Cimona Cafe

Restaurant: Cimona Cafe

Cuisine: American/Breakfast/Brunch/Cafe
Last visited: January 2, 2010
Area: Richmond, BC (Steveston Village)
#210 – 3791 Bayview Street
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2
Service: 3

Ambiance: 2

Overall: 2

Additional comments:

• Since 1999
• Popular to locals
• Owned by Mediterranean family
• Homestyle/Casual/low maintenance food
• Café/Catering
• Typical American/West Coast diner food
• Extensive menu
• Family diner style
• Old-fashioned
• Focus on catering
• Breakfast until 2:30pm
• Daily breakfast specials until 3pm
• Daily dinner specials
• Do not go by prices on their website, they’ve increased a bit
• Breakfast is café price, very inexpensvie lunch and dinner
• Outdoor patio available
• Mon-Sat 8am-9pm
• Sunday 8am-8pm

**Recommendation: Smoked salmon wrap

I’m not going to lie; it looks nicer from the outside. The inside is very causal, dated and I felt like it’s where a fisherman would go for a ‘fancy’ meal in the old days…

It’s very family diner style with small wooden chairs and tables. It definitely feels community supported and familiar with locals in the neighbouhood. I’m assuming there are regulars that have been coming here for years that order a morning coffee with the same food every Sunday morning.

The menu is pretty big and I assume they do a lot of casual catering. They serve the typical salads, wraps, soups, sandwiches, pastas and meat and potato entrees. They’re quite popular for breakfast and the prices are pretty cheap. Breakfast is Denny’s pricing, but a little more “gourmet” with bigger portions. I haven’t tried their lunch and dinner, but they are about $1 LESS than Denny’s with their lunches at about $7 and dinner at around $10-12.

The food was very mediocre and they claim to focus on healthy, however I don’t know if it’s “healthy” as it is just fresh and made upon order. The food wasn’t greasy or anything, but it also wasn’t that good or very impressive.

On the table:

Seafood Benedict 1.5/6

• Wild salmon, baby shrimp, served on a crisp English muffin, topped with hollandaise sauce served with hash browns $9.99
• This was their daily special served until 3pm. Having brunch in Steveston Village I almost feel like it would be taboo not to order seafood.
• Ok this wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I would much rather have smoked salmon eggs benedict. It was loaded with wild salmon and baby shrimp, but the wild salmon was fully cooked flaked wild salmon. It was overcooked and almost dry.
• It was a very fishy tasting eggs benedict and I wasn’t a fan of this canned salmon taste…I don’t know if it was in fact canned, but from colour to presentation to flavour the seafood benedict just didn’t work for me.
• The hollandaise sauce was really bland and almost flavorless. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was from a package. It was a very pale yellow and not very creamy or rich at all.
• The poached egg was pretty good though. They didn’t ask how cooked we wanted it and I forgot to put in a request but they served in medium. I prefer mine soft so that when I cut into the yolk it will be runny and creates its own sauce. Then I dip my hash browns, toast and everything else in it! Yum!...but that didn’t happen here. I can’t ding them if the request was never made though.
• The description says “crisp English muffin,” but mine was not crisp. It was actually very soggy and I questioned if it was toasted at all.

Hash browns 3/6

• So the menu says “health conscious,” but I’m not so sure because their hash browns were deep fried. The hash browns were those potato nuggets and they taste like frozen McCain fries in nugget form. I mean they’re pretty tasty with some dried herbs on them.

Western Omelette 2.5/6

• Red onion, green pepper & black forest ham. Served with hash browns and toast. $7.49
• Option: Substitute free range eggs for $1.50 Substitute egg whites for $1.00
• The omelette is their popular breakfast item. I can’t help to think maybe a little bit has to do with the portion size. It’s quite big.
• They do make it a bit differently too though. It’s almost a layered omelette pie rather than a fluffy omelette. Each layer has ingredients and each layer is kind of stacked so it’s a dense and thick omelette.
• The omelette was a bit overcooked and dry for me, but there were lots of ingredients and for being overcooked it actually didn’t taste bad. I don’t think they put any salt and pepper in it, but there were so many ingredients and there was lots of ham which made it salty enough.
• The red onions were roughly chopped and almost raw though. They were really crunchy and they needed to cook those for longer before adding the eggs.

