Crow & Gate Pub (outside Nanaimo)

Although we have family in Nanaimo, Shane and I rarely eat out in the area. However, we did hear about this English style pub called the Crow & Gate pub that was nearby, so we decided to pay a visit when we were out their with my mom.  The restaurant itself is outside of the Nanaimo area, and is actually located in Cedar. It's definitely located in the middle of nowhere, and the entrance is not very noticeable. The pub itself is impressive; it's almost like you were driving into a Tudor estate, with immaculately green lawns, and distinctive white and dark-beamed buildings.

Surprisingly for a mid-afternoon, the place was packed. The interiors were what you may expect in an old English pub: lots of beams, dark wood, benches, and a real crackling fireplace. Very cozy.

The menu itself was small and written on a chalkboard. Like a lot of pubs, you seat yourself and order at the bar. The food then will be brought to your table. The menu items were reasonable, though not cheap; soups were under $8 and mains were from $10 - $14. I was disappointed to see non-traditional English stuff on their menu, but I suppose this reflects what the people demand.

My mom ordered the Boston clam chowder, which arrived in a large, flat bowl with a couple of slices of bread and butter. This soup was really good - creamy, rich, and with a really nice clam flavour.

Shane ordered the quiche of the day, which arrived with a side of green salad, potato salad, and some bread. The quiche was pretty good - creamy and cheesy, with a tender though somewhat limp crust, it certainly wasn't the best quiche either of us had ever had.

I ordered the bratwurst pub plate, which had two sausages, the same side salad and potato salad, roll, and inexplicably, a long strip of cheese. I wasn't bowled over by the sausages, to be honest. It was a tad salty and plain tasting. I am not a fan of sweet salad dressings, so did not like their house dressing at all. The potato salad was also heavy on the mayo and a tad sweet as well.

I was also bothered a little by the fact that everyone had the exact same plate (side salad, potato salad, roll), despite the difference in the orders. This probably eases the work of the kitchen, but it would be nice if they put in a little more effort.

That being said, we would definitely come back, just because of the setting and environment of the pub. The place has a wonderful feel. Plus, they do sell the most wonderful beer and ciders on tap.

Pied-a-Terre

(Bear with me, I'm catching up on a backlog of food posts. Here's one from a few weeks ago....)

Amanda, a friend from work, and I had a chance to have a leisurely lunch when we were out of the office visiting various places for one of our projects. We decided upon a French bistro on Cambie called Pied-a-Terre. As you can see from the photos, the restaurant is very distinctive looking, with a playful flying pig mural on the side of the building contrasting with its rather stark, elegant, vertical facade.

Reservations are recommended for this place because it is quite small. The interiors were a delight, with a fancy black chandelier, dark framed mirrors, a chalkboard menu, and tasteful wooden tables and black leathery banquette and chairs.

The lunch started out wonderfully, with a stack of warm slices of French bread that were utterly divine, with a crunchy (but not hard) crust and a fluffy interior.  These came with a generous portion of butter. This was amazing - one of the best breads I've had.

Both Amanda and I had the unfortunate disposition of being gluttons, so when we saw the Table d'Hote option of three courses for $25, our eyes widened and we impulsively went for it. You only live once, right?  For the first course, both of us chose the quail on a frise salad. This was very decadent, to have the whole bird to yourself as an appetizer, no less!  The quail was delicious, with a really mouth-watering grilled flavour and delicately cooked flesh. The salad was also really tasty, with morsels of pork nestled among the greens. (Note: my dining companion who does not eat red meat or pork didn't enjoy this - the quail tasted too 'gamey' for her palate)

For the main course, Amanda ordered the trout with capers, served on a bed of vegetables. The portion was very generous. She liked this quite a bit, and loved the size of the meal, even though she couldn't quite finish the whole thing.

Amanda also wanted to replace the bed of vegetables with fries, so the server gave her an extra side of fries at no charge. I found that to be pretty impressive. Look at the size of that!

In fitting with the theme of the day (gluttony), I went for the steak frites with peppercorn sauce. This was huge, and along with the main components, also came with creamed spinach and a herbed breadcrumb topped tomato. The dish was enjoyable; the fries were well cooked, golden brown and crispy, the vegetable sides were really pleasant departures from the regular steak frites. The meat was a nice medium rare and was well seasoned. My only comment would be that the steak itself was a little tough and needed quite a bit of chewing. But considering the cost, this is pretty understandable. All in all, a very hearty dish.

