Bigfood & BUNS – Seattle

Stumbled upon a mini festival happening at south Lake Union today. There were people walking in a parade-like group with signs saying March for the Forest. One guy was covered in plastic garbage bags that were tied together and made to look like fur, yelling at random walker-bys. Wish I took a picture.

What really drew me was the circle of food trucks in the gravel parking area. There were 5 in one spot and in Vancouver, that’s a rare sight. It’s happened, but rare (something I think Vancouver is actively working on by continuing to expand the food truck program!- fingers crossed).

What I had: Yeti from Bigfood.
Yeti $9 – braised (bigfoot) beef with curried fruit and slaw on grilled flatbread.
The softest ‘flatbread’ I’ve had. I’m not sure why they called it a flatbread. It was more like a pita – reminiscent of the pitas from Nu street cart, but, dare I say… better just as amazing. The beef was flavourful and melt-in-your-mouth tender. There was bits of chopped mango with lightly curried apricots and raisins on top that worked perfectly on top of the crisp, creamy slaw. I’m a sucker for pulled pork so I cannot wait to go back and try the “Sasquatch $9 – spicy pulled pork shoulder with green mango chutney and slaw on grilled flatbread.”

What AR had: the cheesy from BUNS.
the cheesy (all burgers come w/fries) – $11
1/3 lb all-natural, grass fed beef patty with beecher’s flagship cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles & buns sauce.
I only had a bite of the burger, but OH MAN was it good! Juicy meat & sauce drippage, melty cheese, and soft fluffy bun! Yes, I’m making up words to describe the tastiness that was dancing in my mouth. It did take almost 15 minutes for the burger and fries, but it was worth it for that one bite. I like the fact that they list all of their ingredients in their ingredients on their website (ex: the burger bun is made from unbleached enriched flour, milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, yeast, vanilla (no nuts) from Grand Central Bakery in Seattle.) Their fries were great too. One drawback to the burger was that it was on the small side; although, that could just be compared to the lower-quality monsters that don’t come close to this gem.

Tags: burger, food truck, sandwich, seattle

Peckinpah

After a hard evening of lying on the beach watching my boyfriend disappear on the ocean paddle-boarding, I was craving something with substance. It’s apparently hard work trying to get a tan.

So we headed to Peckinpah. It’s a Carolina-style BBQ place (read: vinegar undertones) and is open late. Perfect. Unfortunately I didn’t find the tastes so perfect. Admittedly, I also compare all BBQ to my Mom’s ribs and the pulled pork sandwich at Memphis Blues. Personally, I like my standards.

We decided to order half a pork rib platter that came with cornbread and two sides $16.50 (we chose the potato salad and baked beans), and a pulled pork sandwich with a side of 3 hush puppies (our choice) $9.50. The bun was the best thing about the sandwich (Memphis Blues take note please!) – soft, browned and shiny on top, with a delicious sweetness to it. However the sauce was lost in the sandwich and vinegar was the only thing that stuck out, with no hint of smoke. The pork itself was moist but flavourless and the hush puppies were dry. Actually, most of the sides were too dry, except for the beans, which were the stars of the whole show – not swimming in sauce, cooked perfectly, and had that “as good as the BBQ it should be paired with” taste to it.

The place itself had character fit for a southern BBQ house, and maybe one day I’ll find myself in gastown looking for a patio to chill on, drink beer, and eat beans.

Tags: bbq, memphis blues, pulled pork

Guu is Guuuu’d – Guu Garden

I went to the Guu Garden last night and checked out this next venture by the Guu Izakaya people. I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures as I didn’t have my camera with me. Definitely another time where having a phone with internet and a decent camera would be a nice perk.

Guu Garden is located above the revamped Relish, where the old Okada Sushi Japanese restaurant used to be. The area still looks like a construction zone and you wouldn’t think that anything would be open yet, but it is and people already know about this little place. In the summer it’s definitely going to be a perfect spot to hang out on their patio. The inside, however, looks a bit like a cafeteria, with white plastic chairs and round tables; except for the cool seating on the left where you have to take your shoes off to sit at the tables. Love that.

