My Holiday Dinners and Feasts

Happy New Year!

So due to sleeping in and it being a holiday I didn't really update the blog this morning. I didn't know what to post and I wanted it to be a little different. So if you've been following my tweets I've had 8 or 9 Christmas dinners this year. Unfortunately I didn't get pics of all of them, but I did get a few. Just wanted to show you what I've been eating.

Some of the holiday meals were home cooked and some were dine outs. I don't review anything that is homemade by friends or family...because I still want to be invited for dinners! =p But to satisfy your curiosity everything was delicious and I'm so lucky to have friends and family who can cook.

Vancouver Food Blogger dinner at The Irish Heather...review posted tomorrow!
Duck leg with Mushroom & Foie Gras Jus

Christmas dinner with my best friend. We love cooking, we love eating, we love food! The dips we made for our crab cakes. 1) Pesto Cream sauce 2) Sweet Thai Chili with Edamame 3) Curry Pineapple Chutney with Coconut

The crab cakes we made. The only ingredient we prepared was crab meat...everything else was rummage around my kitchen and work with what we have.

1) Crab cake 1: Tropical East! Coconut Curry crab cake crusted with cashews, coconut, and coconut rice crackers. Served with curry pineapple chutney.

2) Crab cake 2: Asian style! Sweet Thai Chili crab cake crusted with peanuts and honey glazed sesame cashews. Topped with Sweet Thai Chili edamame beans.

3) Crab cake 3: Mediterranean style! Pesto and caper crab cakes with Pesto cream sauce.



Dessert after crab cakes was Egg Nog Cupcakes!...and Mochis! You can eat those whenever!


Christmas Eve dinner at Kirin - Peking Duck.
My appetizer. My own creation: Christmas all wrapped up! It was shredded turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mushrooms, purple potatoes wrapped up in filo. Served on home made cranberry sauce.

My friend's drunken risotto made with 2 bottles of Merlot! It also had Italian sausage, onions and spinach. Yum!

Sweet potato mash with toasted marshmallow bake..this was out "vegetable" dish.

Christmas dinner potluck with 6 friends. Sweet potato mash with toasted marshmallow bake, mac n' cheese 1, mac n' cheese with bacon 2, drunken risotto, and honey Dijon glazed ham.

Dessert from Kreation Artisan Cake Bakery

My New Year's Eve 2009 dinner at The Marriott hotel in Vancouver. Charred asparagus with papaya vinaigrette, steamed veggies, roast beef, roast chicken breast, wild mushroom and pearl onion ragout, ravioli with olives, artichokes, baby shrimp and radicchio, roast potatoes etc. etc.

Manhattan Restaurant - Appetizer Review

Restaurant: Manhattan Restaurant – Appetizer Review

Cuisine: American/Regional/West Coast
Last visited: December 16, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Waterfront/Downtown)
550 West Hastings Street
Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 3 (for appetizers only)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 1.5 (for a hotel)
Overall: 3

Additional comments:

• Serves traditional soups, sandwiches, pastas, entrees
• Located on 2nd floor of Delta Inn Hotel
• Large windows, but not much view
• Good for business lunch meetings
• Old-fashioned hotel restaurant
• Cozy mom and pop type seating area
• Fresh sheet available (3 course dinner)
• All day dining: breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Dessert menu

**Recommendation: Local Mussels and if available request the creamy leek and potato won tons (it’s supposed to be served as a side with their special)

I’ve been to Manhattan Restaurant at the Delta Inn Hotel & Suites to try their Big Apple Split dessert. This time I came for dinner and ordered their appetizers as well as some entrees (which I will be posting about tomorrow).

There are 2 restaurants in the Delta Inn Hotel & Suites: The Manhattan Restaurant (upstairs) and Spencer’s Lounge in the lobby. Both serve the same food and basically use the same menu. The appetizer platter is offered on the menu at Spencer’s Lounge and it allows you to select 3 appetizers from their list of 6. However I was having dinner at The Manhattan Restaurant and the appetizer platter is not an option on their menu so I had to request it. I actually ended up ordering 4 appetizers and paid a little extra because I wanted to try their creamy leek and potato won tons that were served as a side to the chicken en-sous-vide entrée special of the day. It was totally worth it because it was the best thing on the platter.

