Hastings House Country House Hotel and Dining Room on Salt Spring Island is pleased to announce our guest chef program is returning for 2012 — top BC chefs have been invited to prepare multiple-course dinners in the Hastings House kitchen, incorporating Salt Spring Island’s produce, seafood, and meats. Wine pairings featuring BC wines will be offered to complement the extraordinary menus.

Salt Spring Island is a food-lover’s paradise, blessed with a mild Mediterranean-like climate and devoted growers and producers renowned for their organic fruits and vegetables, meats, and cheeses. Fresh-caught, wild seafood rounds out nature’s local pantry. In recent years, island wineries have further added to the diversity of the local harvest. Diners can look forward to amazing experiences as the celebrated guest chefs each put their own personal spin on Salt Spring Island flavours.

Chefs Across The Water is, without a doubt, one of the premiere wine and food events in the entire province of British Columbia, and certainly would rank up high there in Canada. The 2012 programme sounds simply amazing:

The new guest chef line-up builds on the tradition of connecting British Columbia’s fine dining establishments while highlighting the incredible bounty of the region’s produce. This year Chefs Across the Water invites distinguished chefs from three Relais & Châteaux luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants to participate in a series of gastronomic island adventures in the months of June, September and October.

Chefs Across the Water participants and dates are as follows:

Chef Nicholas Nutting
The Wickaninnish Inn
Monday, June 11th

Chef Lee Parsons
The Wedgewood Hotel
Monday, September 17th

Chef Terry Pichor
Sonora Resort
Tuesday, October 16th

Each one of the dinners is $100.00 per person, wine pairings $40.00. This is really affordable, even more so if you think about the kind of exclusive and one-of-a-kind experience it is, and each person gets to enjoy a delicious five course dinner prepared with local ingredients by some of the most amazing chefs in the province of British Columbia.

I am super excited to announce that Salt Spring Air and Hastings House have again partenered with me (as they usually do, because they are amazing and they always have been incredibly kind to me) to offer a lucky reader of mine (and a guest of theirs) a Chefs Across The Water 2012 Grand Prize. The Grand Pack elements are as follows:

My Chefs Across The Water/Hastings House/Salt Spring Air Grand Prize package will include two return (Vancouver-Salt Spring Island-Vancouver) seats on the flight to Salt Spring Island that is most appropriate for Chefs Across The Water (June 11th afternoon to return June 12th morning). If you know anything about Salt Spring Air, you’ll know that they are absolutely wonderful and that they provide top-notch service (as well as dozens of Twitter deal, you should follow them at @SaltSpringAir). Beyond their fantastic service and amazing customer service quality, another thing that I love about Salt Spring Air is how eager their owner (Phillip) is willing to experiment with social media (check out Salt Spring Air Pinterest, for example). I always have entrusted my travel to and from Salt Spring (and sometimes to Victoria too) to Salt Spring Air.

SaltSpring Air is the islanders’ airline. We are a locally owned airline based out of Ganges on Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada. Now offering free parking at Vancouver Airport. We offer scheduled seaplane service between Saltspring Island, Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Downtown Vancouver/ Vancouver Harbour, and Maple Bay on Vancouver Island. Saltspring Air also provides seaplane flights to the many Gulf Islands.

Charter flights and scenic sightseeing flights are available to any destination throughout the west coast of British Columbia including Victoria Harbour, Nanaimo Harbour, Tofino, Sunshine Coast, Canada’s Southern Gulf Islands and most points reachable by floatplane on Vancouver Island. Our scheduled service serves the following communities; Ganges, Fulford Harbour, Duncan, North Saanich, Pat Bay, Mill Bay, Chemainus, Crofton, Ladysmith, Cowichan, Saturna, Poets Cove and Port Washington of Pender Island, Lyall Harbour on Saturna Island, Miners Bay on Mayne Island, Montague Harbour on Galiano Island, Telegraph Harbour on Thetis Island, Brentwood and Sidney by the Sea.

My Grand Prize Package also includes dinner for two at the June 11th Chefs Across The Water dinner. You REALLY should try, regardless of whether you win (or not) my Grand Prize, to visit Salt Spring Island for Chefs Across The Water. You can read my experience at the August 2011 Chefs Across The Water here. And a couple of photos just to entice your appetite.

Not only do you get to experience the scenic flight over to Salt Spring Island, courtesy of Salt Spring Air, and a fantastic dinner for two in the dining room of Hastings House at Salt Spring, but Hastings House has kindly upped the ante on my Grand Prize and is offering accommodation for two for an overnight stay at the amazing Hastings House. You can read my experiences at Hastings House (which have always been wonderful, both for Chefs Across The Water and for the Salt Spring Island Documentary Film Festival) here. Just a couple of photos of my previous visits to show you how cozy and comfortable the accommodations are.

Hastings House Country House Hotel is a small waterfront luxury country resort, spa and restaurant – sits on 22 acres on the waterfront of Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Enjoy luxury lodging, fine dining, wellness and relaxation in a casually-elegant atmosphere. Explore British Columbia’s natural beauty, Salt Spring’s mild climate and the warmth and creativity of its people.

The heart of the seaside resort is a magnificent 11th century Sussex-style Manor House overlooking peaceful Ganges Harbour on Salt Spring Island, BC. The Manor House is where guests gather for cocktails and conversation, before dinner. Eighteen unique guest rooms and suites, each with its own décor and history, are situated in seven lovingly maintained buildings around the estate.

So, what do you need to do to enter to win my Chefs Across The Water/Salt Spring Air/Hastings House Grand Prize contest? Well, that is actually pretty easy. You can earn one entry by dropping a comment on this post telling me about your best travel experience in British Columbia. Bonus points if said travel experience has been to Salt Spring Island, or a stay at Hastings House, or flying with Salt Spring Air! I just think it is important to highlight how much of a fantastic travel destination Salt Spring Island is, and while I love all of British Columbia, I think it would be neat if your travel experience had a Salt Spring Island component (this is not mandatory, however!).

If you want to earn a second entry on top of your comment (for a total of two), you can post the following on Twitter:

Shared BC travels w/ @Hummingbird604 http://is.gd/U9nQoH 2 enter 2 win #CAW @saltspringair @hastings_house Chefs Across The Water prize

I will count the second entry (Twitter) only after you drop a comment on this post. I will void entries that just drop a one liner, though. My goal with Grand Prize contests like this is to enrich the experiences of my readers by having my readers share their own travel experiences, so a one liner or a two word phrase just telling me where it was where you travelled and had the most fun doesn’t really inform the other contest participants and commenters on the post. Share about the wonders that Salt Spring Island and the province of British Columbia have!

The fine print:

This contest is open to 19 years of age and older. Please drink responsibly if you consume any alcohol during your dinner. Travel to-and-from Vancouver (if you are out of the Metro Vancouver area) is on your own, as the flight will leave downtown Vancouver and drop you off in Ganges, Salt Spring Island.

I will draw a winner from all entries on the second Travel Tuesday of June, June 5th, at 4pm Pacific Standard Time. Good luck everyone, and thanks Salt Spring Air and Hastings House for, as always, partnering with me to offer amazing Grand Prizes to my readers.

Related posts:

1. Chefs Across The Water at Hastings House in Salt Spring Island (August 2011)
2. Breakfast at Hastings House in Salt Spring Island
3. 12th Annual Salt Spring Island Documentary Film Festival

And one of the best I have tried in recent years. Moreover, the fact that it is located on Victoria Drive in the residential neighbourhood rather than on Commercial Drive is something that makes Via Tevere Pizzeria more appealing, and you will understand my reasoning if you read my posts on the economic geography of the lower West End. By doing some of this reading you’ll know the reason why I am so keen on being a customer of restaurants/grocery stores who are located within the residential area: – I am a bit fixated with urban/industrial/residential transformation.

Lorraine and I visited Via Tevere Pizzeria last week and ordered just one pizza (Vesuvio, $15) and a glass of wine ($6) and sharing one pizza was more than enough for both of us as we were just having a snack. I suspect that one pizza would be enough for a single person if you are hungry enough (which to be honest, I wasn’t really very hungry, and neither was Lorraine). What I found very surprising is that Via Tevere Pizzeria was so unassuming and the pizza was so delightful and filling. The crust was not doughy and the amount of food that covered my pasta was more than enough to make it worth the price I was paying.

Overall, Via Tevere Pizzeria ranks as one of my favorite pizza places, and one that is not just “Uncle Fatih” kind of pizza. Definitely up there to compete with Famoso, Nicli and Prima Strada, at the very least. And in such a secluded location that it’s not so mainstream. I’ll definitely be back to Via Tevere Pizzeria.

Disclosure: I paid for both of our dinners on my dime. As always I retain full editorial control over anything I post on my site.

Related posts:

1. Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria (Commercial Drive)
2. Pizzeria Prima Strada (Victoria, BC)
3. Nicli Antica Pizzeria (Gastown)

First off, I was kind of surprised that Famoso asked us to fill out an order pad. But our server, Charlotte (fiancee of the owner/franchiser of Famoso) was such a good sport, so lovely and so energetic and full of life and focused on our enjoyment, that I had absolutely no problem doing the weird “fill out your table’s order and bring it down and we’ll go from there“. I ordered a Pollo Pizzeta with a Tomato Bisque soup ($11 for the combo, which I find absolutely super inexpensive).

I not only don’t have any complaints about the Tomato Bisque, but I have to say it was the best bisque I have had this side of French bistros. The pizzetta is, to my surprise, a little bit thicker in dough than I have experienced at other Napoletana pizza joints, including Nicli, Via Tevere and Verace. While extremely flavourful, and rich in cheese, I found it heavy to digest. The above said, I absolutely loved the service, both offline and online. The response from the management team to our praising tweets was really solid and warm.

My feeling is that Famoso is still working out the kinks to their pizzas. Frankly I’d like to see thinner, less doughy crusts next time. Or maybe I just chose the wrong pizzetta (because I saw what Carin, Andrew, Eric, Tyson and Minna ordered and they looked sort of richer in ingredients). Overall an extremely nice experience (not only because of the company we kept but also because Charlotte made us feel so much at home – she even gave us gelato samples to share). I mean, seriously. That woman alone made the visit worth it (in addition to my beloved friends).

