Hamilton Street Grill

The day after our return from our Hawaiian vacation, we didn't (I should clarify that by "we", I mean "I", because J doesn't cook) feel like cooking and we happened to have a Living Social or Social Living or some Groupon-like coupon to use at Hamilton Street Grill, so we decided to eat there.

Thankfully we made reservations because when we arrived it was quite busy. It was a Monday night but just about every table was occupied. We were given the option between a high chair or a booster for H and we chose the former since boosters don't have straps. It was a surprise to us when we were led to a booth that was elevated half a foot off the ground. The host tried to put the high chair under the table but on the ledge which is an accident waiting to happen so we opted for a booster after all.

Aside from H's seating considerations, we sat down, ordered some drinks and showed our server the voucher (which was non-descript about what was included). The voucher was valid for an appetizer, 2 entrees, and a dessert all from the Summer 2013 Price Fixe Menu. We quickly made our selections and our food arrived in timely fashion.

Gorgonzola Fondue

Gorgonzola fondue with sliced garlic bread for dipping. Let me start by saying I love gorgonzola. It is part of the blue cheese family (I didn't know cheeses had family) which is surprising because I don't particularly like blue cheese, and goes great with pasta. We chose the fondue because the other choices were pretty standard as far as appetizers go at restaurants. The garlic bread they served it with was toasted up and pretty crispy. The blend of textures between the bread and the fondue was interesting in a good way. The fondue itself was absolutely fantastic. Although J thought it was a little too strong, I thought it was perfect. The fondue size was quite generous as I ended up completely covering the last few pieces of bread and still had some left over. We used the remaining fondue to accompany the steak that came later. It is a true shame this appetizer is not on the regular menu. I hope they bring it back or give it a permanent spot on the menu.

Certified Angus Beef Sirloin

Certified Angus Beef Sirloin with mushroom red wine sauce and garlic mashed potatoes. J felt like steak, seeing as how we were at a steakhouse, and since we had a whole week of fish. The sirloin was ordered and served medium rare, but already sliced up. I'm not a fan of pre-sliced steak, but J didn't mind. The beef was good and went well with the left over fondue. The sauce was pretty good, but fairly standard. J's only criticism was that there was no garlic taste in her garlic mashed potatoes. I tried a bite and I would have to agree that they could have accentuated the garlic flavour a bit (or a lot) more.

Penna Pasta

Penne pasta with salmon, halibut, prawns and Vancouver Island mussels with tomato cream. After a week of fish, I had grown fond of it and decided to go with a seafood pasta. The seafood was fresh and tasted great along with the penne in the tomato cream sauce. I'm not a fan of shrimp/prawn, but the prawns in the pasta were actually quite good. The sauce was flavorful and not overpowering. Overall, the dish was well put together and I enjoyed it.

Belgian Chocolate Mousse

Belgian Chocolate Mousse. Aside from the whipped cream on top (I'm pretty sure it was compressed canned whip), the mousse was quite delicious. It was sweet enough that it didn't get boring, as mousse often tastes to me. I would have liked a bit more variety in textures, such as a layer of cake, crust, or crushed nuts, but it was still quite good on its own.

Being a restaurant in Yaletown, parking isn't always easy. The interior of the restaurant is pretty nice. It's dimly lit which is great for setting the mood, and the tables are spaced out so you have some sense of privacy.

Summary
Food: Very good. Their Gorgonzola Fondue was very good, as were their entrees.

Service: Good.

Setting: Good. Parking isn't easy but the restaurant interior is pretty nice.

Value: Good. The food was very good and the entire experience was quite satisfying.

Paul's Place Omelettery Restaurant

Note: This review was originally posted on Dine Here and reposted to this blog on Sep 16, 2013.

A friend suggested this place for Saturday brunch and we went just this last weekend. There were 4 of us in total and we arrived before 11am so it wasn't too crowded, but it got really busy around noon, so go early or be prepared to wait.

I ordered a pulled pork hash (special) and it was fantastic. It wasn't too greasy and there weren't too many potatoes to weigh it down. The cheese was a little cold when it was served, but I was busy feeding my daughter so the dish melted it just fine after a bit of mixing. The poached eggs on top were really delicious and tied it together well.

It was quite busy, but my coffee remained full almost throughout the meal. The servers were attentive and accommodating (our baby was a little fussy).

The prices are quite reasonable. Most of the breakfast dishes are around $6-10 (compared to breakfast/diner chains that run $8-13 per dish), and as mentioned above, the food was good.

It was busy and there was plenty of hustle and bustle. It's not a quiet romantic place by any means. There was nothing surprising about the ambiance.

I would definitely visit the Omelettery again, and I recommend it to friends.

Summary
Food: Very good. Common selection of breakfast items but they were done well.

Service: Good. Despite being busy, the server was attentive and readily available.

Setting: Average. The tables seemed a bit cramped and parking is just okay.

Value: Good. Cheaper than chain restaurants and better tasting.