989 Granville St (at Nelson…ish).

604.677.8080

The Warehouse is famous for a reason – it’s afforable, central, fun, and relaxed. The Warehouse’s rock bar atmosphere goes a long way with me – the music is killer, and it’s impossible to feel uncomfortable or uptight. Most everyone can relax with the vibe here …well, maybe not your Grandma (think of a nicer version of the Cambie). But as much as I appreciate the mood lighting and music what really stands out at the Warehouse is the FOOD PRICES!

Everything on the menu is $4.95 – without exception. Nachos, a burger and fries, quesadillas, salad, tacos, pasta – the warehouse definitely offers fair portions and range of standard fare. Of course, you can add chicken or upgrade to yam fries for an extra $1.55 – but seriously the base price for everything is under $5. Lots of reviews complained of slow service – every time I’ve been there the service has been fine – what do you expect for a $5 meal? The servers will maybe be tipped $1 per meal and they are sorely understaffed for how busy the place is to keep prices down. Of course they can be slow at times! You’re lucky there are servers there at all.

Yes, it’s a pub – yes, they serve delicious alcohol. Regular old standard draft beer pints are available for about $5 – import bottles will run you more like $7, and there is a sketchy drink menu of bad highballs for around the $3 mark. Be warey since the drink menu does not have any prices listed. Stick to what you trust – the burger and a pint of Granville island for a grand total of $10.

Later in the evening it gets full and LOUD! Try to avoid “specials nights” like wednesday wing night – where the service turns horrible and the place gets PACKED – it’s not worth it to get food that’s even cheaper than $4.95.

The Warehouse is the perfect place to grab a bite and kick off a night of drinking downtown.

Recommended: the mushroom swiss burger – you won’t find a better burger downtown for the price, that’s for sure. Dave Fairweather raves “there’s a taste party in my mouth every time I bite into it!”. Thanks, Dave!

Bonus: Heated outdoor seating is available.

Double bonus: open until 2am everyday of the year. For serious. And they serve breakfast on the weekends!

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Perfect pairing:

Queen – a kind of magic

1106 Davie Street (near Thurlow), Vancouver BC

604.682.1336

Website

We all know Greek food. Or at least we think we do. But how many of us know anything beyond the flavourless chicken souvlakia or spanakopita from the mall food court? Step into Takis’ Taverna and it will change the way you think about Greek food.

At Takis’ you can indulge your taste buds in perfectly prepared Greek food. There is a wide assortment of dishes to suit even the pickiest eaters: everything from the succulent kleftiko (roast lamb) to the mouth watering moussaka (beef and eggplant casserole). There are several veggie dishes (like the amazing baked cheese and vegetarian moussaka) and a few seafood dishes (the grilled calamari is great) and loads of lamb/chicken/beef options. Sample a bit of everything. You won’t be disappointed! Everything is cooked to perfection and seasoned lightly to let the real flavours of the food stand out. You will delight in the meat dishes that are so tender that there is nary a need for a knife.

The prices are varied so there should be something for everyone (even your friends with minimum wage part time jobs). Starting at $6 for appies and $10 for mains all the way up to $45 for the enormous platters for two. Plates at Takis’ are loaded high with piles of deliciousness. Everything seems to come with a tasty side salad, rice, and lemon potatoes. The portions are so generous that even though nobody cleared their plate we rolled out of there stuffed!

With their friendly staff and amazing food I can’t believe anyone still goes to Stepho’s. Who wants to wait in line for an hour to eat flavorless and mediocre Greek food? … No? Me neither. So instead of standing in front of Stepho’s all night like a chump – go half a block East and stroll into Takis’ Taverna. The food is rad and the service is friendly. In fact the service is so friendly that our server gave us free dessert just because he is the sweetest person ever! Thumbs up all around for Takis’!

Not to be missed: the delicious Athenian Chicken.

Open daily for lunch and dinner

Takis’ totally beats out Stephos and Olympus for quality in terms of food and service. Takis’ is more on par with Maria’s Taverna down on Denman.

