Dulcinea Chocolate Cafe

To complete a food bloggers' meet, a couple of us headed out for some dessert. Kim suggested we go to Dulcinea, which is incidentally right next to his "favourite" froyo spot (ya right...). After we did a bit of chatting outside the Irish Heather, we disbanded and went our merry way. I gave a Kim and Anita a lift while Danny (Five Loaves) left to meet us at Dulcinea. Anita is someone I've had the pleasure to meet on 2 occasions now and she will be launching her very own blog soon. I spotted a rare spot almost in front (on the other side of the street) and turned into a side street with the intention of getting back onto Denman facing the right way. I did that and... argh! Danny had taken my spot! I turned into another side street and while heading back onto Denman, it seemed that Danny had vacated that space. I eventually got my space. Danny said he left the spot because his car was past the no parking post. Well, I was able to squeeze my SUV into the spot and took my chances with part of the tail sticking out.

While inside Dulcinea, we began to take pictures incessantly while Kim decided what to order. He remarked to the person at the counter, "don't mind them, they're crazy". LOL... We'll see who is crazy once he finishes ordering! Besides, we're all crazy! What he did order was the Churros con Chocolate. Presented on a large wood block, 4 crispy while soft churros were dusted with cocoa and powdered sugar. Served on the side was the rich chocolate dip which only had a hint of sugar. You know it's quality chocolate when they do not add a whole lot of sugar to mask or hide the natural flavour. This dessert, in my opinion, was a winner.

The same could not be said about my dessert - the Xango. It consisted of cheesecake wrapped in a tortilla and deep fried. The cheesecake itself had a nice light texture to it (probably because of the deep frying); but it was a bit weak in flavour. Furthermore, the tortilla was devoid of much texture, other than being a bit gummy and only crispy in spots. In my mind, I was envisioning a crunchy coating encapsulating a very cheesy cake. That didn't happen. Anita ordered the Lava Blanca which is essentially a cream custard filling encapsulated by chocolate mousse. The dessert was pleasant enough to eat; yet curiously did not trigger any emotional response from any of us. It looked chocolaty, it sounds chocolaty; but it wasn't that rich. Once again, it wasn't very sweet, which is good since sugar is usually a cheap replacement for flavour.

I guess I couldn't visit this place without trying one of their chocolate drinks. I didn't go for their signature drink - the 1528; rather I opted for the Dominicano. In addition to the thick chocolate that is kept liquefied behind the counter, the drink consists of vanilla and amaretto essence. It was thick, chocolaty and only slightly sweet. A very aromatic beverage for sure. I enjoyed my visit to Dulcinea despite my disappointing dessert. I wasn't blown away in any way; but the ambiance, choice of drinks and desserts, make Dulcinea a place out of the ordinary. However, whenever dining out (unless alone), the company is the best part. Great to be with like-minded individuals. Crazy picture taking, talking about food and just talking nonsense, it was a great way to end the evening.

The Good:
- It's unique
- Great if you love chocolate
- Nice ambiance with the Spanish music

The Bad:
- Not cheap
- Desserts are good, but not outstanding

Irish Heather (Long Table Series) Part I

What do you get when you mix a Yum-O-Rama, Secret Eden, Five Loaves, 604 Foodtography, Food and Tell, Foodie Adventures, I'm Only Here for the Food and me at a communal table for some eats? Answer: a bunch of crazy, camera-toting, picture taking foodies. At least that's what I though the rest of the people at Irish Heather's Long Table Series were thinking. There were so many flashes going off, it would've made the paparazzi look tame. You'd think we were covering the Oscars. Rather, it was the Cornish game hen that was getting the celebrity treatment.

We were told to arrive at 6:00 (1/2 hour prior to dinner) so that they could get us all "organized". That made sense; although we were told to wait at the bar at the back (which they probably were hoping that we would have before dinner drinks). Thanks to Kim (I'm Only Here for the Food!), it was a food bloggers paradise. After all, 1/2 Cornish Game Hen, Fries and Coleslaw with a beer for $12.00 is an awesome value. However, in all honesty, the food played second fiddle to fabulous company at the table. Surrounded by people just like me, I could take pictures at will without the slight sense of embarrassment. Of course, all we talked about was food. It's like they let us all out with a day pass because you could see the crazed look on everyone's faces as they proudly talked about their food experiences.

In terms of the food, the hen was cooked nicely without being too dry and the gravy was quite good. It was not salty and provided the necessary moisture for the white meat. Kevin was the pioneer at our table and tossed his utensils in favour of his hands. A few of us followed suit. The fries were crispy and "potatoey"; although they were starting to get cold as our plates arrived. That can be forgiven since there were so many plates to assemble. Despite being crisp, I thought that the coleslaw needed a bit more zing. Not everyone had the same thought, so I guess it's a personal preference of mine. The accompanying beer for the meal was a Steam Whistle Pilsner. It was crisp and refreshing. We also got souvenir bottle openers! The food was a bit on the average side; but whatever the case, let's be honest here. $12.00! You can't beat that price. I can tell you that I'm coming back for more when they release the next dinner series.

