HAMILTON STREET GRILL

Location: 1009 Hamilton St, Vancouver
Telephone: 604.331.1511
Website: HAMILTON STREET GRILL

“SEEMS TO BE A WINNER”



One of Yaletown’s regular haunts is the HAMILTON STREET GRILL located on the aptly named Hamilton Street in you guessed it, Yaletown. I’ve been there for dinner, I’ve been there for a staff party and now I’ve been for lunch and all three times, the meals were good. Not great, just good. It would probably be better if there weren’t so many similar restaurants like this one in Vancouver. It seems that a large number of our fair city’s eateries suffer from a similar syndrome: the lack of originality.

Now I don’t want to get on a soapbox here because there are hundreds of unique and original restaurants in Vancouver worthy of enjoying and filled with good eats but it seems like in the core of our downtown, there are a lot of similar themed joints with similar styled menus that offer similar tasting food. Oh, HAMILTON STREET GRILL offers up a pulled-pork sammich? So does Dix and both Earls and Keg have it as a special this week. You see what I mean? I know we can never escape this as it comes with the territory of having so many different places to choose from, you’re bound to get some cross pollination. I just wish that sometimes it wasn’t so blatant. Anyways, on with the meal….

This time around, a few folks from work got together for a quick bite at HSG and this is what we had: 4-cheese Macaroni with Chorizo Sausage, Pulled Pork Sammich and Grilled Chicken Penne. I chose the Macaroni, a deep dish bubbling over with cheese and bits of grilled Chorizo thrown in for good measure. While rich and filling, believe it or not, I found it somewhat dry, like they baked it for just a bit too long as they top and bottom had lost the goo and crisped up. The center was nice and flowing with gooey cheesy goodness. My buddy Nate had the Pulled Pork and in his own words, “I’ve ordered this nine times and I’m ordering it again… it’s good”. When I asked him if he’d every tried anything else on the menu, he said “sure but I like the Pulled Pork Sandwich, it’s the best”. Finally, Ben ordered the Grilled Chicken Penne with an extra breast of chicken, the thing was a monster and he devoured it like it was his last meal (Ben works out… a lot). He was quite please with the chicken itself and the sauce of the perfectly cooked pasta saying “it’s quite tasty”.

So HAMILTON STREET GRILL seems to be a winner. Friendly and quick service, good food and decent prices make it a solid yaletown destination choice for the lunchtime crowd. Next time, I want to grab a quick and tasty meal over the lunch hour, I’m sure I’ll find it at HAMILTON STREET GRILL.

RATING: 6/10 FULL BELLIES

MILESTONES GRILL & BAR

"SOLID FOOD & SOLID SERVICE"

Location: 1109 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Telephone: 604.684.9111

Website:MILESTONES

There are a number of different MILESTONES locations to choose from in our fair city but the wife and I seem to continuously return to one in particular, the Yaletown one, why? Two simple reasons, solid food and solid service.

MILESTONES as a franchise seems to have gone through a major image retooling as they now call themselves a "Grill & Bar" and they now focus on "Canadian casual fine-dining restaurant giving its guests a vibrant and inviting place to enjoy an exciting twist on the classic Milestone's experience". What does that mean to you and me? It's modern, it's upscale, everything is .50 cents more and there are a lot of new things on the menu.

This Thanksgiving weekend we met a few friends for lunch and all of us started with the classic Caesar cocktail. I always start brunch with a Caesar and the Milestones Caesar doesn't disappoint. Smirnoff vodka, Mott’s Clamato, house-made Worcestershire sauce and a Blaze’s spicy bean adorn this tasty beverage, in fact it's so nice, I had it twice! I'm a big fan of their homemade Worcestershire Sauce and always ask for a Caesar "extra dirty".

With the drinks out of the way, it was time for some "thanksgiving nosh". The gents had the same deal, The Smoked Turkey Club while the girls went the breakfast route and had the Eggs Milestones and the Prime Rib Hash.

15 minutes later the food arrived and thank the maker, we were all starved. I am a huge fan of Milestones sandwiches & burgers and the Smoked Turkey Club does not disappoint, it's a monster meal. Served on toasted cranberry sourdough, the piles of turkey come with double-smoked bacon, sliced Roma tomato, and whole-grain mustard mayonnaise. They also add this kick ass spicy house-made avocado salsa to the mix that takes it to the next level. Add those classic curly fries and ask for a side of the "sesame mayo" (it's the dip that usually comes with the the Thai Drummettes) and trust me, you are in for one hell of a "flavourgasm".

My wife went with the Prime Rib Hash as she described as "sweet and tasty". Slow roasted and thinly sliced prime rib morsels tossed with crispy seasoned potatoes, bell peppers, sweet onion and roasted corn. The whole shebang is topped with two poached eggs, decadent hollandaise sauce and on the side, Roma tomatoes and grilled herb toast. Nice!

The final was also the classic Brunch spectacular with a twist, Eggs Milestones. Two poached eggs and more of that kick ass hollandaise sauce over sliced tomatoes, house-made avocado salsa and cream cheese on two slices of those great english muffins. The meal is served with house-fried potatoes and trust me, it's good. I've tried a lot of different Eggs Benny in my day, some good, some sloppy, some overcooked and some just plain bad and Eggs Milestones always holds up.