Manhattan recently changed their menu, but most of their appetizers were typical appetizers served at most chain restaurants. I was a bit confused because they would have two gourmet “hotel-style” appetizers and then everything else was basically sports bar appetizers.

To see my Manhattan Restaurant dinner review

To see my Manhattan Restaurant dessert review

On the table:

Appetizer Sampler Platter 3/6

• Choice of 3 appetizers for $18 (in my case 4, for a little extra)

• **Local mussels 3.5/6
• Green curry sauce, grilled toast points $13 (a la carte)

• At first glace the mussels looked the most promising on the menu and after talking with the waiter he also said those were the best choice. I would pretty much agree with him

• The mussels were the highlight of this dish. I’ve had better curry mussels at other restaurants, but the mussels themselves were really good here. They import them fresh from the Salt Springs throughout the week. They’re medium sized and really plump and juicy. I didn’t enjoy the sauce as much as I just enjoyed the freshness of the mussels.

• The curry sauce was definitely spicy, and I like spicy, but it wasn't very sweet or well rounded. It wasn't thickened with any dairy or coconut milk so it was on the thinner side. It had some fresh ginger, but it was basically just spicy almost to the point where you could taste a little bitterness.
• Crab cakes 3/6
• Small salad, thousand island dip $13 (a la carte)

• Since we customized the platter, we only got one mini crab cake cut in half. They should have at least given at least two I think. They’re pretty small. Just reading it I was really disappointed to read thousand island dip. It just sounded so old-fashioned and boring. I didn't even end up using the sauce. I was very surprised with how much crab they used. There wasn't that much filler and they were a tad spicy and lightly battered. They were good though.
• Popcorn Prawns 1.5/6
• Corn relish $13 (a la carte)

• I totally wasn't expecting these at all. I though it was almost going to be like popcorn shrimp. It was basically prawns with a very heavy and thick coating of corn bread and then deep fried until golden brown. The corn relish was pretty much frozen corn kernels and plum sauce mixed together. I wasn't a fan of this sauce.
• They were huge and 3/4 of it was corn bread. I had to eat so much corn bread before I hit the prawn. The corn bread wasn't that good either, it was too dense and dry. I couldn't taste any cornmeal in it. I almost felt like I was eating a corn dog, they were really filling. It felt like something they should serve at a barbeque place or Southern country diner/pub. It was an appetizer that would go good with a cold beer.
• On the upside the shrimp itself was fresh, tender and flavorful.

• 

• **Creamy Leek and Potato Won Tons 5/6

• This was actually the side that was to be served with the special chicken entrée of the day. I didn't want to order the entree, but I really wanted to try these won tons. I'm SO glad I got to try them because they were delicious! I would consider going back just for these.
• It was the creamy leeks they use in the sable fish entrée (which was the best part of that dish) mixed with creamy mashed potatoes wrapped in won ton wrappers and deep fried until golden brown. I actually forgot they used won ton wrappers because it was so thin and crispy it tasted like sheets of filo pastry. Which make me think how great they would be if they used these instead? They were nice and crispy and then had this creamy, soft, salty and flavourful filling on the inside.

• To see my Manhattan dessert review

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen – Happy Hour Review

Restaurant: Goldfish Pacific Kitchen – Happy Hour Review
Cuisine: West Coast/Pacific Rim/Fusion
Last dined: December 8, 09

Area: Vancouver (Yaletown/Downtown)
1118 Mainland Street
Price Range: $20-30

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

Food: 4 (Based on happy hour)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Located in Yaletown
• Mostly Asian chefs/cooks – Chef William Tse (previous sous chef of Joe Fortes and Chop House)
• Asian fusion/Asian inspired menu
• Focus on sea-food
• Sophisticated and creative food
• Extensive Wine Bar
• Contemporary, trendy & “Yaletown” atmosphere & décor
• Quite a large dinner menu
• Dining Room/Lounge/Patio
• Covered sun room with lounge couches
• Great for appies/drinks/late night
• M-F 11am-4pm “$10 Gold Plates”
• M-F 4pm-6pm Happy Hour – appies and drinks

**Recommendation: Chicken satays, tuna tartare, short rib sliders, bacon fried rice (very popular but I haven’t tried), Trio of West Coast Sushi Pizza, Shiitake mushroom meatloaf

