Posted by Susan Hu in mixed menu, restaurant review on November 3, 2007 at 8:39 am

The Green Eggplant
1968 Queen Street East
416-913-3361
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and cocktails: $90

Is there good food in the Beaches? There's been online discussion threads arguing whether one can find anything other than overpriced and bland touristy fare with awful service to boot. With comments on the same venues so disparate, there seems to be no clear answer. But where to go with no general consensus on one place?

Everyone has their opinions but no one can deny a consistently packed house. Such is the case of The Green Eggplant, a restaurant that can boast of weekend line-ups out the door. What cemented the decision was the apparent rivalry with the establishment across the street. Some web forums had raters posting as many raves as detailed criticisms, including accusations of the establishment actually posting false reviews to edge out the competition. Was it awesome or awful? Only an actual visit could clarify.

Easily mistaken to be Thai-themed due to it's name, the menu at The Green Eggplant actually has nothing Asian inspired about it. Its eclectic menu, however, does have a wide range of appetizers, sandwiches, pasta, and entrees.

Visited on a weeknight, this casual dining place, given an upscale feel by the smartly black clad staff, open kitchen, and minimalist decor, had every table occupied. Luckily a couple of them opened up soon after arrival so we were seated quickly, then immediately asked for drink orders whilst served their signature complimentary appetizer. It consisted of a trio of eggplant based dips - two out of three were quite good - and a small bread basket. The baba ganoush was richly creamy with smoky aubergine and the thicker tahini dominant type were gobbled up, but the tomato tinged fried sauce tasted like overly sweet barbecue sauce.

There's a large wine list from many regions as well as quite a few by-the-glass selections at $7. Domestic beers are $5 and Belgium imports are $7. Various cocktail are also available. The pink lemonade and peach Bellini we ordered were surprisingly giant, looking about 12 ounces each.

The lobster, spinach, and artichoke dip ($9) was also of a generous size. The large bowl of nicely temperate, smooth, cheddar cheesiness, had chunks of real lobster, fresh spinach, and briny artichoke flakes. The quality of the ingredients was apparent, with each of the flavours distinct yet well harmonized. Unfortunately, the appetizer was marred by unappetizing packaged tortilla chips that were on the verge of being stale. Still, it was polished off, leaving us barely able to make a dent into dinner.

Burgers and mains also come with salad, house or Caesar. The former was decently dressed, its garlic subtle, topped with freshly grated Parmesan and crunchy homemade oil soaked croutons. Too bad some of the romaine was brown and wilted.

For the mains, when our vegetarian companion ordered the portobello mushroom burger ($9), she was quickly warned that the mushroom was the actual "burger". Slathered in the same yummy roasted eggplant dip as well as zingy pesto mayo, the meaty mushroom flanked by thick slices of silky roasted veg, with crispy fried onions in a tender soft sesame bun gave easily at each bite. The meat-eater's Mediterranean Feta burger ($10) had similar accroutrements. They and a good touch of feta melded with a thick and tasty homemade beef patty. Both came with battered fries of the Costo persuasion, but crisp and golden.

The chosen entree, like the burgers, were marked on the menu as house specialities. The chicken schnitzel ($14), a behemoth slab of at least 14 ounces, about an inch thick, and breaded in a crumbly panko-esque crust, was just tender and moist enough. Meat and seafood dishes come with fries, mashed potato, or basmati rice. The selected mash was insignificant; a small bland scoop hidden underneath the breast, slightly more useful than the shredded beet riding atop that served only to provide a splash of colour. It was at least some attempt at presentation.

The food was all big and tasty, albeit predictable fare not tempting enough to risk uncomfortable fullness to finish, instead providing ample leftovers for lunch and room for dessert. Trying to decide between a banana split and the chocolate lava cake was left to our friendly server who suggested the latter. It wasn't anything special, tasting commercially made, but was still consumed so quickly, the sandwiching vanilla ice cream and whipped cream had no chance to cool it. Like the rest of the meal, it was solid in taste and familiarity.

The owner and kitchen have a background with The Pickle Barrel, so their experience with what the average consumer wants is obvious. The price point and value is undeniable for a place with smooth service and an atmosphere that is nice enough for a date, but not at all intimidating to detract from being a family eatery. For quality and comfort, The Green Eggplant will probably soon be a franchise near you.