The Flying Pig – Gastown

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My hubby and I had a double date with another couple in Gastown.  After our activity, we started wandering around looking for a place to have dinner.

I had checked out The Flying Pig before with a few girlfriends.  I remember having to wait for a while back then and since then I’ve tried to come back numerous times and there’s always been a long wait.  I was so sure we were going to be turned away, so I was so pleasantly surprised when they said that they were going to be clearing a table outside and we could be seated right away.

Let’s get right to the goods.  I had:

  • Monkey’s Choice – this was my cocktail.  It has bumbu rum, flor de caña 12 year old rum, sweet vermouth, pineapple and star anise bitters.  Brûléed banana.  When I originally ordered this, I though that the banana was going to be a flavoring in the cocktail, but it was actually served with a caramelized banana.  It was much more fancy than I expected and it was strong.  I liked!
  • Salt and Pepper Humboldt Squid – delicious calamari with lemon and dill yogurt.  Crispy and well seasoned.  So good.
  • Red Wine Braised Beef Short Rib – roasted bone marrow, aged white cheddar mash, cabernet veal jus.  This was really freakin good!  The short rib was delicious and I love, love, loved the white cheddar mash.  I wish there was more of it!  A bit stingy on the serving size of that lol.  I could have eaten a big bowl of just that.

My friends ordered the West Coast Seafood Paella and they liked it also.

The service wasn’t very memorable  – I would describe it as mediocre at best.  The seating outside wasn’t the best either, wobbly.  The last time I came I was seated indoors and I think I would opt to sit there again next time.

The food was pretty damn good.

https://theflyingpigvan.com/

 

Rocky Mountain Flatbread – Take Out

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Chris and I went to one of the Rocky Mountain locations quite a few years ago.  We met a couple of our friends that had children and were visiting from Switzerland.  They found this spot online and learned that they had interactive pizza making for children where they could choose what they wanted to put on their pizzas and someone would help them make it.  It was fun for the kids and allowed for the parents to sit and eat and drink and watch from afar while their little ones engaged in a fun activity.  I honestly don’t know if they do this anymore, but for all your parents out there – it was great and worth looking into.

While we were there we had some delicious beef pepperoni pizza.  So good that the thought of it stayed with us years and years later.

Recently, we stumbled across it on Uber Eats.  I was pretty excited after I saw it on there and we decided to put in a dinner order.

We ordered:

  • Beef Pepperoni – tomato sauce, mozza, beef pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and herbs
  • Lemon Dill and Cucumber and Tomato Salad – served with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas

The pizza was delicious.  It didn’t look as pretty as it does in restaurant and it was a tad bit cold once it got to us (that is more on uber eats than Rocky Mountain though), but it was really yummy!

The salad was mostly just greens.  It barely had any cauliflower or chickpeas in it  It was quite boring.

I would love to have more pizza from here, but I think we live a bit too far from the restaurant for delivery.  We will opt to eat in next time.

https://www.rockymountainflatbread.ca/

Fable Diner

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My friends and I went over to Fable Diner this morning for a friends birthday.

On Sunday’s they have “Prohibition Brunch” which is an insanely good deal.  For $25 you get all of the following:

  • Coffee or Tea
  • A morning cocktail, milkshake or juice
  • A pastry
  • One of their popular mains
  • A sweet treat

So much bang for your buck, but the best part of it all is that the food here is absolutely delicious!

I got:

  • Green tea – came in a cute little teapot
  • Caesar – I asked for this extra spicy, but it didn’t come that way.  I asked for some more tabasco sauce to be put in it and the waitress pointed at the hot sauce on the table (not Tabasco).  I repeated that it was for the caesar and she said yes it’s good for that.  I tried it and it wasn’t bad, but I like my Tabasco.
  • A pastry – today’s pastry was jalapeno scones. Ohh ehmm gee, so good.  They were bite size which is perfect given how much food you get overall.  They were golden, buttery and warm.
  • Roasted duck pancake – cornmeal pancake with duck meat, kimchi, green onion and some crispy bits.  Okay to be quite honest, this one sounded weird to me.  I was not too sure about it, but this dish was featured on the Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” so I just had to give it a try.  I am so happy I did.  This was the showstopper.  I completely cleaned my plate.  It’s a unique combination that just works!
  • Sweet treat – we received chocolate chip cookies and they were delectable.