I’ve came here on a few occasions before I started blogging so I’m going to summarize my visits. This review focuses on my happy hour visit. I tried everything on their happy hour menu besides their house made potato chips and toast & jam, which sounds a bit boring. I can’t be as detailed in this review because it was a visit from September 10, 09. So I’m writing on recollection. The positive to this is that I can tell you what was truly memorable about the dishes I ordered. Overall their happy hour is worth it and I must give credit to their dips and sauces which were all really good. I actually think the food during happy hour is better becuase they have more time to prepare it. I will post my lunch visit tomorrow. (For my lunch review)

The restaurant isn’t as busy as it should be and I’m not sure why. The food is not bad and the atmosphere is fantastic. It’s very trendy, contemporary and spacious. They have a lot of room to occupy so I think they would do better with a smaller space. I’ve sat in covered patio in the back, the lounge, and the dining room. I liked the patio the best. The patio has blankets, heat lamps and comfy lounge sofas. It’s not great for lunch or dinner, but it’s great for drinks, appies, and after work/late night socials. I would prefer the patio in the back over the lounge in the front.

A while back they were closed for lunch, but they decided to re-open for lunch recently.

The food is very East meets West – very Asian inspired. It’s probably because the owners and chefs are Asian, so they reinvent a lot of Asian classics by putting an “American” or West Coast twist to it.

On the table:

• Beef Satays 2/6
• Madras curry, cucumber ginger yogurt $3.75
• The beef was a little dry and over cooked a bit all the times I’ve ordered it. The pieces are nice and lean though.
• The sauce is like a raita sauce (that cucumber yogurt condiment they give you an Indian restaurants). It’s refreshing, aromatic and bit spicy from the fresh ginger. I’m used to having these with peanut sauce from Malaysian restaurants and I prefer that version.
• Chicken Satays 4/6
• Thai red curry sauce $3
• The menu now says “Thai red curry sauce” – when I ordered it it was a Thai yellow curry sauce, which was really good! It was like a curry peanut ginger and garlic sauce. I’ll have to re-order this to see if they’ve changed it. I hope they only changed the curry paste and not the recipe beucase it was so good already…well maybe it’s better now? I’ll have to see. The chicken itself is nice and seasoned with a dry rub. These ones weren’t dry.
• Short Rib Sliders 5/6
• Spicy Hoisin mayo, crispy onions $3
• These were memorable. It was very tender falling apart beef short ribs. They were nice and saucy and tasted like an Asian barbeque sauce – which is the Hoisin sauce. It wasn’t spicy for me though. More sweet and tangy. The crispy onions were a nice touch. I think they’re using the mini dinner rolls from superstore rather than actual slider buns. It’s more like a hot dog bun. It didn’t bother me though because it was nicely grilled and crispy yet soft. You got a lot of meat and it’s nice and tender – that was the most important part. It was nice to have it not pre-shredded as well. It shred away easily just by me biting into it and th at’s how tender short ribs should be.

  

• Mini Crab Cakes 2/6
• Thai basil yogurt $4
• To be honest I don’t really remember these. I know they weren’t bad, but that also can’t mean they were really good. They were forgettable. I know they were a nice size, crispy, hot and not overcooked though. I usually take a picture of the inside of the crab cake so you can see the ingredients. I’ll have to order these again next time to give a better review.
• Freshly shucked Oysters
• Freshly shucked oysters grated horseradish $2.75
• I can’t remember which type of oysters they gave us. They weren’t Fanny Bay’s which was surprising, since these are most available being in Vancouver. I do appreciate the grated horseradish, that was a nice touch. I think they should use freshly grated wasabi though – it suits their Asian-inspired theme better.
• Tuna Tartare 3/6
  
• Crisp butter lettuce $4
• These served these with deep fried taro chips which was a great idea because I was expecting regular chips or crostini. Well from the menu I was expecting just butter lettuce.
• I like tuna tartare so that’s why I recommended it, and for the price you're paying it's worth it. The colour of the tuna doesn't look great, but it doesn't taste bad either. It has some avocado, green onions and I think some red peppers it it. They make it better at Japanese places, but this one was decent.
• Chilled Tiger Prawns
• Mango lime aïoli $4.75
• The prawns were nice and big and I don’t really remember the dip. I will have to reorder this to give a better review. I’m sure it was good though because we didn’t have one bad dip. They do a good job with all of them.

