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(NOTE: this is a new feature of the blog, featuring restaurants within driving distance of Regina -- we all need to get out of town once in awhile, right?)
The Round-up:
- Food: 3 out of 5
- Service: 3.5 out of 5
- Decor: 4 out of 5
- Total: 10.5 out of 15
If you’re anything like me then watching an episode of Restaurant Makeover on the Food Network before bed is something of a hobby.
That show has it all: suspense, intrigue, transformations, and a grouchy Ukrainian foreman.
A few times I’d thought to myself that it would be nice if Restaurant Makeover did an episode somewhere other than Toronto. I mean, Toronto is the centre of the universe. I’m not questioning that. But still, we’re one giant country with plenty of fine cities.
About two months ago I heard that Restaurant Makeover was doing an episode outside of the T-Dot... in Saskatoon. Excellent choice! (True, Regina would have been an even better choice, but I’ll settle for our neighbor to the north this time.)
Jerry’s Food Emporium, just off 8th Street, is the lucky makeover recipient. Designer Meredith Heron, one of Restaurant Makeover’s best, and a team of worker-bees went to town on Jerry’s in late January.
So, last weekend on a trip to Saskatoon we decided to survey the results. Our conclusion: the place looks great and the food was fast, fresh and filling.
And judging by the huge lineup when we arrived at about 1 p.m. on a Saturday, the rest of Saskatoon agrees with us. As we were standing in the long line, which moved quickly by the way, we overhead one of the employees say that the restaurant was already up to $6,000 in sales.
Holy Mother! Apparently being on Restaurant Makeover is the best advertising that money can buy. Granted, my Saskatoon pals tell me that Jerry’s has always been busy since practically the day it opened.
For food, I went with the Moroccan Chicken – served with mango salsa on a fresh-baked bun and a nice side salad (hand-cut fries were an option and after seeing them I wished I’d ordered them). Big Wilie and the lovely Ms. Kells Bells both went for the pulled pork sandwich on a plump ciabatta bun. Truth be told, the pulled pork was a bit different. Jerry’s version is sweeter than the usual barbecue/hickory flavour that one gets elsewhere.
Some diners feel that Jerry’s open-concept dining room is too loud. It is definitely not a peaceful retreat but we personally felt that the noise made Jerry’s all the more hip-and-happening. It’s a diner after all, not a romantic bistro on the lake.
As I said, the place was very busy but Jerry’s staff handled it well. Our food was served (the way we ordered it) in about 10 minutes time.
As for Meredith’s work? The interior is bright and quirky – reds, greens, wood, fabric, and chairs of varying types give diners a lot to look at. The chairs at our table were ultra comfy.
Overall, the makeover is stylish and classy without being too trendy. As a bonus, there’s a children’s play area separated by a glass wall from the rest of the dining room.
Jerry’s menu full of stand-bys and comfort foods won’t likely win any awards for ingenuity; but it’s a quick, clean, affordable, and family friendly place to go in the middle of the city. Oh, and they have wicked gelato and ice cream, too.
www.jerrys.ca