Estrella’s Montreal Smoked Meat – Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

NOTE: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY “THE BEST“, BECAUSE FOOD IS PERSONAL AND I CAN ONLY DISCOVER SO MUCH IN A YEAR. THESE ARE JUST SOME WORTH MENTIONING IN MY BOOKS… OR BLOG? BLOG. IT’S MORE OF A 2011 RECAP/SUMMARY. ALL EXPERIENCES ARE FROM 2011 ONLY.

Top 10 BEST Sandwiches/Burgers in Vancouver!

Finch’s Tea & Coffee House – Pear, Blue Brie, Prosciutto Baguette

Sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and food carts dominated the Vancouver food scene last year and this. The following sandwiches and burgers are limited to the ones I tried this year, so they’re not necessarily “the best”, but definitely worth mentioning and trying!

Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Savary Island Pie Company – Grilled Chicken and Fresh Basil Sandwich

2. Belle’s on Thirty Two Restaurant – Lambwich

3. La Brasserie – Brass Chicken Sandwich

4. Hubbub Sandwiches – Pork Sandwich

5. Finch’s Tea & Coffee House – Pear, Blue Brie, Prosciutto Baguette

6. Coma Food Truck – Kalbi Burger

7. TacoFino Cantina – Pork Gringa

8. Meat & Bread – Porchetta Sandwich

9. Estrella’s Montreal Smoked Meat – Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

10. The Oakwood Canadian Bistro – Burger

See the full “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2011″ here.

Restaurant: Seasonal 56
Cuisine: International/American/West Coast/Pacific Northwest
Last visited: September 21, 2011
Location: Langley, BC
Address: #201 – 26730 56th Avenue, Langley Twp
Price Range: $30-50 (Mains $20-25)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 5 (for Gumboot dinner)
Overall: n/a
Additional comments:

• Casual fine dining
• Pacific Northwest cuisine
• Farm to table
• Seasonal/local
• Showcasing Fraser Valley
• Hidden gem
• Cooking classes
• Gumboot Dinners
• Neighbourhood favourite
• Local wines
• Dine in/some frozen dinners to go
• Lunch Tues-Fri: 11:30am-2:30pm
• Dinner Thurs., Fri. and Sat from 5 pm

**Recommendations: n/a

“I want to put on my my my my my boogie shoes
Just to boogie with you, yeah
I want to put on my my my my my boogie shoes
Just to boogie with you” – Bee Gees

Boogie shoes are fun, but so are gumboots! I traded in my high heels for something a bit more appropriate for this occasion. I was invited by Seasonal 56 to attend their special Gumboot Dinner which happens occasionally.

It’s not what you’re thinking… but wait, what are you thinking? I thought it was going to be a dinner where the dress code was gumboots. I also thought it could be a dinner involving some wild mushroom and vegetable picking. Being literally located in the deep end of the woods of Langley, BC, my guesses weren’t too unreasonable… okay well maybe the first one was, but hey I wasn’t the only one that showed up in gumboots! In fact 4 out of 24 of us did!

So what is a Gumboot Dinner? It’s actually an intimate dinner where guests can meet, eat and converse with local growers, producers and winemakers specifically from the Fraser Valley. It is created and hosted by Chef Adrian and his wife Shannon at their restaurant Seasonal 56, a casual fine dining restaurant and hidden gem in Langley. The multi-course dinner is served family style over a long communal table and it’s limited to 22-24 seats including the producers, so they do recommend you to book early.

The farm to table concept is taking the culinary scene by storm. It seems to be the theme of every restaurant. Buy local and seasonal. Some restaurants are very capable of showcasing this philosophy, while others use it as a marketing strategy. Seasonal 56 falls in the prior category and it was well showcased at this Gumboot Dinner. The producers featured this evening included One Love Farms, Thiessen Farms, Glorious Organics Co-Op, and winemaker Mt. Lehman Wineries.

Since the menu was created especially for this gumboot dinner, with the ingredients provided by the producers of the evening, I can’t comment on the food on any regular night. The food was gourmet, yet simple. None of the ingredients were new, but the theme was certainly well displayed with healthy, hearty, fresh and familiar vegetables dominating plate by plate. The proteins and sauces were very well executed, but some of the side vegetables were a bit overcooked. Preparing gourmet food in masses is always a challenging thing, but the experience was unique. It’s great for people living in the area, and I guess if you’re a hardcore “foodie” or food and wine enthusiast you’ll make the trek out.

When it comes to the farm to table theme, this is exactly how I like it served. Casual, in generous portions and I could even scrap the table cloth. Sitting in smaller round tables of 4-6 would also be nice to get to know everyone. I’d say outdoors would be even better, but who am I kidding? I’m an indoors kind of girl.

Talking to all the producers and learning about their products is always fun for me, but if you don’t care to know where your food comes from, then you might not see value in this experience. On the other hand you will be well fed and the courses are very generous. You pass around the dishes just like you would at Christmas dinner.

For similar experiences outside of Langley, BC I would also recommend checking out Market Mondays at Raincity Grill in Vancouver, BC, and Winemakers Dinners at Tapenade Bistro in Richmond, BC.

Gumboot dinners are $60 per person / $50 per diners club members. See here for details. Due to the nature of the event and it being a one time menu, I’m not going to go into too much detail regarding the food.

On the table:

One Love Farms Beaver Dam Pepper Relish with Agassiz Farm House Fromage Fraise on Crostini – It was a simple appetizer to start the evening. The pepper relish gave a nice spice and I could see it being an easy condiment for hamburgers, paninis or cheese platters.

Tortilla chip topped with Thiessen Farms Pheasant, One Love Farms Tomatillo Salsa, and Fraser Valley Corn Crème – This was my favourite appetizer. Sliced fingerling potatoes would have been nice as opposed to a chip, but to be honest I actually loved the crunch the chip brought to the dish. The sweet corn and tang of creme fraiche was well played with the savoury pheasant.

Chilled One Love Farms Tomatillo and Simple Roots Farm Cucumber Soup; Lemon Cucumber and Crème Fraiche Garnish – I found this quite salty, but it was a great appetizer next to my Pinot Grigio from Mt. Lehman Wineries.

House baked One Love Farms Delicata Squash Biscuits and One Love Farms Pepper and Cornmeal Muffins – I really wasn’t expecting freshly baked house made bread and this was much appreciated. I hope they do it for all their dinners. The buttermilk biscuit was super tender and moist and almost cakey and the cornbread was crispy, moist and sweet.

Glorious Organics Celebration Salad with Friesen Farms Tomatoes, Glen Valley Fennel, and Organic Balsamic and Local Honey Vinaigrette – And that is what I call a salad! This is farm to table! I loved the wholeness of the ingredients and the edible flowers and herbs from Glorious Organics made for aromatic flavour and great colour. The meaty plump tomatoes were sweet instead of tangy and it was more fruity than acidic. Some added grapes, cheese and nuts would have been great, but I’m not complaining. This was the definition of beautiful is simple.

Douglas Farms Beans with Shallots, Thyme and In Seasons Farm Hazelnuts – This was a basic side but it was slightly overcooked and I could have used lots more hazelnuts because the flavour and texture was a quite hidden and lost. Perhaps a drizzle of hazelnut oil would have done the trick.

Olera Farms Broccolini – This was slightly overcooked too, but still enjoyable.

Glorious Organics Fingerling Potatoes with Brown Butter – Another simple vegetable side dish. The potatoes were beautiful and the skins just popped off and exposed a creamy buttery potato flesh. Some thyme, rosemary or sage leaves would have been great with this.

One Love Farms Delicata Squash and Sage Risotto served in Delicata Squash Cup – I think I’m one of the very few that actually ate the entire squash cup… including the skin. For me it was soft and tender enough to eat. Also skins on vegetables and fruits contain the most nutrients, so as long as their washed well, they’re fine and delicious.

Thiessen Farms Pheasant Breast with Local Portobello Mushroom and Pheasant Jus – I loved this. The gravy was very well made and meaty portobellos are always a favourite of mine. It was a creamy rich gravy and the pheasant was tender and moist.

Thiessen Farms Quail, Marinated with Local Dead Frog Pale Ale; Wrapped in House Bacon and Roasted – Anything wrapped in bacon is almost an immediate winner.

Thiessen Farms Squab Breast with Glorious Organics Mulberry and Squab Jus – I’m a fan of sweet and savoury so I was a fan of this. It was a very rich jus and I loved the syrupy sweetness from the berries in it.

