Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

38.3 - 38.6 Eat at ten new restaurants or coffee shops

After a slowish start, I've actually surpassed my goal of visiting ten new (to me) restaurants or coffee shops and I'm only about half way into the 101 in 1001 challenge. It would seem that the little kerfuffle that came along with my review of a local coffee shop put me off updating the rest of the new places we visited.

Here are the first four, starting back in April.

Dockside Restaurant at the Granville Island Hotel

The first time we visited, it was for my sisters' big birthday back in April. I think we've been two or three more times since then. I love the Malay Shrimp Omelette. Yum. Now I want one. I think that's the only breakfast item I've ordered.

The last time we went was for drinks and appetizers and dessert after the Wizard of Oz. It was later in the evening and the kitchen was about to close, but the spring rolls were sooooo good. Alex had some kind of dessert and loved it. They brought J a hot chocolate and made sure it was just lukewarm.

They were awesome with J - they have a selection of high chairs and booster seats and a good kids' menu.

We'll be back for sure. Alex and I are planning to go there for a grown up dinner one night some time soon...

Pacifico Pizzeria

J and I came here with my mom one night at the end of July. I thought I took a picture of the brick pizza oven, but it looks like the only thing I managed to get a (not blurry) picture of was my gnocchi. Everything we had was delicious - my mom's food came out on a long platter (it might have been some kind of ravioli? squash maybe?) and J had a yummy pizza. When the meal came, I figured there was no way I'd eat all of it, but I polished it off. We also had dessert(s)...I can't remember what they were or how many we had, but J definitely had ice cream!

This restaurant is right by the movie theatre on Burrard and would be a great place to visit before (or after) a movie. I'm looking forward to going back with Alex who has a great appreciation for Italian food. (note: I just checked out the yelp/urbanspoon and they were super mixed, particularly not liking the menu changes this fall...maybe we'll rethink going back? We'll see...)

Nuba

Way back in August, my parents very kindly took J to Kelowna with them for a little holiday. That meant I got to do things I'd done before I became a mommy. Things like go out for dinner after work and not get a babysitter and not have to choose somewhere kid friendly and not have to worry about what time I got home at.

Heather and I met at Nuba for dinner. I'd never been to this particular Nuba before - I'd been to the one at Cambie and Hastings, but I had no idea there was one on 3rd near Main.

The food was delicious! I had (if I'm remembering correctly) falafels and most likely hummus and (I know I'm remembering this correctly) grapefruit juice. I loved the cinder block walls. The atmosphere was great. I was really early because my time-and-distance-estimating-skills-when-driving-a-personal-motor-vehicle are a bit sketchy at times, but no one seemed to mind that I pulled out my book while I waited for Heather (I've had people give me dirty looks in a restaurant for reading before...)

Transylvania Flavour

I did NOT want to go this restaurant. I was going out with a group of people and someone else was in charge of choosing the restaurant (sorry no pictures). I had walked by this place often when we lived in the ghetto pink palace and noticed it, but not really noticed it.

Before we went, I checked out the menu and I still didn't want to go there. I was so not impressed and I was totally craving something else. I just didn't know what.

Again, due to my super awesome time-and-distance-estimating-skills-when-driving-a-personal-motor-vehicle I was quite early. The hostess figured out which table was ours - there was only one reservation that size and it must have been listed under the name Snuffleupagus because I tried the names of pretty much everyone in the party and she didn't have any of them. She finally asked me how big our party was and said, well, there's only one that size, so it must be yours. I never did find out what name it was made under.

Anyway. She was very cheerful and friendly and came over to check on me a few times before the rest of the gang arrived. By then I'd sort of come out of my funk and decided to order chicken paprikash.

It was so good.

The chicken was falling off the bone, the crisped beans were so good and the gnocchi was delicious. I'd never had gnocchi like that before. I think it was cooked and then pan fried and it was divine. There was a lot of food - I took some home for Alex and he said it was great the next day too.

The person next to me had the perogies and a second appetizer (I can't remember which one) and she said they were awesome. The food all looked so good.

I didn't end up having dessert, but the vie en vert cake (lemon and basil meringue cake) got rave reviews.