I met a few girlfriends for some dinner and drinks at Parq Vancouver as we wanted to check out the new casino/hotel and its restaurants. After walking around and checking out the gorgeous space, we settled on Honey Salt for the evening. Our seating was “lounge style” (a couch and chairs with a table in the center) which I sometimes find difficult for when eating a meal. Nevertheless, we made ourselves comfortable and took in the space around us. The restaurant decor is super cute, glossy and inviting. We ordered moscow mules and caesars all around and they were pretty good. For dinner, I went with the grilled maple hill chicken which is served with mac and cheese. Although it was fine, it was nothing special. I expected more for the $25.00 price tag. For dessert we all decided to share the society chocolate and banana cake. This was the highlight of my meal. It was massive! The four of us didn’t finish it (mind you, we were stuffed from our dinner). It was moist and fluffy and it wasn’t too sweet. Yum! At the end when we were ready to pay, I reminded the waitress that I would be paying for myself and the main of my friend sitting right next to me (I had told her this before we started ordering as well). My friend was still going to be paying for her drinks. She said that she knew and would split the meals accordingly. She passed the bill around and I glanced at it quickly. I saw an entry on there for my meal and the main of my friend so everything looked good. I passed the bill over to my friends for them to take a look. We waited for a bit for her to get the debit machine then began her rounds getting payment from our group. When she got to me I again referenced that mine was the shared bill. She put through a bill and I did think it was a little low, but I went with it as she was holding the paperwork. She ended up mixing up the bills and my friend sitting across from me ended up with the bill I was meant to pay. My friend and I worked it out separately, but it was a bit of a nuisance that after all that it still got mixed up. Overall the restaurant isn’t bad. I do see potential. Perhaps they’re still in the midst of ironing some things out as it’s still so new. I would be open to giving them a try again in the future.
Eateries
The Rumpus Room
By therdizzle in Eateries Tags: cocktails, restaurant, Rumpus Room, vancouver, vancouver restaurant
Years ago, a girlfriend from work and I went to a fun restaurant called the Rumpus Room. We sat on the colorful fun patio with pink flamingos and fake grass on a warm sunny day. We were instantly in love with the vibe and had a fabulous time. Sooo we were soo disappointed when we heard that they had closed their doors.
Fast forward a few years to 2018, we learned that they’ve reopened in a new location so of course the two of us had to go check it out which is what we did last night. We ventured over after work on a Friday night and it was very busy, but we were able to get a table for two right away. It doesn’t appear that they have a patio this time, but the interior still has a fun, quirky feel to it. It’s like you’re hanging out at your grandma’s house. There’s chintzy curtains, floral couches, knick knacks on the shelves and plates with cats on them hanging in the bathroom. It’s pretty funky. They also have tons of board games to play.
The menu is presented to you in a duotang and the food options are pretty fun. For cocktails I decided to try a rootbeer bourbon float and my friend ordered a blueberry sour beer. I really liked them both – yum! We tried quite a bit of food on the menu – the fried chicken bites, the fried pickles, and the peanut butter burger with fries. We also shared a mini waffle. The food was good and they definitely know how to do fried food very well. Their fries were crisp. The peanut butter burger has a sweet and salty taste to it which is different and delicious. Only the waffle wasn’t too special in my opinion. It wasn’t bad, but it just didn’t stand out.
They are in their “soft opening” stage right now so I didn’t know what to expect, but service was great and the food came out quickly. Pretty good restaurant if you’re looking for casual food fare options.
