While the weather outside has been largely frightful, my dining experiences this summer have been fairly delightful. I have been sticking reasonably close to my neighbourhood, but have ventured further afield on occasion. No major new discoveries, I am certain, but experiences worth noting.
A friend and I went to the ever popular The Reef earlier in the summer. As usual, the place was packed and not really conversation friendly. The service was fairly good as was the food. I had the chicken roti which was excellent. I find overall the food there can be hit and miss, but for taste and value, I would recommend this dish. The washrooms are clean and useable, which always wins points with me.
I have also been to Crave a few times. Crave is located at the same site as the former Clews (which I did not visit) and The Big C (as in Chow), where I went for breakfast on a few occasions (good food, lousy coffee). The service at Crave is excellent. The food is okay. The first time, I had the halibut and chips. The fish was heavily battered and the fries, oversalted.
The dining room is very small and acoustically, problematic. However, on my second visit, my friend and I asked to be seated on the patio, which I remembered as being nice from The Big C days. Indeed, it did not disappoint. Surrounded by luscious herbs, the patio is a very pleasant place to spend an evening. The food was somewhat better this time. My friend and I shared some spicy popcorn shrimp which were generous and tasty. I had a Caesar salad with a chicken add-on. The latter was okay, but not spectacular. There is a decent wine list, with some fairly drinkable and affordable wines available both by the glass and per bottle. More points, the washrooms are clean and well maintained.
The Main on Main, a family owned Greek restaurant, has also been a good spot for me this summer. The first time we went for drinks. The wine list is decent and very affordable. The relaxing of BC ancient liquor laws now permits folks to have a drink without having to buy food at restaurants. Nonetheless, the mid-wine munchies got me and we ordered some calamari. The dish was not as salty as at many of the local Greek places. There were way too many raw (bleah!) onions for my liking, but the squid were still very edible. We drank a very enjoyable Jackson Triggs VQA Sauvignon Blanc.
The next visit was a full meal deal. I enjoyed the chicken souvlaki and of course, the very chocolaty Yellow Tail Shiraz. Again, the price points were hard to beat. The service was friendly on both visits, although the servers could learn a bit more about how to open and serve wine. Hey, I can admit that I am snobby (about some things). The washroom is dated, but functional and clean.
That night, we also went to Sweet Revenge Patisserie for coffee and dessert. It has been some time since I have been. I ate the Sweet Revenge cake which was good, but a little dry. They have expanded the menu a lot since they first opened, so I shall have to try something new the next time. They offer the option of shared carafes of pressed coffee, which is a nice alternative to the more common single cup option.
A few nights back, we hit the Yaletown Brewing Company after being sticker shocked by most other places in the trendy neighbourhood. We shared the fiery green beans, which were excellent and had quite the kick. We also split the Italian sausage pizza, which was good, but lacking zap after having had the beans. The "big ass" (their name, not mine) beer were indeed large as were their prices. While I give kudos to their washrooms for having change tables for babies and toddlers, they also get a big thumbs down for not removing ashtrays from the stalls. Boo!
All the Starbucks in Yaletown close early, so we ended up at Urban Fare (which is open until midnight) for coffee. My decaf latte was rather enjoyable. They have a water cooler and paper cups for those wanting water. We watched a woman fill and old two litre coke bottle for her dog. The lesson here is two-fold. First, never underestimate the lack of consideration of the public at-large. Second, think twice before drinking water from a publicly accessible water cooler.
Tonight, my foodie friend suggested that we go to La Buca, a chi chi poo poo, neighbourhood restaurant located in the Mackenzie Heights area of town (I wonder if it's still called that???). The clientele was much older than the crowds I have been encountering on Main. The layout is much like a bistro and not unlike Crave. However, for the most part, the acoustics were much better.
The wine list is mainly Italian (not my favorite) and some Spanish. The prices varied from affordable to not-so cheap. We had the Di Majo Norante Ramitello (I had to cut and paste that), a very dry red wine from the Molise region. The food was pretty fine. I had a taste of my friend's appetizer of stuffed zucchini blossom, delicately filled with a ricotta mixture. For our entrees, she had the ravioli stuffed with prawns and I had the Tuscan steak. Both were very tasty and well presented. I also enjoyed the strong coffee flavors in the tiramisu. Unfortunately, by the time we ate dessert, they had overfilled the table next to us and I felt as though the man at the end might as well the sat on my lap.
The service was acceptable, but not top notch as would befit the caliber of restaurant they are trying to present. Access to the one restroom involves a tricky maneuvering through the incredibly tiny and chaotic kitchen. This also takes away from the experience and illusion of fine dining.
So apart from the usual visits to The Thai House, White Spot and Kitsilano Sushi with the kid and sometimes other family, these have been my dining out excursions this summer.
Happy eating!
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