Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

A much better taste experience at Meet in Gastown! Last time I was at Meet in Gastown I had a Portobello Burger that didn't look very good and I mentioned it in my blog and on Yelp. Surprisingly, someone was actually reading and Meet offered me a gift card. When a restaurant offers you a gift card through Yelp, obviously they are trying to get you to revise their rating. I asked the Yelp Community Manager about that, and she said it was legit as long as there was full disclosure. So based on that, I accepted the card. I mean, how much could it possibly be? $5? The cost of the burger? Anyway, I found a friend curious about Meet and we finally went, months later and hopefully incognito. I was tempted to try the burger again to see if my experience before was a one-off, but even if it were, one bad menu item shouldn't damn a restaurant. All of the picks on this visit were by my dining partner. We tried four things: Sweet-Chili Cauliflower ($9.75) house beer-battered wi...

OK, maybe not the saddest burger ever -- that would probably be the Classic Jr. at Cannibal Cafe, if you take the gluten-free lettuce wrap option. But the Portobello Burger at Meet in Gastown was still shockingly disappointing. On a Saturday night, it was really busy till around nine with lineups out the door. Communal seating here helps if you are just two diners. Space is bright and has high ceilings, lending a sense of space when you are really sort of squashed in. Menu is vegetarian but if you aren't paying attention to the fine print you might not actually notice. Which is a good thing. House Made Ginger Shrub Beer ($4.25) Really decent. Sweet but not too much so. Good ginger bite. Sweet Chili Cauliflower ($9.75) Good but too sour. If they could make the batter crunchier, this would totally be a winner. Considering that it's just cauliflower, you are also paying for its popularity given the portion you get. Portobello Burger ($13.50) Comes ...