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 wanted to like this one. We really did.

But the 2022 Tribute Cab just didn’t deliver. Something was off with the aromas right out of the gate, and the flavours followed suit.

Hard to put your finger on exactly, but it’s the kind of wine that makes you check the bottle to see if something went wrong.

The price is low, and that’s about the nicest thing we can say about it.

Great if you need cheap wine in bulk and nobody’s paying attention. Not so great if you actually want to taste something worth sipping.

Pass on this one.

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There’s generally a rule here. Dont walk around any town with food or drinks. That’s a big no no and gives away the fact your a tourist. If one of the five or other six things haven’t already. But the beloved Gelato? Theres no rule against it when it come to an ice cream.

We actually didn’t eat all that much gelato over the 20 days we were in Italy. Ice cream really isn’t our thing. But here a a record of the gelato we did try.

Venice

Only one stop for gelato in Venice. Il Saloto di San Marco

Merilynn just happened to pick, out of all the gelato places in Venice, one of the highly rated gelaterias here.

Note the covered containers.

I, like a dumbass, forgot to take a photo of the gelato itself, we were in such a hurry to try it. But it was delicious. Smooth and creamy. A great stop if you’re in Venice.

Polignano a Mare

Bar Riviera

Another very nice gelato. Smooth and creamy.

Orvieto

L’Officcina del Gelato

Chocolate hazelnut. Good gelato, decently creamy but could skip the whip cream. Not 100% how real it was.

Gelateri il gelato do Pasquale

Tiramisu gelato. If you’re judging by the piled up gelato you wouldn’t stop here. However it exceeded expectations. Love the coffee and mascarpone flavours.

Florence

Rivareno

So far Claude had been steering us right as far as food goes. So Rivareno came up as one of the best in the Duomo area

Always a good sign when you see the gelato under lids rather than piled high to impress people.

We got two tonight. An espresso with chocolate

Ultra creamy with strong flavours of espresso and texture from the chocolate shavings.

Strawberry.

Not as creamy as some of the gelato we’ve had but the strawberry flavours absolutely slap you across the face. I suspect the less creamy texture has something to do with the fresh fruit they use to make this

That’s some great gelato. I think the best I’ve had, and no line ups! Maybe I can tell the difference.

Caffe Martelli

This gelateria would fall under the avoid category. Not that the gelato is bad. But it’s overpriced.

We are a block away from the Duomo after all. This is a tiramisu gelato and sure it’s good. But even the gelato beginner can tell the difference between this and the really good stuff.

And this was €8. You’re paying for location here for sure.

My Sugar Gelato

I ventured out on my own to try another of the very highly rated gelateria.

Crema di Florentine

Not the biggest selection, but quality counts.

Nice and creamy, and only €2.5.

I think we can squeeze one more stop in on this Gelato tour.

La Catredalle Gelateria

Nice spot for it.

Looks promising

Caramel

That’s great gelato. Very creamy with lots of caramel flavour. And what a view to enjoy while eating it

We probably should have had way more gelato while in Italy. It is basically the national pastime after all. While I’m no expert, after sampling the different shops we tried we were able to discern the subteties that great gelati have over the ordinary ones.

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We got a quick snack, mostly as a buffer against the copious amounts of alcohol heading down our gullets shortly.

Pork gyoza.

These are spicier than I remember. Also one of the few thjngs I can eat here. Honestly I don’t know how Brown’s is surviving with this menu. Of all the restaurants in the class (think Cactus, Earls) Brown’s has the worst menu, and it not even close. But these are nicely done, decent flavour, and a little kick.

We are starting our libations with a couple drinks of their summer drink specials

Guava basil crush

Tequila, lemon juice, guava and basil. Should be a great combination. However it was very disappointing. It was watery and had almost no flavour. I wonder if they forget something?

Passionfruit crush

This crush was better. Vodka, passionfruit, lime juice and Triple Sec. You could really taste the passionfruit. Very refreshing.

Caesar

A good version, but for me, could use a little more kick.

Pomegranate Basil Martini.

Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. This drink was so good I had two!..

Vodka, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, lime juice and basil come to together to create a vibrant, sweet yet tart cocktail that pairs great with the peppery basil.

Im very mixed about Brown’s. Come for the patio. Enjoy the drinks. Eat at home first.

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Recently I was espousing the quality of the delicacies of my current favorite bakery Chez Christophe, (read that review here) when a friend of mine recommended another pastry shop I hadn’t heard of yet, Thierry.

