Searching for the perfect veg burger: Stackhouse

Being vegetarian can be fun. Instead of labouring over what I’m going to eat, I can scan menus quickly for the options I have. Or I can test the patience of servers by saying things like “Can I get the Hash ‘n Eggs with veggies but no eggs?” And despite the occasional smelling of barbeque ribs or shepherd’s pie and wishing I could lick off the plate for a taste, I’ve become healthier as a result of going veggie.

But the good ol’ burger and fries has been a different situation. Instead of a bloody, juicy beef patty, I get a hodge podge of vegetable substance blends for patties – chickpeas, rice, tofu, etc. So it’s been difficult to find one I can rely on for veggie burger perfection.

One of the best I’ve had is the thin veggie burger at BBQ’s in Yaletown. But on our recent trip to StackHouse Burger Bar, I came across a great delight: the Veggie Sliders.

Veggie sliders with fries – $14

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Cocktail Heaven at The Refinery

Photo courtesy vancouverdealsblog.com

I heard a lot of hype about The Refinery and its cocktails in particular, so when Ethical Deal did a deal for half off food I jumped on it. The cocktails are indeed no joke. I had the Gunpowder, which was just the perfect sweetness (more tarte than sweet) without much taste of alcohol.

There are a few vegetarian options, and I’m glad I went for the Fettucine Primavera ($14) because it had a good helping of veggies. And if I hadn’t had pasta, I might have been in serious trouble with my cocktail! As I ate I started to feel a nice buzz.

Fettucine Primavera with seasonal vegetables

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Tiramisu Cheesecake

I had a few bites of my boyfriend’s Heirloom Tomato Salad ($10) which was also very good and cleverly seasoned. We ended off with the Tiramisu Cheesecake ($9), which was the best cheesecake I’ve had in a while. A very subtle taste of cheese, with whipped coffee icing served on the side. If I wasn’t such a lightweight and already buzzed off the one cocktail, I would have had another one with dessert (they do have dessert cocktails on the menu too). The interior deco is very cool and trendy; I see why this place gets talked about & agree with the high ratings. Definitely the best place for professional-level cocktails & a good meal downtown.

Photo courtesy Urbandiner.ca

The Refinery
1115 Granville Street & Helmcken Vancouver BC V6B 2G6
604-687-8001
info@therefineryvancouver.com
therefineryvancouver.com

Hours:
5pm-1am Tuesday to Thursday
5pm-2am Friday & Saturday (good idea to make reservations)
Sunday & Monday for bookings only 

Birthday luck & luxury at Vij’s

Over a month prior to my birthday, I started thinking about how I wanted to celebrate. I’m a new vegetarian, but I’ve kept a tradition of eating meat on special occasions, so I knew I wanted to eat meat somewhere special. I told my boyfriend that I wanted to eat at Wendy’s for lunch (a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger meal with iced tea – my usual entree of choice in high school) and at Vij’s for dinner. Dawn Chubai, host of CityTV Breakfast Television said she was going to Vij’s on her birthday, and didn’t care how long she’d have to wait. This is because Vij’s takes no reservations for anyone. Whether you’re a celebrity or a family member, you eat in sequential order just like everyone else. So be warned!

This week’s Georgia Straight newspaper had its annual Golden Plate issue where they highlight readers’ choices in favourite restaurants. And it was a sign that Vij’s made the top of the list for #1 Indian food.

My boyfriend and I planned to get there at 6pm on Good Friday, and put our names on the waiting list – it was about an hour and a half wait. I started a tradition of eating cupcakes on our birthdays, so my boyfriend said, “if we go and come back, we can make Cupcakes before it closes.” The only thing was, we had already paid for 2 1/2 hours worth of parking. We threw caution to the wind and took off to get cupcakes to go, and returned to find that our original spot was there, with 2 hours to spare. A birthday parking miracle!

The wait after that was an hour, and we passed the time with some drinks (I had a tasty Indian mojito) and warm snacks that owner Vikram Vij himself and his staff set out for the 40 or so people in the waiting lounge: fries, fried pita chips and fried lentil balls (for lack of the proper name). My tongue was having tastegasms at the lentil balls alone.
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