There is no better way to spend a nice lunch than with extended family and friends, at a great restaurant: The Old Spaghetti Factory. We went to the Gastown location, although I have been there and to other locations with J, my brother, and other friends. I recognize I should have written this review LONG ago, but anyways.
The great thing about the OSF is that there is no way in hell you will not be full at the end of your meal. I ordered a spicy chorizo penne, and to be honest, I don't think I could have eaten it all had it not been for the fact that I had not had breakfast (I was too busy trying to finish off some work, as I knew that my afternoon was a total write-off - I had family members visiting).
The food is, as always, great. The staff (servers and host) were very nice, greeted us with drinks and bread and butter, and provided us with soft drinks refills all the way. So I can't complain. The best part was visiting with extended family, but also it was very nice to just have some really good food. If you have a large group, it's really worth the price of the food (less than $ 20.00 for a REALLY GOOD lunch). I'd seriously recommend it.
Showing posts with label Gastown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gastown. Show all posts
Friday, January 25, 2008
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Bar review - The TransContinental
The past couple of weeks, I have been feeling myself again. That meant of course taking the time to rekindle old friendships that had been dormant for a while. K and R are two close friends of mine with whom I hadn't had the opportunity to spend significant amounts of time.
In a way, I think I (involuntarily) pushed them away because I didn't want to pretend I was all that well, when it wasn't the case. I felt like I had to apologize for my behavior. However, both K and R were extremely sweet and understanding, and they said I had nothing to apologize for. It was so nice to have again a chance to just chat and talk about the good old times, like when we used to go for brunch to a different restaurant every Sunday.
I agreed to come downtown to make it easier for K and R, who generously treated me to drinks and appetizers at The Transcontinental. The Transcontinental is an upscale restaurant/bar located in the Canadian Pacific Railway Station. A branch/new location of popular post-work drinks hangout Steamworks, The Transcontinental is much nicer in many ways than Steamworks itself (less loud, more room and better atmosphere, in my opinion).
Not to diss Steamworks, though! I really enjoy going there for a drink after work, but I am not always able to talk to people because it is quite loud. Nevertheless, I show up for Green Drinks @ Steamworks quite often. But I think I enjoy better The Transcontinental.
The service wasn't as good as I expected it to be (the server was quite bad, actually). The first spiced rum for K was flat, but the second one was better. The appetizers were quite good (when they finally showed up). However, the best part of the evening was spending time with K and R like old times. It was almost like no time had ever passed.
It is very nice to find that, no matter how much you push your friends away (consciously or unconsciously), they always find a way to get back in your life. And I am very happy that K and R came back to my life. Really, I'll say they never left. They gave me enough space to sort my life out and now that I am back as the Raul I (and they) used to know, they've welcomed me back with open arms. So that means that when I get back to Vancouver in the New Year, brunch Sundays will be back with a vengeance :-) Yipee!!!!
In a way, I think I (involuntarily) pushed them away because I didn't want to pretend I was all that well, when it wasn't the case. I felt like I had to apologize for my behavior. However, both K and R were extremely sweet and understanding, and they said I had nothing to apologize for. It was so nice to have again a chance to just chat and talk about the good old times, like when we used to go for brunch to a different restaurant every Sunday.
I agreed to come downtown to make it easier for K and R, who generously treated me to drinks and appetizers at The Transcontinental. The Transcontinental is an upscale restaurant/bar located in the Canadian Pacific Railway Station. A branch/new location of popular post-work drinks hangout Steamworks, The Transcontinental is much nicer in many ways than Steamworks itself (less loud, more room and better atmosphere, in my opinion).
Not to diss Steamworks, though! I really enjoy going there for a drink after work, but I am not always able to talk to people because it is quite loud. Nevertheless, I show up for Green Drinks @ Steamworks quite often. But I think I enjoy better The Transcontinental.
The service wasn't as good as I expected it to be (the server was quite bad, actually). The first spiced rum for K was flat, but the second one was better. The appetizers were quite good (when they finally showed up). However, the best part of the evening was spending time with K and R like old times. It was almost like no time had ever passed.
It is very nice to find that, no matter how much you push your friends away (consciously or unconsciously), they always find a way to get back in your life. And I am very happy that K and R came back to my life. Really, I'll say they never left. They gave me enough space to sort my life out and now that I am back as the Raul I (and they) used to know, they've welcomed me back with open arms. So that means that when I get back to Vancouver in the New Year, brunch Sundays will be back with a vengeance :-) Yipee!!!!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Restaurant review - Chill Winston (Gastown)
Living in Vancouver and not participating in the Gastown dining and dancing scene is akin to eating ice cream without a cone. Walking around Water Street at night with good friends pretty much ranks high up there with being curled on the couch watching a movie and drinking hot chocolate: pure bliss.
We hadn't had a chance to spend time together as a group, so B, H, C and myself decided to go out for dinner, and we settled (at B's suggestion) on the general Gastown area. I hadn't spent substantial amounts in this area in recent years because this was the general area where my ex and I used to hang out all the time. Thus... you can imagine, bad memories!
So my friends decided that it was time to exorcise those demons, and we settled for a restaurant in Gastown that both H and I had been wanting to go to (and B had already beeen to): Chill Winston.
From the outset, Chill Winston looks sort of, kind of hipster-ish. Located at the very end of Gastown, on Alexander Street, it boasts a great patio. However, once you are inside, you can discover that the place has a great ambiance. The lighting, the tables, the overall decor and distribution of furniture and bar, everything looks in place. The food is excellent as far as taste goes.
Now, the critical part comes here. I am not fond of restaurants where the service is sub-par, and Chill Winston's restaurant practices are so wrong on so many levels it's not even funny. The portions are very small and overpriced (for what they are, I think they're charging too much). We ordered anchovies and some carpaccio in the way of appetizers, and then I ordered salmon ($15 for two micro-slices) and potatoes (which I'll have to admit were really good). H and I shared a dessert (the seven varieties of chocolate) which was also rather small ($ 8). B had been here for lunch and she had mentioned it had been good, which I can believe. She ordered the turkey dish, which I found extremely tasty. The dessert (while small) was also to-die-for. I found the salmon quite bland, though.
Now, I am sorry but if you are going to charge between $15 and $30 per entree, I am expecting you to at least provide me with substantial portions, good flavor and great service. And I expect the bread and butter to be free (we got charged for two orders of bread and butter, can you believe it?). While my friends think that this level of poor service is pretty much normal for Vancouver's dining scene, I was very disappointed (particularly having just recently had dinner at places like The Cascade Room, La Bodega and The Water Street Cafe, where the service is superb).
The waitress didn't offer to bring a glass of water to everyone on the table, we had to ask for it. Paper napkins? You have got to be kidding me. I could not believe it... No, no, no! Oh, and you want to hear the kicker? The waitress asked us if we were done with dessert. We said "no, we're still working on it". Five or ten minutes later, the manager (apparently she was the manager, not sure if she was but she looked like it) came and asked us "are you still working on your dessert?". I can take a hint, thank you very much. The charging for bread and butter, the paper napkins and the not-so-subtle "can you please get out of here now?" were definitely deal-sealers and I am not coming back here for dinner.
Honestly speaking, the food is great, the ambiance is excellent but I wouldn't call Chill Winston a place to dine out. This is a place to go and have one or two drinks with friends (a lounge). I found the place overpriced and lacking in service. And those are two factors that will always drive me away from any restaurant.
Anyhow, I have to agree with H when he says that when I started my blog, I thought of my restaurant reviews as just accounts of what had transpired that evening with my friends, and now I have a more of a food-critic eye. I think that's true and I can't help it. I eat out a lot, and I compare restaurants on the basis of service, food, and pricing.
One thing I can't deny is that I had a really good time. But that was just because I had the pleasure of spending time with H, C, and B. This was the saving grace of the evening, having some of my closest friends spend a night out on the town with me. Only next time, if we are going to Chill Winston, it will have to be only for a drink or two.
I have to admit, though, that the owners of Chill Winston really know their business, because The Vancouverite gave them a very rough second review (the first time apparently the service was good) and they responded on the comments section with a very classy and elegant response (read below on the comments section). It does show commitment to the customer. Hopefully next time I go to Chill Winston (if I do) their service will have improved by then.
We hadn't had a chance to spend time together as a group, so B, H, C and myself decided to go out for dinner, and we settled (at B's suggestion) on the general Gastown area. I hadn't spent substantial amounts in this area in recent years because this was the general area where my ex and I used to hang out all the time. Thus... you can imagine, bad memories!
So my friends decided that it was time to exorcise those demons, and we settled for a restaurant in Gastown that both H and I had been wanting to go to (and B had already beeen to): Chill Winston.
From the outset, Chill Winston looks sort of, kind of hipster-ish. Located at the very end of Gastown, on Alexander Street, it boasts a great patio. However, once you are inside, you can discover that the place has a great ambiance. The lighting, the tables, the overall decor and distribution of furniture and bar, everything looks in place. The food is excellent as far as taste goes.
Now, the critical part comes here. I am not fond of restaurants where the service is sub-par, and Chill Winston's restaurant practices are so wrong on so many levels it's not even funny. The portions are very small and overpriced (for what they are, I think they're charging too much). We ordered anchovies and some carpaccio in the way of appetizers, and then I ordered salmon ($15 for two micro-slices) and potatoes (which I'll have to admit were really good). H and I shared a dessert (the seven varieties of chocolate) which was also rather small ($ 8). B had been here for lunch and she had mentioned it had been good, which I can believe. She ordered the turkey dish, which I found extremely tasty. The dessert (while small) was also to-die-for. I found the salmon quite bland, though.
Now, I am sorry but if you are going to charge between $15 and $30 per entree, I am expecting you to at least provide me with substantial portions, good flavor and great service. And I expect the bread and butter to be free (we got charged for two orders of bread and butter, can you believe it?). While my friends think that this level of poor service is pretty much normal for Vancouver's dining scene, I was very disappointed (particularly having just recently had dinner at places like The Cascade Room, La Bodega and The Water Street Cafe, where the service is superb).
The waitress didn't offer to bring a glass of water to everyone on the table, we had to ask for it. Paper napkins? You have got to be kidding me. I could not believe it... No, no, no! Oh, and you want to hear the kicker? The waitress asked us if we were done with dessert. We said "no, we're still working on it". Five or ten minutes later, the manager (apparently she was the manager, not sure if she was but she looked like it) came and asked us "are you still working on your dessert?". I can take a hint, thank you very much. The charging for bread and butter, the paper napkins and the not-so-subtle "can you please get out of here now?" were definitely deal-sealers and I am not coming back here for dinner.
Honestly speaking, the food is great, the ambiance is excellent but I wouldn't call Chill Winston a place to dine out. This is a place to go and have one or two drinks with friends (a lounge). I found the place overpriced and lacking in service. And those are two factors that will always drive me away from any restaurant.
Anyhow, I have to agree with H when he says that when I started my blog, I thought of my restaurant reviews as just accounts of what had transpired that evening with my friends, and now I have a more of a food-critic eye. I think that's true and I can't help it. I eat out a lot, and I compare restaurants on the basis of service, food, and pricing.
One thing I can't deny is that I had a really good time. But that was just because I had the pleasure of spending time with H, C, and B. This was the saving grace of the evening, having some of my closest friends spend a night out on the town with me. Only next time, if we are going to Chill Winston, it will have to be only for a drink or two.
I have to admit, though, that the owners of Chill Winston really know their business, because The Vancouverite gave them a very rough second review (the first time apparently the service was good) and they responded on the comments section with a very classy and elegant response (read below on the comments section). It does show commitment to the customer. Hopefully next time I go to Chill Winston (if I do) their service will have improved by then.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Restaurant review - Jules Bistro
Well, I finally made it to Jules Bistro. This is a French bistro located on Abbott Street between Water and Cordova. Yeah, I know, a tad too close to the Downtown Eastside. But it's also close to Gastown, which is a very nice area. Besides, they've really done a good job with the outdoor patio.
The prices are slightly higher than shown in their online menu (available here) but the food is good. My brother and I went for the prix fixe (salad, salmon frites and chocolate terrine). The salad was good, although I would've liked a bit more dressing. The salmon frites was really good although I would've liked the salmon a bit more moist. But the chocolate terrine was to-die-for. So, overall is a great bang for the buck ($21.00 for the prix fixe) which quite honestly is very much worth it.
The service was good, the waitresses were very prompt even though they were completely swamped. Apparently all these positive reviews have had an impact because the place is always full. But as I said, the service was REALLY good. The hostess found us an outdoor patio seat in less than 30 seconds. The only thing is perhaps they should be refilling water and bringing dessert a bit faster. Again, it was a really good dinner and I can't complain. The company was perhaps the best part of the meal, as my brother came for a very brief period of time before flying back, and we had a really good time.
All in all, I'd recommend Jules Bistro for dinner. I have to go there for lunch. I wish they had a brunch menu! And best of all, it's strategically located, very close to both Skytrain stations (Stadium-Chinatown and Waterfront Station).
The prices are slightly higher than shown in their online menu (available here) but the food is good. My brother and I went for the prix fixe (salad, salmon frites and chocolate terrine). The salad was good, although I would've liked a bit more dressing. The salmon frites was really good although I would've liked the salmon a bit more moist. But the chocolate terrine was to-die-for. So, overall is a great bang for the buck ($21.00 for the prix fixe) which quite honestly is very much worth it.
The service was good, the waitresses were very prompt even though they were completely swamped. Apparently all these positive reviews have had an impact because the place is always full. But as I said, the service was REALLY good. The hostess found us an outdoor patio seat in less than 30 seconds. The only thing is perhaps they should be refilling water and bringing dessert a bit faster. Again, it was a really good dinner and I can't complain. The company was perhaps the best part of the meal, as my brother came for a very brief period of time before flying back, and we had a really good time.
All in all, I'd recommend Jules Bistro for dinner. I have to go there for lunch. I wish they had a brunch menu! And best of all, it's strategically located, very close to both Skytrain stations (Stadium-Chinatown and Waterfront Station).
Friday, March 09, 2007
Restaurant review - Water Street Cafe
I have been to the Water Street Cafe at least six times within the last year. No less... Was there for Valentine's Day this year, my birthday last year, dinner with H last October... at least three times in six months off the top of my head. What makes me come back to this restaurant all the time?
The answer is fourfold:
a) Great food.
b) Great service.
c) Great ambience.
d) A chance to speak in Italian to the owner.
Ok, so I might sound horribly conceited for citing reason # 4, but what are languages for if you can't use them? I might as well take the chance! [That's the reason why I haven't learned Swahili].
Truthfully, the Water Street Cafe is the place to take someone if you want them to really enjoy great food and a great atmosphere. Located at the corner of Cambie Street and Water Street (hence the name!) and literally across the street from the Gastown Steam Clock, this restaurant is owned by Mr. Domenique Sabatino. Mr. Sabatino is an amazing host. Every time I show up there, he'll come and say hi in person, chat with me in Italian, ask me what I want for dinner and seat me and my guest in less than 10 minutes. I am so not kidding!
The food is amazing, and even if they don't have it in their menu, they'll make it for you. Trust me on this one. I am a fan of linguini a la Puttanesca, and the Water Street Cafe doesn't officially have it on their menu. But they'll make it for me. Actually I am pretty sure they'll make it for anyone who orders it.
Any dish on their menu is amazing, but I can totally swear by their pastas and their chicken and meat dishes. Their Caesar salads are good too. Prices are reasonable (not really cheap, but then again this is one of the best restaurants in Vancouver!)... I would seriously recommend it to anyone. Note: I have only done dinner here, but it's open at 11:30 so I guess they do brunch too.
The answer is fourfold:
a) Great food.
b) Great service.
c) Great ambience.
d) A chance to speak in Italian to the owner.
Ok, so I might sound horribly conceited for citing reason # 4, but what are languages for if you can't use them? I might as well take the chance! [That's the reason why I haven't learned Swahili].
Truthfully, the Water Street Cafe is the place to take someone if you want them to really enjoy great food and a great atmosphere. Located at the corner of Cambie Street and Water Street (hence the name!) and literally across the street from the Gastown Steam Clock, this restaurant is owned by Mr. Domenique Sabatino. Mr. Sabatino is an amazing host. Every time I show up there, he'll come and say hi in person, chat with me in Italian, ask me what I want for dinner and seat me and my guest in less than 10 minutes. I am so not kidding!
The food is amazing, and even if they don't have it in their menu, they'll make it for you. Trust me on this one. I am a fan of linguini a la Puttanesca, and the Water Street Cafe doesn't officially have it on their menu. But they'll make it for me. Actually I am pretty sure they'll make it for anyone who orders it.
Any dish on their menu is amazing, but I can totally swear by their pastas and their chicken and meat dishes. Their Caesar salads are good too. Prices are reasonable (not really cheap, but then again this is one of the best restaurants in Vancouver!)... I would seriously recommend it to anyone. Note: I have only done dinner here, but it's open at 11:30 so I guess they do brunch too.
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