anewton's Profile
Late June Honeymoon in Victoria/Vancouver/Seattle - A little help please.
For Victoria, please skip Pescatore's; it's not very good. In fact, none of the "seafood" themed restaurants in Victoria are good.
Instead, try a good restaurant that does seafood well. i.e. Brasserie L'Ecole, Camille's, Cafe Brio, Stage. The Blue Crab isn't bad, and the view is great, but it is overpriced.
Seafood that will be in season during your trip here: spot prawns, halibut, salmon, scallops (from Qualicum Bay). You should also try some local oysters while you're here.
Have fun.
spot prawns May 2012
Just back from the Cowichan Bay spot prawn festival. All vendors were selling for $10/pound, which represents a $1 increase in price from last year but is still pretty good compared to the prices quoted on this board. Bought 9 pounds (would have bought more had I brought more cash).
Delicious!
Vancouver/Victoria
Victoria.
Nice Meal: Ulla. Camille's.
Dumplings: Sura (Korean, and not soup dumplings, but exquisite).
Small Plates: Stage.
Cheeses: Choux Choux Charcuterie.
Seafood: Red Fish Blue Fish (casual outdoor lunch)
Good Wine: Cafe Brio.
Wineries to visit: Saanich Peninsula--Church and State. Starling Lane.
Have fun. And make sure to report back on your culinary adventures.
Trip Report (March 31-April 7), Part 2
Yes, they were Kika's Treats. We bought two different kinds--one of them was espresso flavoured. They were wonderful. Wish I could source an equivalent regularly north of the border.
Trip Report (March 31-April 7)--part 1
I guess I need to be aware the the word empanada can refer to quite a few types of dishes, not just a stuffed pastry thing-y as I had formerly believed.
Trip Report (March 31-April 7), Part 2
We started Monday morning on a bus ride to the Mission. I had mistakenly neglected to note that Knead Patisserie is closed on Mondays. I had planned to enjoy coffee at Phil's with a pastry from Knead. Well, we did enjoy our coffee at Phil's, anyway. My wife loves pour-over and thus was quite taken with Phil's.
We then meandered over to Tartine, where my wife ordered a delicious croque monsieur and I bought a lemon tart. I shared a few bites of her open faced sandwich (with very crunchy, acidic pickled baby carrot and onion on the side). The bread sure was fine.
We carried our sweets up to 4 Barrel, where I had my favourite Americano of the trip. While I enjoyed my tart, my wife snacked on a brown sugar/walnut cookie from Tartine.
We bused to the Haight where I bought some cool tunes at Amoeba, then bused back downtown and walked to Lers Ros for lunch. I loved our meal here. We shared the duck salad (larb phed yang) which was probably my favourite single dish we ate on our entire trip. Loved the bright lime flavour, the abundance of fresh herbs, the sweet succulent duck, and the heat of the whole chilies. We also ordered the pork belly with crispy rind (pad kia prow moo krub, I think). My wife was not as crazy as I was about the chewy rind on the braised cubes of pork belly, but I liked the contrast of textures. We also had a green vegetarian curry which was just okay (seemed sort of generic) but provided us with some vegetables. Overall I really enjoyed our meal here, and was happy we wandered in at 2:30 on a Monday when the place was nearly empty (no waits at all!)
Dinner was at Perbacco. I liked the food, but did not love the overall experience. I can't really find fault with any aspect of the meal, but left with the feeling that the food was in no way unique or inventive.
I started with a purple and green asparagus salad. The asparagus was very al dente, and the flavour was good. My wife had octopus served with a green apple/fennel slaw. She really enjoyed her starter.
My main was seared sea scallops served with several sauces/purees. The scallops were well executed and I was happy with my choice. My wife had pappardelle with short rib ragu. I had a few bites and it was definitely delicious.
Our dessert was the best part of the meal. We had the milk chocolate mousse cake. It had several layers and thus had varying textures and levels of chocolate intensity. I am a chocoholic so it does not take much to impress me, but this was definitely one of the better chocolate desserts we had on the trip. It was quite dense and rich and therefore perfect for sharing.
