5395 West Boulevard, Vancouver

Tel: 604-267-4225

Web: www.themacshack.ca

Twitter: @the_mac_shack

Advice: If you are going with a friend and having any of the Mac & Cheese dishes then share a medium size or get 2 smalls and share.

West Coast Salad

Having a Mac & Cheese growing up was never as fun as my recent visit to The Mac Shack for dinner. My friend Cassandra Anderton joined me to indulge in Mac & Cheese oooey gooey cheesy goodness! We started with some greens and each had a small West Coast Salad ($5) with tossed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, mushrooms and honey roasted pecans served with a light raspberry vinaigrette.

Lobster Mac

The Ultimate

Build Your Own

Bread Dippers

Next, we shared 3 of the Ultimate size of Mac & Cheese, all were served in large cast iron pans, the first was the outstanding Lobster Mac ($18) with asiago & Canadian cheddar, lobster meat, oyster mushrooms, lemon, dill, truffle oil and roasted garlic in a cream sauce. The second was The Ultimate ($16) with bacon, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken, chorizo, shrimp, with Mozzarella and Gruyere cheese in a tomato sauce. Third, was a Build Your Own ($16), which I built using the healthiest of ingredients on offer, ours had Aged cheddar and Asiago, along with whole wheat pasta, broccoli, caramelized onions, and mushrooms in a tomato sauce. We also added an order of Bread Dippers ($ .90) that perhaps was adding more carbs into the mix that we could have done without.

The Squish

The Skillet Brownie

We both thought dessert was in order to round up our comforting meal. We both shared The Squish ($4.75) double chocolate chip cookies filled with vanilla ice cream with a raspberry coulis, however it was the 2^nd dessert that was the clear favourite for us both, The Skillet Brownie ($5.90) double chocolate brownie warmed in a skillet topped with vanilla bean gelato and drizzled with raspberry coulis.

The Mac Shack has taken Mac & Cheese to a new level, with the best cheese and quality ingredients this is surely Mac & Cheese that you are going to want to eat time and time again.

Review By: Richard Wolak

2156 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver

Tel: 604-266 2156

Web:  http://www.faubourg.com/

Twitter: n/a

Advice: The restaurant is located behind the café.

This Parisian caffe is the perfect addition to the Kerrisdale neighbourhood, I have been by a few times already and have enjoyed tasting some of their baked goods and most of all their coffee which is smooth and delicious.

You will find a French pâtisserie, bakery, cafe and restaurant all in one offering customers an exquisite selection of french pastries, buttery almond croissants, chocolate twists, pain au chocolat and sandwiches, along with an array of speciality coffee beverages. They also bake breads here including Campagne and Traditional baguette.

Chocolate Twist

Espresso Macchiato & Almond Croissant

I have had the Chocolate Twist ($2.55) a delicious pastry that was quite light, an Almond Croissant ($2.90) along with an Espresso Macchiato ($2.10). Next time I will visit for lunch in the dining room for one of their French specialty dishes and I would also like to visit for Afternoon Tea.

I could sit here all day long and people watch, each time in I have run into friends and if you stay awhile you will no doubt make new friends. The room is warm and inviting with a large seating area, the service was wonderful as well.

Review by: Richard Wolak

Here is the sixth of many places that I have visited recently. Secret Garden Tea Co is located in the Kerrisdale neighborhood in Vancouver.

Inside the Tea Room

You will want to make sure that you make an advance reservation as they often fill up in advance, bring along a friend or two or three to join you in the experience.

I had their Afternoon Tea service for $25.95 per person. First off, I chose my tea of choice from their selection of teas, I chose the “Cammy Darjeeling” and my friend Rosie had the “Mango Tea”.

3-tiered tray

A three tiered plate arrived to the table, we worked our way from the bottom plate to the top, the bottom layer was filled with an assortment of petit sandwiches that included Tuna salad and capers in croissants, Chicken club sandwich and Egg salad pinwheels on white bread. The middle layer plate had fresh baked Apricot scones served with Devonshire cream and jam along with Pumpkin Chocolate Cream Cheese Loaf. The top layer plate featured a selection of sweets that included Lemon Curd Tarts, Brownies and Apple Caramel Cheesecake.

