Smoke’s Poutine

Alright, so this was neither paleo nor low carb but you know what, sometimes you just have to take life by the sweet gravy covered fries and enjoy it. Smokes Poutine gives massive portions with a variety of topping combinations to choose from. I ordered the pulled pork poutine, which was very hearty and filling, but I wished there had been more pulled pork. There were also not a lot of cheese curds, but an abundance of fries, perhaps to mask the lack of other toppings and make you feel your $9 was well spent?

We also ordered the Philly cheesesteak which I was not impressed with, at least in regards to the processed orange squeeze cheese that came on top of it. The flavour was so artificial it detracted from the steak/onions/mushrooms/peppers.

If I sound like a poutine snob it’s because I lived in Montreal for five years, and it honestly doesn’t get better than that. A good poutine isn’t about the add-ons, it’s about the quality of the gravy, the cheese curds, and for me, the thickness of the fries ( McDonalds poutine doesn’t cut it for me because those fries are too flimsy).

Smoke’s gravy has a distinct flavour, very down-homey like it was made in your gramma’s kitchen. It packed a lot of flavour, but it is also a very distinct taste. I would like to go back and try a regular poutine with no toppings because it was just a lot going on flavourwise, and overall very jumbled. The fries were thick cut and well seasoned, and that’s a major plus. The cheese curds, well there could have been more.

Chicken Salad a la Babylon Cafe

Amazing chicken shawarma atop a Greek salad from the Babylon Cafe in the West End. Omm nom nom, meat salad.

Burger Heaven at Max’s Burger

Fantastic burger (The Max) from Max’s Burger on 8th and Cambie, this place is a hidden gem. There’s really no comparison to grass-fed beef, and these guys know how to make a proper burger. Best of all, the variety of bun options, whole wheat, gluten free, vegan, and regular ol’ hamburger bun! We all agreed the gluten-free bun was one of the best gluten-free bread products we’ve tasted in a restaurant. Yam fries were tasty too! Overall nothing was too heavily salted or over seasoned, just fresh ingredients done right. Move over Vera’s, I’m all about Max.

Oh, and then we had the cheesecake. Scrumtrulescent. The crust was nothing special, but the cheesecake part was creamy and tasted homemade. We’re going back for sure.

Memphis Blues BBQ

Brisket

My BBQ dreams came true last week with a trip to Memphis Blues BBQ on Granville and Broadway. Heavenly fall-of-the-bone ribs and tender brisket accompanied with some mediocre sides, but damn that meat was good.

Ribs

As Guy Fieri loves to point out, look at the bark on those ribs!  We used a lot of the signature Memphis Blues mustard BBQ sauce on the ribs, great flavour combo!

Rib Meal with coleslaw, fries, cornbread, baked beans and BBQ sauce. $17.95

Sliced Beef Brisket Meal with disappointing potato salad, $17.95

The brisket was fantastic, so moist and delicious. The potato salad was the only let down of the meal. It was over salted so we couldn’t taste anything else, but really there was nothing impressive about it anyways. The fries, however, were perfectly seasoned and not too salty or greasy. There was nothing special about the coleslaw either, but it didn’t take anything away from the meal so we didn’t mind it.

Smokey baked beans. Again, not my favourite part of the meal but Phil loved them and they were a nice addition to the meal overall.

The cornbread was pretty good too, although I was the only one who thought it would have been nicer warmed up! Overall, great dinner and the best BBQ in Vancouver I’ve tried. They don’t stinge on portions either, so we had enough food the next day for a full lunch. Next time we’re getting the Memphis Feast ($47), a smorgasbord of all the meat Memphis has to offer, plus the fixin’s. I definitely recommend going with friends so you can chow down on this option, as it will be cheaper than getting a bunch of individual meals.

Luke’s Corner Bar & Grill

If you stick to pub fare you likely wont be disappointed at Luke’s Corner Bar and Grill. Prices are what you would expect for the neighborhood, but weekly specials will keep your wallet happy. Service and food have been inconsistent overall, yet I continue to  find myself coming back again in the hopes that maybe this time, everything will be perfect.

The Fried Pickles and Peppers are my favourite item at Luke’s. They used to have a $5 Anytime menu with these on it, sadly that menu is no more. Still, at $5.99 the P & P are the perfect share item, spicy and sour with the right amount of kick to it.

The Veggie Burger is a fantastic value at $13.99. The hearty black bean and quinoa patty was accompanied by wild mushrooms, arugula, tomato, and aged white cheddar on a whole wheat bun. Bring your appetite, this burger is filling.

The Salt Spring Island Mussels in a chorizo, garlic, and white wine sauce didn’t wow me. The menu was misleading, it didn’t indicate the sauce was cream based (not a bad thing, but on a hot summer day it wasn’t what I wanted). The chorizo was too tough for my tastes, so overall this dish was a bit heavy.With the garlic filon bread it’s $15.99, add fries for an additional $3 if you want an overpriced meal.

Avoid the Ahi Tuna Poke.

When done right, this dish can be sensational. Although the tuna and avocado were fresh, I wasn’t a fan of the almonds or fruit salad so for me this missed the mark. It didn’t help that the wonton crisps were inedible, sharp and utterly tasteless (possibly undercooked?) The server was kind enough to bring out crostinis when she finally got around to doing a quality check, by then I was already let down.

On a brighter note, the drinks at Luke’s have been consistently great. On Sundays, caesars and mimosas are $5, can’t go wrong with that! We once ordered their wings to-go and were quiet pleased with them. 

Vera’s Burger Shack: Best Burger in Town?

The sign boast “You Can’t Beat Vera’s Meat!”, the chain was voted best burger in town five years in a row, but does it still live up to it’s reputation? Phil and I felt compelled to investigate.

It’s not cheap. Prepare yourself for an $8-$13 burger, before sides. That being said, it’s not a wimpy beef patty either. You’re biting into a thick, well seasoned burger with a variety of toppings – some at an additional charge. Still, I don’t like the price, I think it’s a little steep for a place where you order at a counter, and seat yourself.

Phil always orders the beef sliders, 4 mini burgers for $10 served with Vera’s sauce, ketchup and cheddar. When I asked Phil what he thought about them he replied: “Ummm…,” and after a longer pause, “they were pretty good. But they lacked something, more toppings.” I agreed. For the price you expect some other ingredients, “such as caramelized onions,” rationalized Phil. “I mean, the amount of toppings on each slider is like what, half a tablespoon? Vera’s can afford to offer their customers a selection of additional toppings at little to preferably no additional charge.”

If I’m gonna eat a burger, I’m gonna do it right, so I ordered the Canuck Burger ($12.00), which is essentially a bacon cheeseburger.  It came with ketchup, mustard, relish, Vera’s sauce, tomato, lettuce. I like my burgers juicy; Vera’s burgers are consistently dry, and I’m not just talking about the sauce to bun ratio. The patty was overcooked and I had to add extra ketchup.

I apologize for the horrible lighting, but really, there’s nothing special to see.

For $6.00 we shared a side of half onion rings half fries. There was nothing special here, just some fries and a few onion rings

6 onion rings

Vera’s Burger Shack is a love-hate kinda joint; I’ve found people either rant or rave about their experiences, but for me it has been less than satisfactory. I have no problem paying $12 – 16 for a gourmet burger – that is, if I’m getting a gourmet burger.  True, the seasoning of the meat was delicious, however there were too many negative factors taking away from this. All in we spent just under $30. At this price point, I’d suggest trying Cactus Club or Earls, but honestly the McDonalds across the street would have been just as satisfying, and half the price.