I will be coming back to Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, if for nothing else, to try new pizzettas and to have that delicious tomato bisque.

Disclosure: Minna invited me for dinner so my tab was on her dime. As always I retain full editorial control over anything I post on my blog.

Related posts:

1. Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana (Victoria Drive)
2. The Libra Room (Commercial Drive)
3. Italian Day on Commercial Drive, Vancouver (June 5th)

A winding stone staircase leads from bustling Robson Street to this celebrated Vancouver dining room, recognized for its contemporary Italian menu and award-winning wine cellar. An ingredient-driven, seasonal focus sets the tone for the menu, with distinctive dishes embracing the traditions of Italy. Guests are greeted by an antique Roman statue, fresh floral displays and the long, elegant marble bar with its comprehensive collection of grappas. Tall arched windows open onto a secluded al fresco terrace. Housed in the private dining room, part of CinCin’s value-driven wine collection is on display: deep and global with boutique finds, and an extensive half-bottle selection. The main dining room, with its Ken Wallace original triptych painting, overlooks the open kitchen with wood-fired forno, grill and rotisserie—the feeling is warm and intimate, refracting the sights, sounds and smells from the cucina, and the comforting food that comes from it.

In fact, it’s kind of ironic that JT spent LESS on CinCin for dinner (and we were fully satisfied) than we have at other local restaurants (dinner came to less than $45 for both of us!). I think I was prejudiced with the notion that CinCin Ristorante + Bar would be expensive, when the reality is that the prices are yes, along the side of the medium-to-high-end restaurants, but the quality of the food is outstanding.

I ordered my usual (Linguine Puttanesca). I use Puttanescas as a baseline for comparison. The Linguine Puttanesca that CinCin Ristorante + Bar serves is the most delicate, exquisite and best made of them all. Even though it uses tuna confit (bizarre as they should use anchovies). The other Puttanesca (well, Puntanesca) I adore is the one Chef Alex Tung used to make at Tapenade Bistro (which I reviewed last summer).

I can say with confidence that I will come back to CinCin Ristorante + Bar again for a full-on meal (we only had a main course, and didn’t order wine as we had to go somewhere for a movie). But I definitely loved the food quality and the service was beyond impeccable.

Disclosure: JT paid for both of our meals on his dime.

Related posts:

1. Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante (Burrard and Smithe, Downtown Vancouver)
2. Tsunami Sushi (Downtown Vancouver, Robson Street)
3. Cafe Il Nido (Downtown Vancouver, Robson Street)

wild rice began as a simple thought from Andrew Wong. his wish was to create a socially conscious restaurant serving local cuisine with influences from his Chinese heritage. The space is a blend of yin and yang, east and west, traditional and modern. as in traditional Chinese cuisine, the menu offers numerous dishes for sharing. where they diverge from tradition is in the ingredients, presentation and style. As a proud member of OceanWise, Green Table and Shark Truth, wild rice is committed to serving ingredients that are local, seasonal and sustainable. the wine list reflects a thoughtful selection of the best from BC and west coast vineyards.

We probably ordered way too much food (and way too-large-sized plates), but I have no shame in admitting that I brought dinner home for 3 days in a row and I did not repeat a dish each night. It also helped that I was sick, so having leftovers was extremely useful. And the overall bill (about $56 for two people) wasn’t also huge if you consider the large size portions.

We began with a buddha’s curry on jasmine rice $14 with maple hill chicken (an additional $6), a chinatown sweep ($15) and we completed our meal with a spicy maple hill chicken kung po ($19), twice cooked peanuts, broccoli, rice noodles. My photos are not of the best quality as I did not have a macro lens with a DSLR (I only used my iPhone camera!) and there was mood lighting so it was pretty dark. Since I don’t really eat Chinese I can’t comment on the actual preparation of the food, but I loved the taste, and the portion size was quite reasonable.

I definitely enjoyed dinner and will look forward to visiting again some time soon.

Disclosure: I paid for both of our dinners on my own dime.

Related posts:

1. Wild Garlic Bistro (Robson and Denman, West End)
2. Curry chicken with basmati rice
3. Fresh Local Wild (food cart at Burrard and West Hastings)

The avocado roll and the yam tempura roll were both good, I won’t deny it. But the spicy tuna roll was meh.

The gyozas were delicious, that I will concede. Overall, I’ll come to Kiso Island again, but mostly when I’m away from MoMo Sushi or Sushiyama or Hime Sushi (all in the vicinity of Main and Broadway). It’s inexpensive sushi, but it’s not the best in town.

Disclosure: I paid for my sushi dinner on my own dime.

Related posts:

1. Kishu Island (Main St., Mount Pleasant)
2. Restaurant review – Zipang Sushi (Main Street – Mount Pleasant)
3. Ryu Sushi (Main Street, Mount Pleasant)

Classic regional cuisine is the star at this bustling neighbourhood trattoria. Here, rich flavours and hearty dishes inspired by the Italian countryside command an audience that is never disappointed. Black and white tiled floors, a 32-seat dining room, and a walk-through kitchen. Step inside La Buca and you’ll feel right at home.

Coincidentally, the night we were there for dinner, La Buca was offering Ling Cod in Puttanesca Sauce. I usually compare Puttanesca pastas across the board to decide whether I like a place or not. I have to admit, I loved the Puttanesca sauce at La Buca. While I was a bit taken aback by the presentation (because I ordered the Ling Cod, with an extra bit of pasta sauce), I loved the flavours. Puttanesca is a sauce that needs to be discreet and subtle or otherwise it’s extremely overpowering. I found La Buca’s Puttanesca flavourful, without “yelling out”. As in, cooked with enough subtlety that it made me consider it a gourmet dish rather than just a bunch of olives, capers and garlic thrown in a tomato sauce.

Overall, it wasn’t an expensive dinner ($66 before tax for both of us), and I am really thrilled at the outcome. I’ll definitely come back again. Besides, the service was good (I wish we had had our water glasses refilled more often, but as far as the quality of the food and how accommodating they were to me and JT, I have absolutely no complaints). Worth visiting.

Disclosure: I paid for both my and JT’s dinner on my own dime.

Related posts:

1. Arbutus Village Public Park (Arbutus Ridge)
2. La Notte (Dunbar and 16th Avenue)
3. Handi Cuisine of India (Dunbar, Kerrisdale)

I was crazy about trying this Japanese style Ahi tuna steak, and I think we expected something very different but we ate it nonetheless. Moist and tasty, but not extremely flavourful.

This dish, I was totally surprised by how much I liked it.

While the mixture may look gross at the beginning, in the end it’s incredibly tasty, a Kimchi Pork Bibimbap.

And the reality is, who doesn’t love tempura shrimp bathed in spicy sauce. I certainly do! These are called Ebimayo. Absolutely delicious.

I tend to like thick slices of seared tuna in a spicy noodle bedding, but that’s just because it’s one of those dishes that I had at April Point Resort and stayed with me. Guu Tataki, if I’m not mistaken.

Dessert was simply absolutely delicate. Bananas, deep fried batter and ice cream? Sign me up! The Banana Tempura was one of the best dishes we tried. Overall an amazing evening with a great friend.

Related posts:

1. Sea Monstr Sushi (Gastown)
2. Momo Sushi (Gastown)
3. Robson Sushi (Robson Street, West End)

At the Original Tandoori Kitchen restaurant we have selected dishes that are most sumptuous as they were inspired by Great Indian Emperors. Special emphasis on Tandoori Cooking reflects Chef Sharanjit ‘s vision of bringing Tandoori Cuisine to higher levels of popularity in the Great Pacific North West. Popular accompaniments are our special stuffed naan breads which are baked vertically in the Tandoori oven. At the Original Tandoori Kitchen restaurant you will spice up your lives with our authentic Indian Food, cooked with nothing but the best ingredients and spices.

We ordered a couple of dishes (JT ordered the original Tandoori chicken and I ordered Chicken Shahee Korma, boneless pieces of chicken delicately cooked in a mild sauce with onions and ground cashew nuts. – my experience with Indian restaurants is that I will usually enjoy the Korma as it has lots of nuts and the flavour is strong and full-bodied). We had to order rice and Naan on the side.

At $3 for each Naan (and I chose the garlic Naan), and around $13-$16 for each dish, the price point feels right. The food was delicious, and we had enough food to bring home for lunch the next day.

Our Tandoori signature dishes are first marinated in an exotic blend of spices, as inspired by chefs of bygone eras, before they are barbecued on skewers in the tall high-heat (320c / 600f) tandoor oven over charcoal. A quick stove-top finish follows. This mode of cooking ensures the succulence of the ingredients.

I have no idea why it took me this long to eat at Original Tandoori Kitchen, but I will remain a devoted and faithful customer. The menu (opens to PDF, and it took me A LOT of time to find in a maze of websites) has a lot of variety and you should definitely try coming down and eat here some time.

Disclosure: I paid for my and JT’s dinner on my own dime. As always, I retain full editorial control of what is published on my site.

Related posts:

1. Restaurant review – Swagat Tandoori Restaurant
2. Luke’s Corner Bar & Kitchen (Fairview Slopes/South Granville)
3. The Main Street (South Main – Mount Pleasant) night scene

From the website of Luke’s Corner Bar & Kitchen here is the motivation of why the owner opened it:

“I’ve been to places that served great craft beer, but the food was mediocre; others where the food was great, but the atmosphere left you feeling cold, and others that were actually pretty inviting, but had nothing of interest to drink. That’s why I wanted to open Luke’s Corner Bar and Kitchen. It’s a local place that focuses on good music, a fantastic bar, and most importantly: great food, great people and a great vibe- the kind of place a South Granville tavern should be. Drop by Luke’s and we’ll show you what a tavern’s really all about.”
You’re welcome here.

And yes, welcome is exactly how we felt. We arrived with a little bit of a time constraint (we arrived at 6:15pm and we were going for a 7:30pm show), and we informed the hostess and the waitress of how time-starved we were. They both were incredibly friendly, and despite having a full house and lots of customers, provided us with our food on time, it was tasty and we were out right on time for the theatre show.

