NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

TORTILLA TIME ... Juan Jose Cristobol presents a Tortilla Espanola de Patatas at the new Casa
Mia cafe in the Lower Lonsdale area c: North Vancouver City.

RE it’s grey and it’s
January and Christmas is
~ kes’ Over and the next long
«weekend is far, far away, but
a new year brings many new
“things and, fortunately, you..
‘can eat some of them. ~~

On the focal dining front,
~, after recent lean times in which
“: few new restaurants dared test
local dining waters, several have
taken the plunge. :
Today we. present a summa-
ry.of some of the more interesting
new dining options.
"The regular four-course: |.
Table Hopping restaurant review
will return in the next episode.
Casa Mia, 120 East 2nd St.,
‘North Vancouver, 983-8663
ios.» Opened by a trio of North
Shore chaps in early December,
Casa Mia is a small cafe serving
 Spanish-style food in the Lower
- Lonsdale area on the sacred
... grounds of the long-cleceased
. Famous Cafe.
fa. The 16-seater is open from
“11/a:m.- Tuesday to Sunday and
- features a low-budget menu
stocked with such entree items as
“Garlic Fried Cod ($6), Patatas
-Reltenas ($5.50), Bakecl Chicken
($8) Kebabs ($8.95) and a 12-
, ounce Steak ($11.95).
Appetizers ($3 to $4.50)
and desserts ($1.95 to $3) are
_also served.

The Saffron Bistro, 130-1425
Marine Dr., West Vancouver,
926-4800

. Former Seasons in the Park
executive chef Soren C. Fakstorp
opened the Saffron in late
* October 1993 as a breakfast and
“luncheon eatery at which dis-
cerning diners could nosh upon
“elegant pre-supper foods in a
bright West Vancouver store-
front. coe
The menu is filled with
hearty pre-noon and early after-
noon dishes, baked goods, pas-
tas, salads, sandwiches and cof-
fees.
Recommended openers:
- Mexican. Eggs with Spicy Lamb
‘Sausage ($6.95); Crisp Potato
Cakes with Spicy Apples and
* Turkey Sausages ($4.95);
Barbecued Salmon Hash with
Poached Eggs aril Toast ($5.25).
~ Lunchingions? Try Fresh

. Timothy Renshaw
TABLE HOPPING

Crab Cakes with salad or pota-

toes ($6.95); Barbecued Salmon
Cannelloni ($5.95); Bocconcini
and Tomato on toasted foccacia
with pesto mayonnaise ($5.25);

Thai Chicken Salad with peanuts

($4.50/$6.50). ;

All items served, including
the turkey sausages and pots of
preserves, are made onthe.
premises. The Saffron is open
Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast
and lunch.

Calvin's Cafe, 2452 Marine
Dr., West Vancouver, 922-4222

Another neighborly sand-
wich and robust toods bar in the
Cundarave area. This one cour-
tesy of Hermann Onth and Milo
Bigler, a pair of highly regarded
local restaurateurs.

Their resumes include stints
at the North Shore’s Ambleside

lan and Chesa Seafood; and
“Vancouver's William Tell .

The focus at Calvin's is food
and informality.

Eggs, croissants, muffins
and scones for breakfast ($1 to
$3.50); hearty sandwiches, salacts
and hamburgers ($2.50 to $7) for
junch. .

-Future Table Hopping
adventures will include in-depth
reviews of Casa Mia, the Saffron
and Calvin’s Cale.

“Stay tuned,

Diners’ rebuttal

Regular patrons of the new
Valentino’s Ristorante in West
Vancouver have joined the
restaurant’s owner Satinder
Jaswal in taking heated issue with
Table Hopping’s Dec. 8, 1993,
review of Valentino’s,

The assessment pave the
Italian-style restaurant far less

than the coveted four-fork rating. .

Jaswal was disappointed
with the critique, but took it in

stride, the restaurant trade being
one in which training is courtesy
of the school of hard knocks.

Rather than launch a stinging
letter of rebuke to Table

" Hopping, Jaswal encouraged his
diners to register their rebukes on
a petition, which asks Valentino’s
customers for their opinion of the
restaurant’s food and service.

And rebuke they did.

Table Hopping has since
received a copy of said petition.
It contains over 100 names and a
host of comments both pro-
Valentino’s and co:-Table
Hoppinp’s review.

Some lauded the food: “The
veal is fantastic!”; others lauded
the service: “Great staff”; still
others lauded both: “Good food,
good service, good atmosphere.”

And then there were those
who aimed their critical darts at
the critic himself. The cutting:
“Renshaw should stick to
McDonald’s”; the disrespectful:
“What's the matter Renshaw, no
free meal?”; and, perhaps the
cruelest cut of all: “Who is
Timothy Renshaw? A lawyer?”

The Valentino’s case rests.

For those who want to assess
the controversy first-hand,
Valentino’s is at 2168 Marine
Dr., West Vancouver. Call 925-

The Best in

Chinese dining ...

LUNCH 11:00-14:30
Free valet parking weekday evenings &
weekends all day. .
1166 Alberni Street,
Vancouver, B.C. VGE 323
DOWNTOWN)
fel; 682-8833 Fax: 688-2812

Wednesday, January 19, 1994 — North Shore News - 253

Pr ene 4

‘Flavour of India

Sens

jalan ieialeminaaatr tr

DINNER 17:00-22.30

. W SUN. THRU THURS.
Sapa 41 FREE DINNER

Purchase one dinner entree, receive a second entree of equal ur
lesser value FREE. Expires Jan. 27/94
me Macey hte

er Entiess inne Mon-Sat. 5-16, Su6.5-S

FAST OR FREE Complete Lunch (any dish trom ow menu)

9 Served in 20 min. or less or it’s Freet
for pO.

12-2:30 - Mon.-Fri, ~
175E.3rd St, N.Van. Fully Licensed 985-5477 Fx: 985-1770

ee ee ee te ee ee

PASPAROS
TAVERNA,

Greek Food at its finest
Serving the North Shore since 1974

YOUR, CHOICE FROM3:
em ARR eee

MB:

Served with your choice of Greek Salad, Tzatzki,
Roast Potatoes or fresh daily vegetables

Hours: 7 days 4:00 p.m. until well into the night
Offer ends Feb. 28/94 (excludes Feb. 14)

132 West 3rd St., North Van. 980-0331

FINE ITALIAN DINING ..

... chosen as the best Italian Restaurant
on the North Shore for 1993.

Timothy Renshaw:
North Shore News

%

os REOnse O
OFF LUNCH or DINNER Ee
> Max, - 6 people * Food only 1 AS
+ Applies Mon.-Fri. for lunch ,
@FEF + MONDAY-SUNDAY

Cc OUP ON for dinner

EXP, JAN. 31/94

922-6282
1747 Marine Dr., W. Vancouver

Ristorante
Ktaliano

Experience traditional dishes and fresh
exotic seafood at Vancouver's only
{International award winning Chinese |
Restaurant. Kirin on Alberni
specializing in exceptional Mandarin
Chinese Cuisine or Kirin on Cambie
for Cantonese specialties.

RESTAURANT
awar
Best Chinese

LUNCH 11:00-14:30 DINNER 17:00-22.30
Free parking all day in

City Square Shopping Mall.

City Square, Suite 201

555 Wost 12th Avenua, (12th & Cambie}
Vancouver, 3.0. V2 3X7

Yel; 879-8038 Fax: 879-0128