Mom's Day at Campagnolo

I’ve been trying to take my mom to Campagnolo for months now, but she’s always vetoed me at the last minute, usually in favour of something closer to home. Well this time, for Mom’s Day, I decided to surprise her (along with my stepdad) and brought her there for a late brunch. Eager for a chance to do a second review. When we arrived at 12:30, the restaurant was serving lunch as well. Between the three of us, we knew that we’d be having at least one pasta and a pizza. The third dish stumped us, and we resolved our differences by ordering two pastas! I had tried the Tagliarini just a few weeks ago, but have not tried the second pasta, the Arlecchino pasta sheets with sausage & kale. I knew what pizza to order too, the Margherita, but it seemed just a touch on the plain side, so we ordered it with prosciutto on top.
Both my parents had a coffee to start, and both commented on the richness of the flavour and body. They were shocked to not get a refill though, oh well, but they would probably be buzzing after any more of those.

We were given a plate of chili flakes, along with some dried oregano (?) and shredded parmesan cheese. It’s perfect for people like me who love to spice things up and to play with my food. It wasn’t long before the pizza came out, still piping hot from the oven. The thin slices of prociutto just blended perfectly into the cheese.

All conversation stopped as we munched on this slice of yumminess. My mom said that the crust was perfect…thin and crispy on the bottom to support the topppings, but the edge had a very satisfying mouth-feel. The cheese and tomato sauce blended together nicely, and the prosciutto gave the whole pie an extra zing of salty kick.
Just as we were polishing up the last of the pizza, the Tagliarini and Arlecchino pasta sheets arrived. I LOVE their Tagliarini. As the waiter said, this has been on the menu since they opened and it will stay on there menu forever. I had ordered the full portions of both pastas, because I remembered the half portion was nowhere near enough for me, and to have to share with my parents, nuh-uh. I love the texture of properly done fresh pasta. Add that together with a pork ragu that stands right up to the noodles, you know you have a good marriage. The generous sprinkling of finely grated parmesan cheese was appreciated too. For a non-meat-craver such as my mom, she loved the proportion of the meat to noodle ratio. I, could have used more ragu, but then again, I’m a carnivore at heart.

The Arlecchino sheets were amazing too. Perfect little diamond shaped sheets with sharp edges. The fennel sausage was mildly flavoured, so that fennel lover (mom) could taste it, but not so strong that a fennel hater (me) would spit it out. Despite the listing fennel in the description, I knew I was going to order this because of the perfect pasta accompanying it. Both my parents were pleased that there was some kale thrown into the mix, to make it a little lighter and healthier. Because the pastas arrived when we were still eating the pizza, we made the mistake of allowing the pasta to cool. I found the sheets clumped together a bit when I tried to serve them; the sheets had to be pried apart to be shared. That said, I was delighted that the sheets stood up to my prying them apart, I didn’t get any torn sheets or sheets that refused to part.

We’re not usually dessert people, but decided to have something sweet this time, just so my mom could have another cup of coffee. We ordered the Biscotti, Meringue and Cookies dessert. There were fennel biscotti, hazelnut cookies, and shortbread as well. The little white meringues are about the smallest I’ve seen, but still light and airy. As I said, I’m not a huge fan of fennel, but it works in a biscotti…there were definitely fennel seeds here!

I was intrigued by something on the menu called Resentin. I had never heard of this before, and had to ask the waiter what it was. 

So you start with a strong espresso, to which you add a little bit of brown raw sugar. Give it a quick stir and drink as usual. Once you are near the bottom of your cup, you pour the grappa shot (0.5 oz only) into the espresso cup and you stir again, before drinking it quickly. I convinced my stepdad to have one with me. I had the espresso & ½ oz. Grappa di Brunello and he had the espresso & ½ oz. Grappa di Prosecco.

Our parting gift was a small package of macaroons for mom (and luckily, a small package for me too). Can’t wait to try the salty caramel one. We also received a gift certificate to ReFuel for brunch…time to check out that menu now…

Sunny Saturday

After pigging out at lunch at Phnom Penh, we all decided to go for a walk to burn some of the rich calories off. Headed to English Bay and wandered around by the water.

Visited the Laughing Men statues again, and realize that they are actually more menacing in the light of day than in the dark of night.

Also shopped along Denman, but didn't end up buying anything. Well, do Beard Papas and cigarettes count? I guess there is my super healthy dinner!

Sat down on a bench and just soaked up the sun…it’s the first nice day of the season (since the Olympics) and people were out to enjoy themselves.

Wings, Dumplings, and more...

