It was everything you could imagine it being, with white beans layered with sausage, duck confit and fois gras with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce.

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My Friday morning started off with lunch with two of my girlfriends at Jethro’s Fine Grub, a diner in the Dunbar area which opened about two weeks ago. They serve breakfast and lunch seven days a week, with a fairly extensive menu (for such a small diner) that includes specialty omlettes, pancakes, and other typical breakfast dishes. For $9, on their breakfast menu, I had the Denver Omelet which consisted of sauteed onions, peppers, maple smoked ham and cheddar. The dish was served with chunky hashbrowns and toast (your choice of white, brown and rye).
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Their lunch menu was a little bit random – with curry on the menu which seemed to come out of nowhere, but hey, if it works for them, it works for me. In my opinion, Jethro’s is definitely a neighbourhood gem. Ever since Soda’s (a 50’s style diner, complete with a jukebox and milkshakes) closed down and was replaced with the pub-style Dunbar, I was hoping another restaurant with home-style, breakfast food would open.

The Glowbal Collection (restaurant group) will be extending its hours during the Olympics:
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Glowbal Grill Steaks and Satay: Sun to Sat – Open 9:30am to 2:00am
COAST Restaurant: Sun to Sat – Open 10:00am to 2:00am
Sanafir Restaurant and Lounge: Sun to Sat – Open 11:00am to 2:00am
Italian Kitchen: Sun to Sat – Open 10:00am to 2:00am
Trattoria Italian Kitchen: Sun to Sat – Open 11:00am to 2:00pm
SOCIETY Restaurant and Lounge: Sun to Sat – Open 9:30am to 2:00am
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Also, throughout the month of February THE GLOWBAL COLLECTION is launching a Central Reservations Hotline to accommodate bookings in all THE GLOWBAL COLLECTION Restaurants. This will be a great option for those last minute lunch and dinner reservations. Call Central Reservations at 604-629-3424.

Earlier this month, the Glowbal Group’s newest initiative “Society” (1257 Hamilton Street) opened in Yaletown. With the tagline of “Opposites Attract. The Unexpected Reigns”, Society most definitely has unique, unexpected menu offerings!! Described as a “union of opposites”, the menu offers comfort food – but with a twist.

So for example, classic tomato soup accompanied by mini grilled cheese sandwiches (hmm, following the “tapas” trend?), Mac & Cheese balls (think crabcake style), apple pie with vanilla ice cream and a Nutella milkshake (spiked with Baileys). As for prices, Society’s express lunch menu is a pretty good deal. Less than $10 for sandwich-y types of food. Also, several of their menu items contain cotton candy as an ingredient, including on their drinks menu, the “Candy Collins” which is probably the most creative drink I’ve ever had. It came with a generous fluff of cotton candy on top, and I was advised by the bartender that I could either eat it plain, or melt it into my gin to sweeten as desired.

The Glowbal Group’s newest initiative, SOCIETY Dining Lounge (1257 Hamilton Street), opens next Thursday, October 29th. With its slogan “Opposites Attracts”, this restaurant promises a contrast between glamour and comfort, with cuisine that embodies the union of opposites. For example, childhood staples are given a modern twist with “refined, inventive ingredients”. Look out for their Tomato Soup with Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Shake n’ Bake Chicken.

Décor boldly contrasts glamour with comfort. Its 40-seat street-side patio with eggplant-hued leather banquettes and wicker chairs lend a feel of Sunset Strip to the loading-dock sidewalks of Hamilton Street. Inside is where SOCIETY comes together. Overhead, two oversized electric pink, handcrafted Mod-Murano chandeliers set the tone. Below, snug banquettes of deep purple and pearly leather, and tufted black-leather bar stools with striking gold legs set apart the more casual brasserie chairs. Upstairs in the lounge, up-lit bronze acrylic panels line the back wall and combine with an eclectic mix of lounge seating options. Bronze toned wooden screens of geometric interlocking circles surround the double height space, separating the lounge from the dining area below, creating allure and a sense of mystery.

For a video sneak preview of SOCIETY, click here.

Tourism Vancouver, BC Hydro, and over 30 Vancouver restaurants have joined together to put on the “Candlelight Conservation Dinner” on October 28, 2009 by “dimming the lights and dialing up the ambiance” to raise awareness about the conservation of energy. Restaurants will be providing special Candlelight Conservation Dinner offers to members of BC Hydro’s “Team Power Smart“, including 2 for 1 entrées, $5 gift certificates, and complimentary appetizers/desserts. Participating restaurants include Las Margaritas, Nyala African Cuisine, Sanafir, Section (3), So.Cial Le Magasin, Stonegrill, and The Refinery.

CRU Restaurant (1459 West Broadway), is now open for lunch! Their lunch hours, from Monday to Friday are from 11:30am to 2:00pm.

CRU will doubtless quickly become a mid-day hot spot, as it offers the winning combination of outstanding cuisine in a refined, yet relaxed atmosphere and a central location. It’s the ideal place to get together with friends, or to meet with business colleagues.

CRU’s lunch menu offers some of its favourite award-winning small plates, new lunch dishes and variations of some dinner menu items. Drop by for the Beef Tenderlon Carpaccio, Mushroom Truffle Risotto or Crispy Duck Confit with warm bacon dressing, which is on Vancouver Magazine’s “Best Things to Eat and Drink in Vancouver” list.

…”updated and upgraded classic diner food prepared with environmentally conscious and organic ingredients”

Recently opened on the corner of Granville and Helmcken, The Edge may have just managed to pick out a coveted, underserved area in the downtown region.

…the minted pea and coconut dip was quite an unusual taste. It reminded me of mint jelly, with a refreshing coconut taste…