Coffee shop review - Cafe Artigiano

There are few things I love more than coffee. Real coffee. The stuff that makes you smile when you wake up in the morning to the smell of a dark, freshly brewed concoction. Unfortunately, my tummy has begun to be slightly sensitive (please replace that with VERY sensitive) to irritants, and therefore coffee is now more or less off grounds.

The problem with this is that my daily routine does involve coffee. Even if I work from home for about one or two hours before heading to the office, that’s the first thing I do: I wake up, barely conscious, stagger until I reach my coffee maker and turn it on. However, I’ve recently had several episodes of stomach ache that are associated with dairy consumption (cheese, of all things!) and caffeine consumption.

Therefore, what I did today (as an innovation) was to make a pot of English breakfast tea, and start working. The kick wasn’t enough, I got to tell you. So, when KP said that she wanted to meet for coffee downtown, I jumped at the possibility. Particularly since we haven’t seen each other (and I totally missed her birthday!) and so she suggested Café Artigiano.

Now, to the uninitiated, this could be just any other coffee shop. But no, don’t be fooled. This is Café Artigiano. The one and only. This is gourmet coffee, even the Americano is amazing. The atmosphere is extremely warm. And the staff… not only are they beautiful (physically speaking), they are so incredibly sweet. *swoons*

I have been to Café Artigiano many a time, but had never actually had the time to sit down and write a coffee shop review, so now that I’m waiting for KP to show up, it’s the perfect occasion.

As I write this review, I’m looking at the baristas (both male and female) and they keep smiling. How do they do that, particularly after a really long day at work? I don’t know, but those smiles are beautiful and I feel so welcome at this place, it’s going to be kind of hard to leave. Of course, the incentive to get out of here is that I’m heading down to CBC Studios to see a live performance of Delhi2Dublin. I’ll tell you all about it afterwards.

Small inconvenients of Café Artigiano:

• If you’re a blogger or need a wireless connection, you are pretty much SOL. This place doesn’t provide wifi. But on the plus side, if you actually want to work on a paper or read stuff, you can do it without the added distraction of having an internet connection.
• The people coming here (and working here) are pretty damn hot. That may be a bit of a distraction if you’re trying to concentrate on a project. I have a very, very short attention span and can easily be swayed away from an assignment with a beautiful smile [ that being said, I’ve also been blamed for charming people away from their work by using my eye-lash batting powers and my mega-watt smile… ooops :o) ]
• Not enough power outlets to connect your laptop. So, make sure you got a nice battery before heading down here to do work. I managed to sweet-talk my neighbours into letting me connect to the power outlet and run my cord undernearth their legs, but it’s slightly embarrassing.
• The atmosphere is quite animated, so if you’re trying to concentrate on something that requires attention, you may be SOL. I am wearing my headphones and listening to Miguel Migs on my iPod and still can hear my neighbour’s conversations.

Overall, I still would come to CA (Hornby and almost Robson, near the Vancouver Art Gallery). Just accompanied with a nice book though ;)

No recap of Green Drinks :(

Sorry guys, but as it turns out, in my intent to be as "non-specific" and "protecting everyone's privacy", my photographs turned out horribly and thus I don't want to post a detailed, non-pictorial recap of Green Drinks. Suffice it to say, it was fun and I had a really delightful time. I think I actually need to bring my business cards next time. And perhaps ask people in advance if they mind photographs, because the ones I got are hideous and really don't show anybody's face.

Upcoming event - Green Drinks (Vancouver) Wednesday Feb 20th

I have been so insanely busy that I have missed many of the most recent Green Drinks events. However, this coming Wednesday I am NOT busy and thus will definitely be going to Green Drinks. This is a gathering of enviro-minded folks from ENGOs, academia, industry, etc. Yes, there are actually 'green drinks' on tap.

From the Green Drinks Vancouver website:

There's no agenda or other formality - it's just a chance to meet regularly to chat, debate, socialize and connect with others in Vancouver who are passionate about environmental and sustainability issues. Whether you're keen on green building & design, sustainable energy, organic gardening, or something else entirely, you'll find like-minded people. Please feel free to bring your business cards, brochures, info sheets, magazines and newsletters to put on a table for people to take away with them. Do make sure to take whatever you left on the table with you when you leave.

