131 Water Kitchen and Bar - Gastown (Poutine Challenge)

131 Water Street, Vancouver
http://www.131water.com 

131 Water Kitchen and Bar - Gastown

In the last few years, I feel like I've walked by this place dozens of times without giving it a second glance. The cheap student in me just assumed that I could not afford to eat or have a drink here (it always looks pretty darn nice when I walk by at night).

Perfect weather for a day in Gastown

After reading over the Vancouver Foodster Poutine Challenge List, I was intrigued by a Crispy Chicken and Waffle poutine. At a modest price of $10 I thought hey why not check it out this afternoon...I can do ten bucks,

This Inside

It was 1:30 pm when we arrived and the restaurant, along with the rest of downtown Vancouver was pretty darn quiet (I guess Vancouver was not the destination for people's family days holiday). We were seated right away and had a nice view of the street.

Crispy Chicken and Waffle Poutine - Hand cut fries, belgian waffle, cheese curds, breaded fried chicken smothered in white pepper gravy & finished with fresh cilantro $10.

I really enjoyed this Poutine. The chicken was crisp and moist, the white pepper gravy was excellent, fries had a nice crisp outside, and everything came together well. I don't know if the waffle was necessary but it worked nevertheless. For the price I thought it was a good deal, as we shared it between three of us, and were all satisfied.

We were just in for a light snack so we thought we would try one more item off the menu.

Fried pickles are a favorite of my girlfriend and I's so we like to try them at different places. Unfortunately most restaurants/bars don't make them in the round form which we prefer. These were good though, they were about $6 which I guess could seem a little high but we enjoyed them so no complaints.

Hop & Vine Pub, Tasting Series - North Burnaby

I was fortunate enough to be invited by the Kooner Hospitality Group to

try out their Tasting Series at the Hop and Vine pub.

I have been living pretty close by to this pub for the last 6 months and have

only been once, so this was a great excuse to head over a second time.

I was very excited to try out some new beers and have some great food.

I was initially worried that I would not like some of the dishes, but after

looking over the menu I knew this would be a good meal. We got 5 10 ounce pours of

 beers with each course, making me a little nervous about finishing them all :P

Course 1

Alameda Klickitat Pale Ale

Deconstructed Greek Salad: Tomatoes,Cucumbers, 

Olives, Green Peppers & Feta Dressing

I don't understand the point of deconstructing a salad, I mean you're going to eat it all together anyway but hey, this was good and I can't complain. The Beer was quite bitter so it paired great with the salad because when you took a bite of salad it really cut the bitterness very well.

Course 2

Alameda El Torero IPA

Red Thai Curry Prawns & Crab Wellington

I absolutely loved the prawn in this dish, mixed with the puff pastry the texture and taste was great. I did not get much of a crab taste in this dish but I was more than happy with the prawns The beer was an IPA and I expected it to be stronger than the first one, but I found it to have a smoother taste.

In terms of how it paired with the beer I wasn't sure what to look for, regardless of that I enjoyed it.

Course 3

Alameda Yellow Wolf IPA

Seared Vension & Sweet Potato Cake

with Venison Pan Sauce

I was really excited for the dish because I have never had venison before, I also love sweet potato so I could not wait for this one to come out. I would have gladly had two more of these because I thought it was great. I like the think that the pairing had something to do with the beer having Wolf in the name and the food included deer..I don't actually know if wolf's eat deer but for the purpose of this meal I thought so.

Course 4

Alameda Bad Bunny Imperial Cream Ale

Chorizo & Sockeye Salmon Rice Bowl

with Baby Corn, Water Chestnuts &

Pea Shoots

My girlfriend got a little jealous because my bowl was loaded up pretty well with

Chorizo. I do enjoy salmon and chorizo but together I wasn't a huge fan of the two flavors. This

was just a personal preference. The beer pairing had a very unique flavour and I really enjoyed it, I really don't know how to describe the beer, hoppy I think? Very unique though.

