Ichiro in Steveston is great sushi for a reasonable price

As a Bruins fan, my only comment is "lol"

My point about Vancouver upscale casual chains was obviously not to compare them with top level fine dining restaurants like West, Raincity, Il Giardino, Cioppino's, Vij's, Bishop's, CinCin etc.. It was to compare them to restaurants of the same kind in other North American cities. What I meant was that for what they are... Cactus Club, Joey's, Earls and others crush the likes of places like Olive Garden, TGIF's, East Side Mario's, Outback, Buca Di Beppo, Cheesecake Factory, Chili's and the like... As mentioned a few posts above with Rob Feenie and Cactus, it's not often you'll find an Iron Chef at a casual chain.

Rodney's Oyster Bar hasn't been mentioned and is definitely worth hitting up BTW.

Also, if you want to support them, poker players Greg Mueller and Kyle Wilson(think he's still involved) are among the owners of Players Chophouse and Whistler Chophouse.

Finally, for the guy who mentioned Sip, my buddy owns that place. We're in there all the time.

http://www.mercer.com/qualityoflivin...Ranking_Tables

Vancouver - #4, Boston - #37

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/02...t-year-survey/

Vancouver = #1 for 5 years straight, Boston = #8 in the US, no American city is in the overall top 10


Find any other statistical ranking and you'll have similar results

gg Boston

Flying Wedge pizza is terrible in my opinion. Basically the Canadian version of the mall food court Sbarro pizza.

I do really like Vera's Burger shack. They have also started to open a few 5 guys burgers in the area as well as fatburger is in multiple localtions.

My complaint, is Vancouver radio is all mixed together. We have one rock station(99.3 Fox) that plays old and new music. There used to be an alternative Xfm. Not anymore.

If you are here, the FOX morning show is the most unpolitically correct in North America, they also swear on the radio. Not as frowned upon up here. Best radio show in Canada in my opinion.The morning show has also supported and hosted poker tourneys at River Rock and Edgewater.

There is no straight urban hip hop station, or a straight dance station. Instead there are 2 that are very similar,( 94.5 / 95.3).
I think a dance station like http://c895worldwide.com/web/ C89 in Seattle(run by high school students) , or http://www.myvibelv.com/ 99.7 Vibe in Vegas would fly here.

^^ about the radio stations is it just me or every time say the beat has a commercial, then virgin and the fox has commercials too! I swear they are all working together X_X

edit: yes electro station would be VERY nice... someone needs to tap into the market

edit2: as for pizzza megabite in DT can't be beat and SUPER GREAT at joyce skytrain station

I went to Vera's about a week after I got here, and had a burger, fries & a beer for ~ $22. Was pretty good, but seemed real expensive even by Vancouver prices (I did get some semi-fancy burger).

Realize it's probably "Sysco crapish," but Two Parrots on Granville has burger + fries + beer for $10 on Sundays. Been hitting that up whenever I'm here.

That place is awesome.

Megabite can't be beat DT cause its open till 330 or so, any food people are shoveling into their mouth at that hour has got to taste amazing (to them). All those chain burger places are pretty meh (including veras), theres this place out on commercial that im blanking on which had a pretty great burger and fries, to far away for me to go often though. I love my burgers and pizza and have lists of the best of both that ive ever eaten, Vancouver has no places in my list even though I've lived here 3 yrs. (pretty sure I posted pics and details on some places in the 2+2 Food Madness Finals thread)

Also LOL at those stats lists, anyone who wants to live in Ottawa (14) or Toronto (16) over NY (49) should be committed imo. Im half tempted to find teh study and rip apart the criterion they use to decide "Quality of Life", its as contrived and subjective an idea as "the american dream" being a house with 2.5 kids in suburbia with a white picket fence, oh and don't forget the golden retriever named Benny.

Also mike, you're correct that vancouver crushes chains in the US, however the cited restaurants are more expensive than those US chains, and for similar $'s spent you can find NON chain restaurants with better fare for equivalent price. Although in terms of lounge environment i can't really think of any that I know offhand that are lower priced than these van chains (then again, i don't drink when im in the US).

+1 to The Eatery

EDIT: Sysco crapish for 10$ including beer is great, sysco isn't inherently horrible, its just horrible for 20$ entrees, its all about the combo of price and deliciousness

if open till 3am makes it good. gtfo u know nothing about pizza idc if ur from NY. megabite is hardly the best of the myriad **** - terrible buck a slice pizza places that infest the dt core. there is a place much better at granville and smyth but its still crap.
HELLOOOOOO uve been here three years and ur still whining that its more expensive than in the US?? GET USED TO IT everything from gas to food to restaurant meals to homes to EVERYTHING is more expensive when compared to US. especially in Van and area. the most expensive place to live in Canada.

ya the radio sucks, but didn't sony make radio obsolete in the early 90s with something called a walkman? if not surely apple has done so recently. and with being able to plug ur mp3 player into just about any car/home stereo built in the last 5 yrs who listens to radio anymore. when i do have a craving to hear a bunch of advertising and some loser talking about how much of a loser he is I hit up the Zone out of Victoria 91.3. u need an antenna in ur car or a good strong home stereo to get it. or u can stream from web.

Canadians actually carry guns? Every time I have seen a fight of some sort in Canada a Canadian will pull out a knife and not a gun. Now stick a Canadian in America and the Canadian becomes GI Joe because of all the gun privileges.

This thread made me hungry.

Thanks to whomever recommended Nuba Cafe (Lebanese cuisine). Ate there every morning before I hit Kit's pool during my apt hunting trip this week. That chicken kabob plate with fresh humus, olives, salad and pita is incredible.