Bonus – they brought out my friend an ice cream sundae with a candle in it for her birthday.  The waiter that brought it out to us, stayed and sang happy birthday along with us too.

The waitress that we had was friendly and nice, but we felt that the service could still be improved a bit.  We were not checked on as much as we would have liked.  We wanted more water, napkins, etc at various times during our sitting and it was difficult to flag her down or get her attention.

The food here is really, really good!  Also, they take reservations and a lot of restaurants don’t for brunch so I loved that.  Looking forward to bringing the hubby to try this spot.

https://www.fablediner.com/

Wildside Grill

By in Eateries, Local Getaways, Tofino, Travel No Comments Tags: , , ,

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This was one of the first spots that we hit when we arrived in Tofino.  The truck is located in a gravel field along with a few other little shops, along with the infamous Tacofino food truck.  It’s previously been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and we knew we had to try it for ourselves when we arrived.

There was a bit of a line-up when we got there.  It did move a bit slow on this day, but Tofino has such a chill and relaxed vibe.  We were on vacation and it seems everything in Tofino is a bit slower paced than here in Vancouver.  We were soaking in the island life.

I had a few questions about the menu and the staff was friendly and helpful.  Their menu is quite diverse.  We went with the fish and chips.  We sat at the picnic tables out in front and waited as our food was being made.

Once we got our food, we were impressed.  Tasty fries, good portion sizes of fish with crisp panko outer layer and house made tartar sauce and a side of green apple coleslaw.  The food here is absolutely delicious.  The only downside for me was that the seagulls seemed to know how good it was tou and they kept coming around.

I’m looking forward to going back to try other items off their menu next time I’m in Tofino.

http://www.wildsidegrill.com/

Craft Beer English Bay

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Earlier this year Craft opened up a new location in a prime spot across from Cactus Club at English Bay.

During the summer, I came by a few times trying to get in and on to the patio, but the wait times were an hour, sometimes two.  I was always way to hungry to wait.  Finally, I actually went and put my name down an hour prior to the time that I wanted and that worked out great.  Figured out that this is the way to go when the weather is nice.

The first time I went, it was my hubby, my cousin and I.  We started on the “beer garden” patio.  This is actually just a back parking lot that is no longer in use that was converted into an outdoor patio during B.C’s covid circuit breaker.  It gives me hipster vibes with picnic tables and a funky mural.

We got started with some drinks.  They, of course, have a vast selection of beer.  Lots of great options and my husband and cousin tried a few different kinds.  I also tried their lime margarita which they have on tap.  They apparently have 8 “day of the dead” style glasses and if you’re lucky you’ll get your margarita served to you in one – super cute.   We also ordered some food.  We went with the crispy chicken sliders, the Hawaiian ahi poke and the fried pickles.  All great pub style food.  We enjoyed everything – pretty good.

When we were seated, we also put our names down for the upstairs patio.  Once we were done eating, we settled our bills and moved up to the top.  This patio is a completely different vibe.  I’ve been here a lot when this was the boathouse and I just love what Craft has done with the space.  They have a funky VW van bar in the corner that I love. With that decor and the beautiful view, it feels like you’re on vacation.  It definitely transports you away.

We ordered more food and drinks.  This time going with the kale margherita pizza and the house made ice cream sandwiches for dessert.  The food is pretty good here.

We loved the wait staff.  They are friendly and witty with great banter.  The service is terrific.

A few weeks later, the same group of us went back.  We brought an additional friend with us, eager to show her how great this spot is.  This time we started at the upstairs patio.  We ordered a lot of the same food as we were pretty happy before.  We also ordered burgers from Pigot’s Burger Bar which is a pop up take out restaurant that works out of Craft’s kitchen.  Although it’s not on the menu, you can order these burgers while you’re visiting Craft also.  I’ve previously done a review on them, which can be found here:  Pigot’s Burger Bar

We were having such a blast here, but they limit the amount of time you can stay as they turn around the tables in two hours.  So again, we put our name down for another table, this time inside, and once we were done we moved.