Well f***, that recommendation is going to end up costing me way too much money.

Thierry is a high end pastry shop on Alberni St, right in the middle of all the designer fashion shops. The place definitely has an “air” about it. I actually feel a bit out of place here. But I’ll get over it. The food looks incredible.

The upscale atmosphere greets you right at the front door.

That front door must have cost a fortune.

Inside that impression continues.

A beautiful and warm interior that screams “quality.”

There’s an amazing selection of delicious looking pastries and cakes.

A nice selection of macarons.

Handmade chocolates. I’m not allowed to buy these anymore lol.

The Canelé from Bordeaux.

A daily selection of fresh made croissants, danish and other goodies.

I have been a few times over the past few months now and this is a compilation of those visits.

First up, a Confit Garlic Danish.

I really wasn’t too sure about this one to be honest. I thought this particluar combination a bit odd but since I love both garlic and danish a sampling is almost a must.

I should have trusted my instincts. You generally expect something sweet when you bite into a Danish. You won’t get anything sweet with this. The garlic flavour, which I normally love, just didn’t work in a pastry. For me at least. Hopefully someone out there likes it.

4/10

Very few things are better to me than a Lemon Tart.

It exceeded my already high expectations. The lemon curd was smooth and had a great balance of tart and sweet. Really tasty. But what elevated it above a regular lemon tart was the pastry. A perfect texture, Tender, baked to perfection.

Can I give it an 11?

A seasonal Caramel tart.

The mousse was very light but still ended up being very rich. Add the caramel and the homemade chocolate tuile and while it worked together very well it ended up just being too much. Yes I know, complaining your high end dessert being too big a portion is a first world problem.

Good, but I wouldn’t get it again.

7/10

I popped in on a Monday afternoon, expecting to find it quiet. I was surprised to see it completely packed. Not a table open. So I just picked up something easy to go, chocolate covered Madelines.

I’d normally just make these myself when I want them. These were good but I prefer mine. I cram more lemon flavour in the batter. I will however start dipping some of the ones I make in chocolate. That’s brilliant, a very nice touch. They were surprisingly moist for not being super fresh.

7/10

Macaron

If you’ve ever tried making these your appreciation for them will grow considerably. One of the most technically demanding pastries out there.

Nice flavours, they had that little bit if a chew a good macaron has.

Tiramisu

This is not your Nonna’s tiramisu. I loved those chocolate wafers creating a “bowl” for the beaufuk custard within. As a modern take they did a beautiful job of keeping the tradition of the dessert while making it suitable for the single serve, cafe presentation.

Aspargus Danish.

This was a much better take on a savoury Danish than the confit garlic one I tried earlier. Beautiful, crisp layers with cream cheese. They didn’t get it 100% right, some of the asparagus was on the Woody side. Had they trimmed that properly this would have been really good. Honestly a bit surprising for an establishment of this caliber.

8/10

Mango tart.

I can’t even begin to imagine the level of patience it takes to make that dessert. It’s so pretty. And delicious. That mango was perfectly right and was bursting with flavor. Underneath was a lemon curd and that short crust pastry shell was delicious. That’s something you’d find in the Michelin star restaurant for sure.

11/10

Cappucino

This cappuccino might be right back to one of the Cafes in Italy that I was at a month ago. As good as it gets.

So is Thierry a better Pattiserie than Chez Christophe? Let’s compare.

Quality – This ones a tie. Both excellent. I can’t penalize Thierry for me just not liking the garlic danish, that’s just personal taste. The quality was there.

Price – I’ll give the edge to Chez Christophe on this one. Prices here are a little cheaper without sacrificing quality.

Atmosphere – Here I’m giving the nod to Chez Christophe. Thierry is a very nice spot but I prefer the less pretentious, contemporary feel at Chez Christophe.

Selection – Thierry has the edge on this one. A bigger selection to pick from.

Overall – I think that’s actually too hard to pick a ‘winner’ and it will come down to personal preference. I have a feeling that as I sample more items at Thierry I will find I prefer their pastries. But I much prefer the atmosphere at Chez Christophe.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.

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We have decided to leave Orvieto a day early. Not because we don’t like it here. The reality is that’s it’s a small town, and three days is probably good, let alone four, nevermind the 5 we had originally planned.

So tonight will be our last meal here. When picking a restaurant I wanted something that represents Orvieto properly.

Trattoria la Palomba is just that restaurant.

