Different location, same fine food
It was reassuring to discover that despite all the changes in downtown Kitchener, the Two Goblets has remained in the core and continues to serve its crowd pleasing dishes.
After 31 years at its Weber Street location, the Two Goblets opened the doors to its new Ontario Street home in September 2016. I was looking forward to checking out their new spot.
On a rainy evening in late March, my husband and I arrived around 7 p.m. for dinner. We did not have reservations, but that was not a problem as it was a quiet night.
We were greeted by the owner, who also acted as server, and he seated us at a table right beside the window.
Their new location is small, with a couple of tables by the window, larger tables along one long wall, and a few tables in the centre of the room.
One side of the room is occupied by a soup and salad bar, which extends into the lunch time buffet setup in an L-shape. A bar runs along the back of the room adjacent to the door to the kitchen.
The decor is quite stark due to white walls, white tile floor, plain black tables and chairs, and bright lighting. Along the long wall is an attractive mural depicting a lovely cobblestone pathway with arches and greenery. The mural, along with some decorative items on the shelves above the bar, adds a little necessary colour to the room.
But the menu was as tempting as I remembered. We chose drinks to enjoy while we considered our options. My husband ordered a can of imported beer ($6.99) and I chose a Pinot Grigio (6 oz. for $6.99).
For my appetizer I ordered Cabbage Rolls ($9), a childhood favourite. For the uninitiated, these are soft boiled cabbage leaves filled with a combination of meat and rice and baked in a sauce, but recipes can vary. This version contained a delicious combination of mildly spiced ground meat and rice covered with a light tomato-based sauce. There were three on the plate which made for a very generous starter.
My husband had the Hungarian Goulash Soup ($9), and he asked for it to be extra spicy so it was served with a side of spicy pepper sauce. The soup was richly flavoured and very enjoyable.
My main was the Perogies with Schnitzel ($22) with a side of Hunter Sauce ($3), and my husband had the Tyrolian Bleu Schnitzel ($23) with a substitute spätzle for his side of potatoes. Both included a trip to the soup and salad bar.
While we were waiting, my husband tried the salad bar. It was limited to greens with a few toppings and two dressings. It was fresh but not very inventive.
Both of our mains arrived piping hot. My schnitzel was prepared simply with a light breading but it was thin, tender and wellseasoned. The Hunter sauce (a mushroom gravy) was not thick but had a rich flavour. And the perogies were tasty with a generous topping of fried onions, bacon and a side of sour cream.
The Tyrolian Bleu consists of two pieces of schnitzel stuffed with German Edam Cheese and mushrooms, pan fried. The meat was perfectly cooked with the cheese and mushrooms hot and melted together nicely. It is not easy to ensure even cooking with stuffed meat but this was well executed. The house-made spätzle was a mildly flavoured accompaniment.
The servings at Two Goblets are very generous, and the owner brought take-away containers over so we could save the leftovers. But we couldn’t leave without trying one of their house-made desserts.
We chose the Chocolate Almond Cake ($7) to share and it was light, fluffy, and not overly sweet. We enjoyed talking to the owner about the transition to the new location, and he made sure we never felt rushed even though we were the last to leave.
Our meal was hearty, comforting and satisfying. With a warmer decor, the ambience will match their menu.
Assessing food, atmosphere, service and prices, Dining Out restaurant reviews are based on anonymous visits to the establishments. Restaurants do not pay for any portion of the reviewer’s meal. Sandra Walneck can be reached at swalneck22@gmail.com.