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Fairmont Vancouver Airport has their dining area – Globe@YVR and they always have a rotating seasonal menu to keep their dishes as fresh and as local as possible. Did you know, if you spend a minimum of $30, you get 3 hours of free parking at the airport. Thats awesome because it isn’t cheap to park at the airport.

We are back again to try a few items for the Summer menu. To take note, our appetizers and desserts are served differently than that they are normally served, but you can ask the server to make you something like that if you want.

If you sit by the window, you get a great view of the planes going to and leaving their gates. My friend and I were sitting here reminiscing about past trips and thinking about future ones. We even had a thought…what if we just finished dinner and spontaneously bought a cheap ticket somewhere. Great thoughts but spontaneity would have to wait as I have a 5 month year old at home.

Pomegranate Palmer

I went with a non-alcoholic beverage – Pomegranate Palmer made of iced tea, lemonade, and pomegranate juice. Very good and refreshing. The dominate taste is of the iced tea and sweetened up and given more dimension by the lemonade and pomegranate.

Pomegranate Paloma

My friend went with the Pomegranate Paloma and it was made of 1oz casamigos reposado tequila, 1/2 oz cointreau, pomegranate, and fresh grapefruit and lemon. She really enjoyed it.

Signature Beer Bread

You can add this to the start of your meal and it’s really delicious. It is made with local honey and baked fresh from the oven. It’s a treat and we really liked it. We had to come back again for this.

It is served piping hot and you have to slather on the butter covered in pollen.

Appetizer Platter

They gave us a tasting of their appetizers by turning it into a platter. It was a nice way of trying everything without having full portions. If you want something similar, let the server know.

Fresh Shucked Oysters use pacific north west oyster and it was topped with caviar. It was an interesting change to have it with caviar as the salty eggs pop in your mouth as you eat the oyster.

Diver Scallops were served with apple and celeriac slaw, pickled blueberry, and bee pollen. Very well cooked with a nice sear on the outside.

Pan Seared Foie Gras is served on sweet pickled plums, and brioche toast, with cognac jus. Loved the buttery taste with the texture of the brioche toast.

Prosciutto di Parma has anna’s burrata, figs, aged balsamic, and local greens. So damn good. My favourite of the items on the plate.

16oz Bone-In Rib Eye

The 16oz Bone-In Rib Eye has pomme purée, grilled marchetto farm asparagus, and natural jus. It was made to a medium rare and super delicious. It was more medium rare closer to the bone, but some parts were more cooked like the lobe of the rib eye.

1/2 Lobster

We added 1/2 lobster to the steak. There is lemon, butter and an aioli sauce for you to dunk the meat into.

The first time I had lobster here, it was delicious and had a nice bounce to the flesh. This time around, it was overcooked.

Herbed Rack of Lamb

The Herb rack of lamb is sous vide, so it is super tender and juicy. It is served with eggplant, dauphinoise potato, and thyme jus.

Dessert Platter

What a good way to get a taste of their desserts than with a platter. It’s not on the menu, but ask your server.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

It is decadent with nice textures. It is topped with passionfruit pearls to balance the rich chocolate. Our favourite dessert on the platter.

Mango Mousse Cake

It has three layers of mango mousse and then cake in between. A good ratio of mousse and cake. The mango is strong but not too overpowering.

Final Thoughts

It was good to try a few more items on the menu. I like that there is free 3 hour parking with $30 purchase as it’s easy to spend that amount here. There is a good selection of West Coast cuisine and it’s just relaxing to come here before your flight or during a layover to treat yourself.

For more dishes and what we thought, go here for our previous dining experience.

Address:
Vancouver International Airport, 3111 Grant McConachie Way, Richmond, BC

Website:
https://www.fairmont.com/vancouver-airport-richmond/

The Shop is an eatery and butcher shop under one roof at Two Rivers Meats in North Vancouver. We were invited to try their winter menu, which features their specialty meats and seasonal produce available from local suppliers.

Interior

The space is bright and welcoming. The left half is an eatery with an open kitchen and family style seating.

The other half is a butcher shop with an array of ethically and sustainably raised meats. Two Rivers Meats proudly offer meat products from farms all over BC & Alberta who “raise their animals in open spaces without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.”

Help yourself to popcorn while you wait for your order!

Menu

Their winter menu is a good mix of shareables, food from the grill and rotisserie, as well as options for the kids.

After placing your order, grab a popcorn and your bone marrow table number.

We decided to sit right by the bar facing the grill so we can feel the warmth of the fire (it was cold and raining outside). Meats were cooked over an open fire using alder and birch wood.

We ordered the burger with tallow fries, sausage platter, the beet slaw, and the ramen.

65 Day Dry Aged Beef Burger

Their signature item is the 65-day dry aged beef burger, which is served with aged cheddar, charred tomato, zucchini pickles, iceberg lettuce, and white BBQ sauce in a brioche bun. We opted to add bacon.

This burger is delicious! There’s a depth of flavour in dry aged beef that is hard to describe but is easy to distinguish by taste. The bacon is good, but this burger didn’t need it. It’s great as-is.

As a side, The Shop offers Tallow Fries and I recommend that you get them each and every time you visit. (Fun fact: McDonald’s Fries were originally fried in tallow–it’s now made in vegetable oil…and additives to mimic the taste of beef tallow.)

Sausage Platter

The sausage platter is good for sharing and the selection rotates every other day based on the season and availability. It’s served with pickled onions, zucchini pickles and mustard. The pickles are fresh and are made in-house.

When we visited, the three sausages featured were Buffalo Chicken, Toulouse and Chaurice. This is a great option if you’d like to try their sausages or to share with the table.

Two Rivers Ramen Bowl

The Two Rivers Ramen is miso bone broth, soft poached egg, bean sprouts, noodles, charred garlic chili oil, spiced nori, crispy pork and green onions.

