Don Guacamoles

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Lynn Bee

UPDATE! Don Guacamoles has since closed. Can you believe it? They were always so freaking busy!

Best corn tortillas; worst service.

1333 Robson Street Vancouver, BC
604.569.2295

Don Guacamoles’ food is excellent – but it takes more than just great food to have me raving. At Don Guacamoles people are lining up outside, it’s busy all the time, and my friends are telling me it’s the next best thing to actually being in Mexico. I don’t think Don Guacamoles is worth waiting in line for and unfortunately they don’t take reservations. Nor is it “as good as actually being in Mexico”….who says stuff like that about Canadian-Mexican food anyway? The food at Don Guacamoles is good – but I don’t know what the big deal is. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Don’s is how small the place is compared with how busy it is – Don Guacamoles has only been open a month and there is a constant lineup out front (think Stepho’s) it also appears as though the staff are not up to the challenge of the constant patronage, there doesn’t seem to be a host/hostess (which is desperately needed) and whose job is it to bring you your bill anyway? Having several different servers through the meal just leads to confusion and mixups. Boo to the service at Don Guacamoles.

Enough about the mediocre service. Next topic! The prices at Don’s seem fair – there is quite a range from $2.50 for individual tacos to $25 for a steak. We made the mistake first off of breaking the bank on some damn tasty margaritas ($9 each) and of course a couple bottles of Dos Equis. We then ordered what we thought were appetizers – flautas ($11) and tortilla soup ($6). I say we thought they were appetizers because they were listed under the starters area of the menu – but they were full meal sized dishes  and they came out at the same time as our main courses. Anyway, the flautas (aka taquitos) were tasty good mouthfuls of crisp-fried wheat tortillas filled with yummy chicken. However, the tortillas soup was a disappointing broth heavy with soggy chips, one measly slice of avocado and lacking a single morsel of chicken, corn, or bean.

For our mains we ordered the ribeye ($25), the enchiladas ($12), and the tacos (beef, pork, and chorizo). The ribeye was good – it was served with beans, tortillas, guacamole, rice, peppers, and cheese covered nopales (cactus). I do believe this was the most expensive meal on the menu – it’s a good dish and filling too! The meat is good – but watch out! The green peppers atop are too damn hot to actually ingest! The cactus seems to be more of a novelty as it tastes mostly like watery nothing – the cheese adds a bit of goodness, but it is still insipid. Overall, I found the steak to be quite good – but a little overpriced. Perhaps try going for one of the other steak dishes on the menu. There’s a skirt steak, a striploin, and a flat iron available.

The enchiladas – we tried both the red and the green – were accompanied by rice, cheese, and refried beans. The enchiladas (corn tortillas rolled around chicken and covered in tomato or verde sauce) were really darn good – but they were barely warm by the time we dug into them.

The tacos were wonderful, they’re teeny so get at least four. There are plenty of filling choices: beef, pork, sausage, lamb, and tongue. They’re full of meat, onions, cilantro and come with two little tortillas made from a corn so grand that makes my mouth water.

We couldn’t finish everything since the “appetizers” were so freakin’ big. And I wouldn’t finish the soup because it was grossly disappointing.

Though the service at Don’s was slow and sloppy it was still a far better experience than Pepitas. And if I didn’t have to wait in line I would also go back to Don Guacamole’s over my beloved Poncho’s – simply because the food quality and authentic freshness at Don’s is so good. But I would choose Lolita’s or Me and Julio’s over Don’s in a flash. Lolita’s and Me and Julio’s are classier and yet more experimental with their food and drink. Don Guacamoles: get the takeout.

Reservations: N.O.

Service: Terrible

Parking: Good luck – it’s on Robson.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Perfect pairing:

Menudo – A creepy Puerto Rican boy band that spawned the fame of Ricky Martin. Menudo is also a spicy tripe soup that can be found on the Don Guacamoles menu.

Posted in Food, Music, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Presto Panini

Posted on June 28, 2009 by Lynn Bee

One heck of a convincing Italian cafe

859 Hornby – Vancouver, BC

604.684.4445

Website

Presto Panini is a comfortably relaxed cafe that has been happily running since 1988. Presto calls itself a cafe and I guess it is one – but it seems more like a teeny tiny restaurant with seating for about 30 at adorable little tables draped in red and white checkered tablecloths. Whether you’re picking up some takeout or having a sit down meal; the waitresses and kitchen staff are fast and friendly. Presto is perfect for a weekday lunch or a casual early dinner. I’ve been there twice and tried both the panini and the pasta. Both are very worth the price – the paninis are $10 they are huge and come with a tasty side of mixed greens and vinaigrette. The pasta prices range $11-14 and masquerade as small portions at first – but don’t be fooled – the quality of the ingredients is so good you’ll be full before you polish off that last delicious bite. 