The prices are very inexpensive, which is rather unusual for the location (this is over-priced South Granville, after all). We ordered an $18 Dine Out Vancouver menu, and were not disappointed. I started with a Caesar salad with crispy prosciutto (who can say no to prosciutto) which was so filling I had a hard time finishing it off.

My main course was pecan snapper, in a bed of rice and veggies. I have to say, this was tasty but I’m so used to strong flavours that I probably would have appreciated some tapenade on the side, or some hot sauce. Good, nonetheless. And not only do they offer inexpensive food and drinks, and good service, they are also Ocean Wise partners AND offer a gluten-free menu.

I’ll have to come back again, after discovering that yes, second parts sometimes are good, and this reincarnation and transformation of the location a previously not-memorable restaurant into a very good one signals probably a lot of good things to come for Luke’s Corner Bar & Kitchen.

Disclosure: I paid for both of our dinners on my own dime. As always I retain full editorial control on what I publish on my site.

Related posts:

1. QQ Sushi (South Granville/Fairview Slopes)
2. Original Tandoori Kitchen (South Main/Sunset)
3. Apollonia Greek Restaurant (Kitsilano/Fairview Slopes)

JT ordered La Carbonade Flamande (at $26, a pretty decent price for a high-end restaurant, Chambar Ale braised short ribs, sultanas, sauteed swiss chard, parsley & sage barley risotto). I totally would have loved to try the risotto, as I find few restaurants in Vancouver know how to make it well done.

I ordered a L’omble de l’Artique nicois ($28 price point, again normal in a higher-end restaurant, crispy Arctic char, sea asparagus, pea shoots, bacalao, lemon & grana padano concasse, with a few tapenades). This dish was absolutely glorious. The Arctic char, which some food connoisseurs may not totally love (particularly since it does share characteristics with salmon, but it’s not exactly salmon), I found absolutely brilliant. The lemon and grana padano concasse added a full-bodied splash of flavour. The tapenades complimented the citrus in the lemon and grana padano concasse (which after doing a bit of research I found a bit ironic, since from what I read, the concasse does contain cheese and anybody who knows me knows I hate cheese). The sea asparagus provided a nice bedding that lent body and texture to the full dish. I totally want the recipe to make it at home!

Would I come back to Chambar again? Absolutely. As soon as I came in, I told the hostess and waitress we needed to be at the theatre by 7pm (we arrived 6:20pm sharp). We were in and out (dinner served and made to perfection, invoiced and bill paid, and tummy full) in 18 minutes (add 2 minutes to chat with the server and thank her for the most excellent service). Unbelievable. While it’s true that, as my readers said, Chambar seems to be the kind of place you would want to enjoy slowly, I am very truly impressed with the quality of the food, the service and the speed. I would totally come back. In fact, I’m sure I will.

Disclosure: JT paid for both of our dinners. As always, I retain full editorial control of what is published on my site. Nobody at Chambar even clued in that I write a blog, which I found fantastic. Their service is just simply that top-notch.

Related posts:

1. Wild Rice (Gastown/Crosstown)
2. 7 Sweet Sins (Crosstown, Vancouver)

Minna ordered an orange juice and I had a glass of Zinfandel (delicious, I might add). Minna ordered a Minestrone Soup with a Greek Salad side order and I had a Spicy Meatballs Platter, which comes with a lot of salad and tzatziki sauce. Having had all sorts of Greek food, I’ll say that Scoozis ranks high on my list the next time I have to come for dinner downtown. It’s really a hidden gem, and the owner warmed our hearts by welcoming us saying “I am very glad you are here for dinner tonight”. Genuinely interested in their customers.

The Spicy Meatballs Platter ($13.50) worked perfectly I think because I wasn’t terribly hungry, but I probably would have ordered a larger portion size dish had I been really hungry (for example, I saw a delicious salmon dish that looked totally like a dinner plate). My meatballs were very well cooked and the tzatziki was of really good quality. Even though they weren’t super busy, I have to admit that the speed at which they served us was really impressive.

Overall, a very nice gem of a find. I did not realize that a downtown restaurant in the very core of the Financial District would be so nice. And so welcoming to children. Moreover, if you are downtown on a weekend working at your office, they also offer lunch AND brunch. I’ll have to come with Ianiv and Arieanna some day as it’s literally 2-3 blocks from Waterfront Skytrain Station. Scoozis and Cassandra’s Wine Room are great finds for dinner in the downtown core, and great value for money.

Disclosure: Minna paid for both of our dinners on her own dime. We were generously offered a complimentary dessert, but we did not expect this, nor does this influence my review. As always, I retain full editorial control over anything I post on my site.

Related posts:

1. Sendai Sushi (Financial District, Downtown Vancouver)
2. Sciué Italian Bakery Caffé (Downtown Vancouver, Financial District)
3. Urban Tea Merchant (Downtown Vancouver, Financial District)

But we had the chance to meet for lunch and we decided to splurge and go to The Bengal Lounge at The Fairmont Empress. I had stayed at the Empress before, but never made the effort to eat at the Bengal Lounge. So, I’m glad we did. We both ordered the buffet and I can tell you, I have NEVER had THIS MUCH FOOD in my entire life. Even as I was full I kept going back.

The Bengal Lounge : Drawing inspiration from Queen Victoria’s role as the Empress of India, this colonial style lounge is known throughout Victoria for its authentic curry buffet and signature cocktail menu. While new restaurants and lounges appear in Victoria regularly, The Bengal Lounge is a favourite of residents and visitors alike. Overlooking our stately gardens, the richly appointed Bengal Lounge offers not only a delicious curry lunch and dinner buffet but also an impressive international à la carte menu. Cocktail and martini aficionados will appreciate our vast selection of signature drinks.

Oh, and the desserts. Did I tell you about the desserts?

If you are hungry and it’s my fault for showing you just how delicious the Bengal Lounge’s buffet service is, you’re welcome.

Disclosure: I paid for both Janni and my lunches on my own dime and did not receive any special treatment by the Bengal Lounge. As always I retain full editorial control of anything I write on my site.

Related posts:

1. Veneto Dining and Tapas Lounge (Rialto Hotel, Victoria BC)
2. 900 West Lounge at the Fairmont Vancouver Hotel
3. A lovely night with Tourism Victoria (@VictoriaVisitor) at the Fairmont Pacific Rim

Tavola is a terrific West End neighbourhood restaurant, serving modern Italian food. Welcoming you is the team who brought you previous local heroes Tapastree and Nook. Tavola continues the tradition of sharing food – family-style, in a warm, contemporary environment at value-conscious prices. The dining room reflects this convivial atmosphere with a 25-seat shared table that is perfect for both groups and casual diners.

The antipasto bar is the place to start as we feature Mozzarella di Bufala, Burrata, artisan proscuitto and salami – sliced to order, along with an constantly changing offering of crostini and salads. Also setting Tavola apart is the commitment to house-made Pastas and sauces – toothsome and hearty. Share some with friends and family along with one of our Big Plates – steak, roast chicken, braised meats and fish, prepared as classic Italian platters.

I loved the concept of a communal table for dinner at Tavola. I’d probably bring my friends here for dinner. For Minna and I it was a great opportunity to just spend time together and sharing a meal as we had not spent any time together since late October.

I started with an arugula salad with pomegranate seeds ($9, in a vinaigrette that had chili flakes – I fell in love with the chef because he adds that extra spicy kick to almost every dish, and it is, for someone like me who love spicy stuff, a glorious experience). I followed with a Spaghetti which anchovies, chilies, garlic and lemon (at $18, probably more inexpensive than many of the local Italian restaurants, at a decent dinner price). The flavour was extraordinary (who doesn’t love anchovies with garlic and chilies and lemon), although the consistency is not of a sauce, but it’s drier (and I like it like that). Almost like a ragout.

While Tavola’s menu is intended to share, both Minna and I had our own dinners and we loved both the size and the flavour. I totally would recommend visiting Tavola if you have the opportunity!

Disclosure: Minna paid for her and my dinner on her own dime. As always, I retain full editorial control of what is published on my site.

Related posts:

1. Nook (Denman and Robson, West End)
2. Wild Garlic Bistro (Robson and Denman, West End)
3. Robson Sushi (Robson Street, West End)

I love Nicli because it’s such an elegant pizzeria restaurant (e.g. somewhere where you sit down and eat like a civilized human being), accompanying your pizza with a stiff drink or a glass of wine. This is such a lost art. I remember a couple of years ago, JT took me to Pizza Hut for a sit-down dinner with pizza and we reminisced about how this used to be more frequent yet take-out-pizza seems to have taken over our societal interest (this is also because we are so stressed out and have no time to sit down and eat, so we grab a slice of pizza on the go).

Born in Naples and widely considered to be the best, every Neapolitan pizza we serve is a labor of love. At Nicli Antica Pizzeria our pizzas are made with passion and attentiveness, using only the finest and freshest ingredients in our wood fired oven, made from the stone of Mt. Vesuvius.

I love Nicli’s pizzas. Admittedly, technically mine wasn’t a Neapolitan one, simply because (a) I removed most of the additional cheese they would put on it and (b) because I requested they added olives. So, my pizza (individual size, with very, very thin crust that almost melts in your mouth) was pretty much a Puttanesca sauce on top of thin crust. Delicious nonetheless ($17 for an individual-size pizza, which if you think about the fact that this is higher-scale pizza, doesn’t surprise me).

My pizza had just about the right amount of garlic, and although it had a bit of a burnt out balloon on one side of the pizza I didn’t mind (strangely enough, I loved the flavour of slightly burnt dough, a bit bitter and tart contrasting with the delicious goodness of anchovies and garlic). Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. Minna loved her Prosciutto-covered pizza. It was hard to cut the pizza but I think that’s just normal because the dough almost melts in your mouth. And we were using normal knives. Probably my fault, all in all.

Overall result: I totally loved Nicli Antica Pizzeria and can’t wait for them to launch their Valentine’s Day promotion. Minna and I had to walk off the carbohydrates and despite how cold the weather was, we didn’t mind a bit because we enjoyed our dinner SO MUCH.