After dinner we walked to Bourbon and Branch for a late night cocktail. Frankly I cannot remember the names of the drinks we ordered. Mine had mezcal, which was the dominant flavour, but also had bright citrus (lime and orange) components. In any case, we enjoyed the ambience and the drinks were very fine indeed. The buzzer was broken that evening so getting in was a bit of a hassle (the server eventually opened the door and apologized that the buzzer was not working).
The next morning we got up early and went to the Ferry building for breakfast. We ate at Boulette's Larder. I had the oatmeal with yogurt, which was nice as it came with individual little wooden boxes of walnuts, tiny raisins, and demerara sugar. My wife had poached eggs with a black rice cake, which was actually much tastier than it may sound. We split an order of the Blue Bottle (French press), which was plentiful (and should be for $11). The service was friendly and very accommodating as we had all of our luggage with us (we had checked out of our hotel and were on our way to the rental car agency afterward).
After breakfast we walked around the Tuesday Farmer's market and stocked up on citrus fruit. We also bought a number of Recchiuti chocolate bars for the road, which were delicious. My wife also stocked up on some chocolate covered graham crackers--can't remember the name of the bakery that they came from , but they were great! Before we left, we each got a scoop of the chocolate sea salt ice cream from Humphrey Slocombe's. The texture was great (very creamy) but by the time we finished our cups the salt had become a bit cloying (and we are both salt lovers).
Then off to the Monterey Peninsula for a few days of beach walks, but that discussion is for another board (More Bay area dining reviews to come as well!)
Trip Report (March 31-April 7)--part 1
There were no fillings. It was battered deep fried fish. Unless they were counting the fish as the "filling." And it was not like other 'empanadas' I've tried before that are basically dough stuffed with various fillings and then fried. It was like a "captain's platter" at a greasy fish and chips shop.
Trip Report (March 31-April 7)--part 1
Hello fellow hounds. Thanks for all of your helpful hints. My wife and I had a great time in your beautiful city. I have been meaning to post details of our trip but have just been too busy. Have some time to post a part one now.
Night 1: La Mar. Our plane arrived late, we were tired and wet when we arrived at the restaurant, and the above factors may have colored our experience. But this was easily the biggest disappointment of the trip.
We started with cebiche, which was good but not spectacular. I ordered the Nikei, and was not all that impressed with the flavor profile (maybe I should have ordered a different cebiche).
I had a quinoa salad that was fine but something I easily could have made at home.
The biggest let down was something I ordered called empanada jalea. The menu informed me I would be getting a platter of calamari, clams, mussels, etc...with a variety of Peruvian condiments. Neither menu nor server warned me that everything on my plate would be deep fried in a hefty batter. I ate only half my dinner at best before succumbing to grease gut. Even the mussels and clams (still in shell) were battered, which struck me as just plain odd.
My wife's main, "talarin saltado" also came with all deep fried fish. At least the menu warned her that her calamari would be battered.
The bathroom was filthy, and the dessert (pie de limon) was throat-burning sweet. I was in a bad mood after my meal here (not cheap) and baffled that it had been mentioned both on chowhounds (by several posters) and in the Michelin 2012 guide. Obviously we did not order the right things, but our server did not ever say "by the way, everything on your empanada plate is deep fried, so if you don't like deep fried food you might consider ordering..."
Granted, I have total ignorance of Peruvian food, so maybe I have to take some of the blame. (are all dishes prefaced by the word "empanada" deep fried?)
Day 2: Thankfully everything we ate from here on was better than the first night's disaster. We arrived at the Blue Bottle mint plaza location right before opening, so we did not have to wait in a line to order our coffee. I had an americano and a mocha and my wife had a few cups of drip (pour-over). The coffee was very good, equivalent to what we have enjoyed in some of the better places in Portland and Seattle. I ordered granola to go with my coffee. It was so-so, and suffered from that common granola mishap of too much sweetener. My wife had a few pieces of the parmesan shortbread, which was unique and tasty.
After a busy morning/early afternoon at Alcatraz, we hoofed it to North Beach to L'Osteria del Forno. I really liked how small and personable this place was. We ended up talking throughout the meal to a local couple seated in the table next to us. I really enjoyed how friendly San Franciscans were everywhere we went. Definitely a west coast city (I used to live in Toronto, where this sort of camaraderie with fellow diners is rare).
