The year is winding down and I still have so many food adventures that I want to share with everyone! It’s always a matter of having the time to put together these posts, but I digress.

Better late than never, cheers to one of my favourite meals of the year at one of Canada’s top restaurants, St. Lawrence. In 2019, they were named No. 5 top restaurant in Canada.

Located in the Railtown district of Vancouver, St. Lawrence is chef-owned and operated by Jean-Christophe Poirier who pays homage to his Quebec roots with the classic French cuisine menu.

The rustic, charming interior of St Lawrence is decorated with antiques and features an open kitchen counter.

David (pickydiners.com) and I made reservations a week ahead for our Friday night dinner. Although this was my first visit, David had been to St Lawrence three times prior and loved the food so he didn’t mind revisiting.

To start, I had a Jus de Pastque ($5), which was a refreshing watermelon soda.

We were then presented with sourdough bread accompanied by homemade whole grain mustard and pork pâté.

One of the popular items at St Lawrence is the Oreilles de Crisse ($12) (fried pork rinds with maple syrup & spice). They were airy, crunchy and had a subtle sweetness from the maple syrup.

Next, we had one of the daily specials: Homard Terrine ($12) or lobster terrine. It was notably delicious, smooth and had the sweetness of lobster.

We also enjoyed the Caille en Sarcophage ($42) with Foie Gras ($24) (stuffed quail in puff pastry). It’s a dish that’s hearty, succulent with a rich, buttery sauce.

The foie gras had a beefy taste with a rich, buttery flavour and smooth texture that melts in your mouth.

For dessert, we had the Tarte au citron flambée au Pastis Ricard ($16). It was a lemon tart flambée with Pastis Ricard (an anise-based liquor). The lemon tart was pretty standard but I enjoyed the theatrics of the tableside flambée.

Service was excellent which is what I would expect from a highly acclaimed restaurant. It was overall a superb dining experience where time and money was well spent. I’d love to return some time in the future to try out more dishes.

St. Lawrence
269 Powell St, Vancouver, BC
www.stlawrencerestaurant.com

SINNER OR SAINT? I found myself taking an awkward bathroom selfie with The Devil in the back.

After cozying with cute cats at Catoro Café over bubble tea, my friend and fellow food lover Kristina (formerly Drunkennoms.com) and I decided to get a bite to eat at the neighbouring and newish religious-themed bar, Hail Mary’s.

This small, East Van bar was decorated in Catholic iconography while the dim, red-toned lightning added to the moody atmosphere.

Hail Mary’s Menu

Hail Mary’s cocktail program features drinks such as The Holy Grail, Penance, Bleeding Hearts, as well as a series called The 7 Deadly Sins (Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Sloth, Old Fashioned Pride, Envy, and Greed).

The dinner menu includes items such as Fried Cauliflower Bites, Chicken Wings, Nachos, Deep Fried Brie Bites, Goat Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno’s and so forth.

Happy Hour takes place from 5 pm – 7 pm 7 days a week with $2 off sinful cocktails, $5 snacks, and $10 large plates.

What We Tried

We indulged (hello, gluttony!) in the Happy Hour menu and ordered Deep Fried Brie Bites, Nachos and a Beef Burger to share. I thought the food was reasonable (in terms of taste, portions, value).

Our bill wasn’t too bad at all!

Sinners versus Saints Washrooms

I was most amused with the Sinners versus Saints themed washrooms. The Sinners had a portrait of The Devil and the flames of Hell along the wall. The Saints washroom portrayed Heaven, the Glory of God and so forth.

On my IG stories, I asked everyone which one would they would choose and the majority (56%) decided to go with Sinners.

Overall Impression of Hail Mary’s

Not my usual joint but I thought the experience was kind of cool! I’d be interested to return with friends and enjoy some sinful cocktails over some bites. The Happy Hour menu was good value. Rating: 4/5

Hail Mary’s
670 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC
www.hailmarys.net

Earls has a special list of featured items on their menu which they call, “New + Notable.” They’re basically new additions to the menu and availabilities vary by location and by season.

A while back (as you know I have more content than I can post in a timely manner), I visited the Earls location at West Broadway and Fir to try their New + Notables at the time.