Now the third generation of a family run business, how do you get more traditional? Nevermind the numerous Michelin guide recommendations or the high google rating.

Mist restaurants in town aren’t very big. But through the week we’ve noticed they haven’t been full. We’ve made reservations each night though and not needed it. But tonight is different. Mm have it’s just the place, but it filled up tonight. Glad I popped in the other day to reserve.

I’d guess there’s only 14 tables in here.

Is it the most glamourous restaurant we have been in this trip? Not even close. In fact it might be the “kichiest.” But we aren’t here for the decor.

The Carbonara is very highly rated.

And I see why. I think Bill go ahead and say that’s the best Carbonara I’ve ever had.

It had the perfect creamine

Ss without being too rich. Not overly salty either, often an issue with carbonara dishes. This was Carbonara perfection. I was full from my steak, yet I couldn’t stop eating.

Speaking of my steak. Filetta Al Cardinale

So I guess I’m Italy when you order a steak you get a steak. I figured maybe a potato or carrot on the side. But no. Oh well. Not like. I’ve eaten much the way of rabbit food this trip.

The steak was great. I asked for medium rare. I probably should have asked for rare. But it was still moist and that’s red wine sauce was delicious.

We ordered a vino Rosso di casa, and it ended up being our least favorite wine of our trip so far

Honestly we haven’t had a bad wine yet in two weeks.

Thjs one was less full bodied than we prefer, not overly dry. But still drinkable. We have had better wine for less euros though.

As for value, tonight was also a little more pricey than other restaurants we have visited in Orvieto. My steak was €22. Convert that and we are at $34 Canadian. Merilynn’s pasta was €18. Okay that was the best Carbonara, but it was also the most expensive.

Im not complaining though. It was a good meal. One just has to realize eating in Europe can be more money than eating in Canada.

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I walked by Sweet Talk on chance this afternoon (on my way to another bakery I thought I remembered around the corner) and only realized it existed when I saw a sandwich board advertising fresh donuts.

I don’t need a lot of arm twisting to get me in the door when I see a sign for fresh donuts.

They probably should do a better job of being visible. Had it not been for that sandwich board I would have walked right by and never ever known it existed.

It’s a lovely cafe, a great atmosphere, and apparently it turns into a cocktail lounge at night. I will definitely have to bring Merilynn and to check that out.

They also offer a small breakfast menu if you need more than just donuts.

They have a huge selection of donuts. From what I can gather only 10 varieties.Quality over quantity though right? The offerings I see in front of me do look pretty scrumptious though.

Since I’m not interested in getting diabetes today I’m only going to get two.

The Cinnamon Twist

And a raspberry stuffie.

While both donuts exceeded expectations, the raspberry stuffie really made an impression on me. The filling in particular. That has to be a homemade jam. It’s just too good. The flavour was absolutely bursting with raspberry, and I don’t mean that artificial raspberry flavour you see way too often. And such a light and fluffy donut that exquisite filling was in. Reminded me a lot of a Mello donut actually.

The Cinnamon Twist was also really well done. The sugar coating was balanced well with the cinnamon. Basic, but executed perfectly.

I didn’t grab a coffee this time, I had just finished one, but it looks like they have a proper machine so I’ll give that a try on my next visit.

With the quality of those donuts I’ll definitely be back.

10)10

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Note: We visited in September 2025.

It’s our first night in Penticton and we are super hungry, but we have no plan. An employee at the hotel recommended Elma when queried for a decent place to eat, and a quick perusal of their menu online looked promising.

Middle Eastern food has become an enjoyable part of my culinary routine. Elma is right on Lakeshore Drive with fantastic views of the lake if you’re lucky enough to get a patio table, which we were.

It’s has a casual and comfortable vibe, not pretentious at all. It’s Penticton after all, come as you are.

A buddy and I, who also isn’t a huge eater, decided we would split a few things to sample a larger selection of their offerings. Very glad we went this route.

Our first pick was Girit Borek.

I did some research on this as I’m not familiar with it. I can’t say the research helped much either. It is the Turkish word for the island of Crete. I’m culinary terms, that’s a little harder to narrow down. Something to do with “small plate.” Or maybe a cheese mixed with nuts and other ingredients. Turns out iwaht we were served was a filled phyllo pastry.

At my local Turkish food restaurant in Burnaby I’m used to these being deep-fried, which these weren’t. This version was just as good though. A creamy filling with a nice reduction to add some acidity. A bit heavy on the greens for me, but overall very tasty.