I suggest that you check it out. I am not generally a fan of Steamworks, but it's a great pub for this kind of gathering. Plus, I always end up bumping into lots of friends of mine from the environmental field (kind of the point, isn't it?). Plus, if you end up going, you'll get to see my megawatt smile :)

Eatery review - Sushi Sky (West End)

Given that my budget for dining out has shrunk considerably, and that my friends and I are trying to be more conscious about that (I'm glad they are, because I am pretty broke right now!), it was nice to find yet another place with good sushi for less than what I would have paid at Tanpopo or one of those other restaurants.

Sushi Sky is a little hole-in-the-wall kind of place on Bute Street, near Davie. If you know the Jupiter Cafe, it's pretty much right beside it. I have to say that it's such a strategic location. Three of my closest friends live within three blocks of this place. I went there with J for a quick dinner before watching "Brothers and Sisters" at his place a couple of Sundays ago.

The sushi is really good, and for less than $ 6.00 you got yourself dinner. I think the total for two with tip was $ 15.00. I mean, there are times when I pay that much at brunch! So, I'm pretty happy with this little place. Inexpensive and tasty. I'll be coming back again, for sure.

Restaurant review - Mosaic at Burrard

Having brunch with close friends is always awesome, particularly after having had a somewhat sad Friday. My great friend LF suggested that we try Mosaic at Burrard, which is the hotel restaurant for the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. I'd never been and neither had she, so we settled for brunch/lunch here.

Naturally, the prices are higher than at a normal restaurant, but bear in mind that this is a top-notch hotel and thus you pay a premium. That being said, this is definitely top notch breakfast. I ordered a frittata and LF requested a chicken sandwich (I couldn't find the menu online, so I can't really offer you that).

There were several things that made it outstanding. The waiter was looking after our very need (although coffee refills weren't as fast as I expected them, but the service was phenomenal nonetheless). We started off with coffee and orange juice (freshly squeezed) and we received a complimentary smoothie, which was kind of funny considering that my mental association looks something like this:

(Smoothie)=(Only Possibly Tolerable Food Item after Horrible Hungover)

And since I had a smoothie last time I had been hungover before meeting LF, this brought good and bad memories (bad because of the hangover). Anyhow, on to the restaurant review. The frittata was great, although I was a bit taken aback by the salad on top of the frittata. However, the bread, the potatoes and the frittata itself were amazing. LF seemed to enjoy her sandwich. She praised the dressing, which luckily was served on the side.

Would I recommend Mosaic to potential customers? Absolutely. This is a great experience if you come with someone you really like or it is a business brunch. I know that they have brunch buffet but I doubt I could eat that much food in one sitting. One word of warning: it is fairly expensive, but definitely worth the money, particularly if it is (as it was the case) a pre-Christmas dinner.

Since I am leaving Vancouver way too early this year, we had to meet for brunch much earlier than we expected. Nevertheless, it was great fun, and luckily a great place to eat with a very good friends. LF and I have been excellent friends since over a decade, so it's fun to really talk very openly and about everything with her. Good times indeed :)

Upcoming event - National Coming Out Day (Vancouver)

Coming out of the closet (in the sexual orientation kind of way) means opening up a whole can of worms when it comes to acceptance by mainstream society, job security and the existence of glass ceilings, conforming to societal norms and dealing with potential rejection. The reason behind National Coming Out Day seems (in my interpretation) a celebration of that moment in a person's life when it becomes important to embrace a whole identity, not just portions of it.

I had heard about National Coming Out Day but I hadn't seen any ads for celebrations. However, it appears as though Xtra West Vancouver does have some information about an upcoming event. From their website:

The Centre presents an evening of storytelling to celebrate National Coming Out Day. Includes improv comedy with Tops & Bottoms and guest speakers Kevin McKeown, Nicky Phillips and others. Light refreshments. Free admission. Coast Plaza Hotel, 1763 Comox Street, 7-9 pm. 604.684.5307.

