Truth be told: Where've you eaten lately? (Part 2)

[jamiemaw]

One last night of madness....

After only 4 hours of sleep, I met him at the airport to see him off. We went to the Fairmount Hotel for breakfast. Actually, I only had like 7 minutes before I had to leave and get to work . . .

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Lorna, hardly Freudian I'm sure, but now we all kind of miss him too.

[Ling]

^OMIGOD. I can't believe I wrote that...

He asked me to visit him in Japan when he gets his apartment. Maybe in a few months we'll be tearing up Japan together.

Edited August 4, 2005 by Ling (log)

[barolo]

Central Bistro with Deborah et al as described above. This is a good little neighbourhood spot - open all day, friendly service, lots of food and drink options at very reasonable prices, it should do well. I won't go through the whole meal, but the pea soup and the desserts stood out for me. The linguine was good, but a little too heavy for me on a summer night - I should know better. Thanks to Deborah for organizing a fun evening and Holly and Harry for good food and service.

With some visitors looking for views:

Fiddlehead Joe's for breakfast: service was a little slow to get started but helpful and friendly after that, coffee was abysmal, toast came with jam, honey and peanut butter in those little rectangular peel-off top packages - didn't go well with the designer china. The non-toast eater was happy with his scramble. The menu featured way more alcohol than food which I thought odd at 10:00 am, but the two men beside us were sharing a bottle of Cava so maybe it is not so odd. The weather and view were wonderful.

Lupin's Cafe, Grouse Mountain: awful chicken panini thing, the kid's hot dog was really too large and awkward for a small child to eat, but she liked it. However, service was very helpful and friendly, and the view helped.

[mamacat]

Last night Snacky-cat, Mr. Cat and I returned to La Terrazza for another go at their "7 for 7" menu. We enjoyed a scallop & smoked bacon dish, penne ariabiata and a wonderful sausage & polenta creation. The sausages are home made and are SO good - fat, juicy beautifully spiced! I have never paired sausage with polenta before but the combination was wonderful. We skipped the $7/glass wine and opted for a bottle of Viognier from the Naramata Bench region in BC. It was a little sharper than the Yalumba we had at the last Hamilton Street Grill wine tasting but lovely nonetheless. Waiter Graeme was his usual hospitable and pleasant self - he kept us fully up to date on the score from the football game that was being played a few blocks away at BC Place.

There is nothing quite as pleasurable as sitting on a patio on a warm summer night sipping wine and enjoying well-prepared food with good company. If I ever get to heaven (and that is somewhat doubtful), I think I'll ask for that as my eternal reward.

[Ling]

All descriptions from the Parkside website:

Appetizers:

Pâté de campagne, split pea purée, creamed horseradish mustard, toasted brioche

Buffalo steak tartare, well seasoned, gaufrette potato chips

Pea and prosciutto ravioli with pea velouté and seared scallop

(Daily special appetizer--seared foie gras, figs, and Parma ham. I enjoyed this appetizer the most.)

Mains:

Milk fed veal chop, stuffed pasta shells, creamed Jerusalem artichokes and gorgonzola, Port sauce

Crispy skin boneless Cornish hen, cauliflower purée, wild mushroom ravioli, black trumpet mushroom jus (This was my favourite main course)

Roast duck “Grand-mère”, foie gras cabbage roll, sweet onion purée, fondant potato (another one of my favourites..the duck must've been slow-cooked because the meat just fell apart in your mouth. I've never had duck this good!)

Roast tenderloin of Alberta lamb, house made sausage, fresh mint and grainy mustard jus (the house made sausage was very lean...not my favourite)

Desserts:

Dulce de leche caramel flan

Strawberry and vanilla triffle

Brandy snap cannolis filled with mascarpone and lemon custard, poached blueberries (one of my favourite desserts of the evening...crisp and rich at the same time)

Fresh figs roasted in port wine syrup, candied walnut ice cream

Chocolate tart, housemade espresso ice cream (They use Valrhona and the tart crust was remarkably thin. The ganache was rich without being too dense. Perhaps it was whipped a bit?)

All in all, a wonderful meal.

