Earlier this year, I stumbled across a "House of Dosas" website at work. I literally laughed my ass off at the simplicity of this website. I decided that I was horrified by the thought of eating at this place, strictly from the web experience.
Well, I'm eating my words, literally. House of Dosas is a ghetto-fab joint that's been open on Kingsway in Vancouver for over a decade. I did a bit more digging, and I found their official website, which is slightly more legit than the one listed above. It's open 24 hours/day, and has a special every day from Monday-Friday... If your wallet has been especially used and abused, I suggest heading there on a Monday. For $5.99, you can have almost any Dosa in the house.
What is a Dosa, you might ask? This thing is basically a gigantic Sri-Lankan/South Indian crepe; literally 2 feet long, stuffed with the Indian food of your choice. The crepe itself is made from rice and white lentil, and is slightly crispy on the outside, but nice and soft on the inside. My friend Nathan and I tried out the Mattar Paneer (#19 on the menu), which was a yellow curried filling with potatoes, paneer cheese, and some other goodies. You'll have the choice of how spicy you want it, but I would suggest grabbing a mango lassi to pair with your dish. Whether you're broke-ass or not, it's DELICIOUS. To accompany this monster of a crepe, you'll be treated to a bowl of daal (lentil soup).
Nathan, taken aback by the gargantuan beast that is the Dosa.
When it comes out, you WILL be intimidated. You will dart your eyes around the room, desperately trying to scope out exactly what the eating technique is. I could tell you how to chow down, but I think I'm going to leave it to be as much of a mystery as it was for me.
1. Turn my "restaurant shopping" into something productive, by blogging once a week - While I am not specifically writing about restaurants, I am definitely blogging at least once a week. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
2. Get my ass to the gym, by February 28, 2011 (and yes, I mean even if it's just once. I've procrastinated on this one for YEARS). - Still haven't done this. I need to book an appointment with Versus Gym and actually get signed up for my intro kickboxing class to "make it real".
3. Go to RBC and top up RRSP - Tried calling my financial advisor to get an estimate on how much to top up, but he never called back. Need to go in myself.
4. Contact Flight Centre again about that incredible job posting after January 1st, and prior to January 5th, 2011. - I went full-force on this interview, and am very proud of what I did during that time. While I didn't get this job, I got some fantastic feedback from Gregg Tilston and got a promotion at Telus in the interim! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
5. Start doing 20 squats a day, 30 weight lifts for each arm, and 30 sit ups 5 days a week. - Hell no, I haven't started this. When this happens (too bold of a goal), it's time to create a mini-goal. Start doing 20 squats a day, 30 weight lifts for each arm, and 30 sit ups 3 days a week by February 28th.
6. Cook a legitimate dinner for myself (aka not Kraft Dinner or Campbell's Soup), at least once a week - I have been very good. The key to this is making cooking fun, like having an in-house dinner hangout with your friends. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
I introduced you to Jordan in my previous post about NYC. She is living through some exciting times right now - Jordan has been embarking on a journey to health & happiness through a Raw Vegan lifestyle. I've been lucky enough to hear about her experiences over the past few years. In a few short days, she will be jumping on a plane and heading to the big island of Hawaii to work on an orchard for 4 months. I can't tell you how excited I am for her... I feel like I am a part of this, as I've witnessed the profound effects this positive lifestyle & diet have given her.
Congratulations to Jordan for taking on this incredible adventure!!!
Jordan recently started a YouTube channel, where she vlogs about her experience. I strongly suggest you tune in and hear what she has to say - it could change your life!
Growing up, my dad would always put on Italian opera, and the "Best of Italy" compilation during the holidays. By no means, are we Italian in any way. My dad just loves Italian music for some reason. Through this, I like to believe I have become a "makeshift Italian", as these literally are the songs that play in my head when I think of my childhood.
I've shared this with some of my native Italian friends, and despite them finding it kind of weird, I think I've somewhat been taken in. This posting goes out to them, and to my famiglia.
Every time I go to this place, I feel like it's had a different theme. My first two trips to the city were with a wonderful, amazing lady named Jordan. She is my NYC Sista. Her and I lost our NYC virginity in high school with a Fine Arts trip, where our teacher snuck us off to the legendary CBGB's before it was demolished. The second time we went, we basically just drank bottles of wine to ourselves every night and made some great friends.