Course 5

Alameda Black Bear Stout XXMini Chocolate Cake: Chocolate Double Cream 

Icing & White Chocolate Shavings

To finish things off was some dessert. Now If you know me, you know I am a savoury guy and dessert to me would involve some nice cheeses or something. Most normal people would love this dessert but me not being a sweet kind of guy wasn't crazy about it..yes I know I am a little abnormal. The Stout was great, I actually finished mine and the last half of my girlfriends, it was a nice change from some of the more bitter ones prior.

So that was my experience at the Hop and Vine Pub. I love the idea of pairing different foods and drinks

and noticed they also do a Wine Makers dinner which seems like something I would
like to check out. I enjoyed the atmosphere and didn't feel rushed to finish my beer. It is nice to have a chance to try out some food and beer that you normally wouldn't think to order.

Yaletown Brewing Co - Yaletown

I really don't mind it when my girlfriend asks me to go downtown with her to buy fabric at Dressew. With a long list of restaurants to go to I welcome any invitation to go out and if I do something nice for her, it means that she will put up with me going to a restaurant and taking pictures.

Yaletown Brewing Company was on the menu for today, I knew little about the place so I was looking forward to going. They had some nice looking beers on tap but unfortunately I can't always go hard at lunch time.

We just wanted to snack and I was drawn instantly to the Short Rib Sliders - Tender pulled beef, tangy Nagila Pale Ale BBQ sauce served on a pretzel bun.I love short ribs and I love pretzels so I knew this would be good.

Now for $11.99 I can't really call this a good deal, but man were they tasty. The sauce had a perfect amount of tangyness to it and it was a very enjoyable appetizer. I think they should include 4 of them in the price...that may just be the glutton in me talking though.

My girlfriend had actually been here once before and she knew exactly what she wanted. The Smoked Applewood Cheddar, Potato and Ale Soup - A rich and hearty soup made with our own fresh Nagila Pale Ale and topped with

smoked bacon, Crème Fraiche and green onion.Just reading the title of the soup you knew it would be good. It was so good that the next day we tried making our own version at home, we couldn't quite get the taste right :(

 

I really can not pass much judgement on the restaurant because we only had such a small selection of what they actually offer. We both enjoyed our food and I would love to come back to try some of the beers in the future.

Doolin's Irish Pub - Granville Street (Downtown)

http://doolins.ca/
654 Nelson Street at Granville

While cleaning one day, I stumbled upon an old gift card I had aquired from Van Foodster through a contest. I had almost forgot about it, so I was excited to get to use it. Turns out I did not have a lot of time to use it because it expired Dec. 31st and that was merely a week away.

Twenty-Five bucks to spend however I wanted. Not being a big drinker I thought food would be a good choice.
I have to admit, from the outside I wasn't exactly drawn into the place, If it wasn't for the gifted I would have probably kept walking.
Inside it was dark and had a fairly cozy decor.

I got myself the Steak Sandwich $10 - 6oz New York strip grilled to your liking, sautéed garlic mushrooms, caramelized onions, served on a toasted ciabatta bun.For $10, including fries, coleslaw and a pickle spear I thought this was a good deal. The steak wasn't the greatest, tasted like it was pan fried but all in all I was pleased. 

　My lady went with  the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich $10 - 5oz slow-braised pork, caramelized onions, mayonnaise on toasted sourdough kaiser bun She had mono so couldn't finish all of it (not much of an appetite). Not being one to let a little bit of mono scare me away from eating someones food, I had a couple bites of the it and thought it was great. The BBQ sauce they put on it really made it for me, I think it is key to good pulled pork.
Another note, the fries were really good her, nice and crisp on the outside (until they're drowned in vinegar)

$10 for a sit down meal that actually fills you up is always good with me, the cute waitresses were a plus too (keep in mind I'm 21..short skirts= win).
I don't know if I'd recommend this place to others but I enjoyed myself enough to come back.