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Perfect pairing:

I don’t have any music this time. But I would like to have a clean ocean. Check out this Living Ocean’s contest and vote me into a sailing adventure.

Sorry about the lack of photos. They are currently on somebody else’s phone. But I’ll get ‘em to ya eventually.

No, I don’t have any pictures (yet). Yes, I’m a bad person.

52 Powell St, Vancouver

604.669.2396

Website

Cobre considers itself to be Neuvo Latino; but what does that mean? Basically, everything good from Mexico to Argentina. It’s all sexy, fun, deliciousness. Cobre’s outside is classic gastown and its inside is draped in understated elegance. From the exposed brick walls to the copper ceiling – you’ll appreciate its quiet sophistication and lack of glitzy kitsch that is found in most mexican restaurants. But enough about the lovely character and the decor – let’s get to the freakingfantasticfood.

Yew tapas! Yes! Who doesn’t wanna get in on a succulent fish taco or quinoa salad? I’m always stoked to share someone else’s tasty food. Everything at Cobre is so delicious you will thank the good god of cooking (Hestia? Andhrimnir?) that these dishes were made for sharing.

The quinoa and Brazil nut salad ($8) is so good – it makes me think Cobre didn’t just jump on the “hip to quinoa” bandwagon – but that they actually know what they’re doing and would serve quinoa even if it wasn’t totally hot with organic earth muffins right now. The addition of orange and the organic baby greens to the quinoa doesn’t hurt either.

The baja rockfish tacos are very likely one of the best things I have ever eaten. For serious. At $3 each – you will fall into food love with these babies. They are perfectly crisp and mouthwatering and the little dose of chipotle in the aioli really hits the spot. The sexy-latin-taste-bud spot. Plus, they come with jicama slaw. Jicama! When do you ever get that at a taqueria? That’s right, hardly ever.

The chicken taquitos were lovely, the chicken was super fresh and it was served with loads of rich garlicky guacamole. And let me tell you: they were so good I clapped after eating them. That’s right – I gave them a sitting ovation. Wait…is that even a thing? Or was I just some idiot clapping at a restaurant? Well, if you’ve ever eaten with me you’ll know the answer.

Oh my, what else did we get?…. the tacu tacu (a vegetarian eggplant and bean dish that is gooooooooood), scallops served with hearts of palm (absolutely delightful- but it’s disappointing to get 3 scallops when you want ten million of them), charred salmon, amazing cornbread with sweet chili butter, wild Mexican sea prawns tacos, and I don’t know what else – but it was all so good! I would go back and order anything, everything. I would give the chef free reign in preparing my dishes. I would happily eat anything they put in front of me.

At $12-15 for most of the dishes it is fully worth every penny. But, as always with tapas, the bill suddenly ends up being $200 and you’ll be left wondering how that happened. Until you remember you tried almost everything AND you had all those delicious delicious drinks. $8 per mojito really runs up the bill. But the stick of sugar cane adorning the drink makes up for a lot. No, really. I appreciate a fancy cocktail. Don’t you? Plus, Cobre actually knows how to properly make a spicy Michelada (how many places can do that?).

The service, the service, I cannot forget to mention the super service. It’s all easy going rad hipsters that are so good at their job they manage to remember all 14 things you order without writing any of it down and they ignore that you’re overly rambunctious (heck, they may even encourage it). They will offer recommendations and make sure everyone knows the process of tapas and the dish sizes. They will clear old plates promptly and refill your delicious cucumber water often.

Veggies beware! There are only 2 or 3 vegetarian dishes. Most everything is very heavy on the seafood. But there are also splashes of duck, pork, chicken, lamb, venison, boar, beef. Nearly something for everyone. Except for vegans. I think there is only one dish that is safe for you.

I would go back to Cobre. I would I would I would. But I have to save up a little first. It’s not an everyday sort of place. Well, it is if you only get one thing. Or if you’re a millionaire. But I would never be able to restrain myself to the point of getting just one thing. And I’m never going to be a millionaire. Sadness, I know.

