Tag Archives: local

Fresh,Local,Wild

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With Spring here that means a lot of the food carts and trucks we love come out of Winter hibernation and this year has the benefit of a bunch of new carts hitting the streets.  I visited the Triple D famous Fresh, Local, Wild on there opening day of the season.  They have the items on the menu that were featured on Triple D as well as fresh new creations that Josh Wolfe is dreaming up.

The first item I had was the The Halibut Shawarma.  Made with Ocean Wise halibut and all the traditional flavors you would expect to find in a great shawarma made this a winning dish.  The shawarma was a great filling meal that didn’t leave me like I had a lead weight in my stomach after.

The next item on the menu for me was the Kebab Burger with 1/2 fries and 1/2 salad.

My fries were nice and crisp on the outside and the skin on the potatoes added that homemade flavor.  The salad was dressed with a nice tangy balsamic vinaigrette.

My kebab burger was made from juicy heritage beef and mixed with herbs and spices.  The toppings on this bad boy were the typical shawarma toppings-humus, lettuce and tabouleh.  The humus was something that I have never had on a burger and was totally delicious.  That’s not ketchup on my burger by the way-it’s Sriracha chili sauce, it added a nice zip to the flavorful toppings and kebab meat.

Fresh, Local, Wild is a solid lunch option that will satisfy your street food hunger.  There open Monday-Friday till 3pm and they take cash and debit cards.

Fresh Local Wild (Food Cart) on Urbanspoon

Between Two Buns

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Sandwich shops are the new burger joint in 2012 it would seem and I just LOVE it!  The newest addition to the Vancouver dining scene is Between Two Buns on Homer Street, these guy’s have taken over the old Bella Pizza location and really transformed the space from dump to dream.  The space is open with seating for 6-8 so take out is a great option here and from what I see they have made a lot of neighborhood residents regular customers already and that says a lot seeing they’ve only been open for a couple of weeks.

I’ve been in couple of times since they opened there doors and tried a couple of sandwiches and a daily soup, all of which were really good in general so it’s safe to say that the sandwich wizards at Between Two Buns are doing it right!

The Cheeky and Roasted Tomato soup.

The cheeky is a great combination of braised pork cheeks, smoked emmental cheese, creamy coleslaw and caramelized bacon aioli.  I had this on their opening day.  The meat was melt in your mouth tender but I found the creamy coleslaw overwhelmed the rest of the ingredients and made the sandwich taste overly sweet.  The soup on the other hand was PERFECT.  There was a beautiful tang to it and it had a great thickness to it which made it really hearty.

The Maniac is appropriately named, it’s a mix of double smoked bacon, baby arugula with asiago,garlic and Parmesan aioli.  Now this sandwich really kicked butt!  I really enjoyed the saltines from the bacon and the aioli with the peppery baby arugula.

Both sandwiches were priced at $9 each and the soup was around $4 so it’s on point price wise with other sandwich places.  If you find yourself in the Yaletown area I’d definitely recommend Between Two Buns so your sandwich fix.

Between Two Buns on Urbanspoon

Bistro 101 on Granville Island

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This week I found myself having to head to Granville Island to get some ingredients for a recipe in a cookbook I’m in the process of testing and in need of lunch and not wanting to deal with the crowded market scene I stopped into Bistro 101 at the Pacific Culinary Institute.

For lunch they offer a 3 course menu for $18 and it’s different everyday.  What I love about this place is that your served by the students but not only are they learning the art of service but they are also involved in the kitchen!, I did a course when I was a teenager at VCC and worked for a summer in JJ’s Dining Room and it was an awesome experience for myself so I can relate to the awkwardness that happened with service but the one thing I will say is everyone was really attentive and professional.

After I checked out the menu and made my selections one of the pastry students came by my table and brought out some fresh bread and butter and also took my dessert order~turns out she’s the one who made my choice~a deconstructed s’more that I saw as I was being seated.

Another student came by my table with a chilled amuse-bouche of a Puttanesca Prawn, it was an interesting bite but the prawn for me was over powered by the puttanesca sauce.

