18 - Wednesday, January 10, 1990 - North Shore News Lights, action, video... RED ROBIN HAS ENERGY RED ROBIN, 301 MARINE DRIVE, NORTH VANCOUVER, 984-4464. VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS ACCEPTED. OPEN FROM 11 A.M. DAILY. WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE. O BORROW with poetic learner's licence from one of the music world’s timeless classics, the Red Red Robin just keeps bob-bob-bobbin’ along. And there is little wonder why. For families, post-teens and fast- food fans, Red Robin the restau- rant has a lot to offer: lights, neon, nachos, videos, action. table hopping This is Pee Wee Herman's playhouse for all ages. Lineups, therefore, are common at Red Robin, but seating is usually fast, which is a good feature for diners with family. And other good family dining features abound. The restaurant's sturdy booths and plentiful supply of modern high chairs help take the initial tough edges off dining family-style, and the rock videos do the rest. Television screens abop with the latest in rock star musical home movies are visible from all Red Robin seats. Their flicker has a remarkably calming effect on most wee foik. It is the narcotic of the age. Red Robin tood meanwhile is slick and simple. The restaurant’s menu has changed somewhat since the ini- tial Table Hopping visit three years ago. But it still provides a bewildering cross-section of fast foods from around the world: soups, sandwiches, hamburgers, Italian and Mexican selections, seafood, ribs and on and on, Main dishes do not yo much beyond $8 and most are araund $6. ICis simple cookery -— blue- collar food from America and Mexico served with Calvornia flourish. While families, first dates and other bargain hunters fill Red Robin's booths, young modern: ring the restaurant’s central bar, swap cantemporary jargon and dia! out on the bar phone. The action is constant; the music videos mind-numbing; and the noise level enough to keep neighbors’ eyes from focusing on your kids. Service is courtesy of waiters from the post-Keg & Cleaver era. They even carry on that Keg- pioneered tradition of singing hu- morous versions ot Happy Birth- day at the tables of emberrassed birthday celebrants. With head spinning to keep up with the modern video times, t started with a special Heineken Dark, while my wite sampled a glass of imported red burgundy (both $3.45). For main ceurse went with the Beef Chimichanya ($6.25) The dish ts a glorified enchilada featuring ground beet anions, tomatoes and kidney beans wrap- ped ina large flour tortilla, The whole works is topped with grated jack and cheddar cheeses, Ruacamole, sour cream and chopped black olives. It came garnished with can- taloupe slices and a stde of hot salsa sauce. The meat had a slight spicy kick. Overall, the dish was well made and provided good dollar value. Being a ragin’ cajun type oO’ gal, my wife sampled Red Robin's Ragin’ Cajun Chicken Breast Fajita ($8.95). The dish is a modern Mexican classic that combines ample por- tions of sizzle and ‘steak’, as they were once fond of saying in the ad business. Of course, the steak in this case was chicken, Red Robin adds a touch of Ca- jun pizzazz to its fayita by applying a subdued Cajun-style “‘blacken- ing’ to its meat. The dish was delivered in tull sizzle aboard a cast-iron skillet, The chorus excites the ears while the selection of side dishes and the size of the production excite the eyes. Chicken fajitas a. Red Robin come with guacamole, lettuce and tomato, sour cream and salsa along with the main sizzling centre stage of spiced and blackened chicken strip: onions. and green peppers. All of the above can be stuffed in whatever portions the diner prefers into the four flour tortillas provided. AirBC is warming up the winter with great savings for you to 28 AirBC cities across the West. BOOK NOW AND SAVE 60% off a full fare round trip economy ticket until May 15, 1990. Valid for travel from January 10 to March 14 and April 18 to May 15, 1990. Tickets must be purchased 7 days prior to departure. Minimum/Maximum stay and other conditions apply. Seats are limited. Fares are subject to change without notice. For complete details, call your travel agency or AirBC at: 278-3800. The new spint of the west. NEWS photo Neil Lucente A TOAST to Red Robin and its clientele is offered by (left to right) Carole Kaye, Jeanette Anderson and Mike Matrick. Red Robin is a lively North Van restaurant with an extensive menu and entertainment for all. I's like a mobile lunch counter with only one customer, tn this case, my wife. So it vas pointless to expect any leftovers. The Wee Folk sampled Mini Cheese Buryers ($2.95) with their maxi videos and were well satiated both pastromonically and visually. They also sampled an Old Fash- toned ‘Hand Dipped’ Strawberry Shake, taking the hand dipping literally and samoting it with mits before mouths. No pretaoricated shakes at Red Robin, olky, The -estaurant serves solid milk and ice «ream concoc- tions that recall those grand old milk-shaking days at Steadman’s lunch counter on Lonsdale. Desserts Mudd ies and other caloric bornus) come with adjec- tives that include ‘monster’ ‘fat’ and ‘bombastic’, which translates to servings almost as large as your head and calories numerous enough to fill your quota for the next month. Red Robin: fast food, fast times.