All in all, our experience at the newly renovated Yaletown MILESTONES was great. The new decor is eye-pleasing, the staff is on-the-ball and the food is still tasty and enjoyable. I am a little sad that the pizza oven is gone as they made one of the better pies around but the brunch and the rest of the menu makes up for it. Like I said, solid service and solid food.

RATING: 7/10 FULL BELLIES

JIMMY'S TAP HOUSE

"THE WORST WINGS I'VE HAD IN A WHILE"

Location: 783 Homer St, Vancouver
Telephone: 604-689-2800
Website: No Website

Sometimes you just want a quick bite and there are tons of choices downtown, so I decided to give JIMMY'S a try. A lot of folks at work go there and the place was packed to the gills on this particular day. I went with two co-workers and decided to order a couple of appetizers: Steak Bites and Hot Wings.

First off, the Steak Bites were quite tasty, tender and mildly spiced bits of beef coupled with a tangy sauce for dipping. They were worthy of another bite. Unfortunately, the second appy was nowhere near as good. I asked for some Hot Wings that were extra cripsy and minutes later I was given a plate of cold wings. I kid you not, they were cold, not warm, cold and if extra crispy means soggy? Then yes they were extra crispy... I mean soggy. What a disappointment, you'd think in this day and age, when every other restaurant in town offers decent wings it amazes me that some places still offer crap and think they can get away with it. These were the worst wings I've had in a while.

Despite the popularity of JIMMY'S, I think it will be a long time before I return as a bad plate of wings will deter me for a quite a while. This place may still be popular with my co-workers but it isn't with me.

RATING: 1/10 FULL BELLIES

KINGSTON TAPHOUSE & GRILLE

"LONG WAIT TIMES FOR SO-SO FOOD"

Location: 755 Richards St, Vancouver
Telephone: 604-681-7011
Website: KINGSTON

Another local haunt for us Downtown work folk is the KINGSTON TAPHOUSE & GRILLE, a multi-layered sportsbar type eatery with a hidden patio and decent-sized drink list. While it is a good place to hang out and watch the game or have an informal team get-together, I've never been blown away with the food and that statement still holds true today.

I went to lunch at the KINGSTON with a co-worker around 12:20pm and were greeted with a fairly busy room. We were sat immediately to paruse the menu and within moments a waitress was there. We ordered the Asian Style Calamari to share, my friend ordered the Grilled Chicken Salad and I took on the Smoked Chicken Alfredo Pizza. The waitress commented that the new Calamari was much better than the old Calamari and then went on to describe what was in it. My friend and I looked at each other awkwardly since I had already ordered the dish, we didn't really need it sold to us after the fact but I appreciated the effort. Alas, we were off to the races.


About 10 minutes later we were greeted with the extremely tasty Calamari which came with Serrano peppers and a pickled Ginger dipping sauce. The waitress was right, the calamari was great, crispy but not oily and the sauce was out of this world, so far, so good. After our plates were cleared however, we waited over 20 minutes for our entrees. My friend's salad came with Blue Cheese even though she asked for Goat Cheese (and on the menu the salad actually comes with Feta), they swapped it immediately. My pizza was big and loaded with toppings (Chicken, onions, 3 types of Mushrooms)although it was somewhat dry, almost like it had been under the heat lamp for too long. Even if it were fresh, it needed some kick to really make the flavour come alive.


To the KINGSTON's credit, they did take off 40% of the salad due to the error but that doesn't make up for the eons it took to recieve the meal. A long wait time for so-so food does not solidify repeat business and I think the KINGSTON will not be at the top of my list the next lunch hour someone at work asks me where I want to go to eat.

RATING: 3/10 FULL BELLIES

BANANA LEAF

"EVERYTHING TASTED SO GOOD"

Location: 1096 Denmen Street, Vancouver
Telephone: 604-683-3333
Website: BANANA LEAF

This is my second meal at BANANA LEAF and it was every bit as good as the first time. We got there at 6:15pm and the place was packed which I wasn't expecting, by the time the appetizers came around, there was a line-up at the door. The BANANA LEAF is a smaller eatery but it's hopping.

As I said, we sat down and ordered drinks (Mai Tai & San Pelligrino) and some appies: Roti Canai - Flaky layered bread with curry dip and Gado-Gado Salad - Cooked bean sprouts tofu salad with potato & cucumber, topped with egg & satay sauce. The Roti was sublime but the Curry Sauce while tasty could have used more kick. The Salad however was fantastic, the sprouts mixed with the tofu and satay sauce was a magic combination, I would definitely order it again.

For our mains we had Scallops in Caramelized Ginger Sauce with Kicap Manis - Jumbo Scallops in caramelized ginger & garlic enriched with Malaysian black sweet sauce and Nonya’s Style Curry Boneless Chicken - Boneless chicken breast simmered in creamy curry with lemon grass, coconut cream. Both dishes were an absolute knockout! The scallops were big and juicy while that caramelized ginger sauce could be a dish on its own, it's that good. The Chicken curry was also extremely flavourful and much lighter than I was expecting.

