Tag Archives: Brunch

Love & Hate – Spaghett About It

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As we continue to work our way through my likes and dislikes of a meal, here are the main courses the Sip Advisor loves:

Sandwiches

The first place my eyes dart to on any menu is the sandwich section, sometimes known as handhelds. Do they have a BLT or Clubhouse? Perhaps a Pulled Pork, Reuben or Beef Dip? I love me a good sando, as they are also one of the better meals to have leftovers of and can be consumed cold or reheated later.

Burgers

Right after sandwiches, I’m going to peruse the burger options. Some of my favourite meals of all-time have featured a burger and many-a-restaurant has made me a returning customer due to a delish bun and meat masterpiece. My only complaint regarding burgers is how messy they can get… but that can also be part of the fun!

Burger

Bowls

I’ve really become a fan of various bowls, whether they be rice, noodle, poke, etc, there are so many good possibilities in this food phylum. There’s something about these mixes, including various veggies, that makes me feel I’m actually eating healthy for change. Just please keep kale out of all bowls going forward. Signed, EVERYONE!

While some menu sections immediately draw my eye, others are easy to skip entirely. Here are the main course options I hate:

Breakfast/Brunch

Brunch is among Mrs. Sip’s favourite meals. Why? Well, is she female? Yep, that checks out. Whenever we go to a place at these ungodly hours, I’m hoping they offer lunch items. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. On the occasions that I do lose, I take defeat graciously. Nah, I’m a grumpy, miserable prick, but I do trudge through and order whatever closest resembles lunch and do my best to present and pleasant front. The only reason to go to brunch is to get your day drinking started early.

Brunch

Pasta

I make damn good pasta dishes – just ask six-year-old Girl Sip, whose has given dad a Michelin star for his patented beef and noodles mix – and feel paying for one, unless we’re in a fine restaurant, is a waste of moolah. I will also go the pasta route if we’re travelling in Italy, but even there, I’m more likely to order some sort of pizza or calzone.

Nachos

Similar to pasta, I just feel I make better nachos than most restaurants. Like, mine don’t turn into sloppy messes of liquid cheese and limp chips. Plus, when you make a plate of nachos at home, there’s no stopping what creations you can dream up, even with my hampered imagination. I get that nachos can be a fun thing to share amongst a group, but you typically walk away feeling you didn’t get your fair share of the meal.

Love & Hate: Spaghett About It

Spaghett About It

  • 1 oz Campari
  • Top with Beer
  • Garnish with an Orange Wedge

This cocktail came up in my search for the best cocktails to pair with pasta and the name is definitely noteworthy. We’re two-thirds of the way through our meal now. I hope you saved room for dessert!

Sip Trips #3 – Celebration Central

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After a slow start to January – drinking wise – this last week was full of revelry, as we celebrated Mrs. Sip’s birthday and a couple other events.

We had social events on both Friday and Saturday that involved some serious drinking into the wee hours of the morning. On Sunday, we hit The Distillery for brunch. The Distillery is attached to the Yaletown Brewery site, where the company also produces their own vodka and gin. Inside the restaurant, you can get a $5 cucumber- or jalapeno-infused Caesar or bottomless Mimosas for only $10. These go great with the joint’s $10 breakfast menu options.

Day Drinking Brunch

For Mrs. Sip’s actual birthday, on Monday, we met at Joe Fortes, for some of the best seafood the city has to offer. After a couple happy hour cocktails and appies, we sat down for the restaurant’s cold seafood tier, which was loaded with lobster, crab, oysters, mussels, clams, tuna sashimi, and oyster ceviche. With dinner, I ordered the Whistler Brewing Unfiltered IPA, which I didn’t even know the company produced.

Following dinner, we decided to visit the UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar for night cap cocktails. Despite living just down the street from the lounge for close to five years – and Mrs. Sip often saying we should try the place – we finally walked through its doors and were immediately impressed by the place. The cocktails aren’t cheap, but they’re hand-crafted and perfected before they reach your lips. Sitting at the bar, I was impressed to see the mixologists discussing recipes and ingredients, looking to improve elements at their disposal.

In conjunction with Vancouver’s Hot Chocolate Festival, UVA currently has a couple chocolate-based cocktails on their menu, which is the main reason we finally pulled the trigger and tried the place out. Mrs. Sip enjoyed the Black Widow (El Jimador Reposado Tequila, Cacao and Coffee Red Bush Tea, Averna Amaro Cherry Liqueur, and Plum and Root Beer Bitters), while yours truly ordered the Chartreuse Milkshake, complete with Citadelle Gin, Green Chartreuse, Cacao, Lime and Orange Juices, Chocolate Bitters, and Egg Whites. It was the first chance I’ve ever had to try Chartreuse and I will certainly have it again. Green or Yellow, it doesn’t really matter!

Hot Chocolate

Other beers I enjoyed over the week that was, included Red Truck Amber Ale, Ninkasi Total Domination, Persephone Wee Heavy, Granville Island Swing Span, Four Winds Pale Ale, Lighthouse 3 Weeds, and Driftwood Fat Tug IPA. Variety is, after all, the spice of life!

It’s been a crazy busy week, but the celebrating has been a lot of fun and it’s always great to catch up with friends and family over awesome food and drinks!