Sipping and Supping

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse in Laguna Hills
24032 El Toro Rd.,
Laguna Hills, CA
Ph: 749 -

When you are heading out for an early supper with an infant and a pre-schooler, the key feature you look for is not eclectic  contemporary cuisine but a family-friendly  environment and a children's menu.  Fortunately there seems to be no shortage of such style eateries in the several neighbouring communities of Orange County where my family lives.

One such chain is BJ's, that presently has about 95 restaurants scattered throughout the West, South and Mid-Western states. They began with a pizzeria in Santa Ana in 1978, began handcrafting beers in Brea in 1996 and are about to open several new restaurants to add to the present list.

BJ's Restaurant in Laguna Hills has a special importance to us, dating from the birth of number 1 son (number 2 child). As mom and new babe enjoyed quality time, dad, older sister, grand-ma, uncle and aunt all went for supper at the restaurant, which is about a five minute walk from the hospital.  Although this was a year ago, big sister aged all of 5 years, remembers how fun it was having dinner with all of us that evening and was excited to go back.

So this time with mom and infant but no aunt and uncle,we headed out to BJ's for supper. Armed with snack packs of cheerios and bits of cheese to keep grasping baby fingers occupied, we got there early around 5 pm and already there were people waiting for a table. Our wait was short- about 5 minutes and we were seated in a comfortable booth with baby in a high chair.

La Terrazza
1088 Cambie Street
Vancouver
Ph: (604)-899-4449

When I first moved into the Yaletown area four years ago, La Terrazza was literally a two minute walk from my rented apartment and I enjoyed several meals there. But I had not been back for more than a year, since I moved to my new home a few blocks further away. Each time I drove up Cambie on my way to dance class, I would make a mental note that it was time to check out La Terrazza again - but my mental notes seemed to get misfiled!

Then one rainy Vancouver night I had tickets for a performance at GM Place and it occurred to me that this would be the perfect time for a pre-show dinner at La Terrazza. From there it would be a quick walk to The Garage.

We arrived a bit early but were promptly seated at a comfortably sized table for two. The ambience was as warm and welcoming as I remembered with tables spaced far enough apart that conversation can be at a comfortable level.

While we studied the menu I sipped a glass of  2007 Stoneleigh Riesling from the Marlborough area of New Zealand. With a light citrus taste it had a nice balance of sweetness and acidity.

Shanghai River Restaurant
#110-7831 Westminster Highway,
Richmond, BC
Ph: (604) 233-8885

With its large diverse Chinese community, Vancouver celebrates Chinese New Year in style. This year a group of us, 12 in all, took the Canada Line out to Richmond, for a Chinese New Year banquet at the Shanghai River Restaurant. Arranged by Susan, whose petite frame belies her formidable social organizational skills, the evening promised to be a veritable feast and it was.

As we were led to our table which seated 12 quite comfortably, we passed by the pastry area where the dumplings and noodles are freshly made. We sipped on our hot tea while Susan and Nick decided what needed to be added to the standard  banquet menu for 10 people. The rest of us debated whether to order beer or wine. Five of us settled on a bottle of Mission Hill white wine of unknown varietal. The menu did not specify. We guessed it was a Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris but we got so involved with the various dishes that we forgot to ask them to bring back the bottle so we could check. The others ordered beers.

We were first served a cold platter with tofu, jellyfish, smoked white fish, chicken and bamboo shoots.

Next came a speciality of the house, dumplings filled with meat and broth, that were quite delicious. I also liked the pan fried tiger prawns but found the assorted seafood dish (scallops, squid and fish) very bland.

Maenam Thai Restaurant
1938 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver.
Ph: (604) 730-5579

The last time I visited this location  at its previous incarnation as Gastropod I enjoyed an excellent meal. Since chef Angus An renamed  it Maenam and changed the focus to Thai specialities  in May last year, I have not had an opportunity to revisit. But heading off to the Jericho Arts Centre to see The Vic, we decided to test our taste buds against some spicy Thai dishes.

We were seated at a nicely private table adjacent to the bar area, and Janice, our efficient server promptly brought water and took our wine order.  I could not resist a glass of Wild Goose Autumn Gold - an exquisite blend of Gewurtztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Blanc that I enjoyed (and brought home several bottles) during my "Taste of the South Okanagan" visit to the Wild Goose Winery in the Fall, 2008.  My companion ordered a Chilean Pinot Noir which seemed to go down equally smoothly.

