As I pack my souvenirs and conference materials and get ready to head to the airport home I want to take a moment to share 2 wonderful little spots that I found while here in Vancouver. My disclaimer is this, I have never been to Vancouver before, nor did I do any research on dining options for this trip knowing full well I wouldn't have much down time. I am telling you that because you may know about these 2 spots, they may be "over" or big conglomerates-I completely doubt it though and they are so good that I don't care if they are owned by the Russian Mafia!
First, let's spend a moment talking about Mink Chocolates (www.minkchocolates.com) 863 W. Hastings Street, Vancouver. I noticed the little sandwich board with an arrow beckoning shoppers and chocolate lovers down the few stairs to their shop. I walked by the place at least two or three times. On my way back from Chinatown I was hot, tired and in need of a pick me up. I decided a treat was in order! Mink bills themselves as a "chocolate cafe". I decided on the frozen chocolate (12 oz size, about $5.50 including tax). It was available in milk or dark chocolate. I went with the milk chocolate. It was one of the best tasting things I have ever put into my mouth. It was frozen, perfectly blended-no chunks of ice-just perfectly smooth consistency that wasn't as thick as a milkshake. The flavor was really of the most perfect milk chocolate bar. It was something so simple and so perfect. It was really worth the visit. Additionally, Mink gives you a little square of dark chocolate with your order as a little treat. It was divinity in a frosty cup....sigh....Also at Mink they have a frozen mocha, ass't coffee drinks and delicious chocolate bars in unique flavors like pb&j, rose petal and rice krispie treat...
My second pick is Bella Gelateria (www.bellagelateria.com) 1001 W Cordova Street, Vancouver. Several classmates of mine highly recommended this place, speaking of the proprietor who shared with them his love for the best ingredients that he gathers from around the world. Some folks had been there every day this week. I had to go! I ordered a 2 flavor cup ($6.60 including tax). I decided on ricotta lemon and Tahitian vanilla. The tart ricotta lemon complimented the vanilla perfectly. They both were the true essence of perfectly made gelato-smooth, creamy, highly concentrated flavors. They had many other flavors of gelato and sorbetto including cilantro lime, hazelnut, milk, cherry....It is a small shop but you can watch the gelato being made, and they are liberal with the samples. A real treasure.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Review-La Casa Gelato (Vancouver)
La Casa Gelato was recommended to me by a friend and I love gelato so I decided to give it a whirl. The claim to fame for this place is that they have over 200 flavors (currently they have 218) of gelato all of the time. My review of the gelato is that it is so-so. Not really worth the effort for my taste.
I am staying in a hotel in the convention center area of Vancouver and to get to La Casa Gelato was a $12 taxi ride each way. I don't mind the ride nor the cost but it has to be worth the trip. Upon arriving at L.C.G. I saw that it was certainly off the beaten path and there was a steady stream of customers going in and out. When you enter you are greeted by some wonderfully gaudy murals on all of the walls of cities like Sydney, New York, Rome etc. There is also some very loud chez Italian music. I loved all of that. The gelato freezers take up 3 of the 4 walls around the perimeter, with the register taking the 4th. There is no table seating (something we would have liked to know before we let our taxi go...) and you just go up and pay for whatever size you want and they give you a poker chip in the color that corresponds with your scoop selection. You then give the chip to a server behind the gelato freezers when you make your decisions. That process was smooth and I have no complaints about it.
We spent at least 10 or 15 minutes walking around the cases looking at all the flavors. It is customary at most Gelatarias that I am aware of to provide samples so people can get a better idea of the flavors. There are signs all over L.C.G. basically telling you not to ask for samples that they are too busy. That kind of bugged me-they have built a reputation on having so many flavors many of which are very out of the ordinary so not allowing us to try them is counter-productive. People were asking for samples and receiving them but it was like you felt bad asking...Anyways, onto the flavors:
They have all of the basics-pistachio, coconut (3 different varieties), chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla etc. Then they have the slightly unusual flavors like spicy mango (my friend said it was very spicy) or spumoni all of which look great. Then you get into the flavors that to me seem like an acquired taste-like pear-blue cheese-Gorgonzola, or durian. So you have a big decision to make especially if you are just getting one scoop....When it comes to gelato I am a sucker for coconut with a hint of chocolate and knew that when the time came to make a choice I would likely go that route. The coconut with mini chips had a good coconut flavor but the mini chips didn't really feel like a part of the gelato, they didn't melt into it. The coconut cream pie had flecks of graham cracker crust and a nice flavor to it. The chocolate coconut (which I ultimately went with) was a chocolate base with coconut mixed in.
