Well, nine months later Habit is back with a new menu and new look. I stopped in for a late dinner this evening and am happy to report that Habit is still Main St. cool, still open late, and still on my good eats list.

Highlights:

• The room is a tasteful update to the former look, including beautiful brown leather banquettes and red Eames fiberglass shell chairs that I totally covet.
• New menu! The carrot and brie perogies are legacy from the old Habit, but sadly their addictive tofu and spinach dish didn’t make it. There seem to be more individual mains on the new menu, whereas the former menu was about making it a “habit to share.”
• The new menu is tasting good. We started with Habit Hummus, a delicious blend of smoked onions and white beans served up with crispy frybread and toasted pumpkin seeds. Mains included braised beef shortribs basted with a lovely sauce of cinnamon, all spice, and chipotle, and an updated tuna casserole with wild mushrooms, fresh asparagus and penne topped with thinly sliced, rare albacore tuna.
• I was eyeing the pineapple upside down cake for dessert, but as usual ate too much hummus and bread and had no room for dessert. Next time.

Go for a quick bite, or go with friends and drink the night way in their comfortable booths. I find it more relaxed compared to Habit’s sister restaurant next door, The Cascade Room.

Habit is open until 1:30am Monday-Saturday and until midnight on Sunday.

Habit Lounge
2610 Main St.
604-877-8582
No reservations

Background details:

• Two locations, Bin 941 downtown on Davie Street, and Bin 942 on W Broadway. The owner is also behind the ever popular Go Fish near Granville Island.
• Both Bins have the same premise: tapas style menu, good wine list,  and open late, closing between midnight and 2am depending on the day.
• Both Bins also are busy and can have line-ups. On weekends I don’t bother – I’ve shown up at 10pm on a weekend before to a 45 minute wait.
• A cookbook sharing featuring recipes from Bin 941/942 was recently released by owner Gord Martin.

The food:

All my Bin experiences have been good, but my last visit was the first time in quite awhile, so I’ll just speak for the food at Bin 942. Overall…delicious and well prepared.

First up, chickpea/mushroom fries with a truffle mayo. Sounds a bit funny, but they tasted great. Golden on the outside, crispy crust…I could have had several, but the serving was about 10 fries, which was probably a good thing for my waistline. Next a warm spinach salad with a mascarpone dressing – spinach leaves ever so wilted, soaking up a rich dressing. And finally, Kobe meatballs with house made pasta…awesome. The Italian Kitchen (which I do enjoy) is famous for their Kobe meatballs, but I’ve never gotten why. They are fine, but nothing I would go crazy over. Bin 942 reinforces this opinion, as their Kobe meatballs were flavourful and tender…and way better. I would go back just for that dish.

Overall the portions are tapas style (aka – small), so don’t expect huge servings or the usual protein/starch/veg composition. Prices are pretty good for the quality of food you’re getting (the above three items cost about $30).

Late night eats do NOT need to be fast food. Go here instead.

Bin 941
941 Davie St (near Burrard)
604 683 1246

Bin 942
1521 Broadway West (near Granville)
604 734 9421

I went for dinner at 10:30pm last night, which was Maenam’s second full day of business.

The menu is a nice variety of salads, soups, curries, and noodles. We ordered the basics last night: Pad Thai, Papaya Salad, and Panaeng Beef Curry. I really wanted to order the hangar steak salad and creamy mushroom soup though – next time.

The Pad Thai was awesome. I have been making a lot of Pad Thai at home and was starting to feel pretty good about my version. Maenam’s version has me going back to the drawing board at home. It nails the flavours of salty, sweet, spicy, sour and the sauce is luscious, blending perfectly wtih the noodles. I will return many times for a plate of pad thai and a glass of wine. It’s also cheaper then the very un-authentic pad thai at Earl’s, might I add. Chains are not cheaper!

Mixed reviews on the Papaya Salad. Great mixture of papaya, green beans and roasted peanuts, but it was heavy too on the fish sauce for me. Perhaps this is the more authentic version though?

Panaeng Beef was sweet and tasty wtih tender beef served up in a beautiful bowl.

