Cardero’s Restaurant
This week we visited two of our Coal Harbour local area restaurants, both of which we had been to several, if not many times before, but both of which had not been on our ‘favorites’ list lately. This week things were different. After a late weeknight meeting we decided to stop at Cardero’s Restaurant to see if there was any chance of getting a table. Being 8:30 pm on a beautiful evening we did not hold out hope. There were no tables available but the hostess did offer a seat at the bar in front of the kitchen. We were not overly enthusiastic about this option but not wanting to go elsewhere we accepted the seat and it actually turned out to be one of the best meals and ‘views’ we have had there. At first, we felt that although we were facing right into the cooking area we should try not to watch, because somehow we were invading the privacy of the chefs. But after a few hellos and smiles from them as they worked it was clear that they are used to the intrusion. It was quite amazing to watch the different chefs at their different stations working feverishly in a very small space, never crashing into each other, and all really seeming to have a good time.
I opted for the Caesar Salad which I had eaten many times before and the Wok Chicken which I had not. The Caesar salad as always was good (but still not my favorite in the city) and the chicken was excellent. The server described it as similar to Cactus Club’s Chili Chicken and it was but this one has less of a chili flavor and more of a sweet and sour flavor. Jeff had the Pepper Crusted Pork Chop, which at a single cut was still huge, and he really enjoyed his meal as well. Of course we will be back as the entrance is only about 100 steps from our door, but now we are looking forward to it again. We would like to see more regular changes to the menu which would draw us out to this restaurant.
The Lift
A few days later we wanted to take advantage of the great sunny and warm weather and opted for lunch at The Lift. We purposely planned on a late lunch in order to get the best seat and we were happy to secure a table along the glass of the second floor patio overlooking the Harbour. Being a beautiful day there was lots of activity from both boaters and rowers, and while enjoying the view and sipping on a ‘Lola’ I almost forgot that we had come to eat. We have had challenges with the service here in the past but today our server was attentive and organized. As usual Jeff ordered the Halibut and Chips as there are few other menu items that appeal to him and as usual the food was great. I chose the lunch special which was an egg salad and smoked salmon sandwich served with salad. The sandwich was huge as it came served like a clubhouse with three pieces of bread. I promptly removed the middle piece layering the egg salad and the salmon together. I was not sure what to expect of this combination but it turned out to be delicious. The food, the service and the view were all great and we will be back, but the menu selections are quite limited for both of us so we are hoping for some changes to the menu in the near future.
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