I had the privilege of receiving a beautiful box of red roses from ESS Fleurs. The flowers were delivered to me and oh my goodness were they ever stunning. They arrived in a gorgeous box and they scream of luxury and class. I love the unique presentation. I’ve received a fair amount of flowers in my life and can confidently say that ESS Fleurs presentation is unmatched. The flowers I received retail for approx $125.00, but I believe that the cost varies as orders are custom. With Valentine’s Day coming up so close, I just wanted to share my lovely experience with this company. However, Valentines or not, I would just be looking for occasions and reasons to pamper myself with these entrancing beauties.
vancouver
Glowbal Christmas Eve Dinner at Home
By therdizzle in Eateries Tags: Christmas dinner at home, Christmas dinner to go, Food blogger, Glowbal Christmas dinner at home, Glowbal Restaurant, vancouver
With B.C.’s public health order in full effect over Christmas, the holidays looked a bit different for all of us this year. With no large social gatherings, my husband and I opted to order in Christmas dinner for two instead of cooking a huge meal. We thought it was a great way to support local and get a delicious dinner without all the work to create a full holiday menu for just us.
We decided on Glowbal for our dinner. We were excited when reading the menu. It was $135 and it included so much! Purchasing was easy online and we signed up for a designated pick-up time. Everything was packed perfectly, with dressings and sauces separate. The items meant to be put in the oven for half an hour before serving were in a separate oven-friendly baking tray. There were so many cute little desserts and pastries included.
I did need to give them a quick call as none of the sauces and dressings were labelled and I wanted a better understanding of what we were eating. They were very helpful on the phone.
We started our meal with the honey roasted butternut squash soup. Creamy comfort in a bowl with a touch of sweetness.
Next were the salads. There was a romaine wedge salad and a sherry glazed beet and kale salad. I wasn’t particularly blown away by the wedge salad, but the beet and kale salad was not bad. We were sent two different kinds of dressing and I really enjoyed the lemon dressing.
We had both turkey and steak as our mains. I love that Glowbal included both of these as proteins for the dinner – made it feel like a special Christmas feast. They were so tasty and the gravy and sirloin sauces that accompanied them were just divine. We also received some yummy garlic mashed potatoes and a small portion of roasted winter vegetables. They were all great.
I was very disappointed with two factors. One – on their menu they list their brussels sprouts with capers and parmesan as a dinner side. When looking through menus, I mentioned to my husband how we should choose Glowbal because the brussels sprouts are one of my favorite dishes at Glowbal Group restaurants. Unfortunately, we received three brussels sprouts in total. I feel that they should have just kept it as part of their winter vegetables instead of listing this as a menu item on their own. Two – I love stuffing, but they included just a very little bit on the tray. It was delicious and I wish there was more. I would have loved if they scrapped one of the salads (the wedge) and gave us a bit more stuffing instead. That being said, I do appreciate that we got some even though they did not list it on the menu.
They knocked dessert out of the park. We received a variety of hand crafted, little desserts. They were as cute as they were delicious.
Overall, the meal was pretty good and I appreciated having a nice Christmas dinner without putting in any of the work.
The Vancouver Fish Company
By therdizzle in Eateries Tags: granville island, restaurant review, seafood platter, surf and turf, The Vancouver Fish Company, vancouver, vancouver restaurant, yvr restaurant
On Saturday night, my hubby and I went on a date to The Vancouver Fish Company on Granville Island. I hadn’t been there before and had recently come across their account on instagram, so we decided to take a chance and try them out.
We had reservations and were seated right away in a big, comfy booth.
As far as covid goes, I felt quite safe. We were seated a great distance away from other patrons and the service staff was masked. I would say that the restaurant was at about half capacity.
I absolutely loved the ambience. With it being so close to the holidays, it was festive with accent decorations without overkill. It was very classy. The room was dimly lit and there was a romantic vibe. My hubby made a comment about the group of flameless candles behind us adding to the atmosphere.
For our dinner, we started with half a dozen oysters. They were fresh and delicious. They were served with a cocktail sauce and a vinaigrette. Our main course was a complete show stopper. We got the surf and turf platter. It was such a beautiful dish. The platter had AAA striploin, lobster, crab, scallops, prawns, potatoes, and vegetables. It was served with chimichurri sauce and drawn butter. The food was incredible. There was no clear stand out on the plate, but in the best possible way. We were yumming over the kale and carrots the same way we were over the lobster and crab. We ate everything on that platter leaving absolutely nothing behind.
