A Falafully Goulish Night

Last Friday I had one of the funnest (yes I still believe that if I use that word enough, it will actually get added to the dictionary) nights ever!  It all started with fabulous company and a trip to Oak and 16th.  It had been so long since I'd been to this neck of the woods (five years to be exact) that I almost forgot how much I enjoyed it.  Calm and quiet enough to feel like you're in a suburb, but busy enough to let you know you're still downtown.  Add to that that we discovered Falafully Good...the night was definitely off to a good start!

The thing that I liked most about Falafully good was obviously their food (yummy in my tummy) but also the fact that they have a liquor license.  I don't think I've ever been able to grab a plate of Shawarma and a beer at the same place...genius!  Plus, the prices were right.  Two plates of shawarma, a gingerale and a beer for $25.75, tax in.  Look out McDonald's two can dine for $9.99, Falafully Good is gunning for you!

Top the night off with an eerie drive through the foggy streets of Vancouver to the Dunbar Haunted House...you couldn't ask for a better night out in October!  And for those of you who haven't been to the Dunbar Haunted House, get your butts down there.  It's very well done, will scare you silly, this is its last year, and all proceeds go to charity.  Word to the wise, though, the peak line time seems to be from 8pm to 9:30pm.

Hope you all have a Falafully Goulish Halloween! 

My Chicken Shawarma Plate: chicken shawarma, rice, salad, tabbouleh, hummus and pita.  (Approximately $10 before tax)

The X that marks the spot!

 

http://www.dunbarhauntedhouse.com/

@theDunbarHaunt

 

https://www.facebook.com/falafullygood.restaurant

@FalafullyGood

Stagette Food Adventures Part 2 - La Bocca

For my friend's big night out on the town we started things off with dinner at La Bocca and that was definitely a good call.  Funky atmosphere, yummy food with solid portions, delicious drinks and great service.  As for the rest of the night...don't you wish you knew!

Things to note: (1) La Bocca is located in Whistler Village, across from Citta's and in behind the Amsterdam Café.  (2) If you happen to get Pam as your server, you are the luckiest sons of guns ever!  Why?  (a) Pam rocks.  (b) Pam has the best suggestions ever to ensure you have a fun night out in Whistler.

My Ginger Mist: gin, muddled lime and cilantro, topped with ginger beer.  AMAZING!  If you're a fan of ginger beer, you'll definitely be a fan of this yummy concoction.  Light and refreshing but with a good 2 oz kick to it.  ($10)

 

I also tried Phil's Punch but forgot to take a picture of it.  Mandarin vodka, peach schnapps, grenadine, orange, grapefruit, pineapple and cranberry juice.  This drink also made my taste buds do a little happy dance.  The drink was more fruity but not sweet and still just as refreshing, which was nice.  ($10)

My Saffron-seared BC Halibut with oven-dried tomato, artichokes, zucchini and garlic in a Mediterranean orzo toss.  This was very yummy in my tummy!  First of all, I was blown away by the halibut portion...at least 1.5-2 times what I was expecting.  Second of all, the orzo/veggie toss packed a punch of flavour, which I loved.  Thirdly, the orzo/veggie toss was a solid portion, so I definitely filled up.  And last but not least, there was an olive oil/herb ring on the outside of the dish...I love olive oil!  Needless to say, I was happy with my decision.  ($28)

http://www.labocca.moonfruit.com/

@LaBoccaWhistler

Stagette Food Adventures Part 1 - Sunflower Bakery Cafe

A couple weekends ago, I headed up to Whistler with an amazing group of ladies for a lovely friend's stagette!  The spa, ziplining, scrumptious food, yummy beverages and a lot of laughter...you can't ask for a better weekend than that!  Even though we were sworn to secrecy over the crazy shenanigans we got up to, the bride gave me the A-Okay to divulge the secrets of our food adventures.

