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THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, September 30, 1994 â€" 18 Lots of surprises in our first Restaurant Poll Fe knew that Oakyville residents love to dine out but we were still surprised at the \# results of our first ever Restaurant Poll. Twentyâ€"eight per cent of you dine out at least once a week, 36 per cent dine out at least twice a week, and a whopping 10 per cent actually dine out ten or more times each month! About 20 per cent claim to eat out only twice a month and only 6 per cent eat out less than that. That‘s a lot of diners keeping Oakville‘s restaurants busy. Oakville residents look for several things when selecting a restaurant: good food was the most common response to that question. For some that meant generous portions; others used »» categories like "tasty," "gourmet, spicy," and even "healthy" food. The second most comâ€" mon requirement was a reasonable price tag. Given these two, Oakvillians rate a restaurant high. Many respondents added that they like to find gracious or efficient service, or a friendly staff. Cleanliness, ambience and even plate presentation were important considerations for many who wrote in. Family dining was uppermost in a few minds... do they cater to kids? Location was another important consideration, especially if the restaurant in question requires reservations. Only one of our replies mentioned a good wine list. When selecting a dining spot, we found a large number relied on recommendations by friends though many said they looked for reviews or advertising (thank you, Beaver readers). Some like to check out the menu displayed before going in. Several indicated that they seek out places with either no smoking or substantiallyâ€"sized smokeâ€"free areas. And some just like to go back to their favorites because they know what to expect. We found some delightful comments on our returns. One food lover said, "We could use a good Greek restaurant in Oakville." Another suggested that restaurants ought to offer more "sampling" of their wares. And one respondent said she‘d eat anywhere they make good food as she "hates to cook." Dining out has become a norm for most families. At one time, we only went out for "speâ€" cial occasions" and indeed, a couple of our respondents indicated that they still do this. But THE OAKVILLE:BEAVER:READER‘S RESTAURANT REVIEW: WHO YOU VOTED FOR (*= less than 3 votes away from winner) BEST RESTAURANT: Paradiso *Jonathon‘s of Oakville *Oliver‘s Steak House *Omega Steak Seafood House FRIENDLIEST: TIE: Armadillo Texas Grill East Side Mario‘s *McGinnis Landing FAMILY DINING: McDonald‘s *Swiss Chalet Chicken Ribs *McGinnis Landingâ€" Oarhouse BEST AMBIENCE: Our Bistro *Thai Satay More *Jonathon‘s of Oakville MOST ORIGINAL: Mardi Gras Restaurant *Biggalo‘s *Montfort CARIBBEAN: Kori‘s Roti Stop BEST SERVICE: Our Bistro *Omega Steak Seafood *Allegro Cafe Ristorante JAPANESE: Mye Japanese INDIAN: House of India ITALIAN: Cafe Galleria *Buonasera Ristorante *Allegro Cafe Ristorante *Trattoria II Timone MEDITERRANEAN: Montfort GERMAN: Jagerhaus UNUSUAL DECOR: Paradiso *Mardi Gras *Robert‘s Fish Cove CHINESE: Happy Valley *Bamboo Garden *First Choice Kitchen CONTINENTAL: Oliver‘s Steak House BEST VIEW: Aquata Waterfront Restaurant *Glen Abbey Golf Club *Stoneboats EXOTIC ETHNIC: Thai Satay More *Mye Japanese Restaurant BEST HAPPY HOUR: Aquata Waterfront Restaurant BRITISH: The Coach and Four BEST WINE: Jonathon‘s of Oakville *Oliver‘s Steak House *Bistro 300 Bar Grill PIZZA: Pizza Hut *Gino‘s Pizza *Yak Caffe BREAKFAST: Dynasi Restaurant * The Country Squire Restaurant BRUNCH: Gilen Abbey Golf Club *Aquata Waterfront Restaurant AFTER THEATRE: Grabbajabba *Just Desserts BEST WINGS: Chaps Restaurants BEST SALADS: Etcetera, etc. *The Olive Garden Italian Restaurant BEST CHEESECAKE: Etcetera, etc. BEST SEAFOOD: Robert‘s Fish Cove *Stoneboats BEST STEAK: The Keg BEST DELI: Denningers BEST SUBMARINE: Subway Sandwiches and Salads *Mr. Submarine BEST SANDWICH: Heaven on Earth *Biggalo‘s *Montfort BEST DELI: Denningers BEST COFFEE: Tim Hortons *Grabbajabba BEST DESSERTS: Just Desserts *Desserts Unlimited BEST BUFFET: Bamboo Garden *The Country Squire BEST FISH AND CHIPS: Art‘s Fish and chips *Caz‘s Fish and Chips *Bronte Fish and Chips BEST TEXâ€"MEX: Armadillo Texas Grill QUICK BITE: Swiss Chalet Chicken Ribs *Lick‘s BEST PLACE TO GATHER WITH FRIENDS: Kelsey‘s BEST NEW RESTAURANT: Biggalo‘s we have become more sophisticated. Not only do we dine out more frequently, but we are willing to try interesting and unusual ethnic offerings. We are fortunate to have so many interesting, even fascinating and exotic cuisines to choose from when we decide to eat out. For your information, here are our winners in each category. In each case, they were choâ€" sen by your fellow Oakville residents as their favorites. Some were the best for their food, others for their ambience, still others for their friendliness. The list represents a host of dining possibilities. Here you‘ll find that special place for a quiet dinner for two for your anniversary. You‘ll also find the best spot when you crave a steak, a pizza or even a burger. On our list you‘ll find some wonderful ethnic restaurants reflecting the rich diversity