The Shore Club

Restaurant: The Shore Club

Cuisine: Seafood/Steakhouse/West Coast/Fine Dining
Last visited: November 24, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Downtown)
688 Dunsmuir St

Price Range: $50+

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

Food: 4 (I only tried 4 things)
Service: (n/a…for details on why, keep reading…)
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Fine dining in Vancouver
• Specializes in seafood and fish
• Relatively traditional mains, but creative starters
• Cocktail lounge
• Great for cocktails/appies
• Open kitchen upstairs
• Live pianist
• Extensive wine list
• Classic/modern decor
• Attracts ages 30+
• Smart casual
• Business, yet relaxed feel
• 2 floors
• Coat check service
• Private rooms available
• Valet parking available

**Recommendation: Vanilla-battered prawns, Dungeness crab cake

The Shore Club is a fine dining seafood restaurant in Vancouver. They specialize in seafood and fresh fish and it part of Gotham’s & Hy’s Steakhouse family. I already mentioned it once in my review for Hy’s Steakhouse…but it doesn’t hurt to say it again…it’s also part of The Keg.

The restaurant is huge with 2 floors. It’s very spacious and the downstairs is more of the lounge, while the upstairs is for dining. It has a business like ambiance, but it’s still fun and relatively casual because of the live piano music…which I always love. It’s definitely less pretentious than Hy’s and maybe even Gotham’s. The lighting isn’t as dark and there’s so much wide space so it doesn’t feel as intimate. Maybe also because we were sitting at the kitchen bar – which was very lively!

Service: My friend knows the manager of The Shore Club so the treatment we received was perhaps better than usual. Mind you anyone can sit at the kitchen counter. If I came again I would make the same request. It was awesome! I love watching the chefs and cooks do their thing – they were so passionate and you can see all the work that goes into your meal. It helps when I’m a foodie and I’m able to interact with them and talk to them. They answered all my questions and trust me; I can ask A LOT of questions. It was after the dinner rish (after 9pm) on a Tuesday so they were able to talk and didn't need to rush any part of the cooking.

I also never told them I was a “restaurant reviewer/blogger/critic”. They were friendly, outgoing, and passionate about the food. What more can I ask for?

On the table:

• **Vanilla-Battered Prawns 6/6
• Spicy sweet and sour sauce $15

• The first question I asked the chef was one of my typical questions: What would you order? Please don’t recommend me the most popular, but what would YOU order for yourself? He made a “sooo good face” and replied with “vanilla-battered prawns”…and finished with a “sooo good face”.
• Woohoo! These were amazing! Seriously, I think it could be the best deep fried prawn I have ever had.

  

• The prawns were pretty big, lightly battered, and very aromatic. They put pure vanilla extract into the batter. It’s a traditional flour batter that was slightly sweet from the vanilla. I’m glad it was simple because I wouldn’t want anything to distract me from the v anilla. It was creative enough already.
• The sauce was amazing…but a simple recipe. I mean I can’t say for sure, but I’m 98% sure it was that sweet chili sauce you can buy in the glass bottle from T&T. It’s not completely made in house; however they infuse it with the seeds from real vanilla beans. You can see all the seeds! It’s spicy, sour and had 2 levels of sweetness – the sweetness it comes with (sugar/plum sauce) and then the vanilla. The idea is genius so I’m fine with it if they use the bottled stuff.

• **Dungeness Crab Cake 5.5/6
• Horseradish dill mayonnaise $18

• So this one intrigued me, so I had to ask about it. Chef’s reply “it’s almost 99% Dungeness crab meat. No fillers.” And I was sold.
  
• It was pretty much almost eating pure Dungeness crab. But for $18 I better be getting a whole lot of crab…and I was.
• It was lightly breaded and had some minced red peppers, chives, and very little bread crumb in the mix just to hold it altogether. There’s no shrimp, no fish, no potatoes – just crab.
• It would have been a 6/6 if it was paired with a better sauce. I really wasn’t feeling the horseradish dill mayonnaise. I couldn’t taste the horseradish at a ll so it kind of tasted like a sauce for kids. It tasted like dill chip dip. I would have liked either more horseradish (freshly grated) or a garlic aioli.

