Hark, Harold: Angels Sings!

This summer I wrote, in a post titled Angels: Fear to Tread, about our experiences at Angels Restaurant in Charlottetown. A month later, owner Ken Zakem called me, apologized for our bad experiences, and asked us to come back.

Tonight we did. Man, what a difference.

Service was friendly — among the best host and server we’ve ever had. The food came at just the right time, was hot, and well-prepared. There were crayons for Oliver, and an orange balloon too. There was a baby change table in the men’s washroom (the only one in town?), and a stool to help little kids reach the taps for the sink too (the only one I’ve ever seen in a restautant!).

I started off with a seafood chowder. It was piping hot (the baseline for judging good chowder), with fresh ingredients, a nice hearty feel on the spoon, and it just plain tasted good. Catherine had the french onion soup, which she found a little too cheesy, but nonetheless a good choice.

For the main course, I had the scallop dinner, which included oven roasted potatoes (which, if memory serves, I didn’t like the first time out, but this time were fantastic), perfectly cooked vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower) and pan-fried scallops in a creamy onion/bacon sauce. Very tasty. Catherine had the pepper steak, which she ordered rare and which came to the table rare (which, apparently, is rare, so to speak); she said it was very good. She had the same vegetables and potatoes, and enjoyed them as much as I did.

Oliver had a nice plate of dinosaur chicken fingers and zingly curly fries, served with catsup and sweet and sour sauce. He also polished off a large dinner roll. He appeared to enjoy the fries, but, I think, felt a little weird about eating the head off a chicken dinosaur. The apple juice he ordered came in a little cup, with a big straw, which is evidence that Angels knows about kids. Oliver’s meal was $3.00. Which means they know about parents.

For dessert we all had cheesecake, Catherine the butterscotch, me the chocolate, and Oliver far too much of both (he kept leaping across the table to two-time us on cheesecake access): death by sugar, as you might expect, but smooth and creamy, with generous gallops of topping. We also ordered tea, which was served with some sort of ingenious innovative drawstring bag.

Our server was everpresent without being cloying; she was kind to Oliver without being Mrs. Falbo. Oliver was rambunctious and vocal throughout the meal, but there was never a hint that we weren’t welcome.

And the room just plain felt nice — the kind of restaurant space that we don’t really have in Charlottetown much (the Town and Country comes closest): not pretentious, not “family style,” not “fast casual.” Just a nice place to take the family for dinner.

God, they say, is in the details. And by taking care of almost every one of those details, from washroom stools to liberal application of chocolate on the cheesecake, Ken Zakem has elevated Angels from a moribund confusion in an old car dealership into a first class “every once in a while” place to eat. Congratulations, Ken: we’ll be back.

Recommended.

Comments

Kelly's picture
Kelly on November 7, 2003 - 02:16 Permalink

Had a similar (good) experience at this Restaurant — with two wee babies in tow, non the less… our Taylor was “happy-vocal” and insistant on viewing the wonderful fish tanks every 5 minutes, but the staff were cheerful and obliging, even moving us all to a table a bit less drafty on account of the infant with us. Food was hot, which in my mind can make up for taste at times, but the food was good too. Reasonable prices, decent portions, kids menu that makes sense, and again, terrific staff. So much so that I made a point on mentioning the young man’s excellent service to the manager on duty. I too, will go there for family dinners in the future.

Jevon's picture
Jevon on November 7, 2003 - 02:34 Permalink

Get a U-Card and they will knock 10% off the cost of your meal as well. A nice touch.

The two people who run UFIT are big on Angels because you can actually eat healthy food when you are there.

Nils Ling's picture
Nils Ling on November 7, 2003 - 04:06 Permalink

Went there last Saturday on our way to a wedding … we were time pressed, but didn’t make a big deal about it. Service was pleasant and friendly, food came with dispatch, was tasty (loved the fries), price was reasonable … all in all, pretty much what I look for in a serviceable “Whattya say we grab dinner somewhere first?” kind of place. I’m not the adventurous type when it comes to dining, but there was plenty on the menu to tempt my limited palate .. and lots for my wife, who had broader tastes. Good spot to eat. I’d go back.