Truth be told: Where've you eaten lately? (Part 1)

[nwyles]

Wow, I keep hearing the Hamilton Grill mentioned over and over in this thread.  Is it THAT yummy?  

I think I've walked past it numerous times in the past dining in the area, but never actually walked in.  Hmm, maybe I will try it.  I'm an extremely picky eater (thanks to my father who took us to all the top restaurants as far back as I could remember).

What are some of the better dishes (other than the Hanger steak, which I didn't see on their online menu) at HSG?

Welcome Uranus1!   Hamilton Street Grill for steak!  Especially Hanger if it's on the menu.  I think it still may be the only place in the city to get hanger or onglet, if you're french.  Then try some of the gingerbread pudding.  You'll be addicted, just like the rest of us.

←

←

I think we have little cult status as we hosted a large egullet event and yes it really is that yummy !

Don't be shy, come on in. Let me know who you are. I always like to put names and faces together. We have a big menu so I am sure that you will find something that tickles your fancy. The food is large portions of comfort food and the service is friendly - fairly straightforward. My personal style is a kinder softer gentler soup Nazi - do not upset me or " NO GINGERBREAD FOR YOU ! ONE MONTH ! OUT !

Edited January 1, 2005 by nwyles (log)

[nwyles]

Last three places I have eaten were in the Magic Kingdom. I realized early on that it was about what the kids wanted to eat so it was very limited. We found a restaurant that served two mini cheeseburgers and fries for kids so Matthew was in heaven. We ate there four nights - pretty good but very expensive. Everything in Walt's world was $$ - it was $2.00 USD for an apple ! Matthew ate four as we were cruising around each day . What can you do ? No, don't eat that apple, have some popcorn instead !

Jochaim of Patina fame has opened a couple of places in Downtown Disney.

What a sell-out !

Joan and I have had a couple of fantastic meals at Patina but this place was crap ! There was nothing redeeming about it. Indifferent service, no managemnet contact after sending two things back - those of you who know me know that this does not happen very often, I am a fairly easy going diner as long as I do not have to do the dishes. Brown, wilted lettuce for a Caesar. Deep Fried veal for a scallopini. Canned tomato sauce for gnocchi ( store bought ) the bread was crap - as this was a big woodburning pizza place, you think someone could have come up with a decent bread - there were full baskets on every table - nobody was eating it and no one seemed to care. Really poor - I mean you are a somewhat captive audience as you are on a resort but other people were doing nice food. A small thing but believe me it was a little bit of an issue at the time - they brought two pieces of paper for the kids to draw on but only one fucking crayon - did they like they scremin' baby express right in the middle of the restaurant ? Good thing Joan comes prepared, she whipped a pack of crayons out of her purse before either kid noticed. I mean this is the Magic Kingdom - all of the restaurants and / or outlets were very kid friendly, they thought of everything except this place. Short sinks and urinals everywhere, except here etc. Oh well enough of that.

Happy New Year

Neil

[*Deborah*]

Short sinks and urinals everywhere, except here etc. Oh well enough of that.

Happy New Year

Neil

←

*wiping tears of laughter from my eyes*

Who knew? I've never been to a men's room at Disney (three so far).

[Xando Head]

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.

Edited January 3, 2005 by Xando Head (log)

[*Deborah*]

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.

←

My mother started taking me to good restaurants when I was 5 years old (Report Card Dinners, solemn occasions, and usually French restaurants so I could practice my French) and even though I was the best-behaved child in the world, and terribly polite, staff (unless they knew me from a previous visit or knew my mother) would almost always expect the worst, and v e r y slowly warm up...the good part was that by the end of the meal, when I was still sitting up quietly, not running around or crying or doing "brat" things, they'd often bring me free dessert (or an extra dessert) to make up for having had bad thoughts earlier on.

Unfortunately, kids I think are even more badly behaved now than they were *cough*thirty*cough* years ago, so I expect staff are even slower to warm up than they used to be. But I suppose all you can do is have the kids with you be well-behaved and hope the staff come around...which I admit is backwards logic, but...

My last few restaurants:

(aside from my Chinese delivery when I got back home tonight)

Mantles, Delta Sun Peaks Resort: this was the second time I've eaten there, and it was just as good as the previous time, food-wise and wine-wise. We started with a bottle of Summerhill Cipes sparkling, first time we'd tried it, and found it quite good for BC. I thought the label blurb which compared it with Dom Pérignon was stretching it just a bit <_< but still it was quite drinkable, lemony finish. Then we had a bottle of 2002 Oculus which we enjoyed. My dinner was very good; the "smoked salmon cheesecake" and a grilled sablefish, and a ginger dark chocolate dense thing to finish, with the ever-popular (to me) Monte Cristo coffee.

