Sweet Stroll: Thomas Haas in North Vancouver

Fellas, what I’m about to tell you is quite possibly a dangerous secret weapon…a trump card, if you may. Girls love dessert. So what better way to ask a girl to go on a date with you then to ask her to try a new dessert place with you? It’s really hard to resist when a guy asks “I heard about a really good dessert place, want to check it out with me?” Really really hard.

West Coast Patio Dinner at Carderos

I like getting lost in the city. Every time that happens, it’s like a new adventure and a ticket to finding some awesome places. Cardero’s is one of those surprises I found while trying to navigate in the coal harbour area.

Casual Date: Q Go Ramen

Located near the busy intersection of Granville and Broadway, Q Go Ramen is Vancouver’s newest store to enter Vancouver’s ramen scene. As an avid ramen fan, I was excited to visit them on their opening day. When I went by Q Go at noon, there was already a queue forming. I decided to come back later in the afternoon so I would get a better sense of the place..

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Crème de la crop! UBC Botanical Garden Apple Festival

This weekend, I went out to the Apple Festival with DL that I recommended to my readers. Here are some of the pictures that I took. By the time I arrived, they were sold out of apples and my ORGANIC APPLE JUICE! Argh! (ssSP! Scroll to the botttom for a really funny picture.)

Volunteers selling apple pies. Huge lineup, really popular!
I got to try apples and rate them on their appearance and taste.
Different types of apples mixed with other fruits
 
Homemade apple cider. Slightly too bitter.
Do you see anything wrong with the picture below?

I had a really fun time exploring the Botanical Garden -- will come back for a future date!

An apple a day keeps the doctors away! 

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Win a $25 Gift Certificate - two winners! Just a Date Blog's Two Month Anniversary Giveaway

My first post was dated August 14th and two months certainly went by pretty fast. To commemorate this mini milestone, I have prepared two gift certificates to give away to two lucky bumblebees!

 


These two $25 gift certificates are good in any of the Sequoia Company of restaurants which includes:
  • Teahouse in Stanley Park
  • Seasons in the Park at Queen Elizabeth Park
  • Cardero's in Coal Harbor
  • Sandbar on Granville Island

These are all great restaurants and I would love to share them with you!


How To Win?
To enter, you must
1. Be a follower via Google Friend Connect, Twitter, etc. (just click follow on the right hand side)
2. Leave a comment on this post along with an email address that I can contact you with. (One entry per person)

Optional Extra Entry
Mention this giveaway with this link (http://bit.ly/b7odII) attached on Facebook/Twitter  and submit URL through another comment (One extra entry per person)

Dates
The giveaway will end at 11:59 pm on October 24th. International readers are welcome to participate as well. Winners will be announced on the 27th.


Thank you
Just wanted to take a quick chance to thank everyone for their support. This blog would be nothing without you  =)


Good Luck!

*Restaurant images taken for their website
Website: http://www.vancouverdine.com/sequoia0experience.aspx

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Upcoming Events: UBC Botanical Garden Apple Festival

Wondering what to do this weekend?

  • Located at the UBC Botanical Garden (map)
  • October 16 and 17, 11 am - 4 pm
  • Entry $2; Food tasting:+$3

An apple a day keeps the doctors away! I stopped eatting apples everyday so maybe that's why I've gotten sick lately. Just wanted to let my readers know about this cool upcoming apple festival that will be fun to check out on a date. On October 16th and 17th, UBC Botanical Garden will be introducing their Annaul Apple Festival, from 11am to 4pm. Admission is only $2 and for an extra $3, you will get to taste the different varieties of apples as well.

There will be products on sale there as well. I, for one, know I'm bringing home some organic apple juice!

About activities happening on that day from their website:
The Vancouver Island-based BC Fruit Testers Association mounts a display of the nearly 200 apple varieties still grown in British Columbia. Members of the association are on-hand to give demonstrations of grafting and cider-pressing. Try to stump them with apple varieties from your garden, as they are also available to identify apples (hint: bring along six apples from your unidentified tree). Nearby, Master Gardeners discuss apple-related diseases and pest management. Or, at any time of the year, you can visit UBC Botanical Garden's online Fruit Trees discussion forum!

Have fun

P.S. Happy TEN day! Post will be published at 10/10/10 at 10:10 am
UBC Botanical Garden Apple Fest website: http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/events/applefest.php

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Fresh Out of the Water: Screaming Mimi’s Seafood Deli and Steamer

  • Located in Lonsdale Quay (map)
  • Accessible by Seabus. Street parking available
  • Casual ambiance and great fresh seafood

Having never been to North Vancouver before this year, the discovery of Lonsdale Quay (Quay is pronounced ‘key’, as in house key) really fun for me. Ever since, it has always been a market of unique and special things. The easiest method, I think, of visiting Lonsdale Quay Market is by taking the SeaBus. While I plan to assemble the marvels of Lonsdale Quay in a post, for now, I would like to share a quick lunch place located inside the Quay.  


The night before I met up with JS, I told a friend that I really wanted to try Screaming Mimi’s. So when JS asked if I wanted to this restaurant, I was extremely stoked to see him. (Great minds think alike!)

Screaming Mimi’s is located right next to the entrance that is closest to the Seabus terminal in Lonsdale Quay. This is definitely a good place to have a quick bite or a casual lunch.


If you are a seafood lover, specifically oysters, you must try Screaming Mimi’s Seafood Deli and Steamer. Oysters seem like their specialty; they offer creamy baked oysters, jalapeno oyster on a bun, fried oysters, and raw oysters. You can even pick your own live lobster or crab and have them steam it for you.



