Assiniboia Downs – Terrace Dining Room3975 Portage Ave
R3K 2E9
Tel: 204-885-3330
Fax: 204-831-5348
http://www.assiniboiadowns.com/dining.cfm
July, 2011
When you mention Assiniboia Downs, many people think of horses and racetrack gambling. The Downs have made a concerted effort to include fine dining into the mental concept of going to the track, in addition to betting on the horses. Now boasting to serve “more prime rib than any other restaurant in North America,” I’d say that the Downs are seeing success in the food service business. Judging by the line-up of people with plates in hand, I can see validity in this claim.
If you want to wait until the line settles down, the sidebar has a pasta chef waiting to custom make a noodle dish to your desires. You choose from a selection of two noodles, a variety of vegetables and meats of the day. The pre-cooked noodles wait for reheating and can sometimes be a little overdone. The chef cooks the vegetables expertly and the sauces taste rich and full. As a caution, the considerable pasta portion can put a serious dent into your ability to savour everything else. Don’t be shy about telling the chef to back off on the portions, rather than leave food to waste on the plate.
Aside from the prime rib, most of the other foods change daily. Today’s seasonal vegetables include broccolettes (think Chinese gai-lan stem with broccoli florets), steamed to perfection and accentuated with a mild butter sauce. The chicken breasts become somewhat overcooked, sitting under the heat lamp. Similarly, the salmon special is heated well beyond the preferred medium-rare doneness. I’m surprised that very few of the selections suffer the same fate as the remaining items taste fresh-off-the-pan.
The salad bar offers a variety of salads, including the popular Caesar, well dressed and tangy. An assortment of cheeses and vegetable dips—as well as peel-and-eat shrimps—try to lure your appetite. If you try everything on the buffet, you’re almost guaranteed to forgo the beef.
Carnivores hunt straight to the prime rib and dismiss the allure of the surrounding buffets. The carving chef cuts thin, thin slices of rib from the medium-rare roast. If you want a substantial cut, be forceful in insisting on a restaurant-sized cut. Although this prime rib doesn’t compare to 529 prime rib, it’s no cafeteria roast either. The horseradish, mustard, jus or gravy accompaniments will ensure that you dress your rib exactly as you like it.
While you enjoy your meal, you can partake in the house’s activities as well. Betting hosts come by prior to every race and take your wagers. With every seat in the house offering a great panorama, and ample monitors to give you nares’ view to the photo finishes, you can’t help but get into the excitement. I’m not a gambler by nature and yet, I feel the compulsion to throw a few dollars down every time the host returns. It won’t take long before you know the differences between win, place and show, and why you just bet on the quinella. I bet that you will have a good time coming out to the Downs for a fine meal and some horseplay.
**** /5
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