Fraiche Restaurant - West Vancouver

Sorry, no pics - Hubbs felt it might ruin the romantic mood of our 4th anniversary dinner ;) We made an impromptu last minute decision to go out for dinner to celebrate 4 glorious years of marital bliss, and I picked Fraiche because it has been on my brain ever since I discovered it a few weeks before V-day. I had tried making reso's then, but they were of course completely booked. Next year I'm booking in October ;)

This time we made early reso's and it was on a week night, so they had room and even a table with a view. The restaurant is located in one of the highest points in West Van and thus overlooks the cityscape of Van (particularly near the Stanley Park seawall area). An incredibly romantic place, and quite upscale; the dress code is business casual (at minimum) and the fellow sitting near us who wore a t-shirt probably felt pretty sheepish about his clothing choice ;) I wore a cocktail dress, and most ladies there did the same, so that should give you an idea what to expect ;)

Anyway, Hubbs and I both got starters, he the crab cake and I the foie gras. I think he enjoyed his crab cake (it was pretty yummy from the sampler I got). The foie gras I had was the best foie gras I have ever had, even better than the "Meat and Potato" appie at Hardware Grill in Edmonton. The foie gras was perfectly (and lightly) seared, and so delicate and flavourful and deliciously fatty and smooth that it made my heart flutter. The other part of the foie gras, the "pate" version, was also rich and smooth and paired beautifully with the crispy flatbreads that accompanied it. The clincher though was the candied pineapple that came with the foie gras. The slightly acidic juices were the perfect compliment to the creamy texture of the foie gras.

I could have eaten a pound of foie gros, I'm sure. However, I held back and waited patiently for the main entree. Hubbs had a pasta that came with lobster and sablefish, and I had their rack of lamb. Again, judging from Hubbs finishing all of his meal, I think he liked what he had. My lamb was very tender and roasted such that it was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I've not always loved lamb but this particular preparation was very very good.

For dessert (we made room), I had the creme brulee and Hubbs had the sticky toffee pudding. My creme brulee was good but not particularly stand-out (save for the wonderful "Happy Anniversary" message written in chocolate on my plate), whereas Hubbs' dessert was incredible. Next time I will probably order the toffee pudding instead; it was aromatic and just a decadent and rich dessert to finish off the evening.

Service was great; our server was very helpful and friendly and professional without being snooty. Given the eliteness of the restaurant, his attitude was refreshingly normal and approachable. I very much enjoyed the view and the absolutely wonderful fare. We've already decided we need to save up and come back every season just because we liked it so much!

Fraiche is a great place to celebrate anniversaries and other major occasions, though the place isn't very affordable so it's one of those "save up to go" sort of restaurants. The view is breath-taking, probably moreso at night, so I'd advise going for a late dinner rather than an early one like we did. Do take pictures because it is truly a spectacular view of Vancouver from their dining room; I will next time. :)

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5

Sequoia Grill - The Teahouse

Hubbs and I have been eating out a lot. We did the seawall walk a few weeks ago and stopped by the Teahouse for lunch. We had a hard time finding the Teahouse since its real name is Sequoia Grill and happens to be located in a teahouse, which is where the nickname comes from.

Anyway, we got to sit on the deck outside in the sunshine. After having walked to Stanley from our Coal Harbour home, and from the one end of the seawall all the way to Third Beach, we were pretty hungry. We decided to share an appy and order sandwiches.

The ahi tuna was seared perfectly and done really well. Hubbs loved it, and I enjoyed it too (but likely not as much as he did).

Next, the sandwiches. Hubbs had a shrimp clubhouse sandwich while I had the chicken breast BLTC burger. Hubbs liked his sandwich but found it a little lacking in flavour; he does a spicy shrimp salad for his own sandwiches and personally, I think this has spoiled him for all other shrimp salad sandwiches to come.

My BLTC was yummy. A bit drippy/messy but I devoured it all; the bacon was a nice thick kind and very smoky and flavourful, and the chicken breast was moist and filling. I even liked my wedge fries, although they gave me so many that it was an impossibility to try to finish them all off. I think I picked out all the crispy ones ;)

Service was friendly, the standard for most upper-scale restaurants. Some of the other patrons on the patio were obviously among the wealthy "elite," the sort of folks that I find a bit too snooty to want to interact with. Such is to be expected, though; this isn't a cheap burger joint, and it is reflected in both the clientele and the prices. However, the dining experience is very pleasant and proper, making the lunch enjoyable overall.

