The Grotto

The Grotto
101 2nd Ave
Vibank, Saskatchewan
Visit: Nov. 5th, 2011
Meal: Meat Platter

In November I went to Regina to visit my best friend for her 30th birthday. I had heard about this amazing little restaurant in Vibank, about 30 mins drive from Regina, that had the most amazing mexican food. My sister had been there for her birthday and could not say enough good things about it. So I thought, now that I am stuck in Regina surrounded by snow, I may as well eat something good. I had to call ahead an preorder our meal so I of course ordered the meat platter.

We arrived and the father of the couple who owns the restaurant/cafe seated us and made us feel right at home. We ordered a bottle of wine, which was very reasonable. There was not a long wait for the food and we were able to take a look at the many pictures on the wall that showed the history of the building.

In talking to the owners after the meal we found out that the buildng used to be a convent and got a tour of all the lovely rooms that are available for rentals for larger parties.
Now, when the food came out, WOW!!! There was enough food to feed an army! It was a massive platter full of every meat you could imagine. It was all BBQ and there were short ribs, chicken, smoked brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, cornbread, homemade potato salad, pickles, and the kitchen sink (well maybe not the last one). There were 3 of us and we were all in a food coma before we reached the half way mark in that platter. All of it was so good and cook so well! You can really taste the love that Kevin and Ceceila (the owners)put into their food.

If you are anywhere near the Grotto please make the effort to go to the Grotto, you wont regret it. Just remember to call ahead to make a reservation and preorder the best Mexican food you can find in 3 feet of snow.
Map:

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Higher Ground

Coffee Shop: Higher Ground Cafe
Address:2300 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC.
Date: Sept. 5th, 2011
Drink: Small Mocha Frappe

Yet another day on the 99 B-Line and in need of a coffee. The stop this time: Arbitus (or if you're going east, Maple). You have to walk about a block down to 2300 West Broadway to reach this sweet little cafe but it's worth it to forgo to chains of starbucks and blendz. I made it just in the nick of time on this holiday and caught them before closing. I love the vibe of this place, all wood floors, tables and chairs and an interesting chandelier that a customer commented about not wanting to clean (Me either!).
I ordered a small mocha frappe and was served pretty quickly. While I waited, I sat and listened to Jack Johnson, which I have to say, is pretty much the best coffee shop music you can find. Higher Grounds seems like a relaxed place where I could hang out on a sunny afternoon. Which is why I hate to say I wasnt too impressed with the drink, it was a little chalky and watery. Usually I am not one to order a blended drink but on a hot day it seemed like a no-brainer. Although I was not completely blown away by the coffee, I know I will head back and give it another try. Maybe you should too! Half the fun about going to a coffee shop is the atmosphere and I like the relaxed homey feeling here. Nice to find another cute place to stop on the B-Line.


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Dose Espresso Bar

Address:1517 West Broadway
Date: August 27, 2011
Drink: Machiatto Breve


I am always on the hunt for a great coffee shop and while taking the 99 B-Line every day, I pass a lot of little coffee shops. I decided to start to explore the best coffee shops on the B-line route.
The first coffee shop on this new exploration is Dose Espresso Bar at the Granville stop. It is located meere steps from the bus stop and is a tiny little shop filled with light and a tiny but comfy bench seating area. Dose has been open for 10 months and it seems to be doing well with a loyal following. They source their beans from origins coffee on Granville Island. The barista/owner was very friendly and made a mean machiatto. It was creamy and sweet and was not too bitter or burning hot. If you're jonesing for a quick pick-me-up on the b-line in the morning, hop off at granville and grab a dose of caffeine from Dose Espresso Bar.




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Bao Chau Vietnamese Restaurant

Bao Chau Vietnamese Restaurant
2717 East Hastings
Vancouver BC
604-251-6956

Date of Visit: August 6, 2011
Dish: Pho Tai Bo Vien - Rare beef and beef balls noodle Pho
Price: $6.00

After going on a beautiful hike with my friend Mike at Deep Cove in BC, we were both starving. Being a little tired and sweaty we definately didnt want to cook and Mike suggested getting vietnamese soup, which most of you know as Pho. Many of you will be appauled to know that in my 30 years, this was my first time eating Pho. Well, yes it was, and I freakin LOVED it! Not only was the soup delicious but I loved the whole idea that no bowl of Pho is alike. Everyone adds what and how much they like to their own bowl.
I ordered #7 (Pho Tai Bo Vien - Rare beef and beef balls noodle) and Mike ordered #6 (beef ball noodle). I am really happy that I ordered the rare beef, it was perfect and flavoured the already wonderful broth more as it sat in there being delicious. I added some lime, hot oil, and teriyaki(? I think)sauce, bean spouts and thats really all I needed. The broth without anything was really good and I could just drink that straight.
It was a blast trying to use the chopstick and spoon to eat soup. I basically made a huge mess of myself but we had fun. The service was very fast and there was no fuss with anything, we walked in and got our cold tea, ordered and got served in a matter of 15 mins. Not that I have any other Pho to compare to, I thought this was really good and I would suggest you stop by and give it a go. If you didnt like it, you only wasted 6 bucks!! Can't complain about that!


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The Biden's Sweet and Sour Spicy Pecans

I found this recipe again in the September 2010 edition of the Food Network Magazine. It takes no time at all to prepare. The only hard part is having the patience to wait for them to cook!

Ingredients:

1Large Egg White

2 cups unsalted pecan halves

2 cups unsalted roasted cashews

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon groud cumin

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon water in a large bowl until foamy (only takes about 1 minute with a whisk). Add the nuts, sugar, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix well.

Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are mostly dry but still slightly sticky, about 40 mins.

