Quick Eats: Baguette & Co. - Vancouver, BC

When I hear the words "French bakery" and "good deal" used in a sentence together, my ears instantly perk up. While I love my pastries, they are an indulgence rather than a regular occurrence. My coworker mentioned Baguette & Co. was right around the corner from our workplace, and that they had a great lunch special. Impulsive as I am, the very next day I made sure to stop by.

Baguette & Co. is a fairly small space located on Davie St., not far from Burrard, easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for. But a sign outside advertised the lunch special, so I knew I was at the right place. For $10, you get an Americano/tea/pop, a panini/quiche/foccacia, and any dessert. While I didn't see any quiches, the foccacias looked delicious, and the paninis had some gourmet combinations. Although debating between the chicken pesto panini and the chicken brie panini, I settled on the chicken brie (as my love for cheese is well known). The lady at the counter advised me I'd have to wait, which was fine with me as it left me ample time to choose a dessert.

Around ten minutes later, I was sipping my good-sized Americano when my hot panini came to the table. The brie was melted throughout, and the chicken wasn't overly salty though it was a bit dry. These two components alone would have made for quite a rich combination, but dried cranberries added some freshness. Overall, the panini was still quite heavy and I probably wouldn't order it again. (Note: I returned the next day (don't judge), and ordered the chicken pesto sandwich... SO GOOD. SO SO GOOD. And the mini cheesecake I ordered - amazing.)

I had to get my dessert to go as I was stuffed to the brim. There were a variety of choices including various croissants and danishes, but I gravitated towards the cold display case where there sat cheesecakes, raspberry tarts, and chocolate delicacies. I spotted one single mille-feuille (puff pastry layered with custard), and had to have it. I didn't get around to eating my dessert until a few hours later, but was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too sweet and that the pastry layers were light and airy.

If you're in the area, Baguette & Co.'s lunch special is a great option, especially since some of the more expensive desserts cost around $5 alone. Bonus: Staff at St. Paul's Hospital receive 10% off at the Davie St. location, bringing the lunch special to only $9.40 including tax!

Quick Eats: Sweet William's Desserts- Vancouver, BC

I'm always looking for a good dessert place everywhere I go. Most nights I crave for something sweet to help me satisfy my sugar addiction. I've been in Vancouver for a little while now and have been searching for one place near me that I could go to.

I looked on Urbanspoon and found that there was this highly rated sweets shop: Sweet William's Desserts. With a name like that, how could I NOT try this place? Little did I know, I have walked by this store multiple times as I have bought food at the grocery store right beside. Sweet William's is not in a high traffic area as it is located in a food court where few people go.

I decided on one of my last days here that I would try Sweet William's. As I walked by the shop, I noticed that it was unmanned or more accurately, unWOmanned. Within minutes a woman running the Chinese fast food restaurant beside came running over to Sweet William's, straight to the back and started making a cake. I quickly found out that she was the owner of both storefronts and had mistakenly let her employee go for the weekend (since it was a Friday). This was definitely a mistake as  business picked up at the end of the day. I had a lot of time to look around and noticed many dessert bars, squares and cakes in the display cases that were homemade. They all looked pretty delicious, but one thing stuck out to me the most. The cakes looked really interesting to me and I saw a individual serving of a pavlova.

A pavlova is a meringue-based dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside. Now I have never had a pavlova before but the lady who was also buying desserts stated I would not be disappointed. After waiting 15 minutes for her to serve people at both booths, the owner reached me. She was kind enough to give me a discount for my troubles.

As I bit into the pavlova, it had a nice crispy outer shell with a soft egg-white meringue. The meringue was quite sweet but the fruits on top actually cut that sweetness and added a nice fresh flavor. For me, the meringue wasn't amazing, but it was definitely something sweet. I would be open to going back to Sweet William's again to taste their other desserts (cookies, bars, squares, tea biscuits). 

