La Quercia | West Side, Proper Neighbourhood Joint

La Quercia is a dime-sized, eclectic and humble neighbourhood dining room, serving an endlessly rotating selection of the finest slow-cooked meats and chops — and fish that may very well have been flipping less than four hours before you fork it. Oh, and needless to say, fresh-made pastas (not overdressed). Try the delicately sublime Agnolotti di Guido if it's on that night or some simple cured and salted meats direct from Italy or risottos (stinging nettle is a favourite) that will change your life. 

It’s all neatly outlined on the chalk-written menu above the entrance to the kitchen — however, if you don’t care to read it, trust that your server will recite the menu to you with the passion of a poet at a reading. 

True as Italian food is, the experience is unpretentious and simple in nature, both food and service. The card is focused on top-shelf ingredients and showcases the best of regional Italian fare that any discerning nona would happily sign-off on. 

If you eat there more than once, the professional yet unimposing servers will likely remember your likes and dislikes, and suggest a selection of items to be served as a tasting — family-style. Whether you fancy wine by the glass or the whole kit and ca-bottle, the list is well rounded and very accessible. It’s worth the wait if you have to. 

Yew Restaurant | Four Seasons | Vancouver, Downtown

My  homeboy Ned Bell is the man at the helm of the Vancouver Four Seasons kitchen these days and big ups to him on that. Obviously, you remember him from the first Food Network Show ever — Cook Like a Chef — well he does … and them some!

Showcasing the best of West Coast cuisine, with a big stake in seafood, this chic, warm restaurant features a very large dining room, with colours of blue throughout, matched with accents of dark wood and glass sculpture. The space is, well, spacious and the menu is composed of well-executed seafood and Pacific Northwest fare. Think warm whole lobster salad for lunch with chili-mango dressing, butter lettuce and avocado. Tasty. Fresh oysters face-up and on the shell, fish tacos, fresh salads, risottos, and the award-winning smoked cod chowder with local apples … that just sounds bloody incredible. And I want it now!

Nicli Antica Pizzeria | Gastown

Vera Pizza Napolitano-certified and the most authentic pizza I’ve ever had, the pies at this place are not likely to surpass five ingredients. And that’s a good thing! The first pizzas didn’t have cheese on them. Did you know that? So, do not to expect cheese-stuffed crust or “Cinnabon stickies" with synthetic white dipping goo. This is the real deal. So much so, that it translates to the space itself. The light airy dining room is super casual, mostly white with hints of red and wood.

The menus are presented on very cute little wooden clipboards. The bar is beautiful, but it’s a rarity to see anyone sitting there. It’s more lunch than dinner for me, but magical in every way nonetheless. 

The wood-burning oven cooks at 600-plus degrees and pizzas are 0–60 in a matter of minutes (that means fast to cook). The food is also fast to hit the table — maybe this is what fast food is supposed to be? There are always specials offered verbally (on my last visit it was a very lovely soft polenta with crispy chorizo). Real meatballs and simple salads of rare greens make for delicious accompaniments to pizzas and a great option to share. Look man, pizza is a thing of beauty and the authentic traditions run deep.

Most brilliantly, things don’t come 2-for-1 nor do they include a 2-litre bottle of Pepsi. Sit back, tuck in and be open-minded. This is pizza as it is meant to be.        

Sea Harbour | Richmond

My partners at The American Cheesesteak Co. have been eating as a family at the iconic and authentic Chinese restaurants of Vancouver for three generations. They’re very much a food forward family — hence our alignment — and outside of our business endeavours, I cherish them as my closest friends. The shout out to Richmond is only to say that I’m often invited to join the Eng’s outside of business on their Sunday afternoon lunch, which more often than not unfolds at Sea Harbour. 

OK — you’ve managed to park your mid-range average vehicle in the lot in front of the restaurant (I drive a 2011 Xterra ... not bad right?). Well, in this lot it looks about as classy as a 3-wheeler with ‘ball cards in the spokes. I know cars well, and a rough estimate comes in at approximately $8 million worth of vehicles can be found here on any given Sunday. Oh and it’s not a big lot either so you'll likely get a spot next to one of the Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, CLS 65s (AMG kitted of course) and the other myriad of Bentleys, Lexuses and upper-crust imports. Oh look, is that a Maserati?

All I’m getting at is that this is where the Chinese movers and shakers of the West Coast come to nosh. In other words, Sea Harbour is the finest, most real-deal Chinese in the city. So if you’re amongst the skinny white boys from North Vancouver who associate Chinese food with delivery — sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken or chicken chow mein — don’t expect to find it here. This is authentic dim sum. 

I did four years to grasp the basics of classical French cuisine — in Chinese cookery that’s a drop in the bucket, you might get the basics of cooking rice in that time, if you’re lucky. Dim sum kicks off at 10 a.m. for brunch and continues through to late afternoon and consists of an endless assortment of small plates — delicate steamed dumplings of shrimp or scallops, stuffed sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves, hearty pork dumplings, a lightly spiced braised beef brisket casserole with turnip, seafood dishes, tea, Chinese doughnuts, custard tarts, fresh gai lan and other greens, more tea. Still hungry? Let's continue ... Crispy-fried noodles dishes (the best chow mein in the city), soft noodles dishes, silken tofu that's flash-fried with the barest hint of a sweet-chili sauce on top, 20 variations of congee and soya wok-fried spot prawns fresh from the tank. 

Real Chinese food — Cantonese, Szechuan or any other — is a thing of tradition, time-honoured care and spirit and authenticity thousands of years old. My lunches here with my friends have immensely fascinated me and inspired a whole new world of food to me. I like being part of this. I feel privileged to eat here and share both the unique new foods and familiar friendly company. Get your dim sum on.