Vancouver Eats Out

Starbucks on Commercial Drive

Published by Coles December 28th, 2007 in Commercial Drive, East Vancouver, Wifi Enabled and Coffee Shops. 1 Comment

Commercial Drive Starbucks The Commercial Drive area is jam packed with some of the most amazing coffee that this city has to offer. Authentic Italian joints like Cafe Roma or Joe’s pepper the street and serve up some rich, thick, crema topped goodness. Places like Prado Cafe, Continental Coffee and JJ Bean have not only great coffee, but also awesome ambiance. Suffice it to say, if you love coffee - Commercial Drive has got your back. That said, like almost all streets in Vancouver, Commercial Drive is home to three very different Starbucks. Despite my sick sort of love for this chain, I’m glad there aren’t more.

Location #1: East 1st at Commercial
1752 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC V5N 4A3
(604) 251-5397

At East 1st, right on Commercial Drive, is the area’s best and biggest ‘Bucks. There are lots of comfy chairs and sofas to loiter on, and the location, a big old heritage house, offers up beautiful views of the street. The staff is friendly, young, and not quite as intimidatingly hip as the other Commerical Drive baristas. This is probably the only Starbucks on the Drive that’s really worth lingering in.

Location #2: Broadway Station
2517 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC V5N 4C1
(604) 875-6065

Commercial and Broadway can be a bit sketchy at times, but the Starbucks across from the skytrain does a great job of keeping the hobos and crackheads at bay. This is a busy commuter Starbucks, and while there are a few great spots to sit and sip, it lacks the lazy coffee shop ambiance that a lot of other Starbucks offer.

Location #3: Safeway - Vancouver #189
1780 E Broadway
Vancouver, BC V5N 1W3

Desperate for a short, non-fat, half sweet peppermint mocha, with sugarfree vanilla and no whip, but pressed for time? As in most Safeways, there is a small Starbucks in the Broadway and Commercial location. They don’t have the biggest selection of baked goods or takeaway items, and have been franchised out, so the service and drinks can be a bit shotty - but the convenience can’t be beat.

http://www.starbucks.com/

Check Out These Related Posts:

Continental Coffee

Yaletown Starbucks

A&W at Broadway & Commercial

Nester’s Market Cafe

Siegel’s Bagels

Published by Coles December 28th, 2007 in Kitsilano, Open Late and Bakeries. 0 Comments

Siegels Bagels Siegel’s Bagels on Cornwall in Kits offers one of Vancouver’s only options for the Montreal style bagel enthusiast. They have a big wood fire burning oven, and serve up the routine poppy / sesame seed selection, along with an assortment of other wild and wonderful treats (rugella, Montreal smoked meat, lox, homemade cream cheese etc). They serve breakfast all day, and have a great selection of full meals. Nothing is cheap, in fact the place is downright pricey, and the service leaves a little something to be desired - but c’mon, you’re there for the bagels!

On Tuesday the bagels are cheap - $6.50 a dozen. Other days they are just over $9 for 12. They also usually have a few bags of day old bagels in the far corner. For just 5 bucks these are ready to pop in your freezer. While they aren’t quite as chewy as when they come fresh from the oven, they are cheap, quick, and still darn good!

Siegels, while no longer open 24 hours, is still open late each night, and opens early in the morning. Be forewarned, weekdays during prime commuting time can be BUSY. Be prepared to wait in line for your schmear.

Try: the rosemary rock salt bagels.

Address:

1883 Cornwall Ave.
Tel: 604 737 8151
Fax: 604 737 2180

(They are also available on Granville Island at 1698 Johnston St.)

http://www.siegelsbagels.com/

Check Out These Related Posts:

Nester’s Market Cafe

Las Margaritas on the Cheap

Published by Coles December 28th, 2007 in Cheap, Kitsilano, Mexican Food, Stellar Patios and Ethnic Food. 0 Comments

Las Margaritas on West 4th is an awesome place for a night of fun food and drinks - but it’s never exactly cheap. Add up a few pitchers of sangria, a round of tequila shots, and a platter or two of chimichangas, and you’ve racked up a hefty bill.

Living across the street, we seem to visit almost once a week, and have become seasoned in the art of ordering cheaply at Las Margaritas.

The Taco Platter is one of Vancouver’s best kept cheap dining secrets. This is no longer on the menu, but ask for it by name. For under $20 you receive a large platter of fixin’s to make enough tacos (soft or hard) to feed two to absolute fullness, or to share with four with a few other appetizers on the table. You can have beef, chicken (or both) along with refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese, rice, and lettuce. Likely there will be enough to take a little home! The experience of making your own tacos is fun, a bit messy, and perfect for the picky eater.