The Good:
- Outstanding value
- At a communal table, you can meet some new friends
- The experience is unique and the staff do their best to make you comfortable

The Bad:
- Food was a bit on the average side (but for $12.00, who really cares)
- If you are shy, then the communal table might not be for you

Munch

*Restaurant is now closed*

There aren't a whole lot of true family friendly restaurants in the GVRD. Yes, there are the chain restaurants such as White Spot, Red Robin and Boston Pizza which are indeed quite kid-friendly. However, there are not many independent places that cater to parents with screaming kids. There is Choo Choo's out in Langley which offers up train-themed restaurant which kiddies love. Little Nest off of Commercial is one of the few that offer a play area for the kiddies while their parents eat in peace. Now a new restaurant has entered the fray claiming to be family friendly while offering organic eats. Unlike the aforementioned restaurants, Munch is presented as slightly higher class with it's expensive-sounding menu and nice decor. The play area for the kids is larger than the seating space for diners. Much like Go Bananas, there is a gate when you enter the restaurant and no kid can escape while you are there. Moreover, you must sign your kids in so that no one gets separated.

We met up with Vandelay and Donna Chang with their newborn to see if there was any substance to the concept. While the kids were running amok in the play area, we had a chance to look at the menu. I was a bit hungry and decided on their most expensive breakfast which was the Bison Flat Iron and Eggs. Presented on a long plate, there was one slice of multi-grain toast, roasted potatoes, a small bison steak resting on sauteed mushrooms and 2 sunny side eggs. My first impression was this cost $16.00??? I took a minute to think and considered the considerable overhead for the play area that also takes up valuable seats (which affects revenue). So I decided to let the food speak for itself. I was bit annoyed at the one slice of toast (usually there's 2?) and further annoyed at the rubbery texture of the eggs. It looks as if they were made in a small pan; thus they were uniformly round (not aesthetically appealing). I did like the potatoes, they were crisp and soft in the middle with the right amount of herbs and seasoning. The steak was cooked to order and I liked it. I just wish it didn't consist of 5 small slices. I had Filet-O-Fish on my mind as I dusted up the food quite quickly.

Viv had the Chirizo Eggs Benny and Donna Change opted for the Spinach & Mushroom Eggs Benny. I gotta say, the poached eggs were some of the ugliest looking ones I've ever seen. Curiously, there was one perfectly poached and one overcooked egg in each order. Don't get me wrong, they both thought the eggs benny was decent. The Hollandaise was quite good with a nice lemon kick to it. But over poaching an egg is just unacceptable for an eggs benny. Vandelay had the Prosciutto Grilled Vegetable Open Faced Sandwich and I'm sure that wasn't enough food for him. Again, it wasn't bad; there just wasn't enough of it. On that note, the kids meals were just plain tiny. For $10.00, it included drink, a choice of entree and dessert. Not bad, until we got the entree. My son's grilled cheese was pretty darn small. If it weren't for the multi-grain (he hates things in his food), he would've finished it and wanted more food. My daughter's turkey hot dog was more bun than anything. It didn't look like a good value at all. Comparing to the Milestone's kids menu at $10.00 as well, these ones here seem way overpriced. Of course I realize that they must incorporate the cost of the play area and loss of tables into the price.

That begs the question, is the play area and kid friendly environment worth the extra cost? For people without kids, absolutely not. For those who do have kids, it is debatable. It's nice to have a truly family friendly restaurant with a real play area, toys and kids menu. However, there was nothing outstanding about the food that warranted the price point. By no means was it extremely expensive; in fact, the eggs benny were actually in line or even cheaper than some other chain restaurants. However, the kids meals were not very good and pricey. I went away hungry and actually walked across the street to get my son a Happy Meal and a Filet-O-Fish for myself. Generally, a family restaurant should have portions that satisfy the appetites of both
the parents and children. Unfortunately, Munch tries too hard to make their food "upscale" and have muddled up the concept of what a family restaurant should be. With that being said, if they can refine their concept, they do have a good idea.

The Good:
- Excellent play area which is safe and clean
- Great concept of a nicer restaurant that is kid-friendly
- Not the usual family restaurant menu

The Bad:
- Portions are small
- Prices do not reflect value
- Hit and miss with the food execution

Calhoun's

We were planning to have some dessert at Abigail's Party; but the noise level, lack of light and extremely sparse service was beginning to annoy us. When we finally got the attention of our server, which seemed more difficult than crossing #3 Road in Richmond, Bear canceled his dessert. The server seemed genuinely disappointed at that. We wasted another 20 minutes trying to get her attention regarding my double-charged beer. As a result, we headed to Calhoun's for some dessert. Calhoun's? Isn't that what Bread Garden used to be like? Yup, but at 2:00am in the morning, there are not a whole lot of choices for some beverages and dessert. In fact, Calhoun's used to be a regular hangout during my University days.