Make a reservation! This place is fully hip, totes rad, and cozy (even with the second floor and the private room downstairs).

Open for dinner every night from 5pm until sorta whenever. Yea, they’re cool like that.

Gastown – so it’s metered street parking for you.

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Perfect Pairing:

Alice in Videoland – She’s a machine

Swedish electroclash. Edgy goodness that’s perfect for everything from a fashion show to innersection to a drunk dance party.

Wildside Grill

1180 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino BC (located in the Live to Surf Plaza)

250 725 WILD

Website

You really only need to know one thing: they have the best pork carnitas I have ever had anywhere. That includes California, Texas, and Mexico. I don’t know how they do it. Well… I have a good idea. First, they cram on more avocadoes than you think would be physically possible and then they still manage to find room for fresh salsa, lettuce, cheese, cilantro, onions, and maybe a second type of salsa. I DO know how they master the fish dishes (gumbo, tacos, burgers, panko crusted, etc.); it’s because the fish was probably caught that morning. Seriously fresh.

Now the worst part about this place is finding it. Wildside is outside of Tofino. About a five minute drive, a fifteen minute bike, it’s probably 3.5 kilometers from Campbell street’s “busy” area up by Storm.

When you’re driving along the Pacific Rim Highway and you see this:

TURN RIGHT! That’s the turnoff!

Are you still lost? Here is a real map that is clearly marked for your eating pleasure:

How you get to Tofino in the first place is a whole other matter. You’ll probably need a boat.

Anyway, I’ve gotten a bit off track. If you find yourself in Tofino go eat at the Wildside Grill!

Their menu is great with most stuff hitting the $10-15 area. Very affordable for a basket full of delicious goodness. The focus at the Grill is mostly burgers, fish ‘n’ chips, and tacos. And by fish ‘n’ chips I mean: halibut, oysters, ling cod, salmon, or wild shrimp. Uh, yeah, it’s as good as it sounds. Better. Because they make the tartar sauce and coleslaw on site and they also will give you chili mayo if you want it. And, you do want it. I know, because I usually hate mayo – but I love this stuff.

I hear you, you’re saying – “but $12 is too much for just a burger!” Quit whining. It’s not too much when it’s a SUPER burger. This isn’t discount ground beef with some wilted iceburg. We’re talking tuna, salmon, bison, pulled pork, oyster. Yeah – they have an oyster burger! Get it! Ok some people don’t like eating fish. If you’re scared of fish get the bison burger. It’s like beef but not as fatty and more flavorful. Yummmmmmmmmm! And then your tasty tasty burger is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and other stupendous things… like, smoked tomato relish, wasabi, apple coleslaw, or some other amazing flavor sensation you had no idea was coming. Plus, you also get a side of fries. And if you are STILL thinking that $12 is too much, then may god have mercy on your soul because you have lost your way.

Now, I know you probably won’t just be swinging by ’cause you’re bored. But if you find yourself driving into or out of tofino STOP and get a carnita or oyster burger. Or a huge breakfast ciabatta (HUGE! It has 2 eggs and chorizo and cheese and veggies). They have something for all times of day and it will be delicious.

The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. They will randomly add something amazing to the menu. It might be a seafood won ton soup or a scallop burger, or whatever other tasty morsel they may have caught fishing that morning. Yeah – it’s fresh and funky all at the same time. Plus they use all local ingredients year round. You can’t go wrong. Especially since they have other goodies, like cookies. And outdoor seating which is great (unless it’s pouring).

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I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures of the food. I have no self control when it comes to fish tacos. So it doesn’t last long enough for me to take a photo. Seriously, have you ever tried photographing all your delicious food before you eat it? It’s torturous!

Here’s the best I could do. I searched both fish and taco and this is what I got.

Indigo Bistro at the Sheraton Wall Center

1088 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC

Ph 604.331.1000

What can I say? IT WAS THE WORST SERVICE OF ALL TIME, EVER!

