Category Archives: AMEX

Nook~Quite Possibly The Best Pizza In The West End

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Nook is a place that I’ve had the pleasure of dining at more than a couple of times and is a favorite of mine if I’m looking for a solid authentic pizza or if I’m in need of great Italian comfort food and don’t want to travel out of my neighborhood to get it.

I’ve had the dueling burrata platter here~it’s how I was introduced to burrata at Nook, I don’t have a picture of it but it’s a piece of Californian burrata on a nice prosciutto topped crustini and drizzled with nice fruity evoo, there is a nice heirloom tomato salad in the middle of the plate that is lightly dressed with balsamic and more of that awesome evoo and then you get a piece of Italian burrata with the same toppings as the other crustini so it really is all about the cheese with this plate.  At $18 it’s a plate built for 2 to share but f you’re a burrata lover like myself I usually order it for my appy when I feel like indulging.

Nook is known for their thin crust Neapolitan style pizza and were making it before the craze hit Vancouver, The crust is thin and has that nice chew to it that you expect with great Italian pizza.

The classic Margherita pizza here is a solid choice and for $13 it’s a great value.  The tangy tomato sauce and creamy cheese is a pizza lovers dream and the fresh basil is one of my favorite toppings here~I really love how they put a good amount basil and having it cut like this adds to the perfect basil dispersion~it’s a pet peeve of mine when I get a Margherita pizza and there are only 2 or 3 whole leaves on my pie.

Nook’s version of the prosciutto pizza has the arugula on the bottom and the freshly sliced prosciutto is placed on right before service so for $15 it’s another good value.  This pizza definitely is a rich tasting pizza and will fill you up, they have some good chili oil that is great drizzle to help break the richness of the pizza.  On both pizza the bottom is charred nicely but still has some bend to it.

I’m happy that Nook has been able to cement its place in the neighborhood offering something that you can’t get anyplace in the West End and is a place I am happy to recommend to my friends and anyone in search of a great meal.

Nook doesn’t take reservations so its first come first served, they are also Zagat Rated and you can check out there page on the Zagat website by clicking here.

Nook on Urbanspoon

C Restaurant

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On my first dine out adventure I checked out C Restaurant on beautiful False Creek. Seeing it was my first ever Dine Out dinner I felt it appropriate to invite @MaryInVancity with me, she has been here before for brunch and really loved her experience, you can read about it here.

I used the Open Table reservation service to book us a table, I’m new to that type of service and I loved how easy it was to book and also see what times are available for your visit plus you earn points that can be used for restaurant gift certificates for future dining, I arrived and was greeted by name at the door and the hostess quickly offered to check my coat seeing it was raining out, the service is really great and what you would expect for a fine dining restaurant.

The room is a split level space with a more intimate dining area upstairs, the room downstairs is all about the False Creek view with floor to ceiling windows, the space was not so busy when we got there so it was pretty quiet with soft music playing in the background but as the night went on it got packed and the volume definitely went up.

C is all about the Ocean Wise fish and seafood program and head Chef Robert Clark is the man in the kitchen coming up with innovative dishes that really you can’t get anywhere else. The restaurant is part of the Kambollis group of restaurants that include The Rain City Grill and Nu Greek.

Like I said we were here for Dine Out 2012 and they were offering a unique 4 course menu for $38~all the other restaurants in town that are offering the $38 menu are only offering 3 courses, you also have the option of adding additional courses for a nominal charge and also wine pairings are available if you choose.

We were served some complementary house made bread and butter, the bread here is delicious, one of the types were served is their famous seaweed bread, both Mary and I loved this, it’s such a nice treat when a restaurant makes delicious in-house bread.

Our amuse bouche was a Smoked Salmon Cannelloni with Preserved Lemon and Creme Friache. The salmon was melt in your mouth tender and the creamy yet slightly tart creme friache added another nice note of richness. I’m not a big smoked salmon fan and I really liked this I must say, the salmon smoke wasn’t too strong so it would appeal to a wide range of dinners.

For our first course I chose the sautéed BC Spot Prawns with kale,chilli, lime and romesco sauce for a $9 extra charge. They were succulent and really good!, the romesco sauce added a great smoked note to the plate, the kale was a great touch but the chilli and lime didn’t really come through.