One Love Farms Delicata Squash Ice Cream and Ginger Cookie Sandwich with One Love Farms Pepper Caramel – I had two of these they were so good. I already love ice cream, and the more interesting sounding something is, the more I want it. This is the most unique ice cream sandwich I’ve had to date. When you get inspired to want to re-make it at home, you know you had something really good. I’m planning to make a version of this for Thanksgiving.

Churros with Hopcott Raspberry Sauce – The raspberry sauce was tangy and lemony and full of fresh fruit flavour. It was fantastic alone, but it wasn’t the best sauce for the churros and it was a bit dominating. Chocolate is classic with churros, but not quite suitable for the farm to table theme.

Agassiz Farm House Fromage Fraise and Chocolate Panna Cotta, Agassiz Duck Egg Meringue and Boozey Hopcott Strawberries – Ah, and there’s the chocolate! So maybe chocolate does suit the farm to table theme? The strawberry, duck egg, and edible flower components brought it back to the theme, not that chocolate ever needs an excuse to be on any table.

Follow Me Foodie to Pies! Why Pie?

If you missed my bi-weekly Foodie Friday segment on NEWS 1130AM this morning at 11am, the topic of discussion was pies! Here’s a quick recap of what you missed! And, to listen to it, click here!

Forget the 3.14, when it comes to pie I only understand it in one language, and that’s the kind you can eat! I come in peace, or should I say “piece”, as I speak only Foodie.

Photo: Becky Styaner at Southern Living

Food is like fashion. As I said, cupcakes were hot over two years ago, but now it’s the revival of the pie. It doesn’t mean that both aren’t still delicious, but if there’s going to be one that steals the spotlight this year, I’d cheers to the pie. Whether it’s the summer or the winter, pies are in during all seasons.

Photo: Tasty Trials

The $2.99 grocery store pies (or the “cheapest dessert for a potluck”) have their place, but honestly they’re not hard to make yourself. They’re easy and affordable to make, freeze well, and are good sweet or savoury. From sweet fruit pies to steak and Guinness pies, and even unusual pies like my Maple Bourbon Apple Pie with a Bacon Pecan Crust, pies are being reinvented from all angles.

It’s a nostalgic food that never left the scene, but it tends to take the back seat. Now it’s time for its comeback, just like J-Lo after American Idol.

Follow Me Foodie at Metro Vancouver Pie Baking Competitions!

On that note I also want to remind you that this Sunday September 18 from 10am-4pm is the 6th Annual BBQ on the Bypass in Langley, BC! It’s a free event all day with BBQ samples, concessions, live music and wait for it… the 2nd Annual BC Bake Off! This contest feature pies made by amateur bakers and I’m honoured to be one of the judges! I have my sweet tooth ready so I hope to see you there.

 Follow Me Foodie to Pies!

Here are just a few spots featuring delicious and innovative pies. I haven’t tried all the pies in Metro Vancouver, and these are not necessarily the “best places for pies”, but they’re just memorable and enjoyable. I’ll also suggest Aphrodite’s Organic Cafe and Pie Shop, Tartine, and the Airport Cafe in Chilliwack for great pies.

1. Savary Island Pie Company

Photo: Sherman

Pie Highlights: Buttermilk Pie, Apple Pie and Chicken Pot Pie

2. OrganicLives

Pie Highlights: The OMG

3. Gorilla Food

Pie Highlights: Avocado Pie

Easy Follow Me Foodie Tips/Ideas for Reinventing Pies

1. Traditional Fruit Pie: Add thyme to your fruit pies for extra aromatics.

2. Traditional Apple Pie: Add ground salted pretzels to your crust and caramel sauce to the filling for a Salted Caramel Apple Pie with an extra crunch.

3. Traditional Key Lime Pie: Add rum or amaretto to the custard and use half coconut and half fortune cookie crumbs for the crust.

4. Traditional Pear Pie: Use half pears, half beets, crumbled goat’s cheese and a bit of rosemary for something savoury.

5. Traditional Chicken Pot Pie: Swap the filling for a Thai curry chicken and make a crumble topping with cashews, shredded wonton wrappers and panko.

Food Network’s Diners, Drive Ins & Dives in Vancouver, BC!

What Guy Fieri missed and what he needs to come back for!

If you missed my Foodie Friday segment on News 1130AM radio (11am every other Friday) here’s a recap! To listen to it click here.

By now you probably know that Food Network’s popular show Diners, Drive Ins & Dives and host Guy Fieri recently came up for a visit. This is the first time they’ve shot in Canada and his first stop was in Vancouver, BC. As beautiful as the city is, it’s also delicious!

Some of the local “Diners, Drive Ins & Dives” he visited included Save-On Meats, The Red Wagon, Tomahawk Restaurant, Falconetti’s East Side Grill, Peaceful Restaurant and food cart Fresh Local Wild. Not to discredit anywhere he visited, but I just want to highlight some of my personal “Diners, Drive Ins & Dives”. Here are a few I think he really needs to come back for! I nominate these places as potential candidates for his show.

Follow Me Foodie’s Diners, Drive Ins & Dives

1. Hilltop Cafe Diner

Photo from Sherman.

Heart stopping menu highlights: Everest Burger, Cowboy’s Eggs Benedict

2. Phnom Penh

Heart stopping menu highlights: Phnom Penh’s Deep Fried Chicken Wings, Marinated Butter Beef, Filet Beef Luc Lac with Egg on Fried Rice

3. Be ‘wiched Cafe

Photo from Sherman.

Heart stopping menu highlights: Chain Gang Chili, Apple Pie Stuffed French Toast, Triple Citrus Cream Cheese Bars, Pumpkin Cookies with Warm Icing

I have lots more to add to this list, but these are just a few of my highlights with only some of the city’s best heart stopping dishes.

Want to hear more Follow Me Foodie talk? Tune in every other Friday at 11am on News 1130AM!

Follow Me Foodie to the Blueberries

A behind the scenes look at the blueberry production process & a visit to Krause Berry Farms.

Blueberries. It’s one of my favourite fruits and I can literally eat a couple pounds of them in one sitting. Anti-oxidant overload! Sure I could go on and on about how healthy they are and the benefits of eating them… but why? It’s probably something you already know, it’s not really a fruit that needs convincing, and I’m also not exactly a healthy eating blog. That being said, convincing you to eat blueberries would be like me telling you to eat candy, which is probably why the BC Blueberry Council now calls them “Nature’s Candy”.

I was invited by the BC Blueberry Council to tour a couple of the blueberry farms in the Fraser Valley. Yes, please! We started off with a behind the scenes look of the packing facilities at the Silver Valley Farms in Maple Ridge. It was a Mr. Rogers moment, or I guess for a more modern day reference I felt like Mark Summers from Food Network’s show Unwrapped; except even better, this was a candy that required no extra effort of actually unwrapping.

After my private tour of the blueberry packing facilities, I will never look at a box of blueberries the same way again. This was only a mid-sized production plant, but the process it takes to get you a box of blueberries, was more than I imagined. Yeah all those trays in the back… all full of blueberries!

It’s a three stage process just to pick out the perfect blueberries. The first stage removes all the leaves and shrubs, the second stage selects the ripe blueberries, and the third stage is the final “human inspection” stage. Every blueberry gets inspected before it gets packaged, and the unripe blueberries are separated and sent for the use of blueberry concentrate, so there is minimal waste.

It almost looks like the black market for blueberries, but the hoodie uniforms are because the room is freaking cold! They try to keep the blueberries as cold as possible before they’re shipped out and this is the final stage before they get boxed.

I’ve never seen so many blueberries in my life.

Each box is automatically weighed, machine packaged and labeled. I know you see the plastic containers, but let’s hope more eco-friendly initiatives will take place in the near future.

I found this part most interesting. Each box is given a unique bar code and if anything ever happens they can scan the container and trace it back to the exact crop and bush to see what went wrong. I’m sure this happens with a lot of products, but to be able to trace where one single blueberry came from out of acres and acres of blueberry crops is more than impressive.

 Part two of the tour was something I’ve had on my foodie itinerary the whole summer, but haven’t gotten to yet. It was a visit to Krause Berry Farms. This is pretty much the land version of Splashdown Park or I like to call a “foodie paradise”.

