Food For Thought... But Mostly For Eating.

Pre-move, whenever I told people about our new proximity to Broadway and Commercial, one of the first things folks would say is how we're close to all kinds of great restaurants. I swear that I started packing on the pounds just hearing about all the tasty treats awaiting us in our new hometown. And now that we're here, I'm almost ashamed to admit how often Jim n' I have eaten out in the last two weeks... not that we've limited our edible explorations to that one strip. Anyway, while I certainly don't plan on cataloging my meals as a weekly thing, there are a few highlights I wanted to share....

* I LOOOVE Greek food, and across the street from us there is a really great Greek restaurant with some of the best service we've ever had. We got the same server both times and she totally rocked. On Saturday nights they also have two guitarists who play Greek music, and the one guy who plays the bousouki (yes, I had to look it up) is just incredible! His fingers move at lightning speed. Jim n' I left the restaurant imitating his playing, singing a chorus of high-pitched doodley-doodley-doodley-doodley-doodley-dos as we headed home -- much to the curious onlooking of a couple others on the sidewalk (who I didn't see standing there when we left said restaurant singing doodley-doodley-do).

* I've lost count of how many people I've heard gush about the sushi in Vancouver. To be honest, I've always figured that sushi is sushi. I didn't understand what all the fuss was about. But yeah, okay, I get it now.

For one, it's insanely cheap. For a teriyaki lunchbox meal that costs $13 in Kelowna, here it costs under $6. Secondly, it has made me realize that up until now, I've always been eating imposture sushi. Our editor brought Jim to Sun Sushi for lunch one day, saying it was the best in Vancouver. I had to see this for myself, so I got Jim to grab some take-out for dinner on his way home one night, and oh my goodness! Not only are the portions much larger, but the veggie tempura is thicker n' crunchier, and the rice is sweeter. Normally I'll read or watch TV while I eat lunch, but the next day as I inhaled the leftovers, I chose to focus all my attention on every little bite, only listening to the tunes of Ani Difranco as I ate. I swear, if Sun Sushi wasn't all the way across town, I would eat it every day. Although the sushi restaurant in our neighbourhood is pretty good (and cheap) too.

* For a fellow foodie's birthday, she decided to celebrate at the Cascade Room because she's in love with their polenta fries. Several orders were made as soon as everyone sat down, and I don't think there was one person at the table who didn't fall in love with the tasty deep-friend fingers. Served with a curry dip, I think polenta friends are my new most favourite food ever! I've got to find out how to make them, although I doubt I could do the restaurant-style ones justice. So, so, so, so good! Who knew I'd ever rave so hard over polenta, of all things? :P


* On Valentine's Day, as I braved the rain to gather some groceries at one of the nifty nearby organic markets (and some red velvet cupcakes at the cupcake shop!) for the first made-from-scratch home-cooked meal I would prepare in our new lil' kitchen, I stopped to have a quick lunch all by my lonesome at Belgian Fries. Our polenta pal recommended the place, but what also attracted me was the quote on their storefront that said, "The best poutine in B.C." by CBC Montreal. I mean, if CBC Montreal says it's the best poutine, then it must be good, right?! Anyhow, they had ALL kinds of varieties I had never heard of before. So I sat down to a delicious veggie delight poutine and a cranberry lemonade, as I people-watched out the front window. I got the small size and still could only finish half of it, although it would've been pretty easy to force-feed myself the whole thing, stuffing myself silly. Yum, yum!

Okay, I could keep yapping on about food like a lame-o, but I will stop now.

Or wait... I just want to add a couple other quick highlights... 

The spontaneous pitcher of beer Jim n' I enjoyed during an afternoon walk along the seawall - although that was less about the beer and more about the spontaneity and location, as we kept saying to each other in enthusiastic giggles, "This is our city now!". 

Then there was the delicious king prawn tung yam kung (hot n' spicy soup) at Tropika Malaysian/Thai restaurant. I kept the leftovers and made careful note of the ingredients the next day, because I know that I'll never order it again -- it was too damn expensive! I guess when the price isn't on the menu, that's your first clue. 

And while it wasn't as spicy as I had hoped, it gets triple points for it's great name, the That's *$&%*@$ Red Hot omelette I had at Fets Bar n' Grill. I also really liked the chunky way they did their hash browns. Jim had their free-range chicken quesadillas, and said that they were really good. They looked good. 

Crap. I'm totally going to gain a hundred pounds if I keep up all this eating out....  that is if we don't go broke first. 

I've also heard good things about Bon's Off Broadway, a divey-lookin' diner across the street from us that hasn't raised it's prices since the place was opened. Apparently they serve a big breakfast 24 hours a day that costs only $2.95 - coffee included. But we generally eat breakfast at home, so we haven't tried it out yet.

 Actually, I should clarify that we have eaten a number of meals at home, I just haven't been cooking many of them from scratch as I usually like to. I've found it hard to get into a groove when the kitchen is cluttered and we have no counter space - but that is about to end.

It has to!