Smoked Salmon Wrap 4/6

• Eggs, red onion, smoked salmon, and cheddar cheese. Served with hash browns. $8.99
• Ok so they really need to work on their plating. I mean even adding a simple fruit garnish would have made the plate look more appetizing or even just full. They almost just spread the hash browns around to take up more room on the plate.
• The wrap itself was good though, it was my favourite thing we ordered. It was really big, and nicely stuffed and very fresh. It more like a breakfast burrito than a wrap to me. It was quite hearty with lots of ingredients.
• The eggs are scrambled and not overcooked this time and they give you a lot. It almost made 1/2 of the wrap. I don’t think they season the eggs with any salt, and it didn’t need it. The ratio of the other ingredients gave it enough flavour.
• The smoked salmon got a little bit cooked with the heat of the eggs, but that’s bound to happen. They gave at least 2 layers of this as well. I really liked how the salmon was spread out in the wrap and not only in one section of it. It was on both sides of the wrap so they gave you quite a bit. It was put together really well.
• The cheddar cheese isn’t overwhelming either. They didn’t use too much, but it was more or less a nice thin and even layer that is fully melted to hold the wrap together. They used just enough so that it wasn’t greasy and it actually tasted like a hearty and relatively healthy breakfast. It’s also on a whole wheat wrap. It’s very simple with no additional sauces or anything fancy, but I liked it!

The Wallflower Modern Diner

Crab Cake Dinner

Restaurant: The Wallflower Modern Diner

Cuisine: American/Contemporary
Last visited: October 16, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Main Street)
2420 Main Street
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3

Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• Family owned and operated
• Attracts 30-40's
• Contemporary diner
• Old fashioned homestyle comfort food/cooking
  
• Diner items, some w/modern twist
• Go for the simple classics, the more "gourmet" items are not as good
  
• Previous cook at Boathouse Restaurant
  
• Casual dining
• Breakfast until 4pm
• Lunch and dinner
• Friday and Saturday brunch
  
• Closed Sunday

** Recommendation: Burgers, Meatloaf Wellington (but I didn't get to try it, should be really good based on their burger patties), I didn't try it but the wraps looked huge

I've been meaning to try this restaurant every time I'm in the area, but always opt for The Foundation in the end. At last, I finally made it to the door! I was reading their menu and specials board but what convinced me was the owner of the shop next door telling me that the food was really good - and that's all folks!

It's not a truck stop diner and not pretentious either. It's one of those trendy diner places located on Main offering homestyle classics with a slight twist. The lighting is a bit dark and the decor is artistic so it's quite a loungey atmosphere during the evening. Nothing professional or gourmet, but there's effort an it's affordable. Almost everything is made in house which is great, but it's also not so amazing that I'm dying to go back. I would go back to try more things though, so I can get a better idea of what they offer.

On the table:

• Wallflower Burger 4/6
• Eggplant spread, tomato, cucumber, pickles, lettuce, raw red onion, and melted Havarti
• This is a piled high burger with fresh ingredients and a thick patty!
• The secret is definitely in the patty - and they tell you this right on the menu: "The Wallflower patty is our secret recipe with beef, pork and seasoning." This patty is pretty delicious I must say. You can definitely tell it's fresh and homemade. The patty was flavourful with the combination of meats and they worked it just enough so that it was still tender. The first bit was really juicy and delicious, but as it got cold it started to taste dry and not as great...which is somewhat expected.
• The cucumber was as great addition to this burger and the melted Havarti was great. The pickle was a little distracting and I don't think they need it even though I like pickles. With more eggplant spread and no pickle the burger is heading a better direction.
  

  

• My complaint is that there's not enough eggplant spread. I'm pretty sure the eggplant spread is the same one they serve as their "eggplant dip" on their appetizer menu. It looks almost like hummus, but doesn't taste like it. The eggplant is very pureed with maybe yogurt? There's lots of garlic powder and maybe some cumin. I could barely taste the spread in the burger though - I could only taste the garlic powder from it.
• Crab Cake Dinner 1.5/6
  
• Crab, curry, onion, apple and peach served with veggies and salad.
  