Krause Berry Farms is a family owned “fun working farm”. It offers freshly picked or “U-pick” berry picking for strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, and also corn and fall vegetables for the later months. (In case you’re wondering, yes I dressed for the theme… and yes, I actually did go and pick the blueberries… in those shoes too!)

Of course the “U-pick” part is a draw, but that’s not what makes it special, after all u-pick farms can be found throughout the Fraser Valley and Vancouver’s lower mainland. The main attraction and what sets Krause Berry Farms apart, is their on site “concession”, also known as “The Porch”. The Porch is their mini restaurant that serves food and drinks made with the berries and vegetables grown on their farms. From roasted corn pizzas to freshly baked pies, blueberry kettle corn, and berry ice creams, it is one activity in the summer that is not to be missed.

The viewing room of their Harvest Kitchen where you can watch all the girls baking pies and pastries.

It didn’t even stop there and the berry madness continued to their on-site Krause Berry Market which featured fresh produce, a bakery, house made preserves, and a frozen food section for you to take home your baked goods.

At the end of the day, needless to say, I was full of blueberries. When it comes to something healthy and delicious, I can pretty much forget about portion control… not that that’s ever a concern on Follow Me Foodie anyways. But I must have eaten at least a couple pounds even just as I was picking them. Being that it was blueberries there was no sugar high, or sugar crash, and despite how many I ate, I didn’t even turn into one. Yup, there was no Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Violet Beauregarde action going on, but pooped from the day I was… and perhaps later on as well. Ha! Whatever, it’s no secret what an over indulgence of blueberries can do to you.

I would highly recommend Krause Berry Farms as a great hands on experience for all ages, and especially families. It’s an educational and fun activity that incorporates all your senses and it teaches children where their food comes from and how it got there. It’s definitely worth the time, energy and gas to go check out!

Restaurant: Krause Berry Farms
Cuisine: Bakery/Desserts/Smoothies/Pies/Pizza
Last visited: August 11, 2011
Location: Langley, BC (Langley)
Address: 6179 248 Street Langley Twp
Price Range: $10 or less, $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 6
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Family owned
• U-pick berries
• Fresh produce market
• On-site “restaurant”
• On-site bakery
• On-site market
• Outdoor patio
• Playground
• Petting farm
• Carriage rides
• Gift shop
• Very family friendly

Hours of Operation:

SUMMER Berry Season
Mid June – September 5
Monday – Saturday
8am – 6pm

Sunday – Holidays
9am – 6pm

FALL at the Farm
September 7 – October 9
Wednesday – Sunday
9am – 5pm

**Recommendations: Corn Pizza, Blueberry Ice Cream

The Krause Berry Farms Market generally offers everything that is available from their Porch menu. All the pies, corn pizza, corn chowder, berry ice cream and even pie dough can be purchased frozen or fresh, and of course everything is made from all the fruits and vegetables grown at the farm. There’s even freshly baked loaves of bread, a fresh fudge section, home made preserves, honey, pie fillings and shortbread mix so you can recreate everything at home as well.
I can’t deny the “foodie” aspect of this blog and I have to get into the food. I did get a behind the scenes tour of the Krause Berry Farm’s Harvest Kitchen, and I did get hands on helping them make their Berry Cream Cakes.

Personally I was more impressed with the experience, operation and concept, than I was with the food, which actually became secondary. The food was okay, and it’s all very simple with basic recipes and ingredients. Some of it is fresh and some of it is frozen, but most of it sounded or looked better than it was. It doesn’t matter though because the food and menu are fun and what makes it is the overall experience, which is incredibly exciting! You can’t find this anywhere else and that alone makes Krause Berry Farms unique as a must try foodie destination.

On the table:

Fresh Baked Berry Shortcake – 3/6

• $2.25
• This is their signature and for that reason you should try it.
• It kind of looks more amazing than it actually is and it would be even better served warm.
• It was in between a blueberry scone and a blueberry pizza pocket.
• It’s visually pleasing and the concept is what it has going on, but otherwise the flavour is very simple and you could easily make it at home.
• It didn’t taste like a shortcake, but more like a biscuit.
• It was a basic biscuit and it wasn’t buttery, sweet, or fluffy or made with buttermilk. It was a bit bland, but it was moist.
• It wasn’t cakey or like a muffin, but it reminded me of Bisquick mix topped with cinnamon and a drizzle of simple icing.
• The inside was bursting with whole blueberries and that was the nicest surprise.
• The blueberries didn’t taste very sweetened at all and it just seemed like fresh blueberries.
• The sweetness just depended on how sweet or tart the blueberries were, and sometimes it was a bit tart.
• Overall it looked better than it tasted and it’s something you could try at home, but the idea is great!
• I couldn’t help but to imagine it stuffed with some custard inside too.
• If you’re in the area I would recommend trying the Be ‘wiched Blueberry & Lemon Glazed Scone too.

**Baked Corn Pizza – 3.5/6

• Slice $3.99 Whole 10 inch: $12.95
• This is nothing gourmet, so just expect fresh corn and simple ingredients and you’re sure to enjoy it.
• The generous amount of crunchy sweet roasted corn from their farm is the highlight and it’s what gives the pizza the points.
• The pizza crust is quite standard and it seemed like the crusts you would find at the grocery store. It’s a bit thicker, bready and it bakes up soft, but it’s moist.
• The tomato sauce is just a regular tomato sauce and there’s also one large artichoke heart and a few strands of bell peppers, which I thought were caramelized onions on top.
• The pizza is covered with a generous amount of melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese and it was good, but also something you could make at home.
• These are frozen pizzas, so you can take them home as well.

Double Crust Berry Pie – 3.5/6

• Slice $3.99 Whole 10 inch $13.95
• The ratio of filling to pie crust is 6:1.
• The crust was flaky and crispy all around rather than tender and I did like it. I do wish it was an all butter crust, but it is a lard crust, hence the crispness.
• The pie actually isn’t that sweet at all and my guess is that there is very little sugar in the pie filling. It’s basically just whole blueberries and maybe some corn starch.
• There’s no spices, honey, maple syrup, or noticeable lemon juice.
• It was a good pie because of the whole fresh and plump berries in the filling, but otherwise it was a pretty standard pie.
• If you’re in the area, another place famous for their pies is Hilltop Cafe Diner – see them here.

What did you think? That I wouldn’t have it a la mode?! I hope you know me better than that…

**Blueberry Ice Cream – 4.5/6

• 1 scoop $2.50 2 scoop $3.50
• They offer vanilla, blueberry and perhaps a couple other flavours.
• I was surprised it wasn’t almost a dark blue colour bursting out of control with whole frozen blueberries like everything else was. Nonetheless it was still great!
• Ice cream is my favourite, so I could be biased, but there was a general consensus that this was a great blueberry ice cream.
• The ice cream is made in house, but it’s a pre made ice cream mix and they just add the blueberries.
• It wasn’t that sweet and it was creamy, but not hard. It was a solid blueberry ice cream with great blueberry flavour.
• I think they should offer blueberry lavender ice cream since they grow lavender on the farm too.
• If you like this idea you should try the Blueberry Lavender Coconut Cream Tart at Miku Restaurant.

Fresh Berry Smoothie – 2/6

• $3.50
• I strongly suggest getting the old fashioned berry milkshake over the smoothie. I thought the milkshake was the smoothie, and the milkshake looked so much better.
• This smoothie tasted like 100% blended frozen blueberries with no added sugar, yogurt or dairy products.
• It was very icy and almost tart so even if it wasn’t sweetened, the blueberries weren’t as sweet as they needed to be for the drink.

Berry Coffee - n/a

• $1.50
• I didn’t get to try this.

Berry Cream Cake - n/a

• Slice $3.99 Whole $15.99
• I didn’t try this, but I did help make one in the kitchen!
• It’s pretty much a trifle cake without the custard, but they load it with berries! I would know because they told me to go as liberally as possible with all the berries.
• It’s a basic shortcake recipe with a light glaze of simple berry syrup, freshly whipped cream and then a very generous layer of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
• Again it’s something you could make at home, but the amount of berries they use does make it worth it.

Berry Custard Pie – n/a

• Slice $4.50 Whole $15.99
• I didn’t try this either, but apparently this is another best seller.
• I’m assuming it’s the same crispy crust used for their regular blueberry pie and then filled with a very basic custard recipe, topped with a generous amount of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, and coated with a corn syrup glaze.
• Again, visually stunning, but probably something you’ve had before.
• The amount of berries they give you is their signature though, and that’s what makes these so special.