The Teahouse would be a great date place, and very romantic at sunset I imagine. Be prepared to spend money if you go, however; it's not the sort of location you want to roll into every week wearing your holey jeans and sweat shirt.

Service: 4 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company

Maybe we're just suckers for thin-crust pizza, or maybe we were weakened by our famished state, but Hubbs & I really enjoyed Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. Sans reso, we popped in for some flatbread pizza one warm evening. The prices were affordable, the atmosphere relaxed and friendly (and family-friendly, too), and the aroma of authentic fire-roasted thin-crust pizzas made the wait nearly unbearable.

Hubbs had the seafood pizza with wild boar bacon and Quallicum scallops, while I had one with prosciutto, fresh basil and mango; it may have been their special because it's not on the online menu.

It's a pretty chill place, and one we plan to return to. Go for a quick bite of yummy and unique pizzas. It isn't the cheapest pie in the city but the price is justified by its wholesome and fresh ingredients.

Service: 4 out of 5

Food: 4 out of 5

Bon's Off Broadway

Sometimes it's foolishness to try something new. Sometimes it's just smarter to stick with what you know. Such was the case with breakfast one morning. We should have gone to our weekly favourite, Paul's Omelettry, but since it wasn't Sunday yet, Hubbs thought perhaps we should try something different.

Using Urbanspoon on his iPhone, we located Bon's, which seemed to have a number of good reviews. There was also a line up that went out the door. Both, we felt, were positive first signs. How wrong we turned out to be!

We waited a long time for a table, then to get our order taken, then to get food. The whole ordeal lasted well over an hour from line-up to departure. Not only that, but the line-up wasn't exactly a nice collection of elderly folks. There were some pretty rough lookin' individuals there waiting to get in on the $2.95 breakfast, and these are the type of people who've seen a lot of life on the other side of the tracks, if you get my drift.

Bon's was also pretty dirty and run down, and had the looks of a place that doesn't care much about upkeep. My coffee cup saucer had a big chip on it. The whole feel was...dingy. The food wasn't much better. Hubbs' pancakes were huge but I far prefer IHOP's. His bacon tasted like some cheap no-name bacon, rather than something organic or locally-produced or Maple Leaf, even. My perogy breakfast was icky too. They pan grilled the dumplings and stuck them on top of a mound of half-grilled onions. The sour cream was stiff like cream cheese. My Ukrainian sausage slices (they were round and flat) tasted stale and slightly freezer-burnt.

The service was slow, but only because the poor girl serving was one of only two servers covering the entire place. Now this restaurant is probably nearly twice the size of Paul's, and Paul's usually has 3-4 servers working the floor; that gives you an idea as to how understaffed they were at Bon's.

The price was right, of course...cheap cheap cheap. No wonder there were so many rave reviews; I should really keep in mind that for a lot of people, quantity, when inversely correlated with price, is directly correlated with favourability. That is, if you get lots and lots of food for the dollar, you'll give a rave review even if the food is crap.

We originally thought the place would be funky, sort of like Sophie's or Joe's Grill, but whereas those other places had some alternative-culture funk to them, this place just seemed grimey and cheap. Maybe in its heyday Bon's was a hip place to go, but times, they are a-changin'. So maybe I'm missing it, but I don't see the appeal.

Conclusion: don't go. Stick with what you know. If you do go, be warned; it's not for the clean or the sheltered.

Service: 2.5 out of 5

Food: 2 out of 5

Quattro on Fourth

I'm getting lazy. Nowadays, I find myself more inclined to blog only if the food somewhere is horrendously bad or amazingly good. Consider this the latter. Upon our return from E-town, Hubbs took me to dinner at Quattro on Fourth. I'm not sure where he heard about the place from (I think it was Vancouver magazine) but he really wanted good Italian, so we made a reso and off we went.

Secluded behind shrubbery, the corner location of Quattro on 4th makes it very cozy and intimate. We were one of only 5-6 tables there (late Sun. night) and so the service was attentive, though I found the dishes did take a bit of waiting.

Hubbs & I both did appies and pasta; he had the crab & sablefish cakes to start, followed by the famous Spaghetti Quattro. I had the grilled radicchio bocconcini followed by their house-made gnocchi with bbq duck confit. Both of our appies were delicious, though I think I liked mine a bit more than Hubbs' given that I found his cakes a bit salty for my tastes; my radicchio was well-grilled and the cheese inside was just a bit gooey, making it a great texture contrast to the slightly crisped lettuce.

