Hummingbird604.com » dining out

The Foundation Lounge (Main Street)

Raul — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:19:54 +0000

It seems as though I’m on a vegetarian rampage. Last Sunday I had dinner at Bandidas on Commercial, and this week, I had lunch at The Foundation Lounge. As I mentioned on Twitter, Mexican cuisine is actually largely vegetarian/vegan, and I am, after all, a scholar of environmental policy (so, eating less meat does reduce my ecological footprint – congruent with my research and values!)

I had been to The Foundation with my friend Todd Sieling before, but somehow I never wrote about it. Todd and I recently met up for lunch again, and we returned to Foundation for a second visit. The first time I was there, I had mango with black beans on a bed of rice, but this time I tried the “BLT-ish” sandwich (vegetarian bacon, lettuce, tomato and guacamole). For $7, I would say the “BLT-ish” a really good deal, as it includes a side salad. I wasn’t hungry at all after lunch, which means that (at least for me) the portions were generous enough.

I would strongly recommend The Foundation for lunch, I haven’t really been here for dinner but as far as lunch goes, the service is prompt, cordial and the food is really good. The previous time I needed to add salsa to my rice as it was a tad sweet, but this time, I think I made the right choice for food. And of course, catching up with good friends and engaging in intellectually stimulating conversations is always fantastic.

True Confections (Denman and Alma locations)

Raul — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:15:26 +0000

I have had a love affair with True Confections for almost as long as I have lived in Canada (over 14 years of my life). A dessert place that has two main locations. The first one is at Broadway and Alma (near UBC, where I did my MBA, my PhD and where I currently teach), and Denman and Haro (the West End location where I have spent many memorable post-Valentine’s Day and birthdays).

I am a fan of True Confections’ English trifle. It’s fresh, filled with fruit and custard, light and it reminds me of good times in London and Manchester (yes, I also studied in England – I’ve had a long list of schools I’ve attended in various countries). At $6.75, I wouldn’t say it’s inexpensive, but it’s also not super pricey. I also had a chance to taste their White Chocolate Martini ($ 5.95).

I wanted to try the strawberry cheesecake but I just didn’t have room in my stomach. The White Chocolate Espresso Martini completely tasted like dessert on a martini glass. The best martini mixing chocolate and coffee flavors I’ve had ever in the city of Vancouver. And that includes Delilah’s and The Crime Lab’s and Cafe Crepe’s martinis!

The one thing that sometimes I don’t like about True Confections is that it’s so popular that I have to line up. And as many of you know, I’m not a fan of lineups. All in all, I would recommend True Confections for dessert.

If you have any favorites other than TC, which ones do you like? Chime on the comments.

Dining out while enjoying Vancouver 2010

Raul — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:38:43 +0000

I have written a number of restaurant reviews on my site, not because I consider myself a foodie, but because I like to share my experiences with my readers. Also, as I mentioned before, I use my site as my very own personal journal. “This is what I did last week” kind of thing. During the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the one constant I have seen is line-ups at pavilions, houses and events.

I am not a fan of lineups. I have never been. I’m the kind of snob who will snub anything that makes me wait anything over 15 minutes (I have very, very gladly told many Yaletown and downtown Vancouver restaurants to go and find a new customer because I am not waiting in line for 30-45 minutes). The thing is, I have been reading online (on Twitter and various blogs) that Gastown and other parts of the city’s restaurants have not had as much business because patrons seem to be flocking just a certain area of the city.

I won’t tell you where to eat or what to do while you are out and about having fun and taking in all the wonderful things that are in town during Vancouver 2010. But what I *am* going to do is share with you my Dining Out category and a listing of those restaurants I have eaten at, because I think it’d help those restaurants that aren’t located in the downtown core and could benefit from tourist spillover.

Glowbal Grill (Yaletown)

Raul — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:35:39 +0000

Today my friend Liv Hung (A Beautiful Life) took me for lunch to Glowbal Grill (we hadn’t had a chance to catch up for a long while and it was long overdue). I was invited to their re-launch but unfortunately, that night was one of those that I got invited to like, six different things (I think I ended up choosing to attend the Social Media Club Vancouver organizational meeting. I’m glad Liv chose Glowbal Grill, as she really liked it and it seemed like it was going to be a very good lunch. Liv was completely right. Glowbal Grill *is* great. We arrived a little bit earlier than our reservation (12:30pm) but the host wasn’t fazed at all.

The host greeted us warmly, even though the restaurant was very busy and quickly led us to a high table. We ordered a couple of satays (I loved the meatball one) for appetizers and I ordered the giant shrimp linguine. I am a big fan of Italian cuisine and I eat pasta quite frequently. I have to say, I would have this dish for dinner again. Yes, it’s THAT filling.

The portions are very generous and I think they are fairly priced. The linguine had jumbo tiger prawns, tomato, oregano, capers, all of these flavors that I really enjoy. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce was to-die-for. I am betting that if Glowbal Grill wanted to add a rottini a la puttanesca or a capellini a la amatriciana, both dishes would be quite popular (at least, with ME!).

I think that the price for the linguine is fairly reasonable given the range ($17), and I think this month they have a 50% discount for lunch. I am SO going to have to come back again! I’m really grateful that Liv took me out for lunch to Glowbal Grill because I would probably have not visited any time soon (seeing as I spend most of my time now in the downtown core and at UBC, teaching!)

Pho Hoang (Main Street)

Raul — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:03:27 +0000

I recently had the pleasure to have Phở with my friend and colleague Liv Hung (who blogs at A Beautiful Life) as we were enjoying a relaxed Saturday afternoon. We were wondering where to eat and came across Pho Hoang (which is a very short walk from my house). We settled for a small plate of Phở as neither of us was really hungry. I chose the beef (well done) version without any meat balls (although next time I should try them). We soon discovered that at Pho Hoang, small actually means big. As far as flavor goes, it’s good Phở. I think it may not be on par with the place that is the favorite of Lorraine and Colleen (Hanoi Pho).

I certainly can see how many people can love it. Even amongst my fellow UrbanSpoon foodies there’s some disagreement. From my conversation with Liv, I think she liked it and quite frankly, so did I. Admittedly, Phở is not the kind of food I’d normally eat (only when I really, really crave noodle soup) but if I were to consume it more regularly, Pho Hoang would be the place for me.

What is your favorite Greek restaurant?

Raul — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:40:53 +0000

photo credit: avlxyz

My best friends’ girlfriend invited him and I to Stephos (a very popular Greek restaurant on Davie Street, in Vancouver) for dinner (I know, I never posted a review. I will, eventually) for his birthday this year. Admittedly, I loved the food, but more importantly, having dinner there reminded me that I haven’t eaten Greek food in such a long time.

So now, I am asking you, Vancouver – which is your favorite Greek restaurant? And since my readership extends beyond Vancouver, let’s say Lower Mainland (and Abbotsford/Chilliwack, etc.)