Mary went with the Northern Arm Farms Beet Panzanella salad with harissa dressing and shaved ricotta, this is the standard first course on the Dine Out menu. We ended up sharing so we split all the dishes in half to get an accurate taste of the menu and did this for the whole dinner. The harissa wasn’t too strong or spicy, the beets were pickled and are a favorite of mine and Mary’s. We both loved this dish and would order it again.

For my second course I went with the Poached Lobster with a lemon herb risotto and a cognac creme, it was a $12 extra charge for this dish and I think it was worth it, there was a nice big lobster claw on top and the dish was smothered in cognac cream, the lobster for mine and Mary’s taste was over cooked and quite firm, besides that one negative it was a great bowl of risotto, the rice was perfectly cooked and it all went down quite nicely!

The other second course was a seared Albacore Tuna with a Winter minestrone, Parmesan pistou and crisp basil. Melt in your mouth tender tuna and a hearty Winter minestrone with orzo pasta was a great accompaniment to the tuna, there was also a basil pesto on the plate that rounded out the plate and reminded me of an Italian tuna dish.

The main course or third course in this menu they are offering a lake Babine Salmon with a squash puree and almond tapenade. The salmon was nice and pink inside, the flavor was nice and rich and was the star of the plate that is for sure. Both of us enjoyed this a lot.

Mary wanted to try the beef option on the menu, for $12 extra they had a Roasted Beef Tenderloin with a walnut polenta, tarragon butter and confit of Portobello mushroom, there was also candied dates on the plate. It was a great beef dish and I ended up cleaning the plate clean, the walnut polenta accented the beef nicely but the Portobello mushroom was a bit to mushroomy for my taste.

We both opted for the Lemon and Olive Oil Sorbet palette cleanser for $4, they served this with little shortbread cookies, it really worked to get our palette ready for dinner.

The standard dessert on the menu is a Spiced Chocolate Pudding with caramelized rice cereal and a Chantilly cream.

It was also available with an orange sorbet for a small extra charge, Mary for this on her plate and I took a taste~it was great but I like my chocolate without orange and would love this on its own (I know the sorbet looks like the olive oil lemon kind we also had but it was definitely orange!). The pudding was spiced with cardamom and the flavors were GREAT!, the caramelized rice cereal wasn’t too sweet and added a nice texture to the pudding, the Chantilly cream rounded out everything nicely.

We had a great time at C and I wold come back and check it out for a lunch seeing they have a killer patio in the summer, our bill after our add-on’s, taxes and a beer I had came out to $142~definitely a bit more than we were thinking but when splitting the bill down the middle it came to $80/person including tip which wasn’t so bad for a 2 hour dinner and as a bonus Mijune Pak was dining in the restaurant so it was finally nice to meet and dish about food with the lovely @FollowMeFoodie but the menu could have been clearer with what courses were extra!

C Restaurant is also Zagat rated and can be checked out here.

C Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Le Bistro De Paris-Comme ci, comme ça

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Le Bistro De Paris is has been on Denman Street for quite a few years now and became famous for all the wrong reasons-the previous owner went missing one night after closing up never to be seen or heard from again, his family searched for him but ended up selling the business and it’s under the ownership of the same person who owns the Italian place at the end of the block.

The room is bright and it definitely feels like a French bistro, at night the room is very romantic and lit with candles and low lit lanterns.  I’ve heard really good things about this place so I was looking forward to trying what they had to offer.

This post is a combination of 2 visits-one weekend brunch and one weekday lunch, they offer some nice brunch specials for $12 and some nice lunch specials for $14, on my brunch visit the room was packed on the Sunday morning that I went, it was a mix of tourists and local regulars that the servers knew by name, I was seated in promptly and snagged a window seat.

I started with a coffee, for $3 you get free refills and the servers were on top of keeping your cup full.

Every table gets a complementary bread basket, it’s a classic French baguette but the butter served with the bread is fresh outta the fridge so spreading was not happening unfortunately also the bread is room temp so it doesn’t aid in the buttering of the bread-sometimes the small things stick out to me.

For my main I really wanted to have the Quiche Lorraine but I was informed when I was seated that they had everything BUT that!, I was really looking forward to trying but I decided on this:

The Omelet Du Jour, in this case it was roasted red peppers, spinach, tomato and brie cheese.

