Jimmy's Place Restaurant

It’s incredible how the weather has turned in Vancouver. The past holiday weekend was rainy and cool, and there was a definite change in the air. Even though it was rainy, we decided to go out for a walk on Saturday morning, umbrellas in hand. Afterwards we decided to stop at one of our favourite breakfast and lunch places, Jimmy’s Place. Our friend Ana introduced us to the place over a year ago, and we've been regulars ever since.

Jimmy’s Place is one of those small, old-fashioned diners that you’d find back in the day, where faces are familiar and the cook says ‘hi’ to you on your way in and ‘bye’ on your way out while he’s frying up some eggs and tossing some hash browns. It’s located in Cariboo Centre in the Coquitlam side of North Road, in a space that’s kind of set back from the regular businesses.

The surroundings are both basic and nostalgic: there are colourful chalkboard menus hanging from the ceiling, an old fashioned cash register (note: this place is cash only), and reddish vinyl booths and green melamine tables. The walls were recently spruced up with large, close-up photographs of the restaurant’s various dishes. The service is similarly basic: you come in, order and pay at the cash register, find yourself a booth, and they’ll bring your food to your table. The (refillable) coffee and water is self-serve, and you pick up your creamers, and utensils at a nearby counter. Each table is equipped with glass salt & pepper shakers, a large sugar dispenser, a small bottle of vinegar (awesome), and a metal napkin dispenser. Even though the place can get quite busy, you never feel rushed. Plus, the booths are cool.

When we arrived the place was pretty empty, but pretty much soon after we sat, the place quickly filled up (I guess the locals are late risers!). What we usually get when we come here is the Pancake breakfast special ($6.95), which is eggs, bacon/or ham/or sausage, hash browns (shredded style), and two large fluffy pancakes. But this time we had more of a hankering for lunch stuff for some reason. I ordered the clubhouse with fries ($10.95) and coffee, and Shane got the Jimmy’s Special burger with fries ($9.95) and tea. The coffee is great here—they have two varieties sitting on hot plates: Tuscan and Regular, and the coffee is not burnt, bitter, weak or too strong. It’s dang good drip coffee. The mugs are great too—they have those old-fashioned, shapely mugs that feel thick and heavy in your hand.

Jimmy’s makes a darn good clubhouse too, and I’m very picky about clubhouse sandwiches. It’s absolutely tragic when the turkey isn’t real turkey, but processed ‘turkey’ meat, or if there is too much mayo, or when the bread is too toasted and/or stale that it scrapes the roof of your mouth raw (I could go on and on...). Trust me, I have had horrible experiences with bad clubhouse sandwiches.

So here’s the deal: Jimmy’s uses real turkey meat, real cheddar cheese, a nicely cooked bacon, crispy iceberg and tomato, and the bread is perfectly toasted where it’s crunchy but still soft enough to eat. They also add special twists to the clubhouse, like with shredding the turkey and cheese, and the addition of a thin slice of ham. They also season the turkey meat with salt and pepper, which is a really great touch. I love this. It’s definitely one of the very best clubhouse sandwiches I’ve had. The fries are also really good, skinless and thick-cut, with a golden crispy outside and a fluffy interior.

The Jimmy’s Special burger comes with bacon and cheddar, along with the usual toppings. Shane loves Jimmy’s burgers and declares it the best (non-gourmet) burgers he’s had. I’m not sure what makes it so good, because the meat is not thick or top quality meat or anything like that. But I think it has to do with the seasonings—unlike a lot of places, Jimmy’s seasons their meat really well, so the burgers are incredibly tasty. All the ingredients are in harmony, and combine to an utter deliciousness. But it’s a messy and juicy burger, Shane advises, so use the paper that they give with the plate to wrap up the burger when you eat it.

The only unfortunate thing about Jimmy’s is that they don’t open on Sundays, or open late for dinner (their hours are 7am to 5pm).

There are places where you feel comfortable as soon as you step in. Jimmy’s is a such a place, the kind you wish never changes and hope will always be there.

We Love Sheep

Over the weekend I went over to Main St and visited Three Bags Full, a wool shop. I hadn't intended on getting too much, but I ended up getting a big bag full!

Bobo

There is a new animal resident at my mom's house, Bobo the cat, that we met yesterday. She came along when my mom's friend started renting the downstairs when she sold her house. Bobo is tiny, about half the size of Pique, and she used to be a stray. It was a little hard to get a good picture of her, as she is ALWAYS moving around.