I also loved my gnocchi (a seasonal dish); it was tender, and a perfect flavouring complement to the duck and the bacon and the peas. It also wasn't too heavy, but was seasoned and spiced in such a way that upon reheating leftovers, I had my colleagues drooling ;) Hubbs can't stop thinking about his spaghetti, which is made with minced chicken breast, black beans, and a garlicky tomato coating. I hesitate to say sauce because it wasn't saucy so much as it was a flavoured olive oil, though it did have chunks of tomato in it. Hubbs loved it. I believe it's the best spaghetti he has ever had (that's what he says, anyway).

So far, this has been our favourite Van Italian eatery. It was romantic, upscale (but not ridiculous - think about $20 for pasta entrees), and the food was tasty. Service was professional and friendly without the server pretending to be our friend (I hate when they do that). Quattro on 4th is a great "special occasion" or romantic date restaurant, and we'll definitely be back soon. :)

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5

B.C. Sushi

On Sunday, Hubbs & I needed to find a quick and relatively healthy restaurant to eat lunch at, before our afternoon meeting/class.  Neither of us was particularly hungry, but we were both well aware that if we waited until after our commitment to eat, we'd be ravenous and it wouldn't be pretty.

We picked B.C. Sushi because it was the first sushi restaurant we came across that was near the church, and also because it had AYCE for $11/person.  Usually, when we have maki rolls, we spend around $35-40, so we figured this was a good deal and would afford us some variety in our roll and sushi choices.

We were served piping hot green tea upon arrival.  We ordered right away, too, and sampled the B.C. roll, the dynamite roll, the chopped scallop roll, and one other roll whose name escapes me (but I know it had avocado, salmon, and tuna in it).  We also each had a piece of salmon and tuna nigiri, and a mini order of gyoza.  When the rolls arrived, we were surprised by a few things:

-the size of each roll piece was quite large, like how most "specialty rolls" are

-the server gave us a double portion of BC roll, so we got 6 instead of 3 pieces of it

-the salmon and the tuna sushi were both rather flavourless, all things considered

Generally, Hubbs & I aren't super picky sushi eaters, though we know what we like.  I mean, we even enjoy Richmond Sushi and Tomokazu, so we're familiar with AYCE's fish quality being less stellar than places like Ajisai, and we're okay with it.  However, even with its cheaper prices, B.C. Sushi doesn't make the cut.  The rolls weren't all that flavourful and they all tasted similar.  The fish wasn't all that fresh, and the gyoza were greasy and the skin wasn't pan-fried to a crisp.  We thought the whole lunch experience was...MEH.

Would we go back?  Likely not.  There were several tables there when we were there, so I assume there are some who like the place.  We're just not among those; our tastes aren't so indiscriminate that we could consider B.C. Sushi a good, or even a decent, place for Japanese food.

But hey, it was quick, and it was cheap.  For many, those are the only two standards that matter, and I suppose if you decide to eat there, you'll find such a population of diners eating to their heart's content.

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 2.5 out of 5

 

Season in the Park

On the day of the parking-lot stabbing at the restaurant (but several hours prior to it), Hubbs & I, and our friends N & J, went to Seasons in the Park for dinner.  Our friends are planning to have their wedding reception here, I think, so we were there to scope out the joint.

It's a gorgeous restaurant with awesome views of the city from its raised elevation; we sat by the window so we saw some great city skylines as the sun set.  The restaurant is also quite unique in that it's circular in shape, with a circular platform in the middle of the restaurant.  In the very middle of the place there is a gorgeous large chandelier that dangles into the oddly-shaped tree that is growing up from the center of the circle.

We had a super friendly server who came by promptly to take drink orders.  Hubbs & I shared the cornmeal-crusted Fanny Bay oysters, while N & J had the carrot & ginger soup and caesar salad, respectively.  The oysters were delicious and just lightly fried; I could have used a crispier crust, but that's just because I like things fried to a crisp. The oysters were delicious and fresh and were accompanied by a pea shoot & fennel salad that we didn't finish.