We had a few appies and a few mains. The fried radicchio wrapped in prosciutto was delicious if a bit stringy. The white bean/tuna salad was solid and exactly what I expected. Our mains were great. I had the special, which was housemade ricotta ravioli. My SO had the crespelles. Both were rich and indulgent. I loved the texture of my ravioli (definitely cooked beyond al dente, but I like that once in a while).
After a very busy day of walking around the city, we arrived at the Slanted Door. We had a very nice meal here. We shared about five dishes: lemongrass grilled rabbit with fennel; grapefruit and jicama salad; wood oven roasted arctic char; a crispy vegetarian imperial roll, and a side of baby bok choy. Everything was well prepared and flavorful, though the food did not strike me as particularly Vietnamese (more Asian fusion). I'm okay with that, though. The flavours were clear, and the food was impeccably fresh. Nothing was overcooked. The food lacked much in the way of spicy kick, but I knew going in that this place's goal was not authenticity.
We had really good service. We wanted to share a dessert, but my wife wanted to order something I found really unappealing: cinnamon gelatin (basically jello) with ice cream and grape fruit wedges. I wanted to get the lemon pudding cake. Our server heard us debating this, and when we finally decided on the lemon pudding cake, our server brought us two desserts (she brought my wife the cinnamon gelation) and comped the second. This was the first of several experiences on our trip where a restaurant comped a course. That is a really nice surprise, and moreover it seldom happens where we live in Canada. And it makes good business sense, because the customer leaves with a warm feeling toward the establishment and (provided the food is good) an eagerness to return.
Anyway, have to go for now, so will continue with a Part 2 when time allows...
Non-restaurant eats in Victoria (to take back to Vancouver)?
Good list kinnickinnik. Especially second the recommendation for the Whole Beast, which has a ridiculously large selection of excellent house made charcuterie. Love the pepperoni.
Another idea: truffles from Chocolat (not to mention their excellent house made chocolate bars).
Suggestions for the Week-End in Vancouver?
Bob, Alexandra Gill from the Globe and Mail reviewed Yew about a month ago and said the food was OUTSTANDING. FWIW, she indicated that Yew was now the "go-to" place in Vancouver for non-Asian preparations of west coast seafood. Knowing that she is no pushover, I have since put Yew on my shortlist of places to dine when I am visiting Vancouver, though I have not yet had the opportunity.
Halibut Season is here
Don't you guys have a couple of Finest at Sea locations? I certainly frequent FAS in Victoria. I think they usually have fresh halibut (in season) for around $4 per 100 grams or better. Except for certain cuts...they usually charge more for the cheeks.
Help This BC Hound fine-tune his SF culinary escapade
Awesome feedback re: places close to our hotel and Golden Gate Park.
One thing I must say about this passionate group of Bay Area hounds is that you do not come to consensus on much. Tony's in North Beach has a lot of fans but some pretty strong detractors too. Aziza seemed to have almost universally strong praise until I read a damning review on this board lately. Slanted Door, Perbacco, Flour and Water, Delfiina, Chez Panisse, Boulevard, Nopa, Bar Tartine: reviews ranging from raves to indifference to disdain.
One place that everyone seems to love is Contonga, but I was a bit late on the draw with this one and have already made reservations at Perbacco.
I guess the same thing goes for all the boards. It's easier when you live somewhere to know whose tastebuds you can trust (i.e. I can always trust a recommendation from grayelf or fmed re: Vancouver restos). I guess I'll just have to take my chances and see what I like.
I'm sure if I was willing to spend $200 on a tasting menu (a la Saison) I might be guaranteed a flawless meal but I'm afraid I'm a little too tight and not overly into extremely fussy (i.e. prissy) food. I'm more of a flavours man than a presentation man, and I like to be able to loosen up and tell a few jokes in a restaurant without feeling like I'm pissing on the floor of the temple.
I'll make sure to post a full report upon my return!
Thanks once more.
Help This BC Hound fine-tune his SF culinary escapade
Thanks for all the replies. I'm really looking forward to this trip. I will certainly try to find a way to incorporate a visit to Bi-Rite in our itinerary.
I realize that in my original post I exaggerated when I said that I had trouble getting reservations at "lots of places." A more accurate statement would have been that I had trouble securing reservations at my most desired dining times--7-7:30 pm. I'm fine with dining a little earlier (do not like eating late at night), but it might kind of rush our sightseeing. Oh well, food is always a highlight of our trips so that takes precedence.
