Crystal "Queen of the Canadian Yelp-i-dom" H.'s Profile

It's taken me some time to come for an eating. Not because I haven't been curious, more because burgers just aren't a craving I have in Vancouver... until this past weekend. And StackHouse was first on my list to pig out at.

And you know what? I think it's my new burger joint favourite for three reasons: 1) Greening your burger here equals wrapping it in butter lettuce -- no extra charge 2) The sides: both the fries and the mesclun salad are da bomb! Especially the dressing, tomatoes and edamame beans 3) the prime rib patty - not greasy, perfectly moist.

Pair this with a trip to the beach, a sippy cup full of wine, a sunset (at Sunset Beach in this case) and a Sunday night dinner is served.

I hate coconut desserts, but I love coconut jellies - go figure. If you were to tell me that I'd crave lychee green tea slush with jellies, I'd tell you, you cray cray. But there's just something about the combo of textures that get's me every time. I used to think a slurpee was a good idea, until I broke the plastic seal with my oversized straw for the first time. And now, years later, I'm hooked.

Dragon Ball is a tiny place, if you want a seat, you should go early, as it seems to fill up the later it gets. The choices seem endless, and can be quite overwhelming. I avoid the powdered drinks on the left hand side of the menu and instead, opt to pay a wee bit more for freshness. All of the pearls I've had had been chewy, the jellies - fresh (if jellies can be fresh) and of course the tea itself is mouth watering!

It usually takes 5-10 minutes for them to make, depending on who is in line. And yes, there have been times where I've waited a solid 20 minutes for my bubble tea - but it's worth it.

PS. Take advantage of the free street parking on Oak just north of the intersection.

When we met Dana, it was at an Open House. And right away, I knew we were on the same "level." She sparkled with ideas for the kitchen of her listing, had knowledge about the building, the neighbourhood and you could tell, she was really passionate about her job.

Real estate might not matter too much to most -- unless you're actively looking for a new home -- but I'm kind of a real estate junkie. I search on MLS just for giggles, I go to open houses just for kicks. Heck, I'd probably would read strata minutes just to be on top of things. And I've met a lot of real estates agents. A. Lot. And most are just plain lame. Like car salesman lame. Like a bad comb over lame. Like a really bad pick up line, from a guy who is serious, lame.

But that's not Dana. She'll tell you that she could picture herself drinking a glass of wine on a balcony of a special property. Shel'll tell you that she doesn't trust a building because it hasn't been rainscreened, and she won't even let you view it.

She's also on-the-ball. Like working at MIDNIGHT on a Saturday to get an offer in for a Sunday. Like balancing my sometimes hectic travel schedule and Peter S's shift work. LIke rearranging her morning so she can get the keys to us early. Like texting the moment she gets back from her vacation just to check in.

It's nice to have someone on your side who will tell you it's okay if you don't make the purchase because you feel to financially stretched. Dana's no pressure. Actually, Dana's the one I credit with us not falling to pieces during all of the stressful moments. You NEED someone on your side when you're making such an involved purchase. Believe me, if she wasn't there for us, we'd be sitting ducks with F*ups from mortgage brokers, financial institutions etc.

Bottom line. She is knowledgable about her market (Vancouver proper) and she cares. She's worth every penny she makes in her commissions. And worth the bottle of wine I plan on treating her to from our new balcony!

You know, I love sauce. Like in a "I love, love, love sauce" kind of way. But I think I've met my match here. Sammy's takes sauce to an overwhelming extreme of on the sauce-pectation scale. Ordering a "salad" plate of chicken schwarma, I was (almost) taken aback by the relentless out pouring of sauce bottles: tatziki, garlic, and something sweet (perhaps Halifax sauce?), all swimming on my schwarma. Yes, it sounds like too much, but really, it was late night, we were starving, and it was worth it!

And then, as if that wasn't enough, I asked for extra pickles. If sauce was overwhelming, you ain't seen nothing yet,our smiling schwarma slinger seemed to say as he piled mine high with pickles. Be still my beating heart.

Warning: this is one tiny place, with only 4-5 stools. It's everything you'd want in a hole-in-the-wall late night eats kinda place.

*Cash + debit only.

If I could give 10 stars, 100 stars, 1000 stars, I think I would. Where to start?

The felt wall/art behind the front desk, naturally. From that moment on I knew I loved it here. Upstairs to my room with it's gorgeous rainshower head and rubbery (non slip) rock tiles, it's peekaboo frosted glass window and a wall full of mirrors and you basically have the bathroom of my dreams. I have never been cleaner in all of my life, all because I just had to take advantage of that shower!

Onto the rest of the room with it's awesome walk-in closet (sans door), complete with a built in shelf to rest your luggage on. Why doesn't every hotel have this? The hidden bank of outlets next to the desk, the view of downtown Calgary, the purple love seat at the foot of the bed. Yes I said purple. It was love at first sit.

And then, there's the bed. I haven't slept this well in ages. The heavy blankets are magically not too warm and the linens make my sheets at home feel like rags. I may or may not have told the front desk that I wanted to move in, permanently. There's just something about Le Germain, because somehow, it inspired me enough to get off my butt and into the gym twice in two days. Perhaps it was the sweeping views of downtown from the top floor gym that did it for me.  