On my first visit I had the pleasure of devouring the lovely gnocchi with gorgonzola and cream. This was maybe a bad choice for a lunch on a workday because it was so heavy and rich with dairy. The gnocchi (potato flour dumplings) were delicately soft and delightfully filling. And the gorgonzola was front and center – my dinning companion remarked that the dish was “too cheesy” ; however, the phrase too cheesy is never one that I apply to food, only to people. I was satisfied with the deliciousness of my meal. 

The second time around I went all out and tried the Penne with italian sausage and tomato, the prosciutto asparagus panini, and the tiramisu.  Yeah – I’m still full and tired 3 hours later. 

The penne (pictured above) was lovely. The al dente penne is covered with tomato marinara and fresh parmesan with huge chunks of sausage throughout. Though the sauce was considered a tomato marinara – it wasn’t some flavorless slop outta a can – it was a perfect balance of tasty fresh tomato without being too acidic and just the right spices.  

The panini was bigger than I could manage (you can’t really see in the photo – but what’s being held open is only half of the sandwich – and nestled between the halves is a virtual mountain of mixed greens). The panini came piled high with prosciutto – not the greatest quality of Italian ham I’ve ever had but it was still good and there was tons of it! To the delight of my tastbuds the panini was overflowing with a ridiculous amount of mouthwatering mozzarella. There was also a little asparagus in the panini – I wish there would have been more of the perfectly cooked spears – but no sandwich is perfect. 

Lastly I got the only available dessert (luckily for me, it was one of my favorites) Tiramisu. Whoo! Now I am weary of ordering this dessert – too many times I’ve been served gelatinous goo in a  cup with cocoa powder sprinkled on top. I was happily relieved to see this placed in front of me: 

Ooooh yeah – I could barely contain myself long enough to take a decent photo before diving in. The tiramisu at Presto is lovely – it has it all – the cocoa, the mascarpone, the espresso, the powdered sugar – and no hint of cinnamon (which has become a popular, but unpleasant, addition to the North American version of the recipe).

Though we went with the meaty side of things with our meals there are LOTS of veggie options. Pastas with pesto, tomato, or cream. There is also a decent selection of veggie paninis (eggplant, avocado, asparagus, artichoke). and there are also some soups (including the tasty sounding ginger coconut) and salads available. 

Open Monday-Saturday

         11.30-2 (lunch)

          5-8 (dinner)

Bonus: plenty of Italian beverages including wines available. 

Bonus part II: The bathroom decor. The entire bathroom (floor to ceiling) is covered in Italian opera posters…except for the bit next to the door – where they must have run out of opera posters and decided to fill the space with random movie posters (like Million Dollar Baby and Whoopi Goldberg’s latest flick).

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Perfect pairing:

Michael Jackson – Thriller

What does MJ have to do with paninis? Okay, nothing -but MJ just bought the farm. I looooved his infectious superpop and his awesomely bold fashion choices. Thriller is the best selling album of all time for a reason; it’s got it all: funk, disco, soul, rock, R&B and pop Pop POP! Nine top ten singles and eight grammys came outta Thriller. 

Bad – In terms of popularity, Bad was nothing compared to Thriller — but Bad did have five no.1 singles and won two grammy. Plus, I love Wesley Snipes as the bad influence friend in the short film for Bad.

Posted in Food, Music, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Towa Sushi

Posted on June 21, 2009 by Lynn Bee

So good you’ll learn how to afford it.

2116 4th St SW – Calgary, AB

403.245.8585

Website

Calgary does have awesome sushi; it just tends to cost an arm and a leg. There’s Sushi Club in Kensington, Miki Sushi bar on 16th ave, Zen8 downtown, Towa Sushi can also be added to this list.

Towa has a limited menu that offers special salads ($10-20), tempura ($10-18), sashimi and sushi plates ($20-26), and their specialty: contemporary rolls ($11-18). They also have daily specials. Though the menu is small – you’ll have a hell of a hard time deciding  – each option will get your heart thumping. For example, the amazing salad options: the duck salad - grilled duck served on mixed greens, shiitake mushrooms, and assorted fruits. The crab salad – soft shell crab, spring roll wrap, green bean noodles and tempura on mixed greens with citrus soy sauce dressing. And a calamari salad - deep fried calamari marinated in light mirin, baby spinach, and citrus sweet soy vinaigrette. See what I mean?! All of them sound tantilizing. And those are just the salads for god’s sake!

Anyway – we decided to stick to the rolls and sushi. We ordered the spicy tuna roll ($14 – half orders are available for $8). This seems pricey – but the sucker was so huge I couldn’t even get a decent picture of the whole thing!

…well, the first shocker was that it was actually spicy! Pleasantly picante with a lasting tang to tickle the lips. Next we got the Towa special roll ($16). And if may I make a recommendation for the fish lover…..GET THE TOWA SPECIAL ROLL! It’s jam packed with salmon as well as red and white tuna. The cuts of fish in this one are perfectly light and melt away into delightful amazingness. The Towa special roll is super packed with fish not just on the inside but on the outside too. Oh, Towa! That’s the way to do it – pack that roll with fish – not mayonnaise. Thank you for doing it right. If ordering this roll: Beware! It’s a huge fatty and it will take a skilled eater to be able to fit it all in the mouth in just one go.

