So during the season, I had the opportunity to catch a Canucks game with seats at the Centre Ice Grill! This is on the 400 level at Rogers Arena, between upper bowl and the 500 level suites. It's essentially a restaurant/bar and only specific seats along the edge of the restaurant get an overlooking view at the ice. The staff there are pretty strict about people with seats on the inside of the restaurant trying to move to the edge for a view of the game. There's two levels to the restaurant, and we were on the upper level.
Here's the view from our seats:
The seats really live up to the name of the place, as we are basically right at centre ice, looking down at the action, and the view was perfect! We were sitting along this long bar for special ticket holders only, as others behind us don't get to watch the game live.
Here's the menu:
As you can see, food ain't cheap here! I was there with my buddy n we ended up splitting 3 appies instead of ordering two mains.
We had the Calamari $17.50.
This was one of the most expensive calamari's I've had, but it was very different from the usual ones. These were not very crispy but the flavour was quite unique. The sauce it came with was not bad, as it had a bit of spice to it, but it made the calamari very soggy! I still definitely prefer the crispy type from Cactus Club or Keg, and they're way more worth is than these too! Despite the uniqueness of this dish, it the sogginess made it feel cheaply put together and just not enough value to pay $17.50 for it.
We also had the Smoked Onion Risotto Fritters $16.50.
These were DELICIOUS!!! They were served with fresh herb aioli, and topped with parmigiano-reggiano and baby arugula. This had amazing flavour in it by itself, and dipping it in the aioli was just icing on the cake. It was fried up perfectly and the risotto mix inside was awesome. It held together very well, even when cut in half so it was easily dippable. As good as it was, you get 4 of them for $16.50, which makes each one about $4.13 which is very pricy! Do I think this is worth it? When compared to the calamari, it definitely seems more worth it to me as it was a lot better of a dish than the calamari.
Lastly, we had the Chicken Parmesan Tenders $14.50.
This was the cheapest dish we ordered, which was not cheaper by much. It was actually pretty good as you can't really go wrong with chicken tenders. It's hard to tell in the picture, but it's served with fries at the bottom of the basket. The chicken was indeed tender on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside. It was nice and juicy on the inside as well, so overall a really good chicken tender. The fries were medium cut thickness and quite enjoyable. They were salted enough as is, so all I added was pepper to it. This was quite enjoyable as I like chicken tenders, but it wasn't amazing or impressive.
For drinks, of course I had to get some Hendricks Gin & Tonic $12.25. Had two actually:
I was disappointed to see that they did not use cucumber in their Hendricks Gin n Tonics, as I think it is an essential garnish to this specific gin. Quite unfortunate for an expensive restaurant such as this, and for this being my new favourite drink, it weighs quite heavy in my rating system. I always wonder if I would be able to request a slice of cucumber to be added in situations like this, but haven't tried yet (although I don't see why I would be denied).
The service here was excellent! The servers were very friendly and helpful for two people who had never been to this restaurant before for the game. Service was prompt and never overbearing. Help was always nearby when we needed it, and they made sure only those with VIP tickets were entitled to watch the game, as our seats were roped off behind us. They definitely made the whole experience very enjoyable and I would definitely come back here should the opportunity arise again.
Overall this was a pretty enjoyable experience for us! The food was pretty decent, drink was ok, service was excellent. The price was on the higher side, which may limit what you order here, but if money is not an issue, then this would be a great way to catch the game while having a meal, outside of a suite experience. If you guys ever get the chance to catch a game in these seats, definitely give it a try!
Food:
3.5/5
Service:
4.5/5
Price:
$$-$$$$
Overall:
4/5
Thanks for reading everyone, munch on!
- Phil
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