Las Margaritas knows how to do sidedishes! For under $2 you can make your own basic vegetarian burritos. Order a side of either black or refried beans and a stack of 3 or 4 fresh tortillas and you are good to go! Add a little hot sauce or free salsa from the table and you ate for less than a meal at a homeless shelter. Classy! Pretty much anything they have on the menu is available as a side dish. Ask nicely. The price is right.

Keep in mind that they often charge you extra for refills of the chips and salsa, this ain’t no Lonestar. So avoid chowing down on three or four bowls of this before your meal.

Margaritas at Las Margaritas are great, but they aren’t cheap. Why not try a virgin drink? They are made with natural fruit nectars, and taste just as good as their boozy counterparts - for a third of the price.

They also have a few great desserts. While their churros are incredible, few people can down a plate of fried dough after a big meal. If you order their hot chocolate it comes with two sweet fatty churros on the side, and it’s half the price of the dough-only dessert.

Address:

1999 West 4th Avenue (4th and Maple)
Vancouver, BC
604-734-7117

http://www.lasmargaritas.com/

Check Out These Related Posts:

Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant y Cantina

Siegel’s Bagels

Cantina: Taco Time

Denny’s On Burrard

Spud.ca - Organic Grocery Delivery Service

Published by Coles December 28th, 2007 in Free Delivery, Organic, Groceries and Vegetarian. 0 Comments

Spud.ca Recently we signed up for the grocery delivery service Spud.ca. At first we felt a little bit ‘yuppie’ ordering organic groceries online and having them delivered to our door- but we got over that pretty fast and haven’t looked back since.

Spud.ca is a convenient way of getting fresh, local and organic produce (and other groceries) to you weekly. You sign up online, select from their endless selection of products - from home baked chocolate croissants to purple potatoes - and within a week the groceries are delivered to an address of your choosing. I’m at work all day, so I request that they deliver it there. The items are kept cool in a big tupperware tub with ice (or dry ice if need be) and can stay cool for up to 8 hours without refrigeration.

Produce is always fresh, clean and is handled far less than your average grocery store produce. Plus you can feel good knowing that most of their items are organic and as locally grown / produced as possible. Once you place your order they tell you the average distance the food has travelled to get to your door. Nifty! And if that wasn’t enough, they donate leftover food to disadvantaged families.

To make things even more easy, they have a standing order option. Each week we have $35 of fresh produce chosen for us by Spud. We can go online and change / tweak their selection, but they do the bulk of the choosing if you select this option. It’s a great way to try new things. You can also have certain items automatically added to your cart each week. We go through a lot of Que Pasa corn chips and salsa, and have that automatically put in our cart each week. It saves a lot of time, and ensures that you don’t forget the essentials. I’m not sure Jake could survive a week without nachos.

Aside from convenience their selection is pretty good. While we still need the occasional trip to Safeway, we now buy all of our fresh produce, milk, eggs and bread through Spud. Specialty items like pumpkin pie spice or wasabi peas currently aren’t available, but as the company grows I’m sure their selection will as well.

As for prices, Spud is only slightly higher than the grocery store, and delivery is free. For convience, peace of mind, and knowing that I’m supporting an awesome local company, the few extra dollars a month I spend is well worth it.

https://www.spud.ca/

Check Out These Related Posts:

No related posts

IHOP on Kingsway

Published by Coles November 14th, 2007 in Burnaby, Breakfast Haunts and Chain Restaurants. 0 Comments

IHOP whipping cream IHOP is like Denny’s melancholy older brother. Both serve up the same greasy breakfast fare, but IHOP feels just a little bit more depressing somehow. I suppose it’s due to the lack of claw toy machines in the lobby.

Located at 5137 Kingsway, just East of Metrotown, IHOP #0311 in Burnaby is much like any of the other IHOP franchises I’ve visited. It’s the kind of place that I find myself when I can’t think of anywhere more exciting to dine. There is absolutely nothing remarkable about the Kingsway IHOP.

Saddled off a big commercial strip on Kingsway, this IHOP is clean, drab, and has ample parking. The wait staff are pleasant, and save time by dropping off a big thermos of coffee on your table rather than coming back to refill it. You have to hand it to IHOP - they know breakfast. The food comes fast, and the syrup is already on your table (yes, all four varieties of it). When you are ready to pay, just pay at the front counter- don’t bother waiting around for your server to coddle you. On weekends, every ounce of efficiency helps, as this place gets packed.