The Centre, for those of you who don't know it, is a community resource run by volunteers mostly that provides services and support to the Vancouver queer community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and two-spirited). From their website:

The Centre is a community resource providing support, health and social services, and public education for the well being of lesbians, gay men, transgendered and bisexual people and their allies in Vancouver throughout B.C.

The Centre is committed to building pride and acceptance of diversity and to mitigating the impact of homophobia, heterosexism, transphobia and biphobia.

The Centre welcomes and values all people regardless of race, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, marital status, family status, colour, age, disability, pardoned conviction, sexual orientation, gender identity, and source of income.

The event organized by The Centre at the Coast Plaza should be a lot of fun. And to read an advertisement by KPMG celebrating National Coming Out Day on the Xtra West, this is really outstanding. I am not that surprised since I thought that KPMG has always been a very progressive firm (not that I know them all too well, but if you think about the fact that they have a Director of Diversity and that he gave a talk at an OutRights conference, it speaks volumes!).

I quote from KPMG's ad (I don't have the website, otherwise I'd link to it):

KPMG is committed to building a workplace that fosters diversity and inclusiveness. We salute our colleagues who have chosen to live their lives openly with pride, and support those who continue to struggle. You are not alone.

Other firms that have shown commitment to equality, diversity and supporting queer causes include VanCity and TD Canada Trust (from those that I have seen, I might have missed a few other companies). I had previously read about VanCity's and TD Canada Trust's commitment to diversity here (Nathaniel Christopher's website). Kudos to these firms!

Restaurant review - Cactus Club Cafe (Various locations, Vancouver)

I have previously reviewed Earls on Robson, and Milestones. In both reviews I briefly mentioned the Cactus Club but never got to write a specific review. It would be unfair for me not to do a review since I've been a customer of numerous locations. First, I would like to say that I have been to the Broadway and Granville site many, many times. The second most popular location for my friends is Broadway and Ash. The third location is on Robson and I think just past Thurlow (across from Milestone's on Robson). I can't recall if I have been to Cactus Club in Yaletown (but I just remembered that I have indeed visited Milestone's on Hamilton - I think?)

Anyhow, Cactus Club is a consistently reliable restaurant. Not expensive, not cheap. But to be quite frank, they have one of the best jambalayas you'll ever eat. I've had lots of salmon dishes there, curry plates and my brother loves their fajitas. If you need to take someone out to dinner I'd recommend Cactus Club. You'll get lots of good food. Ah, their slushy drinks are excellent. And you can't help but wonder how can so many hot people work in this restaurant!

Note to those who are uninitiated. Cactus Club is not really a cafe. It's a full-blown restaurant.



UPDATE - I didn't include all the gadgets from Urban Spoon because there are way too many locations. All of them are good ;)

Bar review - Oasis

I took two of my out-of-town friends to this bar on the premise that it was a really good bar (located along the Davie Village) and it had a nice atmosphere. While I am guessing that Oasis also has food, I thought it was more appropriate to indicate that this was a bar, rather than a restaurant. Well, perhaps the category should be more "bar-lounge". The place advertises itself as a cocktail lounge.

I had been here before with A and S before S went to Africa for a short stint, but I hadn't been back in a long while At any rate, The Oasis has fairly good, not-too-expensive drinks. There were two things that I didn't really like. Smoking is permitted on the patio, and lots of people take advantage of that fact. I am a non-smoker and of course that spoils my evening. Second, our waitress got to a point where she just simply slapped us with the bill before even waiting to ask whether we wanted to go or not. I actually did not appreciate that.

But to be fair, the service is always good (except this last time) and the bartenders are sweet. I ordered a sweet drink and since it wasn't sweet enough, the bartender added some grenadine. So, really, who can complain? :) And the place is so beautiful and has such a nice atmosphere, I'll definitely be back.

Restaurant review - Cloud 9 (The Empire Landmark Hotel)

Cloud 9 is one of the two revolving restaurants I know of in Vancouver (the other is located at the top of Harbour Centre), and it is a popular destination for visitors. Since I have recently had lots of visitors from out of the country, it was just fitting to bring my friends L and V to Cloud 9.