We were utterly stuffed at this point. But who can pass up dessert? Amanda chose the simple vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Judging from its appearance, the ice cream looks housemade (thought it did seem a bit too 'melty'). She enjoyed this, although she thought that a bit more chocolate sauce would have made it perfect.

I got the Napoleon with sour cherry compote. The sour cherries were absolutely amazing - the tartness cut through the richness of the cream on top and between the layers. However, there was a major problem with the dessert, because the pastry layers were so thick and hard that it was impossible to cut through them. As a result, the layers and cream went all over the place. It was not very elegant to eat.

We very much enjoyed our lunch at Pied-a-Terre. For the amount of food, the service and quality of the ingredients, it is quite the deal. The whole meal was an experience, and was one of those meals where you felt like you were in a different country on vacation. 

I would definitely comeback to this restaurant. They know what they're doing.

Brasserie "L'ecole" - Victoria

We were in Victoria around the time of our anniversary, so we decided to splurge one night on a fine dining restaurant called "Brasserie L'Ecole". I was pretty excited, because I had heard that this French bistro was one of the best restaurants in Victoria. One thing to keep in mind about this restaurant is that they don't take reservations, and they don't have a set menu. Instead, there is a 'fresh sheet' everyday.

The restaurant itself is located in Chinatown. There is a very cool mural on the side of the building.

The restaurant itself was pretty small, and has your typical bistro feel - Toulouse Lautrec posters, red walls with dark wood trim.

Here was the day's fresh sheet (I know, I've been really slow to write about this).

I normally don't take pictures of bread, but I couldn't resist the cute little butter pot. The bread was good, though nothing spectacular.

For appetizer, we shared some Frites with Parmesan, garlic, parsley and truffle oil ($8). This was so good - the potatoes really tasted like potatoes (potatoey?), and the fries were exceptionally well seasoned. The garlic and the Parmesan really gave these potatoes a yummy savoury quality. The aioli that accompanied the frites was probably the best I've had, because it had a pronounced vinegar flavour which went especially well with the greasy fries. As you can see, the portion was huge. We were impressed.

Shane ordered the Boeuf Bourguignon with parsley potatoes ($22). The bowl came piled high with the stew. It looked really good. It tasted even better. The beef was cut in large chunks which were meltingly tender, and the dish had an incredible richness of taste. Everything about it--the texture, the seasoning, the flavours--were perfect. Shane was in heaven, and I was quite jealous.

Similarly inspired by reading 'My Life in France' by Julia Child (an excellent read, by the way), I got the Rock Fish Meuniere with vegetables ($23). For those of you that haven't read the book, 'Sole Meuniere' was the first dish Julia had in France, and it introduced her to the exciting, sensuous world of French cuisine. The rock fish, when it arrived, looked spectacular. The presentation was lovely. The fish was cooked nicely, with a nice sear on the edges. However, the fish was a little underseasoned, even with the addition of capers. It was also a little too greasy for me, though of course how could it not be, being fried in butter and all. But I guess in comparison with the robustly flavoured Boeuf Bourguignon, the fish really suffered.

However, the vegetables, which were served on the side, were really delicious and incredibly well cooked. It was the first time I had tried fiddleheads, and I really liked it (fresh, green tasting, with a subtle slippery texture). The veggies were the best part of the dish.

Check out this coffee presentation. It's cute, no?

Yes, we had dessert, even though we were really full. The creme brulee was very good, with a really thick crust yielding to the eggy goodness underneath. It didn't blow my mind, but it was a pretty nice ending.

Dining at the Brasserie was a very special experience. There was so much care put into the food, and you can't help but admire and appreciate that. I would definitely come back. For the Boeuf Bourguignon.

Chambar

Chambar is one of our favorite restaurants in Vancouver, and it's where we often go for a special dinner before an event. This time we were going to Hal Willner's Neil Young Project, and I was forward-thinking enough to have made reservations a month or so beforehand because downtown was absolutely crazy and crowded that night. There was an Olympic hockey game featuring the Canadian men's team, and the city and the restaurant were hopping.

We were led into the back room of the restaurant, which is a lot more spacious and which has a great deal more natural light than the restaurant's main room. The room is lovely, with large windows, solid wood tables, and leather-like banquettes along either exposed brick wall. On this particular night, they had a giant screen set up with the hockey game.

We began the meal with some mixed olives ($6). The black, green and red olives arrived on a elegant long serving plate, mixed with caper berries, and topped with a tangy sauce of sundried tomato. Strongly tangy and briny, the olives really whetted our appetites.

