DINE FINE - BLACK & BLUE - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

Black & Blue is probably the most hyped restaurant of the past year. I have heard numerous terrible reviews, so I put off trying this restaurant (even as a foodie). But I picked this restaurant for Valentine's Day. At least I can try the restaurant for myself to comment.

And thus, my thoughts are as follws: this restaurant looked promising, but may not have been worth the price I paid. 

***Post transferred from my previous blog: ca-moment.blogspot.com***

^ I loveeee this light! B&B is so photogenic...!

AMBIANCE | I asked to be seated up stairs, and I admit, the decor is amazing. The booze display, the meat display the glassy classy ela ela-vator, it looked great. The music was loud, it felt very modern. I love the decor, I wish my future house looked something like this, but the music made the restaurant very casual. The boom boom music, I suppose is part of the neon light display - may not be fine dining, but definately eye-candy.

The thing that bothered me the most were the little carts around the restaurant. Black & Blue has this unique service of "bar carts" and "salad carts" that are brought to tables, "performing" a cocktail and a tossing salad. I cannot understand why this is necessary. For my own preference, I prefer red wine with my meat, so naturally the cocktails didn't appeal to me. But it appealed to the table next to me.  The separation between my table and my neighbour was a about meter-width aisle away. The cocktail cart took up 70% of the hallway, along with the elaborate bar tender.Servers and guests would have trouble passing by the narrow space and would brush up against, and occasionally bump my table. Sometimes there would be another cart trying to get by and it was ruckus of "behind you! Getting by! Watch out!" next to my table. I finally asked the server to please move the cart as it was seriously disrupting me. 

FOOD|  I very naturally did not enjoy the food as much as I would've like to. I had so many peeves about the environment, critiques were naturally in my mind.

French Onion Soup is my favourite food, I always order it. My mom scolds me for ordering an overpriced soup all the time, but I do it anyways. It was good, I really enjoyed it. The Tuna Scream wasn't anything fancy, but I love tuna, so naturally I liked it too. Also why was there no bread to start off with?

I wasn't confident with their Wagyu and the sirloins, tenderloins etc.. didnt appeal to me either. Prime rib is usually as safe bet. I decided to shared a 10oz prime rib. With experience from The Keg, I know never to order any steaks over 6oz, anything larger is far to big. This 10oz steak was huge! It was a perfect size for the both of us and left us very full.
Unfortunately, the dish was at room temperature. I was moving the plates around so we could share, my sharing plate was cold and the serving plate and steak was warm at best. I read this comment many many times on Urbanspoon, and I agree with the critics, "heated plates would be a better option".
The meat was tender and juicy, the gravy a tad salty, overall alright. Also, the side veggies were uninspiring - 2 leaves of Chinese Choy-sum and a small carrot. Any extras, $10 please.
I have to throw in a critique however, the presentation really really lacked. Even in the photos I have attached, the placement, the dish, just didn't feel very fine dining. For me, I would've preferred a larger plate with more intricate sides for a $30-$40 dish.

I praise the Lemon Tarte. The tarte itself was amazing, presentation still lacked, but overall the taste was very good. I left on a relatively happy note.

Overall, Black & Blue left me feeling like I went to a larger, slightly more decorate Milestones or Cactus Club. 

 I felt the atmosphere was incredibly casual for a high priced restaurant. 
At this price point, my expectations are high, and there are many many strong competitors, Black & Blue is not anywhere near the top of the list. 

1032 Alberni Street
604-637-0777

DINE FINE - CIAO BELLA - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

I have the "judge a book by its cover" syndrome. Ciao Bella bit me in the butt but surprising me and making me eat my words.

Ciao Bella is very simple on the outside. A small wooden door, red, white and green canopy, for me it was a  restaurant that I passed by numerous times but never had the urge and curiosity to enter. A good friend of mine suggested going there for dinner one night, and little did I know I was in for a treat. 

AMBIANCE | Inside the restaurant is amazing. It is very small with a large mirror on the left giving an illusion of twice the size, very smart designer. Nonetheless, the ambiance can be described as one word - romantic. I honestly couldn't come up with a less cliche word, but trust me. The piano in the corner, the leaves around the windows, the dim light, the draping blinds, red table cloths it was all contributed to a positive aura of romance - cozy and warm.