• Perfect example of stick to what you know! This is one of their attempts at "gourmet" items. The waitress recommended it, but it was not good...barely ok.
• First there was hardly any crab (well at $12 I can't be getting much anyways). The crab cakes had so much filler like breadcrumbs and very little crab. The inside was mushy and the the exterior definitely tasted like cardboard. It was over battered and had a thick Panko crust. They didn't seem to know how to use Panko properly because it was patted and glued on and not crispy at all. It was distracting and tasted and looked like cardboard with a mushy middle. The texture was like cardboard too. They also used some cumin, but overall it could have been saltier. It came with curry mayo for dipping, but it didn't help.
• The apple and peach is actually served on top. I thought it was going to be in the crab cakes. The peaches were canned but the apples were fresh. I know they were going for presentation but they should have chopped it up and made it into a salsa. Poor execution.
  
• The veggies it came with were good though. I think they sauteed them with olive oil.
  
• Caesar Salad
  
• It was a normal Caesar Salad! The guy that recommended the place said it was really good - but it was really normal. Lightly dressed and I think it was shredded Asiago cheese instead of Parmesan, but I could be mistaken.
  

Claire's on the Park Restaurant

In-house smoked bbq pulled beef brisket

Restaurant: Claire's On the Park
Cuisine: American
Last visited: October 9, 09

Area: Estes Park, Colorado
225 Park Lane, Estes Park
Price Range: $10-20 USD

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 2
Additional comments:

• Since 1980
• Casual family style diner
• Beautiful view from deck
• Extensive menu
• Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Smokes their own meat
• Homestyle American classics
• Offers everything from meatloaf, bbq, steak and seafood
  

**Recommendation: BBQ Beef Brisket, BBQ Pork Sandwich, "Smokin Al's Specials"

The main reason we chose Claire's is because of the name. I was with my cousin whose name is also "Claire" so it was more for fun. It looked like a quaint little diner and we happened to find parking right in front of it so it was out of convenience too. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but it's Mom and Pop style gave me hope that we were trying a local gem. The food was a little more than expected for a diner. I did appreciate the fact that the meats were smoked in house though, however that's as far as effort goes. The recipes and selection are all really simple and the execution of each dish is a no brainer. I do give props to the in house smoked meats and bbq sauce though, but the quality of ingredients for everything else was very average or even a tad below.

On the table:

• Crab Cakes 4/6 just for the crab cakes, not for the sauce
  
• Homemade crab cakes served with "roasted red pepper sauce"

• I was really surprised with this dish. I really like crab cakes so I didn't hesitate too much on ordering them mainly because it said "homemade". I thought they'd be 50% shrimp, but they weren't. There was lots of crab in them which I'm glad because it was $10.50USD which is on the expensive side. They were nice and flaky and fried until golden brown and crispy.
• On the other hand the "roasted red pepper sauce" tasted like red pepper relish mixed with 80% regular relish. It was pretty gross and did not suit the crab cakes at all. I think it ruined them actually. I would rather eat these plain, but plain they were a little dry on their own.
• Fried Gnocchi 1/6
  
• Deep fried potato dumplings deep fried and served with marinara sauce.

• This was really disappointing. I was excited for them too!
  
• The potato dumplings were definitely the packaged shelf ones. Cook and serve gnocchi. It taste like deep fried balls of plain dough - not even potato. I would have preferred fries...at least those have seasoning and flavour.
  
• The marinara sauce was straight from a jar...a crappy watery brand too.
  
• This was a 5 min. grocery store meal and it tasted that way too.
• **BBQ Beef Brisket 3.5/6
• Mesquite smoked pulled beef brisket served on Ciabatta bread with homemade bbq sauce.
• Claire's definitely prides itself on smoking their own meats and now I know why. I was quite impressed with their recipe and cooking method. The brisket was quite tender and it had this hickory smoked flavour that was nice. It was on the dry side though and the meat didn't look like it was tender enough to be easily shred. But on the whole it was still very good for the restaurant's standards.
• 
  
• A nice drizzle of bbq sauce was the perfect touch, however I didn't want to add to much because I didn't want to overpower the natural flavour of the smoked meat.
  
• The bbq sauce was nice and thick, probably heavy on the molasses. It was served warm and it has a nice kick at the end. The kick wasn't really spicy, but kind of tangy, I'm pretty sure they put Worcestershire sauce in it. This homemade bbq sauce was the perfect match for their smoked meat.
• This sandwich was piled with lots of meat and it came with a side of lettuce and tomatoes to complete the sandwich fixings. I didn't even eat it with any veggies because the meat was really good on its own.
• I would have preferred it on a softer bread rather than the ciabatta. Since it was pulled meat I think it would have tasted better on a bread that wasn't as chewy.
• **BBQ Pulled Pork 3/6
  
• This was the same as the bbq pulled brisket except with pulled pork. The flavours were the same, except I found the brisket to be a little more flavourful. Probably because beef has a stronger and richer flavour than pork.
• We got both sandwiches with sweet potato fries and these were good too.
• Brie Sandwich 2/6
  
• Melted brie, arugula, and strawberry jam on a steak roll.