For me, one of the weekend's food highlights was the Sunflower Bakery Café in Squamish.  We stopped here on our way up because one of our fellow stagetters had missed breakfast that morning...and you know me, I'll never turn down a second breakfast!  I was expecting a standard café but this café was amazing!  Comfy cozy, welcoming, warm, super duper fresh baked goods made in the natural way (no yeast, sugar, fats or dairy), and reasonable prices.  I definitely think I foresee many pre-boarding second breakfasts in my future this ski season!

Sunflower Bakery Café.

My fellow stagetter's (we'll call her the chocolate lover) cornmeal scone second breakfast/early lunch.  She said it was delicious!  ($2.33)

 

The chocolate lover's oatmeal chocolate chip second breakfast/early lunch dessert.  This looked absolutely amazing!  I do believe I may have literally lost my hand if I had tried to sneak a bite. 

 

My Tomato and Cheese Bagel second breakfast/early lunch.  This bagel sandwich was out of control!  First of all, the sesame bagel was the freshest and yummiest bagel I think I've ever tasted in my life.  Second of all, it was toasted to perfection, and just the right amount of cream cheese was spread evenly on either side of the bagel.  Add to that that the tomato, cheddar cheese and lettuce were crazy fresh and cool and crisp...the contrast of the hot and cold and all of the amazing flavours were out of control!  I can't wait to go back and have it again.  (Approximately $5).

 

My second breakfast/early lunch dessert: a Whole-wheat Raspberry Scone.  To die for!  Period.  ($2.33)

 

http://www.sunflowerbakerycafe.com/

Chewies Steam and Oyster Bar

Ladies and gents, I always had an inkling that Chewies was a fun placed based on what I've seen walking by, but I had no idea it was the Rodney's of Kits...totally made my day!!!  Kick butt caesars, great drinks, amazing oysters, laid back service, and an interesting Southern-inspired menu.  Add to that that they have a nice patio and what looks like a rocking bar...I definitely plan on frequenting this establishment more in the future!  Especially if I can go with as great of company as I did this time.

My oh-so-scrumptious big girl Caesar!  Vodka, fresh horseradish, dill juice, hot sauce, Lee & Perin, pepper, lemon.  Who doesn't love a Caesar that comes with a shrimp?  ($9.50)

My dining companion's Bourbon Sour.  This looked like one heck of a drink!  ($9.50)

A dozen freshly shucked oysters on the half shell.  I'm not going to lie, I can't remember what type we ordered for the life of me...but they were amazing!  (MP) 

BBQ Shrimp and Grits: New Orleans style beer & rosemary BBQ sauce, parmesan cheese grits.  I have always wanted to try shrimp and grits but have never had the chance, so I was super excited to try it out!  The shrimp were delicious, the sauce mouth-watering and the grits smooth and creamy goodness.  ($15)

http://chewiesoysterbar.com/

@chewiesoysters

Romer's Burger Bar

A fabulously fun group of ladies, sunshine and a patio...lunch doesn't get much better than that...except for when there's a plethora of mouth-watering burgers on the menu!  Enter Romer's Burger Bar in Yaletown.  Great patio, and a scrumptious burger for every burger lover.  So, next time you're having a burger craving, make sure Romer's is on your short list.

Things to note: Romer's adds a twist to the normal burger bun...pick your own bun!  Now, unfortunately, I'm not talking about the buns of your server...but you do have an option of the standard fresh-baked brioche bun, skinny bun, make it green bun (lettuce + $0.75) or gluten-free bun (+$0.75).  Literally an option for everyone.