So, what was the theme this time, you might ask? I'd say, Cheese and Booze.
On this trip, I went with one of my oldest friends, Mr Sterling "Fry".
We stayed in a very cozy apartment, at the Jones Street Guesthouse. This place is in an incredible location - right off Bleecker, between 6th and 7th Ave S in Greenwich Village. I'd recommend it to anybody - you're a 15 minute walk away from SOHO (aka a hell of a lot of shops), and a few subway stops away from the magical land of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We managed to coat the place in clothing very quickly.
It was our first time on a trip together, despite knowing each other for over a decade. That being said, I knew the following would incur: - Galavanting - Eating - A couple pops
Boy, was I right. The remainder of these photos are snippets of what happened in the big Apple. I look like Powder in a majority of the photos, and the lens on my camera was filthy. Either way, you'll get an idea:
Sterling made a buddy at Tammany Hall, and quickly introduced me to him. I have about 25 pictures with this random dude. Hello, whoever you are.
Oh, the agony of the next day. Oh well - it was well spent watching Californication, Shameless, and my new favorite show, Portlandia (ALIKIIIII).
We had a celebrity sighting - Jennifer Aniston! Good thing Sterling pointed her out, because I would've never noticed.
Jones St Guesthouse gives you discount cards for a cafe down the street, called Doma. I had the Eggs Toscano 3 times while I was there. Zippy tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, fried eggs, and garlic toast. What more could you want?
They also had some damn good cheese:
Lake’s Edge (Pasteurized goats’ milk, Blue Ledge Farm, VT)
I stumbled across a great Spanish tapas bar called Boqueria where I got sat next to the most hammered middle-aged couple I've ever seen. It was about 5 PM, and these two were seducing each other by suggestively eating dried seaweed (which they didn't even serve here). The bartender told them to cut it out three times, before they finally left the building.
I stayed there and had wine and cheese over great chats with a very handsome bartender from Ohio.
Valdeón cheese, quince paste, craisins, and delectable fruit bread.
Keeping on the cheese wagon, here's the best damn cheese shop I've ever been to, Murray's. Another reason to stay at Jones St Guesthouse, is because this is a block away. You can basically throw yourself out the door of the apartment, and you'll almost be at the front step of this place. This is shame of a photo to represent my little piece of heaven, but here it be:
On my last trip with Jordan, we stayed across the street from two of my favorite casual food spots, Curly's Vegetarian Lunch and Artichoke Pizza. I couldn't resist, and made a venture across town to have the succulent vegan hot wings at Curly's. Jordan, this one's for you!
On my last day, I had a great sendoff with the city at Grey Dog, down the street from where I stayed. I ate a peanutbutter & jam sandwich (they have homemade bread.. oh god) and sipped a delicious latte, while listening to the sweet jams of Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys ("If I Ain't Got You" is my NYC theme song), and Erykah Badu.
And my favorite part of the trip, hands down - spending time with amazing people.
SHOUTOUTS TO TERRY AND FROG, NYC'S FINEST GENTLEMEN! <3
OTHER NYC TOP SPOTS, TRIED TESTED AND TRUE:
WILLIAMSBURG: You want to to to Williamsburg (Brooklyn) for a full day - go shopping, and eat at the restaurants there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You won't be disappointed.
Beacon's Closet - Jordan introduced me to this incredible vintage shop. Prepare to be overwhelmed.
The Commodore - This place is like Vancouver's "Foundation" restaurant and the Royal Canadian Legion on crack, with some really cheap food and delicious drinks.
The Woods - This is a pretty cool bar. I have only been here once, but would definitely like to check it out again.
MANHATTAN -
IFC CENTER - I went to a movie two nights in a row - this place is great!!! All independent movies, and you will not be sitting with any more than 20 people in the theater. It's awesome.
"Da Clubs"
SWAY - Every Sunday - Smiths Night. Best night. Best bar. Hands down. Fun people. Packed. Dress sassy, or you're not getting in. I'm not joking.
Lit Lounge - Plenty o good times. Bands, my friend Terry (I'll leave it at that - this guy knows everyone), and lots of dancing.
Tammany Hall - This place used to be called the Annex; located on 152 Orchard St. Fun fun, dance dance, strong drinks.