The last thing we ordered was the sushi assortment ($21). The assortment (pictured at the top of the post) includes seven pieces of sushi and four pieces of california roll. What can I say? Everything on the plate was fantastically delicious. The pieces were humongous! And you must know that the unagi was the best slab of eel that’s ever passed through these discriminating lips. It was so absolutely delightful that I have no doubt my children’s children will tell tales in hushed voices of the wonders of Towa’s unagi. Of course, seeing as how freshwater eel is not a recommended sustainable food source – I totally support choosing another option when you go to Towa. Any one of the contemporary rolls sound lovely and I’d order one of them next time I go back. I was particularly interested in the wave roll ($15) which is packed full of shrimp and scallop tempura, red bell pepper, kani salad, corn, edamame, and spicy mayonnaise. But I was too full by the end to even give it a second thought.

Everything at Towa was so perfectly good it gave me the shivers and that smooth floaty sushi high…oh, you know the one. And even beyond the food – the service was very, uh….proactive. There seems to be an excessive amount of servers hovering around ready to spring into action should you require any sort of assistance. Which, on one hand, such attentive service is great – but on the other hand, is totally annoying when thinking of what our bill came to. If we’d had one less person helping at our table maybe our meal could have been $7 cheaper. Okay – don’t get me wrong the prices weren’t outta control. It ended up being just under $100 for 3 people to be nicely filled up. Not too pricey – but I wouldn’t call it a steal of a deal or anything. Beyond that my only critique would have to be the decor. It seems way too open and airy to be Japanese. But then again Towa is NOT traditional Japanese – it’s more streamlined cutting edge Canadian Japanese.

I probably only like twelve things about Calgary. Towa sushi restaurant is one of those exclusive twelve.

This place only seats about 50 and it is mad popular so try to make a reservation!

Open: for lunch 11.30-2pm Tues thru Fri

for dinner 5-10pm Tues thru Sun

Please note – this is the same group that runs Sushi Boat in Crowfoot.

Bonus: Thomas Vogel recommends this restaurant.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

The Beautiful South – 0898 Beautiful South

or

Goldfrapp – Supernature

Posted in Food, Music, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Moroccan Castle

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Lynn Bee

Perfect eats on a busy weekend night

217 19th St. NW – Calgary, Alberta

403.283.5452

Website

Savory – yes. Stunning decor – absolutely. But if it’s dead – back outta that place as fast as you can!
I went on the basis of one of my best friends telling me it was amazing. The lounging, dark, relaxed vibe was fantastically chill. The waitress was a doll giving us tips on which were the best of the tasty eats and she also clued us in on how to eat with our hands as she doused our palms with warm water from an elaborate silver kettle. Though I really liked the hand washing system and the encouragement to eat with bare hands -some of the food has strong dyes in it and in the light of day our hand looked super gross covered in yellow food stuff.
I loved the idea of the Moroccan Castle – but we went on the wrong night, or at the wrong time. Something was wrong. We showed up at 8pm on a Sunday and we were the only 2 people in the whole joint. Seriously. The hostess told us they were about to close up but she let us come in anyway.

We quickly skimmed the short menu and ordered the B’stilla ($14) an appy certainly big enough for two:

it was sugary, sweet, flakey, savory, the whole deal. B’stilla (or pastilla) is a meat pie traditionally made of squab. At the morrocan castle it was mainly chicken, eggs, and onions, with a combination of sweet and salty flavors including surprisingly delightful shots of cinnamon, ginger, sugar, and almonds. The pie’s crunchy outside is something similar to phyllo but even thinner. This reminded me of the pastry quality influence France has over Morocco. Oh kisses! It was so delicious. I eagerly awaited our next dish all the while trying to keep from drooling.

Next came the lamb couscous with chickpeas and raisins ($21) – which was good overall – but the lamb was a little stringy…as though it had been overcooked. And lastly we got the chicken tajine with almond and prunes ($21).  The tajine is a dish named after the heavy clay pot in which it is cooked – we ordered it because the waitress said it was one of her favs. Unfortunately, this was when the realization of our terrible mistake hit home. We had come to dine on the wrong night. When the hostess originally told us they were about to close up – we should have said “good night – we’ll see you another time”. But no – like a couple of idiots we stuck around to dine on food that had been pre-made and sitting around since who knows when. The chicken in the dish was bad. Flat out bad. Dry, chewy, overcooked long ago, and NO DAMN GOOD. I could have easily made this at home on my own without the assistance of a “professional” chef. Plus, the vegetable accompaniment in the dish was overcooked.  No, it wasn’t the end of the world – but it sure was disappointing after the original amazingness of the general atmosphere and the tasty goodness of the B’stilla.