There are many things that make Cloud 9 an excellent location. The drinks are good (even if rather pricey - I had what was perhaps one of the most expensive martini's I've ever had), although I can't really comment on the food as we thought the menu was really expensive. The service was impeccable. Bear in mind, of course, that this is a tourist destination and thus it may be the case that prices are high.

The view of Vancouver is phenomenal, although come to think about it, perhaps I should have taken them to Harbour Centre as you can't really see East Vancouver or Gastown from the current location of Cloud 9, at the top of the Empire Landmark Hotel. But if you're looking for a special experience for out of towners, I'd recommend Cloud 9. I took L and V there and we had a phenomenal time. Ahh, good times :)

Restaurant review - Milestone's Grill and Bar (Denman)

There are restaurants that you just know you can count on to make a good impression. Milestone's is one of them. I went with H and his friend S who was visiting from Washington one night to Milestone's on 4th Avenue (near Macdonald) and we had a great meal. I took my Mom and M for dinner to Milestone's on Robson and it was excellent. I went for one of my birthday celebrations with many of my former colleagues to Milestone's in Yaletown and it was really good. My brother and I had dinner at Milestone's on Robson half a dozen times. So it was just appropriate that I went to this restaurant with a very good friend of mine who came to Vancouver to give a keynote speech to have dinner there.

Luckily, as I have mentioned above (and I have had dinner at Milestone's so many times I can barely remember) this is a restaurant where you can count on for good food. One small drawback that I noticed last year was that before, they brought you a small side of salad with your pasta (huge portions) and you had a full meal. They don't do that anymore.

However, if you choose wisely, you'll end up eating so much you won't even need a side of salad. In my case, I had the meatloaf with bread pudding and garlic mashed potatoes (and some veggies), and my friend had a seafood grill (which came with rice and veggies as well). While the prices aren't all that cheap (in the range of $ 20 for entrees), the food is really good and filling.

We shared the Ibarra chocolate cake which was to die for. So I'd come back to Milestone's on Denman (which apparently was the original location) for a meal, for sure. This is one of those 'reliable' restaurants that wouldn't fail. Yes, it has become a chain but it is a good chain of local restaurants. - UPDATE - I only include one location but I've been to all of them, and they're awesome.

Restaurant review - La Bretagne The Original Creperie Ltd.

I have been craving crepes for a long while and thus I had been wanting to try this little place in the vicinity of Robson Street. Now, I rarely go downtown Vancouver. Furthermore, I rarely go to the Robson area (I am not much of a shop-a-holic, unless there is a need for shoe-shopping, as I did more recently with A but also with H).

So I had heard of this French creperie place, La Bretagne, which was actually located on Jervis rather than on Robson itself. For someone like me who is interested in things like changes in zoning and land use, this sounded like a perfect opportunity to see a restaurant located where it's really mostly residential. So off we went (A and I) to have a crepe at La Bretagne.

Located at 795 Jervis, just off Robson, La Bretagne is a little beautiful crepe place that will certainly be good for your palate. It's not really cheap, but it's not overly expensive. Two crepes will be about $ 18.00 with tip and all, depending on how fancy you go. I had a banana and Belgian chocolate crepe to-die-for. A had a peach and vanilla ice cream crepe and we were both way too full on our way back.

I would recommend La Bretagne if you don't want to leave the downtown Vancouver area. If you do, I'd recommend Trixi's or if you want to go a bit more 'chain'-like, I'd strongly endorse Cafe Crepe. I am not the only one who loved La Bretagne, here is another review ... and I would agree with the reviewer!

Upcoming Events - CanThrill CD release and guest DJ

Well, I am going to use my blog to unashamedly promote an upcoming special event. My friend DJ Curious J, whom I know through my very good friend L, is coming from Chicago to spin at Lobby's CD release from Vancouver's own DJ Christian Alvarez. Organized by CanThrill and Jens' team, this promises to be a super event. Friday April 27th, 2007 @ Ginger 62... be there or be square.