I was lucky enough to have a weekend deal that came with complimentary breakfast on the 2nd floor. But honestly, I think I would have paid for it. It was quite a spread: a full brimming bowl of strawberries, another with mixed seasonal fruits, hard boiled eggs, an assortment of cheeses, plus the usual suspects: bagels, pastries, bread, cereal etc. Speciality coffees are available by request.

Needless to say, I'm one helluva fan of Le Germain. The only question I have now, when can I come back?

My first pit stop on Yelp's Passport to Local Beer, and although, it was a bit too early for me to indulge in some Alberta beers, it wasn't too early to eat. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you, a place designed for the pickiest of eaters!

You want it gluten-free? Lactose-free? Do you hate or love sautéed mushrooms? How about tomatoes? Come here for the bars* and you'll be rewarded with endless choice and possibility.  

*Bars I am referring to the  burger, steak, pizza, nacho and salad variety.

How it works:
Pick your bar (Note: It's not really a bar, more like a selection of toppings that you choose for $1.50 each). Then pick your toppings, your sides and your sauces.

Toppings include assortments of vegetables, guac, cheeses.
Sides include fries, sweet potato fries, soup, salad, raw veggies
Do keep in mind, the toppings and sides are $$$ on top of the main price, which can add up quick.

I went with the burger bar and topped my chicken burger with sauteed peppers and mushrooms. Side: Raw veggies and dip. No bun :) Although the GF bun option was available for $3 more than the kaiser.

The tally, $14:  Single burger ($7), sauteed mushrooms ($1.50), peppers ($1.50), raw veggies ($4).

Also, they have 50 kinds of wings, 25 of these are gluten-free. And on Sunday's for extra points, they're on special - $0.39/each.

Kid. Candy shop. Kid. Candy Shop. Kid. Candy shop. Wow, wow, wow.

The staff is the friendliest I've had the pleasure of meeting. And why shouldn't they be? They work in a store that specializes in fantasy. Get ready to see wigs of every shape and size (in affordable price ranges: $15-25), costumes of every flight and fancy for sale, and I did spy some pretty amazing rentals too (snow men, teddy bears, scary rabbits etc).

From costume shoes, wigs, accessories, tights, masks, and of course -- costumes (Strawberry Shortcake! Mad Hatter! Wenda and Waldo!!), The Costume Shoppe has me sold.

Extra points for shipping and having an online store. Bonus bonus points for pulling a brand new shipment out of the basement just so Wendy P and I could don our very own "Refreshinator" super hero costumes at Beer Fest.

After a long, drawn out, bumpy road to a real estate purchase paved with mortgage brokers and financial planners who continued to drop the ball on us, spending an hour with David was like a dream.

To start, Brandy and Natasha-- who are part of David's team-- were awesome. They were on the ball, their phone calls efficient, their emails were timely, and their patience, unwavering.

On this visit, the stakes and the documents were much higher: refinancing, purchasing, property transfer taxes, and on, and on, and on. But David was patient, knowledgeable and thorough. At the end of it all, we finally understood what we were signing, and walked away a lawyer referral for a matter other than wills and real estate AND with some sage landlord advice straight from David himself.

I don't know how you reserved 3 full tables for us, but Amy T, I tip my hat to you. Right after I don my stretchy pants and settle in for a culinary adventure through 9, maybe 10 dishes! I've never seen Peaceful so packed before, but with 20 yelpers and a set  menu that included dan dan noodles, egg + noodles (don't know the name of that delish dish), Szechuan beans, the beef roll, very-spicy tofu and cilantro, and a cucumber dish, I felt like one big family, eating Sunday dinner.

PLUS our table ordered chili eggplant, XLB, and northern style chicken curry. Thanks for taking a chance on a few of my favourites, Danielle B, Mark H, Janice F - I'm looking at you :) The best part - getting to try sooooooo many things! The second best part, it all came to $18/person.

There was talk of doing something like this again and mark my words, if I'm in town, I'm there!

Thanks again Amy!

The most exciting dates for me occur when friends (this time Reena M) suggest we meet somewhere I've never actually stepped foot in. Yes, that's right, "Hi, I'm Crystal H, long time enjoyer of a French Made Baking macaron, first time visitor" to the magic shoppe that produces these beauties.

The shoppe is small, with only one table and a handfull of stools to enjoy their magical creations, but because it's so small, it has that homey feeling. You can hear and smell the baking happening, and if you are so inclined, you can pull up a stool and watch the kitchen work.

My americano was beautiful, the heated up lava cake that I had for breakfast (don't judge) was moist, rich and gooey, and the service, was warm and friendly.

I've been a recipient of a box of macarons from French Made many times, and this weekend I finally got a chance to be the purchaser. They make a fantastic hostess gift: 6 macarons for $10. With flavours like raspberry chocolate, earl grey, green tea, vanilla etc, it would be tough to go wrong. Bonus: the 10% off check in offer they have on Yelp for purchases over $10.

I think it's safe to say, I'm a long time fan!