The food is, of course, a bit different than their other restaurants and is focused on Oden. I think that’s a type of soup you can add stuff to, but we didn’t have that so I will have to explore another time. The Girls and I ate the miso ika karaage, red tuna sashimi, yakiudon, ebi mayo, and miso marinated black cod.

I am a big fan of ika karaage, if done right, and unfortunately most places don’t do it right. You get these dirt-tasting, overly chewy rings dripping with grease. Yuck. I can happily say that this Guu does it right. These aren’t what could be mistaken for onion rings; they are the tentacles of the squid, with a miso-flavoured light coating, deep-fried to crisp up on the outside and leave it perfectly soft on the inside. A squeeze of lemon on those babies and I’m in Japanese calamari heaven. And for $4.80, you can even order two.

The red tuna sashimi was on their Specials menu and it was wonderful. This is exactly the type of tuna I had in Japan. It doesn’t even resemble the white/yellow mush you get from restaurants here when you order tuna. The texture is more of wild salmon sashimi and the flavour is delicate, not overpowering. The dish came with the tuna done two ways: 5 pieces of sashimi slabs and a small bowl of chopped tuna sitting in a vinegar/soy sauce. Delicious.

There were a few misses though. The yakiudon was completely un-flavourful. Maybe I’m just not a yakiudon fan; I’ve never really been fond of it anywhere I’ve ordered it. Our ebi mayo prawns were big and tasty, although a bit drowned out in the thick batter that covered them and pound of mayo they sat on top of. Needless to say there was a white mountain still sitting on our plate after we were done eating the prawns. Their miso marinated black cod was melt-in-your-mouth-but-not-on-your-fork perfectly cooked but wasn’t so memorable that I’d run out and order it again straight away.

All in all though, it’s definitely a place I’ll be back to often for drinks and appies. And for sure an ‘it’ spot on my list in the summer!

Tags: bbq, Downtown, izakaya, japanese

Las Tortas

MMmmmm – Tortaaaas.

This place was pretty good. Not amazing, but definitely better than just okay. Aka – pretty good.

The sandwich itself was really big and the bun was a little crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Inside had a load of cabbage and I was hoping that it would’ve been a load of meat in its place. There was guacamole spread which I only noticed because of the colour on my bread and not because of actually tasting it. But with all that being said, the overall flavour of the sandwich was great! I think it was the chicken schnitzel that completely won me over – panko crusted chicken cutlets super moist. Delish. Next time I’ll be going for the straight schnitzel sandwich.

Tags: sandwich

Long Table Series 4EVER

Okay, I loved my Long Table Series experience. I want to cheer on the good deeds from the boys at The Irish Heather and ask them to, please, continue the delicious offerings of varying gourmet dishes, paired with beers specifically chosen to suit the evening’s palate, at an extremely enticing price of $12 or $15! How can you go wrong?!?

Well, you can’t. And if you haven’t signed up for one of these amazing meals, you’ll have to wait with bated breath for Sean Heather to post the new menus and dates on his Long Table Series blog then POUNCE and email him right away! I emailed my request about a month out for a Sunday dinner, but if the blog says the night you wanted is sold out, and you’re flexible, you can always email a request to be put on a cancellation list. Who knows? Some people end up breaking their leg and can’t make it to dinner. Shame.

The whole event was a wonderful experience. From the email I received in the morning with information on what to expect that night, to the signing of my well-priced bill and rolling my full belly outside.

My dining partner (AR) and I had the roast sirloin of beef with horseradish jus, mashed potatoes, and a yorkshire pudding with a pint each of the Phillips Blue Buck ($15 each) and both plates of the featured desserts: Chocolate Three Ways and London Fog Creme Brulee ($7 each).

The roast beef was incredible; perfectly cooked, flavourful, and abundant. A huge yorkshire pudding towered over the rest of the plate and melted away in my mouth, and combined with creamy mashed potatoes, soaked in the gravy-esc jus, my tongue sang UK Christmas dinner praises.