The omelet was OK, the peppers weren’t roasted but rather sautéed with the spinach and the brie melted and was a puddle around the outside of my omelet, on the plus side the omelet was fluffy.

With every brunch plate you get a side salad in a ramekin, it’s a spring greens mix and the dressing is light and tart, I have an issue with salads in dishes like this~all the dressing collects in the bottom of the dish and makes for a wilty mess if your salad sits around, I suspect that the portions of salad are proportioned-the greens didn’t look freshly washed and then the dressing is put on as needed-kind of forgettable if you ask me.

The other item every plate comes with is a fruit skewer, the fruit was fresh and it was a nice light way to finish the meal normally-but not in my case!, I think a bit of Follow Me Foodie is getting into me and I had to see the dessert menu!

The Chocolate Mousse for $9

It was  a nice presentation but it was really boozy with Grand Mariner and the mousse had the consistency that would indicate some kind of gelatin-it was a light mousse but not creamy like I’ve had and made before, for $9 I’ve had better desserts.

This is my next visit during the week for lunch, they offer a  À la carte menu with some lunch specials for $14 that are listed on the sign outside, the one that stood out to me and what I’ve heard great things about was the Steak Friets-they also had Mussels listed on the sign-the other thing that I really wanted again was the Quiche-Iasked my server and she said “NOPE it’s only on the weekend at brunch” even tho it’s listed on the websites menu-I’ve given up on the Quiche and went with the Steak and Frites that I saw on the menu board outside.  Again I was served a basket of bread and the fresh from the fridge cold butter.

I did have a starter of French Onion Soup for $9

It was a solid French Onion soup and the crouton was the same bread served in the baskets, the broth was full bodied and the Gruyere was plentiful, the table bread came in handy after I finished the crouton that it came with.  I was a great soup and something I would order again.

This was the main attraction for me, it looked great and also smelled delish so I was looking forward to chowing down.

The side vegetable was sautéed haricoverts and a piece of grilled red pepper was forgettable and the beans were over seasoned with salt and the red pepper was there more for color I think.

The frites were delicious, they had a double fried or maybe even baked taste and texture to them-crisp on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside, they were seasoned properly and I didn’t need to add salt.

The steak was cooked to my liking-medium but I will say it was on the thin side, the pepper corn sauce was nice and not to spicy.  It was an OK dish but I will say that the soup and the frites were the best part of the meal.

There was a problem though when the bill came, I noticed I was charge overcharged for my steak and not given the $14 lunch special price that is on the menu board outside, the server got SUPER defensive saying that they didn’t carry that cut of meat used in the special and now have this cut and its À la carte price of $19, when I informed her of the sign outside I was told to pay up and that’s that!-I won’t be coming back and if you’re a tourist coming to Vancouver I wouldn’t recommend this to you or anyone I know-there’s better restaurants in the area with awesome service and accurate menu pricing.

Le Bistro de Paris on Urbanspoon

Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House

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Joe Fortes has been a Vancouver institution for all of my life.  They have a stellar reputation for seafood and amazing service all packed into a beautiful dining space with one of Vancouver best summer rooftop outdoor oasis patio’s.

A bit about Joe Fortes Restarant from their website:

OUR HISTORY
One of Joe Fortes’ many unique qualities is the immediate sense of character and personality that guests recognize the moment they step inside. The large, bright room feels instantly powerful yet inviting, and it’s no coincidence that these qualities were also embodied by the legendary figure that we take our name from – Seraphim “Joe” Fortes.

In 1885, this burly seaman landed upon Vancouver’s shores and settled into a cabin in English Bay. There, Joe quickly became one of Vancouver’s most popular citizens, serving Vancouverites in a variety of ways – first as a bartender and later as Vancouver’s first official lifeguard. Today, he is remembered by a monument near the site of his home, and his popularity lives on inside the welcoming walls of Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
With our name inspired by a local legend famous for his warm, welcoming nature, we naturally believe that hospitality is a key ingredient in creating a memorable dining experience for our guests. We also firmly believe in engaging in fresh thinking throughout the restaurant, and nowhere more so than on our menus. Such is our commitment to freshness that our kitchen receives daily local deliveries, ensuring that you’re guaranteed to find the freshest ingredients on your plate every day.
THE RESTAURANT
Visit Joe Fortes Vancouver seafood restaurant and you are welcomed into an environment whose vibrant sights and sounds are as enticing as the menu is.

