beer Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Curiously Carmen

Tap and Barrel, Olympic Village

May 19, 2014

Summer is quickly approaching and we took an opportunity last week to enjoy a patio dinner with a great view. Tap and Barrel offers a huge selection of craft beer, which in my opinion tastes a lot better than your regular beers.

So, before you say you hate beer, give craft beer a try. I’ve been here two other times in the past but never had a chance to try their dinner menu. Here’s how it went!
We came on a Friday evening, so we expected a long line up since it was a warm night. Fortunately for us, they had a patio seat right away! The patio was buzzing with energy and chatter, almost all the seats were taken!

I loved the decor of the patio, it was very simple and had a west coast contemporary feel to it. The tables were wooden, and all the chairs were red. As the night progressed, we came to realize that the glass wall on the patio was very thick and sturdy. It was a bit windy but we didn’t feel a breeze or cold at all, even when it got dark.
We ordered two beers. I got the Phillips Chocolate Porter and the boyfriend got the Vancouver Island Brewery Summer Ale.

The chocolate porter was rich and dark, with a smooth chocolate finish. If you are craving a smooth and dark beer, I would definitely go with the chocolate porter. As for the summer ale, it was light and refreshing with tropical fruit notes.
We had no idea what to order since we’re used to only coming here for beer! I was a bit disappointed because I saw a few menu items on Urbanspoon that looked really good, but unfortunately weren’t on the menu that day.
For appetizers, the boyfriend wanted deep fried pickles ($5.45). The deep fried pickles were cut very thick, and the batter was very crispy. I found these to be quite oily, but was very tasty. I was also impressed at how big the portion was. The dipping sauce was a mix of sour cream and dill, which went really well with the pickles.
We also ordered the shrimp and salmon ceviche ($11.95). I was a bit disappointed with the portion, as I expected it to be bigger (minus the tortilla chips). But nonetheless, there was an abundance of shrimp and salmon in the ceviche. The boyfriend squeezed the life out of the lime, so it was pretty sour to the point where it didn’t accentuate the taste.

Yes, I know that’s not the restaurant’s fault but just be careful of how much lime juice you add into the ceviche, especially if it’s a small bowl. But when you used the tortilla chips to top off the cevice, the sourness was a bit diminished.
For our main dish, we finally decided on their “Maui Wowie” pizza. All their pizzas are hand stretched, hence it being a bit unsymmetrical, and baked in a wood stone oven. It came with tomato sauce, mozza cheese, pulled bacon, and cayenne roasted pineapples. It was pretty average, but I liked how doughy the pizza was and that it wasn’t too greasy. The pineapples really saved the dish, otherwise it would have been really bland.
We also decided to order their mac and cheese, with pulled pork for an added $3 ($15 total). This dish was a total disappointment to us as it lacked any cheese flavour and was lukewarm. We felt that we could have made this better at our own house. The only saving grace about this dish was the pulled pork, but there wasn’t that much to the dish.
By the end of our dinner, the sun had set and the city lights were slowly coming to life under the night sky. It was beautiful, we ended up staying a bit longer just to enjoy the view. Tap and Barrel offers a great and delicious selection of beer, but their food options are a a bit hit and miss. But when an establishment’s specialty is beer, and they do that right, you can’t really complain.

It was a pretty busy night, so our server was quite busy but she tried her best to talk to us when she could, which we appreciated. I can’t say I’ll be back for the food, but definitely for patio drinks!