Restaurant: Estrella’s Montreal Deli
Cuisine: Deli/Sandwiches/Cafe/Canadian
Last visited: June 28, 2011
Location: Langley, BC
Address: 5932 200th Street
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 6
Service: 3
Ambiance: 2.5
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Locally owned/operated
• Famous for Montreal Smoked Meat
• Authentic smoked meat
• “Best Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches”
• All natural ingredients
• Home made soups
• Home made cheesecake
• Popular/busy at lunch
• Comfort food
• Local favourite
• Hidden gem
• Affordable
• Accepts MC/Visa
• Catering available
• Eat In/Take out
• Mon – Fri: 9-5pm
• Sat: 11am-5pm
• Closed Sun/holidays

**Recommendations: Estrella’s Montreal Smoked Meat, Smoked Meat Chili

I’m calling all Montreal Smoked Meat Lovers… out to Langley! You will thank me! Unless you’re a true Montreal smoked meat fan, then you probably have discovered this gem on your own. Housing Metro Vancouver’s “Best Montreal Smoked Meat” is the one and only Estrella’s Montreal Deli, Restaurant & Delicatessen. Oh god. I don’t even know where to begin. First, it’s a must try. Second, it’s a must try.

Whether you’re familiar with Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches, it doesn’t even matter. As long as you like meat, I almost guarantee you’ll fall in love with Estrella’s Montreal smoked meat. This place is the real deal and although I haven’t tried any of the ones in Montreal, this is apparently the best there is in Metro Vancouver, and I believe it. So pack your day bag, save your money on a plane ticket, but spend on gas and cushion your bum with this mean sandwich that is a must try in the city! In fact, make it a day trip if you’re not already in the area, and I’ll even plan it for you.

Follow Me Foodie to Langley/Surrey

1. Breakfast at Be ‘wiched – Apple Pie Stuffed French Toast, Chain Gang Chili, & Triple Cream Cheese Citrus Bar to go

2. Lunch at Estrella’s Montreal Deli – Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich, Smoked Meat Chili

3. Late “Afternoon Tea” at Krause Berry Farms – U-pick berry picking, Roasted Corn Pizza, Berry Milkshakes, Berry Ice Cream & Berry Pie to go

4. Dinner at Pho Tam – House Special: Combination of Beef and Rice Noodle in Soup (Pho Dac Biet)

5. Dessert – The desserts you got to go (I haven’t found many 6/6 desserts in Langley/Surrey yet)

6. Late Snack Munchies at U-Lounge Bar & Grill – Avocado Rolls

7. If you plan ahead you should pre-order a pack of Parisian Macarons from Kitchening with Carly too.

Estrella’s Montreal Deli is pretty packed during lunch. It’s full of neighbourhood locals and the menu is even more extensive than I thought. There’s a selection of sandwiches, but of course the Montreal Smoked Meat is the way to go. All the soups are made in house and the owner is really proud and passionate about everything that comes out of his kitchen.

I’ve known about it for quite some while, but being that I’m rarely in the area I never made plans to really go. Gosh, why I ever waited so long I do not know. I don’t think I realized how good Montreal smoked meat could get. Even if you’ve never had Montreal smoked meat, this will make you an avid fan.

A big thank you to Sherman for the pictures and the extra push to actually go. In this case, it was more of a physically push since I was 1000lbs by the end of our epic foodie day. We decided to come after our Cowboy’s Eggs Benedict, Everest Burger, Coconut Cream Pie and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie a la mode at Hilltop Cafe Diner also in Langley. Yes, we came here after the EVEREST BURGER, and after Estrella’s we even made a pit stop at Be ‘wiched Cafe for Chain Gang Chili, Blueberry & Lemon Glazed Scone, and Chili Chocolate with Lime Coconut Icing Cupcake. Food drunk is an understatement for how I felt after.

Another bonus is that Estrella’s offers their Montreal smoked meat vacuum sealed to go!

On the table:

**Estrella’s Montreal Smoked Meat – Oh Canada! (Ex-large) – 6/6

• Petite (Small) $5.99 Classic (Medium) $8.99 The Montreal (Large) $12.49 Oh Canada! (Ex-large) $17.99
• Sliced, old fashioned Montreal Smoked Meat stacked on light rye with your choice of regular or Dijon mustard. Extra lean (no fat), lean (some top fat), medium (marbled) when available.
• All our sandwiches are served with your choice of a kosher dill pickle, hot cherry pepper, or pepperoncini peppers.
• True Montreal-ers will order medium which is the classic, and many say it’s the only choice for an authentic Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich.
• I ordered it with a “blend” of meat because I wanted to try the lean as well as the medium for comparisons sake.
• Since I got the “blend” you can see that the bottom half was lean meat and the top half was medium. I thought they were going to alternate the layers which would have been better.
• The medium is a lot looser, more fall apart tender and obviously more moist. I’d just go 100% medium next time.

You’re looking at a pound of meat in the Oh Canada! (Extra-Large) Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich.

• The extra-large is stacked with probably 5 inches of meat!
• As amazing as the meat is, the extra large was too much meat for me and I prefer the small or classic. It’s just more enjoyable and balanced as a sandwich. No doubt this was visually exciting though and still good!
• Close your eyes. Just do it. Actually, no wait! Don’t! Because you have to read my blog! But, imagine sinking your teeth into the tenderest, butteriest, softest and ultra thin slices of smoked meat. The meat, being beef brisket, sliced by hand. The only way.
• I’m telling you, your teeth glide through the layers with the smallest about of biting pressure. Omg. OMG! Foodgasm.
• I’m not exaggerating, the first bite will send you to heaven, but come back because you have to finish!
• The meat was melting in my mouth and it required very minimal chewing.

My photo isn’t as nice, but just showing the texture of the meat.

• The meat slices were almost falling apart into shreds with every bite and the fat was marbled so that it didn’t taste fatty or gelatinous or have any of that “fatty” texture despite how it may look. It’s not particularly juicy since it’s cured, but it’s moist.
• I could have picked up a slice and dangled it around and the meat probably would have fallen in chunks like snowflakes… meat snowflakes. That’s how tender it was.
• The flavour was just as incredible as the texture.
• It’s salty and peppery with lots of whole black peppercorn interwoven throughout the meat slices. It had good spice and it was even a bit sweet. The saltiness isn’t sharp, but rounded, and it was just the right amount to enhance the natural meat flavours.
• I could taste a mild hint of star anise or licorice aroma too. It may have been fennel seed, but the flavours were dynamic and layered.
• Despite it being called “smoked meat”, there was no smokiness that I could taste, but I didn’t really care.
• It’s served on a traditional thin Rye bread and I asked for Dijon mustard which just brought out the black pepper flavours and added an extra kick.
• This is a must try sandwich. I have dreams about it.

**Smoked Meat Chili - 6/6

• Small $3.99 Large $5.99
• I didn’t think anything could beat one of my all time favourite chili’s from Be ‘wiched Cafe – the Chain Gang Chili, however this was some serious competition. They’re so different, but both so good and I don’t even know if I can pick! Both certainly have Follow Me Foodie stamps of approval, but it’s just a matter of beef or pork?
• The chili is made in house and of course it’s made with pieces of their Montreal smoked meat.
• It comes with two small slices of toasted Rye bread that was almost like crostini for dipping.
• I love cheese, but I actually could have gone without the cheese for some reason. It was amazing as is.

• The chili was thick and hearty with lots of beans and Montreal smoked meat scraps.
• It used the same seasonings in the smoked meat and the flavours of the meat just infused into the chili.
• The chili had that freshly cracked black pepper flavour balanced with sweet bell peppers and some acidity from perhaps tomato paste.
• It was savoury, smoky, sweet, slightly tangy and moderately spicy. It carried a good amount of heat and lots of flavour.
• I could have used more Montreal smoked meat, and most of it was itty bitty peices, but regardless the chili was delicious and it’s not to be missed.
• I’ll remind you that this meal at Estrella’s was already after a monstrous brunch at Hilltop Cafe Diner, and my spoon was still like a magnetic with this chili. I was so full and I couldn’t stop because it was that good.
• How we made it to Be ‘wiched Cafe after this… I have no idea… but we did it and you really should too!

