Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Restaurant: Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Cuisine: American/Steakhouse/Fine Dining/Pacific Nrthwest
Last visited: November 24, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Robson Street/West End/Downtown)
637 Hornby St

Price Range: $50+

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

Food: 3.5 (I only tried 3 things)
Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 2.5
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Fine dining in Vancouver
• Traditional steakhouse, specializes in steaks
• Chain fine-dining steakhouse restaurant
• 40+ years
• Make Caesar salad & dressing at your table
• Extensive wine list
• Vintage/classic/old/traditional decor
• Cozy atmosphere
• Open flame display grill
• Romantic/Intimate dark lighting
• Attracts ages 45+ & couples
• Busy during dinner
• Coat check service
• Private rooms available
• The best after mints (almost like Mentos)

**Recommendation: Cheese Toast for Two, The ONLY New York Strip

Hy’s Steakhouse is a fine dining steakhouse chain restaurant in Canada. It’s also part of Gotham’s Steakhouse, Shore Club, and even….wait for it…The Keg! Yes, it is a secret – that I am telling. Nonetheless they are steak experts and do well in this category.

The atmosphere is cozy but a bit stuffy as well. The dark hardwood floors are old and creaking and it feels like walking into an old European library. When I say “classic” décor I mean “historic” or antique. From areas of carpeted floors to the series of portrait paintings and older demographic diners…it feels a bit “don’t talk too loud or you’ll disturb the others”. I actually prefer the atmosphere in Gotham’s or Shore Club better…but maybe it’s because of my age. Who knows? In 30 years Hy’s could be my special quiet time dinner place.

By the way, thank you to my friend for letting me know that they have the best mints here out of Gotham’s and Shore Club…and The Keg!

On the table:

• Cheese Toast for Two 6/6
• Cheese toast $5.95

• Fine dining food? Or hangover food?! I will seriously pose that question. This is really good. Indulgent good, comfort food good, and straight to the soul…or heart good!
• This is basically a grilled cheese sandwich without the extra slice of bread.
• It was one slice of really really soft white bread completely covered with a thick layer of baked cheddar cheese and grilled until perfection. I think they could use another cheese, I've heard Gorgonzola but it doesn't taste like it. My guess would be Gruyere or Brie but it has to be Gorgonzola becuase it's the only other cheese on the menu. I doubt they would get another cheese just to use for the cheese toast. I could see the charcoal grill marks on the underside of the bread. I don’t know if they bake it and then grill it, or grill it and then broil it. But the cooking method is perfect.
• Your teeth sink right into it and it’s the "taste so good, but so bad for you" feeling. It's oily, greasy, rich, hearty, very cheesy and stringy. The recipe is so simple, but so delicious and heavenly. You seriously might go to heaven after it though…
• They make it upon order and you’re getting it as close to “hot off the grill” as you can at a restaurant. It’s transferred right from the grill into this tin foil lined bread basket and covered with more tin foil to ensure it stays hot. Almost everyone h ad one on their table.

  

• Filet Steak Neptune 2.5/6
• Butterflied filet mignon, topped with fresh asparagus and blue crabmeat, finished with hollandaise sauce $40.95

• This is one of their house-specialties so that’s why I ordered it. My favourite cut of steak is filet mignon. I like the mignon at Gotham’s better, but I can’t really compare it because I didn’t try the traditional mignon here. I wish I went with that instead though.
• The problem with this one is that I couldn’t tell it was a filet mignon. The main reason is because it was butterflied (meaning sliced widthwise almost until all the way through and opened up) – by using this method it made the filet mignon taste like beef flank steak or maybe tenderloin. I actually had to ask the server if it was a filet mignon because it really didn’t taste like it.

The lighting was difficult for photos, but I want to show the thinness of the mignon after it's been butterflied.

• Out of curiosity, and not because I’m a diva, I had to get the server to explain it…they butterfly it because it has blue crabmeat on top, so they wanted to balance the crab with the steak. They wanted the mignon to actually hold the crab meat.
  
• I understand the explanation but I feel as though they sacrificed the filet mignon for the blue crabmeat. It was such a waste of the mignon because it didn’t end up tasting like one and it was overcooked because it was so thin. I ordered it medium rare and it came out medium to medium well. It was a bit rough and tough.
• There was lots of crab though, with tender asparagus underneath. It came with a divine hollandaise sauce that was baked like the cheese toat was. The sauce was rich, thick, and creamy and had the perfect ratio of butter and egg yolks. That was the best part of this dish, and it almost made up for my steak…that’s where the 3/6 comes from.
  