I had the pate, the veal, and the chocolate tart. I shared a bottle of the 2000 Moillard Chorey les Beaune with one of my friends.

Edited August 7, 2005 by Ling (log)

[kurtisk]

nice!

k

[Daddy-A]

All in all, a wonderful meal. 

I had the pate, the veal, and the chocolate tart. I shared a bottle of the 2000 Moillard Chorey les Beaune with one of my friends.

nice!

k

Okay ... am I the only one that for a fleeting moment thought that Ling had eaten ALL of that??

Excellent pictures! Must add Parkside to my list to re-visit ... right after Pear Tree who seem to be stalled with their renos.

A.

[*Deborah*]

I'm going Monday for my first Birthday Dinner. Last year I had two there (bless travelling parents) but this year I may have only the one, since both parents will be here at the same time.

[Ling]

^The Cornish game hen was my favourite. Mmm...

The Jerusalem artichoke puree with the gorgonzola was amazingly smooth, with the distinct flavour of blue cheese being there but not overwhelming. (All my friends really enjoyed it, and some of them can't stand the smell of blue cheese). I was impressed by how much care evidently went into the sauces and the side components. I tend to prefer my meats on the rare side, so the veal and the lamb were a bit too done for my liking.

All the appetizers were tasty, but the foie gras stood out for me. My friend and I noticed that it had more of a crust than you usually see at restaurants. I especially enjoyed the buffalo tartare--if the foie gras isn't offered, I would definitely recommend the tartare. The pate was my least favourite--it was still good, but the general consensus was that it was a bit under seasoned. There were pine nuts in the pate--I thought that was interesting.

Of the desserts, my favourites as I noted above were the chocolate tart and the brandy cannolis. The flan was also good, but I thought it had a touch more gelatin than necessary (my friend who ordered it enjoyed it very much, though.) The poached fig dessert and the trifle were both tasty, but I don't enjoy fruit-based desserts very much...that's my own bias.

Edited August 7, 2005 by Ling (log)

[Daddy-A]

Not to be outdone by Ling ...

Our Portland Road Trip. Hopefully next year we'll be able to get a few of you to join us!

I've had my youngest son with me this week. Wednesday was a visit to The Kolachy Shop to try out the Chicken Tandoori kolachy, and the Potato/Roasted Garlic soup. Soup on a hot day? It was awesome! As too was the kolachy. My son was so impressed he know owns a Kolachy Shop T-Shirt and informs everyone who will listen it's his favorite restaurant. Thanks Keith!

Later that day we stopped into Watermark for a pre-volleyball snack. Tim Pawset was righ-on about the tartare ... WTF am I supposed to eat this with? The Prawn Spring Rolls were good, but they prompted one of two great quotes about Watermark from my son: "Dad" he said with honest glee, "these taste just like Chicken McNuggets!"

The second quote was about the "decor": "This looks just like RDS Skateboard Park!".

Thursday was Fish Tacos at Go Fish! which earned a close 2nd place to the Kolachy Shop from my son.

A.

[vanderb]

Update from Calgary:

Wednesday last week, Tandoori Hut in Kensington. Still some of the most consistent quality around but the service has never had a smile. The butter chicken and saag gost w/ lamb were outstanding. Recently discovered the joy of Gewurztraminer with Indian food instead of beer, this has been a paradigm shift in my enjoyment of Indian food. Next I'm thinking Auxerois with Thai.

Friday last week, Taste of Calgary for lunch. I wasn't impressed yet again. It seems it's mostly the mediocre of Calgary that shows up to try and drum up business for the forthcoming year. I had bowl of Phad Krapo (sp), way too many stringy vegetables not enough chicken, chicken roti from the Carribean place (name of establishment forgotten... worst roti ever), and a lamb popsicle from Rick's. Lamb popsicle was the highlight but over priced at 5 tickets ($3.00).

Sunday lunch at Village Pita bakery in Short Pants Plaza. I had an excellent meat pie that reminded me of Turkish Pide that we had in Istanbul a couple of years ago. The pita bread was outstanding, as it should be at the bakery, although my significant other commented the pita for her falafel was cold and should have been warmed. Picked up 2 large bags of pita bread to go ($2.00 total, best deal around).