Ramen in a butcher shop?! I was initially suspicious, until I realized they have a ready supply of bone, marrow and fat to make an amazing soup broth.

The miso bone broth in this ramen is rich, buttery and tastes amazing. The noodles has a good bite and the garlic chili oil topped egg was a nice touch. It was perfect on a rainy day. My only hesitation about this dish is the five-spice crispy pork which overpowered the taste and did not complement the soup. Next time I visit, I’ll ask if there’s another meat option available or simply ask for the crispy pork on the side.

Final Thoughts

Two Rivers Meats have supplied Vancouver retailers and higher end restaurants for over a decade. Their meat is from BC and Alberta farmers who make sure their animals are raised ethically and sustainably. Best of all, they’re making it available for everyone to easily purchase and taste these products at The Shop.

Their menu is solid and the food tastes great. They’re a great option if you’re considering eating less, but better sourced meats. It would be an afternoon well-spent to drive up to North Vancouver, try their burger and fries, then purchase a selection of their sausages for the week ahead. My only regret is that I forgot about the cookie, so I’ll need to come back and try it.

Address:
180 Donaghy Ave, North Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://tworiversmeats.ca/the-shop/

The Mackenzie Room is located in East Vancouver by Oppenheimer Park. The neighbourhood has seen better days, but there are some great restaurants located within a few blocks of each other. Make sure to book reservations as it can get quite busy, even on a weekday.

I wanted to come here for my Birthday because the menu looked great and I wanted the “I Want It All” Tasting Menu for $65 per person. But, more on that later.

Interior

The dining room is all set prior to guests arrival. We made our reservations at 5:30pm when they open and it was quiet, until more around 6:30pm when most people booked their table.

The space is cozy and I love the old rustic look.

Menu

I was so excited to try the menu of 12 items, but unfortunately, you can only have it all if you have a minimum of 4 people. As we came here with a party of 2, we could only do half of it. The chef chooses what those 6 items will be, so it is completely a surprise. If I knew ahead of time, we would have came with more people. Its not written anywhere that you need 4 people to truly have it all.

Pinot Noir

We started with the Pinot Noir from Carson, Okanagan Falls with a 2015 vintage. Full-bodied and very delicious with hints of stone fruit.

Veggies From the Garden

The first dish to arrive are the Veggies From the Garden featuring locally grown veggies with a ‘Bagna Cauda’ of anchovies, garlic and other ingredients. It is then topped with a gremolata.

Simple but very delicious and a good way to start the meal. Even my carrot looks like it has 2 legs. Love these perfectly imperfect veggies.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Leek

This dish has squash, sous vide egg, frisée, pesto, mutsu, apples, and blue cheese. An interesting combination of ingredients but it worked out pretty well with the pungent blue cheese balanced with the pesto, and sweet apples.

Chicken of the Sea

This dish has sea urchin paté, ink brioche bread, pickled pears and hazelnuts. This was definitely a rich dish and may not be for everyone. My husband didn’t like paté in general, so this was all mine.

The ink brioche was pretty awesome but the slab of paté is pretty generous.

Sicilian Octopus

This dish has pepperonata, fennel, chickpeas, meyer lemon, and some local greens. The octopus was tender and matched well with the crispy chickpeas and the sauce.

Boar’n Ultimatum

This slab of bone-in boar is topped with soubise, Nduja, quince, and fermented turnip. It was a good size and the taste of boar really reminds us of pork.

Movie Night

This final dish was awesome. It has torta caprese, puffed sorghum, and popcorn ice cream. A fun way to end the night and I liked the different textures.

Final Thoughts

We were disappointed that we couldn’t have it all. The six dishes we had were unique but there were some items that we both didn’t like. Our favourites were the Veggies From the Garden, Sicilian Octopus, Boar’n Ultimatum and the Movie Night.

Address:
415 Powell St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.themackenzieroom.com/

Our first dinner in Regina was at The Willow on Wascana to indulge on their 6 Course Tasting Menu to get a taste of their take on Saskatchewan regional cuisine. Their menu is seasonal, so it does change up. They have been open since 2004. They are Regina’s only restaurant overlooking the lake of Wascana. The patio was closed when we went due to the weather, so we sat inside and still enjoyed the view of the lake from our seats.

6 Course Tasting Menu

The tasting menu is $75 and you can add the wine flight for $35 extra or their premium wine flight for $55. We went with the tasting menu as it was a great way to get a feel for their menu. Plus, sometimes I get indecisive when choosing dishes, so I like to leave it up to the experts.

Amuse Bouche

We started off with the Moroccan chicken drumette with chili oil. I like the subtle amount of chili oil to give it a better depth of flavour. The spices they used were really good too.

Shrimp Taco

This has pickled selva shrimp and tomato salad with avocado lime cream, Coteau Hills feta and cilantro with crispy tortilla crumble. The shrimp was delicate and full of natural sweetness. The dish was like a deconstructed taco and I liked it.

Gnudi

These ricotta parmesan dumplings are tossed in sage brown butter with preserved lemon vinaigrette and micro greens sautéed greens. The parmesan is prevalent and was enjoyed with the brown butter sauce.

Rocaan Chicken

This has Ras el hanout spiced chicken breast on creamy sesame chick pea puree with charred eggplant salsa and mint gremolata. I enjoyed this as the chicken breast was very moist and the spices were tasty.

Petite Mole

This has mole spiced petite tenderloin on fried polenta with Pico de Gallo, sautéed greens and ancho garlic crema. The polenta was a good accompaniment to the tenderloin, but the tenderloin was more on the medium side rather than medium rare.

