Mooshmouse

How very magnanimous of you. Ain't nobody be sharin' my Pot Roast kolachy when I get my hands on one! And the Mushroom Pesto kolachy is pretty damn tasty too (says she, as she crumples up her brown paper kolachy bag). Happy tummy now.

How many people are you anticipating for this prenuptial soiree? My knee-jerk reaction would be Cru with their three-course Prix Fixe Menu of $36, but that all depends on the size of your party. Any preferences for a particular type of cuisine?

Well, according to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word kolachy (also spelled kolache) is derived from a Czech word meaning wheel-shaped cake. I've heard others say that kolachy is also a Polish delicacy. Where, oh where would the world be today without Google...

Apparently a new kolachy coming down the pipe is pot roast, replete with gravy. Dear God, I think I've died and gone to kolachy heaven. And guess what the Mouse House is having for dinner along with our cucumber salad?! Hence, HKDave, they survive just fine reheated. Best to reheat them the same day of purchase, but day-old kolachies are okay too. Would've have loved to hang around with y'all today, but I was en route to preschool with Noah. Hence, I'll be out of the loop on Tuesdays for perhaps another week or two until the preschool schedule evens out.

Aha! I beat you to this one Arne! Was in at 11:30 a.m. picking up some kolachies for the Mouse House and also got the goods from Keith. The new kolachy should be available tomorrow and will definitely be worth waiting in line for! Out of respect to Keith and Jason, I won't tattle... you'll just have to head down and find out for yourselves.

Also another outlet on Commercial Drive. Obscenely cheap.

Hank's Hagfish and Cow Chip Shack

First place that springs to mind is one of our recent favourites. There's a little hole-in-the-wall take-out place at 1439 Commercial Drive called Tandoori Palace. Dinner for two cost us $15: Lamb Curry with Basmati Rice Pilaf ($8.25) and Aaloo Gobi with a humungous piece of Naan ($6.50). Damn fine food. At most Indian restaurants, you're easily paying about $10-$14 just for the main dish alone and ordering rice or naan separately. Here, the only menu item over $10 is the Prawn Masala with Rice or Naan for $11.95. Then there's the $4.95 waffles available only for weekend brunch at Pane from Heaven. Served with fresh fruit, some kind of heavenly sweet creamy stuff, and a drizzle of raspberry coulis. Also crepes with raspberry jam filling (may also come with fruit) for $3.95. Yum. And yum again.

I have to say, no matter how many times I read this thread, I always find something new that cracks me up. How about what really happens when you eat fast food: In, Out, Down and Through Burger. Or the newest place for surf and turf: Scrods and Scrotums.

A new health-food place where you can either go for vegetarian or a cleanse: Eggplants and Enemas.

One salad that I get requests for all the time is an Asian salad made with one head of shredded sui choy tossed with one bunch of chopped green onions and a crunchy mixture of butter-toasted sesame seeds, slivered or sliced almonds and crushed ramen noodles. Dressing is a simple vinegarette which includes soya sauce and a generous helping of sugar. Even my preschooler loves this one.

Huge claps from me and the rest of the Mouse House for a truly fabulous dinner last night! And I always say that great food is made even better by great company. Thanks again.

Pepitas.

For me, that'd have to be shirako tempura. What's shirako, you might ask? Why, none other than Alaskan black cod sperm sacks, of course. We were enjoying a wonderful omakase dinner with two other eGulleters at one of our favourite izakaya restaurants. Midway through our meal, we were presented with a small basket with three pieces of rather suspicious-looking tempura... turns out it was the shirako tempura special that Hiroshi-san had so graciously explained to us upon our arrival. Emboldened by several glasses of Sapporo beer and figuring it would be the Bourdainesque thing to do, two of us took up the culinary challenge. Surprisingly enough, the shirako was quite good. No fishy taste whatsoever and it had a texture comparable to foie gras or a thick creme anglaise... soft, creamy and quite rich. Fear Factor, look out.

Isn't the extra space for Noah to curl up and sleep? ← Yes... right after finishing a kolachy of his own and half my bowl of soup!

But we do, unofficially. The table farthest from the window with lots of extra bench space so more of the eGullet kolachy groupies can squeeze in. I think Keith should put an eGullet plaque on the table.

Case in point: strip mall on West 4th Avenue at Cypress, northwest corner. The upstairs space that is now a gym had many previous restaurant incarnations including The Soft Rock Cafe. One contrary example, however, would be Won More Szechuan upstairs on Denman at Davie. Pepitas in the neighbouring space didn't fare as well.

Le Grec. Can I have my 200 points now? I'm still thinking on your first question.

Ask and ye shall receive! And why not "eat more than you can lift"?!

On the south side of West 4th Avenue, about 2 1/2 blocks west of Macdonald, directly adjacent to Milestones.

A snowy evening necessitates soup. Hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup with lots of noodles, huge chunks of thigh and breast meat, celery, mushrooms and carrots. And because I was craving greens, a gigantic bowl of oriental salad: a head of sui choy sliced thinly into, tossed with one bunch of chopped green onions, drizzled with a sweet soy vinegarette, and sprinkled with a mixture of sliced almonds, crushed ramen noodles and sesame seeds pan toasted in butter. Fully intended to take photos, but we were too damn hungry after a pre-dinner round of snowman building and snow shoveling!

But wait. You are someone's Dad!

That's actually the only one I've ever been to: 12th and Commercial. Does anyone have reviews on any of the other locations? Those scallion pancakes are anathema to any Atkins dieter. I could eat almost an entire order on my own without batting an eyelash... it's that whole Asian starch thing!

Most ethnic restaurants don't have a kids' menu. That's a very North American phenomenon... Europeans and Asians will attest to that. Whenever we eat anywhere that's not "Canadian" food, Noah always shares what we've ordered for ourselves. I was born into a culture where meals are a social activity, either at home or at a restaurant. As a child, I dined out with my family approximately twice a week; we'll likely do about the same with Noah. It certainly won't be Bistro Pastis all the time, but it's nice to know that he's learned to behave appropriately enough that we have it as an option.

Update: Got a phone call from Chambar about 30 minutes ago and my DOV table is booked!