DameD

I used to go the R.A.T, all the time too and also the Cambie, before it got all trendy and the couriers and treeplanters left. Do you mean the Bar at the back of the Hotel Georgia, the leopard skin one??? That is great place to have a drink, i completely forgot about it.

While I was just on the Irish HEather thread, it got me thinking what other great pubs in the city are there, not bars, but real pubs, where you can order a good drink, good pub fare and it is such a comfortable place that you can stay there hours, either with your friends or on your own. The Heather I think is one of the few out there, what are others favorites??

Wow, i have been gone for a few days and checked in and this thread has taken off... Sounds like you had a great evening Eric, i feel it really is a shame that there were neg. responses to the Heather, but unfortunately those were the experiences. And I really hope I did not offend Sean, as he is very gracious host and he has great places of business. I have proabably sent at least 15 people over to the Satly Tongue for the Neals Yard cheese and told what an amazing whiskey/cheese eve. that was. I know all reatuarants have off nights and I know it is crazy during DOV, esp. when you add a famiy to care of and And moving which is hard in itself. But I am sure if I was Sean I would want to know peoples experience at the restaurant and how to improve etc. I don't we all jumped on the bandwagon to complainwe all just had to the same experience and being this is Egullet we are here to tell our experiences, whether great or not. Like I mentioned it is great Eric had a good experience and i am sure this thread people will not stop going to the Heather, they might even go to check what it out! :) I know we will continue going, When we were there with our group of friends, we couldn't think of any other great Pubs with good ambience and real Irish ones, it is one of the few of the city and the Shebeen Room.. WOW what a great little secret, I hope it stays that way (selfish I know!!)

We did not either, all we wanted is flavour and like Roo Stew said good pub fare. I agree it is a great place for a beer/whiskey and even an appy, but was unimpressed with the DOV food prepared. The restuarant was not hopping when we arrived, it was starting to fill up, it was just that the server was unable to really answer any questions, nothing difficult.

Hey Deborah, i know this is totally off topic, but werre you at the Scissor Sisters on Friday, i thought i saw you from afar.... ok back to you crazy rabbits! Oh and what about Cafe de Paris, they have very reasonable priced set menus, I like the atmosphere and their steak Frites.. hmmnn so good I could eat them right now!

It seems like we all had the same experience at the Heather, I was there last night (might have seen you appreciator) The service was ok, nothing bad butnothing great and no VQA recommendations or comments, my friend wanted to know a nice BC Chardonnay and the waiter didn't really say anything. The food was ok, I had the salmon ravioli and our friends had the salad and also the soup.. the salad seemed to be the tastiest. We all had the beef and was dissapointed byt the lack of flavour, the polenta was very tasty though and we just smeared it onthe beef to add some taste, plus lots of pepper and salt. I also oredered the mushrrom streusel for my daughter and it was tasty...Desserts were ok. We all left hungry and went to our friends parents Greeek restaurant on the drive and ate again. We love the atmosphere though and will definitely go again though probably just for drinks.

I am trying to get in for this Sunday night, haven't hear back from Sean, so hopefully we can go. Let me know Ling how you enjoyed it. I could do with some comfort food right night on the dark and wintery night!

WOW everyones meal and evening sounds amazing, I wish so much I could have attended, but with all members of the family sick I couldn't seem to sneak off. Hopefully next time though!

Thud And Andrew, my kid loves all kinds of cuisine including Thai, Filipino, Malaysian, Japanese including sushi (and tobiko), Chinese, Greek, Indian... you name it. So I'm happy. ← My 2 year is the same will eat anything and will sit properly at the table, we started taking to restaurants from 3 weeks on. Now that she is older I just have to plan better with little toys and books etc.

My husband just discovered my grandfathers little chief and since we have a lot of coho salmon on hand is wanting to make some smoked salmon. He likes it very dry and so do I and we were wonderiing if anyone has any recipes, they can share on how to do this...

All the pics look amazing! breakfast is one of my favorite meals, so i am glad i found this thread i usually just stick in my Regional one. So my breakkies usually consist of Rice Krisipies with my 2 year old during the week, but the weekends, usually crepes filled with fresh fruit and cream or Frittatas filled with left overs from the fridge, hot italian sausuages, pancetta, tomatoes from the garden plus argula and any cheese we have on hand.. so tasty, could have it for lunch as well?

