Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

Are these the best fries ever? My mom spotted McCain Superfries Savoury Xtracrispy Wedges on sale at SuperStore and decided to give them a try. Despite the preparation instructions, we were going to try them in our so-far-very-disappointing Big Boss Oil-less Fryer . They didn't turn out so well. They were better on the grill, but not very crispy. She complained that they also took quite a long time on the grill or in the oven (plus there's the annoying turning) so with the last portions she deep fried them. And wow did they turn out great. The outer shell feels thin but crispy. Seasoning is noticeable but not too particularly strong. Inside, it was probably fluffy but the experience in my mouth was one of light creaminess. Good taste, excellent texture. Sodium content is off-putting but not really surprising.

The deceptively small store front hides a deep room with upstairs party seating as well. Still, definitely make reservations because it was busy when I got there for a 7 PM reservation an it was still packed around 9 PM when we left the restaurant last Friday. Trust me, you want the lamb ribs--Unless you're vegetarian, in which case there really isn't much reason to go to Tuc Craft Kitchen , which sports just the one veggie starter and one veggie main. albóndigas ($8) beef & pork meatballs, vodka roma sauce, sheep’s milk pecorino romano Three fat meatballs, each slightly bigger than a ping pong ball or golf ball. Tasty. Firm and moist. Good but not "wow" -- but that may be in comparison to the wonderful ribs we'd just had. pork belly crackling ($8) gelderman farms, star anise red wine reduction, coarse salt In some places "pork crackling" gets you just the super-crunchy fat. Here you get crunchy fat plus a bit of meat. Pretty tasty, b...

Mealshare  quite recently added a bunch of restaurants to their charity line-up, and I'm just starting on working my way through the new list -- beginning with the Revel Room. The menu has New Orleans influences, which is more or less the best you can hope for in Vancouver unless you go to one of the few dedicated places like Ouisi Bistro . The mix of New Orleans, New Mexico, and less adventurous-sounding things like burgers. Vegans look like they may be out of luck, though. Sinister Chili Fried Shrimp with Honey Lime Dip ($10) Strangely bland, so our experience may have been a fluke kitchen error. For some reason the five "shrimps" (which were fat enough to be proud prawns) had nice crunch and firmness but not a lot of prawny flavour. Honey Lime Dip was also rather tame. Otherwise a decently done tempura. Be sure to use some of the sriracha (?) chili sauce drizzled on the plate. Duck, Pear & Brie Quesadilla with Red Onion Compote ($11) A bit weak o...

I was early for my Hog Shack reservation on Saturday and dropped into Living Cafe for a cool place to wait. It was such a hot day so I decided to go with a nice cold drink. I asked for the weirdest one they had and they suggested their Liquid Gold Organic Smoothie ($9): fresh almond milk, frozen bananas, dates, turmeric, maple syrup, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, vanilla. First off, it wasn't as cold as I had hoped. Maybe I should have asked them to throw in some ice as well. Second -- and this is just my own pet peeve -- it came in a mason jar. I wish restaurants would just stop it with the mason jars. It's like they ran out of proper cups and glasses and mugs and dusted off something from the cellar that was meant for canning fruit. The use of turmeric reminded me of Golden Milk, to which I was introduced at Ethical Kitchen . I couldn't stomach it there, so I hesitated when they told me there was turmeric in Liquid Gold. But what the hey, let's give it a try. S...

There are different BBQ styles in the US, so even if two BBQ houses look like they are serving the "same" thing, they may not be. Not exactly, anyway. For starters, Hog Shack should definitely not be compared to the not-slathered-in-bbq-sauce Carolina style served at Peckinpah . Their "Kansas-city style" is much closer to Memphis Blues , but I'm going to be cautious about making direct comparisons. It looks pretty big on the outside, but Hog Shack is not that big on the inside. Reservations are recommended as they sometimes close earlier on slow days. Online menus don't necessarily match the actual menus for the price of items, so if a couple dollars more upsets you, call first I guess, or swing by and have a look at the menu. Trying to make reservations online (e.g., through Facebook) can result in complications, so talking to a live person is preferred. I tried reservations online and even though I had two communications with them, my reservation did n...

From May to September, The Fish House in Stanley Park is serving afternoon tea , with white chocolate cream for your scones! $38 per person. Smoked Salmon, Fried Capers, Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese in Mini Bagel Oregon Pink Shrimp, Pea Shoots & Dill Aioli in Mini Croissant Grilled Chicken, Brie & Fig Compote in Challah Slider Roasted Vegetables & Goat Cheese in Herb Focaccia Chef's Homemade Scones (selection changes daily) served with Strawberry Jam & White Chocolate Cream An Assortment Of Fine Patisseries Cherry Macaron Chocolate Cream Puff Smallish selection of  TWG tea  (which is available locally through The Urban Tea Merchant ) As far as the food goes, quality is quite good. No sign of the bread being dry from having sat around somewhere too long. The bites that you get are really quite tasty. For the "patisseries", our tray included a flavourful cherry macaron and a small chocolate cream puff. White chocolate cream was softened by m...

The last time I was at a "communal table" dinner was waaay back in 2009, at an Irish Heather Long Table Series . Back then, it was $12 . They are still doing it, though at $18. I was recommended La Pentola della Quercia and managed to find a few friends to join me for their Famiglia Supper Series . The website blurb reads: La Pentola’s Famiglia Supper Series is a multi-course event hosted the last Sunday of each month by Chef Lucais Syme. Join us at 6PM to dine family style at a communal table with your neighbours and friends as we serve 10 + courses featuring a different ingredient each month. If you have been to the Long Table Series, or are expecting some sort of long communal table where you may be seated next to complete strangers, then (for better or worse), you might want to sneak a peek first at what the Famiglia Supper Series looks like. (And it's easy to peek in from the corner of Davie and Hamilton because of the way the street slopes up; it's equally ...