For my appy I had 3 choices~a mushroom egg drop soup,Oceanwise baby shrimp and avocado spring mix greens in a rice paper roll or a honey and five-spice quail~all decent choices on there own~I went with the Oceanwise choice.  The rice paper roll was served with a miso tahini sauce, the baby shrimp were cooked perfectly and there were a ton of them in there and the avocado spring mix filled out the roll perfectly, the avocado added a beautiful creaminess with the sauce underneath.  this is something that I would totally make at home on my own~avocado is going in all my rolls from now on!

Entrée wise there was a Grilled Beef Striploin with a devil sauce, Pan Fried Mahi Mahi that was a Oceanwise choice and was on the tropical side~served with a berry salsa and ginger coconut pilaf and to round out the choices the poultry option was a Smoked Turkey & Emmenthal Stuffed Chicken Breast with a basil tomato veloute and herb polenta~my choice!  The chicken was cooked thoroughly yet was moist and flavorful, the skin on top was nice and crisp, the smoked turkey added flavor and the cheese rounded everything out.  The sauce on the bottom was rich but not overly thick which was nice and the tomato side added a great acidic note to this rich dish, the herb polenta was flavored with thyme and was on the solid side~it was a disk under the tomato so it was perfect on get all that yummy sauce off the plate.

Dessert wise the choices were a Sour Cherry Vanilla Cake with a pistachio fig ice cream and hazelnut tuile, an Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream and my choice~a Neoclassical S’more with a chocolate sorbet and homemade marshmallow on top.

The s’more part was a cake bottom, the creamy milk chocolate mousse middle wasn’t to sweet and the homemade marshmallow capped off a great dessert.

The chocolate sorbet was like nothing I’ve had before, it was totally smooth and intensely flavored with dark chocolate, paired with the milk chocolate mousse it made for one rich chocolate lovers dessert.  Graham cracker crumble rounded out the plate.

After taxes my bill came in at under $21 and they don’t take tips, they also offer a dinner service for $24 and buffet on Fridays, I’d advise making reservations for larger groups~they are a member of the Opentable reservation program if you’re a member or you can do so right on their webpage by clicking here.  The dining room is also fully licensed and has a deal on Wednesdays where all bottles of wine are half price (Promotion is not applicable on theme dinners, special events or bookings made through the Corporate, Catering & Event Department unless otherwise stated).  I had a great lunch here and I can’t wait to come back for many more great lunches and dinners!  I’d recommend it to anybody heading down to Granville Island looking for a great lunch or dinner at an amazing price.

Bistro 101 (Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts) on Urbanspoon

Dirty Apron Deli and Cooking School

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The Dirty Apron is one of the more unique places to grab lunch in the downtown area. Nico and Karri Schuermans~the owners of Chambar and Cafe Medina have combined a deli of fine meats and cheese’s, ready to eat freshly made sandwiches and salads, a hot carvery and a gourmet grocery store all in one but to cap it off the also have a great cooking school with a variety of classes all in one cleverly designed space.

Great meats

Killer sandwiches

Tempting baked goods

The seating is communal at long tables and the have their house made chili sambal oil for you to jazz up your food if you like to.

I went with one of the baguette sandwiches~roasted chicken, arugula and sun-dried tomatoes with grana padano Parmesan and pesto mayo.  They make their bread fresh all through out the day in small batches so whenever you get your sandwich have no worry~you bread is usually no more than an hour old.  There was two halves to this sandwich and it was wrapped up nicely in paper, the chicken was moist and tender and all the ingredients worked well together.

I also got some of their fresh salads, they sell them on a /100 gram rate that’s around $3.50 (ish).  I went split it up choice wise seeing everything was the same price so the hardest thing was choosing what to get out of the 6 different choices.

This is a Brussel sprout salad with prosciutto and broccoli.  It was a nice fresh salad and the sprouts were cooked nicely but still crisp but without that cabbage taste, one thing I wish there was more of was the prosciutto.