Disclosure: I paid for my and Minna’s dinner on my own dime. As always, I retain full editorial control of what is published on my site.

Related posts:

1. Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana (Victoria Drive)
2. Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante (Burrard and Smithe, Downtown Vancouver)
3. Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria (Commercial Drive)

I ordered a Chicken Scaloppine (chicken breast, mushrooms, artichokes, capers, prosciutto, lemon butter, at $17.99 for the dinner-size portion, $14.99 for the lunch-size portion this is the regular price point for medium-to-high-end dinner places). You can read their menu here, which is quite varied. And the funny thing is, I was in Victoria to speak at WordCamp Victoria 2012 and the website for Luca’s Cucina and Taphouse is actually built in WordPress.

I would strongly recommend Luca’s Cucina and Taphouse. Personally, I found the staff incredibly friendly, the food was to-die-for (and yes, I know it was oily but heck, I love Italian food despite the artery-clogging that comes along with it!). You should check it out next time you’re in Victoria. Near Mayfair Mall.

Disclosure: I paid for my meal on my own dime

Related posts:

1. Bard and Banker (Victoria, BC)
2. Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa (Victoria, BC) #yyj
3. Restaurant review – Rosie’s Diner (Victoria BC)

The Dockside Restaurant offers superbly prepared classic dishes in a setting like no other. Located on the waterfront where Granville Island faces the city, guests can enjoy panoramic views across False Creek to the world-famous cityscape of Yaletown and beyond to the mountains of the North Shore.

The open dining room is relaxed yet refined, wrapped in spectacular floor to ceiling windows, while the lounge offers warm intimate surroundings for evening cocktails. The award-winning patio catches sunlight from morning to late afternoon. Protected on three sides it’s an oasis of calm, disturbed only by the occasional sound of boats making their way along False Creek. Recent renovations have added fireplaces and casual seating areas to this Vancouver destination.

The Dockside Restaurant has also been a partner of mine for years and this year for Dine Out Vancouver 2012 they have also partnered with me to give a lucky reader of mine the opportunity to enjoy dinner for two (drinks, taxes and gratuities excluded) at the Dockside Restaurant. This should be a very fun experience. This is the Dockside menu for Dine Out ($28).

All you need to do to enter my giveaway (2 entries per person maximum, one via Twitter, one via comment) is to tell me your favorite Granville Island activity. For me, it’s usually having dinner at a Granville Island restaurant, often the Dockside, and then head to the theatre. I also stroll through the Granville Island market.

For the second and additional entry, you can post the following on Twitter:

Mentioned my favorite activity on Granville Island on @hummingbird604′s blog to enter to #DineOut at @eatDockside http://is.gd/oJ2aO0

I will draw a random winner on January 20th at 2pm, the day that Dine Out Vancouver 2012 starts. Thanks again to the Dockside for always supporting my projects and giveaways! Stay tuned as I have another giveaway coming up with the Dockside. Check out in the mean time the delicious menu of the Dockside for Dine Out Vancouver:

Seared Scallop with smokey corn puree, crispy prosciutto and pea shoots
or
Zucchini Ribbons sauteed with cream, dried tomato, thyme and shaved asiago

ENTREE

Carrot & Caraway Braised Veal Shank with whole wheat gnocchi and brown
butter broccolini
or
Halibut and Jumbo White Prawns with tomato fillet, capers, white wine and crispy
fried dauphinoise potato with grilled asparagus
or
Grilled Vegetable & Goat Cheese Lasagne on yellow tomato oregano coulis with
black olive crostini and shaved parmesan

DESSERT

Filo Wrapped Warm Black Cherry and Marzipan Cheesecake – cinnamon
almonds and spiced white chocolate
or
Caramel Pot au Feu – with 72% Michel Cluizel and crystallized ginger, honey
roasted pears, Madeira stewed figs, orange scented, sea salted short breads

Related posts:

1. Act I, Eat 1 #DineOut @eatDockside @TheArtsClub Craigslist Cantata @PuShFestival (giveaway)
2. Dockside Restaurant (Granville Island)
3. Restaurant review – Dockside Restaurant

The Mill Marine Bistro is a European style waterfront bistro and neighbourhood pub with a small, cozy sixty-seat interior, and downtown Vancouver’s largest outdoor patio! Our menu concept is healthy bistro & pub fare; simple comfort food at a great value. No fried foods – all fresh and seasonal ingredients prepared in a healthy manner. We love great music, the outdoors, and a fun and positive attitude! We are environmentally and socially responsible, and this is fundamental to our being. Come play with us and have fun on our patio – downtown Vancouver’s largest outdoor patio! Or relax in our pub – we can’t wait to serve you at The Mill.

This year, The Mill Bistro has generously offered to partner with me during Dine Out Vancouver and thus enabled me to give away a gift certificate for dinner for two (drinks, tax and gratuity excluded) during the period of Dine Out Vancouver 2012 (January 20 – February 5, 2012).

All you need to do to enter my giveaway is to tell me what which seawall in Vancouver is your favorite. As you may (or may not, in fact), a substantial number of the Daniel Group Restaurants are located within mere metres from the seawall. For example, The Mill Marine Bistro itself is in Coal Harbour. The Burrard Bridge Grill (also from the Daniel Group) is underneath the Burrard Bridge, and very close to the Northern False Creek seawall. My favorite seawall is, without a doubt, Coal Harbour (and coincidentally, the one nearest to The Mill Marine Bistro!). Though there might be other seawalls I don’t know about that are more secluded!

To earn an additional entry for a total of two, you can tweet the following:

Shared my favorite seawall in Vancouver http://is.gd/17JRLv to enter to #DineOut with @hummingbird604 and @millbistro

I will draw randomly from all Twitter and comment entries one winner on January 20th at 2pm, which is the day when Dine Out Vancouver starts. Good luck everyone, and thanks again to The Mill Marine Bistro for partnering with me to bring Dine Out Vancouver to more Vancouverites! Check The Mill Marine Bistro’s menu here. During Dine Out Vancouver, it should be a beautiful viewing spot and a great opportunity for dinner. Hopefully you’ll try it soon, whether it is by winning my contest or on your own! Reservations highly recommended.

Related posts:

1. #DineOut with @hummingbird604 and @eatDockside
2. #DineOut with @hummingbird604 and the @Glowbal_Group
3. Dine Out Vancouver 2012

I have had dinner at Sanafir before, and absolutely loved it. So I was thrilled to accept the generous offer of the Glowbal Group for a gift certificate dinner for 2 for Sanafir during Dine Out Vancouver for one of my lucky readers. All you need to do is tell me which one of the Glowbal Group restaurants you’ve tried (or if you have never tried any, which one you would likely visit this 2012). I’ll fully admit: I’ve been to all of them. ALL OF THEM. And I have a very special place in my heart for Coast AND for Glowbal Grill.

I will draw a winner for the gift certificate for dinner for two at 2pm on Friday January 20th, the day that Dine Out Vancouver opens. Good luck everyone! You can also earn an additional entry by tweeting the following:

Told @hummingbird604 my preferred @Glowbal_Group restaurant http://is.gd/ZLftLB to enter to win dinner for two during #DineOut

More on the Glowbal Group’s Dine Out Vancouver offerings below (as per their notes to me)

glowbal’s three-course Dine Out menu is $38. Choose from roasted butternut squash soup, grilled beef tataki or prawn cocktail to start. Entrée options include: Beef tenderloin; seared Alaskan black cod; or wild mushroom gnocchi. Dessert is chocolate crème brûlée with cinnamon and pear compote and almond biscotti.

COAST’s three-course Dine Out menu is $38. Choose from roasted parsnip and bay scallop chowder or crispy fried reid oysters to start. Entrée options include: grilled BC snapper; pan-seared icy water arctic char; or grilled Alberta beef tenderloin. Dessert is lemon bavarois with cranberry ice cream.

Sanafir’s three-course Dine Out menu is $18. Choose either the pan-seared tandoori prawn, tabouleh salad, yellow coconut curry, with lemon chutney and a papadum crisp, or the fried chickpea and saffron cous cous salad, with mint and tomatoes, to start. Entrée options include: Singapore prawn cashew curry with aged basmati rice; butter chicken with aged basmati rice and papadum; or almond cauliflower korma with papadum. Dessert is cardamom-dusted zelbias, cinnamon crème anglaise and chocolate bark.

Italian Kitchen`s three-course Dine Out menu is $38. Choose from truffled celery root zuppa or artisan lettuce with prosciutto and mascarpone croquettes to start. Entrée options include: herbed roasted beef tenderloin; lobster ravioli; or baked rigatoni primavera. Dessert is classic tiramisu with mocha anglaise or lemon and basil brûlée with biscotti.

Trattoria’s three-course Dine Out menu is $18. Choose from arugula, orange and fennel salad or cream of cauliflower soup to start. Entrée options include: roasted pork loin or butternut squash, gorgonzola and spiced walnut risotto. Dessert is classic tiramisu with mocha anglaise.

SOCIETY’s three-course Dine Out menu is $18. Choose from the sweet potato and pulled pork croquette or spinach salad to start. Entrée options include veal piccata or prawn linguini. Dessert is a chocolate smore ‘flambe’ crème brûlée.

Black+Blue’s three-course Dine Out menu is $38. Choose from “bacon ‘n’ eggs” (thick cut double smoked bacon, fried duck egg, spicy maple syrup), or tuna carpaccio to start. Entrée options include: Angus tenderloin; roasted sablefish; or roasted onion tart. Dessert is a classic crème caramel, served with orange-almond biscotti and orange liqueur.

You can make your reservations online on the Glowbal Group site.

Related posts:

1. #DineOut with @hummingbird604 and @eatDockside
2. #DineOut with @hummingbird604 and @millbistro
3. Dine Out Vancouver 2012 Glowbal Group menu (media preview)

Residents and visitors are invited to come out and ‘Taste the Flavours’ of White Rock. Bite of the Rock returns for its 6th year showcasing local restaurants and dining experiences. This year includes special waterfront hotel offers and live entertainment at most of the participating restaurants.