Shane ordered Le canard aux epices ( Spiced Duck -- $29), and this arrived on a large square plate, the elements arranged beautifully. There were 3 thick pieces of pink duck breast, a couple of pieces of sauteed , caramelized apple, pureed butternut squash, and a glistening tamarind sauce. Everything was impeccable and delicious. The duck was incredibly tender with spicy cinnamon flavours, and the puree was buttery and utterly smooth on the tongue. The tamarind sauce was unexpected and surprisingly tangy and savory.

I ordered what I usually order at Chambar, the mussels Congolaise ($22). This arrived in a large covered black pot, and the mussels were cooked in a tomato, coconut milk, lime and smoked chilli, and topped with cilantro. The mussels were well cooked and tender, though they weren't as large as I've had there in the past. The star was the broth--this was delicious, and I just sipped it up like soup.

Of course, accompanying the mussels was a side of fries, which arrived in a small bowl. They were crispy and golden brown.

By the end of our entrees, we were full, but we decided to try the dessert tasting platter ($20). These were: basil sorbet, vanilla pot de creme, raspberry tart with lime sorbet, and chocolate mousse. These were indulgent and outstanding. The highlights were definitely the basil sorbet, which was refreshing and unusual, and the rich and light chocolate mousse.

In addition to the platter of desserts, the dish also came with a selection of truffles: raspberry truffles, and a dark chocolate one. These were the perfect ending to a delightful meal. Oh, that and the shootout goal, that is....!

(a very special thanks to Allison and Mary, the best people to be around!)

Salade de Fruits Cafe

Living in Vancouver, I'd heard that Salade de Fruits was a really great French bistro, but because of its location in Kitsilano, I'd never gotten a chance to visit. One Saturday morning we were in the area, so decided go there for brunch. Salade de Fruits is located at Vancouver's French Cultural Centre, right next to the centre's French library. With golden coloured walls and eccentric French decor, the place gave off a comfortable vibe.

When we arrived, it was really busy, with only one table left, right next to the entrance. It was not the best table, especially with the long, long, line ups that came after. Shane was constantly being jostled by people coming in and out, and people kept staring at both of us (and our food).

The restaurant has a great breakfast menu, with a variety of eggs bennys, omelettes, and more savoury breakfast dishes. Shane chose the classic benny with ham ($8.99). This came with merguez sausage, potatoes, and a bit of fruit. This was delicious. The eggs with poached to a near medium, with bright orange yolks; the hollandaise was creamy and rich, and the merguez sausage was really good, and an unexpected addition. Being a benny conniseur, I asked Sh how this ranked; he replied that it is one of the top benedicts in the city. Oh la la.

I had been craving seafood for a few weeks, so I got the moules et frites ($13.99). To be honest, I didn't expect much, but when it arrived, I was extremely impressed. It arrived in a huge black pot, with a generous quantity of mussels bathed in a creamy broth. I'd never thought I'd have a mussel experience that would rival that of Chambar, but here it was. The mussels were huge and plump, and exceedingly delicious. It was so delightful.

That was merely the first half of my meal! The second part to it was the frites. These were heaped on a large plate, and were crispy and well seasoned. I wish I could have eaten more of these, but the mussels really filled me up.

Being jostled and stared at aside, this was a truly memorable brunch. Everything we had was really good, and the prices were amazing (especially for the mussels!). I definitely look forward to coming back--at a way quieter time, of course!

Irish Times - Victoria

On our first day in Victoria, Shane, his sister and her boyfriend,and his dad decided on a pub lunch. Shane's sister had been to the Irish Times before and was impressed by the food, so we decided to go there.

The pub is located right in the heart of downtown, on Government Street, in a large, white stone building. The facade was quite impressive. The interior is typical: lots of wood, booths and solid tables and chairs. Nothing feels particularly 'Irish' about the place, however.

The pub had an impressive selection of beer on tap, but at around $8, each pint is quite pricey. The menu has a sprinkling of 'Irish'/'British' fare, but it was mostly the usual burgers, sandwiches, pizza (!), and generic stuff.

For food, I chose the bangers and mash. This was very good. I wasn't in love with the type of sausage (it was a little too firm for me), but the meal was quite good. It varied from the traditional quite a bit, and the sausages were served with both a potato mash, and a yam mash, along with a sweet onion chutney, and corn and peas. I was impressed with all of the flavours, and liked how each bite was different. However, at $14.99, it was a tad overpriced.

