40 - Wednesday, December 10, 1997 — North Shore News orn north shore news RDINING __ ews for A summary of past Table Hopping reviews for your consumption: Infusion Restaurant, 235 15th St. West Vancouver, 922-2117. Visa, MasterCard and American Express accepted. Open every night for dinner. Open Monday to to Friday for lunch. Fully licensed. Vegetarian options? Many. Take the kids or call 2 babysitter? Call a babysitter. Inspired infusion of world cuisines courtesy of Chef Kevin Negoro presented in the sec- ond incarnation of Mark Sager’s original Granite Cafe. Interesting food combinations. Artistic presentation. White shirt and black tie service. Casual Gourmet, 770-333 Brooksbank Ave., North Vancouver, 987-4300. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Open everyday for lunch and dinner. Fully licensed. But serv- ing wine and beer for now. Vegetarian options?. A few.. Take the kids or call a babysitter? You could do either. Peter Wieser’s new North Vancouver bistro in the Park and Tilford shopping centre. The ex-La Toque Blanche chef and owner serves excellent food in an informal atinos- phere. Takeouts and catering available. The Stock Pot at the Lonsdale Quay Public Market, 103—123 Carrie Cates Crt., North Vancouver, 983-2774; fax 984-0507. Visa accepted for orders over $10. Open every- day for lunch. Not licensed to sell alcohol. Vegetarian options? Marty. Master chef Ralf Dauns’ masterful soup kitchen: a place dedicated to the heart and soul of dining all over the globe — soups and _ stocks. Close to 70 soups on take-out soup “and stock listing: Borscht, Tomato Pesto, Roasted Garlic Mushroom, Chilled Carrot- Sweet Potato and many morc. 2 gO La Zuppa!l, 1544 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, 986-6556; fax: 986-6534. Cash only. accepted. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch. Not licensed to sell alcohol. Vegetarian options? Lots. Subtitled the Place for Soup. And that it is. Also a good place for sandwiches and cappuc- cinos. Founded last summer by Dino Paladino, former partner of Carmelo Sortino, the original owner of Carmelo’s in West Vancouver. oo00 The King of Donair, 125 West 3rd St., North Vancouver. 990-6699. Cash only. Open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Open at noon on Sundays. Not licensed. Vegetarian options? Some. Small Middle Eastern fast food outlet in the new storefront strip in the 100-block of West 3rd Street. Mehrdad “Bob” Nazari serves chicken and beef Donair wrapped in your choice of white of whole wheat pita and presented in a sauce resistant dining bag. For Donair this is the place to go. uoa Chefi’s Restaurant, 4371 Gallant Ave., Deep Cove North Vancouver, 929-3912. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Open Tuesday to Friday for lunch and dinner. Open Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Licensed to sell beer and wine. Vegetarian options? A few. Take the kids or call a babysitter? You could do either. Doug McCall's neighborly Deep Cove diner boasts a lively atmosphere, bright interi- or decor and good food. Well worth an eastern excursion, Jagerhof Restaurant, 71 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, 980-4316. Visa, MasterCard and American Express accept- ed. Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner. Open Tuesday to Friday for lunch. Fully licensed. Vegetarian options? Nein. Take the NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge CAPERS COUPLE ... Chef Sob Shaw and Cafe manager Barbara Ann Bernstein present Grilied Vancouver Island salmon at Capers Cafe in West Vancouver. kids or call a babysitter? You could do. -eithes. The North Shore’s reigning house of schnitzel. Alex Doubrava has moved his Jagerhof, one door north on Lonsdale, burt nothing much else has changed. Same menu; same quality schnitzel. Capers Restaurant at Capers food store, 2496 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 925- 3374; Fax: 925-9306. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Licensed to sell beer and wine. Vegetarian options? Many. Take the kids or call a babysitter? You could do either. : The place for wholesome dining in West Vancouver, Capers restaurant is a four-star extension of West Vancouver’s great Capers food store. Organic dining that celebrates food rather than lecturing wayward diners. Eat and feel good about it. Quality of Grouse entrees sampled was uneven. F¥bm page 39 mouth cream on our visit — B.C. Fallow Venison Loin, Local Pheasant Breast, Chargrilled Portabello Mushroom, Wild Mushroom and Leek Raviolis). A nighdy Chef?s Creation list expands the regular menu with such items as Fresh Ostrich Medallions. -The restaurant’s wine list features strong representation from B.C. wineries ($23 to $42) and well over a dozen selections by rhe glass ($6 to California and wineries - from the rest of the Western Hemisphere’s west coast pre- dominate. Austzaiian and European bottles are also offered {$24 to $75). The new Nest occupies the eastern wing of what was the old Grouse Nest. Excellent city views all round in this smaller, more intimate restau- rant arrangement. On a clear night — in any season — the Nest, as always, provides a matchless Lower Mainland outlook. Chef Lynn continues delivering his better than average kitchen product. But there were a few blemishes on the Nest rable during a recent Friday night visit. Nothing was really bad, bur nothing was really our- standing either. If this were not the top of Have Christmas dinner delivered to your table Let five diamond chef & longtime North Shore resident Louis Gervais prepare a yuletide feast for you and your guests, ie Grouse Mountain, the entrees would be far more than overpriced, The sampled Jumbo Prawns, for example, were poor. The prawn meat was mushy and tasteless, Far from fresh. The supporting cast on the plate was spartan: a sery- ing of glass noodles topped with slices of grilled red and yellow bell peppers. Much better was the West Coast Cioppino. The spicy seafood stew included mus- sels, crab legs, scallops, clams and white fish. Lynn’s Beef Tenderloin was not bad. It came with a pair of roasted potatoes, a side of boiled baby carrots and stir-fried wild mush- rooms. The meat was char- grilled, but otherwise pretty plain. A stingy serving of bourbon and green pepper- corn jus accompanied. An opening Woolrich Dairy Goat Cheese salad combined rounds of excellent goat cheese with mixed baby greens and pecans. The blackberry vinaigrette was good but, again, there was not much of it. Service throughout the meal was attentive and congenial. And the tram trip up and back fills the soul with the wonders of living on the West “Fax Retrievers | Coast. Set in an impressive new Grouse Mountain lodge, the Grouse Nest continues as one of the Lower Mainland’s pre- mier destination dining retreats. Attention to kitchen details could elevate the Nest to one of the Lower Mainland’s premier dining experiences. oO The Pacific Starlight Dinner Train, BC Rails North Vancouver passenger sta- tion, 1311 West First St. (foot of Pemberton Avenue), North Vancouver. 984-5500 or 1-800-363- 3733. ; The Starlight will feature six Christmas by Starlight departures (Dec. 11, 12,13,18, 19 and 20) and one New Year's by Starlight (Dec. 31) excursion to round out its successful inaugural season. As of Oct. 31 the dinner train had hauled 26,006 din- ers on its North Vancouver to Porteau Cove run since it started rolling on June 6. Total revenues over that peri- od are over $1.9 million. Let us host your Christmas Party CORPORATE & PRIVATE breakfast, lunch or dinner (we will fax menus or create a special menu to suit) ’ i Roasted Turkey ! Savery Bread Stuffing Buttered Green Beans Caramelized Yams & Carts - af tg . ‘ 7 . « 7 . . ci: Yuletide Feast ve . ' 4 7 oe ’ Whipped Pitatoes Cranberry Sauce & Gravy | Apple Tan a ‘ ’ ! Incredibly good food at Incredibly LOW prices LOCATED AT LYNNWOOD MARINA 1653 Columbia St., North Vancouver 988-0038 gee ee $145 + tax (for approx. 12 people) : “Hetivery on Christmas Eve or Day, Noun - 5pm Cail Louis to cater all of your special events this Season, then relax and enjoy your Christmas. Phone: 258-4177 or Fax: 258-4178 ‘Thank your From 2 happy cuscoiner, Maggie Chan Sutton Group WCR