Mooshmouse

Thud. Who says our son is stationary and upright the whole time?! After we order dinner, our strategy is for one of us to take him for a short walk outside, see the fountain in the foyer, see the live lobster and crab in the tanks, chat up the hostess, or something like that while the other enjoys their cocktail or first glass of wine. Post walk, there's the inevitable family stint with crayons and paper or his book of mazes until appetizers arrive, which he shares with us. Our son's dinner usually arrives before ours, so we all eat together. If he finishes before we do, he breaks out his small bag of Micro Machine vehicles and drives those across the back of his chair or around the table until his dessert arrives. Whichever parent finishes their main course first might also take him for another promenade (or two, depending on how antsy he is) and a bathroom run. And he's more than welcome to hop up into either one of our laps for a cuddle after he's eaten at least half of his dinner. By then, we've successfully reached the end of our meal. Almost invariably, our son's the one who wants to stay longer at the restaurant because he's having so much fun. No bullshit there. I understand the concerns. When our son's tired, squirmy or having a rough day, then we certainly don't attempt a restaurant meal in lieu of a rambunctious one at home. Remember Keith, we don't have twins. So it is doable. 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.

I'm so behind on my tally in this thread that I'll have to post the last few restaurants as opposed to the last three. Latin Quarter with another family and their daughter before Christmas. I've already extolled the virtues of this restaurant on Andrew's family dining thread and am looking forward to more paella and sangria two weekends from now. Glowbal for a girls' lunch out before Christmas. I had the Braised Lamb Shank with forest mushroom risotto, drizzle of truffle oil and a pinot noir jus. In an attempt to counteract all the cholesterol I was ingesting, I paired that with a fabulous merlot, the name of which escapes me in my post-holiday blur. Post-Pilates dinner with a girlfriend at The Hammie on December 22. Shared the Pear and Stilton Salad and the Mussels Diablo. Half a litre of the Wolf Blass Green Label Shiraz. And Warm Gingerbread Pudding with a cup of peppermint tea. But the latter virtually goes without saying. Birthday dinner at Cru on December 23. My selections from the prix fixe menu were the Butter Lettuce Salad with cherry tomatoes and a mustard vinegarette, Beef Tenderloin with cabernet mushroom demi glace and a blue cheese souffle, and the Bitter Chocolate Torte with port-stewed rhubarb and creme fraiche. To remember the wine pairings would be beyond me as I was ordering wine by the glass for our entire table. And that's just before Christmas. Dear husband was cat-skiing in the Monashees for 4 days before New Year's Eve, so a girlfriend of mine and I took Noah to see the lights at Vandusen Gardens and then had dinner at Szechuan Chongqing. We were crushed that they had no Clams in Black Bean Sauce, but dinner was outstanding regardless. Movie and dinner out with the girls at Takumi Sushi on North Road in Coquitlam. Very tasty indeed. Communal dining menat lots of dishes to sample, including a bowl of Edamame, Steamed Clams with butter and garlic, their Deluxe Sashimi platter (scallop and surf clam were particularly delicious inclusions), an order of Grilled Beef Tongue just to be adventurous (it was surprisingly fabulous!), one Negitoro Maki plus another maki roll, and some Mango Ice Cream. Takumi Sushi is apparently always jam-packed -- it certainly was that night -- so I'd definitely recommend reservations if you're thinking about trying it out. That takes me up to the end of December. Sorry for my long-windedness. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

Their voicemailbox is now full, you can't even leave a message. Give it some time; they are obviously overwhelmed. ← I phoned Chambar rather early on New Year's Day and was hopefully one of the first in their voicemail queue. At that time, their recorded message indicated that the restaurant would be closed until January 7; this, I gather, is the reason that their mailbox is full and that they haven't returned any calls as of yet. I hope.

Coop, we've raised our son the same way. Have been bringing him with us to restaurants since he was 2 weeks old and have never had any behaviour or eating issues (touch wood!). During our trip to Palm Desert last October, we dined at a few white-tablecloth establishments and he enjoyed being at the restaurants as much as we did. If families are looking a moderately upscale restaurant that's accepting of kids, try Bistro Pastis. John Blakely has two kids of his own and is excellent at anticipating the needs of his younger customers.

Heck, I'm tempted to make a new batch on Saturday. Yes, they'll keep. Yes, orange drop cookies are good contraband for a swap! Ski an extra run for me. To say I'm envious would be a remarkable understatement. Areopagitica. Reminiscent of my own English Honours days. Gack. That is all. In an attempt at a not-so-smooth segue back to topic (in order to placate Arne ), I've never actually dined at the Living Room. Anyone have an unbiased review for me?

I've got extras from my post-Christmas cookie batch. And I accept all forms of food, alcohol and monetary bribes!

