the review: Today, Rohaan and I checked out Meat and Bread.  I had only visited this place once before for a very good friend’s wedding, but today was my first time eating lunch there.

Upon arriving to Gastown during the lunch hour rush, the lineup looked a little daunting.  But we soon noticed how quickly and efficiently it was moving.  The guys behind the counter worked feverously in an assembly line fashion to get you through the line up and eating your meat and bread as quickly as possible.  What’s cool is that everyday they do a different menu as posted on their website, ~ four sandwiches (mainly meat) and two soups.  This website enables you to check ahead during the week, and plan your visit accordingly.

Rohann indulged in two sandwiches- both the pork and the beef, while I opted for the grilled cheese.  The presentation of our sandwiches was on really nice cedar planks that we eagerly carried to our table to devower.

Rohann raved about both of his sandwiches saying that neither could be improved upon.  I also LOVED my grilled cheese.  I’m not sure of all the cheeses involved, but this sandwich was definitely over the top.

Meat and Bread, while busy, offers a really hip atmosphere, delicious back-to-the-basics sandwiches, and an amazing staff.

the rating: Meat and Bread scored a 4.5 on ambiance, a 3.5 on menu, a 4 on pricing, a 4 on service, a 4 on presentation, and a 4.5 on taste generating an overall score of 4 stars.

the quote of the day: The Ferrari of grilled cheeses”- Lynnfield

the website: http://meatandbread.ca

sandwich prep

the ambiance

pork and beef

grilled cheese

the review: Due to a Wednesday closure, we quickly pivoted on our planned Au Petite Café visit to another delicious Vietnamese place on Main Street. Geo, Dave, Brett, Claudia and I hit up Pho Tan located at Main and 30^th.  We were also celebrating a big day for Geo as this was his first time trying Vietnamese food!

Pho Tan’s is a cute little mom and pop shop that boasts cheep and tasty Vietnamese food.  The ambiance is friendly, the service is efficient, and the menu features a wide variety of favorites.  I ordered a delicious barbequed chicken bún (grilled meat and spring roll on vermicelli noodles and salad) and an iced Vietnamese coffee (a must) all for under $15 with tax and tip. The bun, which happens to be my favorite food, was awesome and didn’t disappoint. Claudia, Brett, and Dave all indulged in variations of pho and all raved about it’s delicious flavor and rich broth.

***When visiting Pho Tan be sure to hit the ATM first as it is cash only.

the rating: Pho Tan scored a 3 on ambiance, a 3.5 on menu, a 4.5 on pricing, a 3 on service, a 3 on presentation, and a 4.5 on taste generating an overall score of 3 ½ stars.

the quote of the day: “the glamorous wedding photo hanging in the back made me want to get married to the noodles!!!”- Dave

“the best sweats”- Brett

“redunkulously good!  Oh pho sho!”- Claudia

“first time having authentic Vietnamese food.  I can say that the bun was fun!”- Geo

the website: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181404/restaurant/Riley-Park-Little-Mountain/Pho-Tan-Vietnamese-Restaurant-Vancouver

Brett

Dave

rolls

Geo and I

the review: Today a big group of us checked out Red Wagon, my favorite, kitschy, breakfast spot in town.  Made famous for their pulled pork pancakes, and their appearance on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, Red Wagon boasts a huge local following in Vancouver.

Because there was a such a big group of us (10) we waited outside for a bit and the guys indulged in appetizers from Churchs Chicken across the street.  Disappointingly, Mark found a huge hair in his chicken kebab… yuck!

Once seated inside Red Wagon, I enjoyed the Trucker breakfast which offers pretty much everything you could want to eat for $11.75 and includes: two eggs, two pancakes, two bacon or sausage, two toast, and hash.  Their eggs are cooked perfectly, their hash is delicious, and their pancakes are better than homemade!  Plus they make their own jam… who doesn’t love that???  All seven of today’s male judges, left FULL and loved their food.  They specifically raved about the pulled pork, drinking beer alongside brunch, and the Jack Daniels maple syrup.