The service was as good as the food. Our server was attentive and checked on us often without interrupting our deep conversational moments. He was excellent.
We had such a great overall experience and I cannot wait to come back! The biggest problem with this restaurant is that I want to try everything on the menu, and I also definitely want to get the surf and turf platter again.
15 Places Offering Christmas Feasts To Go
By therdizzle in Eateries Tags: holiday meals, restaurants, turkey to go, vancouver, vancouver holiday meals to go
With Christmas looking a bit different this year, a lot of restaurants and catering companies here in Vancouver are offering wonderful holiday dinners to go. What a great way to support local businesses. You’ll have a delicious meal on your dinner table without having to put in all the time and effort slaving over a hot stove. You can sit back and relax and enjoy a lovely Christmas meal with your bubble. After this crazy year, don’t we all deserve it? Here are fifteen places offering some ready to heat and eat feasts with all the fixins:
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
Eat, drink and be merry!
Seymour Mountain Snowshoe
By therdizzle in The Great Outdoors Tags: Review, Seymour Mountain, snowshoe, vancouver
One of my best friends took me to Seymour Mountain to treat me to a Sunday Funday of snowshoeing. Her and I had previously taken part in a snowshoeing tour on Cypress Mountain and opted to venture out on our own this time.
We drove up to Parkgate Community Centre in North Vancouver. There we found parking nearby and took a shuttle up to the mountain. There and back, the shuttle cost was $10.
Upon arrival, you’re dropped off close to the rental office. On weekends the office is open from 9 to 430. They have little ipads set up for you to sign a waiver before you get in line. Rental for an adult is $28.00 and includes the cost of the trail, if you have your own snowshoes you pay only for the cost of the trail which I believe is $10.50.
The staff at the rental office were very helpful in explaining the correct way to put on the snowshoes and showing us the best trail for us to do being beginners and having a limited amount of time.
The trail we did was pretty easy, yet it still felt like we got a bit of a workout. The trail was well marked and we came across a few “you are here” signs on the way to keep us from getting lost. On this day it wasn’t too busy, but I hear we got lucky in that department. We were rewarded throughout with stunning views (man, we live in a gorgeous place!) and the peace and quiet of the mountain.
The beautiful winter scenery and the clarity a quiet afternoon snowshoeing offers makes this a definite to do in my books!
Kingyo Izakaya
By therdizzle in Eateries Tags: japanese, Kingyo Izakaya, restaurant, Review, vancouver, vancouver restaurant
Over the weekend, my husband and I met up for dinner with my brother, his wife,my cousin and his girlfriend at Kingyo Izakaya on Denman Street. We had reservations for 7 p.m. and we had run about 5 minutes late. Once we arrived, we waited another 5 minutes for our table to be cleared and ready. We were told that the table was needed back by 9 so we needed to be done by then, which we agreed to. I would highly recommend making reservations for this hot spot. I overheard patrons being told it was an hour wait to get in.
The restaurant is small, but very busy. They maximize on the space that they have so it was a bit tight where we were seated. There’s a casual and lively atmosphere to the restaurant.
We started off with a mixture of warm and cold sake and various cocktails. By the time the waitress came to take our order for food, it was 8:10. I think this would usually be fine as we were a group of 6 chatting and enjoying our drinks, however, we were told we needed to leave by 9:00 p.m.
We went with lots of share plates so we got to try several dishes which was nice. The dishes we tried were the black edamame, sockeye salmon sashimi, ahi-tuna and avocado carpaccio, stone grilled kobe beef, crispy chicken karaage, ebi-mayo, aonori calamari, salmon pressed sushi and cod filets. Ohhh ehhhm geee! The food here is sooooo damn delicious! It blew me away! There was not a single thing that I tried that was not done well. The fried dishes were crispy, the sauces were all flavorful, the sushi or raw fish dishes were fresh and refreshing. My cousin’s girl loves her salmon sashimi and eats it regularly. She called the sashimi here the best she’d ever had! It just melts in your mouth. Getting to cook the kobe steak on the hot stone to your desired doneness was a fun experience on it’s own. I just love me a table full of great food.