What is your favorite Mexican restaurant in Vancouver?

Raul — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:42:24 +0000

photo credit: uberculture

I’ve previously asked the question of which is your favorite sushi place in Vancouver, and what is your favorite Indian food restaurant. Now, it’s good time to ask where do you go when you want to eat authentic (or pseudo-authentic) Mexican cuisine in our fair (and rainy) city. Have at it on the comments section. In case you’re curious, the photo shows a “plato combinado” (combined platter).

Maurya (Broadway and Granville)

Raul — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:00:02 +0000

photo credit: avlxyz

I am a very big fan of Indian food. I’m even more of a fan of buffet-style Indian lunch. And at this point in my life, I’m definitely a fan of Maurya. I had been to this great restaurant a few weeks back when my very dear friends B.S. and J. J. decided (on a whim) to get married. The reception was held at Maurya and we had a fantastic time.

I hadn’t seen my friend Andy in a pretty long while and wanted to get together for lunch. We had discussed meeting on the Broadway corridor as we usually hang out downtown (or on my side of town, on Main), so we settled on Maurya. He had never been and all my previous experiences with Indian food (buffet style) had been great, so I suggested that we try it. Quite frankly, I would have stayed and eaten more and more had I had more space in my stomach.

Maurya’s lunch offerings are usually filled with colours and flavorful. I chose butter chicken, tandoori chicken on biryani rice, a bit of dill salmon tikka and a sampler of the vegetarian dishes (which included samosas and mixed makhani). Overall, I think Andy enjoyed Maurya just as much as I did. And I’m sure we both wished we had larger stomachs so we could eat more!

I would strongly endorse Maurya for lunch, for less than $ 12.00 you have a fantastic all-you-can eat lunch. Quite obviously, you must be prepared for the subsequent food coma. Clearly, I had to wake up a bit later as I headed off to meetings after a very relaxing lunch with Andy. There’s something about sharing a good meal with a good friend, definitely.

Chutney Villa (Main and Broadway, Mount Pleasant)

Raul — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:11:34 +0000

I had thought of writing a review of Chutney Villa (see the menu here) the first time that I went there but I never managed to get around it so the second time I went there with JT I became determined to write a review as I’ve noticed that I keep visiting new restaurants and not writing about my experiences there. Lately, my blog has had a lot of focus on theatre, and my own personal stuff, and less on restaurants, so I figured I had to ramp up the foodie content.

You might be wondering why the heck I took photos of the decor (very pretty) instead of the food? Well, the truth is, we ate SO FAST I didn’t even have a chance to take photos. I know that my friend Degan took photos (as I found them on her Flickr account). We both ordered taali chicken kurma which came with rice, veggies, chutney, pachadi, rasam, vadai, and dessert. I would say that, while really tasty, I found the portions small.

The cuisine at Chutney Villa is primarily South Indian (yes, there are varying cuisines throughout India!). While not too inexpensive, it’s not really outrageously expensive either. I’d recommend it as a good example of well-made Indian food (although Nirvana just a couple of blocks away is good too!). Overall, nice food and great ambiance.

Watermark (Kitsilano)

Raul — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:11:23 +0000

Credit: Roland Tanglao

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending one of the last performances of Bard on the Beach’s production of Shakespeare’s Othello with my good friend Erica Hargreave. After the performance was over, we decided to go for a walk and we stumbled upon Watermark (on Kitsilano Beach). I had been curious to try Watermark for a while so we settled in the upper lounge of Watermark for a drink.

Watermark recently announced a super deal with dinner for two, 3 courses meal, and a bottle of wine for $80 – that’s a complete steal! Erica ordered a rose wine that wasn’t all that great, but my two martinis were excellent. Not a bad price, around $ 8.50 (which is standard right now in almost all places in Vancouver). Overall, I had a great time. Haven’t tried the food yet but I’ll definitely consider coming back.

The Wine Room (Joeys Bentall Centre)

Raul — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:00:10 +0000

I was invited by my friend Michael-James Pennie to The Wine Room for the fundraiser he organized, Tweet To Remember (I wrote a preview of the event on this post). Included in the price ticket participants had a chance to taste a flight (3 samples) of white wine, and I spent a lovely evening chatting with my friend Lorraine and enjoying these wine samplers.

I wrote notes about the three wines which I share with you. Note – I am not a wine connoisseur so I am just sharing my notes as I tasted them. I liked The Wine Room, although the service could always use some improvement (Erin was there and she really took care of us, but the other waitresses were a bit lacking). All my wines were white

- See Ya Later Gewuztraminer – I found this wine light, slightly sour but with sweet smell. I think it could be used as wine for a chicken-based dish (for dinner)

- Blasted Church Pinot Gris – I thought that this wine was more full-bodied and that it could be independently drunk. It has no fruit taste. It seemed to me (and I think Lorraine agreed) boring, but safe (middle of the road).

- Monster Rose - I lied, not every single one was a white wine. I tasted a Rose. I found this one to be the most flavorful, a bit of floral aroma, can be drunk on its own, although I would probably love to use it to accompany a jambalaya.

Overall, I liked The Wine Room and I would probably come back. I saw some of the delights they had for dinner and for appetizers and I would definitely want to sample them another night. The event itself was a resounding success for Michael, and I was happy to see him and Erin.

Ethiopian food is my comfort food

Raul — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:48:19 +0000

This weekend I had to shift my usual Sunday with JT for the Saturday (which sort of overbooked me, but also allowed me to spend time with my best friend, his parents, his wife and daughter and some of our common closest friends on the Sunday). JT knows for a fact that Ethiopian food is my choice of comfort food when I feel overwhelmed, stressed or simply when I need a pick-me-up. He also knows that I absolutely adore The Red Sea Cafe so he took me there for dinner on Saturday evening.

I’ve visited numerous local restaurants who serve Ethiopian food – I know for a fact that Degan loves Fassil, I personally adore The Red Sea Cafe, I like Axum and Gojo Little Africa but not to the same extent as the Red Sea Cafe.

Do you eat Ethiopian food? If so, what’s your favorite restaurant?

Nuba (Gastown)

Raul — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:20:22 +0000

The fact that my office is downtown doesn’t help much when it comes to eating out simply because I have been trying to be good on my budget and not eat out. But there are a number of places around the downtown core of Vancouver that are both easy on the wallet and tasty. Nuba is one of these places. Located at the corner of West Hastings and Cambie, it’s an easy couple of blocks stroll from my office.

I went to Nuba for lunch with Andy a couple of weeks ago(long overdue – I like to see my good friends at least once every month or couple of months, but I rarely do that with everyone!) . We settled for the garden wrap. I’m definitely a fan of Lebanese food, and I had already had the pleasure of eating there at a catered event for VEF Momentum (an event I did liveblog as well). The garden wrap was about $ 6.75 but I recall the waitress offering something extra that increased the cost to close to $ 10.00 (which is kind of weird, but I have to say – I loved the food and it was filling as a lunch item).