-Carmen

Score on Davie Sports Bar, Denman

May 3, 2014

I was invited by my friend to go to Score on Davie, because our mutual friend saw an article on it and really wanted to try their
“checkmate” Caesar which is a Caesar topped with a whole chicken, burger, hot dog, brownie, and more! Although I love spice and tomato juice, I’ve never ordered Caesars because I prefer beer much more. After trying out Score on Davie, I think I will be ordering Caesars much more. The place was packed by 8pm on a lovely Vancouver evening, and they were at overcapacity.
One thing I really liked about Score was their music. They had such good hip hop beats going all night long! This was their menu. We decided on sharing a couple of food items, drinks, and of course, the checkmate.
These are some of their other specialty Caesars as well. We thought that these were pretty impressive, but we did not know what the checkmate had in store for us… I should also mention that the checkmate is not on the menu, probably because it would annoy the hell out of the workers to make it if everyone knew about it. We had to ask our server for it!
Some of my friends decided to share a pitcher of sangria ($25). You are given the option to chose between red or white wine, and it also comes with a big metal spoon to help with getting the frozen fruits easier. They really enjoyed the sangria.
I ordered the Mill St. Vanilla Porter ($4)! It was delicious. It was a dark and thick beer, with hints of chocolate but with the smoothness of vanilla. So good!
We decided on getting some nachos to share ($16 approx). These were pretty decent, and came with salsa, sour creme, and beans for dipping. I would have liked it if there was more cheese, I found a lot of the chips didn’t have any melted cheese on them. To compare it with my visit at St. Augustine’s pub, St Aug’s had more nachos but Score has more dipping sides and ingredients in their nachos.
We also decided on sharing some honey garlic chicken wings ($12 approx). The chicken was hot and juicy, with the perfect amount of honey garlic.
And finally, our checkmate Caesar came and as you can see, it is truly a mouth and eyeful! Ready to hear what it came with? An order of onion rings, buffalo chicken wings, a whole juicy burger, a mini slider burger, a hot dog with pulled pork, a brownie for dessert, and OH YEAH, A WHOLE CHICKEN UNDERNEATH. The drink came to $60, WHICH, before you complain and leave this page, was a good deal because you got full sized portions of all the food. If you ordered all that food individually, plus a large Caesar, you would be paying the same amount anyways. We also split the bill 6 ways so it only came to $10 each.

You’re probably wondering if it was worth it. The answer is YES!!! Even though all the food was piled on top of the mighty Caesar, it was all quality food. The buns for the burger and hot dog were toasted, making it super soft on the inside. The pulled pork was so tender and juicy like the one I had at Burgers Etc BBQ House. The onion rings were perfectly crispy and tasted really fresh, as well as the crispy buffalo chicken wings. The brownie was super soft, decadent, and rich and even came with whipped cream, which melted pretty fast since the brownie was warm. The whole chicken was very meaty, and seasoned really well too! Of course, the Caesar was made well too!

In conclusion, their atmosphere and service is really welcoming and attentive. Their checkmate Caesar is one of those drinks that you just have to try, put it on your summer bucket list if you have one. Their food tastes a lot better than the average pub, the quality, tenderness, and juiciness of all their meat dishes really show. I predict that this place will get a lot busier once people hear about the checkmate, so I’m glad I already got the chance to try it!

-Carmen

St. Augustine’s Pub

April 17, 2014

I am done with exams and school in general! Well, until the end of this month… but still, I’ll take a reason to celebrate with good company, beer, and nachos!

I love St. Augustine’s for their awesome beer selection and cheap paddles! For those who don’t know what their beer paddle is, keep on reading. St Aug’s is my go-to pub when I want some good beer. They offer over 60 beer taps, so you have a pretty huge selection, from IPAs, lagers, stouts, and pale ales, and more. Even if you don’t like beer, their food menu is pretty delicious as well.
I was pretty surprised at how busy St. Aug’s was on a weekday night. We had to move to a bigger table since more people ended up joining us, but thankfully, there was a table of nice customers who switched their seats so that we could combine two tables.
Their beer menu changes daily, even hourly. I almost always order the paddle when I come here, because I am so indecisive. The paddle consists of 4 tap beers of your choice. It is around $9 for four 4oz beer samples. I decided to split the paddle today with the boyfriend. The following beers are seen from left to right!

Steveston hefeweizen- This had some wheat, banana and cereal flavour in it. I liked how it was full-bodied and had some citrus aromas to it!
What the huck- I chose this one because it claimed to have a berry flavour (huckleberry-hah get it?) and aroma to it. Indeed, it did! The brewery added berry juice after filtration, which gives it its colour and sweetness. However, it wasn’t sweet enough to taste just solely of berry juice of course! I liked the sweet, slightly tart but smooth finish to it.
Old boy classic ale- Had a darker and roastier smell to it than the previous two. It was creamy, and had flavour hints of coffee and caramel. If you’re into dark and heavy flavours, this one is a good choice. I loved it!
Smooth criminal- Smooth criminal was very dark, malty, and creamy. There was notes of chocolate and coffee in this one. It was definitely very “smooth” like their name says. Out of all four, I enjoyed this one the most because it was so smooth and dark. I was craving an oatmeal stout for so long and this one really fulfilled my cravings.
We always order nachos to share when we come here because it’s such a large portion for $16. I was a bit disappointed with their nachos because there wasn’t that much cheese with it.