• This was a sweet and savoury sandwich served warm.
  
• The quality and portion of ingredients should have been much better. They could have given more brie especially since they call it a Brie sandwich. The sandwich was assembled together quite roughly, so it had more potential.
• The strawberry jam had a few actual strawberries in it, but not that many. It's really smooth - a poor brand that was syrup based rather than real fruit based.
  
• I would have preferred this one on a toasted ciabatta bun rather than a steak roll since the ingredients are a bit more gourmet.
• We ordered this one with potato salad, which was very mediocre. I don't even really remember it.
  

Nice Cafe

Spinach & Feta Omelette with hash browns and toast


Restaurant: Nice Cafe
Cuisine: Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch/Diner

Last visited: August 30, 09

Area: Vancouver, BC

154 East 8th Ave

Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2

Service: 2

Ambiance: 1

Overall: 2

Additional comments:

• Focus on breakfast/brunch items - lunch available
  
• Attracts locals/regulars/hipsters
• Whole menu under $10 - really cheap breakfast
• Go back because it's cheap, not because it's good
  
• Line-ups/crowded
• Very casual
• No fuss, simple breakfast
• Fresh hash browns grated in house, homemade jam
• Overcooked pancakes & eggs
• Most of it was overcooked
  
• Chocolate milk is powdered chocolate milk
  

**Recommendation: I guess the hash browns, because they're fresh not frozen. They also do a good job soft poaching eggs (upon request).

I would come back to Nice Cafe because it was cheap, but not really because the food was good. I wasn't expecting gourmet food, but I was expecting a bit more because it's always busy. It's a standard breakfast you would expect to get at any small diner breakfast joint. It's the non-chain version of any other breakfast chain...if that makes sense? It's crowded and busy and you can tell it's frequently visited by locals that live nearby. For a foodie - this place is a no-go, but if you're not picky about your breakfast and just want something cheap and filling then come here. I would rather pay a couple bucks more for something better...breakfast is relatively cheap anyways.

On the table:

• Traditional Sausage & Egg Breakfast 1.5/6
• 2 eggs, 2 sausages, hash browns, 2 slices of toast
• Eggs a bit overcooked for my liking, too rubbery
  
• Sausages - the breakfast sausages you buy in a package from Superstore
• Hash browns - the best part for me, fresh not frozen - shredded in house, and you can tell because sometimes you'll come across a chunk of potato (the chunk is actually the end piece of the potato that is too small to grate)
• Traditional Ham & Egg Breakfast 1.5/6
• 2 eggs, ham, hash browns, 2 slices of toast
• Again eggs are overcooked. You can tell by the picture they're overcooked.
  
• Ham is standard. Hash browns were the best part.
• Pancakes 1/6
  
• 3 pancakes for around $4.95
• They taste better at McDonald's. If you want rubber tires for breakfast you should order these. They were so tough and I had to saw through them with my knife. They're tasteless and really flat. Need to eat it with a lot of syrup and butter. Overcooked and not fluffy at all. Don't order these - so horrible. they should have been free.

  

• Alberni Benny 3/6
  
• Smoked salmon benny served with hash browns.
• For this type of restaurant, this was a good attempt - not that they really tried to make it extra good or anything. It was one of the better things we ordered. The hollandaise sauce is from a powder and it's really runny and watery in texture. What made up for it was the poached eggs. We requested them to be cooked soft and they did a great job in ensuring this. They were quite perfect, the knife sliced into them perfectly - probably the only thing they didn't overcook.
• Spinach & Feta Omelette 1.5/6
  
• The spinach they use isn't even baby spinach...AND they included the stems. You should always use baby spinach and never include the stems when you're using it in an omelette. I felt like I was eating a lot of plain spinach that was blanched in hot water with an egg wrapped around it. More spinach than it is an omelette.
• The Feta was a shredded Feta and it was the only thing giving this omelette flavour - hint of saltiness. They call all their omelettes "fluffy" omelettes, but they aren't as you can tell. You can tell by the picture that they overcooked our omelette, just like they did with our pancakes and scrambled eggs too. Even by overcooking our omelette they still didn't manage to melt the Feta cheese...I could have made a better one at home.