The Mediterranean couscous was the other salad I got, it was a brightly flavored salad with the roasted red pepper and roasted onion being a balance to the vinaigrette.

With my sandwich and salad~I bought 100 grams of each my bill was around $17 with tax, seeing it’s really fresh great quality food the price is justified and I’ll totally be back.

Dirty Apron on Urbanspoon

The Templeton-Quality Food,Snappy Service!

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One place that packs them in every day is The Templeton Cafe on Granville Street.  The Templeton has occupied the space since the mid ’90′s but it’s been a diner since 1939 so the old school fixtures and vibe inside is totally authentic.

The place usually dies down around 1:30-2pm on the weekdays so it was a great time to visit and grab one of my favorite things and snap some pictures.

The shakes here are not to be missed, there made with hand scooped hard ice cream and whole milk, served in the mixing tin but glasses are available if you ask.  There thick and rich just like they were made back in the 50′s.

They also make custom made sodas as well, in the summer I’ve had many a cherry limeade made with fresh limes and cherry syrup and soda~crisp and refreshing it’s a diner classic.

This is the 777 Burger Platter, it’s a 100% certified lean organic beef on a sesame kaiser bun, all burgers come with mayo, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickle and your choice of soup or mixed organic greens or house chipped fries or garlic mashed potatoes,  For $10.50 it’s a solid choice if you’re a burger lover.

The burgers here are really juicy and the organic beef is a great choice.

Fries here are classic skin on, thick cut chips, crisp and seasoned with some pepper as well as salt, you get a nice portion of them and they aren’t greasy.

If you find yourself downtown you should definitely check out The Templeton, it’s totally kid friendly and your sure to find something to satisfy your appetite with the varied menu that goes from breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Templeton 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

Ensemble Tap

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Top Chef Canada winner and hometown hero Dale MacKay has opened the doors to his second restaurant this week and all I can say is the boy has been busy building a dining empire and all this success has happened within this year.

The new space is big and open, the flat screens all around the restaurant shows the games of the day and there are 17 different beers on tap here hence the name~Ensemble Tap.

The menu is focused on upscale pub food and when you stop and think about what big chain restaurants charge for food Ensemble Tap’s prices are right on par with the big guy’s but the quality of food is leaps and bounds above the big guy’s.

I started out with some beer and the staff here are knowledgeable about the different beers here and were happy to recommend this based on what I like in beer and boy was it a great choice.

For my appy I went with the classic French Onion soup for $8.  This was a classic french onion soup topped with Gruyère cheese, the broth was rich and full-bodied

the soup was packed with caramelized onions like any great French Onion soup should be.  One benefit of it being served in this camp style bowl was that I was able to pick it up and tilt it to get all that yummy stuff out of it.

For my main I wanted to try the recipe that won him a challenge on Top Chef Canada and is also served at his other restaurant Ensemble, the Pulled Pork sandwich with apple horseradish slaw, served with a side of Baked Beans and a cup of trademark Ensemble Kennebec Fries for $13.

The fries were cooked perfectly and not greasy yet totally crisp, these were some of the best fries I’ve had in a while and reminded me of Belgian Frites.

The baked beans were not overly smokey and had pulled pork in them, they were a delight to eat and I would have licked the ramekin clean if I were alone!

The pickles on the side also were tart and crisp like a good dill should be.

Now for the star of the show!, a nice soft bun that held together nicely, delish apple horseradish slaw and saucy smoked melt in your mouth pork,,,I’m hungry for one right now!, as far as pulled pork sandwiches go its one of the best I’ve had and is a must try for anyone coming to the restaurant, the slaw wasn’t to strong with the horseradish.

I’m really happy Ensemble Tap has opened it’s doors and I think it’s going to be one of those classic go to local restaurants for many years to come.

**Updated post December 14, 2011**

I went back for some more awesome food and Ensemble Tap~I was craving the Pork Chop dish and some good beer so here is the food!

Ensemble Lager $5.50, this is the house beer brewed for them by Big Rock Brewery, it’s a crisp lager that would go well with almost any dish on the menu and is a safe bet if your unsure of what to try.