Also got a glowing recommendation for this $14 all-you-can-eat sushi place called Tanpopo on English bay. I plan on gorging myself on wild sockeye salmon sashimi there after I move up.

I think someone missed the slight level/irony/whatever you want to call it in my post, read the rest again
"Megabite can't be beat DT cause its open till 330 or so, any food people are shoveling into their mouth at that hour has got to taste amazing (to them)"

Also that "neapolitan" place on Granville and smyth isn't worth a second.

Really? Really? You don't think I take that into account, don't assume other people are ******ed, just because everything in Canada is more expensive doesn't mean I didn't think about that when making all these comparisons. So to lengthen my already long post I would've had to add a section of Canada's Fx rate and the PPP, both in relation to food...yeah, that seems reasonable. Oh and fwiw I've lived in Vancouver 3 years, not Canada smartass, spent a good third of my life up till now in east coast CA.

Stop trolling.

Although i agree with Flip-Flop, time to go make some food, this thread is making me really hungry.

I had gone there a few times in the past. Exceptional for Mexican food in Vancouver, but mostly hot plate. Still, take what you can get!

Shame they closed down.

--

I'm a bit tilted about some people's feelings about food in Van, so here's a list of places you can try depending on your taste. As a disclaimer, I've been cooking in this city for over 5 years and think it's an exceptional place to eat -- it's no NY, but you can't play poker in NY can you now?

Pair Bistro (3763 W 10th -- Alma & 10th)
Gotham Steakhouse (615 Seymour) holy **** is it good
ReFuel (1944 West 4th -- near Burrard)
Cafe Regelade (2836 W 4th -- 4th & MacDonald next to Darby's liquor) unreal breakfast menu
already mentioned Nuba, La Taqueria and Meat & Bread (all downtown in the same area around Cambie & Hastings).


And now I'll share two secrets:

If you're looking to go out, are a bit older than the college scene, and want a great place to relax without the standing around I highly recommend The Cellar Jazz Club on 10th & Alma. They have live jazz every night, small cover, and I've never failed with a date there.

Kits Daily Kitchen at 1809 W 1st Ave is the finest restaurant I've discovered. Menu changes daily, make reservations, profit??


I'm always drinking it up along W 10th (west of Arbutus mostly) as I know a bunch of people that live/cook/study/birth kids and ruin the restaurant vibe in that area. Post here for drinks -- I can be off of work as early as 10 some nights.

Also, please if you live in this city go support Alibi Room. Best brew house in Van, hands down, I think.

Ate dinner there tonight, it was excellent.

+1 to this also.

ok i guess i misread the end of that sentance sry. i had just woken up. but apparently u missed the part where I said that other place was also crap. tho better crap imo.

i'm not trolling intentionally. but for serious now i'm tired of everyone complaining about how expensive it is here. we are consistantly voted amongst the best cities in the world to live in. that comes with a price, measured in dollars and cents.

i was fortunate enough to be born here and raised here most of my life. when i turned 19 i made the biggest mistake of my life. I MOVED to Alberta. it took me 5 years to be able to afford to move back here. for 850/mth i had a 3 lvl 5 bdrm 2 bath home with attached heated 2 car garage, solarium and a jacuzi tub. now i pay 925/mth for a 1 bdr loft apartment. and im not even in van. and its worth it, every square foot of space lost is worth it. so im so tired of people complaining about the price here. just give it a rest already. that includes u Canadians who are always whining about how stuff is cheaper down south. U know who u are.

I visit the states fairly often been up and down the west coast. Oregon is ***** beautiful there are many places on the west coast of the states i could find liveable. but im glad i live here. end of story.

Im also interested in hearing your opinion on Flying Wedge since you seem to be so learned re: pizza. personally i find them nice for a change but their recipes can be pretty off the wall and they put a bunch of herbs and spices and stuff in the crust. ev1 i know pretty much either loves or hates them.

while you were there did you hit up the new amsterdam cafe or the vapor lounge? just two doors up on same side of street. food aint good but thats not why u go there.

going to try this place out on Sunday. wife says its good and ive never been even tho im right there all the time :-p

Maybe the 90s is ancient history for you, but it's from the early 80s for sure. If you never listen to the radio, how do you hear new songs or bands ? I had the same problem, collected a huge amount of mp3s 10 years ago of current and 90s music, played that for years. Then after a while you realise it's always the same old crap and you have no idea what has happened the last five years.

S0u1j4h I was in a bad mood at the time of that post (headed to work) (and Im enthusiastic when I talk about food). I haven't actually tried flying wedge, I kinda gave up after trying so many places, but I'll give it a shot, i mean I still eat pizza, generally while incapacitated, so ill search it out next time over my usual cardboard slices.

Agreed on Nuba btw, awesome place, esp given its proximity to New Amsterdam as mentioned.

this man knows of what he speaks

Wife and I went to Jules French Bistro on Abbott last night.

Really was surprised at how good it was. Started with French onion soup that was better than most, could have been a bit hotter, though. I'm a bit weird in that I like food so hot it burns my mouth.

Had the halibut feature that was perfectly cooked with a nice tomato/alfalfa confit and asparagus. Textures were excellent.

Wife and I both had the melting chocolate cake with was up there with the best desserts I've had (doesn't say much I don't have them often)

Atmosphere was awesome, brick walls and nice layout of the space they have.

Bill was $100 so $120 with tip. Will go back for sure.

Mike and Adam both live downtown here?? Pokercast meetup time imo