Sunday 27 May 2012

Fable, Kitsilano, Vancouver

From Farm to Table: I was really excited about trying this food establishment! I ran into top chef Trevor Bird at Hells Kitchen last week and he told me he just opened up a new restaurant called Fable. You can check out his story here:
http://www.straight.com/article-634581/vancouver/top-chefs-trevor-bird-open-fable-refuel-restaurant-closing

Love the Decor!


Its located on west 4th in Kitsilano, Vancouver. Upon entering the decor was crisp and clean with an earthy feel. The kitchen was an open concept, which I love. Its always nice to be able to see what is being made. My partner in crime and I sat right at the bar to get in at all the action. We decided to share a few items. Eggs benny or course (Trevor convinced us to try it with smoked salmon, which is smoked in house and I did not regret this decision),  and don't worry the hollandaise sauce is made with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter! French toast with blueberry preserve which was infused with nutmeg and other spices, melt in your mouth delicious! No need for syrup. We also shared a couple of sides: pork belly bacon, which is smoked for three hours in house, served with a side of rich apple jam. Trevor threw in an extra side for us, a rosti which is a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes. Hands down one of the best brunch meals I've had!



From Top Left: French toast, eggs benny, side pork belly bacon, and potato rosti
 It was great to watch Trevor make our food and also to get up to speed on his big dream! After chatting with Trevor I discovered most products he uses are from local farmers, however he does get some of his ingredients from the interior of BC. He also specified he knew how all his products were handled: meaning 100% fresh and organic!
Another fun fact: 60% of bread is currently being made in house however, he plans on making 100% in house once a system is set in place.





The Damage: You did good kid





Scrambled eggs

Trying this next time!

http://fablekitchen.ca/

The Break Down:
1944 West 4th Ave
Vancouver, BC 
No website yet: this place is only a week old!
Price: $10-15 per entree
Patio: No
Parking: Meter and if you're lucky maybe 2h parking
Wait Time: No wait
Weekend Only Brunch 1030am-2pm
Rating: 10, I would go back for sure!



Friday 25 May 2012

Farm, Calgary

I have been known to dart back and forth between Vancouver and Edmonton while making the occasional pit stop in Calgary. Calgary offers the perfect blend of the Vancouver hipsters, with the down to earth Alberta cowboy/country vibe, while having an economy to support the self proclaimed foodie. Enough said. I had the pleasure of meeting up with some friends at Farm, on 17th ave about 3 weeks ago for my usual weekend brunch addiction. I'm not too sure if you have noticed a pattern here but I seem to enjoy the cute, and cozy type of food establishments.

We were seated promptly. We lucked out since a few tables were just leaving as we walked in (there was a line up for the duration of our time there). They served their coffee in little french presses. Always a nice touch. The staff was friendly and dropped waters off at our table right away, which magically never seemed to become empty. I had my favorite breakfast dish, Eggs Benedict, bring on the love handles! All there ingredients are delivered from local farmers. Way to support locals!


 Brunch is only served on weekends from 1030am- 2pm and they take no reservations during brunch so be prepared to wait a little while but its defiantly worth it! Their brunch menu is not online that I could see but don't worry they have many assortments to satisfy all those who enter their doors. As always I have attached the link to their home site so go ahead give it a browse!
Eggs Benny

http://www.farm-restaurant.com/Home/tabid/10407/Default.aspx

The Break Down:
1006 17 Ave SW
Calgary, AB
WEEKEND BRUNCH:10:30 am to 2 pm.
no reservations for brunch, walk-in only.

Price: $12-15 per entree
Parking: 2hr parking everywhere
Wait time: approx 20-45mins
Rating: 8

Cafe Medina, Vancouver

A friend of mine recommended this little cafe a couple of weeks ago. Its small and cozy and has a hussle bussle feel to it. It is located at 556 Beatty St in Vancouver, BC. Brunch is served from 9am-3pm on weekends only, no reservations.

When I entered the quaint shop it was jam packed with people conversing with wild hand expressions. We ended up waiting around an hour for a table. The waiting was done outside because of the limited space.



Lavender Latte
Once seated we were greeted promptly and after our drink orders I was presented with this little delight: a lavender latte. It was rich, creamy and smooth just as any latte should be. I savored every drop!

Onto the food!  I chose the Tagine: 2 poached eggs, spicy tomato stew, merguez sausage, sundried    black olives, and cilantro. Grilled foccaccia.It was warm and hearty, perfect on a coastal Vancouver morning. It was complimented with a side of foccacia bread and a cream cheese type spread. Add on avocado was my choice.
My friend had the La Sante, which is perfect for those who have no idea what to order. The dish gives you a little bit of everything and tickles the taste buds with different flavours: Soft boiled egg, ripe tomato, avocado, prosciutto, extra virgin  olive oil, grilled ciabatta.


Side Avocado and foccacia bread
Tagine



La Sante


 Overall the experience was a delight! The wait was a little long but other than that I have zero complaints. If you get a chance try one of their waffles. They are made fresh in house daily and you can add toppings such as:

Salted Caramel
Dark Chocolate
Milk Chocolate Lavender
White Chocolate Pistachio Rosewater
Fig Orange Marmalade
Raspberry Caramel
Mixed Berry Compote


Yum!








http://www.medinacafe.com/home/





The Break Down:
556 Beatty St
Vancouver, BC
Brunch served from 9 a.m to 3 p.m 
No Reservations
Price: $10-15
Patio: No
Parking: Meter parking, and paid lot next door
Wait time: 45 mins-1.5hr
 Rating: Other than wait time 8
Brunch Menu

Cocoa Numph, Vancouver

I harbor a lot of confusion about this city. I’m not sure I’ll ever really feel at home in it enough to run parallel with it, unquestionably. Yet it is always full of surprises. The other day I stumbled upon this little hidden gem with one of my girlfriends. Located in Point Grey in Kitsalano, Vancouver. We were thrilled to have a warm cup of cocoa to ease the pain on yet another coastal rainy day. Who needs breakfast when you can have something made of chocolate?


They had assortments of different chocolates, spices, and of course pieces of fluffy sugar, aka marshmallows. I was in heaven! My poison of choice was the dark and spicy, substitute with almond milk, complimented with caramel salted marshmallows!




Dark and Spicy

 I left the chocolate shop with a warm belly and a smile on my face.

http://www.cocoanymph.com/ 

The Break Down:
Price: $2-5
Monday-Sat:11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sun: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
3739 W. 10th Ave (at Alma)
Vancouver, BC, 
Wait time: zero
Parking: meter parking, some street
Fun: they have art showings here and there
Rating: 9