Solarium

We sat in the solarium – a sleek space between the outdoor patio and the main dining area. It had low tables with cozy arm chairs, a bar and several high top tables.

What I Tried

We went with the Oceanwise Maui Ahi Poke ($13.50), Oceanwise Feta + Caper Salmon ($21), Prawn + Scallop Linguine ($19.50) and Banana Cream Pie ($8).

I’m not much of a poke person but the Maui Ahi Poke surprised me as being so delicious. The tortilla chips were very crispy and the sesame soy marinated ahi tuna with avocado and mango had bursts of bright flavours. The dish definitely exuded some tropical feels.

The Feta + Caper Salmon was also on point with a flaky, tender salmon combined with the Mediterranean flavours of feta, caper and dill aioli. It came with jasmine rice and asparagus.

We also had the Prawn + Scallop Linguine featuring crushed San Marzano tomato sauce, basil, grana padano parmesan, and chili flakes. The dish didn’t stand out that much to me – it was a conservative pasta entree. I didn’t detect much spiciness from despite the dish having some chili flakes.

The Banana Cream Pie was also OK featuring vanilla custard and banana filling, and topped with fluffy chantilly cream, fresh banana slices and hazelnut + graham streusel. It wasn’t overly sweet and was a good finish to the meal.

To wash it all down, I had The Remedy, a zero-proof beverage with ginger, pineapple, tumeric, electrolytes, bitters and soda.

Overall Impression

I enjoyed trying the New + Notable dishes as I think it’s a good idea to eat fresh and what’s in season. On my next to Earls, I’d focus on what’s being offered from that part of the menu.

This past long weekend, I visited the newly opened Flourist – an East Vancouver bakery cafe offering breads and a cafe menu made with freshly milled flour on-site.

Flourist started out as a retailer of premium stone-milled flours as well as farmer-direct premium dry goods including whole grains, seeds and beans. This shop at 3433 Commercial Street is their first bricks and mortar location.

We came in during Thanksgiving as they were open and the place was very busy. I bet a lot of customers were thankful they were open on a holiday.

Warm, Inviting Space

I loved the warm, inviting space featuring light wood tones and a mix of dining tables, booth seating and an elevated bar-type counter. One counter had a display of cookbooks from famous bakeries around the world like Tartine in San Francisco.

Stoned-Milled Flour

All the baked goods are made with flour milled right in-store. A stone-mill is located at the back of the dining space in a room with an open window so that customers can observe the process.

Stone-milled flour is made when the grain is milled between two stones. It’s supposed to have more flavour and be more nutritious as the stone-mill process is more gentle. It’s basically milling flour the old-fashioned way.

Flourist Menu

The cafe menu features items like toasts using house-made sourdough bread (like Cheese Dream, Cinnamon, Hummus and more); grain salads; savoury galettes; and sweets (like cookies, cakes, brownies and more).

A lot of the items were selling out…

but fortunately, they were restocked…and fresh out of the oven!

Flourists’ breads are baked using our signature sourdough starter using flours milled in-house. They have even posted a bread schedule so you can time your visit to pick up your favourite loaf when it is freshly baked, if you like.

Their baguette is the only kind in Vancouver that is made with no white flour. It is made with 100% Sifted Red Spring Wheat Flour.

On one side of the cafe is the retail space where customers can purchase flours, grains, beans, kitchen tools and more.

What I Tried

I ordered a pumpkin galette, the toast feature, a latte and a baguette to go.

The toast feature was roasted butternut squash, pressed yogurt, BC hazelnuts, and green sauce on sourdough panloaf. This savoury toast felt very nourishing and I loved the pressed yogurt which was nicely tart but had a luscious, smooth texture. The bread had a nice, chewy texture and good flavour.

The pumpkin galette was a delight! The flaky, crispy crust was oh-so-good and the pumpkin spice filling was smooth and delicious.

Overall Impression

Flourist makes for a unique addition to Vancouver and I appreciate their commitment to working with farmers directly. It certainly seems like they are becoming a popular neighborhood haunt. I enjoyed all the items I tried and would love to return again. Rating: 5/5

FLOURIST
3433 Commercial St, Vancouver, BC
flourist.com