Greenhouse - A tropical nightclub. The place is literally covered in vines, on the inside. AND, I saw Weird Al Yankovic here. 'nuf said.
Motor City Bar - I'd like to spend more time at this place. Down to earth, smells of rich mahogany (not really).
If I haven't convinced you to go to New York yet, then listen to me: This city has its own heartbeat. It is unlike ANYWHERE in the world. I have never left this place without feeling motivated to make the most of my life, starting right now. It will put your head in the clouds, make you dream big, and give you the energy to actually do something about it (that's what it does for me, anyway). So if you've just broken up with your boo, or you're feeling blah about life, buy a god damn ticket to NYC.
And for no reason whatsoever, here's some D'Angelo:
Thank you for the beautiful comments all of you made on my jill easy + flight centre = unbeatable note on Facebook! I have drawn a name out of the 36 people that commented on my page.. Check out the video to find out who won:
PS - I have virtual "shushy s's" in this video. YESH!
A big thank you to Flight Centre and Gregg Tilston for inspiring me to get creative and put my Social Media skills to the test. Second interview or not, this has been an absolutely incredible experience so far.
I've got a busy year ahead of me, and these are only restaurants I can think of off the top of my head:
Tojo's - I originally found out about this place through my old boss, Alvaro. This place HAS to be incredible; not only because Alvaro has fantastic taste & I have a great amount of respect for him, but also because it is the place he trusts to take the talent he brings in, to show them what Vancouver sushi is all about. Check out this list of awards Tojo's has received. Unreal!
Miku - A lot of buzz about this place. Some say it's "the new Tojo's". That's a hefty title to live up to. This restaurant features Aburi-style sushi (flame-seared), which is very intriguing.
CinCin - I always get serenaded by this place when I walk by - the music just kind of rolls off the Tuscan balcony above lululemon on Robson, and I've found myself trying to take a peek up the big set of stairs that lead to the restaurant many times. Word on the street is that the pizza is to die for.
La Taqueira - This is another one of my "on the bus" discoveries - I've gazed at the La Taqueira Guadalupe in passing a billion times, and I've also heard a million kudos for this place. They cater to almost everyone, having some vegan specials on the menu. TWO THUMBS UP! Thanks to vancouverisawesome.com for the photo.
Le Gavroche - I live about two blocks from this place, and it always intrigues me. It's a beautiful restaurant that looks like a heritage house, that always has a silver BMW in the driveway. Looks classy, and let's be honest... Could I really turn down going to a place that has Lobster with Tarragon Butter, or Shrimps and Scallops that are flambéed table side with Brandy? No, I couldn't.
Italian Kitchen - So, I'm cheating here a bit. I've been here before. BUT, it was when I first moved here two years ago, and I barely remember anything from that time because I was so spaced out from moving. I'm a big fan of their sister restaurant across the street, Coast, which you can also read about on the "Glowbal Connection" website listed above. Gnocchi, here I come.
MEAT HEAVY, BUT INTRIGUED: La Regalade La Buca Both of these spots have been recommended to me on multiple occasions, particularly by one of my best friends, Cameron. I'm willing to say if their meat options are as delicious as everyone says, I'm sure the veggie/fish dishes would be pretty damn good, too. I will report back.
Pretty hard to mess up, but I can say with confidence I've found the best breakfast potatoes in the city. Cubed, fried hashbrowns around the world are frowning right now, because you will NEVER want to eat them again.
They're at Cafe Medina, on 556 Beatty St. Medina is cozied up next to its Belgian sister restaurant, Chambar.
I've frequented this place on multiple days of the week. Doesn't matter what day it is, there will always be a lineup out the door. A HUGE lineup. Make sure you push past the queue, and get your name on the list indoors.
What makes these taters worth the wait: - Applewood Cheddar, and lots of it - Carmelized Onions - Fresh green onion - Pepper and other mystery spices (still need to decipher) - A hot, black skillet to keep them warm
These elements meld together to create a sweet, savory palate. Mmm, mmm, good!
The potatoes do come with a variety of the dishes at Medina, but my suggestion would be to go with the side order of the roasted potatoes for $5. This way, you will not get a micro-sized skillet of these mouth watering morsels.
Now, there are a multitude of dishes that are incredible at this place. Cafe Medina is generally dubbed as having the best waffles in the city. But for today, I want to give the unsung hero its time in the spotlight.
