Miranda "Sassy Contessa" L.'s Profile

Simply put, the best meal I had in San Francisco.

Great drinks, great food, good atmosphere! my drink was divine and the food incredible.  Will be back.

Sigh. I hate being underwhelmed.

Reading these reviews - and the rave review from friends who had gone the night before - I think we were at a different restaurant (or maybe it was just everyone's day off).

The food was good. The steak was cooked well, the pulled pork appetizer was inventive and tasty,  the goat cheese cheesecake and creme brûlée desserts (really, we went all out) were good. Only - with a bill north of $150 for the two of us and with rave reviews sending us there, we were expecting more than passable for the price.

Staying in Tofino, we opted for the hour long round trip after we were able to score a reservation for the chef's table in the hopes of a great experience similar to all the reviews we read here. Sadly, we didn't get it. No chit chat other than a quick "hi", no explanations of what was being done or the elusive extra bite of something special. In retrospect, it must have been the chef's night off because what we saw was no more than assembly of pre-prepared ingredients and sauces. Even the timing was off, we were looking forward to a long meal lingering over drinks and dessert, but with our appetizers in front of us literally less than 5 minutes after walking in the door we were in and out in barely over an hour. It was kind of like a really expensive and better prepared fast food.

In retrospect, fish tacos and a bottle of wine on our patio overlooking the water would have been a far better option for a great night, and at a fraction of the cost. I just wish our experience had been different, and matched the rave reviews others have given this place. We come to the area a few times a year, but won't be back to this one.

I adore Big Lou's.

A block away from our place, we've started going every week to buy meat for what's turning into a summer of delicious BBQ!

I love that if I don't see what I want I can ask - they'll either magically produce it from the back, or they can get it for me. I also appreciate the constant selection of things like meats with their own rubs or wrapped this or stuffed that - I never walk out with just one thing, and usually it's something they've created rather than just cut.

Like any butcher shop there are expensive cuts and cheaper ones, and to anyone who buys a $20 steak unintentionally there are prices listed for a reason! If you can't visualize how many grams a steak is to do the math yourself, then ask. There's no shame in asking, but there is shame in bashing a company on yelp because you couldn't be bothered to find out how much what you selected cost before you checked out. Ahem.

Outside of the butcher side of things, the sandwiches - though pricey - are also amazing. I've tried most of them now, and even catered a small event with these things to rave reviews from the crowd.

Sooo glad these guys opened up in our neighborhood. I'm looking forward to a very delicious summer all thanks to Big Lou's!

Got Craft rocks my indie craft world!

The lineup starts in the wee hours of the morning as die hard fans line up for one of the ultra coveted swag bags, which are completely worth it, by the way.

Once inside, fair goers are treated to the best of Vancouver handmade - it's like walking through the pages of Etsy in person, which - by the way - is an amazingly good thing.

I love love love that when finding goodies for myself and as gifts for others I get the opportunity to chat with the person who made the item, and know I'm supporting local artists and crafters. Good times.

Got Craft happens twice a year in May and December, and it feels like an eternity between each show. Don't miss the next one!

Vancouver has a thriving indie craft & design scene, and Make It is one of the big kids right at the centre of it!

So many fabulous designers and makers - some local and a few visiting from other cities - come together to give show goers an incredible selection of hand made talent all under one large roof.

Unlike other shows, the lush in me really appreciates that liquor is available while I shop for gifts and for myself (or, more likely, for me, me, me, gift, me, me, me), and with more than one day to hit the show it's easier to schedule in.

Hands down, this is a show not to be missed in Vancouver or in any of the other cities Jenna & partner in crime Chandler have expanded to.

Go! Have a blast! Buy handmade, and support local small business!

Go Go Business east of Main!

Living in the area, it's been exciting to watch as places start to pop up East of Gastown, and this is one of the most recent new additions to the area East of Main st - which is really exciting. Powell St. especially has lots of potential, looking forward to see what the next few years holds for this strip.

LanaLou's is quite large, with plenty of seating for small and large groups alike. Much of the furniture and decor has been pulled from one or more old churches, with plans in the works for some very cool theme based private tables. Very neat vibe.

The food was diner with a twist... loved the cinnamon coffee, and the attention paid to create new dishes like the apple pie french toast. Portions were reasonable and our large group was left happy having consumed too much coffee and with full bellies. Diner prices were great as well.

