30 - Friday, December 5, 1986 ~ North Shore News

INFORMAL AND ELEGANT AMALGAMATION’
Dining meets dancing
at revamped restaurant

RESTAURANTS that offer
dining and dancing under
one roof are extremely rare.

But all those of robust appetites
and chronically itchy feet can now
register a hearty cheer in unison
because the Avalon Hotel has
knocked down a few walls, in-
vested more than a few dollars and
come up with a dine and dance
parlor that skilfully blends the two
concepts in such a way as to keep
both diners and dancers happy.

The Madison Avenue Bar &
Grille is the latest boutonniere in
the suddenly contemporary suit of
clothes worn by the Avalon.

It is an informal and elegant

amalgamation of three formerly
pedestrian rooms, and manages, in
its new . 190-seat expanse, to
balance lounge entertainment and
energy with light.and informal din-
ing. : :
In the. process, the social
peculiarities of hotel lounge
patrons and their dining room
counterparts blend together to the
benefit of both.

Those in for a casual drink can
gaze on to a vista of merrily chew-
ing diners and bask in the con-
tented growl of percolating
digestive tracts, while shedding the
lurking aura of lounge lizardry.

Diners, on the other hand, can
absorb: the casual intimacy of
lounge entertainment and
sociability,; without being over-
whelmed with the boom of disco
and shriek of raucous laughter.

Both can meet on the Grille’s
dance floor and compare notes.

Food served on the restaurant
side of the Madison Avenue Bar &
Grille is economically priced and
simply prepared.

Light meats and snacks such as
Calamari ($3.95) and Chicken
Kabobs ($4.95) are all under $8.
Most are under $5.

Four main meat entrees are all
around $10, while three variations

ALITTLE BIT OF INDIA
RIGHT IN VANCOUVER

OVER 21 ITEMS

Special This Week
wea or Coffee Served |

+ Rees with Dinner

$5, 99 oon

EAT AS MUCH AS

Viam-3 pm. *
Lunch every day &%

Prepared fresh daily
| — We feature vege- ee
tarian & non vege- 7 oe
‘ tarian dishes.

Bombay Sweets"

"=" and Restaurant'‘eo
#860 Main Street (at 49th) Vancouver §
874-6722 321-1314

of the now omnipresent gourmet
burger are all around $5. Pastas
run from $5.50 to $8.75.

The Grille's decor is a clean and
bright fusion of tile, elass and rat-
tan,

Atmosphere is piano-lounge
mellow from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

“when the Grille’s nightly piano

player slips behind the restaurant's
in-built bar piano and croons out
lounge standards from the likes of
Billy Joel, Elton John and Lionel
Richie.

table
hopping

Timothy Renshaw

After 8:30 p.m. the Grille’s
tempo picks up with a light, but
never dull, selection of recordcu
music spun by such knowledgeable
and personable disc jockeys as
Karel ‘‘Rap Man” Groeneveld and
Peter ‘‘Bop”’ Bielefeld.

Both battling the fatigue
wrought by ‘one of those weeks’’,
my wife and ! slipped pleasantly
into the Madison Avenue Bar &
Grille’s New York state of mind
and tucked into the restaurant’s
menu.

An opening round of minestrone
soup ($2.75) featured a hearty
broth bolstered by noodles and
kidney beans. It was somewhat
bland for my tastes and a trifle
cool, but overall, quite acceptable.

The Madison Avenue’s Caesar
Salad ($2.75) was much better. It
came laced with a pleasant dressing
and covered with strips of an-
chovie.

We also tested Garlic Pan-Fried
Prawns ($3.95 for six). They came
fried in bread crumb shells.

Bypassing such big ticket selec-
tions as Veal Scallopini ($9.95) and
Fifth Avenue Chicken (39,50),
breast covered with shrimp and
crab, we opted for a Madison
Avenue Luigi’s gourmet pizza
(36.75).

Medium-sized, Luigi came
dressed with oodles of cheese,
italian sausage, olives, green pep-
pers and onion.

Its crust was basic white.

See Madison

An Exotic Safari into the
Heart of Fine Indian Cuisine

Try our famous
Samosas
For Your Party

Book Now For Your Christmas Group Party!
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

The Taste of Italy

Now Open For Lunch Tue. thru Fri.
Daiiy Specials Available

Soup and Salad
Pasta and Salad

$3.95
$5.95

Call for details of New Year’s Eve, Gala dinner!

1428 Marine Drivz, West Van

Christmas Parties? }

922-4719 j

Thinking of

We have space for your group, large or small!

Telephone 986-2228 for special menus and reservations.
Open Sunday - Thursday 11am - 10pm
Friday - Saturday llam - lipm
117-260 W. Esplanade, N.V. (Free Parking)

Friday & Saturday Dinner Special

95
Lunch S5
FREE coffee or tea

&
a
u
a
i
Bs

12:2 pm Friday only Rocorvations 987-8812 6-8:30 pm
1301 Lonsdale N.V.

Parking at rear
a eu Gy Ge ee ft Eee Ge

Indonesian Buffet

Friday Lunch and Dinner Speciais

Dinner § 7% F

includes fried bananas |

a Gn me mn on

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield
PIANO PLAYER Jayesou Field tickles the ivories behind the bar of the
Madison Avenue Bar & Grille. The Avalon Hotel’s new restaurant
features a blend of jounge sociability and dining simplicity.

*More View %*More Menu Selection
* More Parking * More Children’s Choices

Sunday Brunch ;
wa at —m 10:30am to 4:00pm
| Sere, _ RESERVATIONS

RESTAURANT
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3RD FLOOR
LONSDALE QUAY
MARKET

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