Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House

I have heard SO much about Joe Fortes, and I finally got to go there a few weeks ago to celebrate a friend's birthday!

Of course, what kind of celebration would it be without some drinks! I ordered a passionate mimosa:

Bel Cafe

A while back, my friend who is a huge macaron and dessert connoisseur took me to Bel Cafe so we could try out their macarons. I have passed by Bel Cafe a few times, mentally noting that it would be a great place to sit down and have a snack on a beautiful afternoon, but had never gotten the chance to go. It is a quaint but very elegant little cafe connected to the Hotel Georgia, with a beautiful atmosphere.

First, I got myself some tea - blush organic cranberry and orange:

Marutama Ra-men

Long time no post, I've been busy...mostly working...and eating (so expect a swarm of incoming food posts). This is just a quick post on Marutama Ra-men, which opened only three months ago.

Adesso Bistro

After a month's hiatus, I am back (hopefully)! I've been busy with a new job and have found myself very lazy on the weekends, but recently I just went to Adesso Bistro and feel that it is necessary to write about it.

EXP Restaurant + Bar

EXP restaurant + bar opened last summer with the goal of being a restaurant where you could play games while you dine and drink, and generally just have a merry time. However, with certain laws, they couldn't implement the whole dining/drinking + gaming thing (*shakes fist at government*). But, fret not, this is still an excellent place to dine and drink! (And also a little bit of gaming, more on that later)

The interior of the restaurant is great; the walls are decorated with video game characters, there is video game paraphernalia scattered around, and televisions everywhere showing gameplay footage. A large projector screen at the back of the restaurant (and also several of the televisions) are hooked up to display input from an xbox at the front of the restaurant. Yes, there is a game console, and yes, you can play it! (It's not technically in the dining area, which is probably why it's allowed.) They have Capcom VS. Marvel, Streetfighter IV, and other games as well.

The menus (food and drinks) are also a delight to read. Without further delay, lets get on to the food reviews!

First, the Chrono Chicken Bites (with Frank's Red Hot):

Leonidas

Leonidas is apparently very well known for their Belgian chocolates, and according to Wikipedia, "Leonidas has become one of the highest producing, widespread chocolate companies in the world." Okay, I'll admit, I had never even heard of Leonidas until a friend of mine posted about it on Facebook, but hey, I never said I knew everything.

Anyway, I was mostly intrigued by their macarons because I had been craving them for some time now. Strange, because I know gosh darn well that macarons are just pure sugar and I do not think they're the most amazing treat in the world, despite them being the epitome of fancy French confectionary. But, I digress, I do enjoy a good macaron once in a while (note: if you haven't tried Thierry's lychee macaron, go try it NOW). Leonidas has a decent selection of macarons and little desserts...

Meat & Bread (Cambie)

The day that I discovered Meat & Bread was a glorious day. I don't often find a "holy-grail" worthy sandwich (the last one was Earls' grilled chicken and baked brie - try this if you haven't!) but the moment I bit into a sandwich from Meat & Bread, I was in love.

Kita no Donburi

"Donburi" means "rice bowl dish" in Japanese and that's exactly what Kita no Donburi serves (I'm not sure what "Kita no" means though...). They have a huge assortment of rice bowls all for under $10!

The restaurant itself is very clean and bright with a good number of tables and chairs. It seems to be kind of a popular place despite myself never having even stumbled across it before, but there were quite a few people dining in and several people coming in and out for takeout.

Al Porto Ristorante

I should start off by saying that I've been to Al Porto quite a few times, and although the food here isn't particularly special or incredible, their prices are reasonable, the service is great, and the interior of the restaurant is lovely.

The restaurant itself is slightly hidden in Gastown - you have to turn into a very short alleyway to see the door of the restaurant. I think that there's another entrance elsewhere but I haven't found it! The inside is very spacious and the walls are decorated with paintings, there is a very European/Italian feel about it all (although I've never been to Europe, so don't quote me on this).

Le Parisien (Dineout)

I've been wanting to get my French food craving satisfied for quite some time now. After browsing through all the menus for Dineout Vancouver, I came across Le Parisien which had duck confit, and I knew that I needed to eat there.

Our reservation was for 5:15pm (a bit early, but it was the only spot left due to booking very late - restaurants fill up very fast during Dineout!) and when we arrived, the restaurant only had a few seats filled but got busy very quickly throughout the night.