Mercedes "Mercules" G.'s Profile

I discovered Johnny's in a booze -fueled hunger attack at some ungodly hour, realizing that I simply had to have pizza and that most sane establishments were closed.  I've ordered it a couple times since then (at reasonable times and with less alcohol in my system) and the pizza is just as tasty.

In fact, an Italian pizza aficionado friend of mine was heartily impressed with the the margherita pizza. Fresh toppings, piping hot, crust decent, though I'm a fan of a thinner crust, this would satisfy most thin-crust picky types such as myself.  

If you're on the hunt for good pizza in Van at particularly ridiculous times of the day, give Johnny's a call.

Sweet Jebus am I excited to write about Shizen-Ya! Finally, a fully organic, ocean wise, sustainable sushi joint in Vancouver! On top of all this progressive awesomeness, they serve brown rice which is tops for me due to various white rice sensitivities.  

I've eaten in and taken out here often enough to be on a first name basis with the lovely, accommodating and ALWAYS friendly staff of Shizen-Ya.  They fully commit to the organic, sustainable route not only sushi but also with the beverages from tea to organic Japanese beer and Saki.

If you're used to all-you-can eat god-knows-where-it-came-from, shark-fin infested cheap sushi resto's...all the more reason to get your arse to Shizen Ya.  Personally I think the prices are completely reasonable considering the quality, which is something I am no longer willing to sacrifice on and as a responsible citizen, neither should you.

The resto space is quite tiny, seating about 20-25 people, cozy and bright with high ceilings.  Everything prepared is excellent, my particular favourite is the spicy tuna sashimi which just melts in your mouth.

Sublime, environmentally responsible and open reasonably late. GO!

I'm terribly sorry that my review did not get posted before the death of this lovely bistro, but in support of the wonderful Corner Suite, I say thank you for one of the BEST meals I have had in years.  

The service was unbelievably attentive, the food sublime (with an excellent price-point) and the cocktails...where do I begin? Epic and intuitive.

It is a sad day when the city loses a truly lovely establishment that barely had the time to get its feet off the ground.

Best of luck to everyone at Corner Suite, we hope to see you soon.

XO

Let me start by saying, always trust your instincts - especially when it comes to service.

My man and I trekked half way round the city to have a rainy day brunch here as I'd heard that the food was local, organic and affordable.  When we arrived, it took a good 5 minutes for anyone to greet us. Bad sign, always has been and now, always will be (trust your instincts).

We decided to wait at the bar as there were no available tables.  A relaxed to the point of comatose, "who gives a shiz" server told us a table would be ready "y'know eventually, no worries man, no problem, we'll get you a table."...eventually.  We drank our lovely cocktails and waited. And waited. We waited until 3 tables cleared out and another couple came in and were seated at a table that was clearly meant for us.  Finally, after nearly 40 minutes and no one taking our order, we were told to go over and seat ourselves and bring our drinks over from the bar. AHEM!

At this point, we are nearly tipsy from booze on an empty tummy and agitated. Where in the sam hell is our food?!  An hour after we arrive, our food does too and honestly? Pretty lame dudes.  Talk about uninspired, I ordered the 8 1/2 breakfast with alder smoked bacon (very tasty bacon but not crispy enough), toast (cold and dry) and scrambled eggs (cold).  The portion was small and the plating felt dated.  Yawn worthy at best.

No one came by during our meal to see how we were doing or inquire as to whether we had enough cutlery (we didn't) or condiments (nope!).  

Thank jebus for that delicious bubbly cassis cocktail lulled me into a false sense of giddiness or the wrath of an under-serviced and underfed woman would have brought this place to its knees.

Sorry 8 1/2, I won't be back anytime soon. It is more than obvious that you are lacking motivation and inspiration as well as a staff who gives a rats arse.

**NEWS FLASH** I know, I know, where have I been you ask? Never mind that, life has been busy and while I still peruse Yelp I have been total crap at writing any recent reviews BUT this one will surely satiate the avid readers of my reviews (THANK YOU!).

ANYWAY - I am here to tell you all about the newest and most awesome hair tool gadget that the fabulous and talented IGNITE Beauty team have acquired.  

