all. I'm sure other people probably like that sauce, but it just wasn't for me. As for the ribs, there was a good bit of meat on them, and the meat and the sauce combined to make for a rather tasty dish. The fries were also pretty good, not too salty and flavored nicely, while the coleslaw seemed decent, although I'm not the most qualified judge on that subject. Everyone else at my table seemed to enjoy their meals immensely, and at the end we were all stuffed. Well, I thought about getting a desert, but since everyone else seemed ready to go, I decided to pass. In hindsight, I don't need the extra calories, anyway. The service at Outback was very good, as our waiter was very attentive and was always on top of things.

Overall, I don't really have any qualms with my experience at the Commerce Outback Steakhouse today. I suppose I have a couple of minor issues, but I would definitely dine there again. I'll give it a 7.838 out of 10. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts or issues with this or other posts, or future ideas for reviews, than feel free to share them by leaving a comment, or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.

Canon Restaurant Review: Italian Garden

It is 48 degrees in Canon. I was told to report that, so I did. Anyway, for the second time in three days, my friend Dickson, my sister Maggie, and myself went out to eat at one of the many fine establishments we have in our region. This time, it was Royston's own Italian Garden. We didn't plan on eating there, but since we were already at the Dollar General next to it and we were all hungry, we decided to eat there anyway. This is not the first time I have been to the Italian Garden, having been there a few times before. The Italian Garden is a restaurant that specializes in Italian and Greek foods, but also has a large variety of sandwiches and burgers. They also specialize in pizza, and I believe they are the only place in Royston that delivers.

We get there, and the place is empty. That's not unusual, as every time I go there the place is empty. I think most of their business comes from pizza deliveries and pickups. Anyway, we get there and order drinks, I asked for Dr. Pepper but was told that they had Mr. Pibb. Well, that just wouldn't do, so I had Coca-Cola instead. That's not really a problem, I was just stating what happened. Anyway, we were able to order rather quickly, since nobody else was in the building. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan sub with fries, Dickson ordered the all-meat stromboli, and Maggie ordered shrimp fettuccine alfredo, I think. I know it was a pasta with shrimp in it.

The food came out rather quickly, not surprising since we were the only people there until two other people entered just before we got our food. Anyway, the fries I got were pretty good, not too salty, although they could have used a little more taste, I suppose. As for the sub, the bread was good, the chicken was cooked just right, but the marinara sauce tasted like it had just come out of the freezer. As a frame of reference, the sauce tasted a lot like the sauce from the chicken parmesen dish I used to eat in the college cafeteria, which wasn't exactly the best food around. Then again, at least the restaurant didn't use a frozen chicken patty one could have gotten in the freezer, unlike the cafeteria food, so kudos to them on that. As for my compadres' meals, Dickson felt his Stromboli was ok, which is what he usually says about everything he gets from the Italian Garden. Since the place is within walking distance of his house, Dickson goes there a lot, so he would what's he speaking of. As for Maggie, she was very complimentary of her pasta dish, although not so much about the salad that came with it.

Overall, the service was good, the food was decent, nothing special, but not too bad and very filling. The price wasn't too high either. Overall, I was going to give it a 5.8 out of 10, but since Maggie was so complimentary of her food, I'll bump it up to a 6.3. Thanks for reading, and if you have any other ideas for reviews, either leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com

Canon Restaurant Review: Gumlog Barbecue

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of eating at Gumlog Barbecue with my sister Maggie and my friend Dickson. Gumlog Barbecue is somewhat of an institution in my hometown of Lavonia. It's only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but each weekend the restaurant is packed with people, and there are times where it is impossible to find a parking space in the gravel parking lot. Whether it's because the food is so good, or because there's not a lot of places to choose from is up for debate. I have been there a few times before, and I always thought that the food was rather good. Will this experience also lead to good food? We shall see.

We arrived at Gumlog around 7:00 p.m. which was 45 minutes before closing time. Although there are times where the place is packed to the gills, there were plenty of tables available, so we were fortunate in that regard. We sat down and ordered our drinks (Pepsi for me and Maggie, water for Dickson). However, the waitress brought Dickson tea, but quickly rectified her mistake. We then ordered our food. Since Maggie and I weren't all that hungry, we ordered smaller portions. Maggie ordered some Brunswick stew and some coleslaw, while I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and a bag of potato chips. Meanwhile, Dickson ordered a plate of barbecue chicken, with sides of french fries and Brunswick stew.

The food came, and, I eventually noticed that there were no chips with my sandwich. This did not make me too happy, but instead of making a scene, I waited until the waitress came back over and said that I didn't get my chips. Well, she apologized, and gave me two bags of chips, The chips were Tom's Potato Chips, which are pretty decent, and since it was only 50 cents, the chips were a decent deal. Anyway, I ate one bag, and gave the other to Maggie and Dickson. Then the waitress asked if we wanted more chips, and by golly, Dickson got another bag. As for the sandwich, it was good, but not the best grilled chicken sandwich I ever had. I understand that it's a barbecue place, and that grilled chicken may not be their specialty, but the grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A is a lot better, and the piece of chicken is bigger, for the same price. However, I'd say that I was satisfied with my meal overall.

I can not say the same about Dickson however, as he complained that his barbecued chicken was dry, and wasn't very flavorful at all. Since Dickson had been to Gumlog Barbeque many times in the past, and had spoken favorably of its food before, this came as somewhat of a surprise to me.  He didn't seem to be overjoyed with the stew, but then again he ordered another portion of stew, so I guess it wasn't all that bad. Maggie seemed to like her food, as I really don't remember her saying anything either way, but she did eat it all.

There was a little confusion when it came to paying our bill. We had all of the tickets separated, but lo and behold, we found out that Gumlog Barbecue doesn't take debit or credit cards. That put my companions at a slight disadvantage, since they don't usually carry cash. Luckily, I always carry cash (whenever I have it, that is) and I had enough to cover everyone's meals, as well as the takeout order I placed (my parents asked for two barbecue sandwiches, although I don't know if they liked them or not).  Although their no card policy cheesed Dickson off, in the end, at least our food was paid for.

So, overall, there were a couple of mistakes made with our order, but since they were fixed quickly and in a friendly manner, I won't penalize anybody for that. My meal was pretty decent, nothing extraordinary, but not too bad either. However, Dickson's lack of satisfaction with his food will drive my score down somewhat. In the end, I'll give yesterday's experience a 6 out of 10. Perhaps next time I will order the fish instead, as that's really their specialty. Well, thanks for reading, if you have any opinions on the subject, feel free to comment, and if you have any ideas for future reviews, than either leave a comment or e-mail me your ideas at KtheC2001@gmail.com.