Le sigh. It was still sweet-ass to lounge around on  the cushions in the darkened restaurant though – it would be an awesome place to have a chill out party.

Anyway – though this review may not seem promising – I do believe that the moroccan castle on a friday or saturday evening at a reasonable dinner time would be a delicious taste sensation.
Arabic meets Indian (with the pastry skills of  a frenchmen).

Reservations: Sure, make one.

Parking: Of course! There’s tons everywhere – this is Calgary, ain’t it?

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Perfect pairing:

Thievery Corporation – Radio retaliation

or

Glen Porter – Blessed by a young death

Posted in Food, Music, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Joe’s Grill

Posted on June 12, 2009 by Lynn Bee

The Truckstop of the Westend

948 Denman (at Barclay), Vancouver

604.642.6588

The name says it all – I can’t think of anything more fitting….except calling it the Everyman Grill. I frequently refer to Joe’s as the truckstop of the Westend. No – truckers don’t do nasty things in the bathroom – that’s not why I call it that. It’s just so North American. If you drop into Joe’s for a comforting breakfast, brunch, or lunch you are in for the traditional diner experience. Have a burger, a plate of pancakes, some chicken fingers, the grilled cheese. Whatever – it’s nothing fancy, and it’s a goshdarn good deal. The servings are huge, the prices are very affordable, and the waitresses are probably some of the hardest working gals in town (I don’t mean that in a hooker sorta way).

You’ll know the type of place when you first walk in – you seat yourself and it’s always sorta busy – even at weird times….like 2 pm. The plates at Joe’s aren’t bogged down with fancy presentation, or red-wine reductions, or chive emulsion, or other things that you worry about because you don’t actually know what they are. When you’re hungover and in need of coffee – the answer is not a $7 triple grande wet soy cappuccino. The answer is a plain old cup of black (and the pre-req of endless refills). Joe’s will happily provide that.

Joe’s has it all — old fashioned quality comfort food with a side of good clean fun.

Open: 8am-5pm. Please note: they are NOT open for dinner.

Additional locations: 2061 W. 4th

                                 1301 Davie St

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Perfect pairing:

Dusty Springfield – Ev’rything’s coming up Dusty

or

The Kills – No wow

Minimalist crazy. Guitars and attitude. Simple muscle. The Yeahyeahyeahs but all grown up.

Posted in Food, Music, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The River Cafe

Posted on May 31, 2009 by Lynn Bee

Delightful seasonal Canadian cuisine….or so they say. 

Add. Prince’s Isand Park, Calgary (center)

Tel. 403.261.7670

Website

Freakin’ fantastic! If you don’t mind spending all your hard earned cash. And I mean all. A full dinner meal out  can run pretty high – fortunately they’re open for brunch and lunch. 
One of the things I love about the River Cafe is that it’s basically your chance to eat at a fancy restaurant in Banff – without having to go all the way to Banff. 
The service is excellent, the food is outstanding with an emphasis on local and game foods, and the atmosphere is second to none. Nestled amonst the tall trees of  Prince’s Island Park the River Cafe’s location can’t be beat. It’s decore of woodsy outdoor with a twist of old money is delightfully relaxing. 
The river cafe boasts seasonal Canadian. But is it really? As the waitress went on and on about how they were as local as you can get – telling charming stories about neighbourhood ladies bringing in baskets of rasperries – my dinning companion and I exchanged sidelong glances of unconvinced disbelief over the fresh squeezed orange juice, lemon slices, and steaming cups of coffee.

 
So you can’t grow coffee in Alberta and the Okangan doesn’t produce oranges. So what? The food is still delightfully good and I love the selection of game meats available at the River Cafe. 
The meal prices at dinner range from a very reasonable mid $20 level (for the veggie dish) to the high $40s for the beef tenderloin. Though pricey I think it’s worth it for a special occasion. If you’re feelin’ a little broke but still in need of the royal treatment – swing in for brunch on the weekend and get a maple lemonade or wildberry iced tea and the basket of pasteries ($9) for the best apple muffin and fruit scones you’ve ever tasted. Or spend a mere $14 on one of their delicious egg or sausage dishes. 
The menu does change frequently to try to keep up the whole seasonal thing. But right now some of the amazing dinner options are the:
Organic chicken with fiddleheads and morels ($38)
Grilled Portobello with watercress and goatcheese ($24)
Bison striploin with beech mushrooms and barley risotto ($46)
Roast sablefish with lentils, cauliflower and dungeness ($35)

They are also open for lunch with mouth-watering options:
gouda perogies ($15), tuna tatake ($18), or Grilled artic Char ($24) – plus there are plenty of appetizer options, salads (mmmm – the beet salad is great!), and fun plates to share. 