The main dining room is anchored by a soaring horseshoe oyster bar. This Grand Room boasts large, cozy booths, perfect for hosting high-powered lunch or dinner meetings, as well as intimate dinner dates.

From the mezzanine, diners enjoy a bird’s eye view of the action and live musical entertainment below.

The mahogany-walled wine room offers guests a unique and discreet setting in which to enjoy an intimate lunch, or a private corporate celebration.

The more casual side of Joe’s is experienced in the bistro and bar where locals and out-of-towners alike mingle, soak up the live music and keep their eyes open for visiting celebrities.

For a breath of fresh air, guests can step up to Vancouver’s most desirable roof garden and into an urban oasis featuring a living green wall, cozy outdoor fireplace and bustling horseshoe bar. No wonder Joe Fortes is the best seafood restaurant in Vancouver”

@MaryInVanCity and I made a visit in the midst of the Christmas season and it couldn’t have been a better time to have out very first visit for the both of us.

The room was beautifully decorated for the holidays and Christmas carols played throughout, both of us were really blown away with the beauty of the room, seated in the bar area we treated to a great view of the space.

Seating is plentiful here, tables and banquets make up the bar area, up some step lay some more tables and high back booths line the walls.

The service we received was super friendly and attentive from the moment we walked through the door.  After we were presented with our menus we were served with complementary bread with balsamic and house made lobster oil, I thought it was good but it didn’t agree with Mary’s palette.

For appetizers we chose the New England Clam Chowder, this was actually part of my Blue Plate Special as an add on so I had some but Mary happy enjoyed the rest seeing clams aren’t my favorite.  From my taste it was good, the bacon was a nice flavor and not too strong, the chowder was creamy and the potato added some nice thickness to the chowder, usually if one of my friends gets clam chowder I love to snack on these is possible:

the traditional New England Oyster Crackers, not a lot of places have these traditional ones so it was a nice treat for myself and Mary.

For another appetizer I went with the Dungeness Crab Cake with basil lemon aioli for $16.95, this was a killer crab cake, it was loaded with Dungeness crab meat and hardly any filler if any.

I really enjoyed the sauce as well, the lemon didn’t really come through but the basil did, it complimented the crab cake beautifully.  This crab cake was also made with Oceanwise Dungeness crab.

Mary went with some fresh oysters on the half shell, I can’t remember what kind they were but shoe enjoyed them with the house made mignonette but they were also served with classic cocktail sauce and fresh horseradish

She also got one of these oyster treats

A Vodka Oyster Shooter for $8, it had Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and as she put it~ a nice “meaty” oyster, the vodka came through right away but the flavor of the oyster complimented by the W sauce and Tabasco soon enveloped her mouth~she said that this was very enjoyable.

I was the only one having a main course~Mary had a killer lunch at the new Ensemble Tap before we met up so I was the one doing most of the eating here.  The Blue Plate Special is what I chose and today it was Bourbon BBQ Chicken served with asparagus and white rice for $9.99, the special is served till 4PM and is changed daily, the menus is visible online.

The chicken was boneless thighs and the sauce was really flavorful, the meat was super tender and I just had to use my fork to cut it, the plate had 3 nice big pieces of BBQ chicken, the asparagus was ok and the rice was flavorful for white rice.  It was a great plate for food and for $9.99 it can’t be beat.

I went with a Vanilla Creme Brulee~my Blue plate Special had a $9.99 add on for the soup and a dessert.  The top was nicely caramelized and formed a nice layer on top of the brulee, the custard inside was nice and thick and super rich, the vanilla flavor was subtle and not overpowering.

Mary went with the Berry Pavlova that was filled with banana custard, beautiful berry’s and sweet meringue encased all these delish treats and for $8.50 it was decently priced.

We had a great meal here and would tell anybody who hasn’t been before to make a visit to Joe Fortes for some classic food and impeccable service.

Just a quick note~they DON’T accept Debit cards so you’ll be forced to use a 3rd party cash machine~something that surprised us but all major credit cards are accepted and they are closed over the Christmas holidays.