Restaurant: Hilltop Cafe Diner
Cuisine: Diner/Burgers/Breakfast/Brunch/Pies
Last visited: June 28, 2011
Location: Langley, BC
Address: 23904 Fraser Hwy
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5-4 (based on what I tried)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Family owned/operated
• Classic suburbian diner
• Greasy spoon
• Triple D potential
• Local Langley favourite
• Popular for breakfast/brunch
• Old fashioned/home style
• Famous for pies
• Famous for Mountain Burger & Everest Burger
• Big portions
• Hidden gem
• Family friendly
• Tues-Sunday 8am-2:30pm
• After July 18 – open everyday 8am-2:30pm

**Recommendations: Cowboy Eggs Benedict, anything with home made sausage and hash. The Everest Burger just because it’s a novelty and a slice of pie a la mode since it’s famous. Basically everything I ordered, but the burger and pie is not as mandatory as the benny.

“Let’s take two girls
Both filthy rich
From the bright lights
Into the sticks
From velvet robes
To cattle poles
Lets take away their limousines
Their credits cards and shopping sprees

Well they’re both spoilt rotten
Will they cry when they hit bottom?
Heaven knows who can survive
This simple country kind of life”

Where the hell am I?!?!

- Lyrics from The Simple Life Theme Song

No, really where the hell am I Sherman? It was another dining adventure with Sherman and this time he decided to kidnap me to Langley. I’m not filthy rich or spoiled rotten, but I was a bit out of my comfort zone to say the very least.

Don’t get me wrong, I love dining in the suburbs, but this was pretty damn far. This was deep in the neck of the woods kind of suburbs! I mean did you see the outside? It looks so… so… American. It’s probably a trip only obsessed foodies would make… so I guess we fit in that category. Nonetheless I was incredibly excited and thrilled even just from the outside. It was in the middle of nowhere and it screamed “local favourite” and “hidden gem”. We will travel for food and I love fine dining as much as I love hole in the wall dives!

This is the definition of an old fashioned classic diner. I felt like I was in a movie. Actually Sherman told me that the Butterfly Effect was shot here too. It’s certainly movie set material and it didn’t even really feel real to me. I loved it! It wasn’t a modern and fancy downtown Vancouver diner, but a real truck driver, greasy spoon, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives potential kind of diner.

So what was the reason for coming? Well I am no “Mountain Man”, but with Sherman’s encouragement I kind of wanted to be… as long as I can keep my heels on. Actually we were aiming to be even bigger than the Mountain Men. We’re high achievers, so we wanted to be Everest Men. Okay, this is starting to sound weird. Yes, we’re in Langley, not in Thailand.

So what is a Mountain Man and an Everest Man? Well the above photo shows the Hilltop Cafe Diner “Mountain Men & Everest Men Wall of Fame”. It’s a collage of photos of all their customers that have ordered their infamous “Mountain Burger” and “Everest Burger”. They are all champions and we wanted to be on there too!

Hilltop Cafe Diner is most known for two things… well I guess three. The home made pies, the Mountain Burger and last, but not least… definitely not least… THE EVEREST BURGER. So what are these famous burger all about? Well here it is!

Oh god. If you’re full just reading it, try eating it! This is their “Mountain Burger” which is famous, but it’s not as intimidating as their…

And THIS is what we came to conquer!

I was prepared because Sherman had warned me, but wait! What?! Doh! No egg? Boo! Or onion rings? Double boo! Argh… the Mountain burger actually sounded better to me, but this Everest Burger is what we came for, so there was no change of heart. Although my heart did not thank me for it afterward either.

You think by now I’ve had my run of trying ridiculously massive burgers. Do you remember The Olympic Burger at The YEW at The Four Seasons? That one was huge! See my video here. Then there was also The Flatline Burger at Hog Shack Cook House – double burger patty sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches. And now I have another one to add!

I’m not even about huge portions and massive burgers because I tend to find them more of a novelty and it’s just not really my thing. I like to enjoy my food and the flavours, but big portions are fun and visually exciting! So I guess you could add this to your list of food that is worth seeing and at least trying once in your life. It’s even better when you have some determined company… who happens to take awesome photos too! Thanks Sherman.

Regardless of the Mountain Burger or Everest Burger offered at the Hilltop Cafe Diner, this place is worth a trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the eggs benedict here, and yes, we ordered more than just the burger. But seriously, everything is made in house and it was solid home cooking. I would come back to try more of their breakfast items because this place is not just a novelty, even though a couple of their offerings might suggest it to be.

On the table:

**Cowboy’s Eggs Benedict - 5/6

• Poached eggs, house made hollandaise, house made sausage, English muffins, and hash $11.95
• The house made sausage is delicious here and that’s what makes this benny a must try.
• The hollandaise sauce was thick and creamy and good, but it didn’t really taste like a hollandaise either.
• It lacked a lemony tang and zing, and was honey-ish, but the whole thing together worked like a charm!

The egg was perfectly poached creating a lovely waterfall of golden egg yolk. I want to add this photo to my Tribute to the Egg Yolk Series.

• It’s a regular toasted English muffin and the hollandaise sauce tasted almost like a melted mashed potato sauce mixed with a bit of Cheez Whiz.
• The hollandaise didn’t have a kick or tang, but it did have a floury mashed potato texture. It wasn’t curdled, but maybe the butter wasn’t clarified. It was good, but different.
• The pork patty was amazing! It was the star of the show.
• You could tell the patty was home made with ground pork and herbs, and it was so juicy, savoury and a bit sweet too.
• The meat was quite lean which was surprising that it was still so moist and juicy.
• It was cooked perfectly, and it may look a bit pink, but it was perfect.

This is my photo, not as pretty, but the portions are generous and that hash is amazing.

• Hash – 5/6
• The hash was delicious! It tasted like a pile of my mom’s potato cakes!
• It was almost like crispy mashed potato cakes with onions mixed into it.
• They were Russet Kennebec potatoes and they were roughly mashed and very buttery.
• They were creamy, fluffy, moist, savoury, and even a bit sweet from the caramelized onions. Loved them!

Everest Burger – 2/6

• 3 – 5 ounce burger patties, baked ham, cheddar cheese, mozza cheese, bacon, farmer sausage, mushrooms & onions, lettuce & tomato, Hilltop burger sauce, Mayo & Pickles, TALL on a Kaiser bun with fries. We dare you! $19.95
• This is only available before lunch time at around 10:30am – 12pm, or non-peak hours, because it takes up the entire grill to make.
• It’s really cute because anyone who orders it gets their photo taken. Look for us on the “Everest Burger Wall of Fame” next time!
• This is the famous “Everest Burger” and it comes with a mountain of fries. It’s easily enough for 2-4 people.
• They were skin on Kennebec potato fries that were thin, crispy and decently seasoned. They tasted like fresh Hickory Sticks, and I liked them.

I don’t know if you can tell how enormous this is…

• Honestly there is no way you can actually enjoy eating this like a real burger, so you have to knife and fork it.
• I still managed to get a piece of everything and try it all in one bite though. The chewing is tiresome!
• It’s not actually that greasy, but just dry.
• The patties are dry and it’s really chewy with a lot of beef patty and it’s just too much. Of course it would be, but I just needed more cheese and sauce and something to moisten it up or balance it out.
• It was a regular beef patty and it didn’t have much flavour and I’d 100% prefer their home made sausage patties instead. That, would be a great burger! I’ll take a 4 sausage patty burger over this!
• My favourite part were the Farmer’s sausage (top layer), which was juicy and thick and it had a snappy casing. They were pan fried and it came with a lot.
• The baked ham (middle layer) was home made and it’s decent, but a bit tough. I think it’s maybe better in a benny, when there’s more sauce.
• I wasn’t a fan of the bacon which wasn’t crispy and much too fatty, and then I could barely taste any sauces.
• The Hilltop sauce seemed like relish mixed with mayo and a touch of Ketchup. It was pretty much that In-N-Out Burger Thousand Island dressing.
• The caramelized onions were nicely browned, but rushed, so still crunchy and not quite caramelized or that sweet yet. The sauteed mushrooms were appreciated.
• Basically it’s a novelty, which I knew coming in. It’s not my thing although it was fun and just really cool to witness.
• The Olympic Burger at The Yew was actually bigger and I liked the flavour of that one better, but that was a novelty too.