Not a bad week but I'll skip Taste of Calgary next year and stick to the Rocky Mountain Food and Wine festival.

[Country Cook]

Last three?, that would be Elvis Rocks the Canyon, HSG, and the Banana Leaf (on Denman).

Elvis Rocks the Canyon (near Hell's Gate) was my breakfast stop on the way home from the Lower Mainland. I went for the atmosphere not the food, although my ham, eggs and hashbrowns were quite good. The owner has been collecting Elvis memorabilia since 1965 (when she was 12); she has every album save three displayed in the dining room along with a museum load of other stuff. Only Elvis music plays on the stereo and her husband's ducktail complete the ensemble, quite unique! Service may be a bit slow.

I finally had the hanger steak at HSG prepared by the man himself no less. It was a good steak and I really like the idea of eating something different. I learned on this trip how reduced veal stock is like the life blood of the restaurant business, that's why those sauces taste so good!

Singapore Laska at the Banana Leaf for $7 was most filling and delicious, a rich spicy coconut broth with noodles, shrimp, squid, potatoes, chicken, eggs, etc.

[BCinBC]

From this past weekend's trip to Vernon where we played soccer, swam in the OK lake, drank a lot of beer, and generally broiled under the intense OK sun.

White Spot in Merritt

I will forever think of Keith when I eat at White Spot. Breaded spicy chicken burger. It was okay, it filled my stomach for a while.

DiVino in Vernon

Winner of several awards the past couple years (voted "Best ____ in the Okanagan" under several ____ categories; voted by whom you may ask, and I could not answer). N and I shared a large Caesar to start, which was bland, but the ravioli stuffed with veal in a rose sauce that I had for my main was great. The sauce was a mix of tomato with a slight spice, and a cream garlic sauce. House made raviolis were large and the veal was seasoned very well. The pasta itself was a bit thicker than I was expecting, so the texture was a little on the "hard" side of al dente, but otherwise the taste was definitely there. N had gnocchi with tomato and bocconcini (sp?) which she thought was great as well (I didn't taste though, too busy with the ravioli). Edited to add price point: with a beer and a cocktail, $40 NIC tip.

Waddy's in Vernon

Sunday's post-tournament meal at the local diner in Vernon. I had weak diner coffee to go with the standard meat (bacon) and eggs (poached) with hash browns and toast (brown). What can you say, it's a classic. N had the clubhouse on brown; real turkey which is always nice and a pile of fries. Solid food, slow-ish kitchen but totally made up for by our humming-bird-like waitress.

Finally, we stopped in at Quail's Gate on the way home. No time to enjoy the Old Vines patio unfortunately, but we did a tasting and walked away with some pinot noir, cab sauv (which we both really enjoyed, moreso than the award-winning merlot - there's no accounting for tastes eh?), old vines foch, and (the highlight) the fortified OVF. The last port-style wine was excellent, it has all the stand-up flavours of the OVF but with a totally smooth consistency, no explosiveness due to / despite the high-alcohol content. At $19.99 a half-bottle, I think it is a steal.

Edited August 8, 2005 by BCinBC (log)

[transfattyacid]

Sunday lunch at Earls on Broadway and Fir.

I`m not ashamed to say that i`m quite partial to laminated menu land and hurl`s as we so affectionately call it, is one of the better ones aint it . Realistical they are good restaurants arn`t they . i was hoping for ruben sandwich which i had at their branch in Vernon , but alas its been replaced on the menu , so roast chicken quesadilla was consumed in its wake, it was alright.

Monday lunch , flying wedge , sorry Gerald i was very tempted to go next door but we had plans for moderne burger for dinner . well the pizza filled a hole, but wasn`t great.

Monday dinner Moderne burger plans were dashed, as they close on mondays dont they :] * takes mental note *

Any way didn`t have the energy or indeed the inclination to trawl the length of broadway for some thing else.

So despite of what i`ve previously stated about wages and short people i swallowed my pride as the missus dragged me into Feenies .

