Originally Posted in Daytona Beach News Journal on Oct 8, 2008
For years I have gone on-line to read the DBNJ restaurants reviews to try to find places that my family would enjoy while we travel. These posts aren’t as colorful as my posts with pictures…..but still chock full o’ good information !!
Restaurant establishing track record
News-Journal staffer Amanda Cortright and her husband, Larry, explored the new Daytona Beach Kennel Club with friends Jim and Naomi Nichols on a recent night. They decided to stop in the dining room and check out the dinner menu.
Q. What is their menu like? The menu is typical American cuisine, including burgers, pasta, steaks, salads and sandwiches.
Q. How was the experience? It was actually kind of fun. Some tables allow you to bet, complete with a credit-card swiping monitor, right at your table. Simulcast races are viewable from most spots in the restaurant as is the dog track. We opted for a window view to watch the dogs run. The new Kennel Club feels a little bit like Las Vegas when you step inside, so it’s a fun escape — and a big change in decor — from the old club.
Q. Was it expensive? Not really. Most entree items ranged from $12 to $17 and appetizers were about $5. Our appetizers, potato skins ($5.25) and onion rings ($4.95), which Jim said had a “nice crispiness,” ($4.95) were large portions, perfect for four or more diners.
Q. What did you have for dinner? Apparently we hit a popular night — Thursday is prime rib night. That special included a choice of potato or rice and a dinner salad for $10.95. The Nicholses each chose that option. Larry and Amanda followed suit with their orders, and both chose the rigatoni with sauteed vegetables, garlic and Parmesan cheese.
The bowl came heaped with pasta that was quite tasty, enough for at least two meals each. The rigatoni comes with a choice of chicken ($12.95) or shrimp ($14.95), but can be made with no meat for a vegetarian option.
Of note were the dinner salads. They had a nice selection of fresh vegetables on top including red bell pepper, cucumber, tomato and olives and were much heartier than your typical iceberg-lettuce-and-shredded-carrot salad you see sometimes.
Q. Is it vegetarian friendly? The vegetarian options were quite scant. Besides the rigatoni sans meat, no other entrees would suit the veggie crowd. They do have dinner-sized salads that could be ordered without the meat on top.
Q. What about dessert? There were close to 10 choices for dessert, but ultimately the brownie sundae ($4.50) and Key lime ($4.50) pie won out at our table. Each couple decided to share the sundae — a smart move since it was a huge portion. The Key lime pie was the correct shade of yellow and had just the right amount of tartness.
Q. How much was it? The four diners, who sampled everything from appetizers to dessert, spent $85.73, including tax.
Q. How much did you lose on the dog racing?
Not a penny. We only watched. Maybe next time we’ll feel lucky and test out the dinner tables with the cool monitors attached.
Daytona Beach Kennel Club 960 S. Williamson Blvd., Daytona Beach
WHERE:
HOURS: Dinner only beginning at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; lunch, or “matinees” as the track calls them, are offered on Wednesday and Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
MISC: The restaurant is in the back of the kennel club, facing the dog track.
PHONE: 386-252-6484
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