Cheesecake

This is not your average cheesecake. It has goat cheese lime cheesecake with house made sesame snap, apple miso caramel and candied walnuts. We enjoyed the goat cheese lime cheesecake but the sesame snap was a smidge thick and ended up sticking to our teeth a lot rather than having a good snap.

Drinks

I got the Paloma, which is a tequila based cocktail with grapefruit juice, lime and soda. My friend got a virgin drink and asked for something fruity.

Final Thoughts

This place is a gem in the Summer especially with the views from the Wascana Lake. Dining on the patio would be gorgeous. We were stuffed after all 6 courses, it was actually a good size and gave us a taste on dishes using seasonal Saskatchewan ingredients to create delicious flavours.

Address:
3000 Wascana Dr, Regina, SK

Website:
http://www.willowonwascana.ca/

Over the Hill Orchards and Winery is hosting their Supper in the Orchard series and are located 30 minutes outside Regina. They have partnered with the Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) Regina and have invited chefs to create a 4 course meal for guests using mainly ingredients from local Saskatchewan farms. If you really want to experience something unique, you’ll want to come here. Most of the proceeds do go back to the CCFCC which sends their junior members to locations across North America for training.

On June 2, the day that we went for Supper in the Orchard, Curtis Toth from The Hotel Saskatchewan, Autograph Collection created us a 4 course meal with an asparagus theme. Along with Sous Chef Brett Stecyk, it was a fun evening to see the meal come together.

The Cost

The supper is $65 or $90 with wine pairing. You can also purchase individual glasses of wine for $6, and non-alcoholic beverages for $3.25. It’s not a bad price since you get a unique meal which you can brag to friends as you show them pictures. I made a reservation a week in advance and they took my credit card information just in case I cancelled. They send you an email confirmation with invoice and a map to get to the orchard.

Arrival

Getting to the orchard was a fun drive, but as you get closer by following your navigation, make sure you follow the signs. If you encounter a very steep hill driving up, you’re in the right direction. Going up can be scary as the view is limited, so just drive slowly.

When we got to the top, we parked and made our way inside. It was windy and cold, so they didn’t have drinks on the patio. Usually if its a nice day, you will see people come early to enjoy the views of the orchard and hills. We got our drinks and made our way to our table and chatted with our tablemates before the meal began.

Asparagus and English Pea Salad

The first dish has charred asparagus, marinated peas, pea puree, sous vide egg , cracked pepper and burnt leek and lemon aioli. It was so damn delicious and a sous vide egg is heavenly. The flavour of the peas and asparagus are so fresh and work well together. This is paired with the Over the Hill Peach Chardonnay as it is an off-dry wine that isn’t as sweet.

Asparagus and Cucumber Gazpacho

The second dish of the evening has the refreshing asparagus and cucumber gazpacho topped with prosciutto smoked parmesan and camelina oil. We slurped it all up and wanted more. Good flavour combinations. This was paired with the Over the Hill gewurztraminer.

Dry aged Striploin

The main dish of the night was delightful. It was sous vide striploin that was seared on the outside. It is served with asparagus gremolata, buttered asparagus, smoked fingerling potatoes, mushroom jam and natural jus. The centre of the striploin was medium rare and showcased the piece of meat. This was paired with the Over the Hill Pinot Noir.

Lemon and Greek Yogurt Cake

You will find zucchini coulis, lemon curd, Over the Hill Sour Cherries, tarragon meringue and pumpkin seeds praline. Who knew zucchini would go well in a dessert. The skilled chefs made it happen.  This is paired with the Over the Hill Apricot Riesling.

Tour of the Orchard

As you noticed, each course is paired with their wines from the orchard. They guide you on a short tour of the orchard but as the day we went, the weather was bad, so it was omitted. If you come here on a sunny day, you can see where the fruits grow and hear the process of how it becomes the products that you enjoy.

Final Thoughts

As the night concluded, we settled our bills and enjoyed the sunset as the night ended. I really enjoyed the meal and a visit out to the orchard. It was a unique experience that I would highly recommend if you are in Saskatchewan.

Website:
http://overthehillorchards.ca/

Hilltop Diner has been around for the past 68 years in Langley. Family-owned and has been serving diner classics to all their customers. Sherman has told me several times to go here and finally, after all those year, I finally went with a few friends. They have have been feature on You Gotta Eat here and also, a few celebrities have made visits here too.

Interior

I love the 1940’s diner look of this place. There are only a handful of places that have kept this unique charm. We waited a little bit and get seated. If you’re in a rush, you won’t want to come here as it’s not quick service diner food.

Coffee

Coffee is a must if you are a coffee drinker. You’ll make waiting a little while for your food, so you’ll want this to sip on it.

Bacon Benny

My friend got the bacon benny and loved their crisp thick cut bacon, hollandaise sauce and the pan fried potatoes.

Hilltop Breakfast

You get 3 eggs, any style, farmer sausage, baked beans, you choice of toast and a huge serving of hash browns. If you are hungry, you’ll want Hilltop’s biggest breakfast.

Silver Dollar Griddle Pancakes

If you want some mini pancakes, they have them too. Serves with butter and syrup.

Tex Mex Omelette

This big omelette is filled with sauteed peppers, homemade sausage, seasoning and a manly handful of Tex Mex cheese, all held together with three farm fresh eggs. It is served with toast and pan fried potatoes. It was really good and hit the spot.

Hot Sauce

We asked them for some hot sauce and they came out with 3 different kinds for us to try. It’s a local hot sauce from the Okanagan and it’s pretty delicious. We really liked their ‘darn hot’ sauce.

Overall, we really liked this place. The big downside is that the wait for food is long, but the quality of food is great and satisfying. Everyone is very nice and we felt right at home.