X-Site Grill and Bistro- Burnaby North

Looking for cheap prices and big portions? Look no further because X-Site Grill and Bistro has got you covered. Located on Hastings st. In Burnaby it was a short drive from my girlfriends place.
The thing that had me focused on going here was their $4.95 Lunch Special. My girlfriend and I arrived around 1pm and were sat immediately (one table left woot woot!). The catch (which isn't really much of a catch) to have the Lunch Special is you have to purchase a drink a long with it (two iced tea's sil vous plait). Below is the lunch special menu

As you can see a pretty decent selection to choose from. I was torn between quite a few items, and considered getting two but had to calm myself down. I kept on saying "don't let the waitress come yet I won't be able to make up my mind". I finally smartened up and went with the Cheese Burger. My girlfriend, now a "part time vegetarian" ordered the Daily Soup (tomato and vegetable) & Ceasar Salad. It appeared that everyone else in the restaurant was ordering the Lunch Specials so I greedily looked around trying to find someone near me eating the Burger so I could see what it looked like. In the meantime I sipped on my ice tea, which was not too sweet just how I like it.

Being so close to Simon Fraser University I imagine this place is popular for students living close by. While waiting for our food I noticed they also have a Dinner Special Menu for $5.95. I glanced over it but can only remember seeing one item, the New York Steak, that alone has me sold on coming back soon. They also have daily drink specials, $2.95 local pints on Mondays? Yes please! Shooter madness $2.95, oh man I hope a bus comes that can get me home, not driving that night.

The food arrived and I can say at first glance I was ecstatic. I laughed at the plates they served the food on, they had little chili peppers which I thought were kind of random.

Cheese Burger

Cheese Burger

The Burger was served with tomato, lettuce, red onions, and a slice of processed cheese. The actually patty was surprisingly thick for a burger that cost virtually the same price as something from McDonalds.

I rarely don't enjoy a burger and this one pleased me. Nothing over the top special about it just a nice big burger. The Ceasar salad was nothing special, I like very strong dressings and this one lacked that. I ordered the meal for the burger though and I was very happy with it.

Tomato and Vegetable Soup

My girlfriend enjoyed her soup. I would say out of all the Lunch Specials this one didn't pack as big as a calorie punch as the others. I tried a bit of the soup and the broth was good, not a lot of vegetables but I thought it was tasty. She also got garlic bread and a ceasar salad with her meal.

One thing I noticed was the orders of the Chicken Souvlaki people were getting. They were absolutely huge! I was a little jealous after seeing the massive amounts of food on the Chicken Souvlaki plate...next time I guess.

The damage at the end including tip $18. That was including two drinks and two Lunch Specials.
This place was a great find and I will definitely be coming back for dinner/drinks soon.

Steamworks Brewing Company- Gastown

Steamworks is located in Gastown a quick walk from the Waterfront Skytrain station. The location is absolutely awesome and the restaurant has a great atmosphere. My girlfriend, C.O.W, Robout, and myself were there last night to get some food and drinks before going to the Blarney Stone.

I have been here many times and it is one of my favorite places to grab a drink. I first went with my girlfriend and we both ordered the beer samplers, which consisted of 8 of their most popular beers (one of them being the seasonal one) .They are considered a microbrewery, meaning they brew their own beer. The have the big kegs down in the basement, which is my favorite place to dine/drink.

Yam Fries

Well tonight I decided to go with my old stand by. I ordered a Pint of their seasonal beer, which was a
Hefeweizen and their Yam Fries.

Hefeweizen

The yam fries, like always were awesome. They make a balsamic vinegar reduction and drizzle it over them. The fries themself are crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside.

I really like the Hefeweizen as well. I've had it once before here in September. I assume they make it differently because it's supposed to be one of their limited seasonal beers but i had it in March and September.
We shared the Calamari which I had never had here before/

Calamari

At first bite I thought that there was too much salt on them. That didn't stop me from eating them though. The calamari as nice and tender. I didn't try any of the tatzsiki so I have no opinion on that. I don't normally order calamari but since it was being shared I thought why not.

C.O.W ordered the Prawn Linguine, my girlfriend got a small Cesar salad and Robout got the House Salad. I didn't bother taking pictures of the salads but I snapped a quick pic of the Prawn Linguine.

Prawn Linguine

C.O.W was kind enough to offer me a bit of the Linguine so I could give my opinion. I did not take a prawn however because that would just be rude. I thought the pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was very good. The prices are a bit high for the regular menu items so I usually don't have big meals here. I like the bar food so I just stuck with my Yam Fries. We also shared a picture of White Wine Sangria which was the drink special for Saturday.

