Weather on Blackcomb was erratic today. It started out raining. Then it snowed. Then it rained. Then it got sunny... On and on. Boarding was harsh today. I am beat and to make matters worse I'm getting sick. Just have to hold it together one more day. Hopefully the weather will be good for tomorrow.
Today's adventures were rather subdued. I had lunch here at the hotel. Nothing special. Dinner was another story. I convinced my family to go down to the lower village and eat at 'Sushi Village.' Cost there is high for your average traveler but the food is high quality. I'd suggest it as a big night out maybe. Food there is pretty good, like I've said. Quality ingredients and some rather inventive rolls. Dessert was fantastic (I had some very tasty vanilla ice cream). The only downsides are the popularity and their customer service. I really didn't feel welcome. Also, we had a time limit. I can understand that, especially since we didn't have a reservation. However, if they wanted us out of there our service should have come a little more readily. We had to wait forever to even give our orders to the waiter. I have had great experiences here in the past so I suspect this instance was circumstantial. I would avoid the time limit and see if you can't get a reservation.
After that we went home and watched a movie.
We are hoping that we can get reservations for fondue tomorrow. Otherwise it's back to Negomi.
I'm off to bed before I pass out.
K out.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
About last night...
Sorry for not posting last night. I was feeling very under the weather. I might be getting a cold or something. But enough about that.
Yesterday was my day off from snowboarding. I used this opportunity to sleep in and then to explore the Lower Village. I ended up wandering around in search of food and decided to eat at an Irish pub called Dubh Linn Gate. Here is my review:
Dubh Linn Gate is an amazing restaurant; great service; fantastic food; wonderful beer. Honestly I had trouble finding a down side to this place. Price point is about common with most of the pub 'n' grub places I've been. Service was a bit slow to start but my waitress, Meg, was very courteous and made sure I was looked after. The only thing I didn't like was the "seat yourself" policy. There wasn't even a sign. Despite the rocky start the whole experience was well worth the money. Now the beer:
'Diamond Head Oatmeal Stout' brewed by Howe Sound Brewing in Squamish: Initial sip is slightly bitter. It's a very rich beer with a hint of dark chocolate (maybe a little coffee too). It reminded me of a Guinness Foreign Extra but a lot smoother and very heavy when it gets to your stomach. It wasn't a very thick beer despite it's heaviness. I give it a 8.5/10.
'Dubh Linn Lager' brewed by Whistler Brewing Company in (you guessed it) Whistler: This is a special brew made for the fine folks at Dubh Linn Gate. I really wish that wasn't the case because it is fantastic. The beer isn't bitter at all. In fact, it has a sweetness to it that is quite refreshing. It's very light in the mouth and stays light in your stomach. A very smooth beer. It is slightly 'wheaty' but nowhere near as much as a Hefe. It paired really well with my Bangers and Mash. I could drink this all day.
Now the food:
Bangers and Mash: For those of you who don't speak some form of British Bangers are the same thing as sausages. One order of bangers at DLG will get you three hot sausages and a pile of mash 'taters. Perfect cure for a cold day (which helped as I sat outside). The sausages were slightly sweet and rather plump. Best I've ever had. The potatoes were spectacular. These 'taters were creamy and yet maintained a firm texture. There was no need for salt or pepper. Even the gravy was almost useless.
Whole meal (including tip) was $40 for one person. For two pints of beer a great lunch and the wonderful customer service provided by Meg was well worth it.
I'd been eyeballing this place for quite some time. I just never had the chance to go. If you are ever in the Whistler area (or even in Vancouver) I suggest you head over to Dubh Linn Gate Irish pub and grab a pint!
The rest of my day was fairly dull. I went home and took a nap. For dinner my family and I went downstairs to have dinner at the Four Season's steakhouse, Sidecut. As always the atmosphere and the food were awesome. I had the venison with a blueberry rub. I don't think I've ever had meat that was so tender. I added (from their impressive array of sauces) the S.T.S. Wildcat and another with wasabi. I was very happy with my meat. For the sides we enjoyed potato puree, various root vegetables, sauteed mushrooms and the creamiest macaroni and cheese. I had a whiskey ginger to wash it all down (I think it was made with Maker's Mark but I'm not sure). I declined to have dessert.
All in all yesterday was pretty amazing.
K out.
Yesterday was my day off from snowboarding. I used this opportunity to sleep in and then to explore the Lower Village. I ended up wandering around in search of food and decided to eat at an Irish pub called Dubh Linn Gate. Here is my review:
Dubh Linn Gate is an amazing restaurant; great service; fantastic food; wonderful beer. Honestly I had trouble finding a down side to this place. Price point is about common with most of the pub 'n' grub places I've been. Service was a bit slow to start but my waitress, Meg, was very courteous and made sure I was looked after. The only thing I didn't like was the "seat yourself" policy. There wasn't even a sign. Despite the rocky start the whole experience was well worth the money. Now the beer:
'Diamond Head Oatmeal Stout' brewed by Howe Sound Brewing in Squamish: Initial sip is slightly bitter. It's a very rich beer with a hint of dark chocolate (maybe a little coffee too). It reminded me of a Guinness Foreign Extra but a lot smoother and very heavy when it gets to your stomach. It wasn't a very thick beer despite it's heaviness. I give it a 8.5/10.