We Rate Hilltop Diner

Address:
23904 Fraser Hwy, Langley

Website:
http://www.hilltopdiner.ca/

Hilltop Diner Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cactus Club Cafe has one of their most stunning locations at Jack Poole Plaza by the Olympic Cauldron. After work, a few of us stopped by to try their new Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas as well as try a few of their appetizers. It’s always best to spend time with friends over good drinks and food. Cactus Club has always been a solid spot for me to some after work for drink and nibbles.

Frozen Blood Orange Margarita

The frozen blood orange margarita has the cool, citrus flavours of blood orange and lime, blended with tequila and Triple Sec. It is topped with a candied orange.

It was a really good drink and I can see it bing a popular drink once the weather in Vancouver starts warming up. It’s only here for a limited time.

Szechuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The chicken is cooked in sweet and spicy Szechuan glaze, peanuts, and wontons. On the side, there is Korean chili sauce and spicy yogurt. The lettuce wraps are on the side and you scoop them in and eat up.

Ceviche

The ceviche has lois lake steelhead, sustainably harvested prawns, red onions, thai basil, mint, cilantro, and nuoc cham. The ceviche is delicious and I could eat this all day.

Beef Carpaccio

The beef carpaccio is peppercorn-crusted, and topped with dijon aioli, capers, grana padano and served with crostini. A good appetizer to share and i like the contrast between the grana padano and capers with the beef.

Truffle Fries

The fries are fried and covered with truffle, herbs, grana padano, and garlic aioli. Another great item to add to the table as people can munch on it.

Tuna Stack

The tuna stack is made of Ocean Wise albacore, citrus tamari vinaigrette, nori, sesame, avocado, micro cilantro, and served with wonton chips.

Final Thoughts

Overall, when the table is full of delicious food, drinks and friends, it’s hard to have a bad time. The food was well executed and had fresh flavours and ingredients.

We Rate Cactus Club

Address:
1085 Canada Place, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.cactusclubcafe.com

Cactus Club Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

White Spot’s Pirate Pak has been redesigned. Their icon look hasn’t changed since 1968, but on February 13th (Family Day), families will encounter a fun surprise when ordering the classic Pirate Pak.

More than 25 million Pirate Paks have been sold since 1968, when White Spot founder Nat Bailey wanted to provide a unique dining experience for kids.

The ‘WS Legendary’

The interactive Pirate Pak features a fresh cast of animated characters and revamped treasure map, plus the new W.S. Legendary pirate ship that allows kids of all ages to join the crew on their legendary (mis)adventures.

The 3 new characters includes:

  • Captain Beak Rogers, wanted for masterminding tasty heists
  • Penny Poulet, faster than her flipper
  • Drumbstick Nick, no-napkin, never-ceasing nibbler

The Food

Never fear, the food that comes with the Pirate Pak will remain the same. You will get to choose your:

  • Beverage
  • Entree
  • Side Dish
  • Dessert

Same food that will entice your kids, but new look to keep the kids entertained during the meal. The top selling item is their Hamburger, Fries and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Download the App

In addition to the revamped look, they are launching their first 3D augmented reality kids program by a Canadian chain restaurant. They are bringing Pirate Pak’s to the digital age.

You download the app for your iOS and Android device and you can begin interacting with the menu and the pirate ship to play games like Doubloon Debacle, Bookadoodle Boom, Pirate Ship Battle and Cannon Bowling.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I can see parenting-styles differ when parents take their kids out to restaurants. I wouldn’t want to give them a cellphone to play with as we eat. Other parents just want to get some peace and quiet when going out. I can see this new launch of the pirate pak cater to those who are a bit restless when it comes to sitting still. Some kids need to do something as they wait for the meal to arrive.

As of February 13th, the new Pirate Paks will be launching at all locations.

Address:
405 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.whitespot.ca/kids

White Spot Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Estrella’s has been one of our favourite places in Langley for their gigantic Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches. Everything is made from scratch, so the definitely don’t compromise on taste or quality.

They are known for their O Canada-sized sandwiches with smoked meat piled high. We come here on Saturday mornings as they are closed on Sundays.

Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

This is a beast. Sliced Old Fashioned Montreal Smoked Beef Brisket on light rye bread with your choice of regular or dijon mustard. You can choose from lean, medium or fatty. Of course we chose the biggest size – O Canada and had it fatty. It’s so good and can be split between 2 people.

Poutine

A good Canadian classic – Poutine. Has crisp fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. You can also add some smoked meat on top too. We just went with the basics as we already had the huge sandwich to start.

Roast Beef Panini Sandwich

It has roast beef, caramelized onions, horseradish, mayo and swiss cheeese. It is served on crispy ciabatta bread and comes with a pickle. Not as monstrous as the smoked meat sandwich, but it was delicious.

Overall, I really love to go to this place for their Montreal Smoked Meat. The staff are friendly and it’s not too busy here. I’ll be back again.

We Rate Estrella’s

Address:
5932 200th Street, Langley

Website:
http://www.estrellasdeli.com/

Estrella's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Edible Canada is participating again in Dine Out Vancouver from January 20 to February 5, 2017. They are offering guests with their 3 course meal on Granville Island for Canadian Cuisine for $30. Reservations should be made in advance.

I came here for a sneak peek of the full Dine Out menu to show potential guests what the menu would look and taste like. You’ll notice on their menus, there are a few menu items that you need to add extra money to the meal.

