Derby Restaurant, Century Mile Racetrack and Casino
4711 Airport Road, Nisku
587-416-6453
cnty.com
No delivery service listed
Restricted to 18 years or older
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 3 a.m., closed only on Christmas Day
Dinner for two, excluding beverages, tip and taxes: Basic, $28, loaded, $40
Food: 3.5 of 5 Suns
Ambience: 2.5 of 5 Suns
Service: 4.5 of 5 Suns
When the super-friendly waitress plopped her elbows down on the (raised booth) table to tell us about the specials of the day, the flashback happened.
When I was a kid, on any special occasion, the family would pile into the station wagon to head to the local mom ‘n’ pop restaurant. The middle-aged waitress (we didn’t know what a server was) was boisterous and welcoming. She always had a pencil tucked behind her ear. She’d been there forever and of course she knew mom ‘n’ dad’s first names. We all loved the sweet ‘n’ sour chicken balls.
The memory rushed back in the middle of the ultra-utilitarian Derby Restaurant at the new Century Mile Racetrack and Casino, a stone’s throw from the Edmonton International Airport.
The Derby sits on one side of the cavernous VLT-packed casino, with no windows, arborite tables and that never-ending background chorus of VLT bells, sirens and flashing lights.
There’s a weird comfort to The Derby. It’s a flashback to small-town Alberta, to liver ‘n’ onions, steak sandwiches, all-day breakfasts and pan-fried perogies.
The servers are hospitality veterans. Half of them will call you honey, which is sweet.
The food is plain but pretty good, filling … and cheap!
On an airport run Friday evening, hungry with an hour to kill, it was an opportune time to check out the casino’s eats. (The racetrack side, with a fancy buffet, is closed until late April.)
The Derby Restaurant caters to VLT players from 9:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. 364 days of the year. The menu knows its audience – middle-of-the-road, an older demographic, something for everybody – pizzas, burgers, soups ‘n’ salads, entrees and appetizers. Other than a few of the appetizers, it’s bargain-basement priced.
First time out, on my own, feeling nostalgic, I went for the liver & onions.
Delicious! 4.5 out of 5 Suns for this particular dish! The pan-fried liver was top-quality – no stringiness at all, perfectly cooked to be juicy and tender, but not the least bit bloody. It was smothered by excellent caramelized onions mixed into a rich, truly fine gravy. It arrived with good mashed potato and a variety of (non-soggy) veggies. Best of all was the price, $10 for one big slice of liver – good for a medium appetite, or $14 for two.
As it happened, I had another airport pickup the following evening. So it was back to the Derby for round two — with two of us this time.
The second visit was not so successful, though the small-town hospitality was consistent.
The batter on the house-made Fish ‘n’ Chips was rich and golden, crunchy but not greasy. But the cod filet within was soggy, the French fries over-salted. The coleslaw was good, not great, same with the tartar sauce. 3.5 of 5 Suns. The price ($12 for one big piece, $16 for two) was right.
From the Taste of Asia menu selection, we opted for Kung Pao chicken with rice noodles. Kung Pao is a rich, nutty, soy/sweet sauce. This one tasted bottled, with no peanuts or cashews. Not bad, but everything – the sauce, the noodles, the chicken bites – was generic. 3 of 5 Suns for the $15 dish.
Many dishes passing by to other tables looked appealing. The daily specials, like an $8.99 prime rib dinner on Thursdays, are incredibly cheap. As I write, I’m getting a hankering for more Derby-style liver ‘n’ onions!
There is no ambience at The Derby, unless background VLT bells and lights are to your liking. But I suspect several other tasty dishes are to be found. The Derby is most useful for a quick, inexpensive bite heading in or out of the airport at almost any time of day.
FOOD NOTES
Overlooked in last week’s ribeye steak comparisons was Von’s Steakhouse and Oyster Bar. Von’s ribeye costs $44 for 14 ounces. or a mid-priced $3.15 an ounce.