2. Remove the nuts from the oven and stir. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees. Return the nuts to the oven and bake until crisp, about 30 mins. Stir and loosen the nuts from the bakign sheet; cool completely on the sheet.

Creamy Parmesan Pasta Salad

I found this pasta salad dressing in the June 2011 food network magazine. I am in love with it! It's tangy and creamy and it goes so well with whatever you want to throw in the bowl!

Difficulty Level: Simple
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Total time: 30 mins(or more if you chill in the fridge)
serving: 4

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked rontini pasta (or whatever pasta you have on hand)
1 tomato
2 small carrots diced
2 tbsp chopped cheddar cheese
3/4 cup cucumber
1/2 tbsp parsley

dressing:
1/4 cup mayo1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice1/4 tsp grated garlic
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
(I add some chopped dill in the dressing too)

Preparation Steps: Boil pasts until al dente, then drain and cool. Chop tomato, cucumber, cheddar, carrots and put in a large bowl. Add drained cooled pasta to the veggies.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together and add to pasta and veggies. If you can wait, which i never can, cover pasta salad and chill for at least one hour.
Once chilled, chop fresh parsley and put some on top of your salad. ENJOY!!!

Beetroot and Cumin Salad

I am such a huge fan of beets but have never cooked with them. This was my first venture cooking with beets and it was so easy and fun that I will definately do it again.


Difficulty Level: Easy
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 60 mins
Total Time: 80 mins
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
8 medium beetroots
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tsp groud cumin
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 med red onion(if you really like onion just use a whole one)
2 Tbsp chopped flat parsley

Preparation: Cut the stems from the beetroot bulbs, leaving about 3/4 inch attached. Do not trim the roots. Wash well to remove all traces of soil, and boil in salted water for 1 hour(yes 1 hour!), until tender.

Leave out of the water until cool enough to handle.

In a deep bowl, beat the olive oil with the red wine vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper.

Wearing rubber gloves, so the beetroot juice doesn't stain your hands, peel the warm beetroot bulbs and trim the roots. Halve them, cut into slender wedges and palce in the dressing. Halve the onion, cut into thin slices and add it to the beetroot. If you have time, place the sliced onion into cold or ice water so its not so 'oniony'. Yes, I just called onions oniony...
Add in the grated carrot and parsley to the beetroot and toss well. Serve this warm or at room temperature.
Surprisingly, this will not stain your teeth, so you can definately serve this at a dinner party and not send people away to buy teeth bleaching kits.

Mediterranean Mushroom Soup

Difficulty Level: Easy
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 40 mins
Serving: 8







Ingredients:
2 cups mushrooms, cleaned and sliced(I just buy basic button mushrooms)
and
1/2 lb finely chopped fresh boletus mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (I bought small portobellos from the farmers market)
2 ounces butter
2 ounces flour
6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp finely chopped flat parsley
1/4 cup creme fraiche of heavy cream

Preparation steps: in a large saucepan or Dutch Oven, melt the butter on low heat. Then, add the flour and cook stirring continuously, until the flour starts to change colour. Gradually add the chicken stock, a little at a time, continuing to whisk to avoid lumps.

In a seperate frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the button mushrooms(I buy about 3-4 cups worth so you have 2 cups cooked) add salt and pepper and cook for 8 mins. Then put cooked mushrooms with some stock into a blender ( I used a magic bullet) and blend until its almost smooth. Put the blended mushrooms into the stock and mix.

In the same frying pan, add a little more olive oil and the boletus or portobello mushrooms with the onion and garlic. Cook for 6-8 mins. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked mushrooms to the soup base and simmer on low for 10 mins. Add the creme fraiche and simmer for 5 more. taste and modify the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve in warm cups or soup bowl with chopped parsley sprinkled over top.

Floyd's Diner

Floyd's Diner
866 Yates St.
Victoria, BC

I was wandering downtown in Victoria trying to find a breakfast place when I decided to ask someone. I asked for a great breakfast place that wouldnt have a line up. I was directed towards Floyd's Diner in Victoria, and they were spot on!
This diner has a very 'kitchy' feel (which I love). There was no line up, we were seating right away and coffee followed shortly. Our coffee cups were never empty, which makes me an immediate fan. Servers were really friendly, took our order quickly and the food came quickly as well. I ordered the Lumberjack: Two eggs, sausage, bacon, pan-fries and some pancakes:$10.25. The eggs were perfect and the pancakes were wonderful. This is a great place to come for a great diner breakfast with fast and friendly service.

Website:
http://www.floyds-diner.com/home.php



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Dutch Bakery & Coffee Shop

Dutch Bakery & Coffee Shop

718 Fort St.

Victoria, BC

On a weekend trip to Victoria, I stopped in to the Victoria Tourist Centre. After inquiring about where to go during the day, I asked about a good place for breakfast and the employee suggested Dutch Bakery. It was just down the street and we were starving so off we walked. When you first peer into the window, it looks like a small bakery but hidden in the back is a homey diner filled with locals. We were seated quickly and our coffee cups were never empty. Our server was very friendly and took our order promptly. It was nice being in this local diner. There are great pictures on the walls and the history of the place is wonderful. Our food came really quickly and it was exactly what I wanted and expected; basic diner food! Great potatoes, perfect poached eggs, bacon and toast!

As I like to eavesdrop, I overheard many people (almost everyone) saying how they come here every weekend. The locals love this place and we were impressed too, we tried to go back on Sunday but unfortunately it was closed. I would definately go back when I am in Victoria again. The price was right; it was $20.00 for two full breakfasts and two coffee's. It's a nice way to enjoy breakfast and get the goods that the Victorians in the know do!

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