Menu selections at IHOP are far from exciting. While the kids menu does feature a pancake with a large happy face on it - other items simply leave nothing to the imagination, and dinner and lunch specials such as the “Breast of Chicken” or “Tantalizing T–Bone” are best avoided.

Pancake plates don’t come cheap - most cost upwards of $10 with tax and tip, and portions aren’t exceptional. What your meal lacks in pancake quantity, it certainly makes up for in whipped topping. My plate sported a fine hat of whipped white stuff larger than a baseball. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.

There’s always some sort of good deal going on at IHOP. Usually if you come early enough there’s a $2 special. You’ll also be able to rub elbows with a lively assortment of aged local characters that hit up the ‘HOP early.

Address:
IHOP (International House of Pancakes)
5137 Kingsway (Royal Oak & Kingsway),
Burnaby BC
(604) 451-5557

www.ihop.com

Check Out These Related Posts:

Metrotown Food Court

Kits Coffee Company

Published by Coles November 12th, 2007 in Kitsilano, Wifi Enabled and Coffee Shops. 0 Comments

Kits Coffee Co Cinnamon Buns Kits Coffee Co on West 4th is a big, bright coffee shop in the heart of Kitsilano. More importantly, it is home to some of the best cinnamon buns in the entire city. Grounds for Coffee delivers them warm and gooey each morning and along with a fresh cup of joe, this can be a very dangerous little addiction.

Located at the corner of 4th and Yew, Kits Coffee has more to offer than just cinnamon buns. It sits on a prime location with ample parking, loads of tables and chairs, and a large west facing patio. There is free wifi, though it barely works, and there is always a big stack of local and national newspapers on hand. A good selection of pastries and wraps are available, although most are overpriced and bland. If you want anything heated, be prepared to wait. I’m not sure what sort of ancient device they use to warm up their wraps or sandwiches, but it certainly takes a while.

Though there is nothing especially cozy about Kits Coffee, the floor to ceiling windows provide some of the best people watching in the city, and it’s a great spot to settle in for an hour or so. Count the number of lululemon clad, Starbucks carrying, dog walking couples that pass in the amount of time it takes to devour a cinnamon bun. I often make it into the double digits.

Address:

2198 4th Avenue West
Vancouver, BC
(604) 739-0139

Open at 7am Monday to Saturday, 7:30 on Sundays.

Check Out These Related Posts:

Breakfast at Joe’s Grill in Kits

Yaletown Brewing Company

Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe

Spud.ca - Organic Grocery Delivery Service

Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant y Cantina

Published by Coles November 12th, 2007 in Kitsilano, Mexican Food, Stellar Patios and Ethnic Food. 1 Comment

Margaritas Bar When I’m hungry - I’m hungry, and I don’t like to waste my precious eating time waiting in a long line hoping to get a table. However, there are a few places in the city that are always worth the wait, Las Margaritas on West 4th being one of them.

You can expect to wait at least 20 minutes even on a weekday evening - rain or shine. On a busy Friday, figure you’ll be waiting for about an hour. If you’re lucky, or just plain pushy, you can snag a seat at the bar or in the entrance alcove and chow down on free chips and salsa (only the first basket is free) and some of their signature drinks. Their tequila selection is outstanding, better still are their margaritas. Try the Cadillac with Herradura El Jimador Reposado, lime juice and a bit of Grand Marnier. That hour wait will pass in no time!

Strangely enough, it’s not so much the food nor the service that really make Las Margaritas special or wait worthy. The menu is hit or miss, with some items being outstanding, and others making you wish you’d had the Mexi-fries at Taco Time. And the service is notoriously slow. However, with great authentic music, a dark candlelit vibe, and plenty of loud and lively tables (plus a huge patio), you’ll find yourself coming back again and again.

Best dish not on the menu: Recently the “taco platter” was taken off the menu, but if you ask for it by name they’ll serve it anyway. This dish is a steal at under $20 and will feed two VERY hungry people easily. It’s also a fun appetizer to share along with a big pitcher of their fruit laden sangria.

Tip: Las Margaritas does not take reservations, so if you are coming with a big group send one person along early to put your name down on the list.

Address:

1999 West 4th Avenue (4th and Maple)
Vancouver, BC
604-734-7117

http://www.lasmargaritas.com/

Check Out These Related Posts:

Las Margaritas on the Cheap

Cantina: Taco Time

Death by Chocolate (On Broadway)

The Boathouse Restaurant

Continental Coffee

Published by Coles October 28th, 2007 in Commercial Drive, Wifi Enabled and Coffee Shops. 1 Comment

Continetal Coffee Continental Coffee on Commercial Drive is one of the cities best coffee shops, and a welcome break from the Starbucks and Blenz that dot most corners. Located at the corner of East 2nd and Commercial, Continental is full of locals and has been around since the late ’70s.