Beet Hummus

Hummus is hit and miss for me. Well now that I’ve figured out the trick? Stay away from that mass-produced camel shit you’ll find in your local grocery store. When it’s homemade, it’s divine.

This is a Beetroot Hummus and it was incredible. Not only a really pretty red from the beets, they also added a beautiful, subtle sweetness. Very tasty homemade bread to go with it.

Next up we have Tandir Croquettes.

Slow-cooked lamb, rice, and cheese, then breaded and deep-fried. Served with a very tasty miso, tahini ketchup. How’s that for three cultures coming together in one sauce? A creamy yogurt rounded out a complex yet beautiful flavor combination.

Here we have the Sultan’s Delight.

Lamb and beef meatballs served with a charred Japanese Bechamel and an heirloom tomato sauce. Tender and well-seasoned with warm Middle Eastern flavors, these didn’t last very long. Those incredible spices and the delicious sauces made the meatballs oh so good.

Of course a Turkish coffee.

That’s a great kick in the ass to finish off a fantastic meal

What with the lovely location and excellent food, Elma is certainly worth a visit next time you’re in Penticton.

9/10.

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There’s something satisfying about a gin that actually tastes like somewhere. Spirit Bear, made at Urban Distilleries in Kelowna, is about as Okanagan as it gets — locally grown grain, lavender and apple from nearby farms, and a botanical lineup that feels considered rather than just thrown together.

Ten botanicals total: the usual suspects like juniper, coriander, and angelica root, but then lavender and apple come in and do something genuinely interesting. It’s the kind of thing you notice on first sip and keep thinking about.

The nose gives you floral right away — the lavender is forward but gentle, more like walking past a field than anything cloying or artificial.

On the palate it’s smooth and a little creamy, with citrus cutting through before a soft, almost fruity finish from the apple. It’s not a big punchy London Dry, it’s something quieter and more specific. I mean that as a compliment.

There’s a real balance here that takes some craft to pull off — floral gins can easily tip into dessert territory, but Spirit Bear stays dry and composed throughout.

Sipped neat over ice it holds up well, and it makes a great gin and tonic if you want the botanicals to show off a bit. I’d also imagine it doing interesting things in a Collins or a French 75, anywhere the floral notes have room to breathe.

It’s won a few awards — gold at the SIP Awards in California, Judges’ Choice at the Alberta Beverage Awards — and while. I’m not usually moved by trophy stickers on a bottle, they’re not wrong here.

For a craft gin coming out of the BC interior, this punches well above its weight. If you’re in BC and you haven’t picked this up yet, you probably should. And if you’re not in BC, it’s worth hunting down.

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We are trying a new spot for Indian food today, Delight Street Eats.

I’m not sure if this qualifies as a Chaat House. To be honest I don’t even know what what Chaat really is. But I’ve been a couple times and have always enjoyed it.

Im starting with a Mango Lassi, a yogurt based drink that can come in handy when you have spicy food. And we aren’t ordering white people Indian food today. Ok, we aren’t going full “make it like your in New Delhi spicy” either. Somewhere in between.

We are starting with Chole Bathura.

I’m familiar with Chana Bhatura. Chickpea curry served with a fluffy deep fried bread. We had a very good example of it recently from Rana Catering.

But what is Chole Bhature?

Well apparently it’s the same thing. The name is just a regional difference.

Except in this case.

That bread clearly isn’t fluffy. But it sure is crispy and airy. Reminds me of a papadum. In fact I suspect that it is.

Regardless it was very good. The chickpeas had a rich, intense flavour that the bread sopped up nicely.

Biryani is alone pot meal, fragrant rice layered with a curry marinated

meat or vegetables and spices.

This is one of the finest examples I’ve ever tasted of this amazing dish.

I’ve never tasted a Biryani with this depth of flavour. I could not believe my tastebuds. With “fall off the bone tender” chicken this could have been a meal in itself.

But I wanted to try something different.

So I asked the server to bring us something white people don’t order.

We got this:

Looks great, but what is it?

My first thought was chicken. But wrong texture.

Then I was thinking a dough of some kind. Nope.

Turns out it was a soy product of some kind, kind of like tofu. Though with a denser consistensy that I’m used to.

In the end, while the curry itself was very tasty both of us found a texture of the soy product a little off-putting and it ended up not being our favorite. You win some, you lose some.

Regardless of the last dish though the food here was spectacular.

A great Biryani, yummy Chole Bhature and creamy mango lasis made for a really great lunch.

8/10

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