Olympia

We were in the mood for Greek food, and so we decided to give Olympia a try. We were not too sure what to expect, since it seems that this restaurant's reputation is more linked to its controversial use of the Olympic's symbol in their logo, rather than its food.

When: Friday, March 20 2009. (7:35 pm plus 10 minute wait)

We Say: We arrived to a busy restaurant, with people waiting to seat themselves. During our time waiting in the lobby, quite a few more patrons showed up, only to turn around, unwilling to wait for a seat. We kept ourselves occupied during the wait by taking in the views of the Greek vistas surrounding us (complete with blue sky ceiling, and walls of ocean and typical white houses) and observing how relaxed - or should we say, unfriendly - the staff was with their patrons. Is it so hard to smile?

We were surprised to find that this is actually a Greek and Italian restaurant, with the first items on the menu being Italian. This also explained why we saw so many pizza boxes leave the premises during our wait. We thus decided to share the House Special pizza ($14.95 for a medium) and the Roast Lamb ($12.95), for a mix of Italian and Greek. The drinks list is very limited, and the wine list is near non-existant. T ordered a pint of Okanagan Springs Extra Special Pale Ale ($4.55) and M had a glass of Mission Ridge red ($4.25).

The pizza arrived piping hot, and was just as we had expected. It was loaded with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, olives, green peppers and cheese. While it was greasy, the crust was crispy and the pizza was tasty. We may decide to order one of these up for delivery in the future.

The Roast Lamb was cooked to perfection, although it was a tad under-seasoned and too heavy on the cinnamon. Along with the large, nice cut cut of meat, the portion was generous and included rice, Greek salad, tzadziki, lemon potato and pita bread. The Greek salad and the potato were both quite nice. The rice was fine, but a little on the greasy side. The only letdown on the plate was the tzadziki, which was both watery and glutenous at the same time.



Overall, our meal was $38.40 with taxes, and we left with plenty of leftovers.

Pro: The restaurant has a nice, large heated patio. They also offer free delivery within the West End for orders over $10.

Con: Perhaps we caught them on an off night, but the service was sub par. The staff appeared cold, and the service was slow. They also did forget T's order of a second beer. In addition, you can get better food at a better price at Stephos Greek Taverna (on Davie Street).

Verdict: T and M say yea and nay. It's middle of the road.

Olympia
988 Denman St
Vancouver
604-688-8333
www.988denman.com
www.olympiapizza.com

Teresa's Café

We were looking for a breakfast joint to review, and decided to go with Teresa's Café, the self-proclaimed "West End's Best Breakfast". After reading the review of this restaurant on BrunchBox and other review sites, we were a little worried about the breakfast that we were about to have, but it turned out to be a decent breakfast.

When: Tuesday, March 10 2009. (10:15 am)

We say: We arrived to a bright, sunlit room, which made up for the rustic, aesthetically unpleasing decor. For a Tuesday morning, the place was busy and chatter was the only soundtrack at Teresa's.



T ordered the all-day breakfast special D (Daniel), which consists of 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon, a mountain of hash browns with toast for $4.25. Somehow he felt the need for added carbs and ordered a side of English Muffin for $1.60, with coffee ($1.50), of course. The food was on par with what was expected, the coffee was fresh and the refills kept on coming.

M ordered the #5, the Vegetarian Omelet, which is served with toast and loads of hash browns for $6.95 with an orange juice ($1.70). It was a good omelet, huge and loaded with veggies, but could have used a little less oil and cheddar cheese in lieu of processed cheese. The orange juice, unfortunately, was of the previously frozen kind, as is often the case with places like this.



This isn't the best breakfast in the West End, and they don't serve anything fancy or elaborated. The food is basic, unpretentious, but you get what you expect. Furthermore, the portions are enormous and it would be nearly impossible to leave this restaurant still hungry.



Pro: The most expensive item on the breakfast menu is only $7.95 - you get a classic, made-to-order breakfast at a good price. For health conscious patrons, there is also the option to get fresh fruits instead of hash browns. There's also a small patio up front, perfect for summer days.

Con: While the service is fast and attentive, be ready for a wait - we were served at least 20 minutes after ordering.

Verdict: T says yea, M says yea. We would definitively return.

Note: They also do burgers.

Teresa's Café
1005 Denman St
Vancouver
604-683-7321