All of the flavors I tried tasted fine, but they didn't have that rich intense gelato flavor that I am used to. They tasted more like regular ice cream. I was a little disappointed, especially after having an amazing cantaloupe gelato from little ol' Troy, NY on Saturday...That one tasted like the absolute essence of melon. Exactly what good gelato should taste like.
So, I guess I would say maybe if La Casa Gelato made fewer flavors they could spend more time perfecting the taste of them and make a more supple premium product. However, if you are more of a Andrew Zimmern Bizzare Foods kind of eater then La Casa Gelato might be perfect for you and your wild fennel and sage gelato.
If you do visit Vancouver there are gelataria's all over the place and you will have many choices. Overall thought I don't think I will recommend La Casa Gelato for a special trip.
I am staying in a hotel in the convention center area of Vancouver and to get to La Casa Gelato was a $12 taxi ride each way. I don't mind the ride nor the cost but it has to be worth the trip. Upon arriving at L.C.G. I saw that it was certainly off the beaten path and there was a steady stream of customers going in and out. When you enter you are greeted by some wonderfully gaudy murals on all of the walls of cities like Sydney, New York, Rome etc. There is also some very loud chez Italian music. I loved all of that. The gelato freezers take up 3 of the 4 walls around the perimeter, with the register taking the 4th. There is no table seating (something we would have liked to know before we let our taxi go...) and you just go up and pay for whatever size you want and they give you a poker chip in the color that corresponds with your scoop selection. You then give the chip to a server behind the gelato freezers when you make your decisions. That process was smooth and I have no complaints about it.
We spent at least 10 or 15 minutes walking around the cases looking at all the flavors. It is customary at most Gelatarias that I am aware of to provide samples so people can get a better idea of the flavors. There are signs all over L.C.G. basically telling you not to ask for samples that they are too busy. That kind of bugged me-they have built a reputation on having so many flavors many of which are very out of the ordinary so not allowing us to try them is counter-productive. People were asking for samples and receiving them but it was like you felt bad asking...Anyways, onto the flavors:
They have all of the basics-pistachio, coconut (3 different varieties), chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla etc. Then they have the slightly unusual flavors like spicy mango (my friend said it was very spicy) or spumoni all of which look great. Then you get into the flavors that to me seem like an acquired taste-like pear-blue cheese-Gorgonzola, or durian. So you have a big decision to make especially if you are just getting one scoop....When it comes to gelato I am a sucker for coconut with a hint of chocolate and knew that when the time came to make a choice I would likely go that route. The coconut with mini chips had a good coconut flavor but the mini chips didn't really feel like a part of the gelato, they didn't melt into it. The coconut cream pie had flecks of graham cracker crust and a nice flavor to it. The chocolate coconut (which I ultimately went with) was a chocolate base with coconut mixed in.
All of the flavors I tried tasted fine, but they didn't have that rich intense gelato flavor that I am used to. They tasted more like regular ice cream. I was a little disappointed, especially after having an amazing cantaloupe gelato from little ol' Troy, NY on Saturday...That one tasted like the absolute essence of melon. Exactly what good gelato should taste like.
So, I guess I would say maybe if La Casa Gelato made fewer flavors they could spend more time perfecting the taste of them and make a more supple premium product. However, if you are more of a Andrew Zimmern Bizzare Foods kind of eater then La Casa Gelato might be perfect for you and your wild fennel and sage gelato.