Dessert place review - True Confections (Denman)

Admittedly, whenever I go out for dinner I usually ask for dessert at the same place. I could have done this last time that I was downtown (Dining Out for Life), but instead H and I decided to walk around and ended up at a dessert place called "True Confections". This place gets packed because it is truly designed as a dessert/coffee/tea gathering venue.

I had a trifle for the first time in my life, and wow was it ever tasty! The prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly, although honestly speaking, you can really overdose on sugar. I don't like comparing among dessert places because really, their function is the same (provide you with a nice comfortable cozy spot where to share some time with friends over dessert). So, I'll just praise "True Confections". The location we went to was Denman and I think Barclay, but you can just the same go to Broadway and Alma and their desserts are just as good. Not overly expensive and definitely cozy.

Restaurant review: Figmint and Rain City Grill [2 Reviews in 1]

Well, this past weekend was very much a trouble-plagued weekend. But more than anything, bad choices for dinner and brunch. So I'm going to review them both in the same post.

I was totally looking forward to brunch at Figmint given that it had just been reviewed on the local newspapers and it is very well located, on 12th Avenue and Cambie. But it was a total disaster. First of all, they charge 7 dollars to park (valet parking). I would think that (as an added bonus) they would offer free parking. I now know that there's no such thing as a free brunch! For the price they charge for scrambled eggs, they should really provide some perks. I was not impressed. I could think of a good half-dozen places where I've eaten cheaper, nicer breakfast. The only good thing about it was the company, one of my best friends.

That same night, I went out with another good friend to Rain City Grill on Denman Street and almost Davie. The prices are quite exorbitant for what they offer (and the flavours are quite bland). I ordered salmon, and it was almost burned. Supposedly their dinner menu is very good, but I did not see the selection of dinner plates that is shown here. I was definitely unimpressed too. And I dine out quite a lot! Again, the only good thing was the company of another of my best friends. But, next time I'll pass on both Figmint and Rain City Grill. I think it's time I go back to my Main St. roots :)

Restaurant review - Whineo's - A place to remember - and sustainable seafood

Well, it seems like my blog has been all about YouTube and superheros lately. Not a lot of environmental commentary either. I know, I know! I've had family visiting and it's been a hectic few weeks. But I'm back on track now :-)

Mom visited recently from Mexico, and we went for dinner a couple of days before she left. I wondered where to take her since we had done the majority of restaurants I usually like. My Mom has been to Vancouver many times and we've very frequently eaten out so I really didn't want to take her to a 'repeat' restaurant. Dining out in Vancouver is normally not hard to do. There's a gazillion restaurants to please just every palate. But throughout my 10 years in the city, we've been to too many of them. So it took me a while to think of a good place.

However, I had just recently read a review of Whineo's, a neat dining/bar place in the downtown core of Vancouver (right on Granville Street). I knew Josh Manuel, one of the co-owners, through his former job and I thought it might be neat to check this place out. And as I will explain below, I think I made the right choice :-)

Mom and I ordered a platter (for $ 14 bucks, you can't beat that) with all the strong flavours we both like (capers, olives, hummus, anchovies)... yummy! Then we proceeded to order chicken breast with mushrooms in a nice wine reduction. The plate size was right, the price was really inexpensive (under $ 15 for a main course, it is almost unbeatable). We also ordered patatas bravas, although I think by then we had eaten too much. And the cheesecake with blueberry compote... to die for.

My Mom was so happy with the meal that she said this had been the best dining experience she had had in Vancouver this time around. I was quite pleased to hear that, particularly since the staff at Whineo's was very friendly and the food was amazing. I wanted to come back with my brother but he had to fly out and thus we couldn't do it. But I'll certainly be back :-)

Since I didn't take pictures, I had to borrow pictures from Urban Mixer Flickr's website to showcase how the food is presented. You can check it here... You can check Raincoaster's picture of Whineo's indoors here.

I found out that WaiterBlog had reviewed Whineo's so here is the post.

And just a minute before I was about to push the "Publish Post" button, I discovered that Whineo's is an OceanWise member and thus their seafood dishes are certified as sustainable :-) Now one more reason to go for dinner there!