As a brand new place on a sketchy street, they are still way too quiet for weekend brunch and as such they were staffed with one waitress and one person in the back, so if coming in with a large group sit back and enjoy the coffee while you wait for your food to come up. That is what Sunday brunch with friends is about I'm pretty sure, although the two friends who had to eat and run had their food super fast so this wouldn't be a problem if you're there with anything less than the 12 people we showed up with ;)

Even more exciting was the fact that they are open at night, and have been setting themselves up as a venue for shows. Live music and cheap beer? Can't wait to visit again!

Website is in the works with full details, which should go live fairly soon according to our very cute and attentive server

They say you can have something cheap, fast, or good - and to choose two. Well, Antons has all three.

There's a reason there's always a line! Pro tip: even with a line, parties of two usually get in quite quickly as they're easier to seat. Alternatively, head down after the dinner rush (8 or 9pm) and you should be able to get right in.

The menu is intimidating and it's true some dishes are more memorable than others. My favourite is the Penne Antonio - if you're stuck and that sounds good, stop there.

The biggest thing about Anton's is that the portions are MASSIVE. As in, family style pasta for a family of four just by adding salad and bread massive. Without adding anything extra (why fill up on bread or the green stuff?) one dish is plenty for two very hungry people.

Except, ordering one to share misses the point.

The point of Anton's is to stuff yourself there, then take the rest home and eat for the next two or three days. I can also confirm that it freezes reasonably well if you can't do it two days in a row, or if you're heading out of town. Making multiple meals out of it makes this place one of the cheapest places to eat in town!

Their homemade Tiramisu is also incredible, and it's available to go if you can't fit another bite at the end of your meal.

And finally - they do offer takeout which is a great way to feed a crowd, but you actually get substantially less food than if you eat in store as the takeout containers simply are not large enough (my leftovers after stuffing myself still entirely fill a large container). It's still worth it cost wise, but don't expect the same quantity!

Vera's moved into Gastown about a year ago, and has been a treat since!

Definitely not for very day (neither the waistline or the pocket book could handle that), but for an "I'M STARVING" lunch or quick bite for dinner it's perfect.

The burgers are gigantic, juicy, and smothered in, well, whatever you'd like them to be smothered in.

Once you add drinks prices are definitely restaurant prices vs. fast food prices, but that's OK - the food has nothing in common with fast food, even though it's a quick take out option.

There's usually not enough room to sit if you're there at lunch, but if you do happen to snag a seat the space is gorgeous  - love the exposed brick and the cowhide booths.

I hate it when a place is otherwise fabulous but it's completely overshadowed by a complete B&#$% of a server. Wait, did I say that out loud?

I wish I could split out my rating, because I'd give Cascade 4 stars but the server one or two.

On the space/food/drinks: Great. Large enough tables for groups, cocktails packed full of liquor (2-3 oz according to the menu), delicious drinks and food alike.

The server, however? Missed her day in charm school, apparently. In the restaurant business things happen - and you know? We mere mortals get that. Things get missed, forgotten, need to be remade, and sometimes people simply screw up. What matters when it comes to customer experience is how the problem is handled... and in this case, it simply wasn't.

Taking over an hour to bring out a burger? Major error. Not bothering to apologize when it happens? Not cool. Finally coming up with a feeble attempt at "I'm Sorry" when you're handing the debit machine to someone else at the table, you know, when they're going to decide how much to tip you? That's class. And finally - arguing about it when asked what happened, rather than admitting you screwed up or even remotely trying to resolve the problem, albeit too late? Clearly above you.

So - Cascade gets 3 stars for me. Clearly this experience is not the norm by other reviews and that's a good thing, but if you land in Nicole D's section (according to our bill), I'd ask for another table.

Urban Source is this crazy little Main Street shop that somehow takes unwanted industrial scraps and similar junk and turns it into a crafter's dream.

You can always find things here that you've never even thought of, and that you will never find anywhere else. My only complaint is that I find that much of the store is full of the same stuff time and time again, otherwise I would go more frequently.

Disclaimer: unlike Michaels *choke* or the like, this place will actually require you to get creative to come up with new ideas for what the heck to do with the stuff you find... It's like cooking from scratch with whatever you find in the garden rather than popping in a TV dinner and calling yourself a cook.

Enjoy the process!