Fat Dragon

With a gloriously open summer evening on our hands, we decided to check out something new to both of us and walkable. Enter Fat Dragon. As a reformed vegetarian, I had been hesitant to check this place out, but a quick perusal of their menu online assured me that, barring anyone ordering the half pig's head, I should be fine.

We arrived to see a gorgeous space, which was disappointingly empty. After tasting the food and experiencing the service, we concluded that many people must still be apprehensive about venturing to these parts. There are other relatively new signs of life on this strip of Powell, but this place is certainly a longer term investment. Now, on to the food and drink!

I started with a delicately sweet Junmai Sour, which was so delicious that only my budget stopped me from ordering at least three more. There are several beers available on tap and by bottle, both local and otherwise. M enjoyed his SpeedSpitter from Parallel 49 Brewing Company.

We ordered a selection of dishes to share, and were only disappointed by the crispy cauliflower. Unlike other bloggers, I enjoyed the method of cooking, but the lemon flavour was too dominant, and made it far less delicious than say Najib's Special at Nuba. The lightly smoked tuna was fantastic, as were the complimentary noodles the kitchen sent us (thanks!). We thought we might have to order additional Bao Buns at the end of the meal, but we were suitably stuffed with no room for dessert, savoury or otherwise.

Fat Dragon deserves more of an audience than it seems to have, (at least based on last night), and I hope the hungry masses start coming!

The Pourhouse

Having a friend in town for the weekend is the perfect excuse for dinner out. Ensemble last night was nothing special (my company excluded!), but my first dinner at the Pourhouse on Friday lived up to its promise. I have been there a few times for their expertly made cocktails, and it turns out the food is equally delicious and satisfying.

I tried to order a Blood and Sand, since I had first learned of it there, but apparently they no longer carry one of the ingredients. In its stead, I enjoyed a Pisco Sour, for the first time in a while. (There seemed to be a months long pisco shortage at Vancouver bars earlier this year.) For dinner, I started with perfectly turned out albacore tuna on a bed of butter lettuce and artichoke, followed by grilled cheese on brioche and cream of cauliflower soup. The three of us split the generous apple tart for two while tipsily puzzling over exactly how many fractions of dessert we were each consuming. Try it; it's harder than you think.

The atmosphere is warm, dark and cozy, all especially welcome attributes at this time of year. I have half a mind to go there tomorrow on my day off for lunch!

Guilt & Co.

The scene: Friday night in Gastown for a joint graduation party for two of my boyfriend's pals. We started out at Chill Winston, about which I feel rather blah. It seems a victim of its own success, and has been the favoured hangout for newly minted adults and the bridge and tunnel crowd for some time now. Plus, why would I hang out there, when the Diamond is right across Maple Tree Square, glowing warmly at me from its lovely windows?

We had a quick bite at Vera's (always tasty, and gets the job done, leaving more room in the evening's budget for craft cocktails!), then headed to CW. After a while, it became time to move on, and the plan was to head downstairs to Guilt & Co. What? Double what? Apparently this place has been beneath Chill Winston for more than a year, but it somehow escaped my notice. I guess I must have had my snobby blinders on with regards to that side of the square. One look at the sign promising board games, and I was sold. Oh, I was sold.

The line was short and the cover non-existent (hopefully they can sustain the latter). Many bonus points for the extensive board game menu (Battleship, Connect 4, Catan, and more!), as well as the speakeasy in a cave nature of the decor. The crowd was fun, the bathrooms unisex, the very creative cocktails refreshing and expertly mixed, and the Jenga blocks gigantic. I will certainly be back another night to sample the live music and other performances (never has a venue in Vancouver been more perfectly suited to burlesque!) and the food menu, which includes chunks of cheese. Awesome. The familiar font and wording of the printed ephemera hinted subtly at ownership shared with CW upstairs, but I much prefer what they've done with this place. I hope it can hang on to its relatively chill and secret vibe.

My very favourite nightspot in Vancouver, and beyond

It’s no surprise that a single girl in Vancouver with a mortgage and a costly commute isn’t left with much in the way of disposable income. My disposable income, such as it is, is consistently funneled to two of my best friends (besides A&E): my aging dog and The Diamond.

I try to stay away for stretches here and there, so they don’t get tired of me hanging around, but the place exerts some sort of magnetic pull. Owing to my recent travels, it has indeed been a while, but a shortly upcoming visit is written in stone on my Google calendar!

When I describe the Diamond to friends, I often use the phrase “wonderland of beauty.” Truly everything is beautiful here: the staff, the filament bulbs, the stag's head chandelier, the exposed brick walls, the view of Maple Tree Square from the windows (especially when it snows!), the craft cocktails, and even the exquisite vintage glassware. Happily, it's an old-timey and warm type of beauty that was obviously not conceived in a Toronto boardroom, unlike the contrived corporate esthetic of certain other places. It’s just so easy to lose yourself here, and I’m always eager to show it off to someone who hasn’t yet had the pleasure of an evening at the Diamond.

I’ve never been here for an actual dinner, since the Asian fusion concept is more small plates than anything, and the drinks are so strong that it’s unwise to go on an empty stomach. That being said, what I’ve nibbled on while lingering over cocktails has always been wonderful: olives, nuts, gyoza, subs, and panna cotta. The drink prices run high ($10-12), but we're not talking watered down rum and cokes. The booze forward cocktails are nonetheless so eminently drinkable that it took E making us journalists at our own New Year's Eve pre-party for us to realize just why we often end up unexpectedly blitzed at the Diamond.

A small selection of beer is available, but as I once unwittingly asked someone who turned out to be Mark Brand, "How can you drink something like that in a place like this?" PBR has its charms, I'm sure, but I remain immune to them.

The service is such that I felt like a regular on my very first visit, and by this point, I actually feel among friends. Impeccably dressed, attractive, sociable, and skilled friends who make consistently incredible cocktails from memory, (I'm talking to you, Donnelly Pub Group), and don’t tease me (much) when I’ve had a few too many. What more could a single girl ask for?

Escaping the cold

I've been to Havana several times now, most recently for a lovely dinner on Friday night. I have a very happy memory of mojitos and guacamole with an old friend on their patio during one of those perfect Vancouver summer days last year. This is definitely an experience I hope to repeat this summer.

The other night, we braved a pitcher of the Champagne sangria, which wasn't as boozy as I feared (hoped?), but was nonetheless delicious. Guacamole with corn and the best chips I've had anywhere kicked off our meal. I opted for the tuna tacos, which I've had before. I don't remember the tortillas being so big last time, and they were folded in quarters with the tuna on top, which was sort of awkward to eat. If a die-hard bread lover like me thinks there's a bit too much of the accompanying carb in a dish, it probably means there's room to cut back. The tuna was as perfect as ever. My dining companion's nicely flavoured ropa vieja had a great texture and arrived in an ample portion size. The chocolate cheesecake was a wonderful finish to an all-around great meal. The website says the restaurant is inspired by the "faded glory of Old Havana," and as far as I can tell, they nailed it, atmosphere-wise. It was easy to pretend we were someplace much warmer than drizzly Vancouver, if only for a few glorious hours.