If you do visit Vancouver there are gelataria's all over the place and you will have many choices. Overall thought I don't think I will recommend La Casa Gelato for a special trip.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Review-The Wine n' Diner
This morning we finally got to check out the new restaurant on Delaware Ave-The Wine n' Diner. The Wine n' Diner is in the location as Albany's beloved Bagel Bite used to be and the ill-fated Avenue A stood for a couple of years. I hope The Wine n' Diner can withstand the growing pains and lack of customer base that a start-up has to endure.
I think the Wine n' Diner will be able to fill a breakfast/brunch void that was left by the departure of The Bagel Bite (no, A Better Bite by the Capital is NOT just as good!), and that the over-priced Avenue A had no interest in filling.
We went in this morning for the first time and I was struck by how different it looked from it's predecessors. There is a variety of funky artwork on the walls created by local artists. There are huge wooden plank style booths(easily can seat 6) along the far wall and some tables in the middle of the room. The Avenue A bar is still there with a flat panel TV behind the bar and plenty of bar seating for singles or those who want to catch whatever is on the tube while munching out. The overall effect is very open and not at all over-crowded.
We went at about 10am for brunch and had a variety of options to choose from-egg/omlettey-breakfasty options as well as the more traditional lunch choices like salads, burgers and blue-plate specials. Yes, that's right blue-plate specials. They have a variety of them in the diner tradition and not a single one is priced over $9. Mac n' Cheese, Meatloaf, Chicken Fried Steak etc. are the blue-plates.
We ordered 2 breakfasts and a blue plate for our visit today. My 4 year old had scrambled eggs, toast, home-fried potatoes and bacon for $6. It was more than enough food for any one adult let alone a 4 year old. My husband had the Goomba Omelet ($7.50) which was an omelet filled with fettuccine, marinara, sausage and mozzarella. That's right fettuccine! We thought it might be a bit odd but he really enjoyed the flavors. The omelet had just enough fillings to make it satisfying and tasty but not too much. The omelet came with home fries as well and his were tossed in a little marinara. The waitress told us that this was one of their signature dishes and it is certainly a well put together original for us. I generally prefer my breakfast for dinner and my dinner, well anytime. I picked my favorite comfort food of all time from the Blue Plate selections-hot open turkey ($7). It was triangles of perfectly toasted white bread with sliced white meat turkey and a fluffy scoop of home-made left the skin-on mashed potatoes. Both were drizzled with a nice gravy. The potatoes were the perfect blend of creamy and lumpy in texture-the real deal. Yet they had some fluff to their consistency-maybe the whipping? Who knows but they were delish. The toasted bread was great and kept it from becoming a gluey mess under the turkey and gravy. The only thing that was missing for me was a little something cranberry-relish or cranberry sauce. That is just my thing though....
Overall we really enjoyed our meal and the service. We saw plenty of other things we want to try too-like Southern Fried Chicken &Waffles with Maple Gravy, The Turduken Trifecta (Turkey, Duck, Chicken and stuffing on a potato roll) and the Death Row Omelet (eggs, sausage, bacon, cheddar and mozzarella).
Other things you should know-Breakfast is served all day, they offer several awesome looking veggie options, they have a decent sized kids menu, all the desserts are $5 and there is a great assortment of deep-fried snack foods mixed in with the traditional pie and such.
www.wine-n-diner.com Check out the menu for yourself. I highly recommend.
I think the Wine n' Diner will be able to fill a breakfast/brunch void that was left by the departure of The Bagel Bite (no, A Better Bite by the Capital is NOT just as good!), and that the over-priced Avenue A had no interest in filling.
We went in this morning for the first time and I was struck by how different it looked from it's predecessors. There is a variety of funky artwork on the walls created by local artists. There are huge wooden plank style booths(easily can seat 6) along the far wall and some tables in the middle of the room. The Avenue A bar is still there with a flat panel TV behind the bar and plenty of bar seating for singles or those who want to catch whatever is on the tube while munching out. The overall effect is very open and not at all over-crowded.