The "I'm ready to pop" Mom's Man's Man Burger (a.k.a. the best damn burger to ever hit your lips): thick applewood bacon, amber ale cheddar, onion strings, smoked alder salts, vine-ripened tomato and whole-grain mustard, no bun.  ($12.25)  I think the male baby hormones were talking to this mom-to-be when she ordered this puppy!  It looked amazing, as did her Roasted Organic Beet Salad (sweet onion, wild baby arugula, and local goat cheese).  ($4.50)

My and the Girl You Want in Your Corner if You Ever Get Sued's Ocean-wise Halibut Tacos: crisp slaw, mango salsa, roti bread and served with fresh cut fries.  ($14.75)  The Girl You Want in Your Corner if You Ever Get Sued ordered the appetizer version ($12.75) and then ordered a Roasted Organic Beet Salad ($4.75) to go with them...great idea.  As for the tacos, they were good.  Flavourful and a solid fish taco.  The roti instead of tortilla was interesting and a bit more greasy, and I wish the mango salsa had been a fresh salsa instead of a sauce...but let's be honest, I was just having buyer's remorse over not ordering the Man's Man Burger!

The Super Spinner's Wild Baja Shrimp salad: leafy greens, vine-ripened tomatoes, avocado, applewood bacon, roasted beets, chopped egg, lemon vinaigrette and house ranch drizzle.  ($15.50)  This looked super fresh and very yummy.

 

The Most Excited Gluten-Free Person's So Cal Free-Range Turkey Burger with Gluten-Free Bun: fresh avocado, soleggiatti tomatoes, red onion, organic watercress and chipotle aioli.  ($10.50 + $0.75)  Who knew that someone with coeliac disease could have a burger?  Awesomeness!

Getting my daily dose of Vitamin D.

http://romersburgerbar.com/

@romersburger

Noodlebox

Noodlebox...hands-down one of the greatest take-out options ever.  Yummy noodles, scrumptious sauces, fresh veggies and one of those Chinese take-out boxes is just oh so fun to carry home!  Just make sure you don't try to act like a hero when it comes to the heat factor...I'm normally a medium girl and I have a hard time handling their "1."

Things to note: (1) 6 locations in Victoria and 2 in Vancouver (4th Avenue and Robson).  (2) Orders are normally ready to pick up in 10-15 minutes.  (3) You can also enjoy your meal in their establishment...and (4) they have a liquor license!!!

My teriyaki box with tofu: Japanese soy and ginger sauce with fresh egg noodles, peppers and Asian greens.  Yummy in my tummy!  ($11.50)

 

http://noodlebox.net/

@NoodleBoxCanada

Prospect Point Café

When my parents came to town for a visit this summer, I was horrified to discover that I'd never taken them to Stanley Park!  What sort of a tour guide am I?  Nine years of visits and no Stanley Park tour...geeshkapeeshka!  Needless to say, we decided it was time for a trip to Stanley Park!  We drove in from the downtown Vancouver side, and took a leisurely drive to Prospect Point.  Here we got out and checked out some of the amazing views of West and North Van then took the Merilees Trail to Siwash Rock and Third Beach.  It was a really pretty walk and a neat viewpoint of Siwash Rock.  Last but not least, it was time to fill our hungry bellies! 

We decided on the Prospect Point Café since it was close and easy.  It was a neat little place, open air and right smack dab in the forest with a bit of a peekaboo view of Lion's Gate bridge.  Definitely an enjoyable setting and we were all pleasantly surprised by the food.  We were all expecting it to be a bit touristy, but the food was great!  I'd definitely eat there again.  On to the tantalizing photos!

The Lookout Burger: maple bacon, smoked cheddar, farm fresh fixing, house mayo and potato bun, served with sea salt fries.  This looked like one heck of a burger!  And my Dad said the sea salt fries were some of the best he's ever had....and I can vouch for that!  ($16)

The Caesar Salad: croutons, parmesan dressing, lemon.  This salad definitely didn't disappoint!  ($9)

The Grilled Portobello Wrap: quinoa, crisp vegetables, chickpea spread and sundried tomato tortilla served with local green salad.  Uber flavourful, fresh and filling.  I was definitely a happy camper!  ($14)

 

 http://www.prospectpoint.ca/Prospect_Point/Home.html

@ProspectPtCafe

The Grand Bay Café

One of the best kept restaurant secrets in Kelowna is the Grand Bay Café located in the Delta Grand Okanagan.  The restaurant is quiet and calm, the service is good, they have a patio right on the lagoons, the food is good quality and solid sizes, the prices are very reasonable and, rumour has it, that they even have a $15 burger and beer special on Rockets home game nights in the winter!  So, if you're looking for a relaxed lunch on a patio in downtown Kelowna or an inexpensive pre-game burger and beer, make your way to the Grand Bay Café.

