Little Grouse on the Prairie — Restaurant in Saskatoon

This was my second experience at this restaurant and unfortunately it fell a bit short this time. My girlfriend and I were excited to celebrate her birthday with the 5 course tasting menu and we unfortunately left feeling quite disappointed. Which was surprising because our first experience was so good!

Our first course was bread, prosciutto and burrata. It was good, what you would expect, no complaints.

Second course was a sweet potato and pumpkin risotto. This was very good! It was an off menu item and I think it is one they should add to their menu because it was our favorite of the night.

Third course was a ricotta ravioli with candied hazelnuts. Was not our favorite, but at no fault of the chef's. The plate was composed well it was just our personal preference. No fault there.

Our fourth course was another off menu item which was a tortellini stuffed with confit chicken. This dish was a pretty big miss. The filling was ground to a grainy paste which had a really unpleasant mouthfeel and it was incredibly salty. I do not like this comparison because it feels harsh, but it really did remind us of wet cat food. Additionally, the sauce simply resembled and tasted like packaged chicken noodle soup.

Our final dish was a pana cotta with raspberry ice cream and raspberry compote. The compote and ice cream had amazing flavour, but the pana cotta itself was not well done. It seemed as if it was put in the fridge to set and left there uncovered for a long time as the top layer was a hard congealed membrane that really made it unpleasant to eat.

Despite three of the five dishes being "Okay" We simply felt that the restaurant was busy and since we picked the "chef's choice" menu, they gave us whatever they could get out quickly. A menu composed of bread, a heavy risotto, followed by two stuffed pasta dishes, does not seem like a well thought out or cared for service. I understand it is primarily a pasta restaurant, but the first time we came last year, we did the 4 course tasting menu and got the meatball, a lovely pasta dish with corn, a sous vide beef dish, followed by an amazing desert.

So regardless, it is a restaurant I think you should try, and there are bright spots to be excited about, but I would suggest staying away from the tasting menu. It delivered less than what I would expect from a fine dining restaurant at it's...

Update: Dropping from 5-star and glowing recommendations down to a 3-star and suggested pass.

Upon sitting down and looking at the menu, it was immediately apparent something was different; a smaller one-page offering, devoid of the authentic dishes and creative, charming ingredients I had loved. Spaghetti, linguine, & tortellini...? Where am I? Turning around in my seat, I don’t see any familiar faces behind the counter - in front, a new hostess & new wait staff.

Ordering two starters and two mains, service was friendly (though not as radiantly charismatic) and presentation was solid. Taste was not what I would have expected - lacking flavour, not prepped to perfection as I had come to love & expect from the previous team & menu. Octopus rough & chewy, buratta missing salt & its creamy texture - pasta still fresh made, but boring creations and not well seasoned. Decided not to give the dessert options a shot.

If you hadn’t had a chance to eat at Little Grouse with the original team, it may be worth a chance as you wouldn’t know what you’re missing - if you’re a longtime fan, I would suggest you don’t return as you’ll only be supremely disappointed. Unfortunately it has morphed into a generic Italian offering you would have no problem matching to any other strong independent Italian joint out there.

Really should have shuttered the place and re-branded so as not to set the expectations and disappoint former guests - it feels like they are riding on the coat-tails of their previous reviews.

Bummed to have one less stellar restaurant in the city, something I had always been excited to visit & show off at every opportunity - Little Grouse was un-paralleled and my personal favourite. I don’t know what happened, but hope the entire team from the previous iteration of the restaurant has moved onto bigger &...

This was our first experience at this little gem of a restaurant. They did not disappoint! We ordered the "alla famiglia" (family) menu. it consisted of 7 different incredibly delicious dishes that were presented to us over the course of 2 1/2 hours. This isn't a cheap option, but we didn't regret it.

As each dish was brought out, the server carefully explained what was in it and how it was prepared. One of our group had food allergies that many chefs find debilitating ... not here! They rose to the challenge and made sure that we were still served the very best of what they had to offer.

The service was impeccable. The staff are attentive, but not overbearing. Although we had one principal server, they all work as a team. Our dishes were frequently brought out by other servers who presented and described them with care. Empty plates were courteously whisked away by any one of the servers who happened to be coming by.

Minor gripe: they are very popular and the seating is tight. Don't expect to be able to carry on a quiet, intimate conversation not matter where you are seated. Also request a table away from the window. Although window seats are desirable in many places, in this restaurant they are located right along the entranceway. All the patrons must walk tightly by these tables on their way in and out of the restaurant leaving you with little peace to enjoy the wonderful food.

This may have been our first visit to this little gem, but it won't...