I was glad they weren`t that buzy as i dont mix well with the type of human that normally inhabits feenies chairs.

i started with a caramelised onion and corn ravioli in peking duck broth. my broth was just the right side of saltyness from a soy sauce based stock ? ( correct me if i`m wrong colleen ) the ravioli stood up to this strong flavour with chantrelles and broad beans as additional flotilla.

i had a feenie burger to follow , see original dinning plan, which was alright, i goodered up my burger with a side order of poutine ( nice serving vessel ) which is, dare i say worth a return trip for that alone, yeah next time i`ll have poutine goodered up with a side of burger .

[*Deborah*]

Good to see you, TFA!

Last night: first Birthday Dinner at Parkside. The night started out well, my parents came over to my house for drinks, and I asked what they wanted, and they told me there was pop in my fridge, which I hadn't noticed A bottle of 1996 Pol Roger later (oh, délicieux), we made our way into a taxi to go to the restaurant. Because of the much greater incidence of bugs than usual this year, we sat inside. It was pretty quiet inside, but there was a goodly crowd on the patio, as it was a very nice night.

We were well served by (to my shame I know him only as) the Johnny Depp Waiter (well, he looks more like Johnny Depp than anyone else who works there but I dubbed him that many visits back, and I have no idea what his actual name is). He remembered us, too, and the lovely Turley Zin we had on our previous visit. This time, budget was a little more restrained (plus we had already had vintage pop!), so (on the JDW's recommendation) we had a bottle of 2002 Hendry Block 7 Zinfandel, just gorgeous. My mother and I usually go for the bigger badder wine even if my dad prefers simething less robust, but I'm really liking these lighter (but still Sahara-dry) Zinfandels, especially for warm weather drinking. Oh, and highly acloholic! 15.7%!

Lorna gave an excellent recap above of the current menu. The amuse was an espresso-sized cup of mushroom consommé, interesting: bright and earthy flavours at the same time. My mother and I had the foie gras with parma ham and fresh figs and radicchio, which was predictably delicious, and my dad started with the spinach salad served with goat cheese panna cotta. He was very happy with that. The JDW brought us a bit of (I believe Sauternes) to go with the foie, and a Sauv Blanc for my dad's goat cheese...cause that's the kind of guy he is.

For mains, my mother and I had the duck, and my dad, the Cornish hen. My mother ate almost her entire plate ( highly unusual) and my dad completely finsihed his. I got half of my duck wrapped, because I could neither finish it nor leave it (my mother had given me more than half of her foie as she was afraid of not being able to eat her dinner!! ).

Dessert we were very predictable: my dad had the sorbet trio, including a fromage frais sorbet which I had a taste of, very interesting. My mother had the brandy snap cannoli with lemony mascarpone custard, which she adores, and on the basis of Lorna's photos, I had the chocolate tart, which was absolutely delicious. And a Grand Marnier.

Another excellent meal, even though I understand Chef was not in the kitchen last night. And the service was also as good as usual. They have long-term people there: Chris has been at the bar as long as I've been going; the fellow who looked after my mother and me on the patio last August is still there (another one whose name I don't know, I'm so lame); and the JDW has been there at least since Dine-Out. Sahara is still returning calls re: reservations...it's nice to see continuity like that. Next time I go, I'm going to ask everyone their names.

[*Deborah*]

So last night Mummy and I finally got ourselves over to Aurora Bistro. I have been meaning to go for some time, since I am a fan of the all-BC, all the time concept, and many of you have recommended it.

We arrived and I introduced myself to Kurtis (kurtisk, who, yes, looks like his avatar ), who seated us along the banquette. First things first: wine. Since we had that lovely Zin the night before, we wanted something a bit fuller, and settled on the Sandhill Small Lots Petit Verdot 2002. (Another high-alcohol wine: 14.5%...I don’t do this on purpose, honestly.) Our excellent server (another whose name I didn’t get, ye gods) decanted it, and it definitely needed some space and time, starts out quite sharp, but eventually smooths out...strong fruit, overarching round dryness and alcohol LOL I’m very bad with these wine descriptions...I’d order it again, but maybe ask for it to be decanted before I arrived (or at least get it out of the bottle as soon as I got there) so it had some time to stretch its legs.

Chef sent out a really intriguing and tasty amuse: a parmesan choux pastry puff, filled with an herby crème fraîche, really delicious. I think I’m missing some ingredients in the filling, but we really enjoyed it.

