NOVEMBER 13 / 2003

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Overtime - Still a Mainstay in Edmonton Social Circles Overtime Bar and Grill, located at 10304 - 111 Street, took Edmonton by storm a number of years ago. Officially a sports bar, with a high-end dining area somewhat removed, it was also known for haut-cuisine, and for being the hottest after hours bar in the city. It was especially attractive to the 30-50 crowd. Music was geared to that age group, the large plasma TV screens made viewing any number of sporting events simultaneously very easy, and the plush chairs and barstools matched the up-scale decor. Eight or nine years later, nothing much has changed. It is still an upscale sports bar with a heavy emphasis on what the kids call the "geriatric meat market" on Friday and Saturday nights. The place is still upscale, quality food, drink and service. As for the cuisine, a group of us recently were there for a private party. We had ordered a choice of two meals from which people could choose. The first was Chicken Florentine Medallions in a herbed cream sauce over wild rice. The chicken was excellent. The medallion rolls of chicken and spinach were light, moist and flavorful. The taste combination was gentle and elegant, combining nicely with the wild rice. The cream sauce was a bit non-descript, but still added to the richness of the Chicken Florentine. The second alternative was Chopped Pepper Steak with green and red peppers, onions and mushrooms over rice. The gravy was a pepper sauce collage that was quite spicy, although not enough to mask the natural flavours of the meat and vegetables. One of my pet criticisms is when vegetables are over-cooked. These were cooked to perfection. They were hot, yet crisp and fresh. I noticed that few plates had anything left on them by the end of the meal. My only concern was that some of the meat was a bit tough, while other pieces were very tender. Several other noticed the same thing. It wasn't sufficient to disenchant anyone from enjoying their meal, but obviously there was more than one source of meat. When serving large amount to a group, obviously there will be more than one source; however there was obviously a small issue of consistency. Dessert and appetizers were actually served at a sister establishment, called Scruffy Murphy's, located in Whitemud Crossing at 106th Street and Whitemud Freeway. There are two or three like establishments that have a redesigned and nicely decorated pub-crawl bus to shuffle parties and groups between Overtime, Scruffy Murphy's and O'Byrnes Irish Pub. The similarities in quality are assuring, the differences between the three pubs and eateries is delightful...and the social hubs of Edmonton remain constant. BEST POINTS: Service at all three locales was super, special arrangements can be negotiated, and there are all sorts of specials and hourly features going on. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: The only problems was a bit of inconsistency with the beef on a couple of orders. RATING CATEGORY: I still can give Overtime an 8 out of 10 in good conscious. The food is superior fare. As for our little group evening...it was perfect.