A great banquet hall is worth its weight in gold, and it was a true surprise to visit Carl's, a location that I really wish I'd visited before now.
You know you're in for something good when your bus driver hears the name of the restaurant being mentioned in another conversation and says, "You'd better try the roast beef."
Despite being situated near the edge of the city, in a part of Brampton that's within spitting distance of Oakville (basically, farmland almost everywhere you turn), there was no shortage of people here. I attended a book launch for Mayor-elect Patrick Brown's new book, and wasn't surprised to find out that the place was booked overcapacity.
Walking in an hour before the event, I wasn't entirely surprised to find that the space was already set-up, with cards featuring fancy writing adorning each seat, free pens (FREE PENS!) and massive floral arrangements at each table. It may not be the biggest event hall/wedding space out there, but if my view of the grounds were any indication, this was already an extremely-beautiful and compelling site for a small-scale wedding or social event.
Of course, there was food served at the event. While a handful of the back-line cooks looked like they'd rather be somewhere else on the few occasions they came out of the kitchen, that certainly didn't impact the quality of the food. Mini-samosas and the fabled roast beef were on-deck, with a chef cutting off giant strips for hungry guests and offering to make mini-sandwiches with horseradish and other toppings. I admit that I didn't get as full of an experience as some of the other guests, as I had to eat quickly considering the schedule of the event (people were being served just as the presentation on the book began), but I don't hold that against them. They also had what appeared to be an open bar with multiple featured cocktails that night, but I simply settled on some coffee, which was about as ho-hum as it gets. Maybe they could spring for some dark roast next time.
I contemplated giving this a 4.5 out of 5 and rounding down, but I felt that the experience was enjoyable enough across the board and the site is so compelling that it deserved the top grade. If you want quality and an intimate space, this is the place for you. read more