donnadupuis.ca » coffee

Vancouver Brunch – The Omelettry

donna — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:07:05 +0000

At 6th and Granville, I’ve been meaning to check out this place for a while – I keep hearing great reviews – but every time I check it out on the weekends, the lineups are so big that I just give up. On a Thursday morning however, I was able to walk right in and get a table for me and a friend.

I was skeptical that it would actually live up to the hype though, as I’ve been disappointed at every other Vancouver brunch place I’ve tried that has a huge following (e.g., Cafe Zen, Barney’s). The hype/crowds tend to spoil it in my experience, jacking up prices and allowing the staff to get away with lesser quality service – geting by on the fumes of a good rep.

Not so, with The Omelettry! Classy presentation, prompt smiling service (my coffee was constantly topped off), and there was nothing that I saw come out of the kitchen that I didn’t get really excited about trying on my next visit. Oh yes, there will be a next visit.

I ordered “The 1306″ – an omelet with mixed wild mushrooms and cheese, and opted to have grilled tomatoes on the side in place of toast. Omelets are a tricky thing to do well, but the eggy bit was done to perfection – cooked through, but not a hint of brown, thin and delicate but not torn/broken. And jam-packed with delicious filling. With a glass of freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice (I highly recommend it), this brunch hit the spot.

Oh and the twist of orange served on the side was subtly spiced with clove. Nice touch!

My friend ordered “The Da Vinci” – an omelet packed with chorizo, feta, tomato, and spinach – and was equally pleased.

Just great. Can’t wait to go back!

Mother’s Day Macros

donna — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:53:14 +0000

For Mother’s Day this year, I made a springtime-inspired meal; ingredients included strawberries, lamb, asparagus, rhubarb, and mint. Completed with carefully-selected red and white wine-pairings, and fresh lilac flowers from the garden. ; )

Pictures taken with a Canon EOS 5D camera + macro lens.

Vancouver Brunch – Revel In Jazz

donna — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:11:21 +0000

I’m a big fan of Sunday brunch. And there is, happily, no shortage of brunch nooks in this city – thus inspiring my mission to check out as many of them as I can, and be bloggy about them after.

So this past weekend, a few friends and I headed to the Revel Room in Gastown, after seeing the long lineup outside of Medina – a popular brunch spot a few blocks away, and our originally-planned destination. Any feelings of disappointment at not getting into Medina were soon replaced by warm fuzzies upon entering the cozy redbrick interior of the Revel Room, filled with the sounds of live jazz.

Yup, every Sunday, free live jazz. And GOOD jazz, too. Totally awesome!!! It wasn’t even crowded or noisy in there either. We had front row seats. Happy discovery!

As for the food, everyone was more or less in agreement – tasty, satisfying, good (but not overwhelming) portion sizes, plated and presented with care…definitely a class above ‘greasy spoon’, but nothing spectacular or outstanding. But then , at around $10 a plate including live music and lovely ambiance, you’re getting some solid value.

The drip coffee was quite good too (and free refills).

Overall, a charming experience.

What M and I each ordered. Two poached eggs on cooked spinach and chorizo sausage, home fries on the side. Wasn't bad, but definitely not memorable. Could have used more chorizo. A little underseasoned / unfocused / bland.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese on an english muffin, home fries on the side. B was pretty happy with it, said the salmon was good quality, but the dish arrived a little cold.

Tal's order FTW. Her quote: "excellent burger, fantastic salad!".

Complete with strawberries and whipped cream, 'cept a little too shy on the berries. Ty was a bit disappointed.

Spuds on the side. Not bad.