Would I come back to Nuba? For sure. Although perhaps next time I’ll come for dinner. Have you ever tried it?

Potluck Catering and Cafe (Downtown East Side)

Raul — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:00:51 +0000

As I mentioned on my earlier posts, the theme for my Blogathon 2009 is “passion”. I am very passionate about helping the disenfranchised. Therefore, I always look for ways to highlight the worthy efforts of those who are at a disadvantage but want to move forward. I am always amazed at how many wonderful things take place in Vancouver, and how little I know sometimes about them. But fear not, because I have a number of amazing friends who highlight stuff for me and bring it to my attention. Via Monica Hamburg and Maura Rodgers, I found out about Potluck Catering and Potluck Cafe. More about Potluck from their website

Potluck operates a fully professional Café and Catering enterprise in the heart of the city serving hundreds of corporate and non profit clients. Potluck is a registered charity whose café and catering revenue is directly invested back into its 4 community social programs that are integrated into its daily operations. These include:

* An Integrated Food Services & Life Skills Training and Employment Program that has trained and employed dozens of DTES residents with barriers to employment
* A daily Meal Program that provides over 26,000 free meals annually to residents of the DTES suffering with severe physical and mental health and addictions challenges.
* A Community Kitchen Program that regularly welcomes a small group of DTES residents to learn basic cooking and nutrition skills and nurture relationships with other neighbourhood residents in the warm and familiar Potluck Café.
* A Recipes for Success Outreach Program that shares best practices for successful social and community employment with other employers interested in successfully maintaining employment for hard to employ inner city residents.

I was also impressed to read about their CSR and sustainability initiatives. I wish I had known about Potluck Catering when we were trying to find a caterer for Mental Health Camp, although I have to admit that we were very fortunate to have LunchBox cater for us. For my next event, I’ll definitely try Potluck Catering.

This is Entry # 21 of 49

If you enjoyed this post, please consider donating to the BC Cancer Foundation. You can find my donation page by clicking here. Every bit helps. Thank you in advance!

Irashai Grill (Coal Harbour)

Raul — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:00:03 +0000

I had heard about Irashai Grill before as they had been kind enough to invite me to a media launch a few weeks back. Unfortunately, that night I was also organizing the panel on social media etiquette for the Vancouver Bloggers Meetupand I was unable to make it. I’d been curious to know more about Irashai. So when Danielle told me that she had invited Matt (Vancouver Slop), Degan (Ethnic Eats) and myself for an intimate dinner and to get to know the cuisine of Irashai Grill, I was 100% delighted.

Credit: Degan Beley

I would have come to Irashai myself anyways because I have always had a soft spot for mom-and-pop owned small businesses, and I had heard about the history of Irashai, but Danielle’s invite was a great bonus. We started with some cocktails. I had a Mango Cosmo and Degan had a Litchi Whisky Sour. Our first dish, a Japanese sea scallop (hotate) carpaccio with citrus dressing, cracked black pepper and kiwi was delicate and fresh. We continued with some red tuna tataki with mayo and dark miso sauce. I am not crazy about lobster but when we were offered a platter of lobster tail, shiitake mushroom and shiso leaf tempura served with lime and smoked sea salt, I couldn’t stop myself. The smoked sea salt gave this dish a great flavor.

Credit: Degan Beley

I was wondering if I would be able to eat more, but when they brought the Alaska crab leg roll (Alaska King Crab, mango, and masago deep fried and served with lemon mayo) I couldn’t say no. I was quite impressed with the summer roll (prawn tempura, masago, and cucumber with a topping of spicy tuna and avocado and drizzled with spicy mayo and sweet soya sauce). We continued with a black eel roll, combining the flavors of mango, avocado and cucumber and topped with avocado and eel tempura.

Credit: Degan Beley

Finally, I thought we had closed with a White Slope Roll which has crab and avocado topped with chopped scallop and spicy sauce. But the staff at Irashai were so kind with us that they made a set of umeboshi maki (which you can see pictured) just because I *love* umeboshi. For those of you who may be wondering what the heck is ume or umeboshi, the Wikipedia entry is located here. For a Mexican, the translation would be “chamoy“. Pickled fruits like these are an absolute delicacy for those of us whose palates are trained to appreciate them. Dessert was a Macha Crème Brule that is to-die-for.

Overall, as I had mentioned to Danielle, I have no qualms recommending Irashai, not because they invited us for dinner, but because I think the sushi is fantastic. I don’t think the staff created specific dishes *just* for us, and everyone I have talked to, including my friends Rebecca Bollwitt and Jen Stoddart have absolutely loved Irashai. I would strongly recommend to swing by, particularly if you are actually downtown. Hopefully you’ll have the same good time as I did.

Disclosure: We were invited by Irashai, but I indicated that I retained editorial control on the review, so everything I say here I stand by

Tell me your favorite restaurant!

Raul — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:15:29 +0000

I’ve been going through about 60 pages of archived blog posts, but found that one of the most popular posts I’ve ever had (in terms of comments, more than actual traffic) is my post on your favorite restaurant in Vancouver. I’m expanding the blog post here so… tell me, which is your favorite restaurant? Lower Mainland, Vancouver, US, anywhere. Let me know!

What Kind of Mexican Food Are You?

Raul — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:14:29 +0000

Well, given my heritage (and given that my favorite food is, indeed, Mexican) here is a little Blogthings quiz for you.

You Are a Burrito

You life large, and you’re happiest when you’re the center of attention.
You are popular and appealing. You are charming and naturally flirtatious.

You are a trendsetter. You’re always trying something new, and you never get stuck in a rut.
You are open minded and adventurous. You love to mix seemingly random elements together.

What Mexican Food Are You?

Ninkazu Japanese Restaurant (Richmond)

Raul — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:15:03 +0000

I had promised my dearest friends C, B and L that I would never reveal the secret about the ‘all-you-can-eat’ deliciousness of Ninkazu (located in Richmond, BC) but after finding them on UrbanSpoon I can’t really go on without telling the truth. Yes, Ninkazu is great. I recognize that part of the great experience was the fact that I had a wonderful time with my friends, but I’d also argue that the food was excellent. I particularly like their sushi rolls (California and salmon), their Dragon rolls and their nigiri. I don’t really hang out in Richmond anymore that much (because I really have been very busy and haven’t made the time to spend with C, B and L). But if I go soon, my next stop will be Ninkazu, for sure. Reasonable prices as compared to any other sushi place in the Lower Mainland.