I went in for an iced tea and the irresistable pastery basket. But because of my insatiable love of game meats I also ended up getting the Fish & Game Platter. The platter is enough for two to share – it features Native Candied Trout, Duck Rillettes, Walleye Roll Mop, Salt Cured Bison, Pork & Game Terrine, Grilled Apple & Turnip Relish, Pickled Egg, and House Made Crackers ($21) 
It was worth every penny. I have never had such amazing trout. The terrine was amazing, and the duck was what pate should be like — not that gross stuff you get a cheap dinner parties that tastes like cat food.

I L.O.V.E. the River Cafe super lots. Each time I go there I come out looking like the cat that got the canary. I wish I could go everyday.

Parking: No, the restaurant is on an island park

Open: for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Reservations: Make one by phone or online www.river-cafe.com

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Perfect pairing:

Beirut – Gulag Orkestar

Posted in Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Tanpopo

Posted on May 9, 2009 by Lynn Bee

Tanpopo – mediocre sushi, mediocre service, but a larger than average selection.

Add: 1122 Denman (near Pendrell), Vancouver

Tel: 604.681.7777

Mediocre sushi at affordable prices! What more could you want? The real point of going to Tanpopo seems to be the all you can eat ($24). The food may be uninspired but at least the menu is comprehensive. Sashimi, sushi, cones, maki, salads, starters, tempura, gyoza, robata, udon…and so forth. Everything at Tanpopo is super standard the only things that deviate from the japanese-canadian norm is the fact that they serve wild salmon sashimi in bite sized pieces. The one really impressive thing at Tanpopo is the option of the late night AYCE – which costs a mere $8 for a restricted menu. Eight dollars for AYCE?! Now, that is an excellent deal, even if the food is pedestrian. Tanpopo is a good place to take people who are unsure of japanese foods (e.g. my grandma, your kids, Mr. Burns) because there is such a big selection. Someone scared of raw fish can happily munch away on gyoza, spinach salad, tempura veggies, chicken katsue, tonkatsue, teriyaki beef, skewers of chicken, noodle soups,and so forth – never having to fear that they will accidentally end up eating something that is raw or from hauled in from the depths of the mysterious ocean. But as well all know, a restaurant that will cater to everyone’s tastes tends to serve dishes that end up being blandly agreeable. 

As per usual I went around the table asking all my companions what they thought of the food, here are their assorted comments:

KS- It was okay, not good, but okay.

CS- We should have gone for burgers instead.

CM- It’s better than I thought it would be. 

MS- A good place to take your kids. — I agree with this statement wholeheartedly since Tanpopo is totally relaxed casual and children’s AYCE prices are usually determined by age. So, it’ll cost like $4 for your 5 year-old to eat as much sashimi as they can cram into their little mouths. 

My overall comment for Tanpopo is basically this:

This is actually my ‘No, thank you’ face. 

And, in a more general sense, since every AYCE place is almost exactly the same — this is what happens to my mouth if you ask if I want to go for all you can eat:

This is my ‘Maybe, but probably not’ face.

I know, you’re all saying “But Lynn, AYCE is such a good deal! You can just eat and eat and eat as much as you want!” Like this is some sort of amazing bargain? I think not. 

What is it with the All You Can Eat rage these days? It seems like that all people want when it’s time to go out. Is it really that good? Not exactly — top quality places don’t ever offer AYCE only mediocre places that use too much rice and not enough fish. Is there no other way to get full? No, especially since AYCE usually cost somewhere between $20 and 25$. It’s just a good way to get over-full and contribute to N. America’s overweight issue. Why do we feel the need to stuff our guts at every opportunity? Perhaps we are planning an arduous journey – like a trek across the mountains in the 1800’s… or maybe we’re all one step away from being homeless and we don’t know when our next meal is coming….or maybe we just have the mindset of overfed spoiled Westerners. Whatever the case, I am always weary of the AYCE rage that’s taken all my friends by storm. I can also eat as much rice as I want at home for mere pennies a bowl. But you don’t see me doing this all the time. 

Okay, enough of that. Back to the fact that I was sorta reviewing Tanpopo.

Tanpopo: not bad, not good. Not anything. You might as well be eating out of a tv tray if it wasn’t for the saving grace of the wild salmon sashimi. Tanpopo is pretty darn affordable – but there’s a reason for that. Corners appear to be cut everywhere – service, decor, food quality, etc. But it’s still popular – it seems as though someone will ask me to go there every other week. People I respect are constantly telling me that Tanpopo is good, and there are only so many arguments one can get into over the alleged greatness (or lack thereof) of a restaurant. I do submissively get dragged back to Tanpopo once in a while despite my love of face-making.  

Reservations: aren’t really necessary unless it’s a weekend night. 

Open: 11.30am – 12.30am daily

Bonus: The patio is big and good times in the summer sun. 

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Perfect pairing:

Camera Obscura – My maudlin career

Starts out strong, but sorta slips into a quiet forgetful nothingness. 

or

Stars – Sad robots

Just like AYCE — hard to find EPs are never as good as you’ve built them up to be in your head. Though, thread cut with a carving knife is a lovely song.