Dine Out 2017 Menu at Edible Canada

Appetizer

  • Hazelmere Roasted Carrot Soup
  • Pacific Cod and Pemberton Potato Pakoras
  • Hazelmere Kale Salad
  • Crispy West Coast Humbolt Squid + $3
  • Grilled Alberta Lamb Heart + $4
  • Range Land Bison Tartar + $5

Entree

  • Honey Butter Basted Fried Chicken
  • Prairie Farro Risotto
  • Haida Gwaii Rockfish & Mussel Stew
  •  Newfoundland Seal Pappardelle + $3
  • Quebec Rabbit Orecchiette + $4
  • Char Grilled Alberta Hanger Steak + $6

Dessert

  • Chocolate Pot du Crème
  • Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding

Appetizers

Pacific Cod and Pemberton Potato Pakoras has jalapeño apple chutney, fresh mint and pickles. It is served on a mini skillet pan. Very good start to the meal. The pakoras were crisp and went very well with the chutney.

Crispy West Coast Humbolt Squid has chermoula vinaigrette, white bean hummus, and dried olives. This is a dish where you need to add $3 on top of the Dine Out Vancouver menu. Squid was tender and was like a glamorous calamari.

Grilled Alberta Lamb Heart has Gaujillo adobo, cilantro, and hominy corn grits. You need to add $4 to get this dish. Man, those lamb hearts were tender. I love how Edible Canada uses all different parts of each animal.

Entree

Haida Gwaii Rockfish & Mussel Stew has a Moroccan tomato broth, heirloom carrots, chickpeas, and cilantro. A good portion of seafood in this stew. Beautiful flavours too.

Quebec Rabbit Orecchiette has mushrooms, confit onions, shaved brussels sprouts, and parmesan. You need to add $4 extra to get this dish. The rabbit a nice unique protein to have with this meal as it brings you out of your comfort zone. Pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce just covered nicely.

Dessert

Chocolate Pot du Crème has cassis, and crystallized ginger. This dessert was ok, but I felt the berries on top was a bit sour.

Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding has maple bourbon custard, and candied walnuts. This dessert was my favourite as it wasn’t too sweet and it just warms you up for the end of the meal. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, Edible Canada has always been a good pick for Dine Out Vancouver. The use of their proteins are adventurous. They have more options on the menu, but some items you do have to pay extra for it. I’ve been here in the past before for Dine Out and it’s very good.

We Rate Edible Canada

Address:
1596 Johnston Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://ediblecanada.com/

Edible Canada Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Southside Diner is a cozy little diner in Whistler. When you drive along the highway, you’ll be able to see it. It’s one of the only diners in the area. They open early, so we made sure to come here to grab a bite.

Interior

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Nothing says a diner more than their decor. Coca Cola memorabilia on the walls and old pictures. The old school booths and stools.

Rules of the house

There are rules of the house, all 12 of them. TL;DR be respectful and don’t be difficult.

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Drinks

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They offer many drinks on the menu, but most popular drink in the morning is coffee.

Breakfast

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Monte Cristo has ham and swiss stuffed between 2 slabs of golden french toast. It also comes with warm syrup and homefries. The monte cristo was so indulgent. Mmmmm.

I also ordered a side of bacon. I love bacon, so this wasn’t complete without it. The bacon was nice and crisp, which is a bonus.

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The Southside Slam has your choice of bacon, sausage or ham. Then you get 2 egg, 2 pancakes and their homefries. A very traditional Western breakfast with a bit of everything.

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Overall, the diner is super cute and it’s hard to find anything like it anymore. Good solid breakfast and we enjoyed it.

We Rate Southside Diner3rated

Address:
2102 Lake Placid Rd, Whistler, BC

Website:
http://southsidediner.ca/

Southside Diner Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Wild Sweets by Dominique and Cindy Duby are world-acclaimed and award-winning chocolate makers. They are located in a secluded area in South Richmond. It took a little while to find this place because it’s mostly just warehouses.

I was invited to try a few of their signature items and their new line of  dessert – Pret-a-Manger. I’ve had their chocolates a few years ago as a gift and finally made the connection when I was here. I knew the name sounded familiar.

Retail Store

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The retail store has all their signature chocolates for sale. From chocolate bars, cakes, to gift boxes and spreads.

20% Sugar Fruit Confit

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20% Sugar Fruit Confit has some pretty cool flavours, but one of my favourites is Pear and Vanilla beans. They go well with yogurt, little cakes or with a charcuterie plate.

Fruit Macarons Chocolate

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Fruit Macarons take the classic French cookie and have them stacked on top of chocolate squares. For a second I thought there were Chinese characters written on top, but its just scribbles.

Sweet Salty Snacking Chocolate

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Dark Chocolate Bark has dark chocolate, dried apricots & cherries, banana chips, puffed rice, spicy puffed peas, hickory smoked almonds.

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I love how it was packed full of all the different ingredients and worked well together.

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Butter Caramel Popcorn is tossed in vanilla bean and salted butter caramel, then several layers of their high % milk cocoa.

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Bean to Bar Chocolates

All their chocolates start from bean to bar. They pride themselves of being Canada’s only artisan science-based cocoa bean to bar chocolate makers.

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Vanilla bean caramel, coffee and walnut was a good tasting bar. Stronger notes of the vanilla bean and coffee. The walnut was more subtle.

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Maple caramel, pecans and smoked salt is a unique flavour and my coworkers gravitated towards this flavour.

Prêt-á-Manger Desserts

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Their Prêt-á-Manger Desserts are exclusively sold in their stores, so you won’t find it anywhere else. They retail for $4.99 each.

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Tarte Chocolate has sweet butter sablé cookie crust, fruit caramel dark chocolate ganache cream, and dark chocolate Chantilly mousse.

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Tarte Citron has sweet butter sablé cookie crust, lemon custard cream, and white chocolate Chantilly mousse.

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Tarte Banane has sweet butter sablé cookie crust, banana custard cream, banana-coconut ‘sand’, and white chocolate Chantilly mousse.

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Tarte Framboise has sweet butter sablé cookie crust, raspberry fruit custard cream, and white chocolate Chantilly mousse.

