Fresh Restaurant and Lounge

I was at the hotel for a 3-​day convention just this last weekend. I ordered lunch take-​out twice during that time.
First day, I had the duck sandwich and my wife had the cheeseburger. Both were pretty good. You don’t see duck sandwich all that often these days. It was moist and flavourful. The tomato soup it came with was ok, nothing special.
Second day, I had a chicken club and my wife had a frittata of some sort. My sandwich was tasty but very messy. Everything kept sliding off the bread. Here’s a tip, put all the condiments on the top of the sandwich to keep this from happening. Putting on a ciabatta bun and slicing diagonally didn’t help either. My wife didn’t enjoy her frittata.
Pricing was certainly reasonable for a hotel restaurant which was only minimally higher than your average chain restaurant.
So, if you’re staying in the hotel, this would seem like a decent food option.

This is the best meal that my fiancé and I have eaten in a year of dining out. We will be sure to bring our business contacts here for a dinner to impress.
The lamb and the beef tenderloin were divine.
Six stars for dinner all the way.
The desserts were a three out of a five star.

The food is between OK to good, EXCEPT there’s always something wrong about it.
Example: The Marble Brownie on the Date Night menu of Sep-​27. It’s supposed to be a brownie, right? The waitress explained that the cheese that’s supposed to give it the marbled appearance must have melted and merged with the rest, and that’s why the slab of marble brownie wasn’t marbled at all. Even if you excused that, the so-​called brownie tasted more like a cheesecake than a brownie.
Sorry — FAIL on this one.

I recently stayed at this Sheraton for the Surrey International Writers Conference. While I had initially hoped to get across the street to the food court at the mall, it was just easier staying in the hotel, so when we weren’t enjoying buffets, I ate at Fresh. Nice place. But like any hotel restaurant, you’re paying a premium for the convenience. Keep that in mind.
The first evening I got in around 8-​ish, after a flight in and a long train (and short bus) ride to get there. I was super tired and there was a VERY loud, rowdy group in the bar/​restaurant. I wish that the servers had been able to seat me in the back, because these guys were yelling over my HEAD at each other. I hadn’t planned on having any booze, but I needed a glass of wine to deal with that. Fortunately, it was Wine Wednesday, so you got wine for $ 5. They’d open a mystery bottle in the back, you chose white or red, and got to sample different types. THAT was cool. And no worrying about the drive home.
I had the free-​range chicken, which was good, but when the waitress first brought it, it was room temperature. I had to get her to take it back and have them reheat it a bit. Still tasted fine.
With the idiots still shouting all around me, I decided dessert was in order too, so I had the Marble Brownie to cope. Extremely rich, but very good! Praline gelato, chocolate crisps, Grand Marnier syrup, caramel, and peanut brittle.
The next day, I was pretty tired, even from only one master class at the conference. I ordered room service, and had the Salt Spring Island Lamb Sandwich. Yum! It has some sort of onion marmalade on it. However, the folks working the kitchen that night must have been new. The Limoncello Crème Brulee was like pudding. The top was barely singed. That’s what makes it «Brulee,» y’all.
I’m definitely a fan of their Benedicts. I had the Buffet the first morning, and was not impressed. I felt overcharged for what I got. The fruit did not look super fresh, and some of the rest just seemed tired. For $ 18.50, I better be getting one of the best breakfasts ever. The Benny was a safe option, and I ordered the regular one the rest of the trip. Problem solved.
My friend had the oatmeal, and got them to swap out the raisins and one of the other toppings she didn’t like for craisins and walnuts and even got soy milk. She was a happy camper.
It’s hit and miss here, but basically a good bet. Especially if you’re here for a conference. You can wave to all your new friends at the next table.