FOOD | Of the Italian Restaurants I have been to, most seem to be the generic sauce, meat and pasta of choice, fool proof checklist. This time, instead of a traditional pasta, I decided to order 3 appetizers, lynching off bites of my friend's pasta. By tasting completely different dishes, I was able to satisfy my taste buds and better comment on this restaurant's performance - and I have all the great words to speak.

We ordered (Party of 4)

Melanzane All Parmigiana - Baked Eggplant, Tomato basil Sauce with Mozzarella and parmesan Cheeses

Lumache Alla Provinciale - Escargot baked with garlic lemon butter topped with parmesan cheese

Zuppa Di Arogosta - Lobster Tomato Bisque with a hint of Sambuca

Boscaiola - Spicy Italian Sausage, sweet peas & mushroom tomato basil

Tiramisu

4 course meal featuring Agnello Ciao Bella - Grilled Lambchops

4 course meal featuring Fagioli Nuro Linguini - Diced chicken breast linguini pasta

The 4 course menu for $29.95 amazed me. For many restaurants, $29.95 only serves you one dish of pasta, let alone Ciao Bella's quality surpasses many high end Italian restaurants. Portions are also very large, remember to bring tupperware for leftovers. 

The Escargots were my favourite of the night, I see myself coming back for this over and over again. My heart is lost at Le Crocodile, but these are a great alternative for a fraction of the price.

703 Denman Street

604-688-5771

DINE FINE - NOOK - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

I try not to compare restaurants. Each restaurant should possess its own style and character as I am sure no chef would like to be compared to another based solely on nothing more than my own personal preference and taste bud mood swings. 

PART I - NOOK VS. ITALIAN KITCHEN

That said, because I found many similarities in the types of dishes Nook and Italian Kitchen (of Glowbal Group) had to offer, I decided to do two posts, as best as I can, to describe similar things of the two restaurants. I hope my comments offer you some help.

AMBIANCE | Nook is very cozy. It is, at best, one-third the size of Italian Kitchen. Nook unfortunately, does not take reservations. As they are so petite inside, there is almost always a lineup. They write your name on a chalkboard close to the door and you wait outside. If you are taking someone on a first date here.... well, its a hit or miss. You can chat while you wait, gambling whether or not the weather is cold haha. Nook is dimly lit, and there are only two waitresses. I can't say the service is at its best, but certainly good for the few hands they have. But the overall mood of Nook is very authentic and simple. The stone oven is visible, and the staff is friendly, I prefer it over Italian Kitchen's modern and cookie-cutter decor - the standard mirrors with hints of black and white - seems sort of distant to me, but then again, its my preference. 

We ordered - Party of 4
Daily special Antipasto (its always the same one with prosciutto)
Pizza Prosciutto - Arugula and roasted garlic

Daily special pizza - Pesto 
Tiramisu
Panna Cotta Dessert

FOOD |Antipasto - the best in Vancouver. Lot of prosciutto, lots of cheese, fine tuned with hints of pepper and olive oil ontop of a crispy warm toast. I cannot leave Nook without eating this dish. It is a Godsent. If you enjoy Italian and enjoy prosciutto, this dish must be ordered. I prefer Nook over Italian Kitchen.

Pizza Prosciutto - I always order the antipasto and this pizza. I have been here many times, we almost always order the same thing. This pizza, is completely and utterly covered in prosciutto. Hints of garlic really bring out the flavor of the salted ham. The use of prosciutto from the antipasto and this pizza may be the same, but the flavour is brought out different. In the antipasto, the prosciutto was sweet and light, casted with olive oil and pepper. The garlic in the pizza really brought out another side to this ham. I prefer Nook over Italian Kitchen.

Pizza Pesto - I have not been a fan of pesto since the last time I had it a year ago at a random restaurant that spoiled the sauce with too much salt. Nook's pesto however, is a perfect blend with the pizza. The flavour between the Pizza Prosciutto and Pizza Pesto are so different they work as a great compliment to each other. I place the Proscuitto pizza before the Pesto, but if you are here with a large party, I recommend both.

Tiramisu - One of the most authentic tiramisu's I have ever tried. The cake is cut to expose the perfect layers of Lady Fingers, and soaked in the right amount of alcohol. Again, this dessert must also be ordered.

Panna Cotta - Not bad. The taste is light and fresh. Not as filling as the Tiramisu - which technically makes it the better choice for dessert.

781 Denman Street, Vancouver
(604)-581-4554

DINE FINE - ITALIAN KITCHEN - DOWNTOWN VANCOVER

 I try not to compare restaurants. Each restaurant should possess its own style and character as I am sure no chef would like to be compared to another based solely on nothing more than my own personal preference and taste bud mood swings. 

PART II - ITALIAN KITCHEN VS. NOOK

That said, because I found many similarities in the types of dishes Nook and Italian Kitchen (of Glowbal Group) had to offer, I decided to do two posts, as best as I can, to describe similar things of the two restaurants. I hope my comments offer you some help.

AMBIANCE | I mentioned in Nook's posting that I thought Italian Kitchen's decor was too "cookie cutter". Well, for me, it feels like another Milestones, or another modern, savvy black and white restaurants with a cool chandelier inviting you in. Italian Kitchen makes you feel like you are in the city, while Nook creates a "little shop in Italy" feel. Both are very different, incomparable. However, despite Nook only having two waitresses, and despite their heavy workload, Italian Kitchen's service is absolutely terrible. The waitress who was serving me consistently made me wait. Wait for my water, wait for a side of tabasco that I needed to ask several times. I can give her the benefit of the doubt it was busy there for a sunday lunch. But when I asked her for the credit card machine. She gave me an impatient look, and came back 10 minutes later, still with an impatient look on her face. Worst of all, she did not say thank you, nor smile. Merely typed in the bill, handed the machine over to me, ripped the receipt off and left. Rather highly suggestive of me to not come again. 

We ordered - Party of 2 

Pizza - Prosciutto de Parma - arugula, tomato sauce, buratta

Truffled Spaghetti Wagyu Meatballs - truffle cream, herbed ricotta

Red Wine (I can'r remember what we ordered)
Mimosa

FOOD | PROSCIUTTO PIZZA - The pizza was mediocre compared to Nooks. Italian Kitchen's pizza was cold (probably due to the waiting...) and the pizza was far too wet at the bottom. The flavour was decent, but I could not get past how soggy the pizza was. Given that Italian Kitchen does not have the authentic stone oven Nook has, I thought the quality of the pizza was rather poor. I prefer Nook over Italian Kitchen.

SPAGHETTI - This was the bomb. This was amazing. I have a love for ricotta cheese. At home, I add heaps of it into my spaghetti. Together with herbs and cream and a luxurious wagyu meatball, this spaghetti was delightful. I had Nook's pasta sometime around last year, and it wasn't anything memorable, hence I always stick to pizzas at Nook. But Italian Kitchen's spaghetti is delicious. However, I have to critque that Italian Kitchen's spaghetti may be delicious, but it does no taste like authentic Italian. It tastes very universal, and well, Glowbal group is a chained restaurant. I prefer Italian Kitchen over Nook.

Hence as I round up the scores.....

I prefer Nook's Antipasto and Pizza.

I prefer Italian Kitchen's Pasta.

But because of Italian Kitchen's busy and unfavorable service, I probably will choose Nook.

1037 Alberni Street
(604)-687-2858

DINE FINE - DARK TABLE - KITSILANO VANCOUVER

When I saw Dark Table show up on my Inside Vancouver app on Facebook, I was excited beyond reach. I had heard about Noir a gaziliion times when I was in Toronto and Montreal but I never had the time to experience it. I am so glad Vancouver now has this uniques restaurant of its own.

This restaurant has an amazing and meaningful concept behind it, I am very excited to share my experience with you all.

The restaurant opened on Thursday, I was luckily able to a reservation on some of the last tables for Sunday. I am proud to say I am one of the first people to experience this! That said, I think excitement set me up for very high expectations, for I was very slightly... disappointed.

BACKGROUND | "Already a hit in major cities like London, Paris, New York, L.A. and Montreal, blind dining is finally coming to Vancouver, offering a unique opportunity to experience dining in a whole new way—in the dark. An evening at Dark table will take you on a culinary journey through uncharted territory, where the familiar—food, drink and friends—becomes a wonder to be explored and discovered, as if for the first time." 

- http://darktable.ca/about.html

TIPS & GUIDE | 

~ Dress warm but in layers. You wait outside, and fall weather is rather chilly. But the restaurant itself I believe, has low outside ventilation (windows and doors). I found it a touch stuffy, or maybe I was just nervous.

~ Do not wear anything super expensive. My friend's blob of butter fell off the container and she found it later on the edge of the table, one can only image what would happen if it fell onto clothes.

~ Do not wear any high heel shoes or flip flops. It is rather had to navigate, do not be burdened down with the hassle of platforms and stilettos. Secondly, one customer knocked a glass on the floor, they did not turn on the lights to clean it... benefit of the doubt, they had someone with night vision goggles come in to fix it. Still, feet shuffling is advised over taking large steps.

~ Do not bring large bags, or put it under your chair. I brought a smaller bag that fit between me and the chair, but large bags on the floor is a hazard to those walking around the restaurant. Also, I am paranoid for theft, keep things close to you and you won't be worried.

~ Do not bring children who cannot sit still for an hour and a half. The servers are you to pass the plates around and well, obvious hazards. 

~ Wash your hands BEFORE dinner. The salad is quite hands-on as I try to figure out what I am picking up with my fork.

~ There is a dim light in the washroom. The server will lead you there and come back in a few minutes. I went to the washroom just to experience walking in the dark again...

OUTSIDE | We were greeted outside the door (you wait outside, so dress warm) and handed menus to pick either 2 courses (entree plus appetizer/ dessert) or all 3 courses. Both the appetizers and desserts are "surprise" items - this got me very excited. The entree has quite a wide variety, but the peppercorn steak stole my heart. Then the hostess asked if we would like a drink and pointed to the second page.

Here was the first problem. Water was $3.00. Ummm what? A glass of water is $3.00?!! If I do not order a drink, will I have nothing to drink? Pop/Perrier were $3.50, assorted Virgin cocktails were $4.50-5.00. So... I thought,  since water was $3.00, I might as well order a Perrier. (By the way, there is no alcohol, I suppose either for licensing reasons or security reasons, probably both). It was not until 45 minutes into our dinner were we offered "water", free of charge. So, maybe I did not have to order a Perrier for $3.50, I could have just asked for tap water. In hindsight, I should have asked the hostess what "Water $3.00" meant. Perhaps "Distilled water $3.00" may have been better diction? Still, $3.00 for one glass of water was rather pricey. But yes, there is tap water for free!

INSIDE | If you all haven't already guessed, yes it was a very "dark table". The entire restaurant is black.We were kindly led by Amy, in my opinion one of the best servers I have ever encountered. I was slightly insecure when we were in the dark. I was first in line and had place my hand on Amy shoulders as we choo-choo-trained to our table. I was so terrified at first I felt myself squeezing her shoulders till she made fun of me and until we introduced ourselves. Amy had a great personality, we chatted about how opening day was, and even how she knew her way around (She was trained for many months).
The one downside were two particular spots of light. There were doors at the back of the restaurant, lighted by the sun, showing two odd rectangles of light. Secondly, the entrance. Everytime someone came into the restaurant, the doors would open and you could see a good half of the restaurant in light. Its actually quite an easy fix. I guess I'm just picky.

FOOD| Dark Table is not fine dining, so do not expect fine dining quality. The salad and steak are very average, very generic. The cutlery and presentation is also very average. (I may not be able to see, but I can certainly feel the weight of cutlery and glasses and the way the food is positioned).  The food is pre-cut, which... well I think would have had more of an interesting experience cutting, even though I'd probably make a huge mess. Next time however, I may choose to skip out on the dessert, it was far too sweet.

Come for the experience and enjoy figuring out the ingredients.

Have fun! Have fun stealing your friend's fork or bread as a good laugh! Keep it clean and do not be afraid to use your hands!  I agree that a restaurant with such a simply concept is quite hard to organize and administer. But the servers are absolutely amazing, their personality, their sense of humor, they are such a delight. 

Enjoy every minute of the experience, the dinner goes by very quickly.

Good luck and Have Fun!

2611 W4th Ave
Vancouver, BC
V6K 3V9
604-739-3275