For the main event, Hubbs had a colossal prawn duo and I had the duck two ways.  Hubbs' prawns really were large; they looked bigger than some lobster tails I've had.  Though not as sweet as the BC spotted prawns, his two prawns were still quite crispy in texture and had a mildly sweet aftertaste.  My duck leg confit was a little fatty (yum!) and its skin was very crispy, though perhaps the leg lacked a bit of its own flavouring.  It ended up absorbing the hoisin and 5-spice flavours of the sauce.  The duck breast was tender and had just the perfect amount of skin on it to be rich, but not overly artery-clogging.  I really enjoyed my dish, and it was exactly what I needed to curb my duck craving.  I also really liked the shittake mushroom rosti that accompanied my entree.  Overall, I really can't complain since the entree was a reasonable $28 and it was very very good.

Though I was pretty full by the end of my meal, I opted for a dessert anyway, and ordered their daily cheesecake (almond).  It was a generously-sized round piece of cake, and I appreciated that the texture of the cheese was smooth and not too sweet.  The almond flavour was also prominently featured, which I liked.  Hubbs' creme brulee was good and also very largely portioned, but like a trooper he ate it all ;)

Our server was really friendly and helpful, and quite prompt with her service.  No complaints in that department.

Overall, I'd say that Seasons in the Park is one of those nicer, dress-up restaurants that you really should check out on a sunny evening.  It's a fantastic date-night sort of place, and romantic during the sunset hour.  Prices are not super steep, though not inexpensive either; it's definitely a save-up-to-go sort of place where you really don't want to cheap out when you're actually there.  Given its location in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Park, it's also a good place to go for a lovely stroll either pre-or post-dinner.  We'll definitely be back, and not just for N & J's wedding ;)

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5

The Crime Lab

Hubbs &  I are big big C.S.I. fans, so a restaurant called the Crime Lab obviously caught our attention.  N & A generously took us out for dinner a few nights ago so that our curiosity about the place could be satisfied.

We arrived sans reso, and it looked like they were quite busy.  We did manage to get seated anyway, at a booth/table that was close to the patio.  We really should've sat on the patio, though, since it was heated and the patio chairs had blankets on them for patrons to use. Anyway, we ordered our drinks and meals and then the wait began.  At one point my server returned to tell me that they had run out of pork loin chops, so I had to rechoose my entree.  I wasn't thrilled with having to go with Plan B.

Maybe it was because it was a Sunday night, but the restaurant was incredibly busy.  We had to wait quite a while for our food, and then our order got messed up so that A & I got our meals about 10 min. before Hubbs & N got theirs.  The staff there obviously felt bad about the mess-up, though, because they generously offered the table a complimentary round of drinks *and* an appy of yam fries!  I love when serve staff are thoughtful that way.

When our meals arrived we dove in.  My free range chicken breast was alright; the drumstick that they left on was my favourite part and the skin was broiled to a wonderful crisp, but the white meat tended towards being a bit dry.  My risotto was awesome though, and sufficiently cheesy to be tasty without being super heavy.  Hubbs loved his seafood linguine with dill cream sauce, daring even to compare it with his mother's linguine with clam sauce.  I think that both N and A also enjoyed their meals, although they were both feeling fatigued and N was under the weather so maybe this affected their dining experience.  The free round of drinks were great though :)

Overall, the service was good (esp. since they gave us freebies) and friendly and appropriately apologetic, and the food was good.  Prices were also reasonable, and servings were adequately sized.

I would probably head back to the Crime Lab again, though perhaps not for a while, since I think there are probably many other restaurants in Van of comparable food quality and pricing.  The next time I do go, however, I'll probably aim to sit on the patio; it looks over Coal Harbour so the views are pretty rad. :)

Service: 4 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5  (Hubbs gives it a 4/5)

Maria's Taverna

This past weekend, my friends A & N were in town and we decided to hit up a Greek restaurant.  Hubbs & I hadn't been to even one Greek eatery yet, so we were up for some yummy mediterranean grub.  We were originally going to go elsewhere, but were too hungry to walk that far and ended up at Maria's on Denman.

Since we were starving, we ordered as soon as the server came.  Unfortunately, it took him a while to come, since the restaurant was swamped with people and appeared to be working with a skeleton crew.  Decor was typically Greek, BTW - lots of white and blue and not very stylish, but an intimate setting nonetheless.  We nursed our drinks and enjoyed the delicious warm pita (it was more like a bread since it was fluffy but boy was it good) dipped into our hummous and tzatziki.  Hubbs thought the hummous was the best he's ever had; it was good but I wouldn't go that far!