When deciding on what to have for lunch and the only limitation is “no burgers”, so many things come to mind. Sushi? Ramen? Pho? And then brilliance struck…Phnom Penh! Ever since I had the wings a few weeks ago, I’ve been craving to return. I brought two PP Chicken Wing Virgins with me…one had tried them long ago and one was from NYC. I knew this was going to make me look like a foodie superstar!

As we waited patiently for a table, (it was 12:30 on a Saturday), we planned our meal. For sure we are getting the Chicken Wings. I am so used to getting a half order that this time, I was so excited that we would get a “real” order! They are also well-known for their Butter Beef, so I pushed for that as a novelty we must try. One person really wanted Dumplings, so we ordered the Trieu Chau Steamed Dumplings, written up as part of a review that was posted on the wall. It is a great way to kill time while waiting for our table too. Next decision, rice or noodles? The best rice is the Lu Lac Filet Beef on Rice with Egg, but we didn’t want to overdose on beef. We settled on another favourite, the PP Egg/Rice Noodle (Dry). Three people, four plates of food, sounds about right.

First to come were the noodles, accompanied by a bowl of Old Fire Pork Bone Soup. The bone is delicious and tender, after hours of simmering. There were both egg and rice noodles in the bowl, as well as thin slices of pork, liver, ground pork and a few shrimps. A generous sprinkling of green onion, fried garlic and cilantro finishes the dish. Note: If you don’t like cilantro, tell the server right at the start, because they sprinkle it over everything…you’ll see. After doling out some for everyone, I added a bit of the blanched bean sprouts and a squirt of hot sauce to my serving and dug in. It was so good. Perfectly cooked noodles and a nice mix of sliced and ground meat.

Just as I finished my noodles, the Chicken Wings came. With a few springs of cilantro and the token tomato and cucumber slice. The crunchy exterior and the juicy ultra-hot interior, it’s perfection every time. Just a quick dunk into the lemon/pepper concoction is all you need. If you over-dunk, it will get soggy (and overly tangy) on you.

The Butter Beef came next, and as I said before, if you don’t like cilantro…you’ve got to tell them. It is essentially thinly sliced marinated rare beef, sprinkled with a mixture of lime juice, soy sauce and fish sauce. More cilantro and more fried garlic complete the dish. Cut it as if it was a pizza, slicing it up into individual portions. The marinade can be a little overpowering if you are not used to the fish sauce flavour, so be sure to mix it up with the less coated sections near the edges.

The final dish was the Steamed Dumplings. Having eaten here for over 15 years, I have never actually ordered this. It was filled with Chinese Sausage (very fatty), mushrooms, jicama, chunks of a hard boiled egg, and firm tofu with yet another sprinkling of the cilantro and garlic. It was really good but I’m glad it came at the end. If you had that first or just after the noodles, you’d be a little overwhelmed by the wings and beef afterwards.
All in all, it was a great meal. When you head to PP, it’s always better when there are more people so you can order more dishes and try new things. When you only go with one other person, you each have your favourites and before you know it, you’re ordering the same darn thing every time.

QOTD

There are people I know who won't hurt me. I call them corpses.
Randy K. Milholland, Something Positive Comic

Last night...

DineOut is coming to an end, guess all things do have to end.
Headed down to Au Petit Chavignol for the first time, ready to try something new and exciting. First thing we noticed was the amazing carver they had...a brightly painted machine capable of effortlessly slicing paper-thin pieces of proscuitto and other meats.

Their wine list is pretty extensive, with a good selection of local and international wines, with a strong German bent. We got a bottle of BC Wine, called Freud's Ego from Therapy Winery...funny how you get something without realizing how much you needed it.

The wine was good, and the bottle was hilarious. I asked if we could bring it home – and it’s now proudly displayed with my other empties. Good thing I asked or else we might have forgotten once she decanted it.
Had a heck of a time trying to decide what to order…so many options. There were an $18 menu with a Soup du Jour or a Prosciutto di Parma starter, and a Four Cheese Mac and Cheese or Cheese and Charcuterie Plate for the main. The $28 had an Arugula Salad or Jamon Serrano to start, followed by a Bacon Gruyere Mac and Cheese or another Cheese and Charcuterie Plate.

After much analyzing (almost 30 mins) we settled on one order of the $18 and one order of the $28. Both orders come with Petite Chocolate Cookies.
The Prosciutto was from the cheaper menu, but was by far the better of the two. Maybe it was because it was aged 24 month instead of the 12 month that the Jamon Serrano was aged? The Serrano was drizzled with an olive oil that was amazing, something called Mas d’en Gil. So although the Jamon wasn’t as good as I expected, the olive oil was outstanding.