The Zagat review page for Joe Fortes can be view by clicking this link here and the Joe Fortes website can be viewed here with the option to make reservations online.  Feel free to also check them out on Twitter @JoeFortesVan and their Facebook page .

Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House on Urbanspoon

Rosie’s on Robson-Identity Crisis!

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I’ve passed by Rosie’s on Robson for years and have never stopped in. It’s a warm, inviting looking joint that is always busy and seemed popular with their breakfasts and brunch items. So when I was down in the area and wanted to try some place new I popped into Rosie’s for lunch.

The space inside is large and open, the wood bar totally dominates one side of the restaurant and the mix of tables and chairs take up the rest of the space.  After sitting in here the thing that really struck me how dated this place is and the dark carpet shows that this place really needs a renovation/makeover~where’s Gordon Ramsey and Kitchen Nightmares when you need him!

I was seated promptly by a friendly server and seeing I missed the lunch rush getting a table in a well-lit area wasn’t a issue~the restaurant was deserted except for a couple of tables that were finishing up their meals.

As you can see the menu is pretty big with lots of different choices and I noticed a British Pub themed menu at this point, Items like Curry and Chips and Ploughman’s Platter as well as malt vinegar on the table for the fish and chips:

all very British and I thought I would be in for a good home cooked meal by the way the menu sounded.  I steered away from the deep-fried typical British pub fare and went with the servers recommendation:

I started with a Alexander Keith’s Premium White beer for $6.50, I haven’t had this before but I do really like light crisp beers like this so it was a great choice.

This was the main my server recommended, the “house made” Guinness Meatloaf $15, served with a side of blanched green beans, red skin mashed potatoes and sautéed mushrooms and BBQ sauce~this is where the identity crisis starts!

My sides tasted just fine, the beans were cooked but still had some bite to them and were seasoned with butter and some garlic

My potatoes were not gluey and had the red skin from the potato on, they were solid mashed potatoes and were indeed house-made evident by a couple lumps~just like mom used to make!

Now on to the Guinness Meatloaf

It was 2 thick slices of meatloaf that instead of being sauced with gravy it was slathered in BBQ sauce and to make things worse it was store brand Bulls Eye corn syrup laden BBQ sauce and sautéed mushrooms

I don’t know what day my mushrooms saw the frying pan but they were stone cold and reminded me of an optional burger topping~which I think they also double as and the BBQ sauce totally dominated the flavor of the dish and it didn’t help that it was also served in the side as well.  I personally think a Guinness mushroom gravy that is made in-house would be a logical choice.  The menu also said that the meatloaf had Guinness braised vegetables in it:

this is the other side of one of the pieces and show the extent of the braised vegetables, I didn’t taste any Guinness flavor in the dish at all and this is my main gripe of the dish, it says that it in made in-house but the meat loaf had a weird mystery meat texture to it and it was perfectly smooth and void of any texture~something that comes from a factory and you would expect to find in a frozen TV dinner.

At the end of the day for $15 I expected a little bit more for a house specialty and really simple item do right, my side dishes and beer were better than the “meat” of the meat and potatoes dish I ordered.  I would have said something about what I received to the waitress but seeing the kitchen would put out something like that I wasn’t looking to experiment with something else and also when presented with my bill I noticed this odd thing:

The Elephant and Castle???, WTF??, I can remember this from my childhood and had bad meals there

nowhere on Rosie’s menu or advertising say that I’m dining at the Elephant and Castle Pub, I they had appropriate signage outside I don’t think I would have come here and spent $28 with tip for lunch.  My final words of wisdom~don’t come here!

Rosie's on Robson on Urbanspoon

Frankie’s Italian Kitchen

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I was lucky enough to recently to have won a prize package from the Georgian Court Hotel to the 2011 Grey Cup that included a stay at the hotel as well as dinner at the in-house restaurant Frankie’s Italian Kitchen. Frankie’s is a new addition to the hotel replacing the William Tell restaurant that served Vancouver for many years.

By the time I got in for dinner it was quite late so the room was pretty dark, as you can see it’s a pretty big room with a private dining room in the back and a big bar out front, the seating is really comfortable where I was seated with nice large comfortable arm chairs and large round tables.