Bobo eating

Bobo cleaning

Finally, a decent picture!

Les Faux Bourgeois

Les Faux Bourgeois has gotten rave reviews since it first opened; it seems like everyone we know who had tried it loved it, and blogs like Ho Yummy, The Bon Vivant , and Noshwell similiarly rave about it.

Well, on Friday we decided to pay a visit to the restaurant because it was Shane's birthday. I'd heard rumours of people not being able to get reservations for weeks, but we didn't have much problem calling a couple of days beforehand. Of course, we did book a table nice and early at 5:30, right when the bistro opens. The restaurant is in East Vancouver, right around 15th and Fraser (a few doors down from The Lion's Den). Shane used to live a block from there, and it was unimaginable that a French bistro would be right in that neighborhood at the time.

When we arrived, there were already a few people lined up, but when the doors opened we got seated right away (in the darkest table, furthest away from windows, explaining these poor pictures). The room was intimate, with a wooden bar with stools along the right side; there was a row of banquette seating along the left wall; a couple of tables right at the windows, and finally a row of small tables in between the banquette and the bar. The room had a cozy feel, with solid wooden tables and chairs, mirrors lining either side of the room, and lots of warm wood on walls.

The servers were mostly young men who were dressed casually in t-shirts, jeans and a half aprons. We sat near the back so we could hear them speaking in French (not Quebecois French, but France French), calling each other 'idiot' in French (of course it is the same word in English!) and generally joshing around. Note on the menu--they've removed a few things from the menu that is still on their online menu (for example the 'salad frisee,' 'cassoulet', 'hot chocolate et madeleines' were all gone), but they do have 3-4 daily specials written on blackboards.

We were immediately brought water and a few minutes later, Shane's beer (R&B Bohemian - $4.75), and a basket of bread and butter. From my vantage point I could see them energetically slicing the baguette for each table--there was a basket full of delicious-looking baskets at the back. However, the bread tasted a little old, the crust being more chewy than crispy. It was okay though.

We had the 'Escargots en Bourgogne' ($8) to start, and each plump, large escarot arrived glistening on three toasted crostini that were soaked in butter and garlic. Escargot in general don't have a particular taste, but these guys were fat and slightly chewy and bathed in lots of garlic and butter. The texture contrast between the crunch and the soft-chewy snails was really interesting. Delicious.

We also got a side of 'pommes puree' ($6)-- mashed potatoes is one of my all-time favorites, and this one did not disappoint. The potatoes were lump-free and completely smooth, fluffy, well seasoned, and loaded with butter. It was heaven. I could have eaten this all night.

For the main course I chose the 'Steak Frites' ($16) with red wine sauce, and it arrived simply presented, with the steak sliced and the fries piled in a large mound upon the plate. The fries were piping hot and steaming, golden crispy and perfectly salted. One of the best fries I've had, seriously. The steak was a little tough, as it was a hanger steak, but it was cooked a beautiful medium rare. The sauce wasn't distinguishable at all, and required more seasoning. However, I would get this again.

Shane ordered the lamb cheeks with couscous ($17). He enjoyed this at first, but the cheeks tasted too 'lamby' for him, though it was extremely tender. I don't like lamb, so I could barely eat this. It was out there on the lamb flavour. The apricot sauce was good though, with a slight sweetness which went well with the meat. The couscous that accompanied it was plain-tasting but beautiful: fluffy, with each grain distinguishable, and permeated with the aroma of mint.

By this time we both were very, very full. The mash filled us up, and the portions on the main were quite large (in fact, I couldn't even finish my steak frites). But we decided to get dessert anyway.

This is the Lemon Tart ($6). The sugar crust was thick and hard, but gave quite a contrast to the custard part. The custard itself was very tasty, with a real lemon flavor and tartness that melded well with the perfect amount of sweetness. However, the custard was quite a lot more runny than I expected. It wasn't really a custardy texture, it was more of a pastry cream texture. That was the one off note about the dish.

The creme brulee ($6) had a nice, crackly, caramelized sugar crust, and it was very nice, but to be honest, I've had better ones elsewhere. This had to do with, again, the texture of the custard. It was overly runny for me, more like a custard cream.

At the end of the meal I was full to the point of sickness. But overall, it was a good experience, even though I was expecting a phenomenal experience. Perhaps I had heard too many superlative things about it, or I fantasized about the meal too much in advance. However, I can say that this place serves great food with great service and atmosphere, and the prices are reasonable for the quality portion of the food. Would go again.