The little baguette slices were perfect with the meats, but the rosemary crackers were way too powerful for the delicately flavoured meats. We decided to save it for the Cheese and Charcuterie plate instead.

Next was a piping hot Four Cheese Mac n Cheese…Totally decadent, piping hot when it landed on the table, and just smelled like home. A generous portion for two people to share, it was so sumptuous! If you attempt to eat the whole thing…they’d have to roll you out of there.

The entree from the $28 was a Cheese and Charcuterie Plate that came with a Pate Perigord, which is a pork pate with a heart of foie gras. Also on the plate were two cheese, a Roubine de Noyan from Quebec (very brie like with a soft rind) and a 21 month old Comte de Montagne from France (reminiscent of a Spanish manchego).

Both stood up to the rosemary crackers quite well. The 4 petit cornichons were good as well, but the quince paste we could have done without. It was the only thing left on the plate when we were done.

The Petit Chocolate Cookies arrived in two separate paper bags…still warm and fragrant. I had two and they were the softest cocoa pillows I’ve had in a long time. There was still nine left after another was one eaten…good portions again.

The only downside came when we paid the bill. They brought the portable machine over, tried it twice without any luck. Then  someone said that their credit/debit machine hasn't been working for the past hour or two. We were then told to walk to the credit union down the street to get some cash. Now, if it were two girls, neither of us would have felt safe wandering around the 800-block of East Hastings around 9pm at night. And admittedly, a bank/communication error isn’t their fault but something just didn't feel right.

Life isn't about waiting...

...for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain.

Why I Love My Job - Reason #89

We had a work function this evening…bowling at Commodore Lanes. Last year, I didn’t bowl...I had bruised my wrist. This year, as part of the Social Committee, I was the photographer.
Afterwards, we walked over to Sala Thai for dinner. We ordered their appetizer platter, a seafood curry, and veggie dish, and a pad thai as well. Too bad I forgot to take photos.

On another note, the Canucks played their second game in Chicago, and got smoked. It’s a good thing that the tv at Sala Thai was too small for me to see the action during dinner. Plus my phone died also disabling me from checking the score on Score Mobile.
It wasn’t until I got home that I realized the loss we suffered.

Surprise Sunday

I don’t eat fried chicken. That being said, Church’s is the only fried chicken I ever eat. So when a friend called on Sunday evening offering to bring dinner, I said, “Surprise me”. My only stipulation? No Pho, McDonalds, sushi or pizza. So when he showed up at the door with a bag behind his back, I was uber curious. Church's is served!

I love eating the dark meat, which is always juicer than white meat. The crispy skin is great, but I soak it with the pickled jalapeño juice and seeds until the skin radiates with heat.

I then did my ritual: loaded up the paper serving trays with four packs of ketchup and 6 bags of pepper. There were fries too, freshly made to order. And since these fries are so much heartier than the McD fries, it stands up well to gravy. A box of fries and a tub of gravy. Harmony done right.

Decadence is dinner!

Smores Saturday

Yay, it's Round Two, Game 1. The best to watch it? Earls Bridge Park in Burnaby. Woke up at the first intermission from a well-deserved nap. Mad love to the hostess who took our call and saved us a seat at the lounge. Got the Dry Ribs to start, as my friend had been craving it. It’s almost like the Big Mac from McDonalds – you have to get it, you know it’s going to be good, and no matter where you go, it’s the same!
Started the night (er, evening) with a bottle of the Perrin & Fils Cotes Du Rhone wine. Yes, a whole bottle...live on the edge people. You can always bring it home if you can't finish it!

The Dry Ribs were perfect…salty and peppery, and juicy little riblets. Love the way you have to eat them with your hands, but your hands don’t get greasy because the ribs are juicy, but not greasy. There’s always just enough meat on each piece to make it worth sucking on the bone…just saying.

As good as we were trying to be, we needed to order another dish. We were deciding between the Certified Angus Beef Top Sirloin Sandwich and the Sicilian Pizza. A desire for the tried and true won out and we went the pizza route.

What could be more satisfying than salami, capicollo and bacon, baked with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese? Once we received our requested condiments of chilli flakes and parmesan cheese, we were sitting pretty. Besides we were saving room for dessert.

Campfire Smores made it back onto the menu. If you have a sweet tooth, stop reading. What's better than a sandwich made with homemade graham cookies, filled with chococlate and marshmallows and drizzled with chocolate sauce? When you get TWO with every order. Plus they serve it with a scoop of chocolate and vanilla gelato. Wow…sugar heaven…hands down!