Vancouver Good

While most people consider chains to be places of the same name – Earls, Milestones, Joey’s, etc…the Glowbal Group is also a local chain of restaurants, but each with a different theme, cuisine, and style. In general, I have mixed feelings about the chain, but there’s a lot of good with the average, so let’s go through their empire, one by one:

Glowbal and Afterglow, Yaletown, 1079 Mainland St – Glowbal restaurant was the the first and original restaurant and recently changed their cuisine focus to steaks and satays. Afterglow is at the back of the restaurant and is a lounge/bar. To be honest, I don’t like this restaurant at all. The two times I’ve been there, food was unspectacular for the price and service was insulting. However, I haven’t been back in a while, so I imagine it’s improved. What you do get here is a urban, modern setting and decent food at a marked up price. It’s a nice place for business meetings or for drinks.

Coast, Downtown, 1054 Alberni St (near Burrard) – Coast is all about fresh seafood in a welcoming setting. The first Coast was located in Yaletown, but the restuarant moved to Alberni Street a while back and also opened the adjoining O Lounge next door. The food here is good, but I don’t go often. My most memorable coast experience dates a few years back when the head chef of Coast did a joint dinner with Hidekazu Tojo (of the amazing & famous Tojo’s – for serious Japanese lovers only). Were we treated to a beautiful feast of west coast and Japanese inspired cuisine.

The Italian Kitchen, Downtown, 1037 Alberni St (Across from Coast, near Burrard) – Now the Italian Kitchen I like. Fresh and well cooked modern Italian food. The food here is delicious, fresh, and memorable. The penne arrabbiata is my favourite pasta here – slightly spicy and salty with creamy burrata cheese to balance everything out. This restaurant is famous for their Kobe beef meatballs – they are big and meaty, but a little over-rated in my book.

Trattoria Italian Kitchen, Kitsilano, 1850 W. 4th Ave (b/w Burrard & Cypress) - In Italy, you have restaurants and you have trattorias. Trattorias are known to be more casual and more affordable versus the more upscale ristorante. This is also the idea of Trattoria Italian Kitchen, a more casual, more affordable version of The Italian Kitchen downtown and I enjoy it. The menu is focused on a lot of sharing – so you can share a pasta platter or a meat platter with friends. Get the bruschetta sampler, crispy bread topped with sweet tomatoes & basil, chickpeas, and mushrooms – so satisfying.

Sanafir, Downtown, 1026 Granville Street (near Nelson) -  Sanafir is located in the entertainment district of Granville Street, open late and attracting lots of groups. The ceilings in this place are amazingly high and the food is a blend of North Africa, Middle Eastern, and Asian. The decor is inspired along the same themes and quite fun. It’s a nice room. I’ve only had drinks here, so no comment on the food.

Society, Yaletown, 1257 Hamilton Street (b/w Drake and Davie) - This is the Glowbal Group’s latest restaurant, comfort food and junk food served in a trendy Yaletown setting. Not a bad idea. Grab a seat on the lovely patio and order up a milkshake, onion rings, poutine, mac ‘n cheese, pizza – you get the idea. Satisfying, comforting food that you don’t usually get at an upscale restaurant. More restaurants should serve milkshakes, so for that alone Society gets points for me. I’ve only been for lunch and ate something way too healthy (fresh greens with a cajun grilled salmon), but based on the plates of burgers and shakes at the tables around me, I’ll come back and give it another try.

A final note is that aside from off-hours, these are not quiet restaurants. Think energetic buzz and bustling noise. Great for groups and casual dinners out, but not so much for a romantic time.

So, I give you the Glowbal Group of restaurants – some parts good, some parts average, all worth a try – let me know you think.