Category Archives: Western

Earls on Hornby

The three of us sat in the C-shaped booth on Chinese New Day for a late lunch. The restaurant was spacious with modern decor.

I was impressed that all the cutlery were engraved with the Earl’s ‘e’ on the handle. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Caesar $15. You had an option of choosing cajun or hot garlic chicken. I chose cajun. I was quite surprised with the size. It came on a large plate, though mostly all romaine. The leafy greens were fresh and crisp. There were a couple of croutons. I like the shredded cheese that blanketed the leafs like snow. The dressing was really good. The chicken were a bit burnt, but flavourful. The bread was crumbly and dry. I’m not a fan of bread, though I do love most complimentary buns that come out at finer restaurants at the beginning. I was also already full when I had finished the salad and chicken, so I only had a bite from the bread.

Service was satisfactory and the price was fair. The restaurant was clean and laid back. Washrooms are on the second floor.

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White Spot on Georgia

It’s great for those that drive a car and need parking to dine anywhere in downtown. It is almost near to impossible to find a restaurant offering free parking in downtown.

The place is open and spacious. Kept clean (especially after our experience in Richmond). I often ordered the Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese, but thought I’d try something new. I ordered the Chicken Pot Pie $12.99 with chicken, potato, carrot, celery and peas in a creamy broth with baked with a flaky puff pastry.

It came with a decent sized The Spot’s salad (I ordered it without nuts. I think for those who are allergic to nuts, they should really state in their menu that there are almonds in the salad – as I found out the first time I ordered a side salad).

I’m always quite satisfied with White Spot’s portions. The salad was fresh, and the additions of dried cranberries were really nice to counter balance the subtle sour dressing. The puffy pastry was easy to get through, and I dipped them into the broth to soften and to add flavour. The broth was creamy, and the veggies and chicken were soft yet not mushy. It is ‘comfort’ food. The broth wasn’t too salty, which I was happy with.

Sheepie ordered The Legendary Burger with their traditional 1/4 lb. beef burger with signature Triple “O” sauce. Their beef is 100% Canadian beef (less carbon foot print and support local farms). You have the choice of either a Caesar Salad or The Spot’s Salad or Creamy coleslaw. Sheepie chose the coleslaw. It also came with ‘Endless’ fries.

Since the fries were unlimited (which I think is awesome – though perhaps not so awesome for your waist ) I had quite a bit of it. They were thick, crispy and not salty (which I prefer). We had seconds

They were renovating a bit and replacing the seats for the booths. It wasn’t too bothersome as they started when we were close to leaving, but still, it was still 8:30pm and they were going to be open till 11pm. However, being Sunday evening, it was quiet empty by then on the west side where we were dining.

Service was good. Friendly staff. Nice warm fireplace in the middle which made it very cozy.

When I crave for ‘Western’ food that is affordable, comfy, good food with good portions, I seem to lean towards White Spot. I used to go to Denny’s but now I find their food way too greasy and heavy.

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Tractor in Kitsilano

I had heard that this place was really good – especially if you’re into ‘healthy’ foods, so I thought I would go and check it out on a Saturday lunch.

The place was packed with a small line up. Since it was the first time, I was looking around wandering how the process went. The place is slick, modern and higher-end feel. I like their branding. The logo and wordmark goes really well together.

It was nice to see a ‘sample’ of what the sandwiches looked like. It helped with the decision process. I went with the Half Tuna Melt $5 and a side of Lemon Kale Salad $3.25 with kale, radicchio, borlotti beans, toasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, asiago cheese, topped with creamy lemon dressing.

While I waited for my to-go order, I sipped on some water from the condiments/cutlery station which was setup really nicely. Even though it looked pretty stocked, a staff came by and filled it up even more. They also grilled the chicken (if you ordered any) in front of you as you waited – gets your mouth watering for sure!

I had read about the small portions, but I still wasn’t prepared to see how small they were – especially for the price. I found the salad pretty bland, compared to the Kale Slaw salad that I normally have for lunch from Heirloom nearby. I wouldn’t say it’s bad per say. I like eating healthy, and the less condiments, the better, especially for salads. However, I wouldn’t pay $3.25 for it.

The tuna melt on the other hand was pretty good. The bread was nicely toasted and crispy. The tuna was flavourful. Overall though, it was a bit greasy. Above, I took a photo of the food alongside a regular fork to show the size.

My conclusion: the food is alright, though I find it quite pricey. If you spend the same amount of money that you’d do at a sushi place across the street, you’ll be left starving quickly. I’m not a huge fan of super crowded and busy cafes/restaurants, so unless I go there during non-peak hours, I don’t think I would come sit down and dine. Also, finding a seat might be a challenge in the first place. However, the place is kept really clean and organized despite the crowd. The staff are friendly and patient.

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