The inside part is yet another vibe.  Neon lights, sexy bar vibes.  We were all quite tipsy and having a blast here.  The bartender ended up stopping by our table with some free shots saying that it looked like we were having the most fun in the place and he loved to see it.  The staff here is amazing!

I love this place so much and I’m so happy that they’ve opened up so close to home.  Three different vibes to fit any mood you’re in!  It’s one of my new favorite spots for sure.

https://www.craftbeermarket.ca/english-bay

 

 

YVR Cookie – Fall launch

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YVR Cookie’s new fall flavors are pure fire!  These flavors are so incredibly creative.  They are just wizards with their baking.  The new flavors are:

  • Cinnamon Bun -their signature cookie dough with cinnamon, white chocolate and salted caramel chipit, and- get this – actually cinnamon buns with cream cheese frosting!  It’s topped with cinnamon sugar swirl.  This was the one I was most excited to try and it was just as amazing as it sounds.  I could eat it every day.  I loved that sugar topping.  My mouth is watering thinking of it.
  • Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake – pumpkin cookie dough flavored with real pumpkin and loaded with salted caramel chipits and filled with cheesecake frosting.  Okay so full disclosure, I don’t like pumpkin spice Starbucks drinks or pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.  It’s just not my thing.  I did not think I would like this flavor, but I wanted to give it a try to give you guys a proper review.  It was really good.  I surprised myself by being a fan of it.  The cheesecake filling was to die for!
  • Pecan Butter Tart – the signature cookie dough, loaded with pecans, mini butterscotch chipits and filled with pecan butter tarts.  It’s also topped with candied pecans.  I love me some pecan butter tarts and stuffing them inside my other favorite treat (cookies) just makes for a very happy Romaana.  These were incredible.

There is no better way to bring in fall than with these new flavors.

Thank you YVR Cookie and Monique for letting me try out these cookies!

Grey Goose Smooth Putt

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Grey Goose Smooth Putt is an event that’s on in Vancouver from August 28 to September 6.  It’s a 9 hole mini golf course.  Tickets are $21 each and include a Grey Goose beverage.

My husband and I met up with a couple friends for a double date on opening night.

The mini golf is set up in the east parking lot of Waterfront station.  As odd as that may sound, I think they did an amazing job of transforming the parking lot into something really special.

At check in, we did a little covid questionnaire on our phones and our temperatures were checked.  We waited in line for about ten to fifteen minutes before we got in.

Once we got in, we were presented with the golf balls and clubs and our score cards and were seated at a table while our drink orders were taken.  We got some free kettle chips as well.  We sat and chatted and took some pics while we waited for the first hole to open up.

The course was really fun with each hole getting a bit more difficult the higher we went.  If you’re done with your hole and the next one is still being used, you do have to wait around until it’s done, but to be honest we were having so much fun that we didn’t really mind.  However, most of the groups were in couples while we were a group of 4.  We each took our turns individually which took a bit longer than the couples and felt at times that we were holding people up.  If you’re someone that may feel pressured to rush through, then I would recommend going in a duo rather than a larger group.  For me, I absolutely love that we did a group of 4.  It was a really fun double date idea.  We were told we could order more drinks at hole 4 which we did.  The drinks were delicious.  The service was great.  Staff even came around to take polaroids of us that we got to take home.  There are port-a-potties there if you need to use the restroom.  Our whole experience lasted about an hour and twenty minutes.  We had such a blast.

https://greygoosesmoothputt.ca/product/vancouver-ticket/

 

Haven Kitchen and Bar

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I met one of my girlfriends for lunch at Haven Kitchen and Bar on a Sunday.  I was blown away by how gorgeous it is.  I may go as far as to say that Haven is one of the most beautiful restaurants that I’ve been to in B.C.

I was greeted by a host at the door and taken in to meet my friend who was already seated.  I was in awe as I walked through.  It just gives off good vibes from the fun Instagrammable bar to the beautiful light fixtures to the funky bathroom.  The upstairs area has some gorgeous wallpaper and artwork on the walls.

The cocktails were amazing.  My friend had the Haven Caesar which she enjoyed.  I had the Black and Blanco which has tequila blanco, grand marnier, black currant liqueur, fresh lime juice and a pink salted rim.  A pretty in pink cocktail – so girlie!  It was delicious.