Housemade hummus with assorted breads.  I couldn't believe the amount of hummus that arrived on the table for only $5!  Amazing!

My Grandma's Caesar salad: chock full of bacon and cheesey goodness.  A nice Caesar according to my Grandma who ate every last bit!  ($12)

The front side of my Apple Cobb Salad: chicken, prunes, aged cheddar, tomatoes and fresh greens with grated apple.

 

The back side of my Apple Cobb Salad: roasted nuts, dried apples, bacon and more fresh greens.  This was a lovely salad.  It wasn't quite as apple focused as I was expecting, but it was super fresh and had delicious flavours!  ($14)

 

Our view during lunch.  Not too shabby.

Now that's what I call one heck of a special coffee!!!  Coffee, Bailey's, Frangelico and whipped cream...what more could a girl want?  ($9)

Me and my fabulous lunching partner, Grandma!

 

https://www.deltahotels.com/Hotels/Delta-Grand-Okanagan-Resort-Conference-Centre/Restaurants-Dining/The-Grand-Bay-Cafe

 @DeltaGrandHotel

Music, Beer and Where's Waldo (Perfectly Poured Pints - 3 of 22)

This post is long overdue, but I couldn't not post it, so we're going to do a bit of time travelling back to the beginning of July when I had a fabulous evening at the City and Colour concert with some of the greatest ladies I know.  Not only did I learn new things (City and Colour is called City and Colour because of Dallas Green...think about it...glad I'm not the only one that took a while to get that one), but the concert was fabulous (literally felt like Dallas Green invited you into his backyard for a private show...he's so talented and so real), I fulfilled a childhood dream and found Where's Waldo, and we topped the evening off at Biercraft...my inaugural visit!! 

I know, I know, how can a beer lover live in Vancouver and have never been to Biercraft?  I haven't been able to figure that one out myself, but I'm very glad to have finally made it there.  Fun, relaxed but classy atmosphere, amazing beer list, great looking menu...definitely a recipe for a very fun night!  I'd definitely recommend meandering down there sooner than later and checking it out.

Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale on tap??  You had me at Deschutes for crying out loud!

Biercraft!

 

The Baked Brie: filo wrapped, baked double cream brie, crostini & honey-balsamic reduction.  ($12)

The greatest dessert that could ever be had: a Fruli beer.  Amazing!

 

And just when I thought the night couldn't get any better...look who I found?!!!

http://www.biercraft.com/

Twitter: @biercraft

Topanga's

Many a year ago, an old colleague of mine (who rocks, for the record) recommended Topanga's.  He raved about it so much, I almost walked over to the restaurant right then and there and had dinner.  Alas, I didn't follow my gut, I didn't do that, and it's been tempting me ever since!  So, I finally got my act together and went this summer and it was definitely worth the raving.  It probably didn't hurt that my company was great, but the food was delicious, their patio is awesome, the portions were out of control, the prices were reasonable, the service was fabulous and the restaurant had such a nice feel to it.  I especially liked all of the families that were there that night.  So, needless to say, I would recommend doing as I say and not as I do, and getting your butt down to Topanga's sooner than later!  You definitely won't regret it.

My dining partner's Enchilada serviced with chips, salsa, rice and beans.  ($12.55)

My Chicken Flautas served with chips, salsa, rice and beans.  ($14.15)  Amazing!  I'd definitely have to say these were the best chicken flautas I've had so far.

http://topangacafe.ca/

Twitter: @TopangaCafe

Sciué

I recently met up with some of my favourite lunching ladies and we decided to be wild and spontaneous and switch up our eating location!  Where did we end up?  Sciué.  I forgot how enjoyable lunch there is.  You're out of the hustle and bustle of the regular lunch rush, the food is yummy and fresh, and the patio on Melville is lovely.  Definitely a nice way to mix it up.  Now, on to the food!