Curtis has been cutting and styling my hair for nearly 3 years now and he has NEVER let me loose with anything but a fab new do. My latest is no exception and for kicks, I had the opportunity to try out a VERY new and EXCLUSIVE gadget from Germany company Jaguar, who specialize in top quality shears and scissors.  They call it the *Thermo-Cut System" and I was introduced to it as a *Wellness Cut*.  

So what the heck is it?!  They are a pair of scissors connected to a power source and the blades heat up to desired and customizable temperatures.  With conventional scissors the hair strands remain open to damage from everything you can imagine; with Thermo-Cut, the heat actually seals the hair ends while it cuts, keeping the hair in its natural state of excellence, sans damage, shiny and full of volume.

Sound crazy? Believe it people!  I have fine, wispy, frustratingly damaged hair and these scissors have done wonders.  The lovely folks at Ignite charge $30.00 on top of the regular cost of a cut, and with lower than average prices on normal cuts, it is STILL more affordable than MANY salons in the city who DON'T have the Thermo-Cut system.

Ignite is currently the ONLY salon in Vancouver to use the Thermo-Cut system = EXCLUSIVE!

If you don't already go to Ignite for your beauty needs, now you have one more awesome reason to get your lovely head of hair down to Abbott Street, pronto!

When my boyfriend is in town, we have a tendency to eat breakfast at Theresa's nearly everyday he is here.  He is addicted to the toast and potatoes and I love a place where the food comes out in the blink of an eye, tastes brilliant and costs little.  

Theresa's isn't open for very long and you have to get your own water and coffee, so if this isn't your vibe, don't go.  Otherwise, this is the top place for brekkie on the Drive before 2pm.  Delish!

I have to agree with Kath R. on this one but I won't begin this review by berating Benkei because it isn't Motomachi.

I had completely forgotten that this new location had opened and I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon it yesterday evening as the West End tends to be a "black hole" for dining choices and I had little time to be wandering around looking food.

In record time, I had ordered, slurped up my noodles and paid the cheque ($7.30). The same day, I paid 9.00 for a pre-made salmon sandwich at Cafe Artigiano which took just as long to grill as my noodles at Benkei took to eat. What a crock!

While I still prefer the cozy Motomachi's noodles over Benkei, the new location is well appreciated the noodles are satisfying enough to save me from buying sandwiches from coffee shops.

One of the only fitness centres along The Drive, Spartacus is the most low-key, affordable and comfortable fitness centres I have ever had the pleasure of sweating in.  

The staff is friendly and the classes are taught by knowledgable, skilled and lovely instructors who only want to see you do your best (not to see you in your short shorts...ladies, you know what I'm talking about) or see you suffer.  The owners are vivacious and clearly love life, with a no-nonsense attitude to fitness that has served them well.

Did I mention the affordability of Spartacus? Impressively low prices that make working out easy on you and your budget.

Aye Caramba! I hadn't been to Julio's in eons and now I remember why.  Part of me wonders why the heck this place is still open but then I look around at the clientele and it all makes sense.  

I love my friends but I don't love their taste in casual restaurants, particularly when they dragged me to Julio's during my visit back home.  When the three of us arrived, it took about 10 minutes for one of the counted 6 servers and 2 bartenders on staff to come up and ask if we wanted to be seated.  If there was a hostess on staff, she should be canned asap.

I've never been a fan of pseudo-touristy-Mexican restaurants with cheesy decor because I just know the food is going to be as cliche as humanly possible and of course, it was.  I ordered portabello mushroom fajitas which were okay, but certainly nothing like what I've had in Mexico or any decent Mexican establishment.

What really chapped my arse was the service.  Not only was it near dead in the restaurant the night we went in, but there were at least 15 staff on minus the kitchen and we still had slow, sporadic service with a new server every time.  From where we were sitting we could see the servers and bartenders mingling around the bar, chatting with friends and generally ignoring the fact that they were being paid to do very little.  I can't imagine what a tip-out on a night like this must be, but it sure wouldn't be worth it.  When I see that many useless staff on the floor, I can only imagine who manages this joint and how much moolah they must be losing.

Regardless, I honestly hope they shut this place for good and open up something spectacular here because the location is gold.  Or at least, change the name...!

I don't remember the last time I had an absolutely satisfying, delicous and perfectly cooked meal as the one I had on Thursday evening at Grub.  

You know its fantastic food when you cannot find a single thing to bitch about.

Go. Now!