Ling--check out Thomas's fruit pastilles as well. They're the colour of Christmas ornaments--and exquistely reckless bomblets of flavour. I'll have to check those out too. But for the record ... I like the sparkle cookies I don't much like paying $8 for 1/2 a dozen ... but it's only once in a while so what the hey! A. ← Hey go in with a cute 2 year old and they always give you a few, i have never had to buy any yet. And keeps my daughter extremely happy, at least until they are gone.

I am with Sean and peppyre, we seem to be losing everything here, i just heard that target is line for buying the bay .. gasp how horrible. I eat shrimp salad sandwiches with my 85 year nanna there.Thats an insitutution. I am not keen on the Naam and will never go there without protesting, but it is a peice of history and there for a purpose. I mean there are still line ups to go there. It would be great if we could restore and bring back to life to a few oldies. I llike what they did to the Templeton, a great feeling and good food, even though it may not be the same years ago, i doubt they served portabllo burgers, but still a good vibe. I think it would be horrible if they did something to Cafe Sil Plait. Aahh so many nights eating mac & cheese. If the "only" and the Ovaltine was fixed up a bit i would be all over it. I am all over for rebuilding east van. A lot gets forgoten over here.

I have had great experiences at Baru, love the food, cocktails and the room. It is like always summer, great for these rainy wintery nights. I would love a gift like that. Also try the reef for some good jerk and a carribean feel, also they have red stripe beer, which is an added bonus :)

Coq au vin it is then. Jamie ← Aaah forgot about coq au vin, how I could I do not know and osso bucco.. 2 winter favorites, but now i think i will go down to fiction to try thier cassoulet, in front of a fire .. can it get better! ← DameD, When you've finished your cassoulet, head over to Villa del Lupo for their excellent lamb shank osso buco. Hints of cinammon and a relative bargain to boot. ← Jamie you are right, I have been to Villa del Lupo and have had their excellent osso buco, all this wonderful food makes up for these cold rainy nights. AAh and to have a full bodied glass of merlot to pair with it would make it perfect, but that is going to have to wait as I am pregnant.. aaah only a few more months!

Coq au vin it is then. Jamie ← Aaah forgot about coq au vin, how I could I do not know and osso bucco.. 2 winter favorites, but now i think i will go down to fiction to try thier cassoulet, in front of a fire .. can it get better!

Ling, you were saying before how a lot of restaurants, I agree with you, I have noticed quite a few serve illy coffee which is extremely tasty, i think one of my favs, though soo expensive, can't bring my self to by it for home. Right now JJ Bean has there Xmas blend which is really good and Intelligensia is also great.

I have ususally found him there in the mornings , before noon, I usually go there on either on a Friday or Saturday

We are inside diners too alot during winter. esp. as we have a 2 year old and to bundle her up and get her out is alot of work. But I just made a big pot of French onion soup, with my onions carmelizing slowly for over an hour and some sweet port to caremelize it even more. And then some Stock Market Broth and other goodies,I can't wait to eat it for dinner tonight with the best part of mozza and crusty bread.

I am totally with you on that one edm, growing up in Australia, surprising they had great bakeries everywhere, if you are surfing and get hungry there would be a great bakery at the beach, for wonderful meat pies and pasties and even good old vanilla slices. I have never found anything like it here. I also agree with more neighborhood restaurants, I live in east van by the colisieum and there are no restaurants our way, only italian, and i don't necessarly feel like that all the time. One of my last peeves is the lack of street food, i think we could do more than smokies

Been to the mouse and bean and quite good and authentic, the only down side is that they close at 5:30 i think and just open for lunch. But super cheap and tasty.

I have driven by this place a million times "Brave Bull" on Hastings and Clark and have never been in.. has anyone.. please tell all about your seedy east van dining experiences.. I went to Mustang Sallys by renfrew and Hastings (now closed) and am sure we ate ribs that were human or something and definitely not beef or pork.. very strange indeed.. the bonus of this place is that we could bargain for the beer.. it was that type of night of adventures..

Really it is first show this season that i actually enjoyed. Trust the FNC to kill it, maybe some more 30minutes meals by Rachel whats her name, will make me kill my cable fully now.

I am with Stovetop and 2Roost.. the area might be sketchy, but like mentioned pretty harmless..I have never tried to burger, but the meat is good. I think I would be more worried for myself if I was outside of Sharks Club on a Sat. night, too many testosroned MEATHEADS, the odd crackhead is pretty harmless in comparison. And hey need we not forget the shooting in front of Kits..it happens everywhere unfortunately.. ok back to topic. Meat~!

Hi Neil, if possible count me in for 5lbs of hanger steak as well .. . just have to find some recipes to play with.. looking forward to any ideas!