Getting the most value out of Dine Out Vancouver 2009
8 Comments
Karen Hamilton
January 20, 2009
The waning of January always makes my mouth water, as it signals the arrival of my favourite annual gorgefest, Dine Out Vancouver, which runs in 2009 from January 14th through to February 1st.
The past 2 years have witnessed the departure of DOV heavy-hitters (Chambar, Gotham) and a hike in pricing from the original $15 / $25 / $35 price points. I suppose these changes are not surprising given the passage of time and the acclaim that these restaurants have now attained from the mainstream.
While my husband and I have indulged in DOV for every year that we’ve been in town, our friends have started to walk away from Dine Out. Some argue that Dine Out is no longer the value experience that it once was–an opportunity to risk less dollars at a fine dining establishment whose reputation has not been personally vetted. Others contend that some participants are more affordable a la carte than through their Dine Out specials.
Despite these concerns, I remain steadfast in my belief that Dine Out Vancouver still offers fantastic value if you learn how to take full advantage of the system. Here are a few of the things I keep in mind when creating my yearly shortlist.
Try something new
The incredible Dine Out dinners I’ve had in the past always tempt me to revisit those restaurants responsible for such fond memories, but to date, I’ve committed to picking places I’ve never been to for each new round. See this event as an easier way to explore the restaurant scene, not as a sale for your tried-and-true places. You may wind up with a new favourite eatery as a result. Such was the case with Raincity Grill in the early days of Dine Out (now my restaurant of choice for a special occasion).
Put your ear to the ground
Not sure where to go? Hold off on making a reservation for the first few days and wait for initial feedback. I typically seek out the opinion of bloggers with similar palates, search for reviews of Dine Outs past, and listen to the rants or raves of loved ones returning from their experience. Plan B, a Yaletown tapas lounge that I’ve never been that interested in investigating, is now on my radar on the basis of thumbs up they’ve been getting this year. Cassis has also elevated itself with its recent climb up the Urbanspoon restaurant ladder.
Compare against the regular menu
Don’t assume that all Dine Out participants are offering you a steal. Some are cheaper than their set menus imply. Unless you are really smitten by their Dine Out lineup, you would do better to sample certain restaurants on a regular day rather than competing with the crowds during Dine Out. Examples that come to mind include Hon’s, Chilli House Thai Bistro, and Tropika.
[I am also puzzled by the continued presence of certain restaurant chains that have been with Dine Out since the outset, but that's all I will say about that.]
Select by menu, not by reputation
If you’re like me, you’ve eagerly looked up the menu of a restaurant of high repute at the Tourism Vancouver site only to discover how truly ho-hum its Dine Out edition is. The uninspired (re: cheap) offerings or plans that read like a workday set lunch turn me off from attempting an otherwise promising restaurant.
Make sure your palate is already salivating on what you’re going to eat or be prepared to have a less than stellar meal at a place that normally has a good reason to draw praise.
Share your Dine Out Vancouver experiences with others
Help your circle narrow down their dining choices by relating what you’ve enjoyed (or detested) in the past. If not for the warnings from people that have already partaken in DB Bistro’s seemingly blah menu this year, I may have made a reservation there. On my part, I’ll list places of note from our Dine Out history.
Pleased by:
- Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant
- Hart House
- Fleuri
- West
- Brix
- Raincity Grill
- Aqua Riva
- Provence Marinaside
- Rex Rotisserie & Grill
Disappointed by:
Interested in:
Feel free to leave me a comment about your past, present, and future with Dine Out Vancouver.
Categories: Downtown, Events, Food, Restaurants
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8 Responses to “Getting the most value out of Dine Out Vancouver 2009”
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I’ve been mulling over the whole “no reviews” thing since Mark’s post.
In this case, you cast aspersions on DB Bistro without even a reference / a link to where you heard it.
I was bummed to read this earlier — since I went to DB Bistro tonight. For the record, I enjoyed my meal. 5 out of the 6 plates were spot on, and service and atmosphere were good.
Vote for your favorite 2009 Dine Out Vancouver Restaurants:
$18 Category:
http://www.topvancouverrestaurants.com/dine-out-vancouver/what-is-your-favourite-dine-out-vancouver-experience-18-restaurants
$28 Category:
http://www.topvancouverrestaurants.com/dine-out-vancouver/vote-for-the-best-dine-out-vancouver-2009-restaurant-28-category
$38 Category:
http://www.topvancouverrestaurants.com/dine-out-vancouver/what-is-your-favorite-location-for-dine-out-vancouver-2009-38-category
Hi Boris,
Glad to hear that you enjoyed DB Bistro. Your comments will certainly be helpful to others that are thinking of going there for Dine Out.
The reviews I heard where primarily from Twitter when I originally shared my shortlist. See the replies from @dannydang and @eagranieyuh, two people whose tastes are somewhat similar to mine and who’ve been to DB Bistro for Dine Out this year. This was adjacent to news of those going to Parkside soon; I hope to get feedback on the quality of their menu before I decide to choose them for the one reservation we can fit in.
I do the “no reviews” thing with movies as the amount of money paid for each viewing has relatively little variation. With restaurants, and in particular with expensive ones or ones with special menus, I find it useful to hear other opinions before I spend significant cash.
I have been to and enjoyed Cassis very much and would strongly recommend it anyone considering trying it out. I also had a great wine there….
I will be trying out Wild Rice this go around, and the menu intrigues me– I hope I won’t be disappointed!
A restaurant that I am excited to try out is Deuce in North Vancouver. I love their downtown style with a twist on the shabby-chic fare! (They have a promotion on Superbowl Sunday for ladies who go there for brunch where every lady gets a gift bag valued at approx $50!!)
I checked out Cobre, in gastown, last night. I hadn’t eaten there before and had been looking forward to it since making the reservation. I was not disappointed. Not only were we served by the owner himself, but the food was wonderful, hit the spot, and the atmosphere was a wonderful classy latin vibe. I was more than pleased!
I think you’re really on to something with your tips for DOV.
Today I got a last-minute call from a friend to join him at Joe Fortes for DOV. I decided ‘what the heck’ and went but we were so disappointed. It’s a $38 menu and the oysters all had little bits of shell in them from being shucked in haste (one friend hurt his tooth, another cut his lip), everyone’s steaks were undercooked by one level (order MR and get R, order R and get Blue). Then to top it off, when we asked to pay the bill with a couple credit cards, the waiter said “it’s not like I’m busy or anything.”
If you’re interested in Plan B, you should check out my post on it: http://www.rubysuitcase.com/?page_id=37
Alas, I was disappointed with Wild Rice. The dish to try if you go, though, is the Kung Pao Chicken. The Hot and Soup soup was a miss– too salty and thin.
I agree with Sheila about the oysters at Joe’s. While they were really tasty, there were tiny pieces of shells in them. The rest of my dinner was fabulous, and while our waiter was pretty rushed, he was not absent or unkind. Weird thing, though: the See Ya Later Riesling tasted like a Chardonnay– I have to go buy another bottle because it didn’t taste the least bit like I remember it!
[...] have a babysitter. Since I don’t expect you to share these conditions with me, below are my 2009 Dine Out Vancouver tips rejigged along with new advice to account for some of the changes to the program this [...]