• I ordered it with pan-fried potatoes, but you have the option of rice, fries, a baked or double stuffed potato. They didn’t have mashed as an option which was unusual, unless our server just forgot to list it.
• These potatoes came with lightly sautéed veggies in olive oil, some herbs, and maybe a little butter too. The veggies weren’t tender but still very crunchy and the onions were still spicy rather than caramelized. I think this is what they were aiming for though, so I can’t really ding them for that.
• The pan-fried potatoes as a side was too simple for a restaurant like this – if I’m fine dining I want something I couldn’t do myself. The pan-fried potatoes I could do myself. I would have preferred thin round slices of Yukon Gold potatoes rather than the chunks I got. The thin slices would have matched the butterflied mignon & crab meat better too.
• The presentation was also too simple for a restaurant like this. I expected more.

• The “ONLY” New York Strip 5/6
• Our signature steak specially prepared with Hy's steak sauce – "Only" available at Hy's 10oz 32.95 14oz 36.95 18oz 40.95

• This is popular because of the ONLY sauce. The ONLY sauce is actually a homemade steak sauce with a kick – it tastes like gourmet HP sauce. It’s just thicker and heavier on the Worchestershire sauce and probably has some Dijon mustard. It’s much more bold and thick than regular steak sauce, almost like a thicker barbeque sauce. It does taste really good though.
• They use a thick layer to marinade the New York Strip before thy grill it. I think they let it rest and then layer on another layer and quickly put it under the broiler right before serving. Upon the cooking process the sauce thickens from a sauce into gravy.
• 
  

• It's hard to see in the picture becuase of lighting, but I wanted to capture the layer of sauce on top.
  

• This was ordered medium-rare and it was served medium rare. Now this was an excellent steak. Tender, flavorful and moist because it had some fat to lock in all the juices.
• We ordered this one with fries – which is a good match because those fries are good with the ONLY sauce.The fries were fresh, thin, crispy and nicely salted.
  

• Insider’s tip: There’s two ways you can order this but it’s not advertised. The first is the original way, how they used to do it – on a wooden plank (like the one in my pictures). The second is the new way – which is just on a plate. At least the presentation on the wooden plank is different. If it came on a round white dinner plate I would have been disappointed because I really expect some sort of presentation for fine dining. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for either.

Grand Lux Cafe

Restaurant: Grand Lux Cafe
Cuisine: American
Last visited: August 24, 09

Area: Las Vegas - Multiple
The Venetian Hotel & Casino 3355 Las Vegas Blvd
Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 3.5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Founder of The Cheesecake Factory
• I prefer The Cheesecake Factory
• Big portions, large menu selection
• Very reasonably priced, a bit more expensive than Cheesecake Factory
• European decor, with typical American food
• Nothing gourmet, but just good/big portions of food served in a comfortable & nice atmosphere
• Casual
• Open 24 hours
• Breakfast served all day in Vegas location
• Lunch specials until 5pm

**Recommendation: Short Rib Grilled Cheese, The Max Burger, Chicken Pot Pie

I got this recommendation from the person sitting next to me on my flight down. I was staying at The Venetian and got in quite late so I thought it would be convenient to check it out. I didn't know it was from the same founders of The Cheesecake Factory, but after I found out it was quite obvious. Large portions, all American food, and that luxurious European cafe feel - overall a casual restaurant where you get a bang for your buck. I like the menu and food better at The Cheesecake Factory and they're almost the same menu, but Cheesecake Factory has an even larger menu.

Note: I got some of my photos off the internet, but I only used them if they were close to identical to what I was served. So these are trustworthy photos.

On the table:

• Crabcakes 4/6
• These were really good. They are a bit on the expensive side for I think $13 for 2 relatively normal sized crab cakes. A bit larger and thicker than a hockey puck. You do get a lot of dungeness crab though (just look at the picture) - so it's reasonable for what they charge.
  
• 
• You can actually break away at the crab with your fork and you don't get those cheap additional fillers, so you're actually eating a crab cake and not a shrimp cake. This isn't a high end restaurant or anything so I was quite impressed with the quality of crab cake I got. It wasn't the best I've had or anything, but for this type of chain restaurant I think it was great. It's served very lightly battered and golden brown with a spicy mustard sauce - I would share this if I were to order it again - 2 crab cakes gets a little repetitive and sickening, but one is good.