The Lift Bar and Grill (Brunch)
By therdizzle in Eateries 1 Comment Tags: Coal Harbour, restaurant, The Lift, The Lift Bar and Grill, vancouver
The Lift is a restaurant that my husband and I frequent for brunch. It’s located in Coal Harbour right on the water’s edge. We’ve taken family and friends there on numerous occasions and no one has ever left there unhappy. The restaurant is classy. The interior is bright and beautiful with a fish tank at the entrance and a cozy vibe. The main attraction when you walk in are the gorgeous views. We are often seated at the window and it makes me feel like I’m literally on the water. It’s such a relaxing vibe perfect for a lazy brunch. They are very reasonably priced also. One of my favorites on the menu is the smoked salmon benedict . I have attempted to find one that matches it elsewhere and have yet to. It’s on a level of it’s own – just yum! We have tried many other things on the menu and we’re never disappointed. Their brunch items are simple and delicious. The service is always impeccable. I find the staff to be very pleasant and attentive.
The Frying Pan
By therdizzle in Eateries 2 Comments Tags: food truck, fried chicken, The Frying Pan, vancouver, Vancouver food truck
For lunch on Friday, my friend and I headed down to Burrard Street to try out “The Frying Pan” food truck. This food truck boasts of the “best fried chicken in town”. I’d walked past it numerous times and there’s often a line-up at lunch. The menu offers several different chicken burgers, fries, chicken rice bowls and lemonades. They use Maple Hills Farm free-range chicken. I decided to try the “firestarter” burger as I love spicy food. I’d recently tried Nashville style hot chicken before and I was eager to try Chef J’s version. The truck was pretty busy, but the line-up moved quickly. The people running the truck were very friendly and were happy to offer advice and answer questions. The wait for my meal was about 10 minutes which is fine as they are frying up everything fresh. The burger was massive and looked so delectable. My mouth is watering as I’m writing this. The main location of this food truck is 505 Burrard Street. We were there on a beautiful, sunny day. There are tables and seats available nearby which is nice as we were able to quickly find a seat. The fried chicken is doused in just enough Nashville style hot sauce, then topped with coleslaw. The addition to sweet pickles with the spice is so delicious. The burger has the perfect amount of kick. This particular sandwich may be too much for people who cannot handle spice, but I’m sure the other options are just as great. I would highly recommend getting yourself to the Frying Pan.
The Botanist
By therdizzle in Eateries Tags: delicious, fine dining, restaurant, The Botanist, vancouver, yvr
I decided to have my birthday dinner with a small group of my best girlfriends at The Botanist located in the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. I’d heard many good things and I was eager to try the elaborate cocktails that I had seen on social media. I was the first to arrive from my party and I was greeted by a friendly host who wished me a happy birthday, hung my coat, then handed me a card before escorting me to my table. I sat and waited for my friends and opened up the card. It was a birthday card signed by the employees. How nice! I’ve never had a restaurant do anything like this before and I loved it. I took in the atmosphere while I waited – this restaurant is beautiful. The “botanist” theme is definitely throughout the entire space with beautiful bright greenery and a floral touch. Another great feature are these stools next to the seats for your purse. I hate having to leave my purse on my lap or awkwardly having it hit my knees as its hanging from a hook at the edge of the table. It may be a minor thing, but its something that I really appreciated.
I was excited to order one the whimsical over-the-top beverages I’d seen online, but I was disappointed to learn that you could only order these drinks at the bar. Our waiter did offer for us to start our evening off at the bar and come back to the table later so I could still have one, but at this point it was 8 p.m. and I was starving. They do have a separate cocktail menu for the dining room though so I took a look and went with the “Poetry in Motion” cocktail. My friends began to arrive one at a time and our waiter was so on top of it – greeting each of them as they joined the group and taking their drink orders. He was awesome. We all got our drinks and after taking my first sip I was a happy girl. The Poetry in Motion was citrus-y, light and bubbly. I kept em coming for the rest of the night. We had different cocktail choices all around the table and not one person was unhappy with their choice. We dipped into their in house baked bread while we waited for our mains. The bread was very delightful and different. They were shaped like leaves. We received our meals and all i can say is wow. I ordered the butter poached lobster. It was described on the menu as “trumpet mushrooms, crispy risotto, lobster bisque, butter poached lobster”, but all I saw in front of me was pure art. Our server poured the bisque onto my plate and it was so visually stunning. Almost too pretty to eat. I was starving though, so I didn’t let it stop me. My first bite was heavenly. I have nothing negative to say. They knocked it out of the park. There was a hush that went over the table. That’s usually a good sign that everyone is enjoying their meals. Every one of us cleared up our plates completely. My friends all agreed that their meals were amazing and no one felt the heaviness that comes after some dinners out. We decided to order a dessert to share, but none of us were that impressed by the choices on the dessert menu. We chose an option anyhow and went with the banana mousse with candied hazelnut, milk chocolate whip, frozen latte foam and espresso reduction. Not a favorite. I think they need to update their dessert menu.