Nando’s Chicken (Kerrisdale)

Raul — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:33:06 +0000

I had been wanting to try Nando’s for a long while and finally JT and I ended up going there for dinner. I knew from the advertisements that it was Portuguese food, and I also knew that I would be interested in the decor (simply because if it is Portuguese-themed, it will be easy for me to read, as I speak the language).

We ordered a special consisting of a side (in my case, spicy rice) and a quarter chicken breast (BBQ with a special sauce, not too spicy). I thought it wouldn’t be enough food for each of us, but quickly realized that I was wrong. We used one of the Entertainment Book coupons and dinner for two came to $ 20 (drinks included). Not a bad deal!

I definitely would go back to Nando’s, and thoroughly recommend it. It’s not very “restaurant-like” but more along the lines of Splitz, where you pick up your burger in a sort of conveyor-belt kind of assembly line (if you know what I mean). I won’t complain, it was fun and tasty.

Hanoi Pho (Chinatown/DTES)

Raul — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:26:46 +0000

I had been wanting to try pho (phở) for a long while now (I’ve attended some of John Chow’s DotCom Pho events but never actually had the Vietnamese soup itself). When I was little, I used to ask my Mom to add very thin slivers of beef (fully cooked) to my noodle soups. While not exactly pho, there is some degree of resemblance between both versions of soup with beef, and I thought that it would be good for me to have a food adventure with a good friend.

So I asked Lorraine to join me at Hanoi Pho (a little restaurant located near Hastings and Main). I knew from conversations with Lorraine herself, Colleen and the folks at Invoke that this place was great, and it didn’t disappoint. For $ 8.00 you get a really huge bowl of soup (they called it a Special Spicy Soup) with lots of vegetables, some shrimp and slivers of well-cooked meat. I did finish it only out of discipline (my GrandMa used to say that “we had to eat all our soup and veggies”, so that’s why I mention the word ‘discipline’). But frankly, I would have been ok with a small bowl. I ended up having to walk all the way from Hanoi to downtown and back because otherwise I would have felt incredibly full.

I would thoroughly recommend Hanoi Pho, it’s inexpensive, it’s tasty, the restaurant is clean and guess what – for all of you geeks around, it has free wi-fi! The owner has a very warm attitude and he was very friendly (and you can tell he knows that there are geeks around, because his network is secure and he changes the password regularly, hehe).

Social Bites needs your help!

Raul — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:08:49 +0000

Annika from Social Bites wrote to me recently asking me if I could help her find a guest chef for her dining excursions, and she’s particularly worried about this one because it is a charity event for the Canadian Cancer Society. Here’s part of her email:

My friend is fundraising for Relay for Life and I wanted to help. It is on May 30 in South Granville / Fairview (well, kinda, we are going as far as Oak to Fir and 4th to 15th). I lost one of my hobby chefs yesterday as she is now going away that weekend, hence if you know of anyone who lives in the neighbourhood and loves to cook…can you please send them my way?

So now I’ll put the question out there – if you know of a guest chef, could you please send him/her the way of Annika? Thanks! Here is more info on the Facebook event.

Kishu Island (Main St., Mount Pleasant)

Raul — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:00:23 +0000

Both Lorraine and I love sushi. I happen to be both a lover of sushi AND a lover of all things Main Street. Since we were hanging out around the area, we decided to try Kishu Island for dinner recently. The funny thing is, I love the Kishu Mountain so I figured, Kishu Island would be just as good. Actually the first time I went I had a horrible experience, but given that I’ve now gone twice and haven’t had such a horrible experience the second time around, I figured it was about the appropriate time to give them a review.

We ordered a traditional box each one (about $9.00 per person) and it was more than enough food for each one of us. Their boxes are traditional bento boxes and therefore were pretty much sushi for sustenance. I wouldn’t say this is gourmet sushi, but it was good enough. The company was excellent, and I managed to bump into a former student of mine, whom I really like. Overall, I still prefer my Kishu Mountain to this one.

The race on UrbanSpoon’s Leaderboard is heated

Raul — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:16:03 +0000

Once upon a time, my site was the top-ranked blog on UrbanSpoon. For a while there, I cherished being at the top. But as I told David, Pam, Matt and Maktaaq, I really no longer care to be the top ranked blogger on UrbanSpoon. To be quite frank, I don’t care to be the top-ranked anything.

Have I gained anything substantial from being the top-ranked (or one of the top-ranked, now currently sitting at #4) blogger on UrbanSpoon? No, not really. I have a very cool t-shirt that Ethan (from UrbanSpoon), and I’ve been invited to several events, but other than that? Nothing much, really. I enjoy a very positive communication with UrbanSpoon. But I don’t get any special privileges.

There are foodies whose palates I trust and are not even ranked on UrbanSpoon or are ranked below the top 5. My friend Degan is an example. David himself is another foodie I trust. Other friends of mine whose palates are outstanding (Karen, Eagranie) are ranked below the top 10 on UrbanSpoon. I’ve decided to just not care anymore about my ranking, on Urban Spoon, on Twitter Elite, on anything.

Stepho’s Greek Taverna (Davie Street, West End)

Raul — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:28:36 +0000

I’ve been to Stepho’s before, but quite frankly I never got around writing a review. With my brother’s recent birthday, his fiancee thought that it would be a good idea to treat us to dinner and a concert. Both my brother and I love Thievery Corporation, so she got us tickets and all three of us went out for dinner. What could be better than spend your birthday with two of the people who love you the most in the world, right? I am really grateful that CS invited me to be part of HZ’s celebration, as both of them mean a lot to me.

On to Stepho’s. Agreed. It’s an experience you *have* to have if you are a true Vancouverite. Yes, the food is great. Yes, the portions are really abundant. We ordered hummus and melitzano (2 dips we all love). We had already eaten Greek food for dinner all together (Bouzyos), and really, it’s hard to go wrong with Greek cuisine.

We arrived at 5.45pm (I arrived slightly late, due to transit problems) and that was the only element that I didn’t like: Stepho’s won’t seat you unless all your party members are there. Fine. Toshi’s on 16th and Main does the same thing, and I kind of understand. It was a bit stressful for me, as I knew that we had to eat dinner relatively fast in order to get to the concert. The waitress was slightly stand-off-ish, but then I think one of the managers took over and we had a really great experience.

I ordered a chicken souvlakia, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to finish all that food if I ordered a large portion. After sharing the hummus and melitzano and enjoying each one of our dinners, I *knew* none of us would be hungry but still, we managed to split some dessert. Overall, I would say – yes, Stepho’s is one of those traditional Vancouver restaurants you *have* to try at some point. It’s inexpensive, the portions are big. On a normal week night, or on a weekend, I wouldn’t go out of my way to come to Stepho’s. I’ve had dinner at Takis Taverna and Characters (who are all within 20 metres of Stepho’s) and I’ve had a good time. Bouzyos on Commercial Drive and Alexis on Cambie Street are also good options for Greek food. But for me, the best part wasn’t the food – it was being with CS and HZ. That’s what made it all worth it.

