The Toad ‘n’ Turtle prides itself on uniqueness
06/18/08
BY JOHNNIE BACHUSKY
Red Deer Express
Don’t be fooled by The Edmontonian dish on the menu.
It invites patrons of the Toad ‘n’ Turtle to “pretend that you are in Edmonton” with a huge plate of bratwurst, sauerkraut and perogies topped with bacon and sour cream.
But the simple fact is that the Southpointe Common pub is a Red Deer fixture.
The Toad ‘n’ Turtle does not even have an Edmonton venue, although there is a Calgary outlet.
For more than three years the Toad ‘n’ Turtle has been the place to be for Red Deer pub lovers wanting to have an after work drink and a fine bite to eat, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
“The owner of this establishment took five years just to make sure the recipes were just right. There was a lot of trial and error,” said kitchen manager Scott Pachal. “We have a lot of variety - salads, pizzas, ribs and steaks. We certainly want to have something for everyone.
“You can go to a lot of pubs and have a smaller menu, but we are trying to go for the upscale side of things and give people choices,” he added. “If it is not on the menu, and if we can accommodate our guests, we will.”
The menu offers a wide variety of dishes, whether they are looking for an Irish or British flavour.
“Because beer needs friends other than tequila,” says the menu as it introduces its list of appetizers, including its signature dish Maui ribs, along with salmon rollers, and the popular TnT wings.
For an entrée patrons can move over to a little bit of an Irish flavour with the Dublin Boxty, which for $14.95 is a large potato pancake filled with a choice of steak and mushrooms or butter chicken.
If the British style is the preference, patrons are urged to try the beer battered fish ‘n’ chips for $13.95.
And for desert, the Apple Brown Betty is sure to intrigue all – Granny Smith apples simmered in maple syrup and cinnamon topped with a streusel mix and served with a “dollop” of vanilla ice cream.
Okay, the food looks yummy but the Toad ‘n’ Turtle prides itself on much more, so much more that Red Deer citizens have voted the establishment as the Best Pub in the annual Express Best of Red Deer awards.
“We are certainly not going for the chain effect. There is only one other Toad ‘n’ Turtle and that is in Calgary,” said Pachal. “There are a lot of other chain pubs and restaurants in this area, but that is not us.”
Pachal notes the menu at the Red Deer Toad ‘n’ Turtle is not only unique compared to other Red Deer pubs, it is even different from its Calgary outlet.
As well, patrons won’t discover the run of the mill same old offerings of ale one can find down the street. The Red Deer Toad ‘n’ Turtle pub has up to 15 different types of beer on tap.
Things are even mixed up in the interior of the pub so guests can even try different foods, drinks and experiences in the same evening.
There are two patios, one downstairs and one upstairs, the latter which even has its own kitchen, and its own menu.
And when winter rolls around, the Toad ‘n’ Turtle changes once again.
“In the winter we go for a warmer atmosphere,” said Pachal. “We have our fireplaces here. We do a lot of Christmas parties here.”
jbachusky@reddeer.greatwest.ca 309-5456
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