Powderhounds, Sun Peaks: this is my parents' every-day sort of dinner place, unpretentious but decent food. We were there for two meals while I was up, and the first time I had the Wiener Schnitzel which is decent, I've had it before, and then the other night I had Spaghetti Bolognese (which was actually linguine, not that I mind) and a fresh tomato soup to start that was very good, lots of garlic in it, far from Campbell's and all the better for it.

[Ling]

Section 3 in Yaletown a few nights ago. We went for drinks, and I had my first taste of Red Bull (yuck! Tastes like cough syrup!) and drank my first beer of the year (Sleeman's Honey Brown). I'm not usually a big beer drinker.

Brass Monkey. Here again for hi-ball specials. Our server gave us a few free drinks, but they were pretty nasty.

Cambie Noodle House. Went in at 2:55pm--just barely made it as their last call is 3am. Good thing I already knew what I wanted--beef tendon with rice noodles. This is one of my favourite Chinese soup-noodle (but wonton is a close second). The tendon was soft, still a little chewy, and had a nice amount of fat on it (not too much). Also had a side of Chinese donut (those long sticks of golden dough that are snipped with scissors).

I also had a Reuben and a Chicken Marsala kolachy at The Kolachy Shop a few days ago. The Reuben was particularly good! I love the chewy, slightly sweet dough.

Edited January 6, 2005 by Ling (log)

[*Deborah*]

Section 3 in Yaletown a few nights ago. We went for drinks, and I had my first taste of Red Bull (yuck! Tastes like cough syrup!)

I always say it tastes like Pez...it's not bad with the right amount of vodka. Lets you maintain the buzz for longer as it helps keep you awake. I mean, if one were to want to get buzzed...

I had one as a coffee substitute one morning, though...that was really no substitute at all.

[Mooshmouse]

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.

[montrachet]

Which Szechuan Chongqing location Moosh? I've only been to the one at 12th and Commercial but I heard that there were a few more locations. I love the scallion pancakes they have there.

[Ling]

^There's one on W. Broadway near Granville.

[Mooshmouse]

Which Szechuan Chongqing location Moosh? I've only been to the one at 12th and Commercial but I heard that there were a few more locations. I love the scallion pancakes they have there. 

←

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!

[Uranus1]

Neil

I did book a reservation at the Hamilton Street Grill. I'm going to go during Dine Out Vancouver on Jan 23 @7pm! Hmm, sorry to sound stupid (don't spit in my food), but are you the chef at HSG!?

Raymond

Wow, I keep hearing the Hamilton Grill mentioned over and over in this thread.  Is it THAT yummy?  

I think I've walked past it numerous times in the past dining in the area, but never actually walked in.  Hmm, maybe I will try it.  I'm an extremely picky eater (thanks to my father who took us to all the top restaurants as far back as I could remember).

What are some of the better dishes (other than the Hanger steak, which I didn't see on their online menu) at HSG?

Welcome Uranus1!   Hamilton Street Grill for steak!  Especially Hanger if it's on the menu.  I think it still may be the only place in the city to get hanger or onglet, if you're french.  Then try some of the gingerbread pudding.  You'll be addicted, just like the rest of us.

←

←

I think we have little cult status as we hosted a large egullet event and yes it really is that yummy !

Don't be shy, come on in. Let me know who you are. I always like to put names and faces together. We have a big menu so I am sure that you will find something that tickles your fancy. The food is large portions of comfort food and the service is friendly - fairly straightforward. My personal style is a kinder softer gentler soup Nazi - do not upset me or " NO GINGERBREAD FOR YOU ! ONE MONTH ! OUT !

←

[nwyles]

Yes I am but I will be at the Dine Out Egullet Event @ West that night. Perhaps you would like to change your reso and join the other egulleters at West that night. I will certainly accomodate any change you need to make.

Cheers

Neil

[Ling]

Which Szechuan Chongqing location Moosh? I've only been to the one at 12th and Commercial but I heard that there were a few more locations. I love the scallion pancakes they have there. 

←

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!

←

I love scallion pancakes and often make them from scratch since they're so easy to do. How are the ones at Szechuan Chongquing different from the ones other restaurants serve? Are they a lot better than the frozen ones you can get at Asian supermarkets?

[montrachet]

I guess it has to do with the amount of oil used in frying them up I think. The end result is a crispy outer covering with nice chewy scallion filled insides. I like it with vinegar and chili sauce. I've tried to make the frozen ones found at Asian supermarkets but like I mentioned, I have a fear of using too much oil in the pan.

I'm sure homemade pancakes will taste just awesome. Care to share your recipe Ling?

After you finish your essay will be fine.

