Ph. 739-4470
It was a rare, chilly night in early February; the steaming French-fries, Diana Ross musically intoning, “Love child, never meant to be! Love child scorned by society!” and the carrot cake were enough to put a satisfied smile on my kisser. However, as my size 11’s grooved to Ms Ross underneath the table of a secluded corner booth, I quickly became aware that Bagel Café and Figg’s offered many more edible and other delights - not to mention hearty breakfasts, but that’s for another time.
Take, for example, our server, named Madonna. She was willing to do anything within reason to make our visit enjoyable. Substitutions were not a problem, information about various ingredients and recipes were given freely. She even offered to share her secret recipe for a “sheetkicker” with me. It’s not every day that you’re offered a secret recipe for a sheetkicker.
Bagel Café and Figg’s was a booth-dominated restaurant with colourful, if eclectic décor. It seemed to contain a bit of everything. Around, or in the vicinity of a warming electric fireplace I found wood paneling, mirrors, imitation stained glass, tiffany lamps, fixtures of more modern design and a floor to ceiling wine rack. It all seemed to fit into the relatively small space, making things rather cozy. Anything more would have been too much.
The meal got underway with glasses of house red by Giacondi.
I’m mostly a red wine person but the Giacondi white wasn’t considered because
it gives me “the burning.”
French onion soup is one of my favourites but I was actually
in the mood for something other than soup to start the culinary ball rolling.
Problem was, many of Bagel Café and Figg’s starters
were deep-fried - too greasy for me that evening - or unimaginative, like the
popular potato skins. So, French onion soup became Hobson’s choice. It was
quite good. The bowl came topped with a thin coating of broiled mozzarella
cheese. Underneath floated a layer of croutons and a richly flavoured onion and
beef broth containing lots of thinly sliced onion.
My companion’s steamed mussels with garlic butter were fresh
but small. However, their diminutiveness served to provide very concentrated
flavour and chewy texture. The garlic butter was “okay.” Personally, I do not
care much for powdered garlic and the Bagel Café and Figg’s butter had been
flavoured with the powdered variety.
My companion chose more seafood for his entrée, a fillet of
grilled salmon. It was a thick piece of Atlantic farm salmon that was slightly
overcooked. It lacked seasoning. I find farm salmon somewhat bland. A few
spices might have improved the taste considerably. Along with the salmon came
perfectly cooked broccoli, a large baked potato dressed in an elaborate coat of
tin foil, shaped to look like a swan and some canned corn-on-the-cob that was,
surprisingly, very good.
I chose the halibut supreme, ľ inch halibut steak covered in
a white wine sauce, heavily laced with smoked hickory. A few very overcooked
shrimp lingered amongst the wine sauce. The halibut was nicely cooked but the
hickory didn’t work for me. It totally masked the flavour of the fish. Perhaps
hickory might have worked better with a fish that stands up to strong sauces,
like salmon for example. The French fries that came with the halibut were
extraordinarily good. They were fresh hand-cut fries, thick, non-greasy and
beautifully browned. Bagel Café and Figg’s fries or “chips” were tender and had
plenty of good deep-fried taste.
Our server, the amazing Madonna, told us that a couple of the desserts served at Bagel Café and Figg’s, were made by the owner’s mother. How could anybody turn down a resident mom? My companion tried her gingerbread and I went with mom’s carrot cake. Both were scrumptious. The gingerbread was only mildly flavoured with ginger but very warm and moist. Her carrot cake was the best I’ve ever tasted. Where has this mom been all my life? Mom’s carrot cake was bursting with sweet carrot flavour. It was nutty, moist, tender and full of freshness.
Coffee became a special experience for me on this occasion.
Madonna told us she had worked at the old Fishing Admiral pub on
Our meal at Bagel Café and Figg’s - including wine, digestifs
and tip - cost approximately $90.
The noise level at Bagel Café and Figg’s was moderate and it
is not wheelchair accessible.
Best Points:
Fabulous fries, desserts and service.
Areas for Improvement:
Be careful not to overcook seafood.
Ratings Category:
Bagel Café and Figg’s gets 7.5 out of 10 points.