Waterloo Region Connected

Full Version: King Street Trio Uptown
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
I find King St Trio one of K-W's better restaurants, with consistently good quality and a very nice atmosphere.  It is not inexpensive (most dinner entrees in the $25 to $35 range), but it's worth the money.  I have eaten there four or five times over the past year and have never been disappointed.

Starting this month, they are offering "Dynamic Weekday Pricing", with 30%, 25%, and 20% off  the total food bill on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, respectively.  Seems like a very good deal, if you're inclined to head out for a nice meal earlier in the week.
King Street Trio is a good spot, but they can be hit and miss. I had a paella there that was lacking in full flavour. The atmosphere is upbeat, and the host/maitre'd was very inviting, but I've found Nik and Nats to be a better dining experience. I've yet to try the Red House, which I hear is good. The upshot of all this is that Uptown is a great place for an evening out.
That's interesting - it is Nick and Nats that I have found inconsistent. I will need to give them another try. The Red House is excellent.
That's pretty aggressive discounting. I wonder if they're hurting those nights
(01-01-2015, 11:03 PM)Spokes Wrote: [ -> ]That's pretty aggressive discounting.  I wonder if they're hurting those nights

Don't all restaurants have much, much less business on Mondays through Wednesdays?

Also, if it's just food and not wine, it would probably not affect their profit margin that much (and that's without accounting for the additional business that they are hoping to attract). I think I read that food costs are about 30%. The rest is sunk costs. And they can't really shut down Mondays through Wednesdays and continue to be seen as viable.
Especially since they are not open for lunch.
My brother is the head chef of King St Trio and King Crab. His name is Karl Lekavy.
The dynamic pricing isn't because they are hurting. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 were great. Better food sources, more in-season cooking, geared to local markets.
He and Brian simply want to appeal to those who wouldn't ordinarily go out, or avoid because they feel it may be too expensive.
Also, Tuesday and Wednesday are a chance for people to get a good look at the process, as they cook in the open, and allows more interaction, as opposed to the busy weekend.
Don't look at King Crab to be staying on Victoria indefinitely. Wink
Any word on the management style there? I'd heard rumblings from (ex-employee) friends of friends that it was not a great environment for staff, in particular front staff.
I don't know about management style, but I went for dinner with a friend a few weeks ago and had a "beef and spring onion skewer on tandoori aioli" starter special that was possibly one of the best tasting dishes I have ever had! I keep wanting to go back in to encourage them to put it on their regular menu. I also took several family members out for dinner on a Monday night and must say that the "dynamic pricing" was a very nice saving on the bill.
(05-01-2015, 12:58 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: [ -> ]Any word on the management style there? I'd heard rumblings from (ex-employee) friends of friends that it was not a great environment for staff, in particular front staff.

If you are a foodie die-hard, then the work is your typical intolerable fine dining bitchery. Tips are great. But the work is tough and the amount of knowledge is crazy too.

I mean, it ain't Denny's.

But this is a guy who works 60 hour weeks minimum.  Last night they held a competition called Rival's Edge. 3 ingredients, create.  Like Iron Chef.  He does this all on his "free time".

These guys can't compete with the big money of Charcoal, etc.  So their "team" has to be super efficient and seriously, I give props to any server.  Some just can't take the "style" of that restaurant, others thrive.
As for me, to help out in a pinch when they moved from King/Weber to the new location, I was pulled into helping with dishes a couple of times. That was enough for me. However, I have to respect owners who want everything to be totally clean and beyond what the city/county/provincial health requirements are. That said, I'll stick to accounting!  Big Grin
Favourable review in today's e-Record:

http://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/6...l-cuisine/
(04-22-2016, 05:34 PM)panamaniac Wrote: [ -> ]Favourable review in today's e-Record:

http://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/6...l-cuisine/

That's for Uptown 21, which is an uptown restaurant totally unrelated to King Street Trio!
Sorry, my mistake.
King Street Trio is also good though!