For starters, my mum had the tomato-cucumber gazpacho with horseradish Chantilly that was on the table d’hôte menu, and I had the smoked salmon and crème fraîche cheesecake...I’ve had other things called smoked salmon cheesecake, and this was the best yet. Moussey in texture, with a brioche base, rich and light at the same time. It was served with a fennel and apple salad, good texture, nice tangy dressing.

For mains, my mum had the pork tenderloin with maple and mustard seed glaze, and Okanagan goat’s cheese and apple crumble. She traded me her carrots for my asparagus since she loves asparagus much more than I, and really enjoyed it. I had the half Cornish hen with dried sour cherry barbecue sauce, lime and black pepper coleslaw, and smoked sweet potato purée. That sweet potato purée was something else! and the hen was beautifully done, juicy as can be.

For dessert, we both decided to have the raspberry chocolate mousse mille feuille. Alas, there was a lack of raspberries, so they substituted blackberries, which were nice and plump if less tangy. The chocolate mousse was very good I counted only two feuilles and I can’t quite place the texture, a little meringue-ish in nature? it was very tasty nonetheless, and we got a taste of the Sumac Ridge Pipe (was it the Sumac Ridge?) which went quite well with the dessert. I’m kind of funny about dessert wines, if you ask me if I like ‘em I’d probably say no, not really; but put one in front of me and I have no compunction whatsoever about drinking it (and people keep putting it in front of me! ). Actual Port can get a bit rich for me, but I am getting used to these somewhat lighter sweet wines.

It was a delicious dinner, we were both very happy with it. And as I said to Kurtis, it will definitely not be our last meal at Aurora. Thank you!

[chef jeff]

Just got back from my wife's high school reunion up in Kittamat. Not much to report on the dining scene. I could, but it's as bad as you could imagine.

I just wanted to mention one of the best meals I have ever had.

I got invited to go out on the ocean for a day of crabbing and fishing. We came back with a dozen nice grey cod, a couple of flounder, 30 dungeness crab, and two 40 pound halibut. When we got back to our friends house, I threw a sheet of plywood on the grass and started butchering. I did all the cod and flounder first while the bbq heated up and the water for the crab came to a boil. Once the bbq was hot, I cut the first loin off a halibut, rubbed a little extra virgin olive oil on it, a little salt and pepper and threw it right on the grill. The crab went into the pot with a pack of cayenne and a few garlic cloves. Holy Shit! It was so fresh and so good. We had no sauce, no vegetables, no potatoes or rice. Just the halibut and crab as fresh as it could possibly be.

I felt blessed.

[makanmakan]

Just got back from my wife's high school reunion up in Kittamat.  Not much to report on the dining scene.  I could, but it's as bad as you could imagine.

I just wanted to mention one of the best meals I have ever had.

I got invited to go out on the ocean for a day of crabbing and fishing.  We came back with a dozen nice grey cod, a couple of flounder, 30 dungeness crab, and two 40 pound halibut.  When we got back to our friends house, I threw a sheet of plywood on the grass and started butchering.  I did all the cod and flounder first while the bbq heated up and the water for the crab came to a boil.  Once the bbq was hot, I cut the first loin off a halibut, rubbed a little extra virgin olive oil on it, a little salt and pepper and threw it right on the grill.  The crab went into the pot with a pack of cayenne and a few garlic cloves.  Holy Shit!  It was so fresh and so good.  We had no sauce, no vegetables, no potatoes or rice.  Just the halibut and crab as fresh as it could possibly be.

I felt blessed.

←

i feel so jealous

[SushiCat]

I've been bad, but it has been so fun!

Last night we ate at La Regalade in West Van. This was our second time here and the food is really fabulous! Our waiter was very fun and we were able to share stories and even a cappuccino lesson ... no names were exchanged.

For starters we had Salade la Regalade - this is the must have appetizer on the regular menu! Just think ultra lemony creamy dressing on baby romaine with warm bacon (lardons actually) and shrimp and squid - I love this salad! We also had the green bean, shrimp and avocado salad. This was served in a large martini glass. There were four of us, but we knew to save room.