Don Guacamole (West End – Robson Street)

Raul — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:58:56 +0000

Credit: Miss604 on Flickr

My friend Rebecca and I both love Mexican food. While sharing an adoration for traditional Mexican cuisine (she, with her Mom-in-law and me, with my own Mom), we have also long known that it used to be always a struggle to find good and authentic Mexican food in ancouver.

Since a substantial number of our lunch adventures have involved Mexican food and we both love to try out new places, I jumped with joy when I received a phone call from her asking me whether I’d like to try out Don Guacamole with her. Obviously, I enthusiastically said yes. I enjoy Rebecca’s company and we hadn’t really hung out one-on-one for a long while. She has always been an extremely good sport with me, and has tried several places that serve Mexican food, including La Casita (Gastown), Delicados (downtown Vancouver), to now-closed Tequila Kitchen, to our favorite so far, before we had hit Don Guacamole – Salsa and Agave.

We met up at Don Guacamole, located on Robson near Jervis. The name of the place, of course, is associated with the Mexican sauce called guacamole (yes, we don’t actually consider it an appetizer!). I ordered a burrito con salsa roja (chicken burrito in a red tomato and chile sauce) [$ 9.50] and Rebecca ordered enchiladas verdes con pollo (chicken enchiladas in a green tomato sauce) [$ 13.50]. You can see on Rebecca’s photo our dinner plates as well as a complimentary flight of various sauces (including guacamole and salsa roja) that comes with your meal, and you can also see her margarita (lime margarita on the rocks) [$ 8.75]. I ordered a couple of strawberry margaritas (blended), which were amazing. If I can say so – Best. Margarita. Ever.

Credit: Miss604 on Flickr

Overall, my assessment of Don Guacamole is good. Some of the staff is definitely Mexican and they know how to treat their customers. Obviously, it also helps that I communicate with them in Spanish. The bartender prides himself in his drinks, and he must be fully praised. Small drawback? The place isn’t huge, and it has sports-bar-kind-of TVs. Considering I don’t want to watch a hockey game over dinner, that’s kind of useless for me.

But the food is great, the service is great, and I just would recommend to go there around 5pm (as Rebecca and I did). By the time 6pm rolled out, the place was packed (and we were already on our way to Vancouver Bloggers Meetup April 2009). Therefore, I’d suggest to just go there early. And if you do, tell them I recommended you, hehehe

Storytelling: Embracing a powerful method to share knowledge

Raul — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:48:19 +0000

Credit: Tris Hussey

The words of my PhD advisor (whom I respect quite a lot, and with whom I am very much in touch even after having completed my PhD) have been resonating in my head for the past few days… “Remember, Raul – research is about telling a story with the data you have, the insights you have gained from your research, and communicating it in a clear way to your audience”. This past week and also this weekend, I’ve been contemplating the idea of storytelling as a method and embracing my inner storyteller.

Yesterday, on our way to the WaterDrop event where I spoke at, I shared a few stories about how I came about doing a PhD in environmental studies, where I studied my MBA courses, which countries I’ve lived in, etc. I also shared the story of how I started blogging and where it has taken me. As I was sharing my stories, I thought of the advice given to my by my advisor, the words of my dear friend Erica Hargreave (with whom I shared this morning a lovely breakfast and a walk along the seawall), the musings of my dear friend and neighbour DMcN (who is able to bend the English language to her very whim at will), as well as the powerful insights I’ve gained from my brother HZ (who, like me, is a scholar who is very engaged with the community at large): we are all telling stories.

My PhD advisor always told me that one key element to my success in academia, and to write excellent academic papers, books, thesis, journal articles, was to be able to find one key insight, and tell the story around it. Despite this fact, I never thought of myself as a storyteller. I always thought that I was an academic, a scholar, someone who was supposed to report back on facts, findings and issues. In the past week, however, I’ve come full circle. I’ve come to embrace my inner storyteller. I realize that with my blog, I am sharing not only the pathway of my evolutionary development as a human being, an academic, a scholar, a consultant, but also my very own personal journey through life.

Credit: Tris Hussey

Further reflecting on this issue I thought of the powerful results of a project like Fearless City, and the poster children of this project and its leader April Smith, who launched her own mobile media company (AHAMedia) and who has been developing her and her team’s portfolio by virtue of deploying an ensemble of multimedia platforms to document recent events. April and her team learned a lot through their involvement in Fearless City and by sharing and documenting their life stories in the Downtown East Side.

Furthermore, and while we are on the topic of storytelling, I was particularly amazed by the fantastic work that April, Peter, Tris, Marina, Dan, Rebecca and all of my peers did at Women in Film 2009 Bridging Media Day. I think that the wonderful and major effort that Erica put to bring a team of social media specialists of the caliber that were in the room and the panels really paid out well, because we (the social media panel and the social media team) were able to tell a new story: the story of how traditional and mainstream media can create bridges and embrace new media. I think we were very, very successful in doing exactly that.

I am quite disappointed that I missed James Chutter’s talks both at Orality 2.0 and at Northern Voice ‘09 on storytelling, because I think that I would have learned a lot from James. Lucky for me, my dear friend Rebecca captured his NV’09 talk here. I’ll have to say that I’ve learned a lot from everyone who has been sharing their stories with me through their blogs, Twitter, and other platforms, through our continued interactions. I am also hopeful that Mental Health Camp will help people afflicted with mental illness tell their stories in a manner that makes them feel safe, comfortable and protected.

I have also come to embrace the power of telling stories through a variety of media and platforms, and through both my research eyes (see my research blog) and my personal lenses. I do hope that in sharing these stories, the people who read both my blogs can find some insights into their own personal learning journeys. If that is my contribution to the development and growth of our community, I will feel extremely successful.

My name is Raul, and this is my story.

The End Cafe (Grandview and Commercial Drive)

Raul — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:51:06 +0000

I had never reviewed The End Cafe for dinner (although I had already had a burger there once, and I had written about it before on my blog). But for last Vancouver Bloggers Meetup, I hadn’t had any food all day and was incredibly hungry so I decided it was time to have dinner there again.

I should preface this review by saying that I have had food at The End Cafe before (a burger with fries) but this time, it tasted like glory. Moreover, I had the pleasure of having dinner with Isabella and Laura, who arrived early to the meetup. I ordered yam fries with garlic mayo to share with Isabella and a club sandwich for myself.

The club sandwich was rather large (which is good, because in this economy, restaurants really need to give you value for your money. It came accompanied with a salad of fairly decent size (given that I was already munching on yam fries, I didn’t mind the salad, hehe). I would definitely recommend The End Cafe for dinner, although as mentioned before, it does have music in the background. If you’re not used to the feel of sports bar, you’ll need to get used to it.

