Gather has wonderful hospitality and an interesting tapas menu. The concept was Korean/Italian, although the only thing we had that was representative was Korean tacos, which were delicious.
We also had a lovely assortment of beef and scallop tartares.
A lot of money went into this beautiful facility a couple of miles south of Kelowna. We had a late lunch at the restaurant, which is dramatically positioned overlooking the valley. It was very popular with the “in” crowd. We were definitely outnumbered by YSL purses. I’d like to say that the food was good, but it wasn’t. The “Crispy Mushrooms” were particularly ghastly: a mushy mushroom with mushy batter around it, topped with flavorless lentils, and on top of a good horseradish sauce that couldn’t fix it.
With lunch we had glasses of the chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and cabernet franc. The wine was okay, but nothing we would purchase. Despite the receipt saying “estate” most of these grapes were brought in from elsewhere because of the freeze damage. The sauvignon blanc came all the way from New Zealand. They’re definitely trying to deal with a cold climate here, which tends to favor austere whites, not really our style.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/home-block-at-cedarcreek-estate-winery-kelowna-2
Charming Italian restaurant just off of Denman and Robson. Despite the bustling neighborhood, the outdoor dining is surprisingly serene, nestled in a quiet residential respite from the traffic.
We went for Saturday brunch and ate outside. The “Toast” we chose was sautéed mushroom, and it was delicious, and plenty for two to share. We also had the day’s frittata, which was filled with an assortment of fresh vegetables and came with a tasty side salad.
The wine list offers mainly Italian wines, with about 1/3 of them by the glass.
Service was friendly and the atmosphere is great.
This is a lovely A&W location, spotless and well-managed. The interior is fairly new and quite pleasant. The staff at the counter were very friendly, and it was easy to order. Such a novelty to actually speak to a human and get good customer service in a fast food restaurant!
The food was all prepared to order, so it took a few minutes while we sat at a table with our drinks.
And speaking of service, they even brought our trays to our table. It’s been a while since that happened at a fast food place.
We had the Teen Burgers, and they are just what I am looking for in a burger: reasonable size patty, cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, onion slice, tomato, pickles, and good sauces. I upgraded the fries on my combo to onion rings for just two dollars, and they were delicious, nicely breaded and delicately crispy.
We definitely will be back.
I love this funky, historic bistro with lots of small spaces and a very interesting menu. The specialty here is rotisserie chicken, and it’s definitely worth trying. It’s right up there with the Michelin-starred Benoit in New York City.
The baby back ribs are also good, especially if you like North Carolina style mustard BBQ sauce.
The star of our meal was a special: chicken fried oyster mushrooms. These were delicately fried and served with a delicious mushroom dipping sauce.
The other standout was the cole slaw that accompanied the ribs. I wouldn’t have said coleslaw needed kale, but it was terrific—not too rich or sweet, and nice and crispy carrots and cabbage.
The wine list and cocktails are very well thought out. The BC wines by the glass were excellent, and someone really likes bitter aperitifs like Amari. I certainly do!
Our server was also the bartender, and they were terrific.
I really enjoy the diverse menu at Joey. There’s something for everyone. There’s another Joey just a few blocks down Burrard. I like the ambience of that one slightly more, but otherwise they are very similar. Service at both is excellent. Appreciate the complementary sparkling wine at check in.
This time we had the Gyoza and the Hummus as starters. Both were good. I’d definitely have the hummus again. It was served with tzatziki, olives, currants, and lots of crispy fried pita.
The Farmer’s Salad was wonderful. A great mix of fruit, lettuce, veggies, and champagne vinaigrette.
The Chili chicken was okay. I loved the crisp wontons, but the chicken could have been a lot spicier.
Nice wine list, especially by the bottle.
Same excellent service and management as Black and Blue, next door.
We came at lunch time on Sunday, when it is also happy hour. What a great deal! Wines by the glass for $5, and great small plates.
The sushi assortment was perfectly prepared, with a nice mixture of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi.
The salmon flatbread was also notable, made with mascarpone instead of the usual feta or ricotta. Perfectly crisped crust.
We’ll definitely be back. Happy hour on weekdays starts early, at 2pm, and there is also a lobster dinner Sunday evenings.
What a great meal we had here! The vibe is great, the servers are enthusiastic, and the food is terrific. It’s a nice combination of healthy choices, pub food, and interesting cocktails.
We started with the nachos, which were the best I’ve had in Vancouver. Be aware that a half order is plenty for four people as a starter.
The superfood salad looked delicious, but I’m not sure the grilled bun was a superfood, however it was super tasty!
The Baja fish tacos were also good. Lots of filling, and nicely crisped fish.
The Korean chicken bowl was probably my favorite—sweet spicy sauce on crunchy fried chicken bites.
I wish they’d had places like this to eat on campus when I was in college!
The renowned Din Tai Fung is now in Vancouver, and boy is it good! I’ve had soup dumplings many times, and never gotten all that excited about them, but Din Tai Fung has completely changed my mind.
The menu is about more than just dumplings, although you would be crazy to go here and not have an order of Xiao Long Bao as one of your items. We chose the Crab and Pork version. It was the perfect balance of both proteins, and the perfect amount of soup inside.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. We started with the cucumber salad, seasoned with a surprisingly complex blend of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil. Definitely a great starter.
The only dish I might not order again was the vegetable and mushroom fried rice, which was good, but not as complex as everything else. However we later dumped the leftover sauce from the next dish on it, and it was amazing.
Perhaps my favorite dish was the Shrimp and Pork Spicy Wontons. Again a perfect balance of proteins, and the spicy sauce was so rich and complex I could happily eat it with a spoon.
This place has only been open a week as of this writing, and it is already humming like a well-oiled machine. There are at least fifty people working here, and the place is packed. We were lucky, showed up at 11:30 am, and got the last pair of seats at the counter.
The counter, by the way, is a really good place to sit. Great service, great acoustics, and a pretty bar to look at.
Needless to say: Highly recommended!
This is a pleasant location on the water overlooking the marina. On a nice day it’s particularly fun to set on the narrow balcony and watch the float planes land, but the views from inside are great, too.
The menu is diverse. We enjoyed everything we had,
We started with the shishito peppers, which were perfectly blistered and served with an excellent glaze. The sourdough baguette was also good, crisped in the oven with a light coating of olive oil and herbs.
The signature salad is a great spring mix with lots of berries, walnuts, and feta. My companion really enjoyed her tuna poke, which was served atop wonderfully crisped rice cakes.
Service was friendly and efficient.