Church’s Chicken

Okay,  so we all have those cravings… the guilty pleasure ones you have to indulge in every so often… this was one of them. We got 4 pieces of chicken and three large sides for just under $20.00. Other than the heaping box of fries, the sides aren’t big, nor were they anything to boast about, except the French fries got an A+ for being thick, fluffy, and not greasy. The chicken was perfect, crispy and well seasoned on the outside (and not too salty!), juicy and tender underneath. I really liked the crispy skin, it’s my favourite part about fried chicken (shame!) but seriously don’t judge me, I know you love it too.

We ordered two spicy and two regular pieces, however we only got the regular (to Phil’s disappointment. Don’t worry, he smothered them in hot sauce anyways)

We were disappointed with the macaroni because on the menu it was described as macaroni and cheese, you know, warm steamy cheesy goodness. It was a cold mayo/relish macaroni salad. Booo-ring. The coleslaw was okay, I preferred it to the macaroni and I’d probably get it again. The ladies at the counter were both very nice, but they couldn’t coordinate our order and the whole process was far more complicated than it needed to be. Obviously there was a communication issue because we didn’t get exactly what we ordered, but they were patient and answered all our questions. Like, did you know Church’s has a “Wild West Rice”? Whats in that, you ask. Well, it’s sliced up chicken and vegetables, all mixed together with ketchup. Ya, no thanks, but good to know.

 Overall Impression

Go for the fried chicken and french fries, avoid the macaroni salad and wild west rice. The Churches Chicken on Main and 18th is open 24 hr for late night munchies.

 

 

Slickity Jim’s Chat ‘n’ Chew

This was an impromptu lunch at Slickity Jim’s on Monday after an impromptu night of drinking on Sunday. It is a cute little joint with a quirky interior and unique menu titles. There was only one – but very friendly - waitress working and one cook. The food took as long to come out with only one person cooking it all.

Our waitress informed us that they had a very busy weekend, and were out of the pulled pork. THE HORROR and disappointment in Phil’s eyes was almost too much to handle on an empty stomach. He settled for his second choice, a grilled chicken and brie sandwich called Watching The Angels Fall, $10.50. It came with his choice of soup, roasted potatoes, salad, or coleslaw.

The chicken was extremely tender, despite how lack luster the sandwich looks. But overall I thought it was just okay, kind of missed the mark somewhere.

When I asked Emilie what she liked about her Artichoke Heart Brie Burger, $11.50, she said “What didn’t I like. It was brie.” Well said Emilie, well said.

But in all seriousness, she said eating this burger didn’t feel unhealthy. The bun was quite substantial, and the vegetables fresh. It was like a homemade burger, filling without being unfulfilled. She opted for a lean ground beef patty but you could also choose from turkey, chicken, or a house made veggie patty.

I had The Breakfast of Broken Dreams for $9.50. Two easy poached eggs over an English muffin with caramelized onions, spinach, and warm gorgonzola sauce. I found it very satisfactory and only somewhat broken, as the “warm” gorgonzola sauce was actually stone cold. Like, ugggghhh, really?

Caramelized onions harmonized in TRIUMPH with the gorgonzola sauce, which despite being luke-warm at best actually tasted good. I was surprised by the uncooked spinach; it was interesting, definitely not bad but I assumed based on the menu description that it would be steamed or something.

Phil also ordered a mocha milkshake which took for-ever to arrive (granted the ice cream had been frozen like a rock according to our server) but when it arrived it was good. And topped with whipped cream. So worth the wait. However, I didn’t think it was as good as my fresh fruit smoothie!

Will I go back? Yes. Why? Because I’m just too damn hungry not to, and the dishes were intriguing enough to warrant a second sitting. Also, Slickity Jim’s has really cute plates. Oh, and Phil wants to try the pulled pork. And I hear they have a good dinner menu with chicken pot pie. And a fried egg and cheddar burger, one of my Bucket List meals. Ugh, I’m so hungry.