For mains we had Beef Bourgignon (sp?) and lamb shanks with spices and fruits and the roast duck. All three dishes were amazing, and despite there being four of us, we could not finish our mains. We kept discussing which were our favourites, each dish was very good and I can't pick one out of the others ... Lamb had Morrocan spicing and figs/apricots as well as delicious carrots, duck comes with fruit as well, grapes and apples I think.

For dessert we polished off the best creme brulee in our city, a warm chocolate tarte and apple tart tatin.

Let's see ... what was the 2nd restaurant ... oh yes, dinner at C on Sunday evening. This was the culmination of a day of adventure and dinner was very good. The best dish on our table was probably the butter poached lobster and the plates are really art forms. We also had scallops, salmon and tuna. The tuna was the least exciting, but maybe there was a communication gap.

And number 3, Sunday brunch at Provence Marinaside. Now I see why everyone raves about their bruch! Yum. First notable mention, they make the best butter croissants in our city! Oh my god! We ordered a breakfast basket for the table and we had to ration that croissant. Ended up ordering two more (croissants that is). I had the croque monsieur benedict, there was a merguez panini and someone had three antipasti. All in all, good service, great spot and delicious food!

Should I go on suffice to say that... on Saturday there was a big wedding partially in our yard, and at that many delicious food items including freshly deep fried halibut chunks, plenty of sushi, skewers of Indian spiced chicken a wedding cake made by yours truly, etc. Last Wedensday I was at Parkside and it just renewed my endearment to that space. We had a patio spot, great service, cleaned plates and several items of note: (I wish I had the menu to review) a salad with tomato concasse, maybe it was called something else, but oh my heavenly! Prosciutto and pea ravioli! Steak with boursin , delicious duck, trifle

I also managed to sneak in a quick bite at RainCity ... I think I mentioned that one already, they are doing something right there again these days. Very good mean, and we like the spoon idea on the menu, small bites that can be ordered on their own.

Ok, I'm done - except I just reserved a tables at Parkside and West ... the joy of visitors!

[Vancouver Lee]

I got invited to go out on the ocean for a day of crabbing and fishing.  We came back with a dozen nice grey cod, a couple of flounder, 30 dungeness crab, and two 40 pound halibut. 

←

Where the hell were you fishing, Granville Island Market? If the chef game ever dries up, at least you'll have a second career as a fishing guide.

[vanderb]

Calgary - lunch with my father on Monday @ Sushi Hiro, nigiri sushi selection including special scallop, maguro, sake, ebi then 2 rolls, inside out california & salmon skin.

Dinner on Wednesday @ Touch of Ginger in Kensington, bun noodle w/ imperial roll & shrimp deep fried in a wrapper. Oh yeah shrimp salad rolls to start (can't live without these).

Last night after a few glasses of petite syrah @ Buchanan's there was a medium rare steak sandwich with caesar salad & pomme frittes @ Original Joe's in Kensington.

Not the most adventurous week but still a tastey one.

[canucklehead]

Lot's of eating out this week - mostly work related (or so I tell myself...)

Two meals at Chambar - won't go on ad naseum gilding the lily - but let's say that I am loving the place. Some real standouts on the menu for me - Octopus Carpacio, Grilled Prawns, and Roasted Elk Loin. The Grilled Prawns were deeply flavored w the right amount of spice - served with a watermelon and parsley salad that was shockingly and refreshingly cold and sweet. Magic

Day trip down to Seattle today:

Found a loophole in Salumi's Tues-Fri hours - DiLaurentis at Pike Place Market serves their famed salami. Todays impromtu lunch of Fennel Salami, Salami, French Jambon, and DiLaurentis' own pulled mozz. My favorite was the fresh Salami - sweet pork with the right bite of salt. Yumm

Sampled the brisket at the Frontier Room - just down the street from Pike Place. It was soft and succulent - some of the best brisket I have ever had (Memphis Blues does not come even close). They must have like us because we got the cap and end bits - GOOD!

Pike Place Market is too OTT for me - I am thankful for GI....

[Ling]

24 hr Bread Garden on Robson: last Sunday

Sorry, I didn't pick this place--my date did. To his defense, there wasn't much open since we watched a late movie. He had a mediocre piece of cheesecake, and I had a mediocre piece of carrot cake.