Decadent would be a good way to describe the Chocolate Three Ways dessert plate. The chocolate mousse tasted like I had just melted a piece of aerated Bernard Callabeut chocolate on my tongue. The flourless chocolate cake was fluffy and light compared to the heavier, rich chocolate brownie, both of which went perfectly well with the caramel drizzled on the plate.

Our London Fog Creme Brulee ($7) tasted like a creamy, vanilla, Earl Grey tea with a crunchy, sugar topping. Exactly like what I expected. The two sugar cookies on the side were a nice treat to use as scoopers (much more dignified than dunking them in actual tea and finding half your cookie in a mushy pile on the bottom).

As for the beer tastings, I figured I’d make a night of it and order a couple of different brews. Being a new person to the world of beer, I started off well with a cream ale by R&B Brewing Company ($5.85) and ended up with Phillips Blue Buck served with dinner. Beers are growing on me and I liked the cream ale over the (I think?) lager, but I have many more tastings to go.

Ladies, this event is a cool place to go on a third date to see how your beau fares thrown into a massive group setting. The noise level is a bit loud but it adds to the everyone-is-now-your-neighbour ambiance at the long 40-seat table. I’d also say it would be awesome for a good sized group of friends to get together for a weeknight dinner party, or maybe a night out with a few couples. Really though, what excuse do you need for amazing food & beer, at great pricing? Um, none!

Circa Resto Lounge

This place certainly has received a lot of buzz around its opening and being a new hot spot on Granville. I wanted to see for myself and check out if Circa Restaurant & Lounge would live up to its hype.

Me and another lady of You Go EAT Girl! (AA) went out for a Friday night dinner with both of us looking forward to a nice bottle of wine, good conversation, and tasty food.

When we were seated next to two huge groups I was worried our server’s attention was going to be infrequent, but I was pleasantly surprised with the fact that each large group had their own waitress, making sure everyone had excellent service.

It definitely is a large enough venue for big groups too. The second floor reaches out less than halfway into the room making the space feel extremely airy, yet there are enough seats to fit 200 people. There is a bar on each floor with adjacent lounge seating and also a VIP dining room that can be booked out for a private occasion.

In the evening we noticed that the change from “restaurant” to “lounge” happens by the volume of the music. Since we had a late reservation (8:15pm), the music turned up after 9pm, and we ended up eating our dinner hunched over the table, leaning in to hear the other yelling their story. After dinner, however, it was an energetic atmosphere to enjoy downing the rest of our bottle of wine.

AA and I had mistakenly not eaten since lunch and we were famished. We both decided to have the restaurant’s Prix Fixe menu ($38) in order to sample as many things as we could that would satisfy our wandering palate, while filling our grumbling stomachs. AA’s review to come soon.

The Fried Calamari starter was perfectly cooked, no hint of rubber, in a light, crispy bread coating on top of a red pepper sauce that had a little pop of heat.

The tuna pieces were a good size for my main dish, the Ahi Tuna Tataki ($26 on its own), but they were a bit overcooked and had a meaty texture where I would normally expect a more raw, slightly seared version. The edamame peas and oyster mushrooms played along wonderfully with the red miso sauce, which did not overpower any of other dish elements, yet still had enormous flavour.

I was rather upset with myself when I couldn’t finish the amaretto ice cream, dripping off of the baked apples laid on a square of flaky puff pastry beside the two sweet streaks of cinnamon caramel and apple puree. This was my dream Apple Tart, perfectly deconstructed, and I was too full to lick my plate clean (which I most definitely would have done otherwise).

Ladies, I was impressed by the service and the food so I would recommend this place for a good dinner out (please just be sure to get there a bit early in order to avoid straining your vocal cords), be it with girlfriends or boyfriends. It would also be a spot for an evening of drinks by the bar… or even booking out the private VIP room for a surprise 30th birthday party thrown for a good friend.

Dining On The Edge

Coupons do work to get me in to a restaurant. They don’t keep me coming back though.