Not much has changed here except for the free WiFi. It was nice to be at a place where there was light and quiet enough that I didn't have to yell to have a conversation with the person next to me. I got a slice of Key Lime Cheesecake and a Steamed Milk and headed over to grab a seat. I liked the fact it was a baked cheesecake. On the other hand, I didn't like the crust. It was hard and a poor compliment to the smooth cake. I did like the lime topping, it was sweet and tart. Lionel Hutz had already gotten his slice of Carrot Cake and before he could dig into it, I hijacked it. I ended up taking it to another table where there was more light to take a picture. All this time, he was shaking his head. Despite that, he let me try the cake and it had a lot of carrot, raisins and walnuts. It was pretty good and not too sweet. I proceeded to do that with Boss Woman's Banana Cream Cake and Bear's Berry Bar (that just sounded quite funny...). I chose to ignore the stares from other people wondering WTF I was doing. I didn't like the banana cake. There was far too much butter cream and it was quite sweet. Boss Woman didn't seem to like it that much either. I didn't get to try the berry bar since it was quite small and you never want to disturb a hungry Bear.

It was nice to have some time in peace and quiet to chat about things with friends at Calhoun's. It definitely brings back memories when we would come here after studying, clubbing or a case of insomnia. As for the food here, don't expect too much. After all, most of it is refrigerated in the display case waiting to be nuked. Their pastries and desserts are alright; however, better can be found in many other places. With that being said, their freshly made sandwiches are not too bad. But it's comfortable, spacious and inexpensive. The main draw here is that it's open 24 hours and if you needed somewhere to go for coffee and a snack at 2:30am, there is really not much choice.

The Good:
- Open all the time!
- Decent selection of drinks and food
- Comfortable

The Bad:
- Food is what it is
- Don't expect service, it's do it yourself

Abigail's Party

As per usual, I picked up Polka King on our way to our Friday night hockey game. We head in and take a look at the video screens for which rink we would be playing at. We wheel our bags over to red rink and... the Zamboni is toast! Yup, it broke down. The game prior to us had not even started yet! Yikes, what do we do for over an hour? Well, not much really, just head back into the lobby for warmth and chat. I suggested we go eat first... to no avail. Of course, with the game being delayed for over an hour, it cut into my eating time afterwards. As a result, we had to look for really late night eats. Boss Woman wanted to go to Happy King; but we had already appeased her with a visit to Congee Noodle King last Friday. We voted against wonton noodles and decided on something a bit different. In reality, it might have been a bit too different...

Lionel Hutz suggested a place he'd passed by many times while dining at his favourite spot - Hapa Izakaya in Kits. The place is Abigail's Party. When I drove by as I was looking for a parking spot, it dawned on me that this may not be the right place for us. It was pitch black inside and resembled more like a club than anything else. Man... I haven't been to a club in over 10 years! As Polka King and I walked into the place it was indeed very dark. We made our way to the table where Milhouse, Boss Woman, Lionel Hutz and Bear were already seated. Yes indeed, it is Bear, he is alive and well. He played for our hockey team tonight.

Let's just say the crowd here is quite young (and I don't even think I'm that old!). They are boisterous and out to have a good time. Nothing wrong with that, it goes with the overall ambiance of the place. It just makes it hard for anyone to have a conversation without yelling. Furthermore, not many people were eating; rather, they were drinking lots. That didn't stop us since we were a bit hungry. Polka King and Boss Woman shared Scallops & Clams in addition to a Poutine. 2 large nicely seared Qualicum scallops rested on a bed of clams. At least this is what I thought it looked like. You see, it was so dark in there, we really couldn't see what we were eating. Bear got a chance to look at my pictures after the fact and he exclaimed, "so that's how my food looked like!" Polka King thought it was nothing special; but at least everything seemed fresh. Milhouse had Big Al's Beef Burger and he thought it was neither dry or juicy being somewhere in the middle. He did like the fries though, they were very crispy. Lionel Hutz really enjoyed his Short Rib Sloppy Joe. The meat was tender and he really liked the sauce, it was sweet and tangy. For me, I had the Duck Confit Sliders and a Poutine as well. I was a bit indifferent about them because the duck was a bit dry and the texture of the bread was a bit tough. I did like the pickled cabbage on top though. Good crunch and tang added to the otherwise flavourless duck. In terms of the poutine (Bear had it too), the fries were great and the cheese curds were melted. The chicken gravy was unique with a slight sweet veggie aftertaste.