I had to chuckle when I read here that there are often 30 minute wait times at the Blue Bottle in the Ferry Bldg (for coffee?) and that there are often 30 minute lines outside of Tartine Bakery (to order a pastry?) Also had to chuckle at the advice that one must order bread at Tartine 3 days in advance to secure an evening pickup (seriously?). I'm sure that the bread and pastry at Tartine is excellent but there are so many other fantastic (and fanatical) bakeries in N America and even right here in my home town of Victoria that I won't lose any sleep over skipping the lineups. I hate what hype does to places (and don't like the herd mentality). I'll head to Knead if I want a good pastry.
One more question: my wife and I always like to pick up some healthy snacks when we travel to offset our indulgences. Unfortunately we will miss the farmer's market at the Ferry Bldg because we arrive Saturday early evening and fly out Saturday first thing in the morning. We are staying at the Palace Hotel at 2 New Montgomery. We would love a tip on where to pick up some really good organic fruit, dried fruit, and nuts that is close to our hotel. Preferably a place (or grocery store) that would be open on a Saturday night so we can buy some things right when we arrive. Are there any tips on our best bets?
And one more question: if we are feeling peckish at any given hour, are there some good dining options right close to the Palace Hotel (i.e. within 1-2 blocks) so we could grab a snack without having to travel or make a big deal of it. I'm not talking fancy sit-down places, but more places with either takeout or fast service. Any style of food would do.
Also want to comment on what a friendly and helpful board this is. You Bay Area chowhounds are such an enthusiastic lot that it is no wonder your restaurants and cafes are packed every night!
Thanks again.
Help This BC Hound fine-tune his SF culinary escapade
Thanks. Ooops, I made the mistake of writing down the address for the "coming soon" Bi-Rite location, which will be 550 Divisadero, which will place it just a few doors down from Nopa. I assume it won't come soon enough for our visit in April.
I'm sure Nopa will have fine desserts.
Any feedback on Mandalay vs Lers Ros? (I know it's apples and oranges, but if you had to pick one lunch....)
Help This BC Hound fine-tune his SF culinary escapade
Okay, I'm a bit sheepish to ask for the locals' advice given how many similar posts I see here. Y'all must get sick of this nonstop tourist traffic on the board (the BC board is very sleepy by comparison, but I'll happily return the favour if anyone here is looking for recommendations for Vancouver and Vancouver Island).
But here I go anyway.
My wife and I are planning a week-long getaway to the Bay Area and Monterey/Big Sur during the first week of April. I have spent weeks prowling the boards here and have come up with some plans (and plenty of reservations). What I am asking is for some "fine tuning" re: best dishes at certain restos and wait times for restos where we don't have reservations.
Night 1: Arrive on Sat Mar 31. Reservations at La Mar. Looks like a fun place but maybe not the best Peruvian in town. What dishes are recommended? The ceviches look really appealing.
Sunday April 1: Get up and hit Blue Bottle (thinking Mint St location near the street car line) early before heading to our obligatory Alcatraz tour at 10 AM.
Post-Alcatraz, we are considering walking to North Beach with the following places in mind for lunch (est. arrival time 1 pm): Tony's for pizza; Mama's; or L'Osteria del Forno. Given that we have a 6 pm dinner reso at Slanted Door, we don't really want to wait too long. Which of these places will likely have the shortest wait time on a Sunday around 1 pm? Or are we deluded and will they all have hour long lineups on a Sunday?
Sunday night: Slanted Door (I know, I know, it's not the greatest place, but it's close to our hotel and a friend of ours swears by it).
Monday April 2: Coffee again at Blue Bottle. Then off to Golden Gate Park for a morning at the De Young.
Monday lunch: Yummy Yummy. What are the favourite dishes here? Looks like a nice little spot and walking distance from the park, where we plan to return after lunch.
Monday Dinner: Perbacco. Menu looks great. I see the mixed reviews on the board, but again it is quite close to our hotel so we'll have time to get back and freshen up pre-dinner after a day in the park.
Monday night: Resos at Bourbon and Branch for 9:30 PM (taking cab from Perbacco as I hear the neighbourhood isn't the greatest at night).
