Eatdrink #44 November/December 2013
The LOCAL food and drink magazine serving London, Stratford and Southwestern Ontario since 2007.
The LOCAL food and drink magazine serving London, Stratford and Southwestern Ontario since 2007.
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16 www.eatdrink.ca<br />
№ 44 | <strong>November</strong>/<strong>December</strong> <strong>2013</strong><br />
restaurants<br />
Sarnia Siblings<br />
Limbo Lounge and Sideways Classic Grill<br />
By Tanya Chopp<br />
For those who have<br />
exhausted their<br />
bar-hopping days<br />
but aren’t yet ready<br />
to settle into the world of fine<br />
dining, it can be a challenge<br />
to find the middle ground<br />
between those worlds.<br />
Instead of seeing this time<br />
in limbo as purgatory, Sean<br />
Barlow chose to focus on<br />
the opportunity it presented. In 2007, he<br />
opened Limbo Lounge & Martini House<br />
on 196 Christina Street North in Sarnia —<br />
and carved out a unique space downtown<br />
for the up-and-coming demographic that<br />
appreciates inspired food at affordable<br />
prices.<br />
“We call it classy-casual,” says Front<br />
of House Manager, Melissa Cameron,<br />
who has over 16 years of restaurant industry<br />
experience in Toronto’s competitive market.<br />
Cameron is visibly passionate about<br />
the business and it’s evident that she<br />
and Barlow have a shared vision and<br />
mutual respect that has paid off for the<br />
establishment. Limbo’s interesting fusionstyle<br />
menu and enticing promotions keep<br />
patrons coming back for more.<br />
An extensive martini list is updated to<br />
reflect the season and Ontario craft brews<br />
are kept on tap. The menu is inspired by the<br />
cosmopolitan<br />
travels of Barlow and his<br />
employees, who have been<br />
influenced by their time in<br />
Australia, Southeast Asia,<br />
Korea and throughout<br />
Europe.<br />
The space, which<br />
seats between 50 and 60,<br />
is complimented by a<br />
back room with seating<br />
for another 60. In the<br />
summertime patio space opens up for an<br />
additional 35 customers. The restaurant<br />
is a popular place for private functions:<br />
The bar at Limbo Lounge & Martini House in Sarnia<br />
Christmas parties, bachelorettes, rehearsal<br />
dinners and even small weddings.<br />
According to Cameron, Salt & Pepper<br />
Shrimp (an Asian style dish with the shrimp<br />
flash fried and seasoned with kosher salt<br />
and fresh ground pepper and served with<br />
a sweet chili cream) is a popular appetizer.<br />
And Chef Brian Hall adds that a frequent<br />
dinner favourite is the Beef Tenderloin —<br />
which is grilled, topped with gorgonzola and<br />
finished with a port reduction before being<br />
served over roasted potatoes alongside<br />
grilled vegetables and crispy onions.<br />
One of the creative fusion salads at Limbo Lounge
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