• **The Max Burger 5/6
• One of their famous selections. Certified Angus beef with cheddar cheese, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, onions and roasted short ribs. Served with fries.

• If you're a fan of a great tasting burger, you have to give this a shot. For me, I would normally pass on a burger at a restaurant like this because there's so many more options I would want to try something different. But my friend ordered it, and I'm glad he did. It's really big though, you have ahard time eating it cause the toppings keep slipping out. The great thing about this burger isn't the size though, it's the quality of the beef patty they used. You can tell that the patty is an Angus beef patty and it's nice and juicy, not dry at all. This isn't a diner or fast food burger and it's not a gourmet burger either (it's still served on a regular burger bun)...but it's just a classic American burger done well.
• Chicken Meatball Sandwich 2/6
• House-made chicken meatballs with melted Fontina cheese and marinara sauce on a buttered roll. Served with fries.

• This was kind of disappointing. Its drenched in marinara sauce so it's kind of hard to eat too. Really messy and soggy. Yes the meatballs are house made and they're quite large, but I think beef/pork meatballs are generally better. They weren't dry, but they come off as a dry because the beef meatballs we're typically used to are just juicier. They kinds of have this aftertaste that wasn't ideal too. I'm not sure what the herb or spice was cause I couldn't really put my finger on it - but it wasn't something you really want to remember. It's edible and ok tasting, but not something I'd care to order again.
• **Short Rib Grilled Cheese Sandwich 5/6
• Slow roasted short ribs, caramelized onions and lots of melted cheese on grilled bread. Served with fries.

• This is a great tasting sandwich. I would actually prefer it to the Max Burger. It tastes as good as it sounds, again well done on the execution. It was a tad greasy, but that's expected when you order something like this. I like that the bread they used, which is a country bread because it gave it this rustic texture and taste to the sandwich. It has a crispy/buttery exterior and it's not too thick so you can bite into it easily without the sandwich being too messy. You get a great amount of short ribs that are really tender, and a good amount of cheese too. I think it's just a cheddar cheese they use, maybe mixed with some Mozzarella too.
• Grilled Ahi Tuna Burger 2/6
• The description on the menu tells you nothing, except that its served on a brioche bun. It's served with grilled onions, lettuce and tomatoes though. It doesn't look great, and it's pretty plain and bland, it kind of was.

• This was good becuase we were hungry. I've had better before for sure! (Still the best at Joey's). This was better tasting than the one from Le Grande Orange Cafe though. The quality of tuna was alright, but it's very basic and something you could put together at home. There's no specialty here, so don't expect to be blown away or anything. I feel like they added it on the menu, just to have it on, but they didn't really put care into making it good - probably cause the clientèle wouldn't really order it. They did a great job on the grilled onions though - and it's nice to a have a brioche bun with this type of sandwich.
• Salisbury Chopped Steak 4/6
• Chopped steak mixed with onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Served with mashed potatoes, pickled shredded red beets, and veggies.

• This thing is HUGE! It's a lot of meat served with mashed potatoes in a rolled layer on top. Its the combination of the steak and the creamy whipped potatoes that made this really good. It's quite saucy and tastes like a traditional Salisbury steak - all American flavours and tastes. The meat was really ground up and it was almost like a meatloaf, but a bit drier - not dry though. Just drier compared to a meatloaf. The veggies were all ground into this steak patty so you weren't biting into chunks of it or anything. This was quite tasty - but I guess you can't really go wrong with beef, gravy, and creamy mashed potatoes. The steak was flavourful and tender on it's own, but when it's covered by gravy and mashed potatoes you can't really tell...whatever it was still good for what it was though; I can't rate this like I would a fine dining place, cause it's not.
• 
  
• The red beets were good, but I wasn't a fan of them being pickled. Thy taste better with this meal not pickled. It was almost like eating red sauerkraut.
• **Chicken Pot Pie
• I did not order this - but I will next time. The man next to me ordered it and it was SO big. The biggest I've seen. It came in a large bowl with a huge crust baked on top...so the bowl holds the filling and not the crust. It looked really impressive and tasty - all of us wanted to try it. We were considering going back to order this. The crust is made in house, and it's really big so I think the ratio of crust to pie filling would be perfect. I don't know how it tastes, but I will try it for sure!
• It was so big, I had to take a picture of it from the guy who ordered it beside me. The picture I used for this blog isn't the picture I took though...but it's almost the same, I just think this one was a better angle. (I had to take mine from a distance - which is understandable because it wasn't even my order...how odd would that have been?)
  

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