On several positive accounts: the staff is super ultra friendly and they really try their very hardest. The owners are very open to constructive criticisms and suggestions. They were extremely accomodating to me as the organizer of the VBM. In regards to the space, it’s a large venue and I would hold the VBM here again (maybe not every month, but definitely will repeat as there has been a very positive response from many people. We’ll have to see how we deal with noise at some point. But this sounds more like a review of the VBM rather than a review of The End Cafe. My verdict is – I’ll definitely come back for dinner here, regardless of whether we hold the VBM here or not.

Location for Dining Out for Life Tweetup

Raul — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:42:25 +0000

This post is sticky, which means that it will be promoted to the top of my blog for today.

I know I have a gazillion posts that I should have published but I’ve been swamped in work for the project we are about to unveil, and I didn’t have the time to think this properly. But upon further consideration, I think it’s a good idea to try a new restaurant in an area that a lot of downtowners would not normally go to. Decided on the new location of The Reef on Commercial Drive. I had previously reviewed The Reef on Main (my neighbourhood) and I predict it will be good times. Say 6.30pm to allow those of you who actually need to stop by your homes before heading out for dinner.

What: Dining Out for Life Tweetup with Raul (aka Hummingbird604)
When: 6:30pm, The Reef on the Drive (see location map below)
Why: Hang out, socialize and contribute to a worthy cause (Dining Out for Life 2009)
Who: You, me, everyone is invited.

View Larger Map

Dining Out for Life Vancouver 2009 – Mark your calendars

Raul — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:25:00 +0000

In 2007 I Blogathoned for A Loving Spoonful, a local charity focused on delivering warm and nutritious meals to people afflicted with HIV/AIDS. As many of you know, I am a big supporter of A Loving Spoonful and all causes associated with prevention/treatment and essential services for those who are affected by the deadly disease.

On Thursday March 12th, 2009, hundreds of local and BC restaurants will be participating in Dining Out for Life. Twenty five percent (25%) of all meal costs will be donated to A Loving Spoonful in order to help them continue with their awesome work.

I’ve Dined Out for Life other years, and I will be organizing a Dining Out for Life Tweetup on the same day, and I am also aware that my friend Karen Hamilton is an Ambassador for DOFL at Tomato. Karen’s blog post on Dining Out for Life is linked here, go check it out. She also mentioned Eagranie and her commitment to the cause (I knew that Eagranie of The Well Tempered Chocolatier was a foodie, but didn’t know she did stuff like this for DOFL. Awesome!

If you are interested in joining me (or are a participating restaurant) drop me a line on my contact form or leave a comment on this post. Please consider participating in Dining Out for Life. It’s for a good cause. Thank you!

Restaurant review: Deuce (North Vancouver)

Raul — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:56:33 +0000

Ianiv and Arieanna took me for dinner to this new place on Lonsdale Avenue (near 16th St) that they had been to before (they mentioned that the restaurant was sourcing only local ingredients, really good food). If you’ve never been to Lonsdale Avenue, it is a really bright, well-lit corridor that goes from South to North in the North Vancouver area. I love Lonsdale, and it’s always a great place to find restaurants, walk along (and do exercise!) Deuce is a really well decorated restaurant, and as Arieanna mentioned, it is an upscale dining place in the North Shore (something kind of uncommon, at least for me – remember, I’m an East Vancouver boy). The best part of it – we had the whole room for ourselves. The music wasn’t overpowering and it felt cozy despite the relative large size of the restaurant. Tables are very well distributed (they have four areas, including a patio, a lounge, a dining room and a bar at the centre of the house).

Credit: Ianiv and Arieanna

Credit: Ianiv & Arieanna

We ordered a shared plate of Rocket Bottles ($ 10), one of their Shared Plates, and each one of us ordered a Solo Plate (smaller than an average entree but definitely larger than tapas). The whole concept of Deuce is sharing food items, although I wouldn’t say that you can’t go without sharing – the portion size of the Solo Plate is large enough to satisfy one person. We all had each a Solo Plate and we left definitely full (and we didn’t even have drinks!).

Credit: Ianiv & Arieanna

I ordered a Deuce Salad (candied pecans, cherry tomatoes, sundried cranberries, Qualicum Sunshine feta, mixed greens, pomegranate avocado vinaigrette) but I wasn’t sure that my order would be enough to fill me, so I chose to add chicken to my salad. I can say that the flavors were excellent and I was quite pleased with it. And of course, I was definitely full by the end of it. Arieanna ordered the Cheeks and Chips (beer battered halibut cheeks, hand cut fries, smoked paprika tartar sauce) and Ianiv ordered a Serious Mac and Cheese (fontina & farmhouse cheddar, pancetta, oyster mushrooms, panko & truffle oil). Given that the portions were more generous than we expected (and here’s a tip to Deuce – don’t change the size! It was unexpectedly larger, which was a very pleasant surprise).

Credit: Ianiv & Arieanna

We wished we could have done dessert but we couldn’t really eat much more. Apparently, Deuce has brunch, and just browsing through the menu I was very pleasantly surprised. I am thinking I’m going to organize a North Shorte brunch tweetup here. From the prices I see on the brunch menu, they are on the higher (pricier) side of breakfast (items near $ 10) but if their brunch is anything like their dinner, I’m definitely sold for a high quality breakfast. I was telling Ianiv and Arieanna that they were my lucky try-out dinner companions. Every single time I have tried a new restaurant with them, I’ve had a wonderful experience. The food has been great, the company has been spectacular. And the funny thing is, almost every time we go out for dinner, we try new restaurants. I don’t think I’ve been with Ianiv and Arieanna to a restaurant I had previously tried . My kudos go to Deuce for having great food and service. I look forward to having brunch with friends sometime soon at Deuce. And many thanks to Ianiv and Arieanna for taking me here!

Restaurant review: Axum (East Hastings and Clark)

Raul — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:00:32 +0000

If you’ve been a frequent reader of my blog, you’ll know that I am always on the hunt for a great Ethiopian restaurant. I can proudly say that I’ve tried (and reviewed) the vast majority of Ethiopian restaurants in Vancouver. From Fassil to Gojo Little Africa to The Red Sea Cafe and now, Axum. This cute restaurant has been on my “to visit” for a long while now, but for some reason (well, probably the fact that it’s out of my way – but almost kitty-corner with The Brave Bull.

JT and I went here for dinner the other day, as we both really love Ethiopian food. We ordered a full order of chicken (yedoro wot) ($10.00) and a five items vegetarian combo on injera ($10.00). Comparatively, the portions were bigger than Gojo Little Africa but definitely enough for us. I actually wasn’t hungry. Spice level is not comparable, though. I like more spicy food than JT does and I think that’s the general flavor that I get when I have dinner at The Red Sea Cafe, or Fassil.