We went at about 10am for brunch and had a variety of options to choose from-egg/omlettey-breakfasty options as well as the more traditional lunch choices like salads, burgers and blue-plate specials. Yes, that's right blue-plate specials. They have a variety of them in the diner tradition and not a single one is priced over $9. Mac n' Cheese, Meatloaf, Chicken Fried Steak etc. are the blue-plates.
We ordered 2 breakfasts and a blue plate for our visit today. My 4 year old had scrambled eggs, toast, home-fried potatoes and bacon for $6. It was more than enough food for any one adult let alone a 4 year old. My husband had the Goomba Omelet ($7.50) which was an omelet filled with fettuccine, marinara, sausage and mozzarella. That's right fettuccine! We thought it might be a bit odd but he really enjoyed the flavors. The omelet had just enough fillings to make it satisfying and tasty but not too much. The omelet came with home fries as well and his were tossed in a little marinara. The waitress told us that this was one of their signature dishes and it is certainly a well put together original for us. I generally prefer my breakfast for dinner and my dinner, well anytime. I picked my favorite comfort food of all time from the Blue Plate selections-hot open turkey ($7). It was triangles of perfectly toasted white bread with sliced white meat turkey and a fluffy scoop of home-made left the skin-on mashed potatoes. Both were drizzled with a nice gravy. The potatoes were the perfect blend of creamy and lumpy in texture-the real deal. Yet they had some fluff to their consistency-maybe the whipping? Who knows but they were delish. The toasted bread was great and kept it from becoming a gluey mess under the turkey and gravy. The only thing that was missing for me was a little something cranberry-relish or cranberry sauce. That is just my thing though....
Overall we really enjoyed our meal and the service. We saw plenty of other things we want to try too-like Southern Fried Chicken &Waffles with Maple Gravy, The Turduken Trifecta (Turkey, Duck, Chicken and stuffing on a potato roll) and the Death Row Omelet (eggs, sausage, bacon, cheddar and mozzarella).
Other things you should know-Breakfast is served all day, they offer several awesome looking veggie options, they have a decent sized kids menu, all the desserts are $5 and there is a great assortment of deep-fried snack foods mixed in with the traditional pie and such.
www.wine-n-diner.com Check out the menu for yourself. I highly recommend.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
It's a 100 degrees, it must be Gazpacho!
Do you make a certain dish once a year? Most of us do, with the obvious choices being Christmas and Thanksgiving, right? A family cookie recipe that is shared for generations of family and friends or a turkey recipe that just takes like that autumn day are obvious choices. I know my brain won't believe it is Thanksgiving unless I am eating the pecan crumb topped sweet potato casserole I have been making for the past 12 years. But what about other times of the year? Do you turn your bounty of zucchini or berries into miles of bread and pies? How about an annual pickle making event or is there a cake that is so special that it is relegated to birthdays or anniversaries?
Every summer about mid-July when the bounty of home-grown and farmer's market veggies start to flourish and the temperature is too hot to turn on an oven my mind and my stomach start thinking about gazpacho.
For those who may not know, gazpacho is a cold soup. My version is a pretty traditional tomato based concoction, but I have seen it made of mango, green chilies and any number of other fresh produce combinations. I make it once a year and when I make it I double the recipe. I share a few bowls with co-workers and I take the rest for lunch for about a week. It is refreshing, crunchy, spicy and a reasonably healthy option. If I like it so much, then why do I make it once a year? Well, to make it the way I like it is kind of a pain. I want the veggies peeled, seeded and diced rather finely. That takes a bit of time and in the summer when I am hot I am generally a bit impatient being in a warm kitchen so I pick a reasonably coolish day and spend the hour or so chopping and by making a double batch it is worth my while!
Below is my fast and loose recipe for Gazpacho, and keep in mind that just because I like the veg diced small doesn't mean you have to do it that way too. I love Cilantro, but some people think it tastes like soap-so replace it with parsley or basil. My point is, use this recipe as a jumping off point, taste as you go, make it as spicy as you want and enjoy!