Coconut Cream Pie - 3/6

• $4.95
• They’re famous for pies so of course I had to get one… or two.
• It’s good for a diner style coconut cream pie, but I’m a bit picky on my coconut cream pies, so I found this okay to good.
• The crust was almost like a shortbread crust and it wasn’t sweet nor did it have coconut in it. I love when they make the crust with coconut too.
• The custard was pretty sweet and it tasted a bit artificial to me. It seemed like that Bird’s Custard Powder mix with some coconut mixed into it. I wasn’t really feeling that part, but I liked the incorporation of coconut.
• The top was pipped with whipped cream and I think it could have been store bought, but I’m not sure.
• It was no doubt a coconut cream pie and I got the coconut flavour and texture, but I wouldn’t care to go back for it like I would the benny.
• This one just seemed like a “short-cut” coconut cream pie, but it’s not bad.
• One of my favourite Coconut Cream Pies was at Dahlia Bakery in Seattle – see Tom’s Famous Triple Coconut Cream Pie.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Pie – 3/6

• $4.95 + $1 a la mode
• For +$1 a la mode you’d be stupid not to add it! And the ice cream is great here!
• I had to get a traditional fruit pie, although they had a sour cream and raisin one that I want to go back to try.
• Since they’re famous for pies I thought this would be amazing, but it was good. I wouldn’t make the drive for the pies alone, but I’d still order one and I’m curious to try their other flavours.
• The ice cream was amazing! It’s from Mountain Dairy in Abbotsford and it was good! There’s no actual vanilla bean in it and it’s not rich and creamy, but it’s really hard and not greasy. The flavour of vanilla was still strong and I loved it!

• The pie crust is super thin, soft and tender, but it’s not really crispy or flaky. When the crust flakes it flakes as thin layered sheets and not as crumbs.
• It’s a 4:1 filling to crust ratio.
• The pie filling was too gluey for me and it was too heavy on the corn starch.
• It was creamy and heavy on the rhubarb and the strawberries were likely Californian because they weren’t sweet.
• It was a tart creamy filling and I wanted more pieces of fruit to bite into because most of it was just the thickened gooey fruit juice compote.
• The pie does melt in your mouth and it requires little chewing, but I wouldn’t have guessed they were famous for them.
• They’re still worth trying and I could see if people like that sort of crust, but the filling really needed more fruit.

Restaurant: Montana’s Cookhouse
Cuisine: American/BBQ/Steakhouse
Last visited: January 2, 2010
Location: Langley, BC
Address: 20100 Langley Bypass
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3 (from what I tried)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Canadian franchise
• Famous for ribs
• Very affordable
• Casual
• Great for carnivores
• Big portions (for Canada)
• 15 min. express lunch menu
• ALL YOU CAN EAT ribs every Wednesday
• Kids eat FREE every Tuesday
• Kid-friendly
• Family-friendly
• Healthy options available
• Made in house desserts
• Sports bar/TV available
• Free appetizer
• Lunch/Dinner

**Recommendations: Hickory Smokehouse Ribs, Ribs & Chicken Combo

It totally looks like an American chain, but it’s actually a Canadian franchise owned by the Cara Group (Canadian Airlines). They also own other Canadian franchise restaurants like Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, Kelsey’s, and Milestone’s Grill & Bar. It was my first time coming to Montana’s Cookhouse and I actually thought it was going to be fancier, like the old The Keg, but it was more like the old Cactus Club, back in the day when it first started. Yes, I was old enough to remember…

It’s very casual and fit for families and I felt like I was in the States. It definitely has a Southern/Langley/Cloverdale feel and you can colour/eat on butcher paper. The prices are very affordable and the portions are pretty big especially for Canadian standards.

They have a whole bunch of deals going on every day of the week like all you can eat ribs every Wednesday. The menu is quite large with lots of variety and new items too. It’s a great no-fuss place for low maintenance people who like simple food that will fill you up at a cheap price. The ribs and chicken go beyond that though, and I was most impressed by those and would come back for them, but I also wouldn’t go out of my way to get them again.

I decided the best way to sample what they could do was aim for the classic favourites and try all the types of meat. So I ordered chicken, beef and of course the Montana’s famous pork ribs!

On the table:

**Ribs & Chicken Combo

• A half rack of our Hickory Smokehouse Pork Ribs or one of our Big Beef Ribs, and a 1/4 of our BBQ Rotisserie Chicken, glaze in your choice of BBQ sauce. All ribs and combos are served with beans or cole slaw, choice of side and our famous cornbread.
  • Pork Back Ribs Combo $24.99
  • Pork Side Ribs Combo $22.99
  • Beef Rib Combo $23.99
  • *White meat $0.99 extra
• BBQ sauce: Texas Bold, Honey Garlic, Apple Butter, Cracked Black Pepper, Chipotle Honey
• The combo looked like a full back of ribs and 1/2 a chicken. I asked for white meat and it didn’t matter because it was 1/2 a chicken! I think it’s worth it.

**Hickory Smokehouse Ribs – 5/6

• Montana’s famous pork ribs are hickory smoked and grilled to perfection with your choice of signature BBQ sauce.
• BBQ sauce: Texas Bold, Honey Garlic, Apple Butter, Cracked Black Pepper, Chipotle Honey
• I found the ribs delicious and the best out of the meats I ordered.
• It wasn’t the best ribs of my life, because my cousin in law and friend make killer ribs, but it was still delicious! However I also like the ribs at The Keg and Joey’s, but they’re not as hearty and big as the ones here.
• I actually found these pork ribs to be better than the ones I had in Texas from the famous Salt Lick Bar-B-Que, although their beef ribs were the highlight there.
• These ribs were falling off the bone tender and juicy and not pre-boiled first. They were slowly smoked for hours and the smoky flavour was infused throughout.
• They were seasoned first and then glazed repeatedly with your choice of BBQ sauce as they were char-grilled.
• I loved the charred charcoal crispy crust on the ribs which enhanced the smoky flavours and I really tasted like it was done in an outdoor smoke pit.
• I could really taste that pork flavour and the ribs had lots of meat. They were excellent and not too greasy as well.
• I got the Texas Bold BBQ sauce and I found it very ordinary. I’m a huge fan of BBQ sauce and I like strong flavoured ones that are very tangy, sweet and smoky followed by a kick. This one was more ordinary and it didn’t do anything for me. The ribs didn’t really need the sauce, but I like BBQ sauce so I still missed it.

**Chicken – 4/6

• Slow-roasted in-house daily, our rotisserie chicken is seasoned with herbs. Available while quantities last.
• I didn’t really expect anything from this rotisserie chicken, but it was also very good!
• It was well flavoured and it wasn’t really juicy, but definitely not dry and still very tender.
• The chicken had a relatively crispy, charred and smoky skin and was rubbed with lots of dried herbs.
• The dried herb rub was almost like a paste and it was coated on nice and thick. It could have been a dried herb pesto and it was savoury, woody and earthy and I actually liked it a lot.
• I could really taste the rosemary, oregano and parsley, since they were dried they were almost more flavourful. However fresh herbs are always nice too and bring out a fresher flavour.
• Tasty Twist: I squeezed a bit of fresh lemon over the chicken and that did the trick. It just made all the flavours come out even more.
• I didn’t care for the chicken gravy they served on the side, which tasted too artificial. It was like a tango oregano instant chicken gravy.
• On the wide scale of grilled chicken though, at this price level, I still prefer Nando’s.

Sides

• Famous Cornbread – 3/6
  
  • The best cornbread I’ve had in Metro Vancouver is from Boonie’s Southern Soul. I’ve also had way too much delicious corn bread in Texas that almost anything I have here is put to shame… including this one.
  • If I don’t compare, this one wasn’t too bad, but it just seems like it’s been sitting there a bit.
  • The centre of it was very good, moist, tender, very buttery and slightly sweet, but the edges and outside seemed old. I like it to have a crispy crust and this one was a bit stale.
• Kicked-Up Corn – 1.5/6
  • This is a new side and I really couldn’t care for it.
  • It’s frozen corn kernels and bell peppers in a slightly smoky mild watery sauce. It was very unimpressive and the frozen corn texture and flavour was really distracting. I don’t expect fresh corn here, but even canned corn or creamed corn made with frozen corn would be better. 
    
• Cole Slaw – 2/6
  • This is a new side as well. It’s the most standard cole slaw, but better than the cheap grocery store kind.
  • I wasn’t a fan of this as a side either. It was really heavily dressed in mayo, but at least it wasn’t thick mayo. It was tangy and slightly sweet, but it was almost cabbage only.
    