Lucy’s Eastside Diner

Lucy’s Eastside Diner is a 24 hour restaurant serving up 1950′s inspired diner dishes. The place is cute and definitely a fun experience day or night, however it’s very hit or miss. Some of our meals came out spot on while others were blah to downright bad. I gave Lucy’s 3 generous stars out of 5.

*** Upon revisiting Lucy’s months later, I  beg people not to get their hopes up. It looks like a great dive, but unfortunately the food is  bland, bland, bland and overpriced. I revoke my “generous 3 stars” and demote Lucy’s to a 2 out of 5 ****

First we went for brunch. FYI,  Lucy’s  serves breakfast all day and night.

Pulled Pork Eggs Benny

The Pulled Pork Benny was dense and delicious. I hate to leave food on my plate but this Benny got the best of me. After eating one I was stuffed. What I liked best was the  hollandaise sauce, it was tangy and tasted home-made. After just having tried the Pulled Pork at the Five Point, I had high expectations. The dish as a whole was good but the pulled pork on it’s own was boring, dry and had no sauce! I remedied it by adding ketchup and a bit of hollandaise and egg… still, I want my food perfect when it arrives.

Fried Chicken Sandwich

The Fried Chicken Sandwich was a hit with my comrade: the chicken was moist, the bread fresh and the hash browns were the best we’d had in a while. Perfect golden brown, lightly seasoned, and not dried out inside.

I stopped by at 11pm for a late dinner: the classic Cheeseburger and Fries.

Shoestring french fries were greasy and nothing to brag about. The hamburger however was delicious, it was like a backyard bbq hamburger, nothing fancy just a good burger. Not the best pic but you get the point.

** When I returned to Lucy’s I ordered a Cheeseburger with bacon. The bacon was so overcook it actually cut my mouth – I hate when restaurants cook the S*&# out of bacon, leaving it hard to chew and tasteless. The meat was not seasoned either. The “Fry Sauce” is so bland you need to eat a whole mouth full to get any flavour, very disappointing. Again, Lucy’s is very HIT OR MISS**

We also tried the Pulled Pork Mac’N Cheese sandwich, sounds great on paper but was a real disappointment.

First and foremost, it looks disgusting. I could justify eating all those carbs if the macaroni was cheesy and flavourful however it was beyond bland, the bun was lame-old-white bread ( and very chewy), and the pulled pork was dry and tasteless. I do not recommend this dish, to anyone, ever.

The Winner Winner Chicken Dinner also sounded great on the menu and was visually very appetizing however, its looks were deceiving.

Not so Winner Chicken Dinner

The problem was the veggies tasted frozen, and the mashed potatoes lacked that quintessential thick creamy warm mashed potatoey goodness. I didn’t like the seasoning on the potatoes at all, it tasted watered down. The chicken was moist on the inside however the outside overdone. The gravy was O.K.

Stumble into Lucy’s on your way home from the bar for a late night snack or for a milk shake on a hot afternoon but don’t expect too much.

Lucy’s Eastside Diner
2708 Main Street, East Vancouver B.C.
Phone (604) 568 1550
✭✭✩✩✩

Pulled Pork at The Five Point

Doesn’t that make your mouth water?

Pulled Pork Poutine

I tried this triple threat at The Five Point restaurant on Main and 16th. After living in Montreal for 5 years I consider myself fairly versed on what makes a good poutine. Well, The Five Point hit it spot on while adding a unique spin that has me calling this alliterative dish my new favourite.

The pulled pork was moist and juicy, the sauce, a sweet bbq, was evenly dispersed throughout the fires. Very filling but not too rich overall this meal was great, five stars for the Five Point! I think I’m addicted…

Calamari

We also ate the calamari, which was okay but nothing special ( the Pulled Pork Poutine was the star of the evening). The somewhat small portion  wasn’t overly greasy and coated in a salt, pepper, and lime breading. The breading was a bit rough, like it hadn’t been cooked long enough. Overall I wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great.

I just found out Tuesdays are 50 cent wing days at the Five Point, what a deal! Will have to go visit them and report back… until then, Happy Eating everyone.