Xando Head

Speaking of the topic -- AND of Jack Russells -- just had lunch on the patio at Provence Marinaside in the sun. Sat on the outside edge of the patio with my quiet and calm JRT (sorry, couldn't resist :)) tied up outside the rail. Had antipasti -- my lunch faves merguez sausage and tomato/bocconcini salad. I would have taken the antipasti to go from the counter, but I was inspired by the sun and by this thread, to stay on the patio with my dog.

I have just returned from a month and a half in Washington, DC, where I ate out like a queen but was oddly not satisfied overall with the meal experiences I had there. I had forgotten how conservative and traditional the menus and presentation can be in DC -- a far far cry from the rich, inventive food preparation and presentation here in Vancouver. I am happy to be home. And with that said, I just caught up on this thread, and am quite impressed by the menu at Adesso. My husband and I plan to visit soon (perhaps this weekend) -- and it looks as though deciding from the menu, particularly, the appetizers, will be quite challenging! Katherine Food Lover -- nothing more/nothing less

Provence Marinaside's patio has been open on and off through the winter. Was packed for brunch on Sunday.

Oh, yes, and they serve the dish that sparks intense cravings five years later ... the spicy agedashi tofu. I swear there's opium or something in the sauce, because I completely crave that dish... Yum...

Just had a cancelled conference call, so I'm pretty sure I'll be at the Kolachy Shop today at noon, too. I've got short blonde hair and will be wearing Converse all-stars with flames. :) Look forward to seeing some of you there.

I lived in Whistler for two years, and loved both Crepe Montagne and Splitz Grill. No, Bernard Casavant isn't affiliated with Crepe Montagne -- however, as you seem to already know Chef Bernard's is a fabulous place to go for breakfast. I am very ho-hum on the food at Caramba and Mongolie Grill, to be honest. But I'm also coming up short on where you can go for dinner that's not too expensive (and not sushi). For a casual lunch spot off the beaten path, I hear the new Cracked Pepper in Function Junction (south of the Village) is fantastic. Soups, stews and sandwiches -- all fresh and I hear tasty. As someone else said, pretty much everything is relatively expensive. Edited to add: I used to know someone who worked at Citta, and back then (5 years ago), they served canned Campbell's Soup. So I'm not sure if they're still doing that, but it sorta put me off of the place, food-wise. Now, I'll have a beer there with friends, sure, but not too keen on the food more than just nibblies. Could have changed, but that's what I knew then :)

Ling -- I walked there today for lunch, and was disappointed they were closed, too... Oh, well.

I just returned from a week in New York City and Washington DC with my husband and his 11-year-old son. We wanted to introduce his son to NYC, and it was an interesting experience to dine out there with a child -- I perceived a definite difference in attitude from our servers. (As an aside, do any of you with pre-teen children notice you get much poorer service with a child than when it's adults-only? I did this trip). Sadly, the last three places we ate dinner were: * Da Silvano -- I've always been a fan of this small Greenwich Village Italian restaurant, but this time was a disappointment. Bread was on the slightly stale side, pasta way overcooked, and our waiter was incredibly surly. Despite chatting it up with Silvano himself, and ordering a lovely $85 US bottle of wine, the staff seemed to want us to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. Disappointing. * Ruby Foo's Times Square -- Dreck. Pure dreck. * Urban Fare -- roasted chicken and veggies last night because we couldn't bear to cook after getting off the plane. I think their cafe/deli is very sub-par, to be honest. I can't believe they haven't revised or updated their menu much in the 5 years I've lived in the neighborhood. Pure convenience for me, nothing more.

Provence Marinaside also has delicious takeout desserts -- in their counter just at the front door. Their morning pastries are also quite good...

As I sit here eating an egg and sausage kolachy and reading this thread, alls I can say is .... "Mmmmm. Kolachy soft and chewy and savory. Kolachy yummy. Kolachy good." The Kolachy Shop is on Beatty across from Dix, but I too get worried talking about it so much ... the lines seem to get longer and longer every day. And I know those guys need a break now and then, but man do I wish they were open on the weekend.

Ling -- If you REALLY wanted that Nordic Ware cathedral cake pan, I know Williams-Sonoma has them. Last time I was in Toronto, the manager at Williams-Sonoma on Bloor told me that if I ever wanted anything from there, to just call the store -- said they ship to Vancouver quite regularly. Don't know how much it would cost to ship, and don't know how quickly they could do it, but I know it's an option if you REALLY REALLY wanted it :) Xando Head/Katherine

Three nights, three dinners out. Oh, my expanding waistline -- BUT hey, it's one of the benefits of living in Vancouver, isn't it?!... Tonight, Simply Thai on Hamilton in Yaletown, w/casual out-of-town guests. This place never disappoints when I want basic (meaning not fusion), but very fresh Thai cuisine. Cho Muang is always a delight here. Last night, my very first visit to Shiru-Bay, also on Hamilton. I am in love with this place! The bar was full, so my partner and I sat at the communal table, which was a great choice -- we sat between a couple visiting from Japan, and another couple visiting from Korea. Fantastic company, interesting conversation ... much of it about food. (Sapporos are on special on Monday nights too :).) We had the garlic mayo prawns, which were very intriguing, but perhaps a little too heavy on the mayo for my taste. The highlight of the meal was a lovely seared bonito with chantrelles and garlic ponzo sauce. It was perfection. For once, I was happy that my husband doesn't eat fish, since I had that dish all to myself and that's the way I wanted it! We also had the asparagus gyoza, and tried 3-4 other dishes off the specials menu. The music and atmosphere is loud and fun, and fitting to the scene. I loved it and can't believe I waited this long to go. We're planning to get 4-6 of our friends and go as a group next time -- so we can sample even more of the dishes. Sunday night, it was takeout/delivery from Great Wall Szechuan, on Broadway just west of Cambie. We really enjoy this place for their overabundance of spice and garlic in many of their dishes. A little too heavy on the oil, but when you have a craving, it'll satisfy. Very inexpensive, quick, efficient delivery, the food is very good going down, and you can't get rid of the garlic breath for days...