Due to its popularity, when visiting Red Wagon, be sure to expect a wait.  It is rare when there isn’t a line up here, but the good news is they often serve homemade donuts, coffee, or cider while you wait to sweeten the deal!

the rating: Red Wagon scored a 4 on ambiance, a 4.5 on menu, a 4.5 on pricing, a 5 on service, a 4.5 on presentation, and a 5 on taste generating an overall score of 4 ½ out of 5 stars.

the quote of the day: “I want to vomit delicious goodness”- Mark

the website:  http://www.redwagoncafe.com

the pre-game

interior

brunch at the bar

trucker breakfast

the boys

happy customers

the spread

the red wagon

Fraser keeping up on business news

the review: Today Katrina, Jon, Britta, and myself headed over to Pizza Farina, a new Napoletana pizza spot that has popped up on Main Street near Chinatown.  Walking into Pizza Farina, you instantly fall in love with the décor, ambiance, and delicious pizza aroma coming from the kitchen.  The place is small and so is the menu with only eight choices ranging from $9-$16.

I enjoyed a Margarita pizza at $12, while others indulged in their famous Finoccchiona pizza.  My margarita was SOOOO delicious and definitely rivaled my usual go-to Nicili Antiqua but at a better price!  The sauce, cheese, and basil were so fresh and the crust was crisp.

Only drawbacks to this great new find is that seating is on a first come-first serve basis, so it may be difficult to find a spot to park yourself while you indulge in pizza heaven.  When checking this place out, be sure not to leave it too late as they are only open until their dough runs out.

the rating:  We rated Pizza Farina a 4 on ambiance, a 4.5 on menu, a 4.5 on pricing, a 3.5 on service, a 4 on presentation, and a 4.5 on taste giving them an overall score of 4 stars out of 5.

the quote of the day: “Cool little Pizza Shop”- Jon

 the website: http://www.pizzeriafarina.com

the exterior

the menu

the fixings

‘

Jon w pizza

Jon, Britta, and I

the review: Today Trung, Anne, and myself checked out Hokkaido Santouka Ramen.  One of Urbanspoon’s Talk of the Town.  I assumed that this was the little ramen spot on Denman that always hosts a constant lineup, but to my surprise, it is actually located on Robson Street around the corner.

We each ordered a variation of their pork based ramen and shared their “best in the city” gyoza. While the ramen was hot and tasty and the noodles were fresh and delicious, we all felt that the menu lacked choice.  None of us are huge pork fans and were left high and dry as all of their ramens are pork based.  We would have enjoyed having another option such as veggie or miso to choose from.  We additionally wished that more came with the ramen, as add-ons such as boiled eggs are extra $$$, and could quickly kill our $15 budget.  While the gyoza were tasty, we all concluded that they didn’t live up to their bold claim.  Highlights for Hokkaido Santouka Ramen were it’s cozy and inviting ambiance, the great service, and the fresh noodles.  Anne especially loved their green cream soda.

the rating: Hokkaido Ramen scored a 4 on ambiance, a 2.5 on menu, a 2.5 on pricing, a 3 on service, a 3 on presentation, and a 3 on taste giving them an overall score of 3 stars out of  5.

the quote of the day: Gyoza, best in the city???- Trung

 the website:  http://www.santouka.co.jp/en/

exterior

excited for ramen

ramen

serving up some dumplings

claim to fame

green cream soda

So here’s the rating system.  Restaurants will be judged out of 5 on ambience, menu, pricing, service, presentation, and taste. These grades will then be averaged for an overall grade out of 5 stars.

Hi Friends,

For my creativity project, i have decided to write a food blog for the month of November.  My goal is to check out 15 spots over 15 days, each for under 15 dollars, with the aim of eating great in Vancouver on a budget.

Here’s where the fun comes in.  I want to make this experience super interactive, so i would like to invite all of you to join me on my culinary adventure as guest judges. Here is my itinerary for the month:

tues nov 5: hokkaido ramen 5-6pm

thurs nov 7:  pizza farina 6-7pm

sat nov 9: red wagon 10-11 am

sun nov 10: harvest community kitchen 12-1pm

tues nov 12 au petite café.  5-6pm

thurs nov 14:meat and bread 1-2pm

sat nov 16: toshi’s 5-6pm

sun nov 17: cartem’s donuts 10-11am

tues nov 19.  vij’s railway express.  1-2pm

thursday nov 21: bao bei 6-7pm

sat nov 23: bob likes thai food 6-7 pm

sun nov 24: beaucoup bakery 10-11am

tues nov 26: la taqueria tbc exams

thursday nov 28 : burgoo tbc exams

saturday nov 30: butter 11-12pm

Send me a message to let me know what restaurant you would like to join me at or if you have any suggestions :).

Looking forward to chowing w ya,

Lynnfield