There was a lot of sour cream and I wish they had more cheese instead. It would also be nice to have a different variety of nacho chips. I have definitely had better nachos before, but these are alright. Tomatoes and onions on the top were pretty fresh, as were the peppers.
I was really hungry, and ordered their salami pizza ($9)! I was surprised at how big the dish was. This dish tasted a lot better than the nachos, and I fell in love! There was a generous portion of meat and jalapeno peppers.

It also wasn’t oily, and had a thin crust so it didn’t make me feel greasy afterwards. This pizza is also very spicy due to the amount of jalapenos based inside, so consider yourself warned!
Two of my friends ordered their classic burger ($15), which came with a choice of regular fries, yam fries, or salad.
My friend ordered the tea saison beer, which I was curious to try since it had rooibos tea in it?! I had mixed feelings and decided to give it a taste. I was oddly surprised at how well the flavours went together. The tea saison was more fruity,with notes of mangoes, apple, and papaya.
My other friend ordered the vaporizer. I didn’t try it, but the menu described it as “dry and hoppy”.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to take pictures of everyone else’s beer/drinks but I hope you enjoyed the ones I managed to captured!

Overall, St. Augstine’s offers a great selection of beer and I would definitely recommend this place if you like beer. Nachos are average, but their pizza and burgers are a lot better.

It is always busy here, which I take as a good sign. Service is either a hit or miss. We’ve had times where we had great service, but we’ve also had rude and sporadic service. I guess it just depends on who is working that day, but their service has seen both ends of the spectrum.

-Carmen

A Canadian’s take on Moose’s Down Under! (Australian pub)

February 16, 2014

Hi everyone!

Last month, I was invited to Australia Day by one of my good friends, Hayley, who is living in Vancouver on a working holiday visa. I have never celebrated Australia Day, so I was quite excited and curious to check it out!

I have heard my other friends say great things about Moose’s Down Under, and it was time to see for myself how it was like! Of course, when an Australian tells you this place is legit, you know you gotta check it out.
The boyfriend and I could hear the music from Moose’s a block away, so we knew it was going to be busy and packed! When we got in, we could tell it was crazily packed. There was a lot of great Australian music blasting, and literally a sea of Australians (Well, not literally, but you know 😛 ).

For Australia Day, it is tradition to play the hottest 100 songs on the radio station, Triple J. The countdown ends when the number one song is played.

It was my first time listening to Australin pop/rap/rock, but I was thoroughly impressed and enjoyed all the songs they played! Aside from the music, the screens were also playing Australian television- most of it was cricket, which is as popular as hockey in Canada!

Also, at one point, the owner of the restaurant stopped the music and everyone stood up to sing the Australian anthem. It was so great seeing such patriotic people being united in one place, yet at the same time, loving Vancouver. There was lots of (drunk) cheering and hugging to be found as well. I admired and respected the staff working that day, but service was pretty decent seeing how busy they were.

Also, I learned that the term sheila is slang for a female! Many other Australian slang words were learned that night!
Now comes the food! I was quite excited to try the food after my coworker told me about the kangaroo burger. Naturally, as a foodie, I was intrigued- I’ve never been to a place not recognizing more than half of the menu. I saw many different items on the menu that I’ve never heard of before, and it took me awhile to decide what I wanted to eat.

For drinks, the boyfriend and I decided on trying Australian beer. We ordered Coopers which was a type of pale ale and Toohey’s extra dry based on the recommendation from Hayley. I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t like Toohey’s since it’s extra dry, but it was really good.

I was very intrigued by this “chicken parmie” on the menu. Basically, it is a grilled breaded chicken that is slathered in tomato paste sauce, with melted cheese on top. I really enjoyed this! It was breaded really nicely and the chicken portion was very generous.

The tomato paste tasted really fresh, and wasn’t overly sweet to the point where it tasted fake. It came with a side of salad and on a bed of fries which were both decent, nothing too special. I will definitely be ordering another “parmie” soon! They also had special “super parmies” menu which included outback jack (smokey BBQ, carmelized onion, bacon, cheddar) and parmie gonzalez (salsa, guacamole, jalapeno, corn chips, nacho cheese).

The burger in the back is the roo burger. Yup, you guessed it.. kangaroo meat patty! I had mixed feelings about this dish, and was hesitant to try it. I’ve heard that kangaroo meat isn’t as good, and I kept having an image of a cute little kangaroo hopping around….