Scones in the center

Apple Caramel Cheesecake center

My thoughts –The service was very friendly, our server Robyn was wonderful and this made for a delightful afternoon tea experience. The Tea store was cozy and comfortable and was full of mostly women. From the assortment of sandwiches I liked the Tuna on Croissant, the scones were moist, delicious and a perfect size, we didn’t care for the lemon curd tarts or the brownies but we both loved the apple caramel cheesecake. The Teas are a secret as they wouldn’t tell me where they were from.

Style: English Tea Service

Attire: Casual

Time: Afternoon Tea Service is offered 12pm – 4pm Daily

Secret Garden Tea Co

5559 West Boulevard, Vancouver

For Reservations, please call 604-261-3070

Reservations can be made for: 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm, every day of the week, and cost $25.95 for adults and $16.95 for children (8 and under).

Stay tuned to part 7 of Afternoon Tea in Vancouver.

By: Richard Wolak

Here is the second of many places that I have visited recently. Adonia Tea is located in Kerrisdale.

Inside the Tea Salon

In their Tea Salon, Afternoon Tea is served daily and there are 2 different Tea Services to select from. You’ll want to make sure that you make an advance reservation as they often fill up, bring along a friend or two or three to join you in the experience.

Pots of Tea

My friends and I each had their Afternoon Tea service for $23 per person. First off, I chose my tea of choice from their vast tea selection, I chose the “Darjeeling Tea” and a pot of tea arrived to my table.

3-tiered tray

A three tiered plate arrived to the table and for each of us to share, I worked my way from the bottom plate to the top, the bottom layer was filled with an assortment of petit sandwiches that included Tuna, Egg, Cucumber and Turkey. The middle layer included more savouries, a Basil tomato puff, Lox sandwich, Antipasto with portabello mushroom. As we moved to the top layer we were then selecting from a variety of sweets that included a Lemon tart, Strawberry chocolate cupcake.

Selection of Desserts

The servers then brought us some of their scones with devenshire creme and jam to share along with fruit cups, and then some of their housemade desserts creme caramel, tiramisu and pannecota.

My thoughts –  Their wasn’t anything special about the service nor about the savouries or the sweets, except that there was a fair amount to eat for the money. The decor is old english and it is quaint, I just thought that it was ordinary all around.

The other Tea Service offered are is the Petit Afternoon Tea at $14 per person..

Style: English Tea Service

Attire: Casual

Time: Afternoon Tea Service is offered 10am – 6:30pm daily.

Adonia Tea

2057 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver

For reservations, please call 604-261-0049

Stay tuned to part 3 of Afternoon Tea in Vancouver.

By: Richard Wolak

2055 W. 41^st Avenue, Vancouver

Tel: 604-568-5022

Web: http://www.gaiabistro.ca/

Advice: Closed Sundays

Trio of tasting salads

Chicken Shwarma plate

I had heard about a restaurant serving Israelli cuisine and I had to visit. The décor is colourful in this Kerrisdale eatery specializing in Mediteranian & Israelli cuisine. I had intended to get my food to go, however after a few minutes, I quickly changed my mind and opted for a table for a delightful lunch which was delicious. Before my entrée arrived I was served with a complimentary trio of salads which were very tasty. I had the Chicken Shwarma plate (11.95) pomegranite marinated chicken with hummus, roasted potatoes, tabuleh, carrot salad and warm grilled pita and I loved it, the flavours were so tasty and it was so delicious. Everything on the menu looked great, and ever so tempting, I haven’t had Israelli cuisine like this since I last visited Israel. You can taste the flavours in the dishes here, fresh and inspiring. I then ordered the Luna Puff Pastry ($4) savoury pastry filled with feta, swiss and parmesan cheese and fresh herbs and ended up having this at home for dinner. There dishes are wholesome and made with organic ingredients whenever possible, other items that looked good and ones that I want to try is the Jerusalem-style Kugel, Imam Bialdi, and the Latkes. The desserts also looked amazing from the Pear tart to the Ricotta Lemon Cheesecake. Next time I am going back to try their special Saturday morning brunch!

Review by: Richard Wolak