Decided to try Foxy's in East Belfast last night for dinner. Its a new restaurant that opened in the old Chelsea's building. We were full of high hopes for a good meal and were really disappointed. Foxy's joins the ranks of the restaurants in East Belfast who go by the book with food service food. The same meal that we had can be had at the Ocean's Edge restaurant in the Comfort Inn and at Pappa J's. After looking at the menu, we almost left to go to Seng Thai, but decided to stay and work it out.
The decor is spare and chilly. The walls of the place are painted an ice blue that gives off no warmth. The tables and chairs and carpeting are all pretty institutional. There is a big metal folding curtain that separates the dining room from the kareoke part of the bar. The view is pretty great though, its just too bad that they built a bar right in front of the windows overlooking the water.
Our server was cute and attentive which was the only saving grace of the place. She brought our drinks over and we were impressed with the size of Greg's wine glass and unimpressed with the tiny measured glass of vodka that came to me in a glass with "JIM BEAM" written across the front...now that's class I tell you.

Not much on the menu for non seafood lovers but a pub steak (ribeye cut) NY Strip steak, Chicken, and pork medallions. I ordered the strip steak (says on the menu that it is sliced) and Greg ordered the scallops on a bed of rice. We had spinach salads to start which were excellent, baby spinach leaves, with pear slices, and feta cheese with a raspberry vinegrette. When the meal came, I groaned inwardly. I enjoy a great NY strip steak, it is one of my all time favorite cuts of meat. Its perfect just plain with salt and pepper. My sliced strip steak came smothered in a gelatinous brown goo so thick that I couldn't even see the meat. My sides were mashed potato flakes and microwaved baby carrots both doused with parsley flakes. MMMMMMMM! Why can't places around here make the extra effort and sautee the carrots in butter and ginger or something like that..it doesn't take too much extra time.
Greg's large scallops had been dethawed and shaken up in a bag of Cysco premixed herbs and spices and unceremoniously dumped onto a bed of yellow rice accompanied by microwaved carrots around the side. The plates were those big thick white china plates that really add that extra touch of specialness to a meal. Greg did say that his scallops were hot and not too chewy. He gave an A to the napkins but a D- to the underdone rolls with honey margarine that we had to ask for twice.
The bill was $70.00 which really chapped me. My gelatinous goo with meat came in a whopping $21.00 for probably $7.00 worth of food service food.
My take on the place was that it was opened not by a restauranteur or someone who even loves food, but by someone who is looking to make a fast buck off the tourist trade. Its too bad...I keep waiting for someplace really special to open up in town...this ain't it.
Friends of ours have taught their 1 year old to sign and she does the back and forth hand movement to signalk that she is done with something. Greg and I give this place two "done with thats"

Enjoy (elsewhere),
Seth