'Dubh Linn Lager' brewed by Whistler Brewing Company in (you guessed it) Whistler: This is a special brew made for the fine folks at Dubh Linn Gate. I really wish that wasn't the case because it is fantastic. The beer isn't bitter at all. In fact, it has a sweetness to it that is quite refreshing. It's very light in the mouth and stays light in your stomach. A very smooth beer. It is slightly 'wheaty' but nowhere near as much as a Hefe. It paired really well with my Bangers and Mash. I could drink this all day.
Now the food:
Bangers and Mash: For those of you who don't speak some form of British Bangers are the same thing as sausages. One order of bangers at DLG will get you three hot sausages and a pile of mash 'taters. Perfect cure for a cold day (which helped as I sat outside). The sausages were slightly sweet and rather plump. Best I've ever had. The potatoes were spectacular. These 'taters were creamy and yet maintained a firm texture. There was no need for salt or pepper. Even the gravy was almost useless.
Whole meal (including tip) was $40 for one person. For two pints of beer a great lunch and the wonderful customer service provided by Meg was well worth it.
I'd been eyeballing this place for quite some time. I just never had the chance to go. If you are ever in the Whistler area (or even in Vancouver) I suggest you head over to Dubh Linn Gate Irish pub and grab a pint!
The rest of my day was fairly dull. I went home and took a nap. For dinner my family and I went downstairs to have dinner at the Four Season's steakhouse, Sidecut. As always the atmosphere and the food were awesome. I had the venison with a blueberry rub. I don't think I've ever had meat that was so tender. I added (from their impressive array of sauces) the S.T.S. Wildcat and another with wasabi. I was very happy with my meat. For the sides we enjoyed potato puree, various root vegetables, sauteed mushrooms and the creamiest macaroni and cheese. I had a whiskey ginger to wash it all down (I think it was made with Maker's Mark but I'm not sure). I declined to have dessert.
All in all yesterday was pretty amazing.
K out.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Flickering Images
I just connected my blog to Flickr. Now I can share photos with you! Yay!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldtravelerkevin/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldtravelerkevin/
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Day two
Given the intense snow fall over night the conditions for snowboarding were amazing. By the time I got up to the mountain though the snow was pretty packed. It was a good day. I'm expecting ice tomorrow. Thank Kobol I'm not riding tomorrow. As tired as I am I don't see how a person can ski/snowboard all day long. I can barely ride for three hours before my legs literally refuse to operate correctly. I suppose it's all practice. I tip my hat to my friends who can last all day.
We have this routine of eating lunch right after we are done on the mountain. It's always the same spot. It's called Portobello of the Fairmont. It's very similar to Paradise Bakery: sandwiches, soups, even pizza. It's a refreshing meal after a couple hours of boarding. The only problem would be the price. Top notch ingredients but you're also paying top dollar ($7 for a sandwich). If you're ever in the Whistler area and you have some extra cash I would recommend Portobello.
Dinner tonight was sushi at Nagomi Sushi. It's located by the 'Wizard' ski lift. The shop is right off the road (don't know what the road is called). They have a couple of large windows too which allow patrons a panoramic view of Whistler and Blackcomb. Fantastic sushi and amazing staff. The only way this place could be better would be if it were located right on the sea. As it stands there is a source of fish near enough for them to order from. They are more traditional than a lot of current sushi bars, which is great if you're looking for a true sushi experience. The prices are about standard for sushi I suppose, better if you take the exchange rate of the Canadian Dollar to the US Dollar into account. Unfortunately, they are becoming more popular and their small location can become rather noisy when full. If you can go on a quiet night they are perfect. I would not suggest them if you want a large assortment of drinks however as their alcohol choices are limited. They do have this wonderful sweet potato Soju (japanese/korean vodka). If you have a need for drink there are a number of bars within a short walk of Nagomi (in the lower village).
I have nothing planned for tomorrow. My body is really sore from today (I fell down a lot). Despite my pain I kind of want to go snowboarding anyway. I can almost guarantee I won't want anything to do with snowboarding tomorrow morning. I may not be able to move. I may hit up the Irish pub in the lower village. We shall see...
K out.
We have this routine of eating lunch right after we are done on the mountain. It's always the same spot. It's called Portobello of the Fairmont. It's very similar to Paradise Bakery: sandwiches, soups, even pizza. It's a refreshing meal after a couple hours of boarding. The only problem would be the price. Top notch ingredients but you're also paying top dollar ($7 for a sandwich). If you're ever in the Whistler area and you have some extra cash I would recommend Portobello.
Dinner tonight was sushi at Nagomi Sushi. It's located by the 'Wizard' ski lift. The shop is right off the road (don't know what the road is called). They have a couple of large windows too which allow patrons a panoramic view of Whistler and Blackcomb. Fantastic sushi and amazing staff. The only way this place could be better would be if it were located right on the sea. As it stands there is a source of fish near enough for them to order from. They are more traditional than a lot of current sushi bars, which is great if you're looking for a true sushi experience. The prices are about standard for sushi I suppose, better if you take the exchange rate of the Canadian Dollar to the US Dollar into account. Unfortunately, they are becoming more popular and their small location can become rather noisy when full. If you can go on a quiet night they are perfect. I would not suggest them if you want a large assortment of drinks however as their alcohol choices are limited. They do have this wonderful sweet potato Soju (japanese/korean vodka). If you have a need for drink there are a number of bars within a short walk of Nagomi (in the lower village).
I have nothing planned for tomorrow. My body is really sore from today (I fell down a lot). Despite my pain I kind of want to go snowboarding anyway. I can almost guarantee I won't want anything to do with snowboarding tomorrow morning. I may not be able to move. I may hit up the Irish pub in the lower village. We shall see...
K out.
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