Anyways, I found that the patty is definitely not as juicy as a beef patty. It is a lot more drier and also a lot more leaner. I prefer my patties juicier so I wouldn’t order the roo burger again but it was definitely an interesting experience.
Behold, the roo poutine. Basically like a regular Canadian poutine, but with kangaroo meat. Again, I found the kangaroo meat a tad too dry for my liking, but I would definitely suggest giving this a try. They were pretty generous with the portion of kangaroo which is always a plus!

In conclusion, I really enjoyed Moose’s Down Under and had a great time celebrating Australia Day.

On a side note, Hayley has her own blog which you can find here – Hayley on Holiday. ! Hayley is never afraid to take chances and explore the world on her own, and attempting to visit 25 countries by 25- she is only one away from that! Somehow, she balances working two jobs in Vancouver while exploring the city and working on her website! Read all about her travel adventures and her experiences living in Vancouver so far! I promise you, her adventures are awesome and will make you want to travel the world alone, too.

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar – Burnaby location

February 13, 2014

Hi readers!

Going to The Keg is a pleasure and treat for my family and I. It’s a treat that we all enjoy, and we usually have a great experience seeing that all three of us are steak lovers. This time, I surprised the boyfriend and he joined our family as well (he had no idea where we were going until we arrived at the parking lot! my surprise was a success!)

It was also his first time ever at The Keg, which was pretty surprising for me, but I’m glad he finally tried it and was able to share that experience with my family. My parents and I noticed that the dishes this time around were not as great as they were before, it seemed as if The Keg had cut down on their quality and quantity of food. That said, it wasn’t bad, just not as good as we had before.

The location we went to was in Burnaby, right beside the Costco. They have an ample parking lot, and also lots of street parking. We had a reservation at 7:30 and arrived on time, but we had to wait around 15 minutes to actually get seated.

We were seated at a booth at the far end corner of the restaurant. It was a good seat as it was quieter in that area than the rest of the restaurant. Our server was prompt to greet us. Right off the bat, he informed us that they were running low on prime rib that night, and to tell him if we were planning to order that so he could reserve it for us. After about 10 minutes, he returned and told us that he reserved some for us and took our order. Here’s our dinner!
This was the complimentary sourdough bread that came with our order. We were disappointed because last time we came here, there was a variety of bread in a bigger basket. The Keg really cut down on their bread, which is a disappointment.I really liked the quality of their strawberry margarita. I thought it was blended perfectly, and the strawberries tasted really fresh. I enjoyed the texture and the taste of this drink a lot. It was a pretty big glass too!
Granville Island Winter Ale.
Mom’s 12oz prime rib medium rare with twice baked potato & onion rings. It was too big of a portion for her, she regretted ordering a 12oz because she felt too full. Ended up packing the twice baked potato. She thoroughly enjoyed her prime rib though. It was very tender and soft.
Dad’s 12 oz prime rib with stir fried vegetables, medium well. I don’t think he enjoyed this as much as before. Said it wasn’t juicy enough and felt dry. I think he was a bit disappointed, he would have probably liked it done medium or medium rare instead!

The boyfriend’s New York Striploin with Keg Fries. His striploin was noticeably more juicier than our prime ribs. You can tell by the second picture how juicy it was! It wasn’t as tender as our prime rib, making it have a tight texture and a bit of chew, but that’s to be expected since it’s a striploin.

He thoroughly enjoyed his dish, except for the fries. The fries were extremely, extremely, salty to the point where I could’t even handle it. It was coated with so much salt that we couldn’t eat it! That was a bit disappointing but overall, the NY striploin itself was great!

My 10 oz prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes. I thought this was pretty delicious. The meat was really tender which is a sign of great preparation and cooking. It was seasoned perfectly as well!

I remember last time we came here, the prime rib came with four different sauces so I was disappointed it only came with two this time. Overall, it was good and I liked that it was soft and tender. The garlic mashed potatoes were done perfectly and delicious!
For dessert, we ordered the mini fudge brownie with a side of vanilla ice cream. I can’t even begin to tell you how delicious this was! For starters, we were really surprised when this came because it looked pretty big. We thought the server accidentally brought us the full size.

The chocolate brownie was delicious. On the top was melted dark chocolate, and the brownie itself was really warm and decadent. What made the vanilla ice cream stand out was the caramel on the top. It brought out all the flavours of the dessert perfectly, and balanced the taste of the brownie. Details like this is what I really appreciate and look for when I write my food reviews. We mixed each bite with the brownie and ice cream, and it was like heaven on earth. It was really the cherry on top of a great meal.

-Carmen