The Wine Bar at The Cultch
1895 Venables Street, Vancouver
 

Tucked away on the corner of Venables Street and Victorian Drive, a block east of  buzzing Commercial Drive, the creaky old Vancouver East Cultural Theatre had a quaint charm for theatre lovers despite its uncomfortable seats and awkwardly located washrooms.  Originally an old abandoned church that was developed into a theatre space some thirty-seven years ago, the facility suffered from structural and technical limitations and uncomfortable working conditions for casts and crews and has now been extensively renovated.

I had seen several shows in the new and smaller VanCity Culture Lab which opened towards the end of 2008 but until now had not seen the refurbished main Historic Theatre. After picking up our tickets for Best Before we decided to await the start of the show in the Wine bar - what a pleasant surprise.  It is a delightful spot with comfortable bar stools placed around about 10 raised bar tables.

Enigma Restaurant
4397 W. 10th Avenue
Vancouver.
Ph: (604) 222-6881

Being  South African by birth, I was naturally intrigued when Enigma was suggested as a before-theatre dinner spot. The proprietors are from South Africa and my  dinner companion suggested that the menu featured  several dishes of  African origin.  We were on our way to see Ivanov at the Jericho Arts Centre so the location of Enigma at 10th and Trimble, just up the hill from the Centre,  was perfect.

As well as  "foodie" I am very much a "wordie" so naturally I wondered about the name. Enigma is an unusual name for a restaurant. But  the Buchmans explain - "how could such delicious food possibly be so affordable?"  Hmmm.... That's setting my expectations high.

The menu was appealing with lots of my favorite appetizers, and the prices did seem reasonable. Unlike the restaurant  Braai which I reviewed in New York last year, this menu was more eclectic than ethnic South African. But I noted that the menu featured curries and that a special for the day was braised lamb shoulder. This got my dinner companion raving about the Moroccan lamb dish he had eaten here on  previous visits. Although it was not on the menu our obliging server said she would check with the kitchen. She soon returned with a message from the chef that he would be glad to make the Moroccan lamb if we wanted it. 

Chambar Restaurant
562 Beatty Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2L3, Canada
 Ph: 604- 879-7119
 

East Fusion Food
1021 International Village
88 Pender Street, vancouver.
Ph: 604-568-6988

The Boathouse Restaurant
900 Quayside
New Westminster
Ph: (604) 525-3474

On an icy cold day, when the wind whipped against my skin till it burned red as if scalded, a friend and I rode the Skytrain out to New Westminster Quay. We had spent the morning riding the new Canada Line to the Airport and back to the Waterfront Station. Our plan was to enjoy a pleasant lunch and explore the Quay area.

Alas we had not realized that large parts of the Quay were closed for redevelopment and remodeling, and we found to our dismay that most of the restaurants were closed . We inquired, without success, of a couple of passers by who lived in the area whether any restaurants were open.  Finally by trial and error, driven by a desperate need to warm up, we found ourselves at The Boathouse, one of a local chain of restaurants.  And hooray, it was open for lunch.

We were shown to a table by the window, and were soon warmed up by the heat radiating out from the fireplace. I thought "so what if its the middle of the day - I am not at work"  and decided to order a glass of BC Gewurtztraminer. 

Cru Restaurant
1459 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6H 1H6
Ph: 604-677-4111

Prior to heading off to the Stanley Theatre to see Mrs. Dexter & her Daily my theatre buddy and I opted to have dinner at Cru. Surprisingly I have not been there before although it is really convenient for pre-show dining if you are going to the Stanley Theatre. And even though it is a slightly longer walk, it is also quite convenient if you are going to the Pacific Theatre at 12th and Hemlock.

We were seated in a comfortable booth and given the prix fixe menu. At 42 dollars for 3 courses I thought it was a little pricey, until I tasted the food. I started with the Cellar Door Caesar salad which is absolutely the best Caesar salad I have ever had. The dressing covered with a generous amount of asiago cheese is layered over grilled Romaine lettuce and the croutons are soaked in garlic butter. I shudder to think of the calorie count but it was absolutely sinfully delicious.