pon entering the Players Chophouse, patrons are greeted by a 14 x 10 foot video projection screen and a series of plasma TVs playing the latest and greatest sporting events. It's the type of thing you'd expect from a sports bar that’s owned by a dozen pro hockey and football players and an Olympic champion. Step past the screens and you won't find the series of faux-rusted bar stools or walls cluttered with sports memorabilia that you’d expect. Surprisingly, you'll find a spacious and tastefully decorated restaurant/lounge. Rather than go the standard beer n’ jerseys route, these athletes have created a tasteful steakhouse.

For the average football-watching carnivore, the steak offerings are a fine choice. Before you get to the main course at Players though, you must make your way through plates of generic, vaguely rubberized tuna tartare, acceptable though oily Crab Cakes ($11), a fiendishly rich Jump Chicken appetizer ($11), or a plate of Prime Beef Skewers ($12). Admittedly, with tender, hot and flavourful beef morsels served with ponzu and brown sugar marinade, the latter was delicious. Among other steak items, the Petite Filet 6oz Alberta tasted like it had been microwaved, but the $38 New York Striploin 10oz AAA, an extremely nice cut, struck a solid balance between beefy and pure. A bone-in NY cut with a cabernet demi glace, the menu's crème de la crème Players Prime Porterhouse 20oz ($46) was well executed and served with a tasty side of creamed spinach. There’s also a healthy roster of fish dishes. My favourite was the Pan Seared Tuna peppercorn ahi tuna ($27) crusted on its exterior and plated with soya glaze over a healthful side if braised spinach.

As you might expect, the tables at Players Chophouse are teeming with pink-faced TV-watchers alternately fiddling with their cell phones and hoisting pints of earnestly foamy beer. On game night the place may get a little rowdy; but, for the most part, this location breaks the mold of the celebrity-run eatery to become a worthwhile restaurant. You don’t even need to like sports to enjoy being there; just don’t tell the owners. – R.B. (With files from Philip Brown)