Grizzly Manor Cafe

The famous "Grizzly Manor Cafe" located in Big Bear Lake, California
Literally. There are no hours. If it's closed - it's closed. You better hope it's open!

The amazing chef - cooking up my delicious pancakes!


Restaurant: Grizzly Manor Cafe - Restaurant Review
Cuisine: Breakfast/Brunch/American/Diner
Last visited: August 6, 09

Area: Big Bear Lake, California
41268 Big Bear Blvd
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5, but 6 for pancakes!
Service: 6, funny and extremely sarcastic!
Ambiance: 5, sarcastic bumper stickers cover the walls
Overall: 6
Additional comments:

• Located in Big Bear Lake, California (the mountains)
• Famous for big portion pancakes and breakfasts - HUGE portions!
• Biggest, best, and fluffiest pancakes I've ever had in my life
• Hole in the wall - local and tourist favourite
• Cheesiest grilled cheese sandwich
• Ambiance and service with attitude - extremely sarcastic!
• Business hours are random - open and closes depending on owners mood
• Lunch served after 11am if cook is in the mood, no lunch on weekends
• Line-ups
• Plate fee of $1.00 for if you share.
• Warning: Will suffer from food coma, and meals may clog arteries - but it's so damn good!
  

**Recommendation: Pancakes, waffles, only if you dare - The Polar Bear!! (The Biggest of them all!)

If you are ever in California - head to Big Bear Lake, just to visit the Grizzly Manor Cafe. THE BEST, BIGGEST, AND FLUFFIEST pancakes I've ever had in my life. I still dream about them. Its near impossible to finish one. The service, atmosphere, decor, and menu are extremely sarcastic and casual. Get your own coffee. Write your own name. As the menu says "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason...so if you're hungry, be nice!"...be nice! This place is great!! If you come, you better be prepared!

On the table:

• **One Blueberry Cake (Pancake) 6/6
• Made upon order - this is the best pancake I've ever had. It was the size of a vinyl record and it was sooo fluffy! It's nice and thick, your traditional old fashioned style pancake. THE perfect pancake! Loaded with blueberries, this pancake is enough for 2 people. You can't even see the plate it comes on because it's so big. I still dream about this...you can't stop eating it...but you're so full...and at only $4.00 - a bargain
• They offer buttermilk, chocolate chip, and buckwheat cakes as well - you don't come to Grizzly Manor and order a buckwheat - that would piss off the owner.
  
• Short Stack Blueberry Cakes 6/6
• This is a bigger version of one blueberry cake - it comes with 2 pancakes - and you definitely can't finish this on your own. $6.50
• ** Waffle 6/6
• This was equally as good as the pancake. Its normal size to because its the size of a waffle maker. Again really fluffy - the perfect waffle! $5.99
  
• Two eggs with ham, corned beef hash, hash browns, toast 3/6
  
• Exactly what it is. I wasn't too crazy about the corned beef hash though.
• Sissy Boy - Love the name! 4/6
• 1 pancake, 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon - again, it is what it is.
  
• Farmer's Delight 4/6
• Pork chops, two eggs, hash browns, and toast $11.25
• It comes with 2 pieces of pork chops, and they're not small either
• Kathy Melt 5/6
  
• Hamburger, Swiss cheese and grilled onion on sourdough $8.25
• This was a great burger! They grill the whole burger and the sourdough is all buttered and crispy! Really nice ground beef - 1.25 inch patty and its moist and not dry. The definition of a true American diner burger. It's greasy and good - it has to be to own the name.
• Boring Phil 4/6
  
• You haven't had a grilled cheese sandwich until you've tried this. There is more cheese than there is bread. Double the cheese. Extremely oily - this is what you expect when you order a grilled cheese at an American diner. Delicious if you're a fan of eating melted cheddar cheese on heavily buttered bread. It's a 2-1 cheese to bread ratio. The cheesiest grilled cheese ever.
• ** The Polar Bear
• I did not order this. But more or less tried it with everything on the table. I have to write about it because it's "the biggest of them all". Bacon, 2 eggs, hash browns, and 2 pancakes.
• This is a portion that's big enough to feed a family of 4-6. At only $10.25 this is a major bargain.
• Note: There is an extra plate fee of $1.00 if you want to share