The 6th annual restaurant festival presented by the White Rock Business Improvement Association, features three course menus from $15.00, $25.00, $35.00 and $45.00 at eateries located throughout White Rock. This is a fantastic event to encourage to ‘Eat Down the Street’ for White Rock residents and nearby locals to venture from home for an affordable evening out! Diners have the opportunity to sample menus from over 20 White Rock restaurants. From fine dining to to international cuisine to meals for the whole family, there is something for everyone to choose from. Many of the participating restaurants also include Live Entertainment on select evenings.

And impressively, you could make a night of it and stay at the Ocean Promenade Hotel with the Bite of the Rock promotional offer of $99.00! Really nice, I totally would take advantage of this promo.

For a list of participating restaurants, menus and further details please visit In White Rock.

Related posts:

1. What’s so great about Rock Band?
2. White Spot’s upcoming Christmas Lunch for Charity (Dec 25th)
3. Rock Salt Restaurant & Café (Salt Spring Island)

I took to Twitter to ask how much was I supposed to pay for tip. I’ll fully admit that I have no problem over-tipping, for several reasons. One, when I go out, I already have budgeted what I’m going to spend. Two, many of my own undergraduate students at UBC work or have worked as servers or bartenders to put themselves through school. I figure if I tip them well, hopefully other people will do too and that will help them overall. Three, I think that serving is hard work, and if the service has been fantastic why not reward it?

One thing that struck me was what Sarah McKay said, which I think is often forgotten in the process. Servers pass on some of their tip to the rest of the house. And obviously, that may put them in a fragile position if you tip BEFORE tax.

One of the biggest problems I have is with the fact that HST (while theoretically and empirically a sound tax) has actually had an impact on how much people decide to spend and eat out. Obviously that also impacts people who work in the industry.

So, how much do you tip, and do you tip before or after tax?

Related posts:

1. Restaurant review – Swagat Tandoori Restaurant
2. Restaurant review – Capricorn Restaurant & Grill
3. Restaurant review – Mirchi Restaurant Ltd (Marpole)

Renowned as one of West Vancouver’s most celebrated dining experiences , Fraîche is a feast for the senses. The bright and elegant dining room provides a sophisticated and comfortable framework to showcase the spectacular, panoramic view, while the top notch service team similarly supports the talented kitchen brigade. Led by rising culinary talent Executive Chef, Jefferson Alvarez, Fraîche offers delicious and diverse menus for lunch, dinner, bar and brunch that incorporate westcoast sensibilities and ingredients with global flare and flavours. Enjoy an evolving and inspired selection of wines by the bottle and glass expertly paired for your meal or mood. Guests looking for a light lunch, indulgent weekend brunch, mouth watering chef’s table experience or savoury bite after the game will find a welcoming place at the Fraîche table.

While I know that my point-and-shoot digital camera does not make justice to Fraiche’s amazing views, I am pretty sure you can imagine how beautiful the view is. The dining room at Fraiche is spacious, inviting and delicate. The staff is simply out-of-the-ordinary. And they spoiled me. We all know how much I love being spoiled!

As soon as we arrived, we were promptly seated (even though we didn’t have a reservation – I didn’t want to spoil the surprise for Phil). The servers were incredibly friendly and attentive (not only with me, but I noticed that with everyone in the room). It was impressive to see that so many people had chosen to have dinner at Fraiche on the same night (considering how rainy and dark it was, it requires a bit of a trek to go up – but the drive is totally worth it – I will include detailed instructions on how to get there).

Very graciously, Phil sent a couple of appetizers to my table as well as a couple of glasses of sparkling wine (I totally wasn’t expecting this). Though I’ll admit, I’m totally a fan of the prosciutto. My photos aren’t the best as the lighting is fantastic for mood, but horrendous for photos!

I am really impressed with the culinary prowess of Jefferson Alvarez, Executive Chef, Fraîche Restaurant. From his biography on the Fraiche website:

Self taught chef, Jefferson Alvarez left Venezuela for Ottawa at age 16 where he briefly attended Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Institute. Throughout his career, Alvarez has taken many return trips to explore Spain in-depth while working stages at exciting restaurants such as the three-star Michelin rated Arzak and Akelare. Ready for a new experience, Alvarez decided to move to British Columbia in 2009 to head up the kitchen at Divino. His experience and techniques paired with his culinary passions are sure to spell delicious and exciting times for the guests at Fraîche.

While Fraiche’s website purports this wonderful restaurant to be casual, it’s an elegant dining room that is well suited for romantic dinners or special occasions. And this is good as I’m about to publish my List of Romantic Places for Dinner for Valentine’s Day. Both JT and I commented on the fact that we were happy we had worn dressier clothes, as we would have felt bad to be in such nice place with just t-shirt and jeans.

For his dinner, JT ordered Smoked Bison Short Ribs with root vegetables (at $29, a pretty decent price for an upscale restaurant). For my dinner, I ordered Free Range Chicken Supreme ($30, soft truffle polenta, wild mushrooms, porcini jus) which was absolutely to-die-for. While some people may wonder why I didn’t order the Sablefish, I wanted to try the chicken supreme. The wild mushrooms combined with the porcini jus give this dish a salty, rich and fulfilling taste where the polenta provides texture and context. The chicken was perfectly well done and I totally would have done seconds if I had had room in my stomach.

(Sorry, my photos are a bit overexposed because of the flash).

While we could have been totally happy with this, we decided to go for dessert. Best. Decision. Ever. After, of course, deciding to have dinner at Fraiche.

I ordered a Chocolate Trio ($9.5, lava cake, jelly, honeycomb bar) and JT ordered an apple tart ($9.5). Both desserts were delicious, though I have to say my dessert was much tastier. I have no idea how we ended up eating this much, considering that we both were very full from our meal. The lava cake was fluffy, filled with chocolatey flavor, and the honeycomb bar was the perfect after-taste palate cleanser.

I totally will return to Fraiche, particularly on a special occasion. It left an indelible positive impression in my palate. And considering that it has such beautiful views of the city (including the North Shore), and how excellent the staff is, I have to say that I have no qualms recommending it as a romantic place for dinner and/or for a special occasion. JT and I agreed we need to come back. Soon.

TRANSPORTATION NOTE:

You HAVE to drive, I think (you may be able to take the bus but I’d strongly recommend driving). Take Marine Drive (in West Vancouver) until you hit 21st Street. Turn right and take 21st Street all the way up until you cross Queens Avenue, and the highway (99 and 1). Immediately after crossing the highway turn left (west) towards Skylift Road. Take Skylift Road until Falkenstone (you’ll see Salmon House on the Hill, that’s where you should turn right, or North in this case). Go all the way up and then turn to the right towards Chippendale Road, until you reach 2240 Chippendale Road, West Vancouver V7S 3J5. It looks a bit convoluted but it’s totally worth getting up there.

Disclosure:I paid for both of our dinners on our own dime. We were offered a couple of complimentary glasses of sparkling wine and appetizers, but I paid in full for the rest (and we did NOT expect nor request any special treatment). As always, I retain full editorial control over anything I post on my site.

Related posts:

1. Eatery review – Sushi Sky (West End)
2. Stepho’s Greek Taverna (Davie Street, West End)
3. All India Restaurant (Davie St, West End)

Disclosure: I paid for my dinner on my own dime.

Related posts:

1. Restaurant review – The Sunset Grill
2. Hamilton Street Grill wins Favorite Burger in Yaletown (Canada Day)
3. Taste of Yaletown 2011

Located in the trendy Yaletown area of the city, the Hamilton Street Grill has a great location. It is close to everything, whether you are interested in sporting events, the theatre or a special concert by that big-name entertainer. This converted warehouse now features high ceilings, rich oak and a long bar where you can enjoy wines by the glass from the extensive wine list. The Hamilton Street Grill is a contemporary steakhouse featuring Certified Angus Beef along with a large selection of fresh seafood entrees.

Admittedly, the Hamilton Street Grill touts itself as a steakhouse, and I recognize if people think it’s kind of ridiculous that I stuck to seafood at a steakhouse, but I’m not terribly drawn to steak in Canada (Mexico, that’s another thing). Besides, the food was SO DAMN GOOD. I ordered Garlic Prawns (pan seared with garlic butter and lime) to start ($12, not a bad price point for an appetizer, but on the higher end of the scale – this is Yaletown, after all). I wish my prawns had had MORE garlic, but what they didn’t have in garlic sauce they made up with garlic bread. Really nice presentation too, and huge prawns. I could have had the prawns for dinner and be happy.

For dinner, I chose the wild salmon with vegetable risotto and balsamic reduction ($24, at the medium-high end of the scale, but pretty common for any restaurant that does fine dining, and a really big portion). The salmon was cooked perfectly, it was flavourful without being overpowering. It also included some shavings of green onion that complimented the slightly tart flavour of the risotto.

I could have stopped there but I ordered a chocolate mousse for dessert ($8, in hindsight a mistake because I was too full to eat it all). Drinks at the Hamilton Street Grill are delicious but lethal (I had chocolate martinis at $10 and a couple of other nice sweet martinis, which totally gave my wallet a big hit)

Overall, I totally would come back for dinner to the Hamilton Street Grill, but perhaps be a bit more frugal (there’s plenty of good items that are great value for money and that I could have had, but I went all out – also, the drinks added to my bill!)

Disclosure: I paid for my dinner on my own dime. No portion of our dinners was complimentary. We didn’t receive any special treatment even though it was Arieanna’s birthday (we didn’t expect special treatment either). Chef Neil Wyles did kindly recharge my iPhone for 30 minutes, though, as the battery was totally depleted.

Related posts:

1. Hamilton Street Grill wins Favorite Burger in Yaletown (Canada Day)
2. Heritage houses on Hamilton Street (Yaletown)
3. Glowbal Grill (Yaletown)

You may know that The Sandbar is recognized for its seafood, and thus I was actually looking forward to trying some of the dishes that were made with seafood. I never, unfortunately, come out for dinner hungry enough to eat 2 or 3, let alone 5 courses’ meals. Which is good because The Sandbar had just enough food.