Shane got the Irish Stew ($13.99). He enjoyed this. The stew had a distinctive lamb taste, but wasn't too overpowering. The dumplings were a doughy and delicious.

Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food. The pub has a good selection of beer, and the food is quite good. Don't expect anything too authentic, however.

Codfather's Fish & Chips

Codfather's. It's a pretty cute name, no? Despite the cute name, I'd never visited this place, even though it's in the same strip mall as our regular pet place, Bosley's, in Burquitlam Plaza. I suppose this is because fish and chips has never really been one of my favorite meals. Many people love it and all, but I don't get why.

The restuarant is small, with seats for about 30 guests, and filled to the brim with football scarves and knick knacks The colourful flags and scarves gave the place quite a cozy, lived-in quality. But probably the most interesting decor feature in the restaurant is this blue neon sign with a cute friendly fish on it.

We both got the same thing, the 2 piece cod and chips, which came with a dinner roll and coleslaw. The fish came in large golden pieces, and was very moist inside. The batter was quite thin and gave a crispy crust to the fish, but the batter seemed to fall off really easily as you cut into it. The chips were good, with a distinctive chewy crispness that was oddly pleasant and different. The tartar sauce went pretty well with everything, though there wasn't anything much to distinguish it. There were also the traditional white and malt vinegars on the table, which I preferred (although why do people dilute the vinegar? I don't quite get this. I always end up dredging the whole thing in vinegar because the flavour is too mild).

The parts I didn't quite like were the coleslaw, which doesn't say much because I just don't like it (as I mentioned in an earlier post, I've never met a mayo-based coleslaw I liked), and the dinner roll, which was soft and plain.

Overall, the meal was good. However, at $14.99, the meal was a tad pricey. The fish and chips was not something I was wowed by, since I'm not a big fan of fish and chips in general. However, it's a good place if you feel like fish and chips in Coquitlam. The restaurant seems to have quite the following.

Cafe Medina

Cafe Medina has been on my to-do list for a while, because it's from the same creators of Chambar (one of our favorite places to eat) next door. On Sunday, we decided visit the Art Gallery and to see a movie (A Serious Man) at Tinseltown, so we headed to downtown pretty early in the morning. We arrived at around 9:45am, which turned out to be a good time, because we snagged the last table. Very auspicious.

The place was packed, but had a really nice, casual, yet sophisticated atmosphere. The restaurant is small, with banquette style seating at one end of the room, and the bar on the other side, with stools for about 5 people.

I ordered Earl Grey tea ($2.75), and the loose tea arrived in a little French press, along with a tiny cup of milk. I loved the very cute cup and saucer--it matched the colours of the restaurant, and had a nice weight to it. I was impressed. Shane got the apple juice ($3.75), which was pretty standard.

We'd tried the waffles at Chambar a year or two ago, so I knew they made good ones. We decided to get one each ($3.15), and also got a couple of accompaniments, the mixed berry compote and the fig orange marmalade ($1 per topping). The waffles were astounding: warm, golden brown, with a slight doughy chewiness and sweetness. Delicious! The toppings were good too, with the compote having a slight edge. But honestly, I just preferred these little heavenly rounds just as they were, because they were so utterly perfect.

For the mains, Shane got the Fricasse ($15), which is braised short rib mixed with potatoes, apples, greens, applewood cheddar, all topped with a couple of eggs, sunny side up. It arrived in its own little cast iron pan, with a warm chunk of foccaccia bread. This was wonderful--the short ribs (shredded) were tender, savoury, and had a slight sweetness, and the eggs were cooked well. I only had a taste of this, but Shane mentioned that every bite was different because of the different components that you could arrange on your fork. He really loved this, and I was a little jealous!

I ordered the Tagine ($13), which was two merguez sausages, a chickpea and tomato stew, olives, and topped with two poached eggs. It came with foccaccia bread and a scoop of sour cream. This was also very, very tasty. The sausages were wonderful, with a deep spiciness, and the stew had a fresh tomato flavour, which was mellowed by the soft poached egg. I really enjoyed this--normally I eat pretty fast, but this dish made me slow down, and savour every little bite.

We love Cafe Medina. This was probably one of the best breakfast experiences we've ever had, because the dishes weren't the usual fare you'd get at any other place; the dishes were so unique and flavourful and well executed. Sure, it's a little pricy for breakfast, but what originality! What quality! What waffles!

Bravo, and encore.