Posted in Food, Music, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Pepitas

Posted on May 9, 2009 by Lynn Bee
Spanish and Mexican cuisine are what’s allegedly cookin’ at Pepitas. 
2015 Burrard St (at the corner of 4th) Vancouver
604.732.8884
Website

Walk up into a spacious second floor restaurant decorated with plastic cacti and colorful chili-pepper string lights. I didn’t suddenly think I’d been transported to Mexico or anything – but it was a decent attempt at festive. Our order was soon taken by a somewhat curt waitress and things got started. 

I began my engagement with a perfectly lovely banana daiquiri….it didn’t exactly go downhill from there – but looking back, that might have been the high point of the evening. 

The selection is decent, with all you’d expect – enchiladas, nachos, burritos, seafood dishes, fajitas (which the menu indicates as being the best tacos….whatever that means). The menu doesn’t have anything amazingly exotic that you can’t get elsewhere – but the prices look alright with main dishes in the $10-20$ sorta range. I was a bit alarmed by the negativity plastered all over the menu- on every page are coupon warnings – the coupon deals only apply with the purchase of a beverage, the coupon deals cannot be used on any of the seafood dishes, at lunch time the coupon deal is only up to maximum of $6, etc. What I got out of that was – coupons for Pepitas are basically useless. Fortunately I’m not the cheap kind of bastard who clips coupons. 

ANYWAY….

We ordered the combo sampler platter ($33): beef burrito, chili releno, and chicken chimichanga, accompanied by rice, beans, and salad. The burrito was jam packed with what basically amounted to steak and was real tasty. The chili releno had the potential to be amazing; all the right flavors were there, but it was practically cold. And the chimichanga tasted identical to a chicken pot pie. What can I say – I just don’t trust spanish cuisine when it tastes like the Saturday night special from a prison kitchen. The beans and rice were fine…the “salad” was a pile of iceberg. After this we’d decided we were full enough to pass over dessert (though I was interested in trying their updated version of a classic — deep fried frozen yogurt with chocolate sauce).

Pepitas seems like a good place to take your kids, or perhaps your grandma. See, the thing is, Pepitas isn’t overly ethnic…think of the time Homer served Mr. Burns doughnuts for breakfast and Burns responding with “I told you, I don’t like ethnic foods!”. I think that Mr. Burns would happily eat at Pepitas. Sure, Pepitas claims to be Mexican/Spanish and they have Spanish words on their menu but the food doesn’t seem to be made of Spanish ingredients – none of the staff appears to be actually Mexican or Spanish (except for the owner who is originally from Mexico City). He opened the restaurant up in the mid 70’s and there must be something to it – because it’s still there.  Pepitas isn’t bad; it is reasonably enjoyable, it has a great location, it’s casual, it’s affordable, it’s inoffensive in most every aspect. Though tasty, Pepitas is about as Mexican as tacotime or Jennifer Lopez.

Open: 11.30am – 11pm

Parking: Uh…they have maybe four spaces around back and perhaps as many metered spots out front.

Bonus: live music frequently preformed by the owner.  

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Perfect pairing:

Jennifer Lopez  - Como ama una mujer

How Lopez ever won an American Music Award as favorite latin artist for this album will puzzle me until the day I die.

Posted in Food, Music, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Le Crocodile

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Lynn Bee

The never ending french menu….

Le Crocodile

100-909 Burrard (at Smithe), Vancouver.

604.669.4298

Website

Le Crocodile. Elegant. Expensive. French. Delicious. It totally deserves its standing as one of the best restaurants in the city. This is a reputation that  Le Crocodile has earned over 20 years of serving excellent meals. How did the chef learn to be awesomest? By training at Au Crocodile with his mentor in Strasbourg.

Le Crocodile has an excellent wine list and a long menu. There are far more options than I’ve seen at other high end places. It begins with over 20 entree options…and when I say entree I mean it the real european  french way –>  appetizer. I don’t know how entree came to mean main course in N. America — it makes no sense. Anyway, for entrees we settled on trying the lobster tempura and grilled scallops on endive salad (pictured above, 18.5), the tomato and gin soup with cream (8.5), the grilled asparagus and arugula salad (13.5), and the beef steak tartar (15). All of the small dishes were lovely in their respective ways – truffle oil and quail eggs here and there were lovely touches. And no, the soup does not taste like gin. It tastes like creamy tomato goodness.

For the mains…or plates, we all found something so absolutely perfect that nothing was left unfinished. The menu stretches on and on. You’ll have about twenty options to pour over and then the waiter will spring a handful of specials on you. The prices range from $27-42. If you absolutely cannot decide, then go for the chef’s 5-course tasting menu at $75. It took me at least 20 minutes of near panic going back and forth between a few options, but I was finally able to decide and went with the lamb. But it wasn’t just lamb — it was a gorgeously tender roasted rack of lamb with fresh thyme jus and mustard sabayon (39).