Then the server came out with one dish, which he promptly took back when he realized he had given A someone else's dish!  Good thing she hadn't taken a bite yet.  When our order finally came out, we were astounded by the enormity of the portions.  N had the calamari dinner and A chose the Kleftiko meal.  Hubbs & I shared the Greek platter for two, which was probably big enough for 4 (we barely touched our potatoes and rice).  Our dolmathes were pretty good, but I found the chicken souvlaki a bit dry.  Hubbs loved the keftedes and we were both drooling over the tenderness and moist perfection that was the kleftiko.  Two *huge* lamb shoulders that were so delicious and delicate that the meat fell off the bone...yum!  We were stuffed by the time we left!

The price was right too; only $49 (pre-tax and tip) for the platter.  Had we been less hungry, we totally would have had leftovers!

The service was friendly but slow given the number of patrons there that night.  It was a Saturday so I guess I can understand, although I thought that they could have comped us with something for the wait and the meal mix-up.

Highly recommended for the giant portions and the great lamb shoulder.  Probably best to go on a week night, though.  

Service:  3 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5

PS - sorry, no pics...we inhaled our food so there just wasn't time to take pictures of it.

Shady Island Seafood Bar & Grill - Steveston

Hubbs & I have been bad.  We've been eating out ... a lot.  One of the places we tried recently is a cute little restaurant on the "wharf" in Steveston, called Shady Island.  We decided to give this place a try after gawking at the menu, which featured a steamed seafood platter for two.  Guess what we had? ;)

Of course, we weren't smart enough to check the reviews on the place before getting seated, so when we did finally read up, we were a bit worried.  Food, it seems, is mediocre, and service is apparently appalling.  We braced ourselves for the worst.  However, our server came promptly, and took our orders (drinks & food) at once.  We waited a bit for our grub to arrive, but it wasn't a super long wait.  When it came out, our food was an impressive display stacked on a two-tiered rack. 

Thankfully, we were hungry.  Famished, in fact.  Hubbs immediately got down to business with the lobster (an entire one) and the crab (an entire one).  Meanwhile, I aimed my appetite at the delicious mussels, scallops, clams, shrimp, and oysters on the bottom tier.  I could honestly have eaten the entire bottom plate, but held back and saved some for Hubbs.  I even helped him with cracking through all those claws; I'm quite adept at it now. :)

It was unfortunate that I couldn't try the two items on the top, but I had to make sure my stomach didn't go into convulsions afterwards and abstinence is the best policy when it comes to me and crab and lobster.  Hubbs tells me they were good.  The oysters were killer awesome - fresh and flavourful - and I really loved the clams as well.  The garlic toast that came with the meal was not quite crispy enough, but since I was sopping up garlic butter anyway, I didn't mind so much.

The meal set us back a pretty penny, but definitely was more affordable than Blue Water and good value considering how much we were getting.  Service wasn't nearly as horrible as others have said, but I have a feeling that the place is probably hit-and-miss most of the time, and we just happened to catch them on a hit day.  

Don't come here dressed in your Sunday best; seafood can be a messy affair.  Also, don't come for super fancy dining; with a name like Shady Island, it's not something you should expect.  Do come for a nice view from the patio, and for some yummy seafood prepared the most basic way possible (which is great for a food purist like me).  

Will we be back? Likely, though we'll probably give ourselves more time next time, in case we do get poor service.

Food:  4 out of 5

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Irashai Grill

Even though we love Shuraku, Hubbs & I felt that we should try the Japanese sushi place right behind our place.  We had walked by Irashai Grill hundreds of times but we hadn't actually dined there yet was our rationale.  So, sans reso on a Canucks game night, we went for dinner.

When we arrived, we noted a few things: 1) funky decor, 2) empty restaurant, and 3) booths! We were seated at a booth right in front of the flat screen, which was great for watching the game and seeing the bar in action, but sucky since there wasn't a lot of action from either ;)

We ordered several delicious rolls, including one that was their biggest roll on the menu (Monster Roll?).  The other two, the Fresh Fish Roll and the Summer Roll, were fantastic.  The Monster Roll, however, wasn't as yummy; there was a weird spice in the rolls that we really didn't care for.  We also ordered the Aigamo, which is a tataki duck breast.  THAT was beyond awesome (crispy seared skin, just the right amount of fat between skin and lean meat, and very flavourful and tender), though also very pricey ($16?) for just one breast.

Service was attentive, but perhaps to the point of uncomfortable.  There were several servers on the floor that night, and we were one of two booths (a third came in a little later and another couple was seated at the bar).  I guess the servers were bored, because our tea was filled very regularly, and our plates were cleared the moment we finished a roll.  It was almost too much, you know?