This recipe easily feeds me a large bowl of Gazpacho for 5 work days with a couple of extra bowls for friends!
3-4 large tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
42-46 Oz bottle Tomato Juice*
2 large peeled & seeded cukes chopped finely
1 cup chopped red/green/yellow/orange pepper
1/2 of a large red onion finely chopped
2 small jalapeno-remove seeds/veins and finely diced**
2 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Sea Salt to Taste
2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
half a bunch of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
*I use spicy V8 juice. You can use regular, low sodium or even clamato if you want to. This is your "broth" and a great chance to make it your own.
**Remember that the seeds and veins hold most of the heat in a jalapeno, I always leave a few in to add a little punch to the soup, but if you don't want heat fully remove the seeds and veins. Wash your hands after doing this part so you don't accidentally rub jalapeno in your eyes!
Grab a dutch oven or over-sized Tupperware with a tight fitting in lid and start pouring, chopping, dumping it in. Stir and taste as you go. You may want to start with less cumin or you may love the taste of red onion...make it your own and enjoy!
Every summer about mid-July when the bounty of home-grown and farmer's market veggies start to flourish and the temperature is too hot to turn on an oven my mind and my stomach start thinking about gazpacho.
For those who may not know, gazpacho is a cold soup. My version is a pretty traditional tomato based concoction, but I have seen it made of mango, green chilies and any number of other fresh produce combinations. I make it once a year and when I make it I double the recipe. I share a few bowls with co-workers and I take the rest for lunch for about a week. It is refreshing, crunchy, spicy and a reasonably healthy option. If I like it so much, then why do I make it once a year? Well, to make it the way I like it is kind of a pain. I want the veggies peeled, seeded and diced rather finely. That takes a bit of time and in the summer when I am hot I am generally a bit impatient being in a warm kitchen so I pick a reasonably coolish day and spend the hour or so chopping and by making a double batch it is worth my while!
Below is my fast and loose recipe for Gazpacho, and keep in mind that just because I like the veg diced small doesn't mean you have to do it that way too. I love Cilantro, but some people think it tastes like soap-so replace it with parsley or basil. My point is, use this recipe as a jumping off point, taste as you go, make it as spicy as you want and enjoy!
This recipe easily feeds me a large bowl of Gazpacho for 5 work days with a couple of extra bowls for friends!
3-4 large tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
42-46 Oz bottle Tomato Juice*
2 large peeled & seeded cukes chopped finely
1 cup chopped red/green/yellow/orange pepper
1/2 of a large red onion finely chopped
2 small jalapeno-remove seeds/veins and finely diced**
2 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Sea Salt to Taste
2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
half a bunch of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
*I use spicy V8 juice. You can use regular, low sodium or even clamato if you want to. This is your "broth" and a great chance to make it your own.
**Remember that the seeds and veins hold most of the heat in a jalapeno, I always leave a few in to add a little punch to the soup, but if you don't want heat fully remove the seeds and veins. Wash your hands after doing this part so you don't accidentally rub jalapeno in your eyes!
Grab a dutch oven or over-sized Tupperware with a tight fitting in lid and start pouring, chopping, dumping it in. Stir and taste as you go. You may want to start with less cumin or you may love the taste of red onion...make it your own and enjoy!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Restaurant Review-Lancaster Brewing Company
We love to eat a breweries. The food is usually as good as the small-batch handcrafted beer. One of the best meals we ever ate was at the Great Lakes Brewery in Cleveland, so I was very excited to hear that The Lancaster Brewing Company was less than 5 minutes from our hotel in Harrisburg, PA.
My overall rating, 2 1/2 out of 4 forks. I will outline the good and the not great for you below...