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Mousse Chocolat – Dark has dark chocolate sabayon mousse, dark chocolate Crème Brûlée cream and puffed cereal chocolate pearls.

This was my favourite since I love chocolate.

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Mousse Chocolat – Milk has milk chocolate sabayon mousse, passion fruit Crème Brûlée cream and puffed cereal chocolate pearls.

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Mousse Chocolat – White has fresh lemon zest white chocolate sabayon mousse, raspberry fruit Crème Brûlée cream and puffed cereal chocolate pearls.

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Hazelnut Passion has layers of hazelnut butter sabayon parfait, apricot passion fruit sorbet, chocolate ice cream, apricot passion fruit confit, candied hazelnuts & sweet butter sablé cookie chunks.

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Peanut banana has layers of peanut butter sabayon parfait, banana ice cream, chocolate ice cream, red fruit confit, candied peanuts & sweet butter sablé cookie chunks.

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Pistachio Strawberry has layers of pistachio butter sabayon parfait, strawberry sorbet, vanilla bean ice cream, red fruit confit, candied pistachios & sweet butter sablé cookie chunks.

I enjoyed this one as all the ingredients seemed to mesh well together, plus I love pistachios.

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Overall, its a unique shop that they have in Richmond and there’s nothing else like it in the area. Delicious tasting chocolate, but the location of their store is hard to get to without a car.

We Rate Wild Sweets35rating

Address:
2145 – 12191 Hammersmith Way, Richmond, BC

Website:
http://dcduby.com/

Wild Sweets Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Cora has finally opened up in South Burnaby, so now I can stop driving a long distance to have some delicious brunch here.

We came with a friend for a quick brunch and just indulge in all their fruit. I’ve been to various Cora locations through out Canada and it’s a place that people have to go at least once.

Interior

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On the weekend it was packed but we only waiting about 10 minutes for a table of 3. The decorations in here is consistent with the other locations with the yellow walls.

Menu

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A lot of people come for the fresh fruit and the breakfast items. They also have a gluten-free menu, which is great for those with dietary restrictions.

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Drinks

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Kale-Mango Smoothie is what the server recommended. It is topped with a strawberry and has kale and grapes on the plate below. The grapes were a bit dirty, so we had to clean it more before we ate them.

We also got coffee, but I forgot to take a picture of it. Non stop refills too!

Breakfast items

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Jo Construction has 3 eggs, 3 sausages and 3 strips of bacon served with roasted potatoes and your choice of toast. There’s a bit of fruit on the side too.

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10 Star Omelette has bacon, ham, sausages, frankfurters, bologna, spinach, green onions, tomatoes, onions, red and green peppers, mushrooms and Cheddar cheese. Served with toast and your choice of fresh fruit or tomatoes. M got fruit for his side.

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Buckwheat blessing is the one item I always get. It comes with 3 sausages and Cheddar cheese rolled in a blanket of buckwheat and sorghum crêpes and served with fresh fruit. I love the balance of the savoury sausages and the refreshing taste of the fruits.

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For all the toast we got, there was also jam and peanut butter that came along with it.

Overall, Cora is a solid place to get brunch with friends or family. The food isn’t outstanding, but all that fruit is pretty fabulous.

We Rate Cora3rated

Address:
7155 Kingsway, Unit 142
Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://www.chezcora.com/

Cora Breakfast and Lunch Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Le Cellier Steakhouse is a top restaurant in Epcot and reservations are highly recommended as they are always packed. The restaurant has savour tender steaks, fresh seafood, cheesy poutine fries and other regional cuisine inspired by the provinces of Canada.

As a Canadian food blogger, I had to check out their interpretation of what Canadian Cuisine is all about.

Disney Meal Plan

If you are on the Disney Dining Plan, this requires 2 dining plan credits as it is a signature restaurant. You are then entitled to a non-alcoholic beverage, an entree, and a dessert.

Exterior

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Head to the Fairmont hotel replica, where you will find Le Cellier Steakhouse underneath. It is a pretty nice area around this restaurant, so make sure to take a stroll through the different areas when waiting for your seat.

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When we got there, they were about 15 minutes behind schedule, so we say around enjoying the view until one of the lovely staff told us our table is ready.

Interior

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The interior was like an underground wine cellar, thus the name. I liked the dark warm atmosphere since it had a more cozy atmosphere.

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Complimentary Bread

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Pretzel Breadsticks, sourdough bread and multi-grain bread came to the table and there was a good portion of it. The butter had a but of maple sugar to it, so it reminded me of honey butter. So good.

Entrees

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Le Cellier Filet Mignon has AAA Canadian tenderloin, mushroom risotto, heirloom Toy Box tomatoes, and a truffle-butter sauce.

The Filet mignon was melt in your mouth delicious, but that risotto was very salty. This dish was pretty small, compared to some of the dishes here, but the quality is there.

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Black Angus Boneless Rib-Eye has a Fall spice butternut squash purée, roasted marble potatoes, pickled onions, and maple-sage butter. The rib eye is a lot larger than the Filet Mignon, so it’s a better option if you have a big stomach. The rib eye was tender and had a good amount of flavour.

Dessert

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Chocolate Whisky Trifle has malted milk panna cotta, caramel popcorn, whisky-caramel sauce, and buttered popcorn gelato. Very cute to have the gelato sit on top of the chocolate lace, but it did break after it arrived on the table. It was a very sweet dessert with hints of saltiness and the slight aroma of whiskey.

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Camembert Cheesecake has double-cream cheesecake, cherry gelée, and pistachio cream florentine. It was a unique dessert and not too sweet. I was surprised at how well the pistachio would pair with it.

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Overall, the food was good but it is expensive, but good thing we had the Disney Dining Plan. If I wasn’t on the dining plan, I think we would have chosen cheaper options. They also have lunch options, but it isn’t any cheaper on or off the dining plan.