Next up is the Tree Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale $7, this was a medium bodied beer that had a clan finish to it with a bit of hop flavor, I usually don’t go for amber ales but server recommended this and I’m glad she did~it is defiantly on my drink list.

For my appy I went with the Popcorn Prawns with Spicy Mayo for $12.  Crispy battered juicy prawns with a kaffir lime scented mayo~what more can I say besides they were AWESOME!, I gobbled these up quick and the mayo has that nice mouth tingling effect.

The garnish for the prawns is tempura battered sea asparagus, I’ve never had this before but have seen it on Food Network, it was nicely battered and tasted like the ocean~I found the taste interesting.

This is what I was craving for a couple of days, its inspired by one of Dale’s favorite childhood meals~pork chops and sauerkraut!.  This is a  kicked up version of a basic pork chop meal, the chop is brined before hand and then smoked and served with a mustard and panko/herb topping.  Along for sides it has grainy mustard, glazed carrots and house made sauerkraut

it was definitely a killer plate and I can see why it’s one of his favorites.  For $19 it was  a full meal and the kraut was more sweet that sour and had nicely chopped bacon in it so if your scared of sauerkraut you might want to give this a try.

Again it was a great meal at Ensemble and I’m looking forward to many more!

ensemble Tap on Urbanspoon

The Four Seasons Vancouver YEW Restaurant and Bar

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If you’re looking for a treat meal one place to definitely keep in mind is YEW restaurant and bar in the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Vancouver.

The room is huge and beautifully decorated, the huge fireplace is a great divider between the open dining room and the bar/lounge area.  The service here is top-notch and your every need is taken care of effortlessly, the staff are very knowledgeable on the menu and take the time to answer any questions you could have.

Canadian chef Ned Bell came on board as the Executive Chef for YEW in August 2011 and the menu was completely reworked to what we have now, he brings his own food philosophy ‘Globally Inspired and Locally Created,’ – a process that begins with premium ingredients, sourcing the best of what is available locally and seasonally, and then focusing on flavor to the YEW space and to the menu and it totally shows.

I started with a Kronenbourg Blanc for $8 and glass, this is a favorite beer of mine.  It’s light and has a lavender floral note sightly, it was perfect to cut through the richness of my main and also works with a variety of different foods~if your new to drinking beer give this one a try.

This was my main and man did it hit the spot!, delicious lobster mac and cheese with corn and an amazing creamy sauce tied it all together nicely.

At $22 a bowl its on the high-end but it’s worth it if you’re looking for a treat, there was lobster chunks through out and the lobster was cooked perfectly, the tender buttery pieces of lobster melts in your mouth and its bathed in a rich buttery sauce that isn’t cheesy.  The sprinkling of bread crumbs on top were the perfect garnish.

For dessert I went with their dessert trio.  It features all three of their dessert tapas and for $8 it’s a great deal.  They also have fresh berry pies and fresh fruit crumble on the menu if that’s more of what you’re looking for and also they offer a cheese selection.

Duck egg custard tart was first up, it was a rich and creamy custard with hints of vanilla, the pastry for the tart was the perfect vessel for this yummy dessert.   The one thing i was concerned with when ordering this was the duck egg flavor and if it would be to intense but I didn’t taste any kind of eggy flavor in the dish.

This is a Australian Candied Sugar Cherry Ravioli in a young coconut pineapple consomme.  It’s molecular gastronomy and was a blast to eat, you take it like a shooter and when you squish the cherry ravioli it explodes in your mouth and you taste a flood of sweet cherry juice.  I could throw back 5 or 6 of these!

Finally we have the Espresso Banana Milk Chocolate Lollipop.  The espresso is in the homemade marshmallow that encapsulates the lollipop, inside the milk chocolate is semi soft and melts in your mouth, all of the flavors combined with a definite treat.

If your interested in checking out YEW feel free to visit there website here  and if you’re looking for a great hotel check out the Vancouver Four Seasons website here and follow them on Twitter @FSVancouver .