Finch's Tea & Coffee House

I used to live around Main and 12th, and everyday when I walked downtown for work, I would always pass Finch's Tea & Coffee House, this quaint and quirky looking coffee shop; however, I wasn't curious enough to visit until I saw the review from Vancouver Slop. A few months ago I visited for the first time and had an okay experience, partially because of the long line up and the longer wait.

Today I decided to pay another visit during my lunch hour. The restaurant is located on Pender and Homer, right below a backpacker hostel. It's not in the best neighborhood, but rest assured, you are transported to another place as soon as you step inside. There are many windows so the space gets flooded with natural light. The decor is sort of grandmother chic, with long diaphanous white curtains along the windows, lovingly worn plank hardwood floors, old books and curios, hanging plants, and small vases of carnations at every table. The room has a very worn quality--torn plaster in the corners exposing red brick, peeling ceiling tiles--but even that lends the place a certain coziness and charm. The restuarant is very small, with about 7 or 8 tables, and seats around 25 people. The best seats in the house are the intimate tables for two on the raised stages along two wall windows. I suspect you would have a memorable people-watching experience from that perspective.

Another charming element are the chalkboard menus inside ornate gold frames, and the loose tea in old-fashioned glass jars. The menu itself is relatively small, with coffee, tea, a breakfast dish or two, salads, soup of the day, and an extensive selection of baguette sandwiches. Many of their ingredients are organic.

I purposely left for lunch early so I could sit at a table, but unfortunately, all the tables were already filled by the time I arrived at 11:15, so I had to settle for takeout. My choice was the "Baked Blue Brie, Walnuts and Proscuitto" sandwich ($7.95). It was a really long wait, of around 20 minutes (!). This is perhaps the only downside to this place, the horribly interminable wait. There are a few reasons for this: many people do the smart thing and call their orders in, and the staff is busy preparing sandwiches that you hope are yours but end up not being yours at all. Another reason is that the people who make the sandwiches are very deliberate and serious in their sandwich making. They assemble the sandwich very slowly--even mindfully and meditatively, and this takes time. Today I saw one sandwich maker carefully pluck out each individual stalk of dill, one at a time, instead of tearing at the bunch like most people would do. Each element must be placed just so, and so on. It was kind of inspiring.

Finally my sandwhich was ready, and it was so nicely wrapped in butcher paper and tied with twine (the eat-in sandwiches come cradled in the same butcher paper, unwrapped). It's simple and beautiful. I also picked up a few cookies ($2.25 each) for myself and co-workers.

The sandwich was warm, though the melted cheese was a bit squished by the wrapping. Feeling the bread, I thought I might cut the roof of my mouth on the crust because it seemed so hard, but this was not the case. Oh the bread! It was the best baguette I've had in the city-- brown crunchy crust but still soft and chewy inside. So good. The combination of Proscuitto and warm Brie was delicious and indulgent, and the walnuts gave the sandwich a nutty crunch. The addition of black pepper gave it a subtle kick. They were very generous with the meat (the Proscuitto was sliced paper-thin and thickly squished into the bread) and cheese, so after a while I felt it was getting a bit too salty. It worked, however, and was definitely memorable and delicious.

My co-workers nearly sainted me when I distributed the cookies. They loved them, and so did I, though I'm not too into cookies. The cookie was crunchy on the ouside but soft on the inside, and the dark-chocolate bits were melty.

I would definitely come back to try their other sandwiches, despite the long wait and relatively high price. How can one resist? Each ingredient is top quality (and they are clearly and rightfully proud of their ingredients), and the food is prepared with painstaking care and time.

You know what they say, "All good things come to those who wait...."

Cat, Mat, Nap.

This is Pique. She is always trying to sleep on my knitting, though thankfully she doesn't like to play with yarn. So I made her a garter-stitch knitted blanket of her own with some leftover yarn from Mr. Blue Bear.

It's not pretty and it's already been stratched up, but she seems to like it.

White Spot - North Road

Probably everyone in BC knows White Spot; it is, as they say, a veritable institution. However, one can’t miss that over the past 10 or so years, the chain has undergone a transformation from a diner/family style joint à la Denny’s to a casual fine-dining aspirant. And I’m sure you’ve all seen the commercials with John Bishop, Rob Feenie and Umberto Menghi, right? It appears they are forever injecting their menu with new international cuisines (like Indian, Italian & Thai). Despite this, I’ve tended to stick with what I feel they do best: burgers, breakfasts and comfort food, because if I wanted to eat a rice bowl or stir fry, I would go to a real Asian restaurant, you know?