JT and I were going to check out a play on Granville Island and I had to find another restaurant I hadn’t written about, and despite the fact that I’ve eaten at other Sequoia Group of Restaurants locations, I hadn’t ever written about The Sandbar (and yes, I had eaten here before!). He ordered a Sweet & Sour Wok Chicken wonton crisps ($11) which he loved (arguably, he loves Chinese food and this variation made by The Sandbar is pretty tasty).

I ordered a salmon burger (salmon burger with homemade tartar sauce, choice of mixed greens or fries, at $15 pretty much around the same price point as other local restaurants). In my case I did a 50/50 of fries and greens (I love the fries at The Sandbar). The salmon was perfectly cooked, the tartar sauce was exquisite and it was really filling. I probably shouldn’t have had the fries because I was full by the time I was done with my burger. Overall, great seafood as usual (I remember previous visits to The Sandbar being also really good).

Disclosure: I paid for both of our dinners on my own dime.

Related posts:

1. Restaurant review – Bridges (Granville Island)
2. Dockside Restaurant (Granville Island)
3. I Love Granville Island – The Granville Island Storytelling Contest

An iconic Montreal smoked meat restaurant and delicatessen has opened its first western Canadian location in Vancouver. “Dunn’s Famous” is a truly loved Quebec institution founded in 1927 by Myer Dunn. It uses traditional recipes that include unique brine, proprietary light rye sourdough bread and always hand sliced, prepared to order, your-choice-of lean to fat, double A beef brisket smoked for 17 hours then steamed for 3 hours immediately before serving.

The first west coast location offers all the Montreal favourites; Montreal smoked meat sandwiches, reuben’s, poutine, a gravy covered hot chicken sandwich reminiscent of a 1960’s diner, and their famous baked cheesecake as well as new, locally inspired recipes with a Montreal twist. The menu includes matzoh ball soup, a spaghetti slathered in rich tomato meat sauce and chopped smoked meat (a top three favourite on the Montreal menu), all day breakfast items and a children’s menu – Co-General Managers Stuart Heaven and Francis Lo think the six varieties of poutine will be popular with the late night crowd as well and with the kitchen open until 1 am on weekends and midnight on weekdays, it marks a return to late night dining in downtown Vancouver.

On to the food and service. The food was, as predicted, comfort food (and I’m surprised that JT loved it, as he’s got a palate that is hard to please). He ordered a Super Montréal Smoked Meat ($10.99, 6 oz hand sliced smoked beef brisket on light sourdough rye). And in my case, I ordered Hot Chicken ($11.99, two rivers free run chicken breast on sliced white bread covered in gravy,topped with “mushy” peas).

I will fully disclose that while we tried really hard to finish all AND a strawberry cheesecake, we just couldn’t finish the cheesecake. We were SO. FULL. I definitely will come back again and again to Dunn’s Famous. I may not miss Montreal as much as Anabelle does, but by heck, I totally love comfort food that is affordable and tasty.

Disclosure: I paid for both of our dinners on my own dime. As always, I retain editorial control over everything I post on my site. I was invited to the opening night of Dunn’s Famous but I did not write about it as I wanted to ensure to come and eat and pay by myself and write just one review.

Related posts:

1. Frenchie’s (Downtown Vancouver)
2. The Wilder Snail (Strathcona)
3. Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante (Burrard and Smithe, Downtown Vancouver)

Located on Davie between Howe and Granville, I was pretty impressed with the way the event was run. Chef Anthony Sedlak was on hand to talk to each and every one of the media and VIP guests, and while I had no room in my stomach to eat ANYTHING, I did try a few of the cheesesteaks. And more importantly, I got a chance to talk to friends of mine, like Mary Sheridan (Mary in Vancity, who already wrote about the event), Sean and Leila.

Now, you’ll probably wonder how I eat a cheesesteak without actually eating cheese? Well, I’ll be honest – I had no problem at The American Cheesesteak, as there are a few variations that can be made without cheese. I will definitely come back, because really, it’s an inexpensive, really filling and tasty approach to eating comfort (and kind-of-gourmet-fast) food.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the media event so this post does not constitute in itself a review. I will return for a visit on my own so I can form my own opinions (but from what I ate, it was REALLY good). As always, I retain editorial control on anything I write on my site).

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1. The @CPRSVanStudents event on Social Media 101
2. eBeauty.ca and CityTV Pre-Canada Day media event
3. Where’s The Money in Media? (Upcoming Event)

We ordered a salad to start (in my case it was a chicken salad that I did not realize would taste like a prawn/shrimp cocktail). Pretty abundant, extremely well cooked and fresh, marinated, with only white chicken meat (which really is the only one I eat, the breast), I could not finish my salad, but it was delicious. Could have been eaten for dinner or a solid lunch ($11.00 price point).

My dinner was a butter chicken that was out of this world. While not colored the same way I am used to (very creative use of saffron here), it was glorious. Not too spicy to the palate and very filling. We had to order rice and naan on the side, but it was reasonably priced.

JT’s dinner looked like lamb shish kabab ($11.95, minced lamb marinated in garlic, onion, ginger, yoghurt and backed) but I’m mildly afraid of mischaracterizing his dinner. It was delicious, that I can tell you.

Overall, a very nice discovery. I did not realize I liked All India Restaurant this much. Compared to other Indian restaurants, the service here is good (although it was not as fast as in other restaurants, the presentation and flavour of the dishes we were served were bar-none). I’d definitely come back.

Disclosure: JT paid for both of our meals on his own dime.

Related posts:

1. Restaurant review: India Bistro (Davie Street, West End)
2. Restaurant review – A Taste of India (Robson Street)
3. Restaurant review – Hamburger Mary’s (Davie Street, West End)

We had dinner at The Laughing Oyster during the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl 2011, and I’m really glad that we did.

There are very few places where you can enjoy seafood in a setting as beautiful as at Laughing Oyster Restaurant in Okeover Arm. Located at the very northern end of the Sunshine Coast, our establishment provides the very best in relaxed, fine dining with an exuisite menu designed by executive chef, David Bowes. A beautiful view of Okeover Inlet nestled among the edge of the Coast Mountain range is the back drop to your visit at the Laughing Oyster.

My mistake was to start with a salad, because I really did not know that I was in for a treat for dinner. The salad was delicious, but really abundant and thus I had a really hard time finishing off my actual meal.

I requested a variation on the following dish substituting the halibut for salmon. Amazing, flavourful and overwhelmingly delicious. I *had* to finish it ALL. And for the price point ($26) it wasn’t really all that expensive.

Thai Pineapple, Halibut & Prawns, three ounce halibut, five jumbo prawns, not too spicy

How can I explain a salmon covered in curry spices and tiger prawns on a bed of delicious, organic, local vegetables and rice? How can I describe and properly pay homage to a delicious concoction of flavour and exquisite visual design. I’m not sure my photos give enough credit, but seriously, I can tell you that this dish ranks right up on the list of some of my best meals.

And yes, I did have dessert. Boy, did I ever have dessert!

Visually extremely appealing (and really pleasant to the eyes, despite the fact that the lighting didn’t really help my photos), The Laughing Oyster is one of those places where you really need to bring someone you love for dinner.

I definitely will bring my loved ones for dinner to the Laughing Oyster. It’s totally worth the trip up to Powell River, particularly if you’re already up in the Sunshine Coast doing some crawling. Can’t wait to come up again!

Disclosure: Our dinner was courtesy of our hosts. I participated on the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl 2011 as part of a media trip. My accommodations and transportation are compliments of our hosts and the tourism agencies in charge. I paid for a few miscellaneous expenses associated with this trip, specifically incidentals and my own shopping etc. You can follow along my adventures on the Sunshine Coast through this tag.

Related posts:

1. April White’s “Hummingbird I” (Powell River, Sunshine Coast) #scac2011
2. Gordon Halloran (Roberts Creek, Sunshine Coast) #scac2011
3. Fibreworks Studio & Gallery (Madeira Park, BC – Sunshine Coast) #scac2011

As I mentioned a few years ago, Fraser is really becoming the new Main, and Fray on Fraser is one of the very welcome additions to this neighbourhood. In fact, Marche St George is also one of the shops that is attracting a lot of business, much like the Outpost Cafe AND Fray on Fraser.

JT and I went for dinner to Fray on Fraser (we walked from my place, and the walk showed us that this area of Fraser Street is actually changing and evolving a lot, for the good). We sat down rather quickly (Fray is ample and spacious and has a variety of different little areas that can accommodate families and couples or singles who just want to come grab a pint and a burger).

I started with bacon-covered figs as my starter, which I absolutely loved. The balsamic reduction made the fig moist (even though the bacon provided a nice counter-point flavour). From the Fray menu

Fray’s Famous F-Bombs: Our signature dish – a variation on Devils on Horseback, this is a share plate of Fraser Valley bacon-wrapped fresh figs with a balsamic reduction. –$7.95

I ordered a delicious burger with salad. The bun was slightly toasted and thus I wasn’t fully crazy about it, but as far as the meat patty, it was fresh, tasty and nicely sized. From the Fray menu:

Fray Burger: A hearty wedge of Pemberton B.C. beef, freshly ground on the premises, with home-made mayonnaise on Chef Antonio’s signature purple yam bun with market salad. –$10.95 * Add extras and sides as you like for $2 each item. Choose from: Aged cheddar cheese, sauteed mushrooms, Fraser Valley bacon, homemade potato chips

I definitely will come back to Fray on Fraser. The service (staff) could use some training in customer service because it took our server a bit to come and take our orders, but overall, the place is absolutely lovely, the food is pretty good and I can even say that JT really enjoyed the burger (and he’s a bit of a burger snob).

Disclosure: I paid for both of our meals on my own dime.

Related posts:

1. An emerging Community Garden at Broadway and Fraser (Mount Pleasant)
2. Over My Head (Cable Car) by The Fray
3. More coffee shops around Fraser Street, please :)

As a matter of fact, I have eaten at many of them (and love a few). Plus, this year I’m a media sponsor for Taste of Yaletown 2011. Taste of Yaletown 2011 goes from October 13th to 31st, 2011. You can check the menus here. I will try to profile a couple of participating restaurants on my blog throughout the event.

You can track the event hashtag via Twitter.