I generally dislike hotel restaurants. There are a few exceptions – but overall, I think they suck. Indigo at the wall center reinforced this feeling – to the extreme. We walked in around 830 pm, browsed the menu and decided to give it a go. The place wasn’t busy – there were a few other tables with patrons. The hostess waved us over to a table where we sat and waited for menus….no one came over…we still sat and sat and sat and waited while waitresses and hostess ignored us. Finally we flagged someone down and asked if she was our server – she responded with a sigh and “yeah, I guess”. Super! We were clearly on our way towards a night to remember.

We asked our server for menus and water. She did bring the menus. We flagged her down again a few minutes later to ask if we could order drinks. She obliged, writing down the two drinks. And we, again, asked for water. Once we got our drinks we asked if we could order food (why do we have to keep asking if we can order? Isn’t this a restaurant? Should she want to make money by asking to take our order?). The food selection was sort of standard – a few pastas, a bar menu with nachos and burgers, fish, chicken, the regular. Slightly overpriced – as you would expect at a hotel. Cheeseburger and fries $17, seafood linguini $23, seared arctic char $28, ribeye $37. A little pricey – but this is the Wall Center.

The appetizers came out, no problem there. The food was okay. But then we had to wait, and wait, and wait for the entrees. During that time they tantalized us by repeatedly bringing the wrong food to us. Not that they got our orders wrong, just that they got the table wrong.

No, we didn’t order the short ribs.

Oh, well then, who ordered the fish?

NOBODY! We’re a different table!

They realized the food was for the next table – but not until after my friend accidentally coughed on the ribs. No problem, they just served it to the next table anyway.

Finally our mains came – and no complaints about the food. Everything was good, and we all cleared our plates.

Then more waiting until finally…taaa daa! It’s dessert time! But there is bad news – apparently they’re out of the lava cake my friend ordered. No big deal, we’ll try the chocolate caramilk pyramid instead. How can you go wrong? It’s dessert in the shape of a pyramid. So we wait and we wait and we wait. Finally they bring out the desserts and it’s the lava cake they are “all out of” …. and it’s not for us. They accidentally bring it to us – but it’s supposed to be for a different table. Well, what kind of mean trick is that?! If they claim to be out of something they should probably hide the cake instead of serving it to us. But they realize the error and snatch it away before we can comment or eat the cake. All is nearly forgotten by the time the desserts we ordered are finally served. And let me tell you, the pyramid chocolate thing is DISGUSTING! Absolutely awful. It’s like somebody melted down a caramilk bar mixed it with flour and then sprayed on a coating of chocolate colored foam from a spraycan. It was so bad that between five girls we didn’t even eat half of one serving. A dessert has to be pretty awful for five girls to turn it down. So we move onto the cheesecake – which is better than the “chocolate” pyramid,; but it’s still mediocre. I think cheesecake is supposed to have cheese in it. Right? So, when the waitress inquires about how we liked the desserts we tell her the pyramid thing was the grossest dessert ever. She apologizes and brings us a chocolate mousse to make up for it. I don’t know who is making the desserts over there – but they shouldn’t be calling chocolate colored gelatin from a can “mousse”. The mousse was so hard with thick gelatin we had to saw into it with our dessert spoons just to get a piece out. I was certain they’d just rushed across the street to the 7/11 and bought the “mousse” from there.

So the desserts sucked – but the mains were decent and that’s the point, right? Sort of.

We order another drink. And we wait. There are three employees (including our waitress) chatting by the entrance and completely ignoring us for a looooooooong time. The drink is obviously not happening. We ask for the drink again, still nothing. So we go up to the bar and ask for the drink, and again nothing. And after waiting for a totally unreasonable amount of time we say forget it and we want the bill. And the waitress says, forget what? Oh, the drink! Right. She brings it over – even though we just asked for the bill. We drink the drink and ask for the bill again. They try to give us back the change and credit cards that are, of course, for some other table. The next table looked pissed about that, by the way. We again ask for the bill. The hostess and our waitress giggle and chat while they print up the bills for two other tables and allow those tables to pay and leave first.

