Xix Nineteen

We have been to the Mullen Way location many times and finally were able to try the St. Albert location for lunch today. As expected, it was nothing short of amazing. The decor is high end without being stuffy, the service is first class and the food did not disappoint. My wife and I each had the San Mateo salad with chicken breast and it was superb. I rarely have a salad for a meal, but the San Mateo is so delicious I couldn't pass it up. Our guest had the chicken clubhouse which she said was excellent. We finished with cappuccino's which were as good as we have ever had anywhere. I cannot say enough good things about both locations and it is wonderful to have such a great restaurant for us to enjoy when we are in St. Albert.

The most attentive and consistent level of service at both locations. Their level of service has made Nineteen stand out for me the most. The OG spot, arriving for Sunday night dinner, it wasn’t much of a busy service night. With 2 prominent servers managing the few present tables, food came out quick and he was diligent to keep our cups full.

Ahi Tuna Twist - ($18) - Spicy thai noodles, topped with a lightly seared tuna slice with a dab of cilantro aioli served on a bed of asian slaw. This could be the only dish on the menu and I’d still keep coming back. So many flavors going on in one bite that all work tremendously well together. The acidity from the slaw, to the crunch and saltiness of the noodles, fresh cut of flavor from the aioli and how fresh is that bite of fish?! My favorite from Nineteen and thankfully, the recipe for this appi is also in “Edmonton Cooks.” No questioning how loved this dish is!

Atlantic Lobster Ravioli - ($34) - Consisted of Lobster stuffed ravioli with spicy sambuca prawns on top, smothered with a roasted tomato cream sauce finished with a hefty sprinkle of red chili flakes. Sauce was creamy with a hefty amount of garlic and onions in it, a bit too overwhelming as the key word lobster was masked in the dish. Definitely had a kick to it which I enjoyed.

Hoisin Glazed Beef Short Ribs - ($38) - Beautiful, melt in your mouth lump of glazed short ribs with a beautiful bearnaise sauce with a side of veggies. We subbed the onion rings for Jasmine rice, because asian. Which was a brilliant choice on how well the rice soaked up all that extra sauce.

Their appetizers are never a wrong choice but I still have yet to find an entree to fall in love with. Still looking forward to try and make it here for brunch!

Always hard to accommodate lactose free but didn't start off as the best experience. Bartender couldn't work her corkscrew (forgot hers) and then used a coworker's and left cork in my glass. When asking for a new bottle... "Is it ok if I strain your wine?" Responded in a confused way and the manager brought a new bottle.

Onto the food.

Not bad. Calamari was fried well and pickled onions and spicy marinara was a nice touch. Ahi Tuna Salad was decent but the tiger prawns were a little bit of a disappointment. Will try this again when not looking for an appetizer on a Wednesday night! Hopefully better...

My friend Amber (you'll remember her from Club du Fromage) recently told me that the XIX Nineteen in St. Albert is her new favourite restaurant. She unabashedly raved about XIX Nineteen, and with good reason. Trusting Amber's culinary instincts, I didn't even peruse the menu in advance. I wanted the experience to be wholly new without having any expectations or knowledge of the restaurant. Because Craig and I decided sort of last minute to have a date night, we ended up with a later reservation, 8:15pm, which we made through the Open Table app. XIX Nineteen is located on the corner of Bellerose Drive and Boudreau Road and is right across the way from OLiV Tasting Room, Careit Urban Deli, and Buco Pizzeria.

Went out for a couples date night last night to XIX Nineteen. It was our first time and it was amazing. We had scallops and the short ribs for appies. Every bite was delicious. Then we had the tenderloin, lobster ravioli and the New York steak. Oh and a variety of desserts. Every bite of the food was sooooo delicious. The service was fantastic!!! The atmosphere very nice. I would go back in a heart beat!

WOW!  I had the Beef Tenderloin and it was NUTS good.  SO GOOD.  It was exceptional.  It was on a Beet risotto- wasn't sure how I would feel about this. I loved it.  It also came with a roasted zucchini with goat cheese and walnuts on the side.  The tenderloin itself had a grainy mustard on top that was light and flavourful.  One of the best meals I have had in a long time.  Super interesting, flavourful, and different.  Meal came with bread as well as for my birthday she gave me complimentary dessert.  Great atmoshpere.    Exceptional service and she really listened to us.  
I will absolutely be back.  LOVED IT!