Excellent points though – service was impeccable, the food was really great, the injera needed to be a tad more sour but I loved it overall, the place is spotless and clean, and very spacious, as you can glean from my photo (sorry it’s a tad blurry – I took it with JT’s iPhone but I need to bring my own camera when I go out). My general perception is that people DO know that Axum is a great place for Ethiopian food. However, given my proximity to Fassil and Red Sea Cafe, I can see myself going there more frequently than to Axum.

Frankly, it’s astonishing the great level of Ethiopian food that we have in Vancouver. I can’t complain. Wherever I am, there will be some place that I can enjoy.

Restaurant review – Fatburger (Denman St., West End)

Raul — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:25:25 +0000

Rarely do I have the opportunity to hang out with my social media friends on a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. It’s usually very structured – we see each other at Third Tuesday, Vancouver Bloggers Meetup, all sorts of events. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I was really excited when, one evening a couple of weeks back, I tweeted to Gus and asked him if he’d like to join me for dinner at Fatburger.

This iconic institution of burger-manufacturing is actually decorated as a really cute diner. Located almost right besides Delaney’s, on Denman and almost Comox, Fatburger has a long history. From their own website:
In 1952, Lovie Yancey created something unique. A culture. A phenomenon, if you will. She created the biggest, juiciest hamburgers anyone had ever seen. So obviously, there was only one name for them – Fatburger.

Half a century later, while other places are just discovering taste, we’re still making hamburgers the way she did. Fresh lean beef, not frozen patties. Cooked-to-order, just the way you want it, every time.

The only thing Lovie loved as much as hamburgers was music. So you’ll hear some of the best music ever blasting from kickin’ new jukeboxes: Rock’n'Roll, R&B, Hip-Hop, and Classic Soul that’ll keep you groovin’ in your chair long enough to finish that big juicy burger

Both Gus and I ordered a Fat Deal (Fat Burger, fries and a soda), and to be quite honest, the burger was kind of huge. The meat was juicy and well cooked (just like I like it) and the fries were solid, albeit I’m not a real fan of their fries. I would much have preferred to have eaten onion rings. Overall, it was a great experience. I got to play with the jukebox and enjoy Gus’ company, which I always enjoy very much.

Overall rating – I’d probably go first to Splitz than Fatburger, but if asked about Fatburger and Vera’s, it would be a tough call. Really good burgers, though, and on the rather inexpensive side (less than $ 9.00 for burger, fries and soda – minus the taxes and tips, per person). I would recommend it, even if just for the experience.

Restaurant review – Cafe Mumbai

Raul — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:16:15 +0000

Anyone who knows me well knows that there are three cuisines that make me absolutely happy: Ethiopian, Indian and Mexican. Since Andy and I hadn’t hung out in a rather long while, and given that he just launched BuddyPress and we just had attended WordCamp Whistler, we figured we’d try to do lunch at a new restaurant (we’d already tried Salsa and Agave, which I think Andy did like).

Thus we decided to settle on Cafe Mumbai (seeing as we’d both be in the Kitsilano neighbourhood). It was the first visit for the two of us, so it was also very nice to try a new place. We both ordered a combo with rice, vegetables and a chicken curry (masala). The portions are rather generous (I’d insert a photo which Andy took but he hasn’t emailed it to me yet, hehehe – will do that when he does email it), and the food is really exquisite.

Service was definitely top-notch. Even though the place wasn’t really full (as we had lunch rather late, closer to 1:00pm) the owner/manager was always very attentive and trying to be very helpful. Overall, a great experience. It’s always nice to catch up with friends on a one-on-one basis. Yes, I love meetups, but… you know… I do appreciate quality time with my friends outside of the world of meetups and what-not.

I’d seriously recommend Cafe Mumbai to anyone who is in the neighbourhood and wants some really good Indian food. Overall lunch would be between $ 9-14 CND w/tax and tip, per person. Not really very, very expensive.

Dine Out Vancouver 2009

Raul — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:09:02 +0000

Well, considering that my blog has a reputation for the restaurant reviews I do, and that somebody tagged me “Dr. Dine Out”, I figured that many people might be puzzled as to why I hadn’t yet posted anything about Dine Out Vancouver. See… the budget may not allow for many events, but given the broad range of affordable options, I might just have to cave and do at least one or two of them!

Vancouver’s delicious celebration of BC food and wine is back! Enjoy a three-course dinner at over 180 of Vancouver’s hottest restaurants for $18, $28 or $38* per person, complemented by fabulous BC VQA wine pairing suggestions.[Tourism Vancouver]

I’m probably going to do review posts, and stuff, but just on the $ 18 dollar range, a few personal favorites (please note that there are dozens of them, this is just a short list):
- Burgoo
- Ashiana Tandoori
- Chutney Villa
- Urban Thai Bistro

Reservations are recommended. I give big kudos to Tourism Vancouver for narrowing the database search engine by “Vegetarian”. My friends who are vegetarian thank you in advance!

So – do tell – do you plan to do Dine Out Vancouver and where were you thinking of going? I’m thinking of putting together a group with other local power food bloggers (Degan, Roland, Owen, Karen, to mention just a few). Do let me know if you’re interested too.

Restaurant review: Sushi Boy (Cambie and Broadway)

Raul — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:02:25 +0000

Technically located at the corner of Broadway and Yukon, this sushi eatery could very well be considered only an eatery and not a full-fledged restaurant. But that’s minutiae. I really loved their sushi. I have to say that most of the eateries I’ve been having sushi at, it’s pretty much the same sushi. I mean, I don’t find any substantial variation. From Kishu Island to Kishu Mountain to Toshi’s to Ninkkyu, I can’t see much variation. However, the Sushi Boy is a local favorite of those who live/work around the Broadway and Cambie area.

Do you have any particular sushi restaurant you enjoy?

Restaurant review – Kishu Japanese House – (Downtown)

Raul — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:17:04 +0000

Dr. Mark Latham from VoterMedia.org and I had been trying to schedule a meeting sometime to talk about politics, the web, the VoterMedia project and scholarly stuff for a long time, but it didn’t happen until recently when we went for lunch to Kishu Japanese House on Seymour Street, in the downtown core.

I’ve previously reviewed other Kishu restaurants, and I think this particular one is the “Mother Ship”. We both ordered boxes (since we were going there for a quick lunch), mostly in the range of $6.95 – $8.95. I’m always a fan of California rolls and miso soup, and to me, these tasted pretty generic. While I have to admit that I sincerely prefer Kishu Mountain to this one, I can’t complain. The sushi that we got at Kishu (Japanese) is pretty much like a vast majority of sushi joints – sustenance. Not gourmet sushi, but not bad sushi either. It’s good for the value.

Since it is so close to my downtown office, I suspect that I will be visiting Kishu (Japanese) in the future. It’s also very strategically located near the Granville Skytrain station. Overall, good food, within the confines of a downtown, quick lunch joint.