A couple downsides I will mention – two couples at the table ordered kobe beef. I’m not sure why they didn’t bring out a stone per pair. Instead they put our whole order together and brought us one stone. First, it made it difficult as we were sitting on separate ends of the table. Second, the stone just burned out faster and we were halted at a certain point waiting until they brought us a new stone. Another downside, (and maybe this isn’t a big concern to people doing share plates) I didn’t want anyone to feel like they weren’t getting enough steak. At $24 an order you want to make sure everyone is getting a good share, but when it’s all put in one order it’s hard to be fair about it. Lastly, the waitress mentioned it was last call for us for food. At that time I went ahead and ordered another ebi-mayo. It never came. Our bills arrived and no second order of ebi-mayo. As all other dishes were done and it was almost time to go, we decided we were fine to skip it. The waitress was lovely and felt bad about it, but I’m thinking perhaps they have trouble being attentive when it’s that slammed.
Nonetheless, I can’t wait to go back again.
Chewies Steam and Oyster Bar (Coal Harbour)
By therdizzle in Eateries Tags: Chewies Steam and Oyster Bar, chicken and waffles, dining, Review, vancouver, vancouver restaurant
The hubby and I decided to go for brunch on our Saturday afternoon. I had a hankering for chicken and waffles so Chris and I ventured over to Coal Harbour to Chewies Steam and Oyster Bar.
I have always had New Orleans on my bucket list and until the day I make my way over there, Chewies offers me a little taste of what I’m missing out on. From the funky light fixture of brass musical instruments, the Bourbon Street sign to the giant barrels at the entrance, this place just gives me fun Louisiana vibes!
We were seated pretty quickly. The server was friendly when greeting us and mentioned that they were quite short staffed as several people didn’t make it into work. Even so, he filled our waters quickly, took our drink orders and checked on us often. The level of service was never compromised. I was very impressed.
We ordered half a dozen fresh oysters to start. We enjoyed a beautiful selection of kusshi, daisy bay and raspberry point. They were served with several different types of sauces. The oysters here are so fresh and delicious. I only wish that we had come by an hour later for happy hour when they’re only a buck a shuck. We could have ordered many, many more.
For my main, of course I went with their infamous chicken and waffles. If there’s one thing Chewies does well, it’s frying up some finger lickin’ good chicken. Crunchy and perfectly spiced, the fried chicken is just to die for! Add in the crispy waffles and the sweetness of syrup and it’s the perfect combination of sweet and savoury.
My hubby went for the shrimp and grits. This was his first time trying grits and he loved them. The dish was topped with a perfectly poached egg and delicious jumbo shrimp. It was a hearty, filling meal.
Chewies never seems to disappoint. Service is great, the ambience is right up my alley and most importantly – the food is soooo good! I can’t wait to go back.
Kissa Tanto
By therdizzle in Eateries Tags: Kissa Tanto, Review, vancouver, vancouver restaurant
Last night, the hubster and I headed over to Kissa Tanto in Chinatown for a date night. This dining spot was a suggestion from someone at work. When I first heard about it, I’ll admit I wasn’t completely sold. Japanese-Italian fusion wasn’t something I could quite imagine. I made reservations months in advance and getting a normal dining time was difficult so I was definitely taking this as a sign that it was most likely worth the wait.
We walked up the staircase and through the curtains to a packed restaurant on our Saturday evening. I instantly loved the vibe in the room. The decor has a 1960s feel and the bar reminded me of something out of a mob movie. We were given an option from the host to either take a table that’s available now or wait for our table which would be ready in a few moments, but is a lot nicer. We opted to wait and the wait wasn’t long at all. We were given a refreshments menu to take a look at while we waited. About 6 minutes later we were taken to a cute corner booth at the very back of the restaurant.
For dinner, we both really wanted to try the whole fried fish. I was told that this was the dish to try here. Unfortunately, it was sold out by the time we arrived. They only get about 10 a day and they tend to sell out quickly. I’m not gonna lie, we were both super disappointed that we didn’t get to try it. Luckily, the rest of the menu is unique and exciting so it was easy picking out some other options. All the dishes here are served as share plates. I could see the only real problem you might have may be coming to a consensus on what to order. Everything on the menu sounds so amazing.
We started out with the octopus salad. I’ve never seen a more beautiful salad in my life. The octopus was smoked and crispy, a combo of fresh and pickled radishes served with a delicious sauce. Our next dish was the duck agnolotti – fresh cut pasta filled with braised duck and a buttery mustard brandy sauce. We ended off with dry aged organic striploin served with a unique combination of grilled shishito peppers, robust cherries and marinated beets. We also ordered a side of zucchini that was so flavorful and topped off with togarashi crumbs. These dishes are innovative, velvety, simple and complicated all at the same time.