Related posts:

1. Illuminate Yaletown 2011 (Feb 11th, 12th)
2. 2009 Taste BC on January 22nd
3. Goldfish Seafood and Chops (Yaletown)

BUT

Sadly, I was quite disappointed with my lunch there recently. Admittedly, perhaps the expectation was too high. I had heard great things about Al Porto. But our server, lovely as he was, really had mishap, after mishap, after mishap. And at some point I just simply stopped caring about whether my food was ok or not, and whether the service was going to get better. I looked around and other lunch attendees had a wonderful experience. I could see it in their interaction with the server. My drink, I should say, was actually pretty good (a Zapphire)

Sadly, my experience was pretty much this short of bad. The food was not the complaint. The chef complied exactly with what I wanted (I ordered the $12 special for soup and a pasta for lunch). I requested that my French onion soup did not have cheese (and they were kind enough to remove the cheese from a cheese-covered crostini). BUT they left the cheese in my Caesar salad. Oooops. I got overcharged on a drink (which was removed from my bill, yet the delay in the food was quite unacceptable because… well, they brought me canelloni instead of what I had ordered in the first place).

My pasta (a simple Penne Puttanesca that is really hard to screw up) was tasty, but comparatively speaking, I’ve had better Puttanesca elsewhere (with the best being at Tapenade Bistro in Steveston, Richmond BC). Not to say that it wasn’t good but the texture was a bit on the chewy side (similar to what I had at Pacifico Pizzeria) and not “al dente”. Frankly, I totally think that this was one bad day on a generally good restaurant and specifically on my meal, because the rest of the folks I saw chatting over lunch seemed to be enjoying their food.

I’ll probably give Al Porto a second try. Not soon, but at least I will do it again. It’s inexpensive, it has a beautiful view, the food is ok, and the most important thing: the staff tries SO HARD. But the series of mishaps that occurred on the day I went there for lunch really left me with the impression I might come back another time… in 2012.

More information on Al Porto:

Gastown’s popular Water Street is alive with the taste of another era. Meander down the cobbled sidewalk and stumble across a true find, the uniquely situated Al Porto Ristorante. Spacious yet cozy, the room is as distinct as the cuisine that defines the rich flavour and culture of Italy. Candlelight and a warm welcome await you as you cross through the iron-gate.

Al Porto Ristorante
321 Water Street
Vancouver B.C.
V6B 1B8
Phone 604.683.8376
Fax 604.683.6682
Email info@alporto.ca

I paid for my lunch on my own dime.

Related posts:

1. Restaurant review: Boneta (Gastown)
2. Fresh Bowl (Gastown)
3. Nuba (Gastown)

I loved La Notte for so many reasons: the food was excellent, and not extremely expensive (actually, quite inexpensive). The service was spectacular. The pasta they create is perfectly cooked and not overwhelmingly heavy, and they totally spoiled me on my choice of dinner. And it was lovely of my good friend Erica to take me there for dinner (I had been working late at the university), since she was in town just briefly on her way to Ontario.

Casual fine dining is yours to enjoy in a Tuscan atmosphere. Well known for its Pasta selections and veal specialties, including our popular Osso Buco offered every Friday night. A new feature at La Notte is the takeout menu, with all pastas for takeout at $12. Seating capacity is for 80 people and is great for private parties. Serving the Westside for 20 years, it’s a restaurant “good friends recommend.”

My dinner consisted of a 50/50 combination of Linguine Puttanesca (an extremely affordable price point of $13, with black olives, anchioves, capers in a spicy tomato sauce) and Spaghetti Pescatore (again, an affordable $15, fresh seafood in a garlic tomato sauce). I found the pasta really fluffy and easy to digest, the shrimp were extremely tasty (and overloaded with garlic just the way I like them), and the Puttanesca-style sauce was really good too.

Overall, absolutely delighted. I’d give La Notte a 9 out of 10, and with those prices, totally worth visiting again and again and again. You can check their menus online.

La Notte
3307 Dunbar Street, Vancouver, BC
Call for Reservations
604-222-4033
Open from: 5:00 pm nightly, 7 Days a Week

Disclosure: My good friend Erica paid on her own dime for both of our dinners as it was my birthday.

Related posts:

1. La Buca (Dunbar/Southlands-Arbutus Ridge)
2. Romer’s Burger (Kitsilano, on 4th Avenue)
3. Handi Cuisine of India (Dunbar, Kerrisdale)

I was very, very pleasantly surprised with the attention to detail that the organizers of Tastes of April Point put on organizing every single detail of this festival. And clearly, my table companions (Barbara from Mission and Mary from Abbottsford, a mother and daughter pair with whom I had the pleasure of seating) were just as impressed. One of the things I do whenever I cover an event is ask the attendees why they participated and how they heard about the event. Barbara and Mary had heard great things online about this event and had already been to Quadra Island so this was a no-brainer. And they both loved the festival as much as I did.

I met Ingo Grady a few years ago at Parksville Uncorked, and I have drank Mission Hill wines for a while now, so I kind of knew what to expect (amazing food paired with fantastic wines). I also attended an event earlier organized by Tastes of April Point called the Affinities Experience (you can read about it on my blog). Dinner was served, first of all, with a booklet that had space to write comments about each wine, as well as the tasting notes.

A booklet like this is a brilliant idea, and I can tell you from seeing my fellow food bloggers/writers, we all DO take notes about the meals we are getting served, so facilitating this process really enables the writer to focus more on what they are eating and less on trying to remember how it tasted and what kind of wine these delicaces were paired with.

To open our apetite, dinner started with a First Course of butternut squash soup, Quadra Island scallosp, hazelnut oil, garlic puree and creme fraiche, paired with Lucien Albrecht Cremant Rose. You simply can’t go wrong with butternut squash soup, although I will fully admit that the scallop was a surprise in and of itself. The garlic and hazelnut oil complimented perfectly the sweet flavour of the butternut squash, while the scallop maintained a very firm texture that enriched the soup. I could have had that dish for a meal and be content. The Lucien Albrecht Cremant Rose wine was another surprise because it tasted almost briny and salty, with a hint of sour/tart (probably coming from the green plum) and fizzy bubbles. Strange for a rose, but very nice compliment to the background scallop in the soup.

The Second Course was by far my favorite: Moroccan spiced albacore tuna “Nicoise”, Russian blue potato, taggiasche olive, quail egg, salsa verde, preserved lemon and champagne vinaigrette, paired with Gunderloch Fritz’s Riesling. The wine last-minute substitution proved a smart move, as this apricot-flavoured, sweet and nimble Riesling was chilled down to almost zero degrees Celsius, which liberated the sweet flavours of the Riesling. I am in love with Rieslings, I’ll have to say. And this particular one, the Fritz, was a great compliment to an albacore tuna that was chock full of flavour (the Moroccan spices gave it a great spicy and almost hot kick, whereas the taggiasche olive tapenade fully rounded up the ‘Nicoise’. I wouldn’t have cared much for the quail egg, although it was tasty, and the Russian blue potato was tart and fresh, which proved a nice counterpoint to the salty/spicy Moroccan spiced albacore tuna. Pairing a sweet wine with a spicy fish: beautiful.

The Third Course consisted of pan-seared Pacific halibut, Manila clams, fennel puree, pea coulis, bacon jam paired with a Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay. Now, admittedly, you can’t go wrong with bacon. And this dish was my second favorite. The vanilla and spice hints in the Chardonnay compliment very nicely the robust, well-cooked and nicely spiced halibut. The choice of bacon jam was spectacular here, because it provided a nice salty flavour to the halibut, that also combined well with the Manila clams. I’ve never really been a fan of fennel puree or pea coulis, but I’ll say that they provided subtle hints of mild flavour that neutralized a somewhat stronger bacon jam.

The Fourth Course would have been a winner with JT, since he loves his meat almost blue rare. But I don’t, unfortunately. So, while I can appreciate every other element of the dish, the meat was not my favorite. A slow-roasted Island bison strip loin with parsnip puree, porcini mushrooms, Pattinson Farms organic baby red beets, flat leaf parsley and black truffle sauce was overall, incredibly well-assembled. All the strong flavours of the porcini mushrooms, the black truffle oil, went very well with the Antinori Il Bruciato red wine, which is extremely intense, deep in colour and has a little hint of menthol and lots of hints of sweet spices. That Il Bruciato red wine is a delicacy in-and-of-itself (a little too robust for my taste, since I’m more of a white wine kind of guy, but delicious nonetheless). While I only had a bite or two of the bison, I could appreciate how nicely done it was, but I could have just eaten the garnish elements (porcini mushrooms, parsnip puree, black truffle oil). I wish my bison had been a lot more cooked. But that doesn’t detract from the quality of the dish nor the assembly.

I would have stopped at this point (and so would have my lovely table companions) but we were promised dessert and we weren’t about to waste it. So we waited for the Fifth Course (dinner took a solid 3 hours, which went by so fast it was incredible). A chocolate tart with strawberry coulis, sugar tuile and vanilla ice cream topped a delicious evening.

Paired with Cockburns Special Reserve Port (a port that while it can be consumed alone, it went really well with the vanilla ice cream), this dessert was worth the 45 minutes run I will have to do the next day (and my photos of the dessert actually turned out horrible so I am not posting them!).

Listening to Ingo Grady explain each one of the pairings as well as seeing the whole (packed) room (with people of all ages, I must add) give the Head Chef a standing ovation was an absolute delight. I asked Mary and Barbara how they liked the dinner and they would just not stop gushing about the whole experience of Tastes of April Point. Frankly, neither can I. Absolutely loved it.

Related posts:

1. House of Atypical Pairings at April Point Resort (Quadra Island, Tastes of April Point 2011)
2. Tastes of April Point 2011 at April Point Resort & Spa (Quadra Island)
3. April Point Resort and Spa (Quadra Island, BC)

First off, you DO want to make reservations. We saved $70 just on the lift tickets to get us up the mountain. I was somewhat shocked at the price, but after all, it’s a nice ride up.

Your Grouse Mountain Admission is complimentary with advance dinner reservations and includes admission to the Skyride and mountaintop activities such as Ranger Talks at the Wildlife Refuge, Scenic Chairlift Ride, and the Theatre in the Sky.