We Rate Le Cellier:35rating

Address:
200 Epcot Center Dr, Lake Buena Vista

Website:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/le-cellier-steakhouse/

Le Cellier Steakhouse Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Smokehouse Sandwich Co has their newest location inside Cathedral Place in Downtown close to Burrard Station. I purchased the SocialShopper deal – 2 sandwiches and 2 sides/drinks for $12. A super good deal, but I didn’t realize the Downtown location has very limited hours. I was planning to visit after work, but they close at 3pm on weekdays and are closed on weekends. I ended up coming here with a few friends during lunch to check it out. If you wander around the first floor of Cathedral Place, you’ll be able to find it. It’s close to Bill Reid Gallery.

They have their first location in Richmond since 2014 and they serve original and fresh smoked meat sandwiches made from locally sourced ingredients. Their Richmond location is open till 8pm Monday – Saturday. If you don’t work in downtown, I would recommend you get the Richmond SocialShopper deal.

Seating

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There are lots of seats but it reminds me of a food court. We came here around 11:45am and it wasn’t busy at all. By the time it was 12:30pm, it picked up as the office workers in the area headed here for lunch.

Menu

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On the menu, you will see sandwiches, sides, salads and drinks available. The ‘I’ indicates 1 portion of meat and ‘II’ indicates 2 portions of meat. All items are at a reasonable price for the downtown area.

With all the sandwiches, you can mix and match the meats. Also, you can choose between their 3 bun options:

  • regular white
  • high fibre
  • charcoal

Sandwiches

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Billie on the Charcoal Bun has salt cured pork belly, aioli sauce, salsa and lettuce. We got the regular portion of meat in the bun. How can you not go for the charcoal bun? It looks super cool. I enjoyed this sandwich and the pork belly had a good depth of flavour.

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Sarah on high fibre bun has pulled tamarind Chicken with aioli, sesame ginger oil and asian slaw. I enjoyed the asian slaw with the sesame ginger oil. Definitely went well with the chicken.

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Samson on a white bun has coffee-crusted strawberry-glazed beef brisket with aioli, red bell peppers and lettuce. Of all the sandwiches, we liked the flavour of the beef brisket the most.

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Wilbur on white bun has cumin-spiced pulled pork with aioli and coleslaw. Of the 4 sandwiches we had, we didn’t really like the wilbur.

Sides

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Mushroom Soup was their soup of the day when we were here. It was a pretty straight forward mushroom soup with a good amount of mushroom inside.

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Crisps are yellow potatoes fried in olive oil. Really crispy and not overly salted. I liked it.

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Asian slaw has shredded daikon radish and carrots pickled in rice vinegar and topped with mayo and crisps. I was surprised how much I liked it.

Drinks

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On their menu, they have a few different beverages that are unique to Smokehouse Sandwich co – Honey Ginger Lemon, Strawberry Mint and Kombucha.

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Strawberry and Mint can be made cold, hot or fizzy. At first it reminded me of liquified jam, but maybe it would have been better if it was fizzy.

Honey Ginger Lemon packed a punch and if you love ginger, you will enjoy it. I didn’t take a liking to it but a few of my friends really liked it and would return for it.

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Overall, the food was good for a quick lunch in Downtown Vancouver. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, but if you work in the area, it’s a good option for a fast lunch. Of course there are a lot of other sandwich places in the area, so it will be tough competition.

Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary SocialShopper voucher for Smokehouse Sandwich Co for this review and I also purchased an additional one so I could try more sandwiches. All thoughts are my own.

We Rate Smokehouse Sandwich Co3rated

Address:
The Cathedral Place, 925 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.smokehousesandwich.ca/

Smokehouse Sandwich Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Chachi’s is the newest addition to the Metropolis food court in South Burnaby. They are originally from Calgary and now they have their first location in BC. There are plans to open 2 more locations at Crossiron Mills and Tsawwassen Mills.

Their mission is to make mall food better by crafting gourmet sandwiches with local ingredients. It’s great to see they are working with local suppliers like Arctic Meats, Valbella, Nossack, and Alberta Cheese. Their produce is also sourced from Yen Bros in Vancouver.

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Spicy Mac n’ Cheese with Capicollo comes in 2 separate containers. You put the together when you’re ready to eat it.

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Taking the first few bites, it was really good. The mac n’ cheese is very cheesy, plus the capicollo added the right amount of spice.

I would order this again.

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Hot Philly Sandwich has rib steak, bell peppers, onion, jalapeno, provolone, garlic aioli and spicy mayo. This sandwich has a good amount of spiciness and not too overpowering. I love the amount of provolone in this.

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Clubbin’ Sandwich has bacon, turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheddar, garlic aioli, and spicy mayo. Not as exciting as the other sandwiches, but still good.

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Spicy Italian Sandwich has calabrese salami, cry-cured capicollo, jalapeno, jack cheese, garlic aioli, red pepper spread, red onion, lettuce, and tomato. M loved this.

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Pork with Mac sandwich has pulled pork, sweet chili BBQ sauce, and then slathered with mac n’ cheese. This is total comfort food, but it would have been nice if the mac n’ cheese was spread evenly. You can see there was more mac n’ cheese on one side than the other. Other than that, it still tasted darn good.

Overall, it’s a nice new option at the food court at Metrotown. Although it is pricier than other options at the food court, it’s pretty darn delicious.

We Rate ChaChi’s4rated

Website:
http://www.chachis.ca/

Address:
4820 Kingsway, Burnaby

Chachi's Metrotown Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Matterson House Restaurant is a cozy eatery in the village of Ucluelet. The house was built in 1931, so you will see a lot of rustic charm dining here. It was originally known as Glendale, built by Basil and Mary Matterson. Back then, Ucluelet was only accessible by sea. Most roads that we see today were dirt roads.