YEW Restaurant + Bar on Urbanspoon

Another BC Winner on Recipe To Riches

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The winner for week 5 of Food Network Canada’s show Recipe To Riches and in the sweet or savoury treat category we have another $25,000 winner from British Columbia!

Here’s a bit about Sonya, a self-confessed ski bum Sonya Walosis a bar manager at one of Whistler’s most famous pubs.  But it’s just not about day’s spent on the snowy slopes and late night’s behind the bar for this good-natured girl.  She also loves to bake, and-don’t kid yourself-Sonya is one smart cookie.  Being gluten intolerant. she realized that it was simply impossible for her to buy a good cookie that she could indulge in,,, so she created one.  Her masterpiece, “The Smart Cookie”, says Sonya, is the best there is.
“The Smart Cookie”, as it’s creator Sonya lovingly calls it, is an extraordinarily delicious gluten-free treat.  Her one-of-a-kind recipe includes milk chocolate chips, coconut, puffed corn, quinoa and crisp brown rice.  The result is a delectably sweet indulgence that the whole family can and is sure to enjoy.  You can check out Sonya’s original recipe here if you want to bake up a homemade batch and you can see her full episode here .
Sonya won with a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie that has been dubbed “The Smart Cookie”. She was up against mini s’mores called s’morsele’s and a cookie that tasted like the classic breakfast-pancakes, syrup and bacon-it even had pieces of bacon in the cookie that was called “The Stampedier”! but the judges in the end went with Sonja’s gluten-free treat.
Normally wouldn’t buy this product because I’m not gluten intolerant and also because gluten-free products are not any healthier than the regular version and in some cases can be higher in sugar-so now that I have that out of the way lets check out some the product and see if it tastes just like my favorite kind of cookie.
You get in a box as you can see above and they cost $3.99 and taste wise their great, they taste just like any other chocolate chip cookie and the crisp brown rice, quinoa and puffed rice cereal added a nice extra texture.  For people with gluten issues I can see this as a welcomed product that is available where ever President’s Choice products are sold.
An update from the show:
Congratulations to Sonya Walos the winner of last night’s Recipe to Riches! Sonya’s Gluten Free Cookies will hit grocery store shelves THIS weekend.
However Sonya will NOT be participating in the grand prize finale. After the episode was filmed, it was discovered that Sonya has an immediate family member who works for one of the entities involved with Recipe to Riches, which makes her ineligible to participate in the contest. This is a common eligibility rule in Canadian contests which aims to make contests fair for all participants.

Solly’s Bagelry In Mt.Pleasent

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Solly’s has been serving up there award winning bagels and Jewish comfort food to Vancouverites for many years now. The area has gone from being a deserted after 6pm business area to a great family filled neighborhood that adds to the charm of Solly’s. There is lots of seating inside and some patio space outside when the weather is nice. The sandwich counter runs along one side of the restaurant and the ordering system is kinda messed up, if you want a sandwich or something to eat in you order at the far end of the counter and pay at the other end but if you want just some bagels to go or a dessert you can order that at the pay area.

Food wise I was in the mood for a sandwich so I went with there full “meat” deal which is a pastrami sandwich on rye and choice of spinach salad or soup for $11.75. All together it was a nice sized plate of food and the thick cut potato chips were a nice touch-they had a great seasoning on them.

The salad was dressed with what tasted like a soy vinaigrette, the almonds were a great touch but the mushrooms were a bit of a disappointment, they seemed to be really water logged and tasted kinda blah, other than that the spinach was good and it was a decent salad compared to what other places offer up.

My sandwich was a solid pastrami sandwich, the meat as you can see was sliced pretty thin but it packed some big flavor and the mustard but that richness of the meat.  If I were to do one thing to make this sandwich better would to have thicker sliced meat.  The pickle on the side was a solid choice as well, it was crisp and tart with a nice dill hit.
Solly’s also offers up a ton of take home and frozen Jewish delicacies and at the end of the day the price might be a bit high but you do get what you pay for and supporting a local business is always a plus.

Solly's Bagelry (Mt. Pleasant) on Urbanspoon