Service was fantastic and I was so impressed with all the cute little details like the sign when you walk in, the message at the start of the menu and the haiku that comes with your bill.
I love everything about this place! It’s clearly one of Vancouver’s gems and we were already making plans to come back soon before we’d even left.
Diner en Blanc
By therdizzle in Events and Exhibits Tags: Diner en Blanc, events, special events, vancouver, Vancouver events, White Party
With Diner en Blanc coming up tomorrow, I thought I would share my thoughts about my experience when Chris and I went.
For those of you who don’t know much about Diner En Blanc, let me give you the lowdown – this event takes place once a year in a secret location. In order to attend, you need to be invited by a table leader, be “sponsored” by someone who has attended previously or you can register online…or show up as a plus one like I did. The rules are quite strict. You are to wear only all white. You are asked to bring a table with a white table cloth, two white chairs, white cloth napkins, cutlery, dishware and gourmet dinner items. There is an option to purchase dinner (although the people at our table that ordered food didn’t seem too happy with it). Alcohol can also be purchased at the event.
It’s pretty much a pop-up picnic in a Vancity public space. The location stays a secret until the very last moment.
A sea of thousands of people show up donning head-to-toe white and expecting the unexpected. It’s quite the sight to see. There are some amazing surprises throughout the night and usually live music and dancing. The night is one of great elegance and decorum. It’s a wonderful evening to mingle, admire the style and originality of others, meet new people and experience something unlike anything else. My favorite moment of the night was easily the lighting of the sparklers after dark. Simply breathtaking…wow.
There were some downsides to the event in my opinion like searching for an all white outfit, dishes, cloth napkins, picnic basket, etc. if you don’t already own these items. I went on a search for white shoes every day for a week prior to the event. Seemed to be impossible to find as it sounded like everyone had the same idea before Diner en Blanc. The morning of I finally found a pair that I ended up buying that were about a half a size too big. Luckily, in our case, we were invited from a table leader and the group had already arranged for the table and chairs to arrive for us so we didn’t have to worry about that. Watching a dressed up crowd of people (including women in heels) dragging their table and chairs for our somewhat long walk felt like a lot of trouble. We opted to take our own meal and the invitation mentioned that it should be “gourmet”, so add coming home from work to get fancy and having to prepare food before attending to the list. I feel like the event would be much more enjoyable if it was on a weekend instead of a weekday evening. Lastly, after all the work you put into bringing your own items, I should mention that you pay to attend this event.
Although I’m glad we had a wonderful time and I was thrilled to check it out after years of hearing about it, I don’t know that I would go back again. It just felt like a lot of trouble to me when we went. I do recommend that everyone try it at least once because it’s also an evening I’m happy I got to experience.
Diner en Blanc originated 30 years ago in Paris as a small event with a handful of friends. It’s evolved into a unique phenomenon enjoyed all over the world. I am happy to say I checked it off the bucket list.
Theatre Under The Stars: Cinderella
By therdizzle in Events and Exhibits Tags: Cinderella, Play, Stanley Park, Theatre Under the Stars, vancouver
Every summer Theatre Under The Stars presents locals with entertaining musicals in the heart of Stanley Park at the Malkin Bowl. In the past I’d seen the production of “Beauty and the Beast” that they had put on and it was enchanting. I felt pure magic as they brought one of my favorite childhood fairytales alive right before my eyes. I was in awe and it was a production I often compare other plays to.
This year I came to learn that Theatre Under The Stars would be putting on “Cinderella”, which was hands down my favorite story growing up. Of course, with how fantastic Beauty and the Beast was, I jumped at the chance to go check out their rendition. My two girlfriends and I went to watch it. We were excited as the show began, but unfortunately, once it got underway it was clear that this was going to be a long, disappointing night. They’ve tried to put a modern spin on a classic. They’ve tried to make it more diverse, added an election (huh, what?) and made some major changes to the story. The costumes were all over the place. Being the girly girl that I am, I was looking forward to Cinderella’s make-over moment. I’m sad to say that it was a great disappointment. The back-up dancers looked fancier than Cinderella at the ball.
I was honestly a bit flabbergasted during this performance. I’ll admit that perhaps my expectations were through the roof after watching Beauty and the Beast last year, but Cinderella fell very flat.