218 replies to this topic

[phx]

Applebees at Tuscany Village is now open.

It is actually Applebees Grill and Bar (not bar and grill). I'll speculate our nanny state insisted on that to protect us.

There seemed to be a mix of people inside: several groups of 20-somethings, a few tables of families with kids, and some older people too.

[Baro]

I don't know anything about that restaurant other than it being the butt of a lot of jokes.

[spanky123]

Applebees at Tuscany Village is now open.

It is actually Applebees Grill and Bar (not bar and grill). I'll speculate our nanny state insisted on that to protect us.

There seemed to be a mix of people inside: several groups of 20-somethings, a few tables of families with kids, and some older people too.

Give it 6 months and then look again. Anything new in Victoria gets business for a while.

[aastra]

Photographs and critique:
http://www.flickr.co...57624196975627/

[ChrisA]

I was just poking around Google Maps looking for restaurants near where I'll live/work in Victoria when we move (in three weeks, yay!) and discovered to my horror that the "restaurant" which went into "Tuscany Village" is Applebee's.

Applebee's? APPLEBEE'S!? There isn't a decent restaurant anywhere for miles and miles around, particularly north of the university, and they put in freakin' APPLEBEE'S!? I've toured Tuscany, and I don't recall seeing any Applebee's. They couldn't have found something Italian, or at least a place which serves food?

I would cast my vote for any politician who proposed nuking Tuscany Village from orbit.

[Bob Fugger]

I was just poking around Google Maps looking for restaurants near where I'll live/work in Victoria when we move (in three weeks, yay!) and discovered to my horror that the "restaurant" which went into "Tuscany Village" is Applebee's.

Applebee's? APPLEBEE'S!? There isn't a decent restaurant anywhere for miles and miles around, particularly north of the university, and they put in freakin' APPLEBEE'S!? I've toured Tuscany, and I don't recall seeing any Applebee's. They couldn't have found something Italian, or at least a place which serves food?

I would cast my vote for any politician who proposed nuking Tuscany Village from orbit.

The horror, eh? When I was part of the GHRA, the developer confirmed the restaurant tenant as Milestone's, which - despite it's corporitized fare - would have been far better than a fracking Applebee's. Turns out that the developer ran out of money, which delayed the development, resulting in Milestone's activating their exit clause and purchasing a space in that Langford power centre where the big wine store is.

[spanky123]

The horror, eh? When I was part of the GHRA, the developer confirmed the restaurant tenant as Milestone's, which - despite it's corporitized fare - would have been far better than a fracking Applebee's. Turns out that the developer ran out of money, which delayed the development, resulting in Milestone's activating their exit clause and purchasing a space in that Langford power centre where the big wine store is.

It was first Milestone's, then East Side Mario's and finally Applebee's. I think that the first two also looked at the parking situation/footprint and decided against it.

I have been two Applebee's twice and both times were a huge disappointment.

[phx]

There isn't a decent restaurant anywhere for miles and miles around

lol, it's not quite as bad as you make it out to be. In addition to the usual fast-food and coffeeshops, the dining choices include:

Monkey Tree
Tropical Island
Eugenes
Sampan
Little Thai Place
Pho Ever
1550's
Brannigan's
Athene's
Maude Hunter's
Salty's
JJ Morgan
Olive Olio's
Smugglers Cove
Naughty Nellie's
mcrae's
Purple Garden
Urban Cup

It is a good selection considering Victoria does not have much of a dining-out culture.

[gumgum]

^I would strike a few of those from my list.

[phx]

Yes, well, individual tastes vary. I wouldn't dine at JJ Morgan's myself, but it might appeal to ChrisA.

[ChrisA]

Good lord, no.

I don't know many of the places you list, but the ones I do know are pubs or take-out places (or wretched, like JJ Morgans). Which may be fine for what they are, but last time I checked a "high end restaurant" was going into Tuscany Village. That ain't Applebee's.

[Bob Fugger]

Quite honestly, I don't think that high-end would have worked in that space. Milestone's was pretty well as high as it could go. You would have ended up alienating almost the entire UVic crowd. Besides, to me, high end + strip mall (let's be honest, Tuscany Village is a strip mall with $hitty parking and overpriced condos on top) = closed after 6 months.

As for dining selections in the area, PHX forgot to mention La Dolce Vita in Shelbourne Plaza (next to A&W). I agree, it's not high-end, but the coffee is excellent and the food is authentic Roman fare (made by a couple of Romans) and really tasty.

[jklymak]

There is the Med Grill in Royal Oak...

[Bingo]

In the neighbourhood...
Maud Hunters for peppered chicken wings.
Brannigans for a great cooked English breaky.
and Tim Hortons for the best chili going.

[renthefinn]

Two people that i know have gone to that Applebee's have praised the steak to me... I didn't believe it the after the first person told me, but after the second.... I need to try it.

[sebberry]

Don''t forget Boston Pizza next to Tim Hortons and Canadian Tire.

[ChrisA]

The situation is even more dire than I feared. At least there are good markets in the area. I think.

and Tim Hortons for the best chili going.

Oh, the humanity.

[spanky123]

This thread got me thinking.

Are there any "fine dining" restaurants left in Saanich?

[Rob Randall]

Tuscany Village is a strip mall with $hitty parking...

In what way is the parking bad?

[Bingo]

In what way is the parking bad?

It's like the corn maze on Blenkinsop, with undersized spaces. there is nothing in that mall to attract me, that I can't get elsewhere nearby.