All in all it was a extraordinary night. Although prices can be thought of as high, you are getting what you pay for. Dinner exceeded my expectations and the cocktails were delicious. The ambiance is lovely and I will be coming back to try those cocktails at the bar. I can easily see how The Botanist was voted one of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.
The Keg – Alberni Street (Happy Hour)
By therdizzle in Eateries Tags: happy hour, the keg, The Keg Alberni Street, vancouver
It was a beautiful day in Vancouver today. After work I met up with my husband to take in some of the beautiful weather. While we were out and about we thought we’d grab some dinner. We walked by the Keg on Alberni Street and they were still having their cocktail hour so we decided to go check it out. The Keg is a very popular steakhouse that I’ve been to a million times, but this was my first time ever going for happy hour. Caesar cocktails are on for $5.00 and no one does the Caesar better than the Keg. They have three starter items on their menu – prime rib sliders, calamari and nachos. We went with the sliders and the nachos. The nachos are huge – we didn’t get close to finishing them. They taste like nachos you would get at any pub or bar. They were good, but nothing special. The prime rib sliders were soo good. No doubt that the Keg obviously knows how to do their meat. Soft bread and tender prime rib with horseradish and au jus. Mmm mmm mm. On our last slider we found something that seem to look a bit like a thread or something similar that we couldn’t quite put our finger on, we brought it to our waiters attention and he instantly took it back to the kitchen. They figured out that it was actually a piece of bean sprout. This made sense – it did look like that. The manager came over to apologize as it didn’t belong in the sliders and he took it off our bill. I honestly did not think it was a big deal as things like this happen once in a while in a kitchen. I was impressed that they dealt with it quickly and professionally. The Keg will always be a favorite spot for me, but I think I prefer the dinner menu rather than the cocktail hour menu.
Gordon Ramsay Steak
By therdizzle in Eateries, Las Vegas, Travel 1 Comment Tags: fine dining, Gordon Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay Steak, Las Vegas, restaurant
I’ve been a huge Gordon Ramsay fan for as long as I can remember. I watch all his shows, I study his YouTube cooking tutorials and follow him and his restaurants closely on social media. I would even go as far to say I have a bit of a crush on him, haha. It’s been a major item on my bucket list to eat at one of his restaurants. When we were in Vegas we made sure to take the opportunity to make it happen. We made reservations at Gordon Ramsay Steak at the Paris Hotel long before we arrived in Nevada. I was so excited when we got to the hotel for dinner. Our welcoming hostess walked us in through a tunnel that she explained as the tunnel between Paris and London, she showed us an art installation of neon red lights that she explained as Gordon Ramsay’s hands at work when making his signature beef wellington. We were seated in a corner table for two where we met our waitress. Unfortunately, I didn’t find there to be any real warmth to her so I didn’t feel she added anything to our experience. We were shown a cart with all the different cuts of meats. There were mirrors behind each cut of meat showcasing them from all angles. The mouthwatering cocktail choices were presented to us on an Ipad. I’d never seen that at a restaurant before and thought it was pretty cool. The drinks that that we ordered were absolutely delicious. For dinner, the hubs ordered beef wellington and I ordered a steak. We had a caesar salad and macaroni and cheese as our sides. The highlight of dinner was definitely the beef wellington! It was the star of the show. As far as the rest of the meal, I will admit that although everything was good I wasn’t overly wowed like a thought I would be. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I’ve had nights out where I’ve had a dinner that I’ve thought about for several days after. I thought one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants would make me feel the same way. After years of watching him create culinary masterpieces on television, I always imagined eating at one of his restaurants would completely blow me away.
