18 ~ Wednesday, January 31, 1990 - North Shore News dining BOM Pepita’s injects Latin flavor into Esplanade PEPITA’S, 180 WEST ESPLANADE, NORTH VANCOUVER, 980-2405. VISA, AMERICAN EXPRESS, MASTERCARD ACCEPTED. LIMITED WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILTY uberance to Lower Lonsdale’s dining character. Pierre will surely add some Latin warmth and ex- It has already filled the old Harvest Eating House with more of both than its predecessor, Mr. Munchies, could muster with its big family of Bog Burgers and other assorted gastro-chuckles. The brown wooden heritage- style building is now decked out in full Mexican-Spanish festive decor: posters depicting bullfights and flamenco dancers; braids of hot peppers; festive multi-colored garlands; large parrots made of Papier mache and brass; and all TIMOTHY RENSHAW table hopping manner ot assorted Latin American bric-a-brac. Giant sombreros serve as lamp shades — ideal for those who feel the need to don the traditional life o’ the party head-gear. And it’s not just the decor that will set normally temperate North American blood percolating: alive with Mexican colors, flourishes of mariachi music, augmented with live Spanish guitar, there is an overall sense of festival at Pepita’s. At the edible end of the restau- rant’s entertainment spectrum, Pepita’s menu presents an enticing blend of Mexi-Spanish gastronomy that will please fans of either or both of the two lively cuisines: Gazpacho ($2.95) to Ceviche ($5.95) and Gambas al Ajillo ($4.95) to Enchiladas (around $10) and Paella a la Valencia ($15.95 per person for the Valencian orig- Local artists sought for exhibition NORTH SHORE, Whistler. Squamish and Pemberton artists and crafts people are invited to submit up to three works for jury- ing for acceptance into the ‘‘Im- ages & Objects VIII’ visual art show held in Saanich, B.C. from May 23 to 27 as part of the B.C. Arts Festival, Friends "Tl hanks fo Friends, I met someone very special.” NOW INTRODUCING VIDEOS . LIMITED TIME OFFER : 5gQ Friends 254-6266 inal of this great Mediterranean seafood dish). Table Hopping sampled Pepita’s on two different occasions in order to absorb the full flavors of the restaurant’s hot-blooded Spanish-Mexican mix. Service on the first night was quick but hesitant. Staff provided immediate attention but were un- sure of the finer points of Pepita’s menu items. Drinks were spilled at surroun- ding tables; waiters handled dishes as if they were live grenades and loud Spanish exchanges rico- chetted around the Harvest House walls. But all of the above | attribute to new-restaurant syndrome. On a subsequent night. «ve were served by a hospitable Mexican- Spanish waiter who was polite and professional. Service was much improved. To complement its wide-ranging menu, Pepita’s also provides its guests with a good selection of Mexican beers (undoubtedly some of the best in the world) and fresh juices, another Mexican specialty. Jugo Pepita’s ($2.25), for exam- ple, is a delicious blend of tropical and other juices — great for kids and anyone who prefers to stick to liquids non-alcoholic. Tapas (appetizers) sampled in- cluded Puipo a la Gallega ($5.95) and Alcachofas ‘Placido Dom- ingo’ ($5.25). The former, marinated octopus in olive oil, came with plenty of sliced white onions but not much olive oil. And the dish would have been better with a more outspoken marinade and more olive oil. The octopus meat was tender, but some slices were dry and chewy. Alcachofas Placido Domingo Categories accepted for jurying are paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, fabric arts, ceramics, portable sculpture and jewelry. Registration is $4 tor each entry to a maximum of three works for $0. Registration forms may be ob- specializes in Mexican-Spanish cuisine. were much better. The dish was made up of marinated artichoke hearts and thick slices of spicy sausage in a white wine and herb sauce. The sausage was excellent and provided a good foil for the tangy artichokes — a good combination to stuff into flour tortillas. But Pescaditos Fritos ($5.25) were disappointing. The deep-fried smelts were encased in far too much bland batter and the adver- tised Ali Oli Sauce was missing in action. On our second visit we tried Gambas al Agillo ($4.95). The dish included half a dozen thick, sweet prawns afloat in a small puddle of oil and garlic. Much better. We also progressed from tapas tained from the North Vancouver Arts Council, 988-6844, or from the West Vancouver Arts Council, 922-1110. Works are being accepted for jurying at Klee Wyck, 200 Keith Road in West Vancouver on Fri- day, Mar. 2 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Come Celebrate Our ONE YEAR ADELINE’S BOOKS 20-50% OFF ENTIRE STOCK For the month of February Win a Dinner for Two at BEACH SIDE CAFE Draw Date March 1/90 Ambleside MM pocunes § sooKs 1534 Marine Drive West Vancouver 926-7323 to entrees. | sampled Mole Poblano ($12.95), a Pepita’s specialty. This is one of Mexico's grand dishes: chicken breast presented in the exotic Mexican mole sauce. JAN Reservations " " NEWS photo Mike Wakefield A MEXICAN-Spanish feast for the eyes and more is presented at Pepita’s. The new restaurant on North Vancouver’s Esplanade ‘Highly pressi ve performance” Lloyd Dykk ... The Sun PRESENTATION HOUSE THEATRE PRESENTS OUR SPRING SEASON JOHN GRAY’S engaging musical about Canada's W.W.I Flying Ace [ARY 18 - FEBRUARY 10 Wednesday thru Saturday 8 p.m. “CLARENCE DARROW" by David Rintels. Clarence Darrow. the famous defender of the underdog. MARCH i5 - MARCH 31 “THE OWL & THE PUSSYCAT” by Bill Manhoff. An adult comedy about the romancing of two mismatched souls. APRIL 5 - APRIL 2) SEASON TICKET PACKAGE Adults $25 (All three plays) Students/Seniors $17 (Single Tickets: Adults $10, Students/Seniors $7) PRESENTATION HOUSE THEATRE 333 Chesterfield Ave. North Vancouver 986-1351 Originaily from Mexico's native cuisine, mole began as a chili- pepper-based sauce, but is now best known for the cocoa that is used in its make-up. Other ingredients include cumin, cinnamon, aniseed, cloves and garlic. It provides a complex bouquet of flavors that range from peppers to chocolate to coffee. Mole Pablano is a very different chicken dish that might not be for everyone, but | very much en- joyed it. The Pepita’s version came with sides of guacamole, which was alive with the floral flavors of cor- iander, and rice, deep-black retried beans and a large soft tor- tilla. For dessert we slipped into Pi- jama $4.95. A big dessert, it was made up of flan, peach and mango slices, whipped cream, and ice cream. While it was billed as a grand Mexican dessert, the dish was somewhat disappointing. The mango sorbet and almonds that were advertised as being in the Pi- jama were nat. The dish was basically a flan with a side of ice cream and slic- ed, canned fruit. Good, but not great and not very colorful. But Churros ($2.95), long sticks of deep-fried dough, were very gcod and distinctively Spanish. They were served with choco- late sauce and whipped cream. A filling but excellent dessert. Pepita’s is a breath of hot vibrant culinary air much needed on the sometimes deathly cool Esplanade. Infermation