In 1996, Sandy and Jennifer Clark took ownership and turned it into the restaurant we know today.

Since it was a busy long weekend, we were scrambling for dinner plans for our large group at the very last second, luckily Matterson House was able to hold us a table till we got there.

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At first, I wasn’t quite sure about this place as it had visible age in the interior. As a foodie, I can’t really make judgements until I see the food in front of me.

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Every single table was set up before the dinner rush. When we arrive around 6, there was plenty of space, but as it got closer to 7, it was pretty much full.

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Homemade whole wheat bread with whipped butter arrived at the table. These loaves were huge.

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Matterson Seafood Chowder has shrimp, scallops, white fish, spinach, cream and corn. It is served with crackers on the side.

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Oyster Burger is dressed with mustard, relish, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion. It is also served with your choice of mixed greens or potato salad. My friend chose it with mixed greens.

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They give you a wedge of lemon, so you can squeeze it over the crisp creamy oyster.

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My other friend got the same oyster burger, but with the potato salad.

They both said they enjoyed the oyster burger.

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Verdi’s Verde Pesche has smoked salmon and pine nuts in a pesto cream sauce with spinach and fettuccine. I really enjoyed this pasta. It was very creamy and the salmon had a nice delicate taste to it. The added texture of the pine nuts was a good touch.

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Straw and Hay Pasta has veal and mushrooms in a garlic and cream sauce. M liked it and there was a lot of veal in it, which is great. The sauce was very thick and creamy too.

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Pollo Loco Pasta has chicken with chipotle cream cheese sauce and penne.

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All the pastas come with a salad. You can choose between ranch blue cheese, Italian, French, 1000 island or Sandy’s blackberry vinaigrette.

Overall, the food was executed well and we all had a positive experience. The dining experience was pretty neat. Even with a busy floor, they were able to keep the food flowing. Nice little gem in Ucluelet. It’s very casual and relaxing.

We Rate Matterson House35rating

Address:
1682 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet, BC

Matterson House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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What is there to do on a Wednesday night in the Gastown area? The Portside has a Rock, Paper , Scissors tournament every Wednesday. There is a $5 entry fee to participate but if you want to just sit in your seats and laugh your ass off, you can do that too. They also have $4 Jameson shots on special too.

I was invited and brought a few friends with me to check it out.  I’ve been here a while ago for happy hour and the atmosphere is definitely better later in the evening.

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Once we went inside, there was a seat yourself sign before you enter the pub.

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The pub looks pretty awesome with its mostly wooden look with a few taps.

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It’s like a secret underground area with food and booze.

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They serve up pub food inspired by the East Coast of Canada.

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Flight of Beer comes with a shot of Jameson on a paddle board. I didn’t know what to choose, so we asked them for 4 of their lightest beers.

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They chose for me:

  • Portside Pilsner
  • Postmark Blonde
  • Steamworks Kolsh
  • White Bark Wheat Ale

All were really good, but my favourite of the bunch was the Portside Pilsner.

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The Jameson shot at the very end is deadly. It’s an Irish Whiskey.

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Blue Buck Pale Ale by Phillips Brewing Co. was ordered by my friend. Another lighter beer.

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Alexander Keith’s Indian Pale Ale in a bottle was ordered by Little A.

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4 women cheers with all our light beers. hahaha. It was a good start to the night before the food and Rock Paper Scissors tournament began.

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Of the 4 of us, 3 of up participated. It’s $5 to enter the competition, but its pretty fun. The winner get $50 in cash, 2nd place is $10 and 3rd place is $5.

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You just fill out the sheets with your bio and they read it out loud to everyone. Everything you write on it, they will read. It was pretty hilarious hearing what people wrote. A few tame ones and a few hilariously funny ones.

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Monster Nachos ($16 +$20) has corn tortilla chips, layered with roasted jalapeno, mixed olives, local tomatoes, and green onions served with sour cream, chipotle sour cream and fresh in-house tequila salsa. It also has Chilli lime chicken, Chris Bros Pepperoni, smoked bacon, chilli and Nova Scotia Lobster.

We went all out and had all the meat on top. It also comes with a shot of Jameson.

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What we found with these nachos is that the topping to chip ratio is very good We actually wished we had more chips. The pepperoni did over power the rest of the meat since its more spicy and flavourful. The lobster was drowned out.

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Mac and Cheese was ordered. It has house made farm-house cheese and ricotta cream sauce, served with garlic bread.

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You can add things like Porter Cheddar, Smoked Bacon, or Nova Scotia Lobster.

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Mini Perogies has tiny cheddar stuffed perogies, Chris Bros. Pepperoni, sautéed onions, topped with chipotle sour cream and served with a micro salad. Tasted ok, but nothing spectacular.

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Beef Pot-Roast Sandwich has rosemary and garlic seasoned chuck Pot-roast with red wine dijonaise, tomatoes, mixed greens and Porter Cheddar, served with chips & salsa and a micro salad. The sandwich was filling, but the taste was average. Nothing very special from what I could tell.

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At 8pm, the competition began and our amazing host made the entire evening very memorable. SO funny!

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It was tournament style and best out of 5. I failed miserably and lost of my first round.

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Even if you’re not participating or lost early in the tournament, you will be thoroughly entertained for the rest of the game.

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It got busier as the night went on and I was really surprised. No one was rushing home to get to work the next day.

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Overall, I had a great time with my friends here on a Wednesday evening. If you’re looking for something to do, grab a few drinks, share a plate of nacho, and enter the rock, paper, scissors tournament. The rest of the food is pretty average, but most people come here for the drinks.

We Rate The Portside3rated

Address:
7 Alexander Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://theportsidepub.com/

The Portside Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato