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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Nero d’Avola doesn’t get nearly enough attention, which is a shame because Sicily makes some genuinely good everyday red wine at prices that won’t make you wince.

Cusumano’s 2023 Sicilia DOC is a solid example of what the grape does well. The nose is earthy and savory with dark fruit underneath — blackberry, black plum — plus a whiff of wild fennel that’s a bit unexpected but works.

On the palate it’s blackberry and figs mostly, with a blood orange note and some pepper adding a bit of intrigue. Tannins are firm but polished, and the finish is clean.

It’s medium-to-full bodied with enough structure to stand up to food. This is a wine that wants a plate in front of it — pasta, grilled lamb, a hearty stew. Drink it on its own and it’s fine; drink it with dinner and it’s better.

At $21 this is genuinely good value. Straightforward, honest, and delivers what it promises. Worth having a few in rotation.

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Our first night in Venice and I’m trying to avoid the “tourist trap” restaurants that try to rope unsuspecting visitors into spending lots of Euros on mediocre food. These establishments line the Piazzas and canals, hoping to attract the unsuspecting eater into a nice view but less than average meal.

So after wandering around off the beaten path a bit ( and passing by what was probably an excellent eatery) we ended up at Osteria Leon Bianca.

After pouring us a red that was far too sweet for our liking, the proprietor suggested the Morajo Cabernet, a wine that suited our preference for richer, bigger, reds. This was no Note Been, but for €26 it did the job nicely.

We decided to share an appy and a main as it was getting late and jetlag was starting to kick our butts. Who wants to eat lots before passing out? We went with the house made gnocci with what is today a tomato sauce

And a grilled seafood platter.

The gnocchi was decent, though not pillowy soft, with a tomato sauce that didn’t scream fresh. I’m guessing canned tomatoes.

The grilled seafood was very nice. Though too much Calamari for my liking. Though for Calamari it was excellent. Not chewy at all. I particularly enjoyed the sardines. But since everything was coated in the same batter, before too long I ran into tastebud fatigue.

So our first meal in Venice. It did not blow me away. It wasn’t awful though either.

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They actually didn’t have a ton of selection. And I’m not paying $40 for a pie. $40? Are you kidding me? Never gonna happen!

They did have a sampler box of their icebox pies for $25. Guess that will have to do. Even though I’ve never heard of an icebox pie.

So I found out that an icebox pie is basically a cheesecake without any cream cheese. At least that’s the impression they gave me.

The sampler box includes four varieties: Key lime, Lemon Creamsicle, Fudgesicle, and Blueberry Earl Grey. We found all four flavours to be pretty tasty.

At more than $6 each, though, I never need to have them again.

I do have an unwritten rule (most of the time) to try a place more than once so I will pop in again one day for a croissant.

As long as it’s not $40.

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I’ll be honest, this morning is a struggle.

After a late night and far too many drinks (we need to get our value out of the drinks package on the ship) we are both in pretty rough shape

I suspect that if we hadn’t prepaid for this tour we may have not bothered going at all.

So we dragged ourselves out of bed at 7:30 to do a three hour tour (a three hour tour) on Corfu, day 4 of our cruise.

I don’t want to crap on this island too much. We are only seeing a small portion. But a lot of what we did see was pretty depressing. It gave me Cuba vibes. Run down houses, unmanicured gardens and a general feeling of poverty.

Our tour tickets up to a viewing spot to see this:

Nice spot, too bad we didn’t have more time to explore that church.

The only other thing of note about this island so far, something I had forgotten, is that Prince Philip was born here.

I hear if you’re a beach person this is a good place to be. But as we are only off the boat for a few hours that’s not going to happen.

So after our brief bus tour and viewing stop we were left in Corfu town to our own devices. A coffee and some food were definitely in order at that point. We strolled a few blocks away from theain square and found Voula’s Time. A gelato/coffee shop that also serves some light fare.

A couple cappucinos

Decent, though the coffee in Italy so far has been better.

We also tried a ham and cheese waffle.

I found the chips an odd side at 11 am in the morning, but the waffle was pretty good, though a bit dry. A light drizzle of maple syrup really would have done that some justice.

Two good sized cappuccinos and a waffle for 14 euros. Alright I guess.

I doubt I’ll ever find myself back in Corfu.N ot sure I’ll ever be in Greece again actually. Not impressed with the place at all. But if I do I would consider coming back to Voula’s. I’ll just bring a small bottle of syrup with me.

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Last summer we had a fantastic meal at Black and Blue rooftop patio, certainly one of Vancouver’s better atmospheres.

We celebrated my birthday at Hawksworth, one of two excellent restaurants owned by David Hawksworth here in Vancouver.

Our Christmas party was at Joe Fortes, a long renowned Vancouver establishment named after Vancouver first official lifeguard.

And this weekend we finally got into Elisa, recognized as one of Canada’s finest steakhouses.

The restaurant itself is warm and inviting and it’s buzzing in here tonight. Yeah it has that calm, efficient and organized air of many of the higher end dining establishments I’ve been in.

Lets get things started with a G and T, and as you’d expect they have an excellent gin library here. I’m going with Monkey 47 from Germany, a crisp and dry gin that uses 47 botanicals. One of the great gins on the market today. I have yet to add it to my collection though. It’s not the easiest to find in stores.

Some very nice bread was brought to the table.

Nice touch with the butter and EVOO in one little dish, the bread was rustic and fresh, a bakers dream.

As it would be improper to enjoy what is sure to be a great meal without a nice bottle of wine we asked for recommendations and went with a Malbec from Argentina, Colome.

A high altitude, full bodied wine from Argentina with notes of blackberries, chocolate and vanilla, the taste lingers on your palate, finishing with a smooth, day finish. It paired extremely well with my short ribs.

Fork tender short ribs with Hubbard squash and Crosnes. Squash I’ve had, Crosnes was a first for me. A Chinese artichoke with a mild flavour and crunchy texture, they are similar to Jerusalem artichokes. I really enjoyed them. The short ribs were delicious and the sauce blew me away. I have made short ribs for years but never have achieved a sauce of that quality.

I did start with Dungeness Spring Rolls.

Served with a chickpea and coriander sauce and Rayu, adding a pleasant heat, they had a good crunch but were lacking a little in crab flavour. I found the salad on top a little out of place and it detracted from the initial visual appeal but once it was removed I was able to enjoy it.

We decided to do dessert family style. Creme Brulee and a selection of Macaron.

Three flavours, raspberry, yuzu and matcha. I enjoyed them all, but the matcha was my least favorite.

And as I ofren do when I see creme brulee on the menu I finished the meal with one of my favorite desserts.

Not your classical take on the dish, it served on a sable crust rather than in the traditional ramekin. With flavors of Apple salted caramel and bergamot to complement the exquisite custard, this truly is a high-end dessert. Certainly one of the more elegant presentations I’ve seen. Yes alone might be worth a trip to Elisa.

And of course a great latte to go along with dessert.

So perhaps tonight I made a mistake. Not in the way you might think though.

I certainly can’t complain about my meal. The service was beyond reproach. What I did eat was fantastic. They recommended a perfect wine for our food. The atmosphere is awesome.

Yet I walked away with a tang of regret. I actually came to one of Canada’s highest rated steakhouses and didn’t have a steak. Was that wrong?

I guess I’ll have to fix that by coming back and getting a steak next time.

10/10

You should eat here.

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We ended up here on this lovely Sunday afternoon expecting brunch but unfortunately we missed last call for breakfast around 15 minutes earlier.

If I had known that I probably would have kept looking for somewhere else to go. We have been here a couple times before for brunch and it was excellent and that’s what we were looking forward to.

So it was the happy hour menu we were given as we were seated. I guess my timing is little off today as it was British Columbia’s last spring forward last night.

As I’m not the type that would get up and leave for somewhere, even though nothing on this smallish happy hour menu was thrilling me we picked a couple items to share.

My latte

Nice latte art, great tasting coffee and a good size, the perfect pick me up I need it after working 7 days in a row.

Spring Flat Bread

After removing the Arugula, what seems to me to be just window dressing, the flatbread underneath was really good. You can’t see it with all that rabbit food on top.

The combined flavours of grape tomatoes and picked red onion adding acidity while balancing the sweetness of a roasted tomato chutney rounded out by the creamy, mild mozza made a surprisingly delicious appetizer.

We also shared Spaghetti Carbonara.

It turned out to be a really good plate of pasta. Perhaps a bit dryer then I would like my carbonara but still very tasty. They use pancetta instead of guanciale, which I might start doing myself. Guanciale is a little harder to source out, and I don’t care for the amount of salt bacon puts in. The chef had a nice bite on that pasta and it was rockin with a great amount of pepper. Not too rich either, as Carbonara often is.

As we finished I found myself pleasantly surprised. From my initial disappointment of the happy hour menu and missing breakfast to a really nice mid-afternoon meal.

With great service and a lovely atmosphere, the Story Cafe has yet to disappoint.

9/10

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