We were in and out of the BANANA LEAF in 75 minutes with full bellies and smiles plastered on our faces. Everything tasted so good and the bill was under $65, not bad at all. We will definitely be returning to the BANANA LEAF for a third adventure!

RATING: 8/10 FULL BELLIES

THE SHORE CLUB

"IT'S A GOOD STEAK, I WAS JUST EXPECTING MORE"

Location: 688 Dunsmuir Ave, Vancouver
Telephone: 604-899-4470
Website: SHORE CLUB

Growing up in Vancouver, I can still remember the days when the historic Hudson building used to be home to Science World (pre-expo), then for a while it sat empty gathering dust until last year when the whole block transformed. Now 688 Dunsmuir is home to one of the swankiest restaurants in town, a place memorable for its décor, and professional service. A place that offers the day's freshest fish and seafood, as well as succulent prime Alberta steaks, in a dynamic, high-energy atmosphere. Welcome to THE SHORE CLUB.

Now normally, I wouldn't venture into a place like this unless it was for a special occasion as it is quite pricey but when a work function took us there, I was excited to try it out. First off, THE SHORE CLUB is beautiful, it is a great looking room, the lighting, the bar, the reception area, the private rooms, the kitchen, the tables, the overall ambiance, it gives you a great feeling and builds up the expectation of enjoying a better-than-good meal. Next you see the serving staff, top notch, well dressed in white button-up dinner jackets, extremely attentive without being obtrusive and always there to fill up your glass without you having to ask.

The menu is a one-pager (a nice change from the usual novel you find in most eateries) filled with delicious looking choices but right off the bat I was reminded again that this was an expensive place and that luckily I wasn't paying for this meal.

Sitting at a table of over 16 people, it was hard to see what everyone was having but I will share what my little corner of the world ate. One co-worker ordered the Herb-Dusted Sea Bass baked, with mixed beans, ancho-chili aioli which he said was quite tasty. Another co-worker ordered the server-recommended classic Bouillabaisse with king and snow crab, prawns and fresh fish in saffron broth which she said was "the freshest she's ever tasted". Finally I ofcouse had the thick cut Filet Mignon and a side of Mashed Potatoes.

SHORE CLUB is the sister restaurant to GOTHAM STEAKHOUSE and calls itself a Chop House so I had to give the meat a try. The Filet was good, obviously fresh and delicately seasoned but it did not blow me away. Like my red wines, I like a steak that packs a punch, an explosion of flavor and I didn't get that with the SHORE CLUB Filet Mignon. At prices hovering around the $50 mark for steak, I expect a party in my mouth with each bite. I guess I wasn't invited to the party. Don't get me wrong, it's a good steak, I was just expecting more.

As for the Mashed Potatoes, these were a bit of a disappointment as they lacked flavor and seemed a tad overcooked. For dessert we shared the Key Lime Pie which also left me unfulfilled, nowhere near as tart as I would have liked.

Overall THE SHORE CLUB is a must see, the room itself and the service is outstanding. The food is also quite good but at these prices, there is equal or better and cheaper elsewhere in the city but that being said, if you are going out to impress, it's hard to beat the overall experience that THE SHORE CLUB offers.

RATING: 6/10 FULL BELLIES

THE REEF

"WE WILL DEFINITELY BE GOING BACK FOR SECONDS..."

Location: 1018 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
Telephone: 604-568-JERK
Website: THE REEF

I’ve heard about THE REEF for quite some time but have never eaten there until now. As their latest location is close to our Neighborhood, the wife and I decided to walk down to their Commercial Drive home and sample some Caribbean cookery to see if all the good things we heard were true.

We arrived, were seated promptly and then sat slack-jawed as we investigated their robust and impressive Rum list. Mixing rums, shooting rums, sipping rums plus a cavalcade of rum cocktails… THE REEF is indeed “rum paradise”. With a few cocktails on the way, I ordered some Jerked Wings while we sampled some of their devilishly delicious Johnny Cakes (their version of Bread), a sinful doughnut-type bun served with an excelled coconut butter. The Wings arrived and they lived up to their name, tender fall-off-the-bone meat coupled with the smokey tastes of Jerk spice made this chicken appetizer a winner.

For our entrees, we both dove into the sea as my wife ordered the Swordfish special and I took on the Maracas Bay Mahi Mahi. As we waited for our meal, back to the Rum list we went and two more cocktails were ordered (damn, they are good). The meals arrived! The Curry and Lime pan-seared Mahi Mahi fillet was outstanding, firm yet juicy and bursting with flavour. It was served with a jicama & apple slaw, coconut rice and seasonal veggies, a winner as far as I was concerned. My wife’s Grilled Swordfish was another homerun, topped with a fresh Strawberry Salsa and served with curried rice & seasonal veggies. We shared both meals and were completely stuffed by the end.

What they say is true, THE REEF is a great restaurant. The staff is pleasant, the drinks ample and the food is quite tasty. We will definitely be going back for seconds… and thirds… and fourths.

RATING: 9/10 FULL BELLIES