Floor to ceiling windows cover two sides of the cafe, and there are lots of tables and comfy chairs to do a little people watching. Bring your laptop and stay a while. They offer free wifi, and there are a few outlets free to power up.

The espresso is thick and rich, and not overly acidic. It almost tastes a bit sweet. Their hot chocolates (ask for extra whipped cream) are amazing, and they have a few sweet treats available to enjoy with your drink or to take away. Try the chocolate covered espresso beans for a back-to-work pick me up! The drinks are priced right, slightly cheaper than Starbucks, and the quality of the beverage is always high. The baristas are talented and never rush.

On sunny days they put out a few plastic chairs, and it seems like the whole neighbourhood comes to gather. Regulars are friendly, and it’s a great place to meet some interesting characters.

Location:
1806 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
(604) 255-0712

Check Out These Related Posts:

Starbucks on Commercial Drive

Kits Coffee Company

O-Cha Tea Bar

Cheesecake Etc.

Breakfast at Joe’s Grill in Kits

Published by Coles June 25th, 2007 in Kitsilano, Diners and Breakfast Haunts. 2 Comments

Joe's Grill We used to end up at Joe’s Grill on 4th out of desperation. The lineup at Sophies was halfway down the block and the servers at Hell’s Kitchen were too surly or stoned to know that it was opening time. Sheer laziness often prevented us from venturing much further and we’d wander on into Joe’s.

The decor is nothing fancy. In fact, there’s no illusion that they even tried. You seat yourself here, but the tables turn quickly. The service is also fast, and you’ll never have to wait too long, even on busy days.

The food at Joe’s is always decent. In fact, everything about this place is routine. If you are hungover on a Saturday morning this is blissful. There are no flashing lights or loud music, and the clientele is definitely less see-and-be-seen than at Sophie’s or at any place along Yew. You’re in good company in your sweatpants, even if they aren’t lululemon.

For $4.95 you can get a good heaping plate of eggs, vinegary hasbrowns, and toast. Breakfasts like the Ranchero (eggs, black beans, salsa, and cheese served in a deep fried tortilla bowl) are slightly cheaper than at Sophies or Hells Kitchen and are just as good. The coffee is decent and plentiful.

If it’s character or feng shui you are after, there are numerous cute breakfast spots in Kits, and they are definitely worth the walk. Joe’s Grill seems inspired by the great restaurants in curling rinks or forgotten strip malls, and I’m fine with that. So long as my toast is buttered and my coffee refilled, I’ll keep coming back to Joe’s.

Address:
2061 W 4th Ave
Vancouver, BC
604-736-6588

Check Out These Related Posts:

Kits Coffee Company

Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe

Siegel’s Bagels

Diner Yaletown (Now Closed)

A&W at Broadway & Commercial

Published by Coles June 25th, 2007 in Avoid At All Costs, Cheap and Chain Restaurants. 0 Comments

A&W Broadway and Commercial I’ve never been a particularly big fan of A&W. Their heartwarming commercials make me want to choke on my own Papa Burger vomit and their chicken burgers always taste somewhat raw. However, those frosted mugs filled to the brim with creamy, icy, rootbeer usually make it worth the risk of ecoli.

There are ample A&Ws in Vancouver. Most are somewhat sketchy. None, however, are quite like the A&W at the corner of Broadway and Commericial. Nestled into the skytrain station, this locale, while always busy, is usually frequented by methheads and hobos. If you haven’t lost your appetite after watching some dude fumble with his crack pipe and eating the remains of someone else’s burger, you’ve probably spent too long there. The stench of urine does nothing to enhance the flavour of your meal.

For a meal that will leave you feeling amply as gassy and gross, grab some 2-4-1 cans of Lays Stax at the Shoppers Drug Mart across the plaza and get down with a 2L of A&W Rootbeer from their fridge. It’ll cost you less and they’ve got the added bonus of an underpaid security guard to keep the crackheads out. Still hungry? Visit any location other than this one.

Address:

1715 E Broadway
The HUB Transit Station
Broadway & Commericial Skytrain
Vancouver, BC

http://www.aw.ca/

Check Out These Related Posts:

Starbucks on Commercial Drive

Continental Coffee

Death by Chocolate (On Broadway)

The Afghan Horseman