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The Round-up:

• Food - 3.5 out of 5
• Service - 2.5 out of 5
• Atmosphere - 2 out of 5
• Overall - 8 out of 15

It's time to take ourselves to a new part of town on the blog: North Albert Street.

True, North Albert isn't exactly a dining mecca. But there are a few bright spots among the autobody shops and gas stations. Chappy's Restaurant and Lounge is one of them.

Tucked into a strip mall across the street from the Northgate Mall, Chappy's is an unassuming kind of place. It's located so far off the street that you'd hardly notice it -- most people probably don't at all.

My focus today is on Chappy's brunch only, as that's the only meal I've eaten there.

Big Willie, the Advertising Exec, and myself stopped in on a recent Sunday for some grub. I use the term "grub" deliberately because that's what Chappy's serves: good, honest, homecooking with no shortage of butter n' bacon fat.

The Advertising Exec had been trying to get us to Chappy's for weeks, claiming it to be one of Regina's best greasy spoons. In that respect, I think he's right.

You don't go to Chappy's because it's chic, or decorated oh-so-cutely. You go because it's cheap and the brunch hits the spot.

For about $10, you will be treated to delicious buttery hashbrowns; crispy bacon (and plenty of it); scrambled eggs; breakfast sausage; lasagna; a bit of fruit; a couple of desserts; and some juice. And Chappy's Sunday brunch is a buffet, so fill your plate a couple of times (at least). We certainly did.

Service can be slightly off the mark, but since it's a help-yourself kind of joint that doesn't really matter.

Do something different and head up to North Albert one weekend for some grub. And don't forget your appetite.

The Round-up:

• Food - 3.5 out of 5
• Service - 3.5 out of 5
• Decor - 4 out of 5
• Overall - 11 out of 15

Let's start with the good: Tangerine is a tastefully decorated bistro that has added a healthy dose of personality to the strip of shops on 14th Avenue between Lorne and Cornwall streets. The restaurant seems to be doing a very good business over the lunch hour. Ladies who lunch, business folks, and university kids are all common sights.
Service is very fast - as it should be at a bistro that depends on the lunch hour to survive. My meals have arrived within minutes of ordering during both of my lunchtime visits. Considering that ordering is done cafeteria-style, that is up at the counter, there is no reason for service to be slow.
The menu, written in chalk on a large wall next to the deli case, has a good mixture of proteins, grains and greens, and it changes often. Tangerine also brews coffee and serves up homemade biscuits and sweets. All of this lends an urbane feel to the place - Tangerine would fit right in to New York's Lower East Side or Vancouver's West End. But it's all ours and we should be proud to have it.
As for the not-so-good: Tangerine needs to work on portions and prices. The other day I ordered the $11 Greens and Proteins: a six- or seven-ounce piece of salmon atop a bed of greens with a light dressing. The dish's modest size left me feeling hungry, and that I'd paid too much. Consider that Siam Thai restaurant downtown offers an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $9; or that La Bodega serves a mean sandwich with fries for about $12.
As for the salad, I have a strong suspicion that the lettuce mixture I ate was store-bought. This is a bit of a shame in the middle of summer when fresh local produce is everywhere.
Finally, Tangerine could play more heavily on the "food bar" theme that it uses as part of its name. At the moment, the restaurant is open until 7 p.m. on weeknights. But give the place a liquor licence, dim the lights, put on some groovy music, and you could have a very cool evening hangout. Of course, this may come as Tangerine matures. Owner/chef Aimee Schulhauser is wise to take a "walk before you run" approach to the place.
The verdict: give Tangerine a try for your next business lunch, or if you happen to be hanging around downtown on a gorgeous summer day.