Alibi Room
(604) 623-3383
Address: 157 Alexander Street, Gastown
Homepage
Food menu

Of all the watering holes in all the cities…
a restaurant review

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer
Saturday, June 28th 2008

** (of four stars)

Alibi Room feels like it was cooked up behind a bar by a couple of industry vets, “You know what I’d do if I started my own place?”

The reply, sarcastic in a I’ll-keep-this-going-if-at-least-to-kill-time-kind-of-way: “Yeah, what?”

“Well there’d be a huge draft beer list. Stuff you can’t get anywhere else.”

“Obviously, what else?”

“A kick-ass burger.”

“And laid back service, you know, so it’d feel like you were just hanging out at someone’s house?”

“Exactly.”

You know the conversation I’m talking about.

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I recently received the following press release from Darby’s Pub, advertising their new late night menu. I gotta say, I have often found myself in that area late at night when the only option around was The Naam. So I can see this being a good thing.

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The New Bohemian
(604) 736-7576
Address: 3162 West Broadway (map)

A First Look at The New Bohemian
a Quick Bite

By Jason
Eat Vancouver writer

First, a brief disclaimer: I visited The New Bohemian on its opening night, a night when no restaurant should be judged at any level of discrimination (would you like to be rated on your first day of work?). In fact, one could argue that it’s pointless to attempt a serious review during a restaurant’s first two weeks of service, a task that should be reserved for amateurs and The Globe and Mail. Being neither, I will attempt a modified quick bite, in which I will comment more on the overall concept of The New Bohemian in order to focus on the aspects that should remain relatively stable.

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Industry Lounge Eatery
Address: 1809 West 1st Ave (map)
604 732-5119
The fires of Industry are burning.
a News item

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer

Industry Lounge Eatery, the new drinking/dining spot in the old Vintropolis spot, has been open for a few weeks now. I stopped by a few days ago to snap some photos and peek through the windows. It appears the design hasn’t changed much from the old Vintropolis, with the much of the same banquettes and tables in the same locations. There are more TVs now, which happened to be playing the latest hockey game. That’s usually enough to keep me away, but I hear there are some people to whom that appeals. I also got some photos of the menu (pages 1, 2, 3, & 4).

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Red Robin at Broadway and Oak
Address: 1001 West Broadway (map)
Phone: 604-733-6494
homepage

In the Catbird Seat
a Summer Eatin’ feature

by Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver Writer
Monday, July 9th, 2007

My history with Red Robin goes all the way to my discovery of the chain as a young boy in Oakland where I believed it to be the height of fine dining. Then, more recently during my time as an undergraduate in Charlottesville, where our dorm was generously furnished with an assortment of their glassware thanks to sticky-fingered past residents. But now that I’ve grown older, I’ve often wondered if these warm feelings are simply nostalgia, or a more or less accurate representation of this burger joint.

I’ve been putting off testing these questions because, well, sometimes I don’ really want to know. It’s sort of like in 8MM, when Nicholas Cage’s character was getting ready to investigate the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles’ hardcore porn industry, and he was warned, “you are going to see things that you can’t unsee.” Now, I don’t mean to compare Red Robin to snuff porn, but it’s hard to ignore the similarities: I didn’t want to taste things I couldn’t untaste. That was until I heard that the patio at the Red Robin on Broadway boasts one of the most spectacular views in the city. My dedication to blissful ignorance would have to wait – there was summer eatin’ to be had.

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Abigail’s Party
(604) 739-4677
Address: 1685 Yew St, Kitsilano (map)
Homepage

Dear Abi,
a restaurant review

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer
Sunday, May 20th, 2007

½ (of four stars)

With a wealth of new Kitsilano restaurants (Bistrot Bistro, Gastropod, Fuel et al) soaking up our collective attentional resources, it is easy to overlook the several Kits standards that have already made a name for themselves. One such joint is Abigail’s Party, which opened over a year ago to much critical praise and considerable success. But has this Cinderella maintained her charm, or is she late for the ball, her coach nothing but a dirty old gourd and her hand servants mere field mice? Recent evidence suggests she is showing her age, but with some serious tweaking, this soiree can regain its former splendor.