Steamworks is a great place for drinks and at night it is a great place to go with your friends. You can get a great view of Canada Place and watch the seabus go back and forth if you're lucky.

I am looking forward to when they start making their Raspberry Frambrozen and Sour Cherry Ale in the next couple months.

Steamworks website

Donegal's Irish Pub- Surrey

Donegal's Irish Pub is a cozy spot located in Surrey. Located just on the border of North Delta, it was a close drive for my friends and I. We just wanted to grab a couple drinks and food while watching the Canucks Game. I had never been here before so I thought there was no better time than the present.

I scoured the menu to see what the daily deals were. Moosehead for $5.25 a bottle (stupid expensive beer prices in Canada) and they had panko crusted prawns for $0.35 each. They also had a beef dip and fries for $6 which was a really great deal for the amount of food.

I opted for a bottle of moosehead, which seemed to disappear as quick as soon as it was brought to our table. I also got 12 prawns to snack on. 

I really enjoyed the prawns. Living so close to the ocean I wish I knew how to catch these little suckers. The prawns were accompanied with a basic cocktail sauce which was pleasant to dip them in. They weren't greasy either. When I heard panko breaded prawns I had a picture in my mind that these deep fried little guys would be dripping with oil, but upon getting them my negative views were washed away.

beef dip (not actual photo from restaurant)

Another guy at our table got the beef dip with fries. For $6 the portion was great. If I wasn't on such a tight budget I would have definitely ordered that dish as well. This was a pretty quiet place for a game night which was fine for me. I enjoy being able to have conversations without straining to hear. I will definitely be checking out some of the food specials on other days of the week. Monday is Meatball day which sounds very tempting.

Donegal's Irish Pub

Urban Spoon

Black's Pub and Restaurant- Whistler Village

On our last day in Whistler we decided to take a walk through

the village one last time before check out. We were in search for a place to get breakfast and Black's Pub and Restaurant was the first one we found.

Not being entirely energetic we chose to try this place out.

Smoked Salmon Benedict

I ordered the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict which came with fried potatoes. It was great to have something different than the scrambled eggs I had made the previous two mornings. The eggs were poached perfectly and the potatoes were very nice and crispy.

Smoked Salmon Benedict

Little grapes were used as garnish on the side, I did not see the point but

they were tasty. at around $12 this is what you would expect for a meal

like this in any little cafe in downtown Vancouver so I can't complain.
My girlfriend ordered pancakes with whip cream, she couldn't finish them so I got to enjoy them. The pancakes were very nice and fluffy and this meal definitely was a feel good one. No pictures of the pancakes because most people know what pancakes look like.

Smoked Salmon Benedict

It's really nice to have breakfast right in the village. You have a nice view of the Mountain and can watch people ski down to the gondolas from this restaurant. Going out for breakfast is must cheaper than Dinner in Whistler so if you're in the area stop by for some great food.

Room Service at the St. Regis Hotel Vancouver

St. Regis Hotel.

         My girlfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary at the St. Regis hotel. After going out into the hallway to grab ice I couldn't help but notice how nice whatever they were cooking at their restaurant smelled. We decided to get room service and ordered the Barbecued Pulled Pork Sliders and the Tomatoe + Goat cheese fondue.

 The Pulled Pork Sliders were excellent. The crispy onion straws in them added a nice crunch which went well with the very tender tangy pork. I enjoyed the tomatoe and goat cheese fondue however the goat cheese was very sparse compared to the tomatoe. I like my goat cheese, and would have preferred more. The server who brought the food to our room was very friendly and made my first room service experience enjoyable.

If you are staying at the St. Regis hotel I would highly reccommend that you treat your self to these pulled pork sliders.

 The Good:-Service to the room was very quick
-Server was very friendly
-Pull pork sliders tasted excellent
The Bad:
- A little pricey, partly due to charges for room service
- Not much goat cheese in the etomatoe and goat cheese fondue

(link to hotel)
http://www.stregishotel.com/index.html

(link to menu)
http://www.stregishotel.com/stregis_bar_and_grill_menu.html