Juke Fried Chicken
By therdizzle in Eateries 3 Comments Tags: dining, fried chicken, juke fried chicken, vancouver, vancouver restaurant, yvr
The hubster and I went over to Chinatown for a date night tonight and decided that we would check out Juke Fried Chicken. This restaurant does not take reservations. There was a bit of a crowd waiting outside which I usually take as a good sign. We were told it was about a half hour wait and the wait was exactly a half hour. We were seated in the center of the restaurant. There’s a good vibe in this restaurant. Everywhere I looked people were smiling – the staff and the patrons. The cocktails seemed to be named after songs (Juke Box?) which is an awesome conversation piece. Chris and I went through the cocktail menu seeing what songs we recognized. I ordered a “starboy” and it was very tasty. For dinner Chris ordered the fried chicken and I went with the spicy boyz, which is fried chicken drenched in hot sauce. Each order of fried chicken comes with a side of Asian slaw. We also ordered some fried brussels sprouts to share. The food came out to us quite quickly. Juke’s chicken is free range chicken with a gluten free batter. Ohhh ehhhm geee, this chicken is sooo good. The batter was super crunchy and the chicken was juicy. We had ordered the honey mustard and ranch dipping sauces on the suggestion of the waitress. We barely used the sauce. The chicken is great on its own. The Asian slaw was topped with peanuts. It was different from any slaw I’ve had before and it’s inspired me to add peanuts to slaws I make at home in the future. It was just delicious. The brussels sprouts were good also, but in my opinion nothing too special. I will mention that because it is a small restaurant, the seating is very close together. It almost felt like we were seated with the couple next to us as we could hear their conversation and vice versa I’m sure. There was a hip ambiance and the service was top notch. By the end of the night Chris and I were debating whether or not it was the best fried chicken we’ve ever had. I’m going to have to go with yes. We learned that Juke’s also serves brunch. I loved dinner so much that I can’t wait to come back and try brunch very soon.
Cartems Donuts
By therdizzle in Eateries 2 Comments Tags: cartems donuts, delicious, donuterie, vancouver, vancouver donuts
Working so close to this place is both a blessing and a curse. It’s perfect for when you’re needing a delectable sweet treat and more often than not for me, it’s also the strong, relentless craving that I must give in to. The donuts here are so good . They melt in your mouth and are some of the best donuts Vancouver has to offer. Cartems offers creative flavors as well as changing “monthly specials” which in the past have included flavors such as pina colada, amaretto kiss and strawberry apple turnover. They offer gluten free, vegan options. It can be thought of as pricey for a single donut as you could get multiple donuts at the franchise competition for the same price as one – that being said, they are handmade rings of heaven.
Barrio Queen
By therdizzle in Eateries, Scottsdale, Travel 1 Comment Tags: Arizona, Barrio Queen, dining, restaurant, Scottsdale, taco, taco tuesday
Who doesn’t love a good Taco Tuesday? While we were in Arizona, we decided to have Tuesday evening dinner at the Barrio Queen. A cute and colorful restaurant with kick ass day of the dead decor. I instantly loved the vibe. We were told about the hundreds of different types of tequila they offered and were happy that the Taco Tuesday specials were so awesome. We had delicious margaritas and shots of smooth tequila. We also ordered some guacamole that was made table side. It really was the best guacamole I’ve ever had in my life. It was very different as they added cranberries to it. I was a bit weary, but yum! It was fresh and delicious. Our tacos were authentic and delectable. The service was great, the food was so freakin good and the prices were moderate.