The company was, by far, the best part of this lunch. I had been looking forward to having lunch with Mark and talking academic shop. A large part of my PhD training was in political science, and having taught public policy, I am always interested in talking municipal politics. I also think that the project that Mark has undertaken is very worthy and I look forward to the next phase.

Restaurant review – Gojo Little Africa (Commercial Drive)

Raul — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:32:59 +0000

Degan and I had been talking about hanging out in a less-crowded, more low-key environment and talkin about Ethiopian food. My readers might remember that I am an absolute die-hard fan of The Red Sea Cafe on Broadway and almost Fraser Street. But I’m always up for trying new places and the only restaurant I hadn’t tried that served Ethiopian food was Gojo Little Africa.

Located around 12th Avenue and Commercial, Gojo not a really tiny place, but since that area of Commercial is somewhat darker and less illuminated, you could easily blink and miss it. I was actually very happy with the place as it is spacious, very nicely decorated and well illuminated.

We ordered a veggie combo and a yedoro wat, which is one of my very favorite dishes (a spicy chicken stew) to share.

The food was great and while neither of us were hungry afterwards (we were actually quite full), I still have my money on The Red Sea Cafe. The portions are bigger there, but again, we didn’t really end up having to order more food. I’ve tried almost every single Ethiopian restaurant in the city and I still love Red Sea Cafe. Of course, my second and third choices would definitely be tough ones, as Fassil, Gojo, Harambe and Addis Cafe are all excellent.

After finishing our dinner, Degan and I spent some time talking about the possibility of having a dinner with the rest of the Vancouver food bloggers, which I am sure would be a lot of fun. I am hoping to organize this in the next little while, hopefully before the year 2008 is over.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Gojo Little Africa for dinner. I am actually very surprised that there aren’t a lot of restaurants between 12th and 14th Avenue on Commercial. That area is really underrated. It should get way more business, in my humble opinion.

Degan is an absolute pleasure to hang out with, she is really a lot of fun, very easygoing and really easy to get along with and I definitely see this as the first of many adventures of us two in our role as Vancouver’s food bloggers Hopefully more of them will join us next time!

Restaurant review – The Alibi Room (Gastown)

Raul — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:31:03 +0000

It would be unfair for me to judge The Alibi Room in their dinner mode having not had dinner there for a long, long time. The last time I actually consumed anything there at night, I attended Global Metal with Rebecca, Trevor, Andy and Beth. We only had drinks so that doesn’t really count.

But I did have brunch there very recently with MJ and Dale, for the AIDS Benedict brunch. While I absolutely hate eggs Benedict, I wanted to participate in the event and so I sent out a Twitter invitation. I was very pleased and touched that both MJ and Dale accepted, as we had a really good time. Neither of them had met each other before, and I’m always happy when I help build connections amongst my friends from the Vancouver tech scene.

Both MJ and Dale ordered eggs Benedict while I ordered scrambled eggs with chorizo and toast. As far as the quality of food goes, it was really, really good. I did remember The Alibi Room being this good. The service was a mixed bag. Both our servers were incredibly sweet and nice and they went out of their way in keeping our coffee cups refilled. Both of those elements were highlights.

The very small downside? The servers seemed to struggle to keep up with everyone, and our food took a while to get to our table, but we didn’t mind as we were having a really good time.

My verdict? I will come back to The Alibi Room many, many times. It’s spacious, it’s well designed, it has good food (brunch is good and I remember dinner being good too. I’ll have to come back for that). Service is ok, and more than anything, it’s pretty strategically located. The Vancouver tech community visits The Alibi Room with frequency, and it’s close to my downtown office and to my home (well, if I take the bus anyways).

I’d definitely recommend The Alibi Room for brunch, although frankly, I still do love my Nice Cafe and Crave on Main. In my humble opinion, two of the best brunch places in town.

Farmstead Wines dinner contributes to “Help Save the UBC Farm” efforts

Raul — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:11:11 +0000

There are many reasons why I love the UBC Farm. First, I’m a UBC alumnus (Masters and PhD). Second, I’ve taught at UBC too. Third, I’m an enviro-geek. Fourth, the UBC Farm is considered the last working urban farm in Vancouver, and it may be in danger of being transformed and urbanized.

The UBC Farm is a 24 hectare learning and research farm located on the University of British Columbia’s Campus in Vancouver, Canada. The farm is student-driven and integrated with the wider community. As the only working farmland within the city of Vancouver, the UBC Farm is an urban agrarian gem, featuring a landscape of unique beauty.[About the UBC Farm]

The phenomenon of transforming agricultural land into bedroom communities is not new. Research has shown that increasing pressure for residential use leads to changes in zoning and land policy that reduce how much land is available for agricultural use (if you’re interested, I can point you out to some academic articles on the subject). My own PhD research focused on industrial/urban transformation, so I read all about this body of literature as well.

Luckily, there are many people out there who are working really hard to help, groups like the Friends of the UBC Farm, and individuals such as Anthony Nicalo (Farmstead Wines), whom I consider a friend, and whom I admire for his passion for sustainability. Anthony recently hosted a dinner to raise funds to help save the UBC Farm, and from what I read on the Farmstead blog, it was a great success!

Congratulations, Anthony, and thank you for contributing to such noble efforts.

Whistler’s Cornucopia – Chef’s Luncheon Series with Anthony Nicalo

Raul — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:30:43 +0000

My friend Anthony Nicalo (Farmstead Wines) is hosting a Chef’s Luncheon Series during Whistler’s Cornucopia. Admittedly, I’d love to attend, but frankly and honestly, I can’t, because I have a grant application and a grant report to submit over the weekend. But Whistler’s Cornucopia sounds amazing, and knowing Anthony like I do, I am sure the Luncheon will be outstanding.

Chef’s Table Luncheon with Anthony Nicalo & Farmstead Wines
Saturday, November 8
12:30pm – 3:30pm

Enjoy a luncheon highlighting local, seasonal ingredients with gourmet selections from around the world. Share ideas and cooking techniques, learning ways to get the most out of great ingredients. Exploring the connection between the farm and table will extend to the wine pairings, with a selection of naturally farmed, handcrafted wines. Guests will move beyond the rhetoric of 100 mile diets and experience the underlying principles for themselves. [Whistler Cornucopia]

Anthony is passionate about sustainability and its implementation within our food systems. While I wasn’t much of a wine addict before I met Anthony, he’s introduced me to some really good (biodynamic) wines, and I think that participants in the event will have an outstanding time.

I actually thought of Russ for this event as he just started a food and wine blog, and while we are at it, I should probably point you out to his blog. I’ll edit this entry once I obtain permission from Russ to link to it, his is a new blog precisely on the topic of wine pairings with food. Russ and Gus are good friends of mine and I think you’ll love both their blogs (Gus has been blogging for quite a bit already!)