The dishes my dinning companions fixed on were the roasted free-range chicken breast with pommery mustard and shitake mushroom risotto at a surprisingly affordable $26.5. So, does the whole organic, free-range thing really make any difference to the quality and flavor? You’re goddamned right it does. If you want your food to taste like anything other than wet styrofoam and salt, I mean. Go, organic, GO!

We also ordered the grilled beef tenderloin served with peppercorn sauce (38), the roasted fraser valley duck served with pan-seared foie gras and an apple cider reduction (39), and I think the fifth dish was the lobster special. They were all so lovely. I cannot wait to return and have another sublime dinner experience. People have since asked me if the portions were good. Once again, french is about the quality not the quantity. But the portions were quite large and I felt extra sleepy from eating so much afterwards.

To finish off with something sweet I went for the Tarte Citron Brulee….it’s like lemon creme brulee served in a tart instead of a dish. It was perhaps a little too lemony for my friends but I looooove it when citrus really kicks me in the taste buds and that’s what happened here; the tart was truly pucker-worthy. It was plated with a touch of cherry sauce and a dreamy passionfruit sorbet. We also ordered the crepe suzette and it was every bit as good as it looks

The servers and sommelier:

We had an absolutly lovely domaine de la janasse chateauneuf du pape recommended by the sommelier. Btw – Crocodile’s sommelier is a super genius. He’s floating around waiting to dispense advice and he will not steer you wrong. The sommelier, like the rest of the service is quick to help out with clearing – I also saw the hostess serving during particularly busy periods. Not that the servers weren’t doing a fabulous job — our waiter was perhaps the best I’ve ever seen. Courteous, polite, outgoing, funny, a ninja, and an elephant’s memory to boot.

Bonus: they served us four teeny extra dishes — I keep wanting to call them inter-courses…but that can’t be right; I think they’re actually called les amuse bouches.  Anyway – before the appetizer we had a delightfully flakey smoked pork belly tart and warm breads. Then between the appys and mains they brought out a couple plates of super crisp frites. After the mains we indulged in some wonderfully bold cantaloupe sorbet served atop what we first surmised was robitussen…but was in actuality, port. And finally, after everything was said and done we were treated to milk and dark crocodile shaped chocolates. Mmmmmmmmm choco-crocos. These lovely added touches are part of what makes fancy restaurants prices seem more reasonable.

You really have to ask yourself: Is it worth the price? Yes. Have I had food that was comparable in terms of price and deliciousness? Yes (Gavroche, Chambar). Is Le Crocodile comparable? Yes, but it’s even better than either of them.

The only thing I turned my nose up at was the second sauce on the lamb — it was, what I could only imagine, was ranch dressing. The other brown sauce — though, was perfectly lovely. And let me add on – this is going easy for french sauce critique. Though each dish had at least two sauces – overall, they weren’t too heavy on the sauce.

If you, like many of us, are not a millionaire. I have some tips: go for lunch – you can have the same excellent meal for 10 or 15 dollars less. If you neeeeeed to go there for dinner, my recommendations are as follows: first of all eat Kraft dinner for a couple nights to save money. It’s worth it. Next, skip the drinks and settle for tap water. Then just get the main dish – no appetizer or dessert. Or, alternatively, you could get just an appetizer and a dessert – no main.

Open: 11.30 – 2 for lunch, 5.30-10 for dinner.

Reservations: A must. Le Crocodile can only seat about 100 and it’s hella popular.

Attire: It’s pretty varied – a dressy shirt with flashy jeans will suffice, a suit or fancy dress wouldn’t be out of place. But jogging pants? Please, no.

Parking: There is valet in the evenings for $7. Otherwise good luck getting one of the two metered spots out front.

Criticism: The outside of the building could use a facelift. The inside is a little cramped and the classic french decor comes across as drab and uninspired.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Perfect pairing:

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon collie and the infinite sadness

Yes, it’s as good as you’ve heard. This was before Billy started dating Tila Tequila and D’arcy gave it all up to work at a car wash. When the best was still classic.

or

Dave Brubeck

Posted in Food, Music, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Chambar

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Lynn Bee

The Chambar

 

562 Beatty Street (Crosstown), Vancouver BC.

604.879.7119

Website

The Chambar bills itself as fine dining without pretension. Fine, yes. Without pretension…not exactly. Chambar is trying hard to make fine European dinning appealing to the young and hip. Now, I find it hard to believe that anything can appeal to hipsters if it’s not a little pretentious. Don’t get me wrong, the food is superb – but I coulda done without the attempted intimidation. I can read french, I know when a drink is worth $12, and I know the difference between rare and medium-rare. I’m not scared of upscale dinning and you shouldn’t be either. So, what makes it Belgian and not French? When it comes down to it, nothing. South Belgian is basically french with a heavy emphasis on seafood.