Service was friendly and professional. We definitely still felt like we were in a Gastropod type dining restaurant. The only hitch is that the Thai menu seems a little more casual.  It’ll be interesting to see how the clientele develops at Maenam.

Overall  – I’ll be back often! Loved it and I hope the late night menu takes off.

But.

Walk into Gastown. If you are visiting Vancouver you’ll be walking through Gastown anyways. Keep walking a few blocks down Water St, past the clothing shops, the steam clock, the high-end furniture stores, and the Old Spaghetti Factory. You’ll come across Chill Winston, a beautiful, casual restaurant/lounge with one of the best patios in the city.

I was looking for dinner at 10:30pm last night and stopped into Chill Winston, which is open nightly until 1am. A few notable features:

- HUGE, round patio in the front. Fantastic for meeting friends and enjoying a sunny, summer day
- Interesting bathroom set-up. Communal, but not. Separate, private stalls with a communal sink. Kind of strange, but it’s a conversation starter.
- Beautiful room. Exposed brick walls. Big couches and tables that encourage chilling and conversation.
- Interesting beer and cocktail menu. We drank some fruity Blanche de Chambly beer last night.

Food is pretty good and they try to use local/organic. Last night we had a tasty poutine with cheese curds and a truffle gravy ($8.75).  My husband ordered the mushroom ravioli (sizable portion, but a little tough) in a herb sauce and sliced duck breast on top – a good deal at $15.  The menu is HUGE, but it works for the eclectic crowd they attract. Lots of vegetarian options and lots to keep the meat eaters satisfied. The menu is online – but beware downloading as it’s a 52 page pdf!

I have held many group events at Chill Winston – service is always professional and organized.

My only question…who is Winston?!

Chill Winston
3 Alexander St, Gastown
604 288 9575
Open everyday 11am-1am

Abigail’s is from the same owners of The Flying Tiger (which I love!) and Hell’s Kitchen – all located in different parts of Kitsilano.

If I were to rank them, I’d go with 1. Flying Tiger, 2. Abigail’s Party, and 3. Hell’s Kitchen (a distant third for me).

But I was at Abigail’s Party last night and it was enjoyable. We dropped in around 9:30pm and the small restaurant was half full with a nice buzz. The menu features mains running between $14-20, including Steak Frites, Moroccan Chicken, and “Big Al’s Beef Burger.”

I need to order frites anywhere I go, and they came hot out of the fryer with a side of aioli and ketchup for dipping. Yummy potatoes, but they lacked the real light & crispy feel I love about frites.  But good.

Next were mains. My husband ordered the feature main of halibut with a blood orange reduction, pickled apples and a warm potato and green bean salad. I ordered the Ling Cod served atop a yummy, creamy mix of mushrooms, spinach, corn, and squash. I have to say, the Ling Cod won hands down. I’m glad it was mine!

Beer on tap was Red Truck Lager – light and refreshing. Overall, a quick, satisfying dinner. A nice change-up from hitting the usual chain restaurants.

Abigail’s Party
1685 Yew Street
Vancouver, BC
T 604-739-4677
Monday to Saturday: 5:30pm – 2:00am
Weekend & Holiday Brunch: 9:00am – 2:30pm

Corduroy – located on Cornwall St. in the former Truffles location is the place I’ve been looking for since moving to in Kitsilano.

Here’s how they describe the restaurant:

Corduroy is Kitsilano’s newest local watering hole featuring fantastic food and a great atmosphere. While other Kitsilano restaurants and bars struggle to maintain their nostalgic images, Corduroy, with it’s organic menu and environment flies in the face of the many “formula” restaurants that seem to be taking over the restaurant scene on the west side. The room is intimate and comfortable and the service is always friendly. Corduroy also showcases local talent, offering live music every Tuesday with open mic and dj’s most Friday and Saturday nights. Comedy night featuring top comedians, both local and from abroad, is every Sunday starting at 8:30. Admission is free but seating is limited so get there early! If you find yourself roaming the beach area looking for late night munchies, Corduroy is the spot as it serves up food usually until 2 a.m.