How about Beef Bourguignon kolachy? They had a Christmas Ham kolachy... what about a Roasted Turkey kolachy with stuffing and cranberry sauce/jelly? Worth the flight. Seriously. Creamy doesn't even cover it. Yes, garnished with crispy tortilla strips. Tomato base. Black beans. Sour cream. Keith is better qualified to enlighten you on the exact ingredients. I only remember what I put into my own version, but I wouldn't want to compromise their recipe. And wow... my cookies made your obsession list! I do have leftovers. You interested?!

A billion and a half calories, actually. The Tortilla Soup was damn good, but I had to keep tapping my carotid arteries every now and again to loosen all the cholesterol buildup. Worth every spoonful! And the Chicken Masala is now my official second favourite kolachy, rapidly closing in on that Reuben. Wish I could make it next Tuesday, but I'm doing the whole gradual entry preschool thing with Noah. Anyone up for kolachy two Wednesdays from now? Joie

Reminiscent of the Christmas morning exploits in our household. Popped some cinnamon buns into the oven and set the timer. Came back downstairs to continue opening presents. While opening presents, popped in new CD and had it playing fairly loud. You know what comes next. Missed hearing the timer beeping. By some act of God, the thought popped into my head that we needed to check the oven. Mushroom cloud of smoke billows out into my husband's face as he opens the oven door. Cinnamon buns were a mass of charred briquette-like items, but the inside part was still salvageable. However, in all that excitement, my husband notched one of the dials on our cooktop and inadvertently turned a burner on. The same burner that had a rollerball pen and the cinnamon bun recipe sitting on top of it. A rather sickly sweet smell later, my Mom walked upstairs to find that the pen had disintegrated into a puddle of molten ooze all over the burner. And I only had half a recipe left. Thank God dear husband was able to extract all traces of plastic from the burner; otherwise, it would still be a rather aromatic kitchen. Merry freakin' Christmas morning!

Neil, I just pm'ed you about this! Let me know what kind of kolachy you'd like and I'll drop by with some. Soup too? Joie

Oooh, oooh, oooh, me for kolachy today pleeze. It's damn cold outside and perfect for soup and waaaaarm kolachies. See you noonish!

Dear God in heaven. Their beef stroganoff soup is unbelievably good.

A bit longer?! Yaaaay... another Reuben convert!!

What about Sweet Obsession Cakes and Pastries on West 16th? I've never tried their Diplomat Cake, but I know that their other desserts are damn fine. Call ahead as I don't believe they take online cake orders: 604-739-0555.

Never mind the restaurant staff. It's like fingernails down a blackboard for me whenever I hear someone say, "Can I get the [insert menu item here]?" No. Absolutely no. You may not get it. You may not march back to the kitchen and plate it yourself. That's the waitstaff's job. When did people stop saying "I'd like to have" instead of "I want" or "Can I get"? Aaaaahhh!!!

agreed. it's insane, but i can't go too long without the lumberjack special at sophie's. and you know the kids will keep themselves occupied. Andrew editor@waiterblog waiterblog.com ← I guess one of the primary drawbacks that we've found with Sophie's is the lineup. Show me a toddler or preschooler that'll stand outside for 20 minutes before having breakfast or brunch, and I'll give that parent a gold medal! What about the Tomahawk in North Van? If all the tables are full, you can either belly up to the bar and let the kids spin around on the barstools, but at least you're standing inside while waiting instead of outside. Kitschy as all get out, but kids love it! And who can pass up a king-sized order of Yukon bacon?

Crepe Montagne and Citta are both open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unsure about Kypriaki for lunchtime, but it's definitely open for dinner hour.

Great suggestions. Citta has fantastic French onion soup from what I remember. Have never actually eated at the Whistler Brewhouse, just consumed massive quantities of alcohol there. The Trattoria may be on the upper end of a student's budget. Though fish and meat main plates range from about $25 to $33, their pasta dishes are all under $19. If you're up for crepes, raclette or fondue, then definitely hit Crepe Montagne. Excellent comfort food and rather inexpensive. And there's also Kypriaki Norte for Greek/Mediterranean... and belly dancing if you're already smashed! But dear God woman: you're not going to be up on the slopes?! Blasphemous!!

Well, there's the eGullet dinner at West. Passed on Cru as we'll be there this Sunday for the Shiraz/Syrah Dinner extravaganza and were also recently there just before Christmas. Also passed on Parkside as we dine there semi-regularly enough and Il Giardino as we enjoyed Dine Out there last year. We have confirmed reservations at both Circolo ($35) and Bistro Pastis ($25) and are still waiting to hear back from Chambar ($25). Was also debating on Diva and Le Gavroche but wasn't gobsmacked by their menus. And am still thinking about booking at either Coast as I'm curious about the room or Cafe de Paris as I'm curious about how they're doing with a new chef at the helm. Mind you, the planner in me still is hoping to see the menu for Cafe de Paris but it hasn't been posted yet. Price wasn't really a factor in my decisionmaking process. As far as I'm concerned, Dine Out is a great value whichever price point you choose. Rather, it was a combination of how tantalized I was by the menu and whether or not I've dined there recently (or at all, for that matter). Though we make a point of visiting John Blakely at least a couple of times a year, it's been a few months since we've dined at Bistro Pastis. And it's been a few years since our last outrageous blowout dinner at Circolo. So there you have it.

Andrew, I think my replies on this thread will be posted in dribs and drabs as restaurant ideas slowly filter in. Of course there's the Tomato Fresh Food Cafe on Cambie at West 17th. Don't know about the recent state of their kids' stash, but we've always had a successful meal there with our son... just throw a couple of extra crayons and some Hot Wheels into the backpack before you go. The bright colours and retro diner decor are usually a hit with kids, and they can go twirl around on the bar stools when they're bored. Weekend brunch is great but absolutely slammed. With no resos taken, getting there before 10:30 a.m. is your best bet. Our fave is the belgian waffle plate served with fresh fruit, honey vanilla yogurt and maple syrup, not to mention their swimming-pool sized espresso drinks. Blue Plate Specials are consistently good. Latin Quarter is another restaurant that our son thoroughly enjoys. Again, add an extra supply of kid gear to your arsenal and you're good to go. Set yourself up with an order of paella and a pitcher of sangria and order a couple of tapas or some pasta for the little one. Our waitress even mixed up a glass or two of "kiddie sangria" for our son. We were recently there with another family and their preschooler on a weeknight. The kids sat at an adjoining table for two when they were done eating and worked on an art project by candlelight before setting up house under the bar stools, then subsequently standing in the front window and watching the world go by. They were having fun without being intrusive and none of the restaurant patrons batted an eyelash. A great evening was had by all. Happy family dining! Joie

My first reaction would be Seb's Market Cafe at 592 East Broadway, one block west of Fraser Street. We had brunch with our 3 1/2-year-old son there this morning and hung out for about 1 1/2 hours without incident whatsoever. A hip, comfortable room with a great vibe and, most importantly, a kids' stash with colouring books, crayons, toy dinosaurs and toy vintage cars. Our son was in heaven. Can't comment on the dinner menu, though we mean to head back soon for an evening meal, but Francois Godbout serves up a fantastic brunch. My husband had banana bread french toast, I had a shitake mushroom and roasted garlic omelette with a side of turkey sausage, and Francois made up a special plate for our son with a scrambled egg and a few rashers of bacon. All brunch plates come with pan-fried potatoes, house-made toast and fruit preserves, as well as a good-sized portion of fresh fruit. My latte was fabulous, as was my husband's americano and our son's freshly squeezed OJ. Our son gave Seb's a generous thumbs-up. It'll be easy to become regulars, that's for sure.

It's barbecue night at the Mouse House. What the hell... we miss summer and we love a good beach party. Mount Gay rum and tonics with lime twists to start. As yet unsure of wine selection. Two whites, likely a gewuertztraminer and a Viognier, and two undetermined reds. Roasted eggplant/red pepper/sundried tomato spread with garlic naan for dipping. Oriental salad made from sui choy and green onions tossed with a mixture of sesame seeds, slivered almonds and crushed dry ramen noodles toasted in butter. New York striploin with a spice rub that our friends are bringing over this evening. Chicken skewers in a soy/cilantro/lime juice/garlic/ginger marinade. Grilled asparagus, zucchini and peppers. Cheese platter served with Raincoast Crisps and blueberry Wensleydale, Caron double cream brie, and either Pont le Vec blue or gorgonzola. Dessert will be fresh-made czech-style crepes, care of our dinner guests. And it's my turn to sleep in tomorrow morning... whoohoo!! Happy New Year everyone! Joie

WARNING: COBS RANT AHEAD!! After a quick family lunch at Thai Away Home on Commercial Drive, we walked past the Cobs storefront on our way to Fratelli's (a real bakery) and noticed that Cobs was absolutely freakin' packed... at least two deep at the counter. Can someone please explain to me what the public's fascination is with bread that is mediocre at best?! Damn, I miss Federico's peach ricotta muffins and canolis. On a postive note, however, Fratelli's bread shelves were fairly depleted. You have to arrive fairly early in the day if you hope to buy a loaf of their unbelievably good cornbread. Amazing with soup, stew, chili or just oven-warmed and buttered on its own. Yummy.

Brian, what would you serve for dessert? Rum balls?!

Good God Brian. Let's just say that'd have an interesting, uhmm, mouthfeel.