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Wing Nuts
Address: 4444 Main Street (map)
Phone: 604-874-9874
homepage

Quickbite: Wing Nuts

By Daniel Fishman
Eat Vancouver columnist

Wing Nuts specializes in—you guessed it—chicken wings, a specialty which seems to be somewhat lacking around Vancouver. Lets face it, most of the wings you get in bars and pubs around here make “substandard” sound pretty good. So when the Oakman suggested Wing Nuts after an afternoon of Pitch & Putt, I was skeptical, but
also curious.

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Vera’s Burger Shack
Multiple locations around Vancouver
See homepage for details

Hours vary by location

A Tale of Two Burgers

–
In an attempt to establish inter-rater reliability, this week’s edition of Eatvancouver features two points of view. Expect a third next week when columnist Lorna Yee chimes in.
–

It was the best of times…

By Jason
Eat Vancouver Editor
Sunday, April 16th, 2006

UBC location: 1/2 (of four stars)
Other locations: * and 1/2 (of four stars)

When I moved to Vancouver a few years ago, Vera’s was one of the first restaurants I visited. I was pleased to find out that what my friends were telling me was true: Vera’s Burger Shack made a name for itself serving well-designed burgers, with fresh meat and toppings and hadn’t deviated from that in twenty-odd years of service. My romance with the burger shack continued, marked by casual encounters whenever I found myself in the vicinity of a Vera’s, usually the Denman or Davie locations. I appreciate a place that takes burgers seriously, uses ultra-fresh ingredients and greets me with a smile – heck, what’s not to like about that? Walk into most Vera’s locations and you can expect a pretty simple atmosphere: wooden tables with napkin dispensers, a couple of bottles of vinegar and a bottle of ketchup, maybe a few signs on the wall explaining the place, and no absence of that smiling, young ginger with a cow-print chef’s hat. The burger, again at most locations, is quite good. To break it down, you’ve got your beef patty, seasoned ever so slightly to bring out the flavor of the meat. There is a kaiser bun that just the right size as to not hide the underlying filling, but big enough to aptly house the burger and allow for hands on eating. The toppings are many to choose from, and always fresh. I don’t like to overshadow the meat so I usually order my vera burger with lettuce, tomato, chopped onion, hot peppers, pickles (sliced nice and long), hot sauce and vera’s sauce. Oh, their poutine is top-notch as well.

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Feenie’s
Address: 2563 West Broadway
Tel: 604-739-7115
homepage

Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30am-5:30pm lunch
Sat-Sun 2:00pm-5:30pm lunch
Mon-Sat 5:30pm-11:30pm dinner
Sun 5:30pm-10:00pm dinner
Sat-Sun 10:00am-2:00pm brunch

More than just a Pretty Burger

By Lorna Yee
Eat Vancouver Columnist
Sunday, April 2nd, 2006

*** (of four stars)

Rob Feenie’s role in shaping the restaurant scene in Vancouver is indisputable. His 2004 win on Iron Chef against Masaharu Morimoto cemented his position as an internationally respected chef whose approach to cooking has impressed the likes of Charlie Trotter.

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The Foundation
Address: 2301 Main Street, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 708-0881

Hours:
Daily 5pm-1am

The Foundations of a Good Restaurant

By: Russell Ball
Vegan/Vegetarian Columnist
Sunday, November 27th, 2005

** (of four stars)

I’ve been longing to dine at Foundation for months since I heard about it – one of the few very vegan-friendly restaurants in Vancouver. I finally got the chance after spending a long afternoon at Metrotown, and my wife and I stopped at Main Street on the way home. It was about 7pm on a Saturday and when we got there it was packed. Every table was full, but it is a small establishment. Foundation has about 15 tables, and can probably hold 45-50 people, which is small compared to many large chain restaurants. We were willing to wait however, and were seated within a reasonable time, although I noticed the shorthanded wait staff (1 server and 1 busboy) could barely stop serving food so they could clean off empty tables.

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