Prices were steeper than Mandala Iki but comparable to Kamei Royale, so expect to pay between $8-15 per specialty roll.  However, the atmosphere was quiet and lovely and the seats were way comfy! 

We'll probably be back, though perhaps not as often as we go to the cheaper alternatives for sushi rolls.  Irashai Grill is definitely a step above "normal" sushi joints, and a finer dining experience that, contrary to the reviews of some others, is definitely value for the dollar (even though you'll be spending more dollars to be sure).  Portions are not generous but also not shrimpy; they are moderate and if you choose wisely you can be full without spending $80.  

Highly recommended for romantic dates, watching the game (season's over but you know what I mean), and some innovative sushi rolls.

Food: 4.5 out of 5

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Sweet Obsession

One night, I decided we needed to go for a drive post-dinner.  Hubbs and I explored the west end of Van and at one point, we passed a place called Trafalgar's, which advertised that they served dessert from Sweet Obsession.  Never one to pass on dessert, we decided to stop in and pick something up to go.

Hubbs ordered an apple tart and a mountain of creampuffs, which they called the St. Honore.  I had an apple strudel-like dessert.  All were amazing, especially my very flaky and buttery strudel dessert.  These were so good, in fact, that we came back the very next night to get desserts to go.  This second night, we had the tiramisu cake, which was light enough to be delicious, and decadent enough to be satisfying.

Neither visit had us sitting in the cafe, which seems to offer a few tables (most of which were occupied both times that we were there).  I think perhaps in the future we will give it a go dining in; the atmosphere was relaxed and casual and comfortable and cheery.  

Prices are reasonable, maybe a bit higher than at some other dessert places, but certainly not more than having dessert at Blue Water Cafe ;)  Given the yumminess of the sweets, however, we will be back to try more of their goodies.  

Highly recommended for: late-night sweets, romantic cheap dates, and take-out.

Service: Hard to say since we didn't dine in...

Food: 4.5 out of 5

Capones Restaurant & Live Jazz Club

Man, I swear my reviews are getting shorter.  Anyway, Hubbs & I decided at virtually the last minute to go to Capones for dinner; we figured that we'd like it since we like jazz and we like food.

When we arrived for our reso, we were seated front and center at a little round table smack in front of the live jazz band.  The amp was jacked to the max and we were right near the speakers so of course we couldn't hear each other, and we weren't fond of our location.  It then took the server 10 minutes to come and take our drink order.  Strike 1.   When I saw that a booth table had freed up, I requested to be moved.  Server guy left to go ask if the table was available, and then he ignored us for another 5 minutes.  Strike 2.  We finally had to flag him down to check if we could move, and gave him our drink orders.  He said yes, and after we moved to the new booth table, our drinks never arrived.  Strike 3.

Thankfully, another server came by and took our drink order again.  She was way more efficient and came with our ice teas shortly afterwards; turns out the first server figured it wasn't his table anymore so he didn't bother to pass along our drink orders to our new server.  Thanks.

We ordered the Capones lasagna and the Godfather pizza.  I was worried we'd be hungry but Hubbs figured this was enough food.  He was right.  The lasagna came out in a small plate and I thought, uh oh, this won't be enough, but it was hearty and filling.  The pizza, about 10" in size, was also loaded with meat and quite filling.  In the end, I could only finish half of it, and Hubbs had all of his lasagna (save for a few bites that I stole) and 2 pieces of my pizza.  We still have 2 slices left over. 

The music that was blaring was still super loud from the booth/table (since it was right at the front near the stage) but at least Hubbs & I were able to sit beside each other in the booth and hear one another talk.  Then the band went on a break for 30 min., giving us time to rest our poor eardrums.  When they returned to the stage, their next set was a bit more mellow to start out with, allowing us to readjust our ears to the loud loud music.  I must be getting old, since I don't recall loud music ever bothering me before.

Overall, the food was pretty tasty (there was foie gras in the lasagna and duck on my pizza!) and the music was good (albeit loud).  Service was hit and miss depending on who served us, and prices weren't cheap (~$20+/entree, $14/app), but it was an experience that ended better than it started.  Our server also told us that they've come under new management and now the menu changes every so often, and they're trying to improve to their former glory.

Looks like they have their work cut out for them.  First step: fire that first server.  He's bringing them down.

Service: 3 out of 5 (4/5 for the second server, and 2/5 for the first)

Food: 4 out of 5