Pot Roast and Yorkshire Pudding – 2.5/6

• Tender slices of slow-roasted seasoned beef topped with gravy. Served with a traditional Yorkshire Pudding, mashed potatoes with gravy and seasonal vegetables $13.99
• This is a “Montana’s favourite”.
• The portion was huge and it came with at least 4-5 thick slices of pot roast, or roast beef.
• It didn’t look appetizing at all and the presentation reminded me of hospital food so I was really turned off visually.
• The gravy just called out “instant”, but I still tried to approach it with an open mind.

• Roast Beef – 3/6
  • The roast beef was actually quite tender and not too bad, but my least favourite of the meats I ordered.
  • It wasn’t a juicy prime rib or anything and it’s not heavily seasoned, but it’s still tender and has a nice beefy taste.
  • I needed a knife to cut through it so it wasn’t falling apart tender or anything, but it almost tasted like what it looked like.
  • I preferred it without the gravy, but then it was only the beef taste and nothing else. I ended up using the BBQ sauce on my pork ribs for it.
  • The gravy just tasted too “instant” and heavy on the cornstarch and the colour was a bit scary.
• Yorkshire Pudding
  • The Yorkshire pudding was okay, but not really authentic Yorkshire pudding. I had one in the UK before and since then I haven’t found anything similar.
  • Yorkshire pudding is made from flour, milk and eggs and the batter is poured into meat drippings and then baked until fluffy and the outside is crispy.
  • The one here was very soft, although very fluffy, airy and light with big holes. The inside is pretty moist and it’s doughy not flaky and it’s also chewy and stretchy (as it should be).
  • It was almost like a soft croissant though and it was bland in flavour and I couldn’t taste the meat drippings either and missed the crunchy exterior it should have.
• Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
  • It really bothers me when mashed potatoes are served with an ice cream scoop. It just screams hospital food and the gravy didn’t help.
  • They didn’t taste bad though. They were made with red skin potatoes and they had some skins throughout. They were very creamy and they had some garlic in them as well. They were quite dense, but not dry and there’s almost no seasonings and spices except for garlic, salt and butter.
    

Desserts

The desserts are actually all made in house, but unfortunately I had to pass due to timing issues. I had my eye on pretty much everything besides the cheesecake (not in picture and not sure if made in house). I find places like these usually have classic reliable desserts that come in big portions and make me happy. Nothing fancy, but just satisfying and cheap. I was sad to miss out.

I wanted the Mile High Mud Pie (sounds signature) and the Skillet Cookie which is known as a “pizookie”, which BJ’s Brewery in the States started. I was first introduced to it in Vancouver at The Hub – see here, and now it seems to be popping up everywhere, like at The Shark Club and 100 Days as well. I also wanted to try the Shake ‘N Share Mini Donuts, which I figured is similar to the Drunken Donuts offered at Romer’s Burger Bar… but I still wanted to compare. I may come back for these if I’m in the area and looking for ribs and cheap dessert.

Sorry! Restaurant is now CLOSED. (Trust me, I’m as pissed as you are.) Private catering still available.

Restaurant: Boonie’s Southern Soul
Cuisine: Barbeque (BBQ)/Southern/Western/Soul/American
Last visited: July 28, 2010
Location: Langley, BC (Inside the Quality Inn Hotel)
Address: 6465 201 Street
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: 6 (I’m a bit biased)
Ambiance: 2.5
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Grandma’s recipes
• Authentic Southern BBQ
• Friendly owner (also chef)
• Old fashioned Southern Soul food
• Family owned
• Home made dishes/desserts/sauces
• Hidden gem
• Family/kid friendly
• Affordable
• Beer available
• Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/Catering
• Dine in/Take-out
• Daily breakfast 7am-10am
• Open daily 11:30am-9pm

**Recommendations: Honey Fried Chicken, BBQ Smoked Ribs, Seasoned Fries, Potato Salad, Honey Butter Cornbread, pie or cobbler (If you get the pulled pork sandwich try requesting it with the cole slaw to be served inside instead of the plain cabbage)

Yes! A place worth heading down to the boonie’s for! It’s not only called Boonie’s and in the boonies, but the owner is actually a big black guy from the good old South and his name is Boonie! AND to top it off he makes his Grandma’s recipes! I freaking love this guy and his BBQ! The place is a total stereotype, and I think y’all gunna love it!

He knows my face as I’m an avid fan of his eats, but he doesn’t know about Follow Me Foodie or what I do. However he is just as friendly from the first day I met him and tried his glorious Southern Soul food (which was over 3 years ago now).

I’ve been waiting to write a post for Boonie’s Southern Soul Restaurant for years now. A few years ago it was the concession stand, barely a restaurant, at the Cloverdale curling rink. It was literally a hole in the wall and the wall wasn’t even theirs! I used to bring people from “out of town”, aka Vancouver, just to try his pulled pork sandwich. It eventually closed down and after at least a year of waiting it has finally reopened in a new location inside the Quality Inn Hotel (which is also hard to find). Boonie’s sure has an odd choice of locations, but it really is a hidden gem.

I’m super spoiled when it comes to BBQ and Southern Soul food. I came to Boonie’s just coming back from my trip to Austin Texas where I was determined to find the best beef brisket. After visiting world class BBQ restaurants with real open fire pits like Smitty’s Market and Salt Lick Bar-B-Que, Boonie’s had a lot to live up to. Boonie’s does specialize in BBQ but it’s much more of a Southern Soul food place and I would call it one of the top 5 best BBQ places in Vancouver and the lower mainland. It’s hand down the best Southern Soul Food place we have though, and not only because it’s the only one too lol. Boonie’s has expanded his menu and now offers even better stuff and a lot more variety. I’ve been waiting so long for it to reopen and it was definitely worth the wait!

On the table:

Sweet Tea – 1/6

• $2.50 (Photo is a sample)
• I only sampled their sweet tea and that was the only disappointing thing.
• Sweet Tea is not simply sweetened iced tea. Authentic Sweet Tea in the South is way better and doesn’t taste like this. It had an aspartame aftertaste and was much too sweet without that strong tea taste.

Pulled Pork Sandwich – 4/6

• Seasoned pork shoulder butt roasted for hours, then shredded and combined with our signature Honey Bourbon BBQ sauce and piled on a fresh roll. Served with seasoned fries $10.95
• This used to be a MAJOR highlight of my life… but I honestly feel like they changed the recipe to the pulled pork burger.
• Seasoned Fries - 5/6
  • Awesome! They’re crispy and heavily seasoned with tons of flavour, yet they’re not too salty. Double fried would be even better!

• The pulled pork burger is still very good, but it’s not as good as it once was… back at the curling rink.
• He used to use the cole slaw he serves as a side rather than this plain shredded cabbage. I miss the cole slaw method which was tastier and I will try requesting the switch next time.
• The meat was nicely shredded, but a tad dry. Every pork shred used to be smothered in his Honey Bourbon BBQ sauce and every bite was a saucy, juicy and drippy mess. Now I eat it like a regular sandwich and it wasn’t nearly as fun or good.
• I do love the home made Honey Bourbon BBQ sauce though, it’s very tangy and sweet, but could use an extra kick.

**Honey Fried Chicken – 6/6

• Southern battered and fried chicken drizzled with hot honey. Served with 2 sides and cornbread. $15.95
• I have never tried honey fried chicken, and now I know I was severely deprived.

• Dah! You can’t deny this fried chicken. It was so damn good! It as the crispiest chicken I’ve had to date. It was fried golden brown and so crunchy! It tastes like something I would imagine Paula Deen from the Food Network making… minus the pound of butter and sour cream.
• I bet he uses buttermilk to tenderize the meat first, or at least in the coating process. The meat itself could have been a bit juicier, but it wasn’t dry by any means. The batter is the highlight and it’s slightly sweetened from the honey which never made it soggy, and it wasn’t that greasy either.
• The famous chicken wings from Wo Fung Dessert are greasier (but still delicious).

**BBQ Smoked Ribs – 5/6

• Meaty back ribs rubbed with Boonie’s secret spice blend and then smoked for hours over smouldering hickory then sauced with our Signature Honey Bourbon BBQ sauce. Served with honey butter cornbread and your choice of two sides. Half rack $17.95 Full rack $24.95
• I ordered the half rack, which is enough for one person for sure… but they’re so good you want the full.