Surprisingly, the food was pretty decent here, especially since we didn't expect it due to the overall atmosphere. However, I do not recommend coming here for a bite if you do not like a club/bar atmosphere. Furthermore, there was only one actual server (along with the boss?) handling the entire place. Thus, the service was sparse and error-filled (although it was really friendly). I didn't get my beer originally and when I asked for it a second time, I got charged for 2 beers! I also asked for bacon on my poutine and did not get it. Also, waiting for anything, including the bill took forever as our server seemed more interested in socializing than paying attention to requests.

The Good:
- Food actually ain't bad
- Open late
- Club/bar-like atmosphere (if that is your style)

The Bad:
- Service was friendly, but absent-minded and non-existent at times
- It's so dark, you really can't see what you're eating
- Club/bar-like atmosphere (if you hate that sort of thing)

Krispy Kreme

When we didn't have a Krispy Kreme up here in the GVRD, Rich Guy and I would drive all the way to Burlington in Washington State for some donuts. That's right, we drove over 1 hour to grab donuts. We were either very committed or should be committed. Whatever the case, imagine the discussion we had with the border guard at customs. "Sir, do you have anything to declare?" "Yes I do". "What is the total amount you purchased?" "$80". "What did you purchase?" "Donuts". "Donuts???" "Yes, we like donuts". "Uh... have a nice day". We would do Krispy Kreme runs for all of our friends; thus the big purchase. I'm not sure if the border guard was confused or thought we were nuts or something. When Krispy Kreme first opened in North Delta, we lined up for over 1 hour for these donuts. In hindsight, I'm not sure why we were so insane. Could it be the hype? Although I don't mind eating Krispy Kremes, they are surely not my favourite. That is reserved for Top Pot and Voodoo.

Krispy Kremes have one thing going for them - they are not very heavy. It's easy to eat more than one of them because there is practically no substance to them. However, there is far too much glaze on them. They are so sweet, Jolly Ranchers have nothing on them. Personally, I can only eat one of them at a time. However, Miss Y can do at least 3 at a time. The original glazed is still by far the best donut they have at Krispy Kreme. For some reason, their other variations, including jelly-filled, cake and fritters are not as good. It's possibly that they are just too sweet? Whatever the case, I don't mind eating them occasionally because they are far different than any of the offerings they have in the GVRD.

The Good:
- Very light, you can eat more than one (not sure if you should)
- They're made fresh (even fresher before when they were more busy)
- Decent selection

The Bad:
- Far too sweet
- Other than the original glazed, their other donuts seem almost an afterthought
- Expensive

Pizza Garden

Polka King has been playing late night Wednesday night hockey at Brit for over 15 years. The fact that it starts at 11:30pm was never that attractive to me. If you think about it, there is no time for sleep until you need to go to work the next day! I have played it a few times over the years and it is indeed fun, if you feel like being unproductive the next morning. However, I am also not one to turn down a chance at some exercise. Besides, all this eating needs to be tempered with calorie burning. Therefore, I dragged my lazy behind to play some really late night hockey tonight.

Let me just say this, after the hockey was over, I now know how Carey Price felt in the lost to Vancouver 7-1. There were 8 breakaways, 4 2 on 1's and a 3 on none! I'm lucky I didn't pull a groin. Whatever the case, I didn't really care because there was some eats I was looking forward to. Eats? At 1:30am in the morning on a Thursday??? Yup, Pizza Garden happens to be nearby to Brit and that's where I headed after hockey. It's open until 2:00am. I dragged Polka King with me since I drove him. Viv has told me about Pizza Garden before since she works nearby. Furthermore, Kevin blogged about it and I wanted to compare it with Uncle Fatih's (which is also nearby and open until 2:00am as well).

2 slices and a canned pop can be had for $5.00 including tax. I got one slice of Pepperoni and one slice of Sausage and Onion with Garlic Sauce. I drizzled more sauce on it for good measure. Polka King got a slice of Hawaiian and a slice of Pesto. He ate the pesto before he realized that I didn't take a picture of it yet. He was so apologetic, almost scared, that I'd do something to him. I wonder if I really do scare my friends when I warn them not to eat before I take a picture? Anyways, the pizza crust itself was not oily and I liked the addition of sesame seeds. However, it was a bit oily on the top. The pizza was pretty decent; but I definitely prefer Uncle Fatih's more. The crust there is crispier and lighter, and it's cheaper ($4.00). Mind you, at 1:30am, if you're spending only $5.00 on 2 slices of pizza and choice of canned pop, there is really not much to complain about.

The Good:
- It's cheap
- Open late
- Pizza ain't bad

The Bad:
- A bit greasy on the top
- Crust is a bit dry
- Store is a bit dirty