They have buckets of various fresh mussels, crabs, lobsters, clams, and oysters on the counter. Seating is limited in the store – there are a few tall bar-stools and tables. The décor is really interesting but beware that this place smells like fish. Not everyone may be able to stand this smell.

Jumbo Steamed Beach Oysters with Butter and Lemon
$19.95 for half a dozen
Always on a lookout for oysters with the perfect balance between fresh and sea water, JS and I ordered half a dozen of their Jumbo Steamed Beach Oysters served with butter and lemon. Like I mentioned at an early post (Cardero's), the oysters' growing environment affects how they taste. The ones I tried at Screaming Mimi’s were different from those at Cardero’s.  These plump oysters were bolder with a saltier taste of the ocean. I sprinkled lemon juice on them and savoured their taste.

Halibut Clam Chowder with Tomato Base
Small $3.99
Like kids, JS and I both jumped at the option of adding halibut to our Clam Chowder. Unfortunately, they were sold out of their crema rosa base and we had to try the tomato base instead. Not being a fan of tomatoes, this soup didn’t stimulate my taste buds at all. However, they did use a lot of fresh ingredients to prepare the soup; the halibut was delicious.
Mediterranean Seafood Cocktail$3.95 for 100g
Screaming Mimi’s also sold small appetizer dishes of freshly cooked seafood.  We decided to try two of these: Cocktail Prawns with Lemon Garlic Sauce (shown on the top of the post) and Mediterranean Seafood Cocktail. At first glance, the only difference between these two dishes is their sauce. The main ingredient in both dishes is prawns but the seafood cocktail also included bits of halibut and other seafood.

As a seafood lover, I love how casual this place is. Everything about this place evokes memories of the ocean and the fish smell guarantees fresh ingredients. Definitely give this place a try next time you visit North Vancouver!

Have fun


Screaming Mimi's Website: http://www.kostathefishmonger.com/deli.shtml

Screaming Mimi's on Urbanspoon

Monday, October 4, 2010

Cardero's Mussel Mania

A few readers asked whether there were any other deals besides the $25 Prime Rib on Sundays at Cardero’s. Let me direct your attention to their Mussel Mania that happens from Monday to Friday, 3pm to 6pm. Perfect for relaxing and enjoying the company of friends after a long day of work or school! Details below:


I’m not a big fan of beer so this deal doesn’t appeal to me as much as it does to others, but let me know if the mussels are good!

Have fun

Sunday, October 3, 2010

West Coast Patio Dinner at Cardero’s



  • Located at Coal Harbour: metered parking available (map)
  • Great restaurant to go on dates; Reservations recommended
  • Amazing ambiance; Separated into patio, dining area, bar, and lounge
  • Live music 9pm – 12 am, Sunday to Thursday



I like getting lost in the city. Every time that happens, it’s like a new adventure and a ticket to finding some awesome places. Cardero’s is one of those surprises I found while trying to navigate in the coal harbour area.





The dining area was separated into three sections: bar, lounge, and dining room. They also had a open kitchen which is always fun to watch. Also to note, Cardero’s offers live music in the pub at 9pm to 12 am from Sunday to Thursday.

Pina Colada (left)
and Strawberry Margarita (right)

Taking advantage of the warm weather, GT, AG, and I opted for a table on the patio. Overlooking the harbour, it was everything I could ask for. While the gentle breeze kept things cool and the west coast sunset as our background, we sipped on some girly cocktails and shared our appetizer of Five Jumbo Prawns ($13). I’m happy to report these prawns will not be used in any English oxymoron examples. These monsters had a nice firm texture and just enough sweetness to them. Highly Recommended!

We had a chance to speak with one of the chefs and he recommended we try the Fresh Shucked Oysters that were just shipped from Vancouver Island. The flavour of oysters is dependent on their growing environment. Factors such as salinity of water, mineral content of the water, and temperature all affect the flavour. They are often sold at market price which varies with the season. I was a little disappointed with the oysters at Cardero’s. Although their briny taste highlights their freshness, they lack the plumpness found in a substantive oyster.

Fresh Oysters on the half shell $2.50 each (taken from menu)



Pacific Sesame Crusted Albacore Tuna:  wasabi soy sauce, wok broccolini $25 (taken from menu)
For my main dish, I decided to order the Pacific Sesame Crusted Albacore Tuna. The portion was perfect for me and the tuna was fresh and prepared really nicely.

Wok Squid: crispy with garlic, chilies, onions, cilantro, ginger  $11 (taken from menu)
However, AG, who seems to have a knack for choosing Asian food in restaurants, was disappointed with his Wok Squid – he found the squid bland and the fried rice slightly oily.
Sunday Night Slow Roasted Prime Rib   $25
The Roasted Prime Rib that GT ordered was decent sized and had great taste - they offer this dish every Sunday for only $25.



Cardero’s is best known for their atmosphere and they certainly have done that really well. Food was good but nothing to write home about. However, what makes this a place ideal for a date is the walk you can have after dinner along the harbour. Seems like the perfect thing to do after a great dinner, right?

Have fun


Cardero's Website: http://www.vancouverdine.com/carderos0experience.aspx
Cardero's Address: 1583 Coal Harbour Quay, Vancouver
Cardero's Phone Number: 604.669.7666 

Cardero's on Urbanspoon

Just wanted to thank all my honeybees for patiently waiting for new posts. Love you all! ♥

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