The Good:
Michael had a strawberry wheat beer which he said was great, as they are primarily a brewery that is a good sign. The children's menu was reasonably priced (everything was $5-$7) and came with a drink and ice cream. Zoe picked home-made mac & cheese with a side of applesauce. The mac was a penne pasta and you could see the real cheese in the sauce. She and I both enjoyed it a great deal! :) The waitress brought us a basket of rolls, one of these rolls was an onion pumpernickel which I immediately claimed for my own. Delicious. Just enough onion and the pumpernickle was flavorful. The roll was soft yet still had some body to it, enough to make it chewy. Michael ordered a lamb burger that came with greek feta and homemade potato chips. He loved the burger and we all enjoyed the kettle-style thick cut chips. Lastly, our waitress was great. She made a point of getting Zoe's dinner out while our meals were still being prepared, she brought Zoe's rootbeer in a papercup that she took the time to decorate for her. These things are small touches, but they meant alot to a 4 year old who was eating dinner about 3 hours later than normal.
The So-So:
We decided for an app to try the cheesesteak rolls, not really sure what they were....It turns out they are shaved steak, onion and cheese fried in an eggroll wrapper. They were served with some sort of flavored mayo and horseradish sauce. The rolls retained way to much fryer oil, it literal dripped out of them. The flavored mayo, we don't know what flavor it was but it wasn't tasty....The horse sauce had a nice amount of bite to it though and that was good. I ordered the pretzel crusted chicken with roasted red smashed potatoes in a mustard sauce. I have to admit I have pretty high standards for this dish, I have had it out and have cooked in myself....This was my least favorite version of them all. The potatoes were not smashed enough and the mustard didn't harmonize with the flavor of the potatoes, it was actually just too grainy. The pretzel crust on the chicken was a little thick and the mustard sauce on the chicken was not quite plentiful enough. The chicken was however moist on the inside. But in a few spots the pretzel crust was not cooked enough, probably because it was so thick. However, the dish was certainly edible just not great.
Would I go back there? Maybe for beers and burgers. Would I recommend it? Sure, and I would tell people it is certainly better than going to Friendly's and to stick with beers and burgers.
My overall rating, 2 1/2 out of 4 forks. I will outline the good and the not great for you below...
The Good:
Michael had a strawberry wheat beer which he said was great, as they are primarily a brewery that is a good sign. The children's menu was reasonably priced (everything was $5-$7) and came with a drink and ice cream. Zoe picked home-made mac & cheese with a side of applesauce. The mac was a penne pasta and you could see the real cheese in the sauce. She and I both enjoyed it a great deal! :) The waitress brought us a basket of rolls, one of these rolls was an onion pumpernickel which I immediately claimed for my own. Delicious. Just enough onion and the pumpernickle was flavorful. The roll was soft yet still had some body to it, enough to make it chewy. Michael ordered a lamb burger that came with greek feta and homemade potato chips. He loved the burger and we all enjoyed the kettle-style thick cut chips. Lastly, our waitress was great. She made a point of getting Zoe's dinner out while our meals were still being prepared, she brought Zoe's rootbeer in a papercup that she took the time to decorate for her. These things are small touches, but they meant alot to a 4 year old who was eating dinner about 3 hours later than normal.
The So-So:
We decided for an app to try the cheesesteak rolls, not really sure what they were....It turns out they are shaved steak, onion and cheese fried in an eggroll wrapper. They were served with some sort of flavored mayo and horseradish sauce. The rolls retained way to much fryer oil, it literal dripped out of them. The flavored mayo, we don't know what flavor it was but it wasn't tasty....The horse sauce had a nice amount of bite to it though and that was good. I ordered the pretzel crusted chicken with roasted red smashed potatoes in a mustard sauce. I have to admit I have pretty high standards for this dish, I have had it out and have cooked in myself....This was my least favorite version of them all. The potatoes were not smashed enough and the mustard didn't harmonize with the flavor of the potatoes, it was actually just too grainy. The pretzel crust on the chicken was a little thick and the mustard sauce on the chicken was not quite plentiful enough. The chicken was however moist on the inside. But in a few spots the pretzel crust was not cooked enough, probably because it was so thick. However, the dish was certainly edible just not great.
Would I go back there? Maybe for beers and burgers. Would I recommend it? Sure, and I would tell people it is certainly better than going to Friendly's and to stick with beers and burgers.
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