French

Reconnecting with La Regalade, West Vancouver’s Authentic French Bistro

December 1, 2013
La Régalade lamb sirloin with beef bourguignon tureen and potato side dish

Vancouverites are notorious for not crossing bridges, which may be one reason why I don’t get to West Vancouver’s La Regalade more often. Four of us made it there the other night, to be rewarded by a wealth of rustic flavours, ample portions, good service and overall great conviviality. Our table was right across from […]

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Fat Bastard Revisited and Gabrielle Meffre at Le Crocodile (Video)

April 20, 2013
Best selling Fat Bastard Chardonnay

I’m not sure why but I always figured that cheekily named “Fat Bastard” had to have something to do either with the guy who might drink it (me) or the guys who made it—Thierry Boudinaud and Guy Anderson. But here’s the real story, as told by Fat Bastard co-owner (and Gabrielle Meffre globe-trotting sommelier) Anthony Taylor.   […]

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Fighting Winter’s Ills with Pot au Feu at Vancouver’s Bistro Pastis

December 13, 2012

The Hired Belly is a push-over for hearty, winter dishes, such as the pot au feu at Bistro Pastis, (2153 West 4th Ave., 604-731-5020) which we more than did justice to last week, when the winter rains were sluicing through Vancouver; and flu was threatening to force us to the sidelines. We can’t say, for sure, […]

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Vancouver’s Le Parisien: a Worthy Tribute to the Original Café de Paris – Fall Menu update

October 27, 2012

Updated Oct 23, 2012. It’s not unusual for new restos to tweak things as they go along but we’re more than intrigued by Le Parisien’s just launched “petits plats”—a definite nod to Spanish tapas, with some excellent tastes from chef Tobias Grignon and team. No fiddling with the stalwarts —such as French onion fondue or […]

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Cozy and Tasty on The Drive: Tunisian Treats at Carthage Café

October 9, 2012

Do you ever wonder what it is that draws you into a place? This east-side spot has been on our radar for a while; and we’ve been meaning to get in to check it out. Finally, we were just driving by one night last week when it caught our attention. The candle-lit room was positively […]

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Time to Jump on the Canucks Bandwagon at Newly Arrived Ensemble

May 27, 2011

Here’s a quick heads up on a good deal for hockey fans at just unveiled Ensemble in the former Corner Suite Bistro space. The casual newcomer, which is not short of bar TVs, offers its delicious pulled pork sandwich and a glass of Red Truck Pale Ale for just $14 on game nights during the […]

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WHERE Vancouver Announces 15th Annual Where to Dine Awards

April 28, 2011

WHERE Vancouver (to whom the Hired Belly supplies considerable calorific content) yesterday unveiled the 15TH Annual Where to Dine Awards. The well attended (and well-run) event was hosted in superb fashion by Blue Water Café, who, as usual, catered to their industry peers with an array of seafood towers, sushi and more, not to mention […]

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Hermitage on Robson Moving On: To Make Way for More Bling

January 26, 2011

We reckon Hermitage—Robson’s romantic little Burgundian backwater—should be pretty busy over the next couple of weeks… After they’ve poured the last glass of Château de Chamilly Pinot Noir, and finished serving the profiteroles and chocolate sauce on Valentine’s Day, Hervé Martin and his long-serving crew will hang up the closed sign for the last time—at least […]

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Vancouver’s L’Abattoir: Gastown’s newest destination

August 27, 2010

Tuned up heritage bar and dining lounge adds up to historic district’s latest lively lure Walk into Gastown’s newest star, L’Abattoir (217 Carrall St., 604-568-1701) and the first person you’ll likely meet is Shaun Layton, who runs everything bar-wise here.  Shaun is one of the best. We know that, having watched him and tasted his efforts […]

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