The food was just okay for me.  They got points for offering tons of gluten free and vegan options.  I love when restaurants are inclusive to people with dietary restrictions.

We had the following:

  • Haven’s Famous Corkscrew Fried Pickle – my friend had this with her caesar.  She heard that this was one of the items that they are known for and she wanted to try it out.  When I asked her what she thought, she said it was good, with a shrug.  She didn’t seem overly impressed with it, but sounds like it was fine.
  • Vegan Coconut Curry with a lemongrass chicken skewer – this was my friend’s main.  It looked great and she seemed to really enjoy it.  She’d had it during a previous visit and came back for more.
  • Saunder’s Fried Chicken Sandwich – I’m a bit of a fried chicken snob, so maybe my expectations are overly high, but this was mediocre and did not stand out in anyway.  In fact, I might even consider the meal forgettable.

I would come back here just for the ambience.  It’s a sexy restaurant and would be perfect for a date or meeting the girls for drinks.  I want to give some of the other items on the menu a try to see if I have a better experience with the food.

https://havenlangley.com/

The Lobster Man

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The Lobster Man is a small seafood shop on Granville Island.  The hubby and I decided to go check it out on a sunny Saturday while we were exploring the area.

They offer a selection of fresh items that include crab, lobster, oysters, shrimp, etc.

We chose the crab and the lobster that we wanted and they cooked it for us on site (although you can also just take it home and cook it on your own).  We wandered around the market and came back about half an hour later to pick it up.  We opted to take it to go, but they do have a few seats out front if you’d like to eat it there.  If you’re going to eat it there, they charge 25 cents per small packet of butter.

We took it home and I whipped up some melted garlic butter to go with it.  It was absolutely divine!  Fresh and meaty.

An important thing to keep in mind is the last cook time is 4:45 p.m. so if you want to go with the option for them to cook it for you make sure to get there before then.

Not too long after our first experience with The Lobster Man, I was searching Uber Eats for a lunch option and I noticed that they were listed!  On their Uber Eats menu they offer Lobster and Crab rolls.  The hubby and I decided to order a couple of the lobster rolls.  I went with the Connecticut style lobster roll with chunky lobster meat poached in warm butter and served on a toasted brioche bun.  Christopher ordered the Maine style lobster roll with chunky lobster meat, miso mayonnaise, celery and fresh dill also on a toasted brioche bun.  Both options were served with chips.  Both of them were absolutely delicious.  They really made the lobster the star without overpowering it in an excessive amount of sauces or seasonings.  The brioche bun was large, toasted, sweet, delicious.  The chips were just fine.  Not bad, but nothing to jump up and down about.  For take out, the presentation was pretty good.

Overall, this place is great for amazing seafood!

https://lobsterman.com/

YVR Cookie – Raspberry Lemonade and Cookies and Cream

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YVR Cookie brought it with their brand new cookie drop.

  • Raspberry Lemonade – lemon vanilla cookie dough, made with lemon zest and loaded with white chocolate.  It’s filled with raspberry jelly and topped with sour lemon glaze and real freeze dried raspberries.
  • Cookies N’ Cream – vanilla cookie dough, loaded with Oreo cookies and white chocolate.  Filled with white chocolate and topped with more Oreo cookies and chocolate cookie crunch.  This cookie was on the menu previously and has been brought back.

This was my second time trying the Cookies N’ Cream cookie.  A fan favorite, you just can’t go wrong.  They have perfected this recipe.

The Raspberry Lemonade Cookie was a bit of a surprise to me.  I honestly didn’t expect to like it that much.  I’ll be frank with you all, I am not a fan of jelly filled things.  Like I never really like jelly donuts for example.  I was more excited for the Cookies N’ Cream and cut about a quarter of the Raspberry Lemonade cookie.  It is sooo incredibly delicious!  That jelly is sooo good!  I ended up eating the whole cookie and as I’m typing this my mouth is watering so I’m going to heat up the other.  It blew me away!  I think it may even be my new favorite.

YVR Cookie is seriously the best cookie company in Vancouver.  They use the best quality ingredients.  I highly recommend!

https://yvrcookie.com

Thank you YVR Cookie and Monique for sending me these cookies to try.

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