• Bouillabaisse 2.5/6
• The classic, with king and snow crab, prawns and fresh fish in saffron broth $38

• Oh no! It was going all so well…ok I have to really explain this dish.It’s not that it tasted bad. It actually tasted really good. BUT it was not bouillabaisse. It was American bouillabaisse.

• Bouillabaisse is a traditional fish stew that originates from Marseilles – city in the South of France. It’s a fish soup made from slowly cooking fish, veggies, s hellfish and other herbs and spices including saffron. I’ve been to Marseilles and have tried authentic bouillabaisse…and this wasn’t close. The closest thing to the real deal that I’ve tried in Vancouver is the bouillabaisse from dB Moderne in Kitsilano.

• The problem with the one at Shore Club was that it was not an authentic bouillabaisse. It was more like seafood served with a saffron broth. I can’t even call it a seafood soup because all the seafood was cooked separately, plated, and then the saffron broth was served overtop. The seafood and fish should have been cooked right into the soup. The flavours of the seafood are what make the broth!

• It was hearty in seafood, but not in flavour. It kind of tasted like chicken saffron broth, not really seafood broth. It was too thin and it didn’t have that slow-cooked/reduced taste.
• The positive is that they don’t skimp on the fish or shellfish at all. This is almost 2 mains in 1.
  

  

• You get a huge piece of halibut and a huge piece of Sea bass, but both were skinless. The skin holds so much flavour and helps flavour the brot h too. The fish is all pan-fried, but their not oily and only fried until cooked and not browned, which is good for this dish.
• Shellfish includes: 2 prawns, 5 mussels, 4 clams, 3 King & snow crab legs, 2 giant scallops. The crab legs were very juicy and everything was cooked perfectly. What happened was that the actual bouillabaisse became secondary to the seafood.
• It came with a dipping sauce for the seafood which was a red pepper aioli. This was good! It was thickened with potatoes and made completely in house. It was very thick and I couldn’t tell they were potatoes until I was told…and then it was obvious.

• CHEF’S SPECIAL – Pan-fried Oyster
• Ok so this part was purely special treatment. The chef whipped us up one of his specialties – not available on the menu. So to be fair, I can’t rate it. They do offer another version of a pan-fried oyster as a starter but I haven't tried it. It would be the closest alternative I could recommend.
• I only like my oysters raw…except for this time. This is the best tasting cooked oyster I’ve ever had. I’m not saying that because it was a hook up too. It was actually amazing!
• From ingredients, to cooking technique, to plating…he nailed it. Simple plating for this starter actually works unlike the crab cake.
• It was a pan-fried oyster that was placed back its shell after it was cooked. It was accompanied with a sauce made of wilted spinach, cream and garlic. It was topped with foamy butter and served on a bed of sea salt.
• I think they could have been using a Chef's Creek oyster. It was medium medium sized and very plump. It had 3 levels of saltiness & 3 levels of creaminess without being too salty. The texture and flavour came from the butter, the cream, and then the natural salty brine of the oyster.
• It was divine! It was so smooth, so creamy, so rich, so decadent and just perfect.

Dessert

I came for dessert on another night (June 2009, before I started blogging), but I’m going to include it in this post anyways.

I’m actually quite taken back by their dessert menu. I was expecting more extravagant things, but everything was very simple and traditional. It was nothing I couldn’t find anywhere else…maybe even at The Keg =p…at least it’s all made in house though. They could do a way better job. I think they should invest more into their desserts and just offer 4 amazing ones rather than 9 ordinary ones. I can’t rate them because it was too long ago it wouldn’t be fair.

• Old Fashioned Chocolate Brownie $10
• To be honest I don’t remember it that much. I remember it being good at the moment, but it was also just a good chocolate brownie. I was impressed by the serving size though. I was expecting a homemade two-bite brownie.
• Key Lime Pie $10
• I remember it being a big slice. The crust was good and the filling was very sweet and tart…which key lime pie is, so that’s fine. It was rich and heavy though, lots of filling, so it was unfinished. I needed to eat it with the ice cream…from the brownie.
• Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee $10
• For someone who’s not a fan of crème brulee, but will still eat it or at least try it…it wasn’t bad. It was also very ordinary, but again a nice portion size.

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.
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• 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.