of cultures which is Canada. If you have been reluctant to expand your culinary horizons, we offer you some great restaurants from which to make your next Best Wings: Chaps Restaurants, Oakville Town Centre II, Bronte Village Mall "W "the special wing recipe that makes Chaps‘ wings so good has been developed carefully since the first | _ Chaps restaurant opened fifteen years ago. Oakville residents know a good wing when they taste one, so .. they voted Chaps the best wing spot in town. dining out plans. Bon Appetit! **(Cover photo by Peter McCusker) By WILMA BLOKHUIS Oakville Beaver Staff akville‘s Best Restaurant â€" the recogniâ€" ftion catches Julia Granger, owner of _A Paradiso, which wraps itself around Pier 1 Imports at the corner of Lakeshore and Navy, off guard. "I didn‘t know this was going on," she says of the Oakville Beaver‘s survey to find Oakville‘s Best Restaurant. ‘"‘This has caught me completely by surprise." Granger, along with executive chef Michael Killip, opened Paradiso a little over a year ago, in June 1993. It‘s really caught on with the locals. They come for the fine Mediterranean atmosphere and cuisine, fresh foods prepared from scratch in full view of patrons "fighting to get those tables closest to the kitchen," spiced with a bit of old Greek and Italian cooking. You see, Nonna (grandmother in Italian â€" Granger‘s mother) is busy in the kitchen. Her specialty is ‘gnocchi,‘ Italian homeâ€"made dumplings. She makes about 22 kilos of ‘gnocchi‘ every week. "Not everybody can make gnocchi," says Granger. Blend that in with Killip‘s Greek background, and "our singing chef who sings Blue Suede Shoes" and you lose track of the Congo line! "One night, we thought we lost some cusâ€" tomers," says Granger, who equates "good food, good wine, and good company" with ambiance and atmosphere as ‘selling features‘ of a good restaurant. "They had formed a Congo line, danced out onto the streets, and we spotted them dancing on the plaza in front of the Central Library before they came back!" Such is the atmosphere on any given Friday or Saturday, when the kitchen stays open till midâ€" night and the party continues into the wee hours. "I think the people of Oakville were ready for a place like Paradiso," muses Granger. "It‘s the combination of good food, good wine, and good music. The evening begins rather quietly, and it‘s fun to see the crescendo rise. It‘s quite exciting to see people who didn‘t know each other at the beginning of the evening forming a Congo line on Lakeshore Road! It‘s completely spontaneous. "‘We‘re hoping to set a record for the Congo line; right now we‘re at 46 people!" Entertaining every Thursday, Friday and Saturday since Paradiso opened is guitarist ‘Roberto,‘ whose repertoire includes mellow music and rock and roll. ‘Roberto‘ has recently released his first CD, aptly called ‘Paradiso.‘ The restaurant is open seven days weekly, starting at 11:30 a.m. for the quick lunch crowd and early evening dining for families. Sunday through Thursday, the kitchen closes at 10 p.m., however, people often stay later. Granger, mother of two, Matthew (7) and Alexander (5), employees 40 full and part time people at Paradiso, including six full time and 10 part time chefs. "We have the strongest kitchen in Oakville," Granger notes. "People respond to food. Ours is a combination of ‘New World‘ contemporary and ‘Old World" traditional... comfort food. It‘s imporâ€" tant to have both. If you become to avantâ€"garde, people no longer feel comfortable, they start to feel intimidated. If people feel comfortable with just soup or pasta, that‘s fine." The menu is designed with half and full orders of both appetizers and main courses. For example, the dinner menu lists as appetizers a selection of soups, pastas, salads, bruschetta, and spicy chicken livers. The Pastas and Pizzas selections include the gnocchi; and for the hearty, there‘s shrimp and scallops, New Zealand lamb, roasted hen, Greek souvlaki, and Atlantic salmon. Prices range from $3.95 for appetizers to $19.95. In addition, there is a variety of daily specials, which are Paradiso‘s top sellers. These may include barracuda and soft shell crab. Add to the recognition of Paradiso being named Oakville‘s Best Restaurant the nomination of Julie Granger as Business Person of the Year by the Oakville and District Chamber of Commerce. "This restaurant is a labor of love for me, my fantasy dream come true." Oakville has two Chaps locations, in Bronte and Dorval. The Bronte location is a mustâ€"visit because of the fabulous murals by local artist, Jackson Turner. A 360 degree panorama of desert scenes and western grandeur draws many visitors to the restaurant. However, the food is why folks keep coming back to Chaps. Wholesome, fresh and reasonably priced, the menu offers something for everyone from pastas and salads to the great Tex Mex items and the hearty Buffalo Burgers. Not from Buffalo, these are made from real buffalo meat â€" a lean and healthy choice for many weight watchers. â€" The Oakuville Beave Readers Report THE BEST WINGS Always something good cookin‘‘" ARE FOUND AT CHAPS .. ... AND THERE‘S PLENTY MORE WHERE THEY CAME FROM! Bronte 2441 Lakeshore Rd. W. Corner of Bronte Rd. 827 AAA5 Dorval 220 North Service Rd.W. Dorval Q.E.W. 849â€"1126