• These ribs are fantastic! But I must say that I’m pretty sure they’re boiled first. So it’s not traditional and they could be more flavorful and smoky, but they were still excellent.
• The flavour comes more from the Honey Bourbon BBQ sauce than the meat itself. The sauce is is heavier on the tomato paste, very tangy and sweet and quite thick as well. It was very good, but I like my sauce to have more of a kick to it.  The ribs had a lot of meat on them, which was quite tender and it literally fell off the bone.

See I’m not joking… it’s falling off the bone tender (but the boiling process helps… my assumption)

Southern Sides

Boonie’s offers a selection of traditional Southern sides, but I don’t find them the strongest things on the menu especially compared to the meats (which are essentially most important at any BBQ joint anyways). They used to allow you to sample the sides before ordering, but I’m not sure if they still do that.

**Honey Butter Cornbread – 6/6

Restaurant: Earls Restaurant – Langley
Cuisine: American/West Coast
Last visited: January 5, 2010
Area: Langley, BC
Address: 600 – 6339 200th Street
Price range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Canadian chain restaurant
• Recently renovated
• Excellent bar/lounge area
• Contemporary design, furniture, lighting
• Glass partition
• Lounge area features big screen TV’s
• Average $17/person (w/tax & tip, drinks excluded)
• Casual/relaxed
• Attracts 20′s crowd after 9pm
• Kid-friendly, fit for families, but generally attracts youthful crowd
• Daily drink specials
• Lounge and dining area
• Kid-friendly, but more fit for friends & couples
• Lunch and dinner
• Good for game/drinks

Recommendation: I usually go for their special features, but on the regular menu, out of what I’ve tried, I like: Grilled Prawn Tacos, West Coast Prawn Salad, Grilled Chicken and Baked Brie Ciabatta

So yes, even foodies go to chain restaurants… on the rare occasion. I prefer to dine at independents or non-chain restaurants. I like things that are less available, and I want to taste and support the local talent. However I do like to see how chain restaurants such as Earls are changing. I’m always curious when there’s a new menu item, new location opening or if they’ve undergone renovations.

Earls has improved so much in the last 3 years, to the point where I am now a customer again. The menu and image has been upgraded and the prices are decent for the food they serve. It’s not family style like White Spot, more “classy” than Sammy J Peppers, but not as expensive or “high end” as Cactus Club. I would say it’s between Sammy J Peppers and Cactus Club – maybe more along the lines of Moxies.

I’ve been to Earls Restaurant maybe 7 times (different locations) in the last 6 months and I always find myself ordering something off their special features menu. They constantly keep their menus updated and there’s always something new to try. I like that about Earls, I just don’t know how they afford to do this.

Their menu has improved 10 fold and their image has also changed… to somewhat attracting a younger (19-25) crowd especially after 9pm. There’s a lot of West Coast influence in their American classics and everything is done quite well. The portions are decent for the most part and the prices are affordable.

The Earls Restaurant in Langley has recently been renovated so I decided to check it out. I don’t know what it looked like before, but I was impressed with what I saw.

It was very contemporary with a glass partition, stunning wine bar, angular mirrors, and mini clear globe like chandeliers. The one thing I really disliked is the height of the booths on the dining area. They come up to just below the shoulder blades when you sit back, so if someone sits behind you you’re pretty much touching heads. It’s very awkward and not intimate at all. The lounge is nice though, but even some of those booths are built with low frames.

I was more blown away by the ambiance, design and decor than I was by the new features menu (which I’ll almost always order from). Everything was good, but the stuff on their previously special features menu featuring braised short ribs and I think it was a honey mustard glazed salmon was better.

On the table

Los Cabos Chicken Tacos – 2.5/6

• Two grilled soft corn tortillas, spicy tomato poached chicken, avocado corn salsa, melted cheddar and Monterey jalapeno jack, shredded lettuce, chopped cilantro, salsa picante $7.55 Add additional chicken tacos 3.80 each
• These were pretty good, but I prefer the grilled prawn tacos. Both versions are really small though, even as an appetizer… they’re 2 biters.

• There was a lot of shredded romaine and roughly chopped cilantro on top and I don’t know if that was to cover up the amount of chicken because there really wasn’t much. If it was for presentation it didn’t work because it would look better with a clean spoonful of poached chicken on top.

• The tortilla was a corn tortilla and I actually prefer a flour tortilla. The corn tortilla was grilled up and a little hard so I would prefer something softer with the nicely poached chicken.

• The chicken was moist and almost like pulled chicken it was so tender there just wasn’t much. It tastes like it was poached in those mild salsa packets they serve at Taco Bell, with maybe some taco seasoning mixed in. However I actually don’t mind those packaged salsas…I just wasn’t expecting that flavour.
• They were not spicy at all, unless you used the hot sauce they served it with. The sauce tastes like Peri Peri sauce from Nando’s or Frank’s Red hot sauce.
• There was so much lettuce I really couldn’t pick out any other ingredients. The most distinct flavour was that mild salsa packet sauce. They were still good, but I also wouldn’t care to order them again.

Cedar Planked Salmon with Panang Curry Sauce – 2.5/6

• Authentic spicy Thai red curry, brown basmati rice and seasonal vegetables $21
• I almost always order their salmon special feature because it hasn’t disappointed me and there’s always a new version.

• The risk with salmon is that it’s almost always overcooked. 3/3 times I’ve ordered salmon from different Earls locations I’ve never had an overcooked or dry one yet, so I hope that continues.
• This was the biggest piece of salmon I’ve been served at Earls. It was pretty huge and thick too. It was seasoned with salt and pepper and fully cooked, but still juicy. I usually like mine undercooked, but I didn’t request it and its fine the way they do it.

• I’m about 99% sure they use pre-made red curry paste here. I’m not liking the “authentic” in the description. Earls making “authentic” Thai food… ?
• The curry sauce is a bit spicy and quite aromatic with a pretty strong lemongrass flavour. I missed the fresh basil and the flavour of fish sauce as the salt rather than actual salt.
• Alright so even if I accept the pre-made red curry paste, my biggest issue was there was no ginger or garlic. Most, if not all, Asian recipes start with ginger and garlic. I had none so for me it was not “authentic” at all. Not that I was expecting it to be, cause it is Earls, but at the same time a little ginger and garlic is not hard to incorporate into a recipe.

• The basmati rice was better here than when I had it at the Strawberry Hill location in Surrey. It was too mushy when I had it at the Surrey location.
• The seasonal veggies were roasted yams, butternut squash and red beets. These were delicious. Tender, simple and very flavourful. 6/6 on these!

Oven Roasted Chicken with White Wine Cream Sauce – 3/6

• Tender boneless chicken breast, mushrooms, shallots and white wine with fresh cream in a rich demi glace, roast potatoes and seasonal fresh vegetables $19
• I was quite impressed with how much chicken they gave. It was 2 big pieces of chicken breast with a nicely roasted skin and for the price, I think it’s worth it. It was also tender, moist and quite juicy.

• The sauce could have been a lot more flavourful and well -rounded, but it wasn’t reduced enough. It looks more reduced in the photo than it actually was. It wasn’t really a demi glace either because demi glace is supposed to be brown and beef based.. The sauce was a very simple shallot and white wine sauce and the white wine was the flavour that stood out most. It was thickened with cream, some butter, and some whole grain mustard (which was more sweet than spicy ).

• The seasonal veggies were the same ones served with the salmon except this one has roasted potatoes. Again – perfection!

Brownie with Toblerone Chocolate – 3.5/6

• Individual chewy chocolate brownie, melted milk chocolate TOBLERONE centre, crËme fraiche gelato $3.50
• This was pretty good, but also pretty small. But who cares because at $3.50 can you really complain? It’s about the size of 3 two-bite brownies put together.
• This chocolate brownie is basically a chocolate lava cake, but instead of lava there’s a piece of Toblerone in the middle. The brownie is pretty much half cooked and the Toblerone completely melted. The chocolate was 1 piece and I would have preferred smaller pieces all throughout. I could barely taste the Toblerone and it was only in one bite.

• I totally thought the gelato was just vanilla… which means the crËme fraiche was overwhelmed by the chocolate or just not that tangy in flavour. I also ran out of ice cream before I did brownie.
• The brownie was good though; rich, chocolaty and moist… it was like a giant Two Bite Brownie served warm, so overall I was still happy with this dessert.
• The feature S’mores dessert they offered in the summer is still the best feature dessert I’ve had there. This Toblerone brownie was better than the gingerbread cake they had on their last menu though. The gingerbread cake was festive and different and served with sauteed apples, but the cake was a bit dry.