I started out with a beer, they have a nice selection if drinks and I went with a Grolsch and cruised over the menu, they have all the standard items a good Italian place should have.

I started with the Caprese salad, on the menu it was described like this-bocconcini mozzarella, heirloom vine ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano and extra virgin olive oil.  I’m a real fan of caprese salad and this one sounded great on the menu but this one was a bit off for me for 2 reasons, the tomatoes were not heirloom and the addition of the dried oregano really over powered the dish, other than that the balsamic was great and the cheese was nice.

For my main I went with the classic spaghetti and meatballs, at $14 it was a good bowl of pasta.  The meatballs are made from a combination of meats including pork and beef tenderloin trimmings from when their butcher portions out the steaks and other cuts of meat, the meatballs were flavorful and you could definitely taste they were not made with just ground beef.  The addition of the aged ricotta was nice but it was one of those cheeses that didn’t melt.  The sauce was OK for the pasta but could have used some more garlic and onion and also the pasta was cooked perfectly.  At the end of the day it was a solid bowl of pasta and I would order it again.

For dessert they have a nice selection of stuff and if you “Like” them of their Facebook page you can get yourself a free dessert~just show your server the redeemable coupon on the Facebook page on your smart phone.  I went with the classic Tiramisu and it totally didn’t disappoint!, it was light yet really creamy with the addition of the mascarpone cheese and whipped cream blend and the espresso dipped lady fingers were perfect and not too soggy.

To guild the lily a bit I went and had another dessert, this time it was the jasmine tea scented panna cotta served with an orange confit.  I really loved this as well, the panna cotta was lightly floral from the tea but creamy and smooth at the same time, the orange confit on top was a great touch and the confit process made the orange peel soft and a pleasure to eat with the panna cotta.  The dessert also came with a couple of pieces of what reminded me of German Stollen, they were also perfectly made and added a great texture in between bites of the panna cotta.  This was the dessert I chose for free from the coupon on their Facebook page.  Also both of these desserts are priced at $8 each on the menu.

I had a great meal here and the desserts made up for the disappointments of the starer I had.  As a part of my prize I received a $50 to pay for this meal with as part of my stay st the hotel and the contest I won and I wasn’t not expected or influenced to write a post of my experience.

Frankie's Italian Kitchen & Bar on Urbanspoon

 

Cento Notti

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Cento Notti is the new restaurant in the Opus Hotel in Yaletown, it replaces the vivid and bold 100 Nights space and the decor is equally eye catching and appropriate for the modern Italian menu.

Executive Chef Paul Marshall is really making magic in the kitchen, pretty much everything is made in house including the burrata cheese in my salad I had and sourcing form local farms your getting the freshest ingredients turned into spectacular dishes.

I stopped in at lunch time and what caught my eye outside was the $35 three course dinner menu, I asked the server if I could possible get that menu for lunch and it wasn’t a problem at all.

San Pellegrino $7.95

Burrata Salad-vine-ripened tomato, basil, olive oil.  I’m a sucker for burrata and when I see it on a menu I have to try it, usually burrata comes from Italy and it’s highly perishable so freshness is key, at Cento Notti they make theirs from scratch everyday and one of the few to do so in Vancouver.  The cheese was creamy and sweet combined with the balsamic and tomatoes it was a match made in heaven.

Porcini Risoto-fresh thyme,Grana Padano Parmesian and a balsamic port reduction.  Who can so no to risotto with porcini!, it’s traditional Italian with a modern twist with the reduction.  My bowl of risotto was rich and creamy like a great risotto should be, the mushroom flavor was earthy and meaty and the cheese melted into my dish.

Chocolate Panna Cotta-Roasted strawberry’s and a kalamata olive infused fig jam.  I was curious about how roasted strawberry’s would taste but what blew me away was the olive jam~olives with the chocolate was totally weird and at first I thought it was balsamic in the jam~I never would have thought olive, it was totally delicious, the panna cotta was rich and creamy and the strawberry’s were still firm~I thought they would turn to mush from the roasting.

I’m already looking forward to my next meal at Cento Notti and with the Taste Of Yaletown coming up I think it’s going to be on my list.

Cento Notti on Urbanspoon