The menu starts off with several truly amazing Belgian beers – some are hard to come by which helps to explain their bloated price tags. But Belgian beers are fabulous and sometimes a beer is worth $11. The drink menu also offers some tantilizing mixed drinks. I went for the il pompelmo ($11), thyme with pink grapefruit, grappa, whiskey and a hint of maple syrup. It was good, but a bit frothier than I was expecting. We also tried the Blue fig ($11), it was an interesting combo of roasted figs steeped in gin & frozen. It was really fun that it came with a teeny side dish of blue cheese. 

There were some tasty looking appetizer options ($12-17). Endive salad, seared scallops, venison short rib, foie gras, and a few other good looking options, but because of the price tags on the mains, we skipped apps. For the sharable there were 3 mussel dishes (each $21), Mussels cooked in a white wine cream with bacon lardons and onions. The second set was a white wine butter with braised celery and leeks. The third option sounds amazing: a tomato coconut cream flavored with smoked chili, lime, and cilantro. I had to take a deep breath and pass this up to so I could power through to the mains and desserts. 

I was a little surprised to see that there were only six entree choices ($27-29) – but it was still hard to choose because they all looked so damn good. There was a roasted halibut served with a shiitake lemongrass casserole, jade rice and halibut ceviche, finished off with an aji coconut vinaigrette. Next on the list was the arctic char accompanied by za’atar and a brown butter french lentil ragout. I almost got the lamb shank. I love lamb and the idea of having it with honey, figs, cinnamon and cilantro was hard to pass up. But I did, because I wanted this:

The ribeye steak with frites, roasted king oyster mushrooms, and red wine braised shallots with a bourguignon sauce. The steak was served on what I’m going to guess was a bed of kale. It was ridiculously tender and of substantial size. It was lovely and came with a tasty good grainy mustard. The flavors all worked well together. I was truly impressed. Plus, it’s fun to get all dressed up to go to a fancy restaurant and then end up eating fries.

I also munched a bit of the pork. It comes done three ways on one plate: roasted tenderloin, pulled shoulder croquette, crispy braised belly. And all of them are amazing, especially the croquette:

I also got a good taste of the ridiculously tender duck breast (pictured at the beginning). At first I was disillusioned because the portion looked so small – but as with all good food; quality makes up for quantity. And if the portions were any bigger I would have felt sick. One cannot have too much of the too rich. 

I wisely saved room for desserts…. okay, more like I made room for dessert. All of Chambar’s foods are delightful – but the desserts are really where Chambar shines. Because it was a birthday dinner we ordered the degustation des desserts ($20)

this was a magnificent tasting platter of four of the chef’s choices. We had the pleasure of sampling the La Bombe d’Alaska, La Creme Rose, Tarte aux Griottes, et La Mousse Chocolate. La Bombe was just that, the bomb. Italian meringue covering matcha ice cream with lemon curd and pomegranate coulis. The pairing of lemon and pomegranate with the matcha is unbelievable. After devouring the matcha we moved onto our next victim — the rose cream. This undeniably creamy dessert has firmly placed the flavor of rose on my ‘must have’ list for drinks and desserts (along side lemon, lime, and blackberry). Then the tarte, the sour cherry and thyme tart with lemon buttermilk sorbet. This sorbet was the best I’ve ever tasted (which includes sorbet I’ve had at uber fancy french restaurants). The chocolate mousse was a lovely thick rich and not too sweet. Perfect, really. Some of the best desserts I’ve ever had. 

The food is fantastic and the service is impeccable; however, as amazing at Chambar is…it still seems somehow highfalutin. I can’t properly explain it — I can only offer you examples of what didn’t sit right with me while dinning at the lovely Chambar:

The fact that they only have 6 entrees and none of them are vegetarian. Le sigh. There are several fish options – but this place will not cater to everyone. Beware!

They refolded my napkin while I was in the washroom. Sure, it was a nice gesture – but how gross! Once my greasy paw prints are all over something no one else should be touching it. It made me feel bad for the poor server who thought they needed to rearrange a cloth covered in my sauce runoff.  

The waiter recommended the steak medium rare – but then served it rare. Super rare – way rarer than the average person would accept. Again – it’s like they were forcing their fanciness down regular people’s throats. Boo. Unpretentious, my butt. 

For all these reasons: I turn my snooty nose up at their snooty noses. The only thing that really blew my pants off was the desserts. Their pastry chef is a freakin’ genius. 

Reservations: Though there is ample seating, reservations are a must. 

Decor: Understated warmth punctuated with beautiful local artwork. 

Open: 5.30 – 12am nightly

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Perfect pairing:

Karlheinze Stockhausen – Mantra

‘Cause the only thing snootier than Belgian exclusive is German avante-garde.

or

Junior Boys – Begone dull care

Canadian indietronica. Automatic super dance party.

Posted in Food, Music, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment