We are stepping away from drinking Italy only, as we have almost exclusively for the last few months, and I picked up the 2019 Château Recougne Bordeaux to have with our Filet Mignon yesterday evening.

It’s a Merlot-dominant blend out of Bordeaux Supérieur, and 2019 was a good vintage for the region, so there’s real substance here.

Plum and blackberry up front, the tannins are smooth, and there’s a subtle earthy, savory edge underneath that keeps it interesting.

It went very well with our steak, but it would go nicely with just about whatever you’re serving.

It’s not trying to impress anyone — it just delivers, glass after glass.

At $29 it’s a little pricey to be an everyday wine but it won’t break the bank if you’re looking for something a little bit nicer.

8/10

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It’s the perfect temperature outside, not too hot. But as I pass by Steel and Oak I’m suddenly parched. And look at that — there’s just enough time to pop in for some refreshments before it gets dark.

Steel and Oak is our mini version of the awesome brewery row you’ll find in Port Moody. There’s great beer and decent burgers in the food truck parked out front.

I do lean towards a beer with fruit in it during the warmer weather, and tonight I decided on the Fruit Salad Sour.

Dragon fruit, passion fruit, prickly pear and lime form the base of this light, refreshing beer. It’s just tart enough to offset the sweetness. Perfect to quench the thirst I built up over the last 30 minutes.

Now only 4,000 steps back home.

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It’s date night and it’s summer. That means some patio time.

El Santo has a patio but it’s right on Columbia.

Same with Piva.

On the other end of Columbia you’ll find Bruncheria, but their patio is still just a few steps from the street.

The Terminal has a patio on Columbia as well. Right next to a busy truck route.

The Grey Fox’s patio is actually good. But you’re looking into private backyards of the townhouse complex surrounding the building.

You’ll find a few patios sprinkled around uptown too.

But one thing all these patios share is the view. Or rather the lack of one. And unless you like looking at, listening to, and breathing in the exhaust fumes of all those cars going by while you’re eating you don’t have very many options.

The new Tiki Bar, where the Paddlewheeler used to be, does have something of a view, but I don’t particularly like the place. Nothing in that particular location has ever been great, though I know some of you will say the Paddlewheeler was good (I disagree) but the one time we visited the Tiki Bar the drinks were unbalanced and the place had a cheap, kitschy feel about it.

The other option, and the only option with a nice view in New Westminster is the Boathouse.

In our experience The Boathouse hasn’t been perfect either. But I will say of late it’s been better.

I’m starting with the Lobster Bisque. I’m hoping it will be good here. Since the Keg took it off the menu I have not had the opportunity to have my favorite soup much.

So I was extremely happy to discover it’s actually a very good lobster bisque. Rich lobster flavor with a smooth creamy base that had a bit of a kick. The only way I think you could improve this is to put some chunks of lobster in. I may be visiting more often this summer just for a bowl of soup.

Sticking with the seafood theme, we decided we’re going to try the seafood platter, for two.

Shrimp, lobster, mussels, oysters, crab and tuna poke.

So let’s just call it a platter as they had to put it on a metal stand to elevate it rather than the traditional two-tier serving tray. But whatever, it was pretty good, other than the oysters, which neither of us loved.

The poke has nice flavour. The lobster was perfectly cooked. The mussels were to die for. The prawns were subtly sweet and tender. And the pièce de résistance, the crab truly was the star of the show. And to my delight the biggest portion.

At $65 it’s not cheap, and I could quite easily polish that off myself. But with the soup it worked out pretty well for the two of us.

Now the next question was, could I resist dessert? And I will tell you I put up a pretty good fight. But then somebody walked by with a creme brulee and my willpower crumbled like a stage made from toothpicks at a Lizzo concert.

Not the best creme brulee I’ve ever had. The sugar was well burnt, and while the custard underneath tasted right, it was just a little bit too firm. Not quite panna cotta firm but pretty close. It made me think there might have been gelatin in that and there certainly shouldn’t be. That’s exactly why I don’t care for panna cotta. I didn’t hate it though.

Merilynn had a cocktail, a summary version of a Moscow Mule.

So other than the slight miss on the creme brulee, this was a really lovely evening. It was a great patio and the food was very good.
We will definitely be back this summer to spend some more time enjoying the view.

If I missed a good patio in New Westminster please let me know and I’ll go check it out.

9/10

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And sure, there’s lots of good pizza around. But Steveston Pizza, the Hawaiian specifically, rises above all the others I have tried — anywhere.

It’s so good, I’ll get on a bus from New Westminster to go get one. And that’s no small feat.

So this past Monday, I suffered one and a half rather unpleasant hours on a train and two buses to get myself one of those pizzas.

I also had the opportunity to try a new fish and chips shop — read that review here. It also gave me the chance to explore the village of Steveston and Gary Point Park, so I made good use of my time.

The last time we picked up a pizza from SP, and you have to pick it up, there’s no delivery or Door Dash at all, we were actually quite dissatisfied with the pie. It didn’t quite live up to the standards we’ve come to expect.

This one though?

Right back to the best pizza in town.

This was meant to be our dinner. I’d already had halibut and chips not two hours earlier, but I found myself overwhelmed by the aroma as I waited for my bus to get to Merilynn’s work. So I dove into that box for not one, but three pieces in the few minutes before the bus came.

Then one more when I met Merilynn. By the time we got that pizza home for dinner, 3/4 of it was already done. (Fortunately I didn’t have to transit all the way home.)

I’m not entirely sure what makes it so good. There’s a plethora of pineapple on this pizza, and the ham is genuinely high quality. The tomato sauce tastes fresh, there isn’t too much cheese, and the crust hits a perfect thickness. Whatever the case, they’ve nailed the perfect balance for a Hawaiian pizza.

I can’t really speak to the other flavors — I honestly don’t see the point in trying them. But if you’re looking for something different, they have a pizza called Storm that costs $155.

If anyone tries it, I’d like to know what it’s like — let me know in the comments.

One bite, everyone knows the rules score;

9.2

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Consistently rated as one of Vancouver’s best fish and chips, it’s a really great spot down on Fisherman’s wharf to enjoy lunch or dinner.

But I thought I’d try somewhere else today, in the name of research.

A quick query to Claude and I discovered that Pajo’s isn’t the highest rated chippy in Steveston. That honor goes to Gary Point Grill and Fish and Chips.

Located a short walk from Fisherman’s wharf, west towards Gary Point Park, you’ll find an outbuilding and a few picnic tables to sit at while you enjoy your fish and chips.

If you judged this place by its name alone, you’d never even go there. Who thought that mouthful was a good idea?

But we aren’t here to judge the name, we’re here to judge the food.

And it was pretty good. That’s a pretty good-sized portion of halibut and the chips were nice and crispy. One piece of halibut and chips was $21.95. I think that’s pretty standard in this 2026 economy.

While it was good though. it wasn’t as good as Pajo’s.

Gary Point Park is a fantastic spot to sit at the beach and watch the boats go by into the harbor. But I do prefer the atmosphere right on the water at Pajo’s.You won’t go wrong here though.

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It’s beef short ribs on cornbread.

Though I see they’ve changed it since I last had it. Before it was served in its own little cast iron pan. Now it comes with two round, biscuit-like pieces of cornbread. It certainly looks a little more traditional now, though not sure that’s a good thing.

The eggs were done very well and the hollandaise was nice. The cornbread was fantastic too, with a nice jalapeno kick to it.

If anything was wrong with it, there was a touch too much short rib — it’s already a very rich dish, and while I shouldn’t really complain about too much protein, it did upset the balance slightly.

Nevertheless, it was still tasty and we were sharing it so we were able to finish. Not sure I could eat the whole thing myself.

The potatoes are really good too, and that’s saying something coming from me.

If you’re an Eggs Benedict fan, this is definitely one to try.

9/10

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I have been looking forward to their Lobster Bisque all day. It’s pretty good.

And f@ck, wouldn’t you know it, they took it off the menu. I’m not feeling a steak tonight, so maybe a couple appetizers.

The Prime rib sliders look ok. Prime rib is not my favorite steak, but on a slider it would probably work. I do like that you can order as many as you’d like. 2 seems a good number.

Now crispy onions I can eat all day. Very yummy. Could have been a little hotter but still delicious. The burgers were decent, but badly under seasoned. Pass the salt please. Good fresh buns, red wine au jus and horseradish. Just not a lot of flavour. Too bad. There’s lots of potential here.

Thats not enough food though. Second Appy coming up.

Tuna Tartare

This might have been one of those occasions I probably should have read my own blog. As it was put down in front of me I remembered Merilynn and I trying this before. And not loving it.

The tuna itself is all right. They served it at a good temperature and it certainly good enough quality tuna. I think my big problem with this dish is the ratio of tuna to avocado.There is plenty of tuna, there’s just too much avocado for me. And again, badly under seasoned.

Did the kitchen run out of salt tonight or something? That’s two under seasoned dishes.

Normally I can count on The Keg for some pretty good food. They let me down tonight.

5/10

And the worst part of it all? I got home and I was starving.

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Vancouver is bereft of good rooftop bars.

Now let me caveat that statement.

I do not consider a patio on the third floor of a restaurant a rooftop bar. I’ll use Black and Blue as an example. It’s a fantastic spot and they have fantastic food. One of my favorite restaurants in Vancouver. But the third floor of a building with high-rises all around and no view to speak of does not a rooftop bar make.

So I was rather pleasantly surprised to discover Lavantine Rooftop Restaurant and Sky Bar. And that name is actually pretty apt. It is on the 15th floor rooftop of the Azure Hotel in Vancouver. Unfortunately though there’s still not much of a view. Those same pesky high rises.

Like Black and Blue it has a sliding glass roof so that you can enjoy it year round. However I was told by a friend that in the winter, when the roof is closed, it can be a pretty noisy atmosphere.

We are definitely in the upper class of establishments here but we are fortunate enough to be in time for happy hour small plates are reasonably enough priced.

I’m going to try two of them today. The tuna tartare and a lamb burger.

I’ll admit I was a little surprised when a tagine was presented to me. I don’t remember ordering any middle Eastern food. It turned out not to be a full tagine, just the top cover, and then as the tagine was lifted it all made sense. The wonderful aroma of smoke reached my nostrils. Nice presentation.

Everything on this plate worked perfectly. The smokiness hit strong at first, then faded. The citrusy marinade with a perfectly textured tuna had a nice spicy kick. The fresh, tangy creaminess from the creme fraiche and the sweetness and texture from the pomegranate seeds rounded it all out. Easily the best tuna tartare I’ve ever eaten.

When it comes to a burger, if lamb is an option it’s always my first choice. Don’t get me wrong. Nothing wrong with a good beef burger. But lamb elevates it to another level.

Other than the pickle, which was easy to fish out, this burger was excellent. The patty itself had a really great char, all the condiments worked really well and the bun was super fresh. Really hard to beat that for $19.

I really enjoyed Lavantine. The vibe, food, and service were all excellent. It really is a great spot to spend a couple hours.

And while it technically meets the definition, what Vancouver really needs is a true rooftop bar where you can sit and enjoy the fantastic views the harbour provides. Hopefully someone has one in the works.

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it’s an absolutely fantastic spot located in the River district right on the North arm of the Fraser River. The restaurant itself has a great atmosphere as well. Lots of wood and glass to show off those great views.

I know that glass says Parallel 49 but the beer inside is actually from Russell brewing in Surrey. The name escapes me at this point but it was clean and refreshing.

Merilynn sampled the Tuna Tatake.

Crispy wonton crackers with a wasabi aioli and avocado. What a fantastic little snack. The fish had beautiful flavour and paired with the avocado band wasabi aioli well, with the wonton giving a crunchy texture to the bite.

Smashburgers aren’t really my thing. I thought I would give one a try tonight just to see if my feelings are confirmed.

The chef got a great crust on both patties and it comes with thick sliced bacon, aged cheddar, served on a freshly baked bun.

It tasted really good, however I still prefer a traditional thick and juicy burger.

All in all a good meal. If you’re looking for a good burger Romer’s is a good choice. Unfortunately though I hear the one in Port Moody has closed.

8/10

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I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with El Santo.

I’ve had some really fantastic food here. I’ve also had the complete opposite.

I love the tacos.

I hate the Chile Relleño.

I love the mango guacamole.

I hate the salsas.

I love the Eggs Benedict.

Regardless, you can always count on good service, the atmosphere here is nice, the Tequila selection is fantastic and there is something for everyone to eat, and drink, here.

As always, I like to try something I haven’t had here before, so I’m going to try the corn fritters.

Frituras de Maize

A more traditional doughy fritter than the modern, crispy, tempura style corn fritter you regularly see these days, the sweet corn flavor was complemented well by a spicy habanero apple jam.

Taco Flight

A mix and match choice of three tacos. Merilynn got two fish, one for me, and one pork. I don’t know how they expect you to pick that fish taco up and eat it. Look at the size of the thing. One surely cannot complain about portion size. The flavor is nothing to complain about either. Served on the very traditional two corn tortillas, the ling cod was beautifully fried and was garnished with an avocado lime crema and red cabbage. That’s a great fish taco.

Pan de Elote

One of my favorites, a good corn bread is just a thing of beauty. Too often dry and crumbly, this cornbread was moist and subtly sweet. I’ve had Eggs Benedict served on it here, and while I’m normally a traditionalist when it comes to Eggs Benny, El Santo’s take on it is fantastic, thanks to this corn bread. Bueno!

El Raspada

I learned something tonight. El Raspada is a shaved ice treat and this one is particularly good. Condesa Gin, elderflower liqueur, hibiscus tea, and lavender agave syrup come together to a yummy, adult slushee.

Margarita Guey

As near as I can figure this is a standard margarita, dude. That appears to be the literal translation. Any Tequileños want to correct me on that please do. As for the drink. It’s Tequila and lime, in other words, awesome.

El Santo, I want to love you, but you make it hard sometimes. The highs are genuinely high — that fish taco, that corn bread, that ridiculous grown-up slushee — and when things are clicking, this is a really fun place to eat. Just maybe skip the Chile Relleno and don’t ask me about the salsas. If you can live with the inconsistency, and I apparently can because I keep coming back, there’s enough good stuff happening here to make it worth your while. The service, the tequila, and the atmosphere never let you down. See you next time, El Santo. Probably.

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