A place to eat pizza; Uncle Fatih's Pizza

This place serves me well when I get the munchies and I want something real quick.

A place to have dessert & time travel; Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery

With the weather changing for the better in the coming weeks and months, and the urge to indulge in  some cold treats beginning to overtake you, the Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery just might be the place to satisfy your feelings of nostalgia and taste.  For the full story with great photos, click the link below.

Vancouver Observer article below:

Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery scoops up ice cream and nostalgia

Kerry Hall

Posted: Apr 12th, 2013

Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery delivers more than just ice cream, it dishes up some cultural history too.

Sitting down in the 1940s-style shop is an immersive experience. The attention to retro detail is fine — from the counter stools and soda fountain equipment to the musical soundtrack and staff uniforms and on to the menu items and candy for sale.

Opened in mid-March in Burnaby Heights, local residents Ron and Roberta LaQuaglia spent several months refurbishing the space to achieve the vintage look and feel.

The menu lists classic ice cream sodas, floats, shakes and sundaes. Cones, single or double-header, or cups are available for a portable treat.

A little modern touch recognizes the changing times — gluten-free cones plus a vegan ice cream option can be had as well.

Local ingredients are a feature of the shop.

Abbotsford's Birchwood Dairy supplies a variety of ice cream flavours, from the staples of vanilla and chocolate to more complex mixtures like caramel pecan fudge, French cherry ripple and black raspberry cheesecake. Its product contains 16 per cent butterfat which gives it a thick and creamy texture.

For toppings, the shop uses fruits and nuts from the Fraser Valley as available. Flavours like hot fudge, pineapple, strawberry, butterscotch, and peanut butter. Last weekend, blueberry sauce was on the menu made from fresh berries.

Pie comes from a couple of local women who run a bakery supplier called the Vancouver Pie Hole. Pair it with coffee for $6.

Aside from the simpler selections, there are the special sundaes like banana splits, the peanut butter supreme, and the Canadian Mint — mint chocolate chip ice cream with hot fudge, toasted almonds, topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips. Prices for these range from $7 to $9.50.

The LaQuaglias have brought back some old school treats as well, like malts and egg creams. The latter is made with syrup, milk and