On Sunday we went for a walk around our neighbourhood and along the Brunette River, saw blackberries which were starting to wither, and met a few dogs and cyclists along the way. Afterwards, we decided to head out to one of our (formerly) regular breakfast spots, White Spot. A few years ago this location on North Road was renovated to a more upscale décor, with a fireplace, water feature and reupholstered booths. They’ve added cool B&W historical White Spot pictures in the waiting area, and the restaurant walls are decorated with very attractive colour photos of the BC landscape. Of course, there are a number of flat screen TVs as well. I also like this location because it is one of the restaurants that still has Drive-In service with car hops (!).

I have a soft spot for White Spot, even though I prefer other places for breakfasts and casual food. It has such a great history that I really, really want to like it. This particular location is very close to our home, so we’ve been there many times--but most of the experiences have been average at best. Not having grown up with Triple O Sauce (I partially grew up in Thailand and as a kid our family never went out to restaurants), I don’t see the appeal of it; to me the sauce is just some runny mayo that gets all over your hands (I know, I know, blasphemy!).

But on to the breakfast. I had coffee, the first cup of which was surprisingly smooth and without the Starbucks burnt taste that is so ubiquitous these days (the second cup was quite bitter/burnt though). I like how they give you a saucer of creamers in a little dish—it’s a lot more convenient than asking the busy server. Shane ordered Earl Grey tea, which came in a small, white ceramic teapot. One good thing about White Spot is that they serve one of my favourite teas, Mighty Leaf, which is really good loose leaf tea in silk-like biodegradable pouches. The tea bag is large enough so the leaves can properly unfurl and develop flavour. I only order it in restaurants though, because I can’t quite stomach the 15 dollar price tag for a box of it at the store.

I ordered “Nat’s Fabulous French Breakfast” ($9.99), which is 2 eggs, 2 bacon slices, 2 sausages, hash brown, 2 slices of French Toast cut diagonally in half. It arrived on a large white plate. The dish also came with a small vessel of warmed syrup (a nice touch), and the French toast was topped with icing sugar and a generous mound of butter that resembled a tiny scoop of ice cream. For what it’s worth, I did remove the mound of butter right away, before it melted further into the porous fried bread, and do further damage to my arteries. Now let’s examine the components:

· Eggs – they were ordered medium, but they turned out to be quite runny. Generally I like over easy eggs, but I really don’t like egg yolk touching the French toast, which kind of doesn’t make sense because the bread had been already dipped in egg in the first place….

· Bacon – were they there? They were cooked fine, but they were on the thin side, and about 3 inches long.

· Sausage – ok, so this the reason we stopped coming to White Spot for breakfast. White Spot used to have fabulous sausages: thick, flavourful, and quality meat, but a few months ago we were there for breakfast and apparently they changed suppliers and we had a horrible experience of having multiple burnt, undelicious sausages (multiple because we asked for non-burnt sausages and they gave us more black sausages—apparently they didn’t have any that weren’t blackened to a carbon-y crisp because they were still learning how to cook it). Have the sausages improved? Kind of. They weren’t too burnt. They were edible. But they were still dense, hard, dry, and chewy.

· Hash browns – these were actually okay. I don’t love shredded hash browns in general, but these were cooked well, with brown crispy bits and softer bits.

Now on to the best thing White Spot has on its menu, in my opinion: French Toast. The golden brown slices were perfectly cooked and arrived hot on the plate. I don’t know if they just use plain white bread, but it had a great dry-yet-moist texture, and the French Toast has a beautiful eggy, buttery flavour. We make French Toast at home and it doesn’t taste like this, let me tell you.

Shane had their ‘Classic Eggs Benedict’ ($9.49), which is classic indeed: Canadian bacon, poached eggs and hollandaise. Not a fan of the shredded hashbrown, he opted for the fruit salad. The benny was very good; the hollandaise sauce had a good consistency and had a nice balance of richness, lemon, and salt. The only weird thing about the dish was that one egg was poached medium, and one soft (no, the server didn’t ask how Shane wanted the eggs). The fruit salad consisted of pineapple, orange, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes. It was merely okay.

We enjoyed the breakfast, though it wasn’t too special. Fantastic French Toast aside, there are better and cheaper breakfast places out there. I’m still disappointed about their change in sausage supplier. Sigh.