The selection of fresh paninis and desserts (sold by sandwiches or treat).

Pizza galore!  Sold by weight.

My Taormina Paninoteca: prosciutto crudo, bocconcini, avocado, roma tomatoes, organic greens and pesto on a fresh pane Romano bun.  ($8)  This was a very yummy sandwich and fresh as can be.  But it wasn't quite enough to fill me up for lunch, so I'd recommend getting a salad as well, if you're really hungry. 

My Large Italian Salad: fresh roma tomatoes, cucumber and red onions, tossed in a balsamic vinegar reduction with extra virgin olive oil and served with bread from the bakery.  ($5.75)  Note: the small salad and large salad are the same size.  The difference is that the large salad you get chunks of tomatoes whereas in the small salad you get fewer slices of tomato. 

http://www.sciue.ca/

Twitter: @sciuevancouver

Roundel Cafe with a side of Vancouver

Roundel Cafe is officially at the top of my favourite brunch places and up until last weekend I didn't even know it existed!  I went for a hike (good old Dog Mountain on Seymour) with two of my favourite fitness companions and after working up a solid appetite, we decided that the only logical way to reward ourselves was with brunch!  One of the ladies suggested the Roundel Cafe based on a google search, and we're sure glad that we decided to try something new.

The Roundel Cafe is absolutely lovely!  The diner itself has been around for years and still has the original counter, stools, booths...you name it.  However, it doesn't feel like a greasy spoon diner.  It feels like you stepped back fifty years in time to your Grandma's kitchen.  The servers are laid-back, efficient and real.  The food is homemade (no store bought sauces here!) and there are no fried foods.  Add to that that the food is delicious and the prices are normal, you can't go wrong! 

My spinach and tomato and feta benny.  Two free range poached eggs topped with homemade dill hollandaise, roasted potatoes and yams and salad.  ($13)  Heavenly!  I had to consciously stop myself from making happy eating noises.

Fitness friend number one's smoked salmon and cream cheese benny, served with roasted potatoes and yams, and salad.  ($12)

Fitness friend number two's ham and cheddar omelette, served with roasted potatoes and yams, and salad.  (Price unknown)

 

The view during our 30 second wait for our table. 

 

Fortune cookies with our bill?  I love it!

The X that marks the spot.

 

 

Views of the city from the lookout during our Dog Mountain hike at Seymour.  Gorgeous! 

 

http://www.roundelcafe.com/

Solly's Bagels

Well folks, I've been running past Solly's Bagels during morning runs and being tortured by the yummy smells for years now, so it's about time that I made it into one!  All thanks to my re-discovered best bud from kindergarten...you know who you are.

For those of you who haven't been to Solly's Bagels, it sells far more than just bagels...they have latkes, they have matzo balls, they have babka...just to name a few.  Solly's is a lovely Jewish bakery and deli, which we decided to check out for lunch on this adventure.  I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking!

The view from our table at the 7th and Yukon Solly's.  I was completely surprised by how big the deli was.  Plenty of space and nice and bright to boot!

My kindergarten friend's cottage cheese muffin.  ($2.45)

My kindergarten friend's Chicken Matzo Ball Soup: all natural golden chicken broth served with a matzo ball dumpling. ($4.95)

My Full Meat Deal: hot pastrami on an everything bagel with a small chicken matzo ball soup, potato chips and a pickle spear.  ($11.95)

And the best finishing touch ever...our Babka!!!!  A rich European yeast coffee cake rolled up with dark fudgey chocolate.  Imagine a cinnamon bun but with chocolate instead of cinnamon.  Enough said...just order one!  ($2.95)

The X that marks the spot and the long-lost kindergarten friends...just as silly as we were in kindergarten!  Some things never change.

http://www.sollysbagels.com/v2wp/

Twitter: @SollysBagelry