Keith -- I think you mean Bananos. Yes, I have eaten there quite a few times after my husband's Saturday football/soccer game in David Lam Park. The proprietors/chefs are from Venezuela. It is a very casual, mom-and-pop (though I've never seen any "pops" in the store come to think of it) type of place -- odd hours, small menu. The food is good and fresh, if not something to rave over. Little to no service (counter ordering), but a decent place to go to have a small, fresh lunch.

As someone who lives next to The Quay, I can tell you that while their bar is certainly sleek and popular, it is also relatively small, busy and noisy. I think for what you're looking for, it wouldn't quite fit the bill. I, too, thought of the bar at Brix and The Kingston, which is looking quite nice. On a related topic -- I wish we had a down-to-earth, casual, neighbourhood pub in Yaletown. I can't believe everyone around here wants the pretentious faux-glitz of the Opus bar, or the uncomfortable but oh-so-trendy perches at Afterglow...

Let's see... For me, I think this question can be answered in part by thinking of what foods I go out of my way to get when I visit my parents in the Washington, DC area. I happen to be one of the gang who thinks our Mexican offerings are sorely sorely lacking. And Salvadoran... oh how I love love love B.C., but oh how I wish we had a home-cooking, hole-in-the-wall Salvadoran restaurant. One of my very favorite foods is crab, and when growing up near the Chesapeake Bay, we always ate them "straight" -- steamed with rock salt & Old Bay* seasoning on the outside. No butter, no sauce for the meat ... if you MUST dip it in something, it's just good ole white vinegar seasoned with onion & black pepper. It has proven to be ridiculously difficult to get just PLAIN OLD steamed crab in Vancouver...no sauce, just steamed, please. (Although whenever I can't stand it anymore, I do go to Rodney's and plunk down the $50 or more bucks. Sometimes I need the fix...) And if there's good pizza downtown, I've not tried it. * which reminded me -- Old Bay seasoning used to be one of the things impossible to find here (I used to hand-carry it home), but after Bon Appetit did a small feature on it last year, Urban Fare started carrying it. It's delicious on not only seafood, but roasted red potato too... It's my "secret ingredient" that everyone always raves over...

Ate at the Kolachy Shop for breakfast this morning. Lineups out the door w/the construction guys working on condo towers going up in that area. Had the sausage and egg ... man oh man do I love this place. I only wish they were open on the weekends, when I actually have TIME to get out of my office to eat.

My biggest beef as a consumer is why certain items seem to end up de-listed ... like one of my faves, Nocello.

Well, seeing as I live directly above a Starbucks, I also have to admit I end up there quite often. It's the convenience thing. (Sorta like Urban Fare. If I didn't live on the same block as the darn store, I'd never shop there. Every time I go in I get peeved, but I keep going back because it's so...darn...convenient) But if I'm out of my Yaletown live/work cocoon (I know how awful that sounds, btw), I'd get my nonfat latte at Cafe Artigiano.

I can sadly say I have eaten once at Incendio. I had inattentive, slow service (don't you think they'd have the "fast" thing down since they're next door to the cinema?) and the pizza tasted like it had generic tomato sauce and was more than slightly undercooked. That, and they sat us at a table next to a leak in the ceiling (there was a bucket on the floor to get the drips) ... One experience, I know, but I can't say I'd ever go back or recommend it to anyone.

As a transplanted American, I can tell you that I do nothing special for neither Canadian nor American Thanksgiving. It's sort of sad. Though I've been here 7 years or so, I haven't yet gotten used to having Thanksgiving so early in the fall season, so I usually skip it ... and by the time American Thanksgiving rolls around, I'm not interested because I'm in Canada! So I'll probably just end up going out somewhere in the neighbourhood. Sad, I know...

I, too, am a fan of Amarcord in Yaletown. Excellent, authentic, solid meals at a very reasonable price. My husband and I live in the neighborhood, and frequent this restaurant often. (If I had one criticism it would be that their side dishes lack creativity, but I can honestly say I have never had a bad meal here.) The owner Manlio is a fabulous, warm and gregarious host, making everyone -- regulars and first-time visitors -- feel at home and welcome.

As a long-time lurker of eGullet, I would love to come to the dinner and meet Vancouver-area eGulleters -- but not sure, especially since I'm not a prolific poster, a chef, nor a food critic. I am, however humbly, a lover of good food. Katherine

I live in Yaletown and have frequented the Hamilton Street Grill often ... though not recently. Jamie's recent mention, though, of the gorgonzola demi is enough to make my mouth water ... I think I'll be going back very soon!

For me, it's both. I enjoy picking my own berries -- choosing the best ones, knowing they're fresh -- and it's usually much much cheaper too. And for some, it's fun too!

Is Coast going in where Waterpoint (that awful, short-lived Indian restaurant) was last summer? Edited to add -- one of the proprietors at Miro Yaletown told me they were going to open a wine bar next door --where the Yaletown business association office was. Maybe it's the same place you mentioned, Jamie.