I had noticed The Edge Social Grill & Lounge opening a few weeks ago and am always interested in checking out new, local haunts to size them up. Then I got a coupon in the mail giving me a free desert with a $20 purchase. No problem, I thought. And I had been looking forward to trying it ever since.

The interior seemed okay for your typical lounge/restaurant attached to a hotel. Sitting inside felt just like a Milestones or Moxies would. The patio was a decent size and was full throughout the night due to multiple heater lamps and cozy looking blankets given out. On our way out we noticed the bar area was starting to fill up with the pretty people of the evening.

At first glance the menu seemed a bit promising, although somewhat overpriced. Appetizer prices were from $8 – $14; soups, salads, and wok dishes were in the $12 – $16 range; and large plates were around $15 and up.

We tried the Green Beans Tempura with nuoc cham dipping sauce ($8) to start. I have always loved the Snap Pea and Asparagus Tempura starter at The Keg, so I figured it would be a good comparison. Well, I was thoroughly disappointed with The Edge’s “tempura.” The batter was thick and doughy, looking more like it belonged on a bad piece of fish & chips than over a normally crisp green bean, and had a rancid taste when touched to the tongue; which meant their deep fry oil was in a bad need of a change.

For our mains my dining partner AR got the Ever Changing Housemade Ravioli (no price on the menu, but on the bill it was $18), with tonight being a lamb and potato ravioli with a green pea puree sauce and shavings of parmesan cheese. The potato chunks overwhelmed the delicate tasting lamb and the pea puree was not seasoned enough, creating a severely bland dish. I chose the Emperors Delight wok dish ($14) with “chicken, shrimp and BBQ pork in sweet and spicy hoisin sauce, served sizzling with bean sprouts and snap peas.” The waiter did a nice job of trying to up sell a side of rice or noodles because apparently the sauce was so good people normally liked to soak it up. I was glad I declined because there was barely enough sauce on the sizzling platter to wipe up with my bare chicken and shrimp pieces.

Side note gripe: If they go to the extent of specifying that there is bean sprouts and snap peas on a menu item, why don’t they list any other vegetables? Or, how about saying “mixed vegetables” on the menu instead? My dish came and I was surprised at all the other veggies on the plate. More than just two vegetables in a dish, I assume, would probably be a draw for most people.

Since my coupon gave us free desert, I was not going to pass up a chance to try one of the cities few servings of Beignets ($8). Described as simply “donut holes” at The Edge, they are actually a culinary specialty of Southern Louisiana served piping hot with mounds of confectioner’s sugar and are the official state doughnut of Louisiana. Unfortunately, this was another let down. The same terrible oil was used to deep fry these and gave the holes a sour taste and the three dipping sauces tasted like a topping you would get on a drink at Starbucks.

Ladies, I would come back here if most of the other restaurants on Granville were full, if I wanted a middle of the road meal for slightly inflated pricing (for what you get), or for just a simple pre-party night drink… inside, or on the patio. At least their Hammer Time martini (2 oz $7.83) was tasty.

Tags: Coupons, Downtown, Granville St., lounge, Restaurant

A Perfect Italian Sandwich

I felt like I walked into a corner store in Italy. There was even a conversation going on between the clerk and a customer in Italian. I was instantly transported back in time to some of the random places I stumbled across in my travel to that amazing country. At La Grotta Del Formaggio the long deli counter stretched one side of the deep and narrow store while shelves upon shelves of imported goods lined the other side. A whole shelving unit was purely dedicated to balsamic vinegars, with the back of the store stocked full of different olive oils. I could’ve spent a couple hours in there just looking at all their stuff.

However, I only had 15 mins to grab my sandwich and head back to work. I had heard about this place in other sandwich reviews so it was on my to-try list, and when a friend from work said he was going, I jumped at the chance to go.

I have never taken so long to order a sandwich in my life. There were five different types and sizes of bread to choose from and a massive list of dressings, cheeses, meats, and toppings. I ended up with a half foccocia with olive oil & balsamic, pesto mayo, Dijon mustard, jalapeno havarti, provolone, turkey, tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, artichokes, lettuce, and the kitchen sink. Of course, I also got it grilled. Nothing better than a warm, melty/crunchy sammich. No wait… the only thing better is this yummy sandwich for $7!!

Ladies, if you’re watching your waistline I definitely wouldn’t approve of this place. Amazingly though, I was on a healthy eating hiatus the very moment I walked through that door. :-) Watch out, it could happen to you too….

Fish and Chip Quest

My comfort food of choice is Fish and Chips.  Good Fish and Chips.  You know when you crave comfort food….rainy days, snowy days, meltdown at work days, huge hangover days…you get the picture…

Finding the Perfect fish and chips when nothing else will do was not an easy quest.  I have been searching forever. You have to have the perfect mix of crisp golden batter and white flaky fish. Not soggy, not greasy, just right.

I was so excited as I was recently in England at a local pub and I thought, OK now  I  will have the Fish and Chips that I have been waiting for my whole life….Not so much…the batter was beautiful, the fish lovely, but they left the skin on the fish which was soggy and I had to take off the batter then remove the skin then put the batter back on the fish to eat it. Yuk. 

But Today I have found the best F&C ever at The Two Chefs Hwy 97 South, Peachland B C.  Proprietors Tom Cornwall and Debbie Slade from Great Britain  have taken up residency in Peachland BC and are sharing their receipes with us! Lucky us!

The fish is Cod and Halibut and sometimes they use Pollack in a Beer batter or an old English batter recipe. Freshly cut potatoes and deep fried until golden. Dinner prices $12.95 – $14.95

Next time you need a fix of comfort food this is the place to go. Voted Best Fish and Chips by Okanagan Magazine now I know why and so do you.

Tues – Sunday, from 11am
6575 Hwy 97 South
Peachland
250-767-1991

Until next time.  Kathy

Tags: Chatty Kathy, Fish & Chips, Okanagan

My First Foodie Quest – Dining Out With a Picky Eater

With not much time, I have to prepare myself for my first food quest. My dinner guest should be arriving in 10 minutes and I am crafting the best way to get around a picky eater.

It was suggested to me that I try Twisted Fork Bistro tonight because the food is nice and the ambiance is romantic. I’m going to up the mysterio by not letting AR see the menu and I will order for him.

This is going to be a good quest. Trying to find something on the menu that a super picky eater will like, at a restaurant of my choice, while keeping him calm about letting his food fate rest in my hands. Brilliant.

****************************************************
Not knowing what is on your plate does prove for a good spectacle.

I ordered us the “Blue Fence” Special ~ 3 courses for $25 (find more deals under Weekly EAT Specials). All of the food was amazing and I couldn’t pass up such a great way to try a number of different items.

The entrees were large in size and beautifully plated. My halibut was tender and moist with the veggies done to perfection. I think, as a little teaser, they put a couple of mussels on my plate to tempt me for next time. It must be their specialty because every single table I saw ordered a bowl of mussels, with soft, powdery looking rolls to soak up the amazing smelling sauce. I was also impressed with the all BC wine list and microbrews, at very reasonable prices.

Beside me, picking about his plate of grilled yam, potatoes, and watermelon, green beans, garlic pureed peas, and a huge shank of lamb, AR plunged straight for the obvious potatoes. Shoving aside his usually disliked tomatoes (I guess not reading the menu still doesn’t account for what we can see) he asks me to taste the green paste. “Grass?” he questions, as he moves a tiny bit of it around in his mouth. Obviously some serious palate refining is needed here as peas are one of his diet staples. The last bit of confusion was the grilled watermelon. Thinking it was a tomato he left it on his plate until I prompted him to at least taste it. Oddly, he finished it all.

In the end I think it was a successful mission: If you are dining out with a picky eater, do not let them see the menu and order for them. They will be thankful that they don’t realize they’re eating Gruyere instead of just “cheese.” Then it’s up to you if you want to tell them afterwards what they ended up licking clean off the plate.

Ladies, this is a very nice date restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. It would also be a nice place for a girlfriend catch-up night over a bowl of steaming mussels and BC vino.

Tags: picky eater