We arrived too late to take in any of the Theatre in the Sky shows, but it was a really beautiful chairlift ride (plus, it’s always about the company, and JT and I always enjoy each other’s company). Besides, we both already knew much about Grouse Mountain (he hikes it regularly, I certainly don’t). The view is simply spectacular from inside the restaurant, and even from outside.

We could have chosen off the menu between a Prix Fixe ($125 with all the pairings, a 5-courses meal much like the ones I’ve had at Chefs Across The Water in Salt Spring Island, Parksville Uncorked in Parksville or Tastes of April Point in Quadra Island) or choosing A La Carte. We chose the latter because (a) JT doesn’t drink and (b) I wasn’t about to do a 5 courses meal for a dinner on a Monday when the next day I have to wake up early for work. It’s a really good value for your money, though, so if you have a chance, you should try the Prix Fixe.

We started with an Appetizer ($16 price point, which is on the higher-scale of Vancouver’s restaurants, from my experience). Having had good experiences with cold soups (I’m a die-hard fan of Spanish gazpacho), I ordered a Squash Velouté with brown butter croutons, pumpkin seed purée and burnt sugar gastrique. JT ordered Vancouver Island Venison Loin with walnut gnocchi, apple, celery root purée, licorice jus. Admittedly, I had just about everything I expected in the squash velouté: a cold mini-soup that was refreshing, sweet and cleansed my palate for a solid main dish. Just as an aside, I did not expect a large portion as velouté‘s tend to be sauces rather than main dishes, but it was interesting having it as a first course.

What annoyed me the most was the lighting, and after that, a screaming baby. As for the lighting, I know it’s lovely for a romantic dinner, and it really enhances the mood, but it made my photos look pretty crappy, even with the Macro setting. Oh well. It was all about the company, and the meal itself. And it was my birthday, so that was what made it all great. On the crying baby note, I did not appreciate having a little baby screaming in the same room, and I’m pretty sure my parental audience will not appreciate me posting this comment. Unfortunately it’s true. I totally understand going out for dinner as a family, and I get it, but it really did detract from my experience. It was, at points, impossible to talk with JT without getting distracted with the little baby screaming at the top of his/her lungs. Luckily it only lasted about 20-30 minutes.

For my main dish, I ordered a Pacific salmon (Ocean Wise, as The Observatory is certified) with 2 types of beans with a bacon reduction (this dish is not available on the website’s menu). Had I had the menu that is posted on the website, I would not have chosen the salmon and would have gone for Mission Trout with carrot ravioli, salmon roe, rose petal sabayon or the Albacore Tuna with bonito onigiri, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, shiso leek emulsion. Hands down. While the salmon was really good (and who can go wrong with bacon), at a $39 per main dish price point, I expected a lot more in regards to presentation/assembly. The green beans’ texture didn’t really go well with a delicate dish like the salmon.

Also, while I totally get why servers recommend a particular type of cooking style (e.g. for my salmon he advised me that it would come medium rare and I asked him to ask the chef to bring it up to medium well), it’s my dinner and it’s my food, so I do not appreciate being told what style my food should come (he did mention JT what he thought was the right cooking point for his dinner. Fine, that’s alright – not me). For his main dish, JT ordered Fraser Valley Duck Breast that was presented with ravioli and a greens salad (not the herb spätzle, cauliflower, hazelnut velouté that I expected from the online menu).

While from my write-up it may sound as though I didn’t have a good experience, that’s not the case at all. I did love The Observatory. The food is great, the service is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC (one of the servers took several photos of JT and me until we were satisfied with the outcome and how beautiful the evening showed on the photo), and the view is bar-none. That I am picky (sometimes annoyingly so) and that I like my food a certain way and an environment where I can eat without being disturbed, it’s also true. But I am pretty sure that having a baby that little and that was screaming to the top of their lungs is such a rare occurrence, it’s just unfortunate it happened on my birthday.

Verdict: Would I recommend eating at The Observatory at the top of Grouse Mountain? Absolutely. It’s an experience you must have at least once in your lifetime. And I’ll definitely be back, particularly when I see a different menu that I might want to try out.

I do love the fact that The Observatory is so focused on sustainability.

Sustainable Dining: We are dedicated to sourcing the finest and freshest regional ingredients available, creating memorable dining experiences.

Ocean Wise & Green Table-Certified: We are proud to be a member of Ocean Wise, a conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood. Look for our ocean-friendly options highlighted on our menus. All the restaurants at Grouse Mountain are also certified by the Green Table Network, which puts sustainability on the menu through innovative solutions that measurably reduce the impact we have on our environment.

And the view is simply spectacular. My photos don’t do justice to how beautiful Vancouver looks from the top of Grouse Mountain. Dining out at The Observatory in Grouse Mountain is something you must try, definitely. I’m glad I did, and I’m glad JT took me there for my birthday.

Disclosure: JT paid for both of our dinners on his own dime, as he was taking me out for my birthday. Grouse Mountain did not know that we were coming for dinner so I’m sure we did not get any special treatment. As always, I retain editorial control at all times of anything published on my blog.

Related posts:

1. The Grouse Grind
2. Restaurant review – Kishu Mountain
3. Green your Valentine’s to win tickets to snowshoeing and foundue in Cypress Mountain

It wasn’t really my discovery, it was really Anabelle’s. She had dinner there and I just landed for a quick appetizer (although Anabelle gave me her salad, I ordered an appetizer of Keftedes (Greek meatballs) that was really, really tasty and filling. The price point at Apollonia is pretty decent and it’s not going to break your wallet.

I’m sure I will get flack because the meat balls look a bit overcooked on the top. Personally, I like them like that. I’m glad Anabelle invited me here for dinner as I am sure I could have not come here had she not discovered this little gem. I’ll definitely come back, most likely bringing JT for dinner.

Related posts:

1. Kerkis Greek Taverna [Kitsilano]
2. What is your favorite Greek restaurant?
3. Luke’s Corner Bar & Kitchen (Fairview Slopes/South Granville)

You know what I mean? Their food is very good, don’t be mistaken. But it’s a special kind of “very good”. As in, very good of the type “sure, let’s go for dinner there” instead of “let’s make a special trip for this“. But given its proximity with Scotiabank Theatres, I can totally and safely recommend having dinner at Pacifico Pizza. In particular, I loved their meat balls. Very well prepared, and spicy.

I took my Mom there this past month when she was visiting, and we ordered our usual standard order when we visit Italian restaurants in Vancouver. I went on the safe side of a Puttanesca, and my Mom ordered spaghetti with meat balls. At $13 price point for a VERY large portion, Pacifico Pizza is inexpensive and definitely a “must try at least once“. If you’re going to go watch a movie, you definitely can (and probably should) come have a pizza or some pasta.

Disclosure: I paid for both my Mom and my dinner on my own dime. All views are mine. I retain full editorial control on anything published on my site.

Related posts:

1. CinCin Ristorante + Bar (Downtown Vancouver, Robson Street)
2. Restaurant review – Incendio Pizzeria
3. Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana (Victoria Drive)

I stopped by Creme de la Crumb a few weeks back when I was waiting for JT to meet me for the opening night of the Canadian premiere of Mamma Mia (Broadway Across Canada). I probably had never seen it not because I was blind, but because somehow Creme de la Crumb never registered in my radar. But I’m very glad it did. I ordered a 3 items combo ($8.99) and a bottle of Coke Zero ($2.50) for my dinner.

Overall, as I mentioned, a nice surprise that the food was good enough for dinner. I would probably not go out of my way here for a “romantic dinner” but for sustenance, BUT OF COURSE. I was able to survive going through almost 3 hours of musical theatre thanks to the fact that I had had dinner before, and that it was tasty and good enough at Creme de la Crumb.

Disclosure: I paid for my dinner on my own dime.

Related posts:

1. Restaurant review – Capone’s (Yaletown)
2. r.tl (Regional Tasting Lounge, Yaletown)
3. Charlie’s Restaurant and Bar (Yaletown)

I ordered a Sushi Combo ($9.00) and 1 piece of salmon nigiri ($2.50). My combo brought along a few pieces of California roll, spicy tuna roll and some salmon roll bits. It also included a miso soup.

I loved in particular the spicy tuna sushi roll, fresh, tasty, spicy and just the right amount of rice. The miso soup was really flavourful and not very salty (a negative characteristic I have found in some restaurants’ sushi combos).

Disclosure: I paid for my dinner on my own dime.

Related posts:

1. Sendai Sushi (Financial District, Downtown Vancouver)
2. Restaurant review – Britannia Sushi
3. Momo Sushi (Gastown)

I asked around on Twitter on where to have dinner close to my house (I have been working from home for a day and a half, when I’m polishing papers, literature reviews, journal articles or syllabi I often do this – lock myself at home). But nobody mentioned a restaurant I hadn’t visited yet, so what I did is I went to The Rumpus Room (on my friend Heather Watson‘s suggestion).

The restaurant itself is decorated totally hipster, but it’s so relaxed it’s almost unnoticeable. I sat on a very comfy reclining chair and ordered a standard burger ($9) with a potato salad side. I found the prices extremely reasonable. The potato salad was extremely well done, perhaps one of the best I’ve ever tried. Not crazy about the celery, but the creamy dressing complimented very nicely the sometimes a bit dry kaiser.

It was totally my fault that I didn’t order any toppings on my burger (speaking of which, they use hormone-free, free-range meat, just as an FYI – important these days). I felt a lot of garlic flavour and the beef patty was very moist and cooked (as they say) to perfection. I definitely think if I add roasted garlic (one of the toppings that The Rumpus Room offers) and probably some avocado, a basic burger can be a total heaven.

After dinner I absolutely had no space for dessert. The bartender and server both were extremely sweet and told me about their Sunday movie nights. Good times, I’ll definitely be back to The Rumpus Room.

Related posts:

1. The Main Street (South Main – Mount Pleasant) night scene
2. Restaurant review: The Wallflower Modern Diner (Main Street, Mount Pleasant)
3. Lucy’s East Side Diner (Main Street, Mount Pleasant)