Tuesday AM: Thinking of hitting Boulette's Larder right at 8 AM for breakfast. Can we expect a wait?
Tuesday-Thursday--We'll be in Monterey/Big Sur area and have plenty of recommendations. (Easier to make choices here because of the comparatively limited number of good restaurants. Looking forward to Restaurant 1883 and Parker-Lusseau, though)
Friday lunch (arriving back in SF around lunch time): This is our wild card. Our favourite choices thus far are Mandalay or Lers Ros. Will both places have a wait for lunch on a Friday?
Friday night: Dinner resos at Nopa. Thinking of Bi-Rite for dessert afterward.
Saturday--AM flight back home!
Any feedback would be appreciated. We made the decision to go on this trip just a few weeks ago and I found that lots of places that were hyped up on the board did not have any reservations available (i.e. Flour and Water's earliest available reservation was for May 1 at 8:45 pm. And that was three weeks ago. What gives?)
Vancouver Island: Victoria & Mt Washington area
Brasserie L'Ecole is by far your best choice for a Belgian style bistro. Not that it is specifically Belgian but there are a lot of Belgian beers on hand and the restaurant does mussels very well. Just be aware that this restaurant does not take reservations and you will likely have to wait. Customers start lining up 1/2 hour before opening to be guaranteed a table. The restaurant will take your cell and call you if you want to wait elsewhere (up the street on Pandora there is a good cocktail lounge/restaurant called Veneto).
Moving to Victoria - ethnic grocery help please, esp. vietnamese bakery, mexican foodstuffs, etc!
I have been meaning to reply but wanted to find a good time to do it.
Grocery:
Sadly, Thrifty foods has really gone downhill since it was bought by Sobey's. It's still one of the better options for a general grocery store.
Market on Yates--good line of specialty products. Some local produce.
Lifestyles--not really in your future hood, but not too far either. Good selection of organic and health foods.
Produce: Moss Street Market runs on Saturdays April-mid November. Particularly in summer and fall the quality of produce at the market is unparalleled in the city.
If you have a car, there are some excellent farm gates for local organic produce. Madrona Farms on Blenkinsop Road is a good one. Sun Trio farms in North Saanich (not to be confused with Sun Wing Farms) is also an excellent local organic producer.
Butcher: Village Butcher on Oak Bay Ave. is THE place. They'll also do a lot of special orders/requests. And the fabulous charcuterie The Whole Beast is right next door.
Seafood: Finest at Sea in James Bay. You may be acquainted with the 2 locations in Vancouver.
Bakery: fol epi is the best bakery in town hands down. Wildfire has a loyal following too but does not compete. fol epi does not make bahn mi bread but does make some fantastic baguettes.
Note that there are several excellent bakers at the Moss St. Market that do not operate storefronts anywhere else in town.
I cannot think of a Vietnamese bakery. However, you could also ask one of the Asian restaurants in town where they source their bahn mi bread. Foo (not specifically Vietnamese) often has bahn mi on their menu; they might be able to tell you.
Asian goods: Fisgard Market in Chinatown really has the best selection in town for Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese products.
Spices: Nothing right in your area comes to mind. If you don't mind busing, there is an Indian spice store right at Quadra and MacKenzie. There is also a good one on Burnside near MacKenzie.
Coffee: Discovery is certainly my favourite for beans.
Cheese: Three good choices: Ottavio in Oak Bay; Choux Choux Charcuterie right downtown; and Chiarelli's on Foul Bay Road down the hill from UVic.
Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Foods: Seven Valleys on Douglas near Bay is an excellent choice run by a very friendly Bahai family. There is also a very nice place on Quadra just south of McKenzie (near Quadra and Reynolds intersection).
Italian deli: Two choices: Italian Food Imports on Blanshard or Ottavio on Oak Bay Ave.
Chocolate: Lots of places peddling high end chocolate now. The kitchen store in the Atrium building has a good selection. Habit Coffee in the Atrium has a good but small selection. The Whole Beast carries about a half dozen high end bars.
Market on Yates has a good selection for a grocery store (i.e. Michel Cluizel bars)
Mexican: Mexican House of Spice on Douglas Street.
I can't think of anything else right now but I'm sure you'll fare well. Prices are higher than in Vancouver in general due to being on the Island (also, let's face it, we're a much smaller market).
Happy shopping.
relaxed Victoria
For relaxed, I can think of no better choice than Matisse (on lower Yates). Great service, dependable food, very relaxed atmosphere.
Victoria - Lunch Spot on Sunday?
Re: French Girl's comment, Brasserie is not open for lunch, nor is it open on Sunday.
Zambri's is a decent choice on a Sunday. Also, many of the Vietnamese places downtown are open and are pretty decent, i.e. Green Leaf on Douglas.
My first choice though would be Primastrada in the Cook Street Village. Good pizza, good salads, good appies. Pretty consistent, too.
In the "lacking in ambience but tasty" category I would add Hernandez and Foo.
Victoria: no reservations, how long a wait?
Varies. I've heard that Brasserie will take your phone number and call you when your table is ready, so you could walk a few blocks over to Veneto and enjoy a cocktail while you wait. From what I hear 45 minutes is average. I'd pick Brasserie over Zambri's.
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Zambri's
911 Yates St, Victoria, BC V8V4X3, CA
Source for French butter
Ottavio on Oak Bay Ave. used to regularly stock French butter. I haven't checked recently, though.
The Mac Shack
I think it's just you. A really great mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, especially on a cold winter day. Fortunately, it is easy to make a great mac and cheese at home! Mac and cheese is kind of like pizza: a blank canvas which can have endless variations. Personally I really like fried cubes of slab bacon or pancetta in my m & c.
In Victoria: If I like Ulla and Vis a Vis, I'll also like...
Stage.
Relish for lunch.
Where to buy duck liver, not foie gras, in Vancouver?
I do not live in Vancouver (I'm in Victoria) but there has been a recent discussion on this board about the best butchers in your city, so if you search "meat" or "butcher" on the board you should be able to find it.
which is your #1 kitchen accessory?
I fear this topic may quickly get moved from the BC board. Anyway, there are many kitchen accessories that I love, but one of my favourites is a large cutting board with a "gutter" so that meat juices do not run off the board onto the counter when I am carving a bird or a roast.
Where to buy duck liver, not foie gras, in Vancouver?
Any top notch butcher should be able to sell you quality duck liver.
Solo diner looking for great beer and local seafood in downtown Vancouver
I would think that Chambar fits the bill. Good beer selection, and good mussels (and other seafood too).
Portlanders in B.C. (Reviews, Victoria/Vancouver)
Glad you enjoyed yourself, Bro Adam. Should have warned you that Mondays in Victoria can be tricky. I wish I had recommended Stage in Fernwood as I think you would have been very impressed with the food there. You did find some great places, including Chocolat and Choux Choux, two of my favourites. Choux Choux sells bread from Fol Epi, which is a great bakery, so that's probably what you had.
Burgers are always dicey in Canada. For one thing, they're almost always cooked to well done, which ruins them. The only exceptions are places like Refuel (and Brasserie L'Ecole in Victoria) that grind their own meat.
Love your city and visit frequently because of having family there. We've had so many good meals in Portland...everywhere from Pok Pok to Le Pigeon to Cafe Castagna to Pambiche. Love the chocolates at Sahagun. I wanted to try the pizza at Ken's but it was closed when we tried to go there. Would be fun to do a comparison between Ken's and Apizza Schulls (sp?)
Anyway, hope you find yourself back in our fair cities again sometime. Sounds like you enjoy Chinese, so next time you're in Vancouver you gotta schlep out to Alvin Garden in Burnaby to sample their uber-spicy, super flavourful Hunan cuisine.
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Alvin Garden
4850 Imperial St, Burnaby, BC V5J, CA
Hidden Gems - list your fave Vancouver hole-in-the-wall
Hmmm. The above definition of hole in the wall is a bit narrow for my taste. I would define it somewhat more loosely as a place that:
a) appears unassuming from the street
b) is small (let's say fewer than 30 seats)
c) is decidedly non-trendy
d) is inexpensive (nothing on the menu for more than 12 bucks)
I don't think that filthy washrooms and poor kitchen hygiene should be musts; in fact, I would not want to frequent a HITW that had those characteristics. But, as they say on the "internets," YMMV.
Best BC cookbooks
No love for the Re-Bar cookbook? The food may not be gourmet, but there are some great recipes in there (lime-pumpkin seed cookies, for example).