[Ling]

I'll finish my essay tonight. Will PM you a basic recipe tomorrow, but I learned it from my grandma so all measurements are by eye and feel. And I'm sure each pancake contains at least 3 tbsp. of oil for the layers, and then I fry it in a few tbsp. of oil, adding more if necessary when I flip it.

[canucklehead]

Okay - I've had a good week, so this is not indicative of usual eating habits. Though I do eat out ALOT.

Le Regalade - in WV for dinner. Very good crisp roasted duck and my brother had rack of veal with wild mushrooms. It was alot of food - I think that the entrees must be designed to share. And very rich - I don't know if this is a generational thing - but most people my age (mid 30's) seem to prefer the lighter hand of italian stuff. I've been to Parkside and there seems to be a strong french influence. The food is almost generous to a fault with all the reductions and butters - very rich.

Shangha Ya Yun - on Main for lunch today. The best Xiao Lung Bao (they call them juicy buns) in Vancouver I dare declare. So full of juicy soup and pork - I burnt the roof of my mouth on those suckers.

Chambar for Dinner. I won't even try to add to the acclaim that the place has gotten. It is definitely firing on all pistons though - the food has depth and finesse, the room rocks, and the service is friendly and professional. Only wierdness on my visit was I was handed an Opinion Survey on what I thought of the food and the place... etc. What was that all about!? Don't they know that they have got this city abuzz?

I will let you know about my next White Spot visit. I grew up on Triple Oh but I miss the older waitresses who knew their stuff, worked their asses off, and got you fed fast. White Spot needs to stop pretending that they are Earl's.

[Daddy-A]

Only wierdness on my visit was I was handed an Opinion Survey on what I thought of the food and the place... etc.  What was that all about!?  Don't they know that they have got this city abuzz?

That is indeed good news! They've been having "service" issues, so it sounds like they're working on them with some seriousness!

A.

[mzungu]

Here we go

Truffles (cornwall and walnut): nice little place, Earl's pricing, the manicotti (sp?) was delicious but the service needed some work. Was there with friends tonight and we had a great time. maybe the snow kept people at home on a Friday night. Good place for a group as everyone went up to the bar to pay for their own meals.... phew...

BCIT cafeteria. I missed the mushroom burger. Felt very greasy afterwards. Must have been the fries and XL Coke...

HSG: Neil, I wish I wasn't a student.... I'd have filet mignon every week at your place if I lived in Gastown. In a perfect world, finding a parking spot would be soooo easy....

Cheers

(Update Jan8) I almost forgot! Tomokazu located just above Habibi's on Broadway... very good take-out sushi.... and the all-you-can sushi prices..! unreal...

Edited January 8, 2005 by mzungu (log)

[peppyre]

It's been a very busy eating week for me and it's not stopping until Feb sometime My poor waistline. Anyhow, the past week:

Wed: Shitty Hospital Cafeteria Food for lunch but made up for in spades at dinner. Went to the Hamilton Street Grill for dinner with some fellow eGulleters and had an amazing meal. Soft shell crabs, gorgonzola fondue, Hanger steak, followed by a "birthday cake" of gingerbread pudding It was brilliant.

Thursday went to Banana Leaf with Daddy-A for lunch; Had spring rolls, roti, and mee goreng. It was good, but not nearly as spicy as when I order it for take-out. Not sure why, but it was still good.

Friday, leftover mee goreng and supplemented by heading back down to Banana Leaf for more spring rolls and roti

Just before New Year's I headed to the Kolachy shop to have lunch with Daddy-A and J. I had so many that I can't remember what I eventually ate. Aaahhh Kolachies, the perfect meal for a cold day. And the mushroom potato potage, yummy.

[PaoPao]

We hit Rasputin with some friends on Broadway. Very good meal. Between their sampler appys, The chicken dinner (which I thought was outstanding), and a continual flow of their special imported vodka, I almost started dancing a russian jig. This is a place we will certainly be back to!

Hawkers Delight on Main for some really tasty Malay "Street Vendor" type food. I love places you can go to and just stuff yourself silly with good food for under $10 pp.

Pink Pearl for, IMHO, the best Dim Sum around. Yes, yes, and I have been to Sun Sui Wah......

Take out from Cafe D'lite on 4th Ave. Fantastic Hainese Chicked Rice and Beef Brisket.

Shiru Bay on Hamilton. It's not bad for convenience sake since we live so close to it. I definetly wish there was a Gu'u closer by.....

And finally Samurai Sushi on Davie. Great portions, fresh, fast, tasty, and reasonably priced. A winning combo.

