Friday, January 20, 2012

La Galleria Fine Foods, Edgemont Village, North Vancouver


My work requires that I travel through out the Lower Mainland. It seems I'm constantly on the road and constantly looking for good quick lunch eats, but no crappy fast food please.

I have my favourites. In North Vancouver, Edgemont Village, its La Galleria Fine foods. Looks like its the North Shores favourite as well winner of the North Shore News favourite sandwich shop.

Hey, all these people cant be wrong, there is a constant line-up and stream of lunch goers anytime I've been there.

Why the popularity? Because they care!


The sandwiches are actually a baguette, made to order,  the bread warmed through, crispy but not toasted. The ingredients are high quality and fresh. I always order the prosciutto, sorry its a weakness, it also comes with fresh crisp lettuce lots of mayo and killer in- house roasted red peppers, no soggy red peppers from a can.
Simple is good.
I've said it before I'll say it again. Why do people go to subway?

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Campagnolo Roma. A nice casual simple place. I like it.

I like Refeul, especially their burger.
I like Campagnolo on main.

Now I finally had the opportunity to check out Campagnola Roma on Hastings. The third restaurant in the Refeul/Campagnolo empire.

It seams like decreasing fanciness and increasing casualness as we go down this list.
Roma has a real simple mom and pop feel but with a trendy young edge. The menu is short and simple, a few apps a few pastas and a few pizzas. But then really what more do you need.
I had the diavola - spicy salami, tomato sauce, aged provolone  pizza. The crust was good a bit soggy in the middle but that's ok and the topping was a bit greasy from the sausage (99% sure the salami is made in-house at Refeul - I love when that happens) but then that's totally expected.

I like the pizza I would go back in a heartbeat and really thats all that matters as well.

A really nice casual simple place. I like it.

BTW, this is a great dinning corner of Hastings with Red Wagon right across the street. All this corner needs now is that the Churches Chicken  kitty corner convert itself into a soul food Chicken and Waffles joint and the neighbourhood transformation would be complete.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

La Ghianda. Officially my sandwich shop


La Ghianda is an upscale deli / restaurant on Alma kitty corner to its sister restaurant La Quercia on
4th Ave.


Beef tongue - La Quarcia


La Quercia tops Van Mags best Italian Restaurant List year after year. I just eat there last month but I'm not going to blog about it except to say that it was outstanding. I was there with a group of friends and the chit chat got in the way of serious, yes this place demands serious attention, serious critiquing and serious picture taking. My friend Cristina took one photo of the beef tongue appetizer just because it’s something you don't usually see on menus. It tasted a bit like really fine head cheese. The rest of the dinner was a surprise 7 course meal, served family style.

The surprise was the fact that we actually didn’t order anything; this is chefs’ choice all the way. The table next to us got the same treatment but entirely different food.

This place has its act together.
Our dinner culminated it what was probably the best lamb I've almost ever had.

Ok I said I won't blog about La Quarcia, back to La Ghianda.


La Ghianda is a cross between an Italian deli and restaurant. It has a huge kitchen for a deli and an extended menu. Great looking deli like stuff especially the salumi.  
I'm here for a sandwich. A sub actually, roast beef (perfectly roasted pink middle) on a gorgeous crusty sub style bun. The type of bun that has a thick outer crust dusted with flour that gets all over your face and cloths with every bite but soft chewy airy holiness inside. The holes in the bread suck up the ample amounts of horseradish cream and then this masterpiece is finished with crisp bitter arugula. I embellished my sandwich further by purchasing a bottle of good expensive peppery olive oil and then drizzling every bite so that the green oil filled all the air pockets in the bread. What can I say; I've got issues with olive oil (amongst other things).

Remind me again why people eat at subway? This behemoth at La Ghianda is bigger infinitely better and about a dollar more then a footlong at subway. (if you don’t count the olive oil)
La Ghianda is now officially my sandwich shop whenever I'm in this neck of the woods, unless its a Monday they are not open Mondays WTF they should be open 24/7 as far as I'm concerned.

See you there.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Las Margaritas Restaurant. It's Hammer time!

I haven't been to Los Margeritas in 20 years. I think there was a tequila margs phase I went through when I was younger sometime in my late 20's long before my frontal lobe fully developed. Yes, visiting Las Margeritas was more about the booze then the food.
Walking in now I can't say much has changed it’s like a time capsule to the 80’s.

A couple of friends invited me to lunch, pull up a chair, relax, it’s Hammer time!

Let's call the food Americanized Mexican.
I'm a fan good Mexican food.
I’m a fan of the drinks at Los Margaritas.

Here are a few pics of our meal; they speak for themselves, what you see is what you kinda get.

Ceviche
White fish marinated in fresh lime juice and mixed with tomatoes, white onions, cilantro, green olives and jalapeƱo peppers

Crappy crappy picture, sorry, but then not the greatest civiche either. I’m going to guess the it’s been sitting in a tub in the walk in fridge for some time.

Tejas

A Mexican pizza made with an 8-inch crispy flour/corn tortilla layered with refried beans, edam, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, green peppers, olives, tomatoes and sour cream.

Think 5 layer dip sitting on the nachos

Fajita Burrito
A large flour tortilla filled with onions, green and red peppers, lettuce, cheese, salsa, pico de gallo and sour  cream. Served with Mexican rice and house salad.
Grilled Sirloin Steak, Grilled Chicken Breast or Prawns
With fresh guacamole

Taco
One flour or corn tortilla, your choice of soft or hard shell, filled with ground beef, chicken or roasted beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and taco sauce. Served with refried beans and Mexican rice.

I’ll be back in another 20 years, just for nostalgias sake.