Now, we have been here for over two hours and some of us are beginning to lose our cool. The waitress saunters over and tells us the computers frozen, so they can’t print our bill and we’ll just have to wait. Ok – the computer thing, not her fault. Technology’s a bitch that way – but if they would have printed our bill any one of the times we’d asked for it – this wouldn’t have happened. But how long do we have to wait until the computer decides to unfreeze? Over twenty minutes. Yes. And they do not offer to comp us in any way.  Just a hollow apology.

SCREW THIS! We can’t wait around all night, this is a celebratory dinner and we have plans to go out afterwards. We ask if they can just bill our room, after all we are staying at the hotel. The reply is no, for some insane reason they cannot bill our room. I could NOT believe this! The server told us we didn’t all have to wait – just one person would have to stay behind. How is that a better solution?! Stay behind until when? I am now super pissed off. So, we are going to figure out what we owe, pay in cash, and leave.

I am standing up at the bar with the cash in my hand waiting to give them a piece of my mind when …. the waitress comes up and tells me everything’s fixed now. Isn’t it convenient that the computer fixes itself right when I am seething with rage asking to talk to the manager? Yes, very convenient. Well, here’s our bill and they didn’t do anything for us: no free food, no free drinks, no discount. Nothing. I’m glad we got the privilege of waiting two and a half hours to get a cheeseburger and fries.

I probably won’t be returning to Indigo anytime soon because that was the WORST! dining experience I have ever had. WORST. And that includes the time a cockroach fell into my hair while I was eating. But that’s a story for another day.

1102 Davie St (at Thurlow), Vancouver BC
604.633.9950

Hours: 11am-9pm daily (closes at 8pm on Sundays)

Website

Please note: Calli is now closed. Sadness.

TACO TACO. Now, I love Mexican food. If it was up to me I would live in Mexico and eat tacos all day long. But I live in Vancouver where sushi reigns king. Yes, I like sushi. But it’s no taco. I am always on the look out for a delicious taco; but I am lazy. Let me tell you Calli is the best, most affordable Mexican restaurant within a five block radius of my house. Sure, Don Guacamoles is also within a five block radius of my house. But it’s not nearly as cheap as Calli.

Calli is a quiet, affordable little place right in the middle of Davie’s hustle and bustle. The food is warm, tasty and comforting. It’s run by a mexican family. So, yes, authentic. The place is teeny-tiny; therefore, not great to go to with a huge group of people. But it’s perfect for a lunch or early dinner with a friend or two. And it’s a good place to bring the kids. The place isn’t fancy – so the other patrons won’t hate you and there is a very reasonably priced kids menu.

All the ingredients Calli uses are fresh and yummers. I quickly scanned the menu and instantly wanted to try the everything. So I sorta did. I tried the tortilla soup ($6), the beef burrito ($7), the red chicken enchiladas ($8 – pictured above), a carne asada taco ($3.5), the mushroom quesedilla ($3.5), and a chicken mole tortas ($6). All the veggies tasted extra fresh, and the tortillas were warm and delish! Everything was fully good and not dumped out of a can.

The taco (pictured above) was wonderful. Full of beef and cilantro and cheese and onion in a grilled corn tortilla – but for the same price I recommend the quesadilla which is basically identical but also comes with sour cream, lettuce, and tomato.

They let you choose the spice level. I ask for mild (and not surprisingly) found some of the dishes to be bland – but they did bring out a couple dishes of spicy spicy goodness so you can add as much or little as you’d like. This is probably something that doesn’t happen when you get take out – so ask for a side dish of that wonderful spice.

I’ve tried two of the three soups. And they are goo-oood! Man, I love tortilla soup!

I recommend the everything. They have all the regular stuff you love plus a special veggie lover’s menu section, plenty of desserts and drinks including a vast selection of jarritos. And most everything comes in a lunch portion (11am-4pm) so you can get just two tacos/enchiladas/taquitos for $7.90 which is a super deal. But don’t fret! You can always get the full portion of three tacos/enchiladas/taquitos for $10.90

No, there’s no parking. No, you don’t need a reservation.

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Perfect pairing:

White Rabbits – It’s Frightening

This 6 piece indie band was smart enough and fortunate enough to get Britt Daniel to produce their album. Plus, Peter Devries rules and this is the music he used for for his section on Innersection.

1220 Bute Street, Vancouver BC

604.669.8977

Website

Hooray! House of Emapandas is now open at Davie and Bute! Eaters rejoice!

The empanada is dough folded around filling and then baked or fried. The Latin American/Southern European dish is similar to the samosa of India and Pakistan, the calzone of Italy, or the strudel of Germany. The empanada can be savory or sweet depending on the filling used.

At the House of Empanadas you can delight your taste buds with all sorts of  tasty combinations. This Spanish cafe style eatery will please even the pickiest customers. All the ingredients used are organic, grain-fed, and the empanadas are baked (as opposed to fried). House of Empanadas gets its meats from pasture to plate which has a high standard of agricultural practices. It sorta comes down to this: the animals don’t eat garbage and aren’t injected with junk. Which is awesome for both the animal who gets decent feed; and for you – because who wants to eat meat filled with garbage and junk? Not me.

House of Empanadas has a vast selection of both sweet and savory empanadas coming to you in two sizes; bite sized ($1.50, pictured above) and jumbo ($3.95). The jumbos are big enough to stuff you and I would recommend a jumbo savory for a meal and then a bite sized  sweet for a dessert treat. Not only are the flavors original and enticing – there is something for everyone from omnivores, to vegetarians, to children, to regular grown ups.

Here is a photo of a jumbo with three minis. It makes me think of a mama empanada and her litter:

Unfortunately the picture doesn’t do the jumbo justice – because it sorta looks flat in this pic – but it is in actuality a fat, plump, empanada that lives up to its jumbo title.

The jumbo meal sized empanadas have several traditional fillings to choose from:

Beef, spicy pork, jamacian pulled chicken, curried chicken, lamb with goat cheese, garlic butter mushroom, spinach, prawn, and veggie. And can I just say that the pulled chicken was amazingly tender and tasty. The spinach was good too – it felt like there was a weeks worth of leafy greens packed into that sucker.

The bite sized empanadas are a little more creative and a good way to sample unusual flavors:

Beef, curried chicken, spicy pork, spinach, guava cream cheese, mango kiwi, butternut squash, coconut pineapple, apple cinnamon, plantain and chocolate, yam and pineapple, cranberry and almond….and so forth. They are always trying new things and shaking up the menu. Everything is tasty and comes with chimichurri sauce – but they should work on having some sort of spicy sauce offering.

House of empanadas also offers salads, muffins, and soups …. but why would you get anything else when you could be eating tasty tasty empanadas?

The drinks selections include San Pellegrino, agua fresca, kombucha, Jarritos, fresh squeezed juices, and an assortment of mexican and south american sodas you’ve never heard of – but are super. Including this delicious soda that is wildly popular in Brazil:

This soda is great! And fyi goes well with rum.

House of Empanadas is pretty new so they have some silly issues to sort out. They claim to be open now all 7 days of the week from 8am – 9pm. But they weren’t open last sunday at 11am or at 6pm. And the phone number on their flyers and in their window is out of service. They printed up flyers and then changed their number afterwards. Their real phone number is 604.669.8977. NOT 8989 as listed. And even though the place is called the house of empanadas (plural), their website is house of empanada (singular). And sometimes they don’t have jumbo empanadas available. Sadness will be yours if that ever happens to you. But all of that can be forgiven ’cause the dudes working behind the counter are easy going sweethearts and the food they’re serving you totally rules.

Ohhh! And they have bags of plantain chips for sale! Yum! And cookies, and tortilla chips and other tasty treats which would be good for a snack at the beach if you’re on your way to Sunset.

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Perfect Pairing:

Winter Gloves – All Red

This indie rock group from Montreal supplies us with 27 minutes of danceable fun.

So I guess that now makes two bands coming out of  ”the very un-rock’n'roll city of Montreal, Canada”. Thanks for the quote that always makes me laugh, Sean O’Hagan. See the full article (which is awful) here

I know that Pomegranate is known for their tasty late night tapas and upscale cocktails. But I am constantly searching for the best $4 breakfast special that the westend has to offer (I’ve hit up numerous places including Central and Joe’s). My never ending search  led me to pomegranate – which seems desperate to try to attract patrons so they’ve recently opened for brunch on the weekends (well, not always). This Saturday they were clearly closed though they’ve splashed “OPEN FOR BRUNCH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY” across all of their windows. I have a hate on for places that aren’t open when their sign says they will be.  Anyway – we did manage to go for brunch. I ordered the regular special that every brunch place has: two eggs, toast, bacon, and potatoes for somewhere around $4 (though I always upgrade and get a side of fruit).

Pomegranate (almost) has an amazing brunch. Pomegranate has a focus on organic foods and makes their dishes in small batches (cuisine style). The red potatoes are so crisp they’re practically deep fried, the eggs are great, the fruit was fresh and plentiful. Plus, it wasn’t loser fruit like soggy grapes and canned mandarin segments, it was fresh watermelon, blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple. The waitress looked confused when I asked if they had sourdough bread – so I settled for brown. I felt bad for the poor lone waitress who was trying hard to keep up with all the tables of fussy west end brunchers. The food was an organic delight; however, what I thought would be the best part of their brunch was actually the worst. Coffee was included inthe brunch price. But the ‘coffee’ was atrocious. The first cup was way weak and watery and the second cup was disgusting! They had obviously been using the same pot to make both coffee and tea. I could taste the tea in the coffee. Bleech! Except for the coffee the food was fine and everything was good. Um….well, not the music.

They were playing bad auto tune R n B – which would have been perfect were it 3 am and I was entertaining a bunch of scantily clad skanks….unfortunately it was 11am and I was having breakfast with my husband. Oh well, I’m sure the rest of their patrons (rich, white seniors) appreciated the appropriate mood music.

Our overall experience was okay. I almost keep going back for some tasty food – but then my husband reminds me of the coffee. Though Pomegranate is trying hard to crack into the overly saturated brunch market they should probably stick to tapas and jazzing up the nightlife. The tapas dishes look good and are mostly under $10.

Result = N.O. for brunch. But a great choice for a late night cocktail – their drink menu looks amazing. Get some root beer tandoori ribs and a champagne cocktail.

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Perfect Pairing:

The Lonely Island – Incredibad

Featuring the greatest auto tune single of all time ever: I’m on a boat. I strongly suggest you check it out.

703 Denman, Vancouver, BC.

604.688.5771

Website

This Italian restaurant on the southwest corner of Denman and Alberni is probably best known for its 50% off pasta nights (Monday and Tuesday)…. and maybe that’s all  it’s good for. This place is always full and I’m not sure why. The food is okay – but it’s just that. Ciao Bella is not the best deal in the world nor is the food outstanding in any way.

The restaurant is a warm comfortable room draped in burgundy with a piano tinkling in the corner. But the decor would lead the diner to believe they are in for a special treat – they are not. Ciao Bella has decent food and the best part of the whole dining experience is by far the service. The entire staff is welcoming, helpful, charming, and polite. Every last one of them a consummate professional. I think that’s why I was tricked into giving Ciaao Bella’s mediocre food a second try. As soon as the Lobster Bisque came out I was reminded why I haven’t been to Ciao Bella in years. The skin atop the soup was a turn off as was the non-existant lobster. Le sigh. The second course of my four course meal was the mushrooms and gorgonzola – or so the menu would have me believe. There was no way that was gorgonzola. I’m gonna have to say it was ranch dressing mixed with margarine and a generous dose of salt.

My mom tried to defend the food saying that the seafood linguine was good – and I admit that it did have generous portions of prawns, calamari, and salmon. it was tossed with a creamy rose sauce. (pictured at he top of the post).

My husband did practically inhale his pesto penne – so no complaints there.

And my veal and spinach cannelloni was tasty and filling (plus, it has 3 types of cheese! Hurrah!).

But I think I could have made all those dishes at home just as well for a fraction of the price. And let me tell you – I ain’t no super chef. The portions are decent, the prices are not unreasonable (3 courses $20, 4 courses $30 – many of the pasta dishes are in the $15 range), and the service is outstanding – but I’m not wowed by the food at Ciao Bella. It will be a LONG time before I go back. I think the mediocre kicker was the the waiter calling the espresso an “expresso” at the end of the evening. I know it’s not a big deal but my husband and I gave each other ‘The Look’. An italian restaurant should really get their coffee pronunciation down.

Whatever, this place ain’t ultra classy … it’s regular fine.

Make a reservation, go on a half price night, don’t get your hopes up.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Bonus: Heated Patio

Double Bonus: Parking available around back

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Perfect Pairing:

Wintersleep – s/t from 2003

or

Justin Nozuka – you i wind land and sea

827 Bute (upstairs), Vancouver BC

604.689.8266

Website

Ebisu is a delicious disaster. I like Ebisu – the food and presentation are both fantastic and the service is fast and efficient. So what’s the problem? How come I’m not raving about Ebisu telling everyone to go there? Because Ebisu gives me a headache! It tries too hard to be the hippest place on Robson – and I’m just not feeling it. When you walk in it feels as though you’re in a nightclub just as much as a restaurant. Everyone is there just to be seen. And I keep expecting some loser with overly gelled hair to try buying me a drink.

I can’t properly explain Ebisu – it feels cluttered – like the menu is a flyer for discount wares and the decor inspiration is pulled form 17 different ideas. A good example of how Ebisu is over the top is the menu – there are Japanese, Korean, American, and Mexican dishes. Yes, Mexican – why not get a side of nachos with your tuna sashimi? Seems weird – too weird. But it is sort of a good thing, since this way there is really something for eveyone – the whinny person in the group who refuses to try raw fish can order the yam fries and New York steak.

I suppose you’d refer to Ebisu as a Japanese restaurant – but I’d use the Japanese term very loosely since it’s such a mash up of so many different things – it’s too different and bizarre to call it izakaya, so let’s go with the generic term “small plates”.  The portions at Ebisu are mainly small plates for sharing – so the dishes seem cheap – but the price adds up quickly; and watch out for the weird price points – it might make it difficult to calculate totals in your head. We filled up nicely on several dishes that were all under $10 – but it totalled more than $25 each by the end.

The presentation at Ebisu is nice, super nice. we got the bacon wrapped asparagus ($4.95) and it came to the table with a small fire pit so we could crisp it up even more –  but then little sticks sorta caught on fire and I thought ‘jeez – that’s a little excessive just for presentation’. The presentation style was similar to this oyster – which will have to do because I didn’t take a photo of the asparagus:

We also had the cheese yakitori ($5.64), which was really good and uber cheesy with green onions interspersed throughout. The chicken was tender and served on the metal skewer. The beef short ribs were succulent and in ample supply for $6.98. One of the table’s favorites was the cajun tuna tacos ($6.98) – the tacos were crispy and the fish was perfectly done and doused in a creamy sauce – where the cajun aspect fit in I’m not too sure – but they were still delicious.

We tried a couple types of sushi rolls – they were all pretty good and decently sized – we went for a unagi tempura roll and a yummy fresh veggie roll for a mere $4.80 – it tasted like a crisp salad of lettuce, yam, avocado, red pepper, and carrot wrapped in rice.  I also tried the delightfully creamy sashimi salad which is served on greens and extra sauced for $9.57

So yes, Ebisu is delicious and I recommend it – if you don’t mind the really annoying excessive hipness and the waitresses wearing hypnotiq shirts. Bleech.

No, I didn’t take these pictures – they are too good. I ripped them off Ebisu’s website.

There is now also an Ebisu at 601 W. Broadway  @ Ash   tel. 604-876-3388

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Perfect Pairing:

Crystal Castles