Pavlova

Quick Eats: La Taqueria- Vancouver, BC

 

I've been looking for good restaurants around where I live; places that are near by (ie. walking distance) and are tasty. I turned my attention towards my handy Urbanspoon app on my phone. Now I've realized that Urbanspoon percentages are really a random number because really, it's all based on your personal experience as well as your personalized tastes. But usually I am more inclined to try restaurants that get relatively higher number because of the HOPE that the more people like it, the more I will.

I looked what was nearby and found a good rating for this taco shop: La Taqueria. La Taqueria is a nice little taco shop on Cambie Street.

I've walked by this restaurant a few times during my short time here and it has constantly been busy; today was no different. I stepped into the line up they had almost to the door waiting to place my order. Looking at the menu, I noticed one interesting thing: they only served 2 food items, tacos and quesadillas. There were about 12 different varieties of tacos along with 5-6 different drinks. It's such a rarity that a Mexican taco shop only serves tacos and quesadillas. I guess their thought is if you're going to do something, do it good and do it right.

I decided to get four tacos today: the chorizo taco (special of the day), the asada (grilled flank steak), the de lengua (braised beef tongue) and the al pastor (pork marinated in achiote chilli and pineapples) tacos. My favorite tacos had to be the chorizo and al pastor tacos because they had a ton of flavor and were not dry. My least favorite was the asada taco as the meat was much too dry. I also liked the pickled vegetable condiments you can add to your tacos. They had a nice pickled flavor. But in general, there was nothing too special about these tacos. I don't really understand why it's so busy.

La Taqueria is an interesting place to try if you're in Vancouver. But I do not think that I would try this place more than once. The tacos and service is nice but something I wouldn't make a habit of going often.

http://lataqueria.ca

Quick Eats: Sushi Dragon- Vancouver, BC

It's true what they say about food in Vancouver. It's cheaper to eat out most days than to cook for yourself. Groceries can cost a fortune, while things like sushi can cost only $5-7/meal; the food can also last you multiple meals. I had some pretty good sushi at Sushi Bang (and for a really good price, but more on that later), so I decided to try another sushi place called Sushi Dragon.

I was actually pretty excited for my meal as I do love sushi. Sushi Dragon had a special combo featuring a miso soup, 8 pieces of California rolls and 8 pieces of Dynamite roll.

For those who do not know, a California roll usually consists of crab meat (fake), avocado and cucumber. A pretty bland/standard kind of sushi that usually people who are not as adventurous like to eat. The Dynamite roll consists also of avocado, but has tempura shrimp. They can also have other various vegetables.

Dynamite Roll (top) and Califonia Roll (bottom)

As I said, I was very excited. My excitement quickly turned into disappointment. The sushi was definitely not that tasty. There was a decent amount of sushi for $7.30 (including tax) but I was just not impressed with the quality of the sushi. The sushi had a one note taste, which I got bored of quickly. There was definitely not enough flavors in both rolls. However, I was surprised with the miso soup; it was actually quite tasty.

The service was fast and friendly but I could easily see why the restaurant was mainly empty during prime dinner time. I do not think I will be back to Sushi Dragon to try their other dishes as I'd rather go to Sushi Bang, even though it's slightly more expensive. But for $3, it's well worth it.

Shaolin Noodle House - Vancouver, BC

I've been travelling a lot recently and the beautiful city of Vancouver was my next stop. My brother lived there for about five years and told me about some of the restaurants that he used to frequently visit. I thought some of his choices should be featured on the blog, starting with one of his favorite Chinese restaurants, Shaolin Noodle House. Walking to the place where I'll be staying for the next few weeks, I unexpectedly passed by this old looking restaurant with red lanterns out in front.

Shaolin Noodle House is located on 656 West Broadway and is best known for their sliced or "cutting" noodles, named for the method of making the noodles. Cutting noodles are handmade and handcut rice flour noodles that were originally prepared by using a knife to cut the noodle sheet into slices. These noodles are apparently quite popular in many parts of China and can be either fried or served in broth.

Shaolin Noodle House has the appearance of a usual Chinese restaurant. When I say usual, I mean a slightly dirty kind of feel, lots of wooden tables, and traditional Chinese decor. According to my brother, they've had some instances with the food inspector in the past. Let just say they lived up to a normal Chinese restaurant.

I woke up from my nap and decided at 3 in the afternoon that I would get my first meal of the day. Since I missed breakfast and lunch I was famished so I decided that I would splurge and get two dishes. I chose the cutting noodles with chicken in a vegetable and chicken broth and the pork and bok choy dumplings as my brother suggested these were his favorites.

Cutting noodles with chicken in vegetable broth

The broth noodles came out steaming hot topped with bok choy and huge, thin slices of carrots. The thick noodles were cooked to a perfect al dente quality, which gave a nice chewy texture when biting into them. You could definitely tell that they were homemade as each noodle was different in size, length and shape. The vegetable and chicken broth was very tasty. It had a nice subtle flavor with just the right amount of salt seasoning. However, I was disappointed with the chicken, as it tasted quite bland and did not seem to be the best cut of meat. But all for a price of $7.95! What a great deal.

Pork and bok choy dumplings

The steamed dumplings came out quickly after. You have the choice of steamed or fried dumplings and either pork with chives or pork with bok choy. I decided on the small size of 12 steamed dumplings, rather than the large of 18. These were pretty much your standard dumplings; there wasn't anything very special or unique. The dumplings had meat and vegetables and a nice dough wrapping. I thought I'd be healthy today; maybe I will go back later this week to try their fried dumplings as I've heard good things. But in general, this was also a good deal for $7.95.

Overall, Shaolin Noodle House was a tasty spot. The service was quick and helpful but not too overwhelming. The portions are a good size as I was stuffed to the point of feeling uncomfortable, and the prices were also very reasonable. However, I am unsure if I would go out of my way back here JUST for the food; but if it happened to be on the way, I wouldn't think twice.

http://www.shalinnoodlehouse.com

Rating:

3.5/5 Erics

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria- AB, BC, & ON

I was first introduced to Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria when I went out West to Alberta and have now seen it spread all the way out East, even to Toronto (I saw one at Yorkdale Shopping Centre). Famoso's is a casual restaurant serving Neapolitan pizza originating in Naples, Italy. The Neapolitan pizza served here consists of a thinner type crust, topped with San Marzano tomatoes (apparently considered the best for sauces and pastes), mozzarella made from buffalo or cow's milk and any other traditional or non-traditional toppings you want on your pizza.

Patate Pancetta Pizza: creme fraiche, slivered red onions, roasted potatoes
rosemary, pancetta, and parmesan reggiano.

It is always interesting to see the large brick pizza oven being showed off near the back of the open restaurant, where all the pizzas are formed. The atmosphere when walking in gives off a warm, comfortable feeling, most notably from their painted red walls and clean wood/granite counter tops.

Recently, the menu has expanded to include more antipastis, salads and sandwiches. But when I come to Famoso's, I really come for the pizza. Each pizza is usually designed for 1-2 people to share, as they are about 11 inches in diameter. The choice of pizza toppings are already preset but customers are able to add on for an additional fee. The average price of each pizza ranges from $11.00-$15.00. There are also only two available sauce bases: the rossa (aka. red sauce) primarily composed of tomoates or the bianca (aka. white sauce) mainly made up of garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil . Some of the toppings they have available include: Italian sausage, fennel seeds, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, sopressata, etc. If you are not interested in the more traditional flavors, Famoso's offers what they call "New World Pizzas", which have a more modernized feel. Some of these pizzas include the Spicy Thai and the Sweet Chicken BBQ. If you are looking to class up your pizza, Famoso offers a variety of sparkling, whites and reds to go along with meal.

Funghi Tartufo ($14.75): roasted white and oyster mushrooms
topped with white truffle oil and parmesan reggiano

I am usually a very traditional type of pizza person and my go to pizza at Famoso's has to be the Margherita Pizza (priced at $11.50). The Margherita consists of a tomato based sauce topped with basil, Pecorino Romano cheese and extra virgin olive oil. Simple, yet delicious and for the price, not a bad deal. There is always this clean and fresh tasting flavor to this pizza that shines through. With so few ingredients, the star of the Margherita is the tomato sauce, which has more of a sweet and less acidic taste to it.

Cavoletti Pizza: white sauce, mozzarella, brussel sprouts,
prosciutto crisps, gorgonzola cheese, date, walnuts and
honey

On this occasion, my friends decided to order the the Patate Pancetta and the Cavoletti Pizzas. The Patate Pancetta Pizza is composed of a creme fraiche base topped with slivered red onions, oven roasted slices of potatoes, rosemary, pancetta, and parmesan reggiano. This was probably my least favorite pizza ordered; the rosmary sprinkled on top was too overpowering and the potatoes did not add much to the pizza. The Cavoletti is a white sauce pizza with mozzarella, oven roasted Brussel sprouts, prociutto crisps, gorgonzola cheese, dates, walnuts, and honey. This was a very interesting pizza; in a good way! The prociutto crisps added a nice salty, crunchy texture, while the dates added a nice sweetness along with the honey. I also enjoyed the Brussel sprouts, which added a nice crisp texture and fresh taste. I am usually not a huge fan of Brussel sprouts but these were very tasty.

Having been here so many times, I have tried almost everything on the menu and can say that one of my favorite dishes is not even the pizza. After seeing another table order the fire-roasted tomato bisque soup (priced at only $5.50 and it comes with a piece of bread), I felt I needed to try it. What a great decision! The soup was creamy and luxurious, but clearly still had the strong flavors of tomatoes, basil and feta cheese. The bread on the other hand seemed to be way too salty for my liking.

The desserts are an interesting way to end the meal. After stuffing your face with slices and slices of pizza, Famoso's offers a variety of different types of gelato (from chai latte to mint stracciatella), salted caramel panna cotta, and even tiramisu. Famoso's has even more unique desserts, such as the Nutella Pizza; this is essentially a pizza crust dough filled with Nutella and served whipped cream. For me, it was interesting to try, but definitely had too many carbohydrates for an already carb filled meal. In my opinion, all these desserts are nothing special and I would not come back solely for them. On my last visit, I tried the Dolce&Banana (roasted bananas coated in brown sugar and pecans, served with vanilla bean gelato) and found it way too sweet and a bit soggy.

Capricciosa ($14.75): italian ham and roasted mushrooms with
artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and olive oil

Service at Famoso's is pretty average. They are usually quite busy during the dinner hours and are not always able to quickly refill your glass or take your orders. You do have the option to go up to their cash register and pre-pay for your meal, which sort of defeats the purpose of having servers.

Here are some useful hints/tips when going to Famoso's:

I like to go on Monday- Thursday because of a deal that Famoso's offers: the opportunity to purchase a Cineplex movie ticket for an additional $6.00 with any purchase of a pizza. If you enjoy the Margherita, like myself, there's even a better deal for you. For a total of $16.00 on these days, you get both the pizza and the movie ticket. Also if you are an deal enthusiast, like me, Groupon sometimes has a deal once in a while where Famoso's gives you $40.00 worth of food for ONLY $20.00! (this deal comes once in a while, so you must keep checking!) Combine that with the first tip and you have yourself TWO free movie tickets! (Or 2 free pizza's; however you want to think of it). If you enjoy spicy food, ask the waiter for some hot pepper flakes, they make the meal that much more enjoyable.

For now, whether you are in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver or Toronto, and in the mood for some Neapolitan type pizza, you can choose to try this interesting and tasty pizzeria. However, the prices of the pizza is something left to be desired, as they do not come cheap; especially when comparing it to fast-food chain pizza (I know its not the same, but still!).


http://www.famoso.ca


Rating:

3.5/5 Erics'