UBC vending machine: yesterday (Saturday)

Ate "lunch" before going in to write my final. Went for a childhood favourite...Coffee Crisp. I also dug up some beef jerky in my car. Pretty sucky lunch.

Chinatown night market: yesterday

Sampled some snacks after a light dinner of chicken, ribs, and garlic bread (heh heh). Was disappointed with the "stinky tofu"--I ordered it because I've never had it before, but it didn't really smell that bad. Just regular fried tofu with a slight "off" odour. My friend said that due to some health regulations, you can't get stinky tofu that's truly rank-smelling in Canada like you can in HK.

Silk Haus: yesterday

I'm at a private party downing watered down drinks (gin and tonics, vodka and tonics, shots of Jaeger). We bounced when the puking started.

Sonar: err...I got there at 1am, so technically this morning

Cage-dancing and more drinking. I gave my number to two guys. I am a bad girl.

Edited August 14, 2005 by Ling (log)

[Vancitygirl]

Just chimming in with last three eats:

1) After Grouse Grind on Thursday we were torn between hole in the wall Sushi near Broadway and Main (companion wasn't sure of the place), but passed by Miko on Robson and chose that. Super fresh tuna sashimi, house roll was a mix of california, salmon and tuna and huge pieces of unagi! Too much to finish even after the exercise. Great service, overall A experience.

2) Friday tried to dine near the Ocean, but all patios in site were full. Went to the Crime Lab where there was at least an outdoor patio. Little bit too noisy with the traffic. Greatest thing was the Noble Blend wine by the glass by Joie - love that stuff. Split some fish cakes - too salmony (read fishy) and with some type of overcooked prawn pushed into them. Very good, and properly cooked, prawn and scallop brocettte. Refreshing citrus spinach salad. Mussels turned out to be partenered with clams, rather unexpected, but welcomed, but were a little too creamy on the sauce side for a hot day. I of course I criticed too much for my companion who ate everything happily. Really was rather good overall.

3) This is a strange one for me - Sunday brunch at the Paddlewheeler in New Westminster. Well, the story is this, I ran to New West with my running group (3 hr. run) and did not have any input into the brunch. Actually, I was nicely suprised by a great selection of beers - was a very important thirst quenching necessity - and the spinach, cheese and mushroom omelette. Not sure if it would have been as great with less distance behind me.

Onward to a week of new explorations!

Edited August 15, 2005 by Vancitygirl (log)

[pissaladiere]

Stella's on Commercial-Saturday night before Springsteen concert

We really liked this place. I had a Bellevue Kriek and my husband had a Hoegarden. We were hoping that they had some Belgian Triples (Westmalle, Leffe Triple, Duval), but were pleased with the selection of beers on tap. We shared some beautifully plump muscles with chorizo and jalapenos and a bucket of frites. Frites were ok. We also had the tacos with rare beef and horseradish creme fraiche. These were very tasty. Finally, an order of scallops crusted in schezuan pepper on a bed of spaghetti squash. I liked this dish the least. The scallops were slightly burned and the squash didn't add anything to the dish. All in all, a very good meal. We will certainly try this place again.

Whitespot on Georgia-Friday afternoon

We were with the kids. Usually, when we are downtown (We live in Tsawwassen, which has very few interesting dining choices) I insist that we eat somewhere more interesting, but as everyone was starving and they had waited over an hour for me to get out of the hairdresser, I gave in. Had a tasty Monty Mushroom burger.

Two weeks ago-Seasons in the Park

I had no choice about going here and had low expectations that were met. This is a beautiful setting, but the food was very average and very expensive. Just not good value. I had steamed muscles and clams which were briny, puny and just not tasty. After that I had a salad nicoise that had a nicely grilled piece of tuna, but was covered in a mayonnaisey dressing. Without a high quality evoo it just isn't salad nicoise, imho. No one else was thrilled with their meal. Uninspired tuna, slighly overcooked salmon, flavourless steak. The only burst of flavour during the meal was a lemon tart with a creme brulee topping. Very yummy!

Overall, there are so many superior choices for the same or less money.

Andrea