Bamboo Hut - Sylvan Lake

Went for dinner with my son, his girlfriend (yes, his girlfriend even they deny it!) and his Mom 2.0 (seriously there's another mom as great as me?!)  Actually she is pretty great as is her daughter who joined us as well.

We had a fun night in Sylvan Lake going on the Aqua Splash and going Paddle Boarding and then we were all starving for dinner and I had had Bamboo Hut in my sights for awhile for a group dinner.  We ordered the dinner for four so that we could try a number of options. 

The dinner for four comes with 8 Crispy Pork Spring Rolls, a choice of soup, Crispy Dry Pork Ribs or Chili Wings and a choice of three entrees.  We chose the Tom Yum Soup, the Chili Wings and as our entrees the Monster Bowl, the Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai and the Kolab Khmer.  We opted for the coconut rice instead of the regular rice on the dish that was served with rice - and even ordered an extra side of coconut rice!

Sorry I don't have any pictures.  But absolutely everything was divinely delicious!  So good!!  We all really enjoyed every dish. 

The Tom Yum Soup is a hot and sour coconut broth simmer with shrimp and exotic mushrooms.  It really was yummy!

Absolutely loved the Crispy Pork Spring Rolls and the fish sauce they were served with.  Also loved the Chili Wings (even though I wanted the Crispy Dry Pork Ribs cuz I didn't think I'd like the wings).  They were great and the sauce (which is like a sweet chili sauce) was fantastic.

The Monster Bowl includes grilled chicken, beef and BBQ pork skewers with veggies on vermicelli noodles. 

The Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai is fried rice noodles with chicken and shrimp in a sweet, sour and spicy sauce.

The Kolab Khmer is shrimp and veggies in a creamy coconut curry blend.

All were absolutely tasty and delicious!  The service was excellent from the daughter of this family run business.  Excellent spot.  Highly recommended.  And the dinner for four is priced at $65.45 so it is good value as well.


   

Blondie's - Sylvan Lake

Let me apologize in advance for the poor quality of the pictures.  This is the second time I've had breakfast here and I knew what to expect so I was anxious to get into the food and not as worried about getting a good pic!  But they really don't do the food the justice it deserves.

The food here is soooooo good!  I've ordered the same thing both times - Eggs Benedict with bacon instead of ham and on top of potato pancakes instead of English Muffins.  Awesome!  You would not believe the amount of bacon they give you.  The potato pancakes are absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked - a nice change to the English Muffin.  And the hollandaise sauce, the key to a good Benny, is some of the best I have ever had (and they are always happy to accommodate my request for extra sauce at no extra charge!)

I will return again and again and again.  The only downside is no outdoor seating and I love to eat my meals outside in the summer.  The inside décor is very "diner like" and a bit stuffy but I will frequent lots in the winter for sure and will still visit in the summer because of the great food.

Drayton Harbour Oyster Company - Blaine

Easily the best oysters on the West Coast - and worth the drive down from BC to get them!  Absolutely delicious.  And the best atmosphere and friendly service.  Sitting outside in the sunshine looking at the water, eating oysters and drinking wine - how does it get any better than that?!

This day they started their new menu and these oysters are topped with garlic butter, bacon and cream cheese.  I would have never thought of it but the combination of toppings, including the cream cheese, was excellent.  So delicious!  I have since tried to replicate it and they turned out awesome!!  Previously they had a sweet and spicy option and a garlic parmesan and both were delicious.  I was surprised how much I liked the sweet and spicy one.

Oh, and I almost forgot - how could I forget?!  The Oyster Stew is absolutely delicious - so creamy!  Love it.

Will be back whenever I am on the West Coast.  Again it is worth the trip to Blaine - from anywhere!

Gini's - Edmonton

Gini's is an "old school" French restaurant in the Glenora area with some pretty good food.  The décor is a bit dated and it is located in an old strip mall so if you didn't know what you were looking for you would probably miss it or take a pass.  They have some good dinner specials though and an excellent menu with many classic French options.  Tonight I opted for the 3 Course Dinner for $49. 

This included the special appetizer - Frog Legs:

Followed by the Duck Breast in a delicious sauce.  Unfortunately, the duck was a little overcooked despite the fact that I specifically ordered it medium rare, but that happens a lot - particularly with duck as they are used to cooking it medium.  The sauce was delicious though.

The pork medallions looked good.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the desert but I chose Crème Caramel which was - well - just Crème Caramel.  Can't really do anything spectacular with that. 

Cilantro and Chive - Lacombe, Alberta

After several recommendations from co-workers to try this highly touted restaurant, I finally made it there for a Friday night dinner.  As usual, I wanted to try a few different starters instead of a whole meal.  The first three items on the menu looked great so that's what I ordered - knowing I wouldn't be able to eat it all but they looked so tempting!  So I ordered the Brome Lake Braised Duck Wings, the Pulled Duck Poutine and the Blindman IPA Cheese Dip.

Pulled Duck Poutine - could have used more gravy but the pulled duck was excellent.

This literally would have been my favorite dish in a very long time but the Brome Lake Braised Duck Wings were WAY too over cooked.  The sauce was so good though that this would be an absolute die for dish if they got the cooking right.

The Blindman IPA Cheese Dip was very rich and very delicious!

I recommend this place and will try again in the future.

Bo's Bar and Grill

I passed by this place on a sunny Saturday afternoon and noticed the packed patio out front.  Looked nice so I turned around and stopped in.  I was surprised by a great and diverse menu with lots of options that looked like trying.  While I stopped to enjoy a drink in the sun, I decided that I had to try one of their great menu offerings.  On Saturday and Sunday they serve brunch until 4:00 pm so I decided on the Breakfast Poutine which is hashbrowns covered in cheese curds, bacon and Italian Sausage and topped with a fried egg, hollandaise sauce and green onions.  What could be better than that?!  Well, after trying it, my answer is . . . not much!!  It was absolutely delicious.  The hollandaise sauce was some of the best I've ever tasted.  The egg was cooked to perfection and the helpings of bacon and sausage were very generous.  The combined flavours made for an excellent dish.  They also had some great specials that you don't see on a lot of menus.  I will definitely be back to try more! 

The Coffee Cottage

This is a cute, quaint little place in Innisfail.  It really is a cottage and is decorated so cute.  You go from room to room with a couple or a few tables in each room.  There is also a lovely outdoor patio out front to enjoy the nice days.  They have great homemade soups that are flavorful and delicious.  Two people have told me now that their Turkey Basil sandwich is the best but it was sold out when I went so I can't confirm - but being sold out is a good sign!  The prices are incredibly reasonable for fresh homemade soups and sandwiches and the owners are a lovely couple.