[Mnehrling]

My last three:

1. Pho- (Longview TX) A small Vietnamese place that we seem to frequent more than we cook at home.

2. Cafe Barons- (Longview TX) It's in a bookstore but it tastes 5 star.

3. Lilly's Dim Sum Then Some- (Little Rock AR) The best Dim Sum I have ever tried.

[Foodie in Vancouver]

I just realized I have eaten 3 meals out so I can post. Whoppee

The first is soup for lunch from Pane from Heaven. The soup on Thursdays is Malaysian Chicken and it is definitely a soup to warm you from the inside! It is broth-based with some coconut milk in addition to the namesake chicken and potato chunks. (Didn't know they had potatoes in Malaysia!) My only criticism is too much oil detracts from the taste but the oil was easy to spoon out. I would definitely have it again on Thursdays. And they serve it with a whack of their bread which is very tasty and useful for dipping.

Earl's on Thursday evening with the family as my eldest daughter was returning to university on Friday morning so we needed a night out. Earl's is definitely the right choice when you have 2 adults and 3 "kids" ranging in age from 16 - 29. Everyone can find something they want to eat. Mr. Foodie and I shared the bento box appie to start. Mediocre dynamite rolls (but the youngest had a single order on her own and loved them), prawns and salmon. I ate the teriyaki salmon and it was tasty and not overcooked. Mains for us was the seafood penne - spicy and perfectly cooked seafood. The kids? Who cares what they ate - the point is they ate. One of the best things about Earl's is their wine list. Excellent selection and very fairly priced. We both had a glass of the Quails Gate Family Reserve Pinot Noir which is sold out - pity, it is a wonderful, wonderful wine.

Last night after noting in another thread that Osso Bucco sounded perfect and what I craved, Neil let me know that they had several braised choices on the menu. So Mr. Foodie and I arrived at the "Hammy" at about 9 pm hungry and cold and Villa de Lupo didn't get our charming company. We weren't disappointed with our choice. We both had the tuna appetizer paired with Pinot Noir from Cedar Creek. I really like what Gordon and his staff are doing at Cedar Creek - very nummy! And, as always, the tuna was delicious. Next up was the BC Honey mussels in a wonderful broth which disappeared quickly - especially as there were artfully supplied 'baugette spears' with which we sopped up the broth.

And, what else but the shortribs on such a chilly night? I paired it with the Mission Hills 5 Vineyard Merlot and Mr. F had the Sandhill Merlot. I liked the MH better - seemed smoother to me but I didn't taste it with the food so not a fair comparison. The ribs were tender, tasty and just perfect for a snowy night. We ended, as all meals at the HSG should, with the gingerbread pudding. I think it is a form of crack!

AND the bonus was we got to meet the Kolachy King. He wandered in and ended up joining us. After MUCH arm twisting he helped us with the gingerbread pudding but you need to know that the arm twisting was only for the first bite. He powered himself through the rest

[Ling]

We weren't disappointed with our choice. We both had the tuna appetizer paired with Pinot Noir from Cedar Creek. I really like what Gordon and his staff are doing at Cedar Creek - very nummy!

←

I drank a bottle of this on Friday night. It is delicious and one of my new favourites (not that I'm an experienced wine-drinker ).

Friday and Saturday night at Boston Pizza No one (including myself) really felt like going into the village since it was freezing when we were up there! On Friday, I had the chicken tenders and fries, dry ribs, and caramel apple martini. On Saturday, we ordered take-out and sent a few guys trekking in the snow for our order. We had 3 pizzas, 2 lasagnas, 3 orders of spaghetti, garlic bread, and 4 free desserts since they messed up our order the first time. The vegetarian pizza was actually quite good--I think it was the Tuscan chicken and we asked them to leave out the chicken.

Saturday lunch at Crepe Montagne and La Bocca. I had the banana nutella crepe, but no one was really full afterwards so we went to La Bocca and ate again. Lots of people ordered the french onion soup and hot chocolate, and some of the girls ate another full entree Crepe Montagne was really busy but the crepe was quite good.

This morning, we did some shopping and visited three coffee places before lunch (mainly to get out of the cold for a bit). I had coffee at Second Cup and I had the oat fudge bar at Starbucks. Sunday lunch was at Earl's. It's been at least 2 years since I've been here since the food was terrible the last time I went. I was happy with my lunch today though--started with the spinach and artichoke dip and then I had the chicken and brie on ciabatta (with roasted apple, fig jam, spinach leaves) and fries.

Edited January 10, 2005 by Ling (log)

[*Deborah*]

Ha, I went to Earl's there in September and was told that I had no choice of salad dressing on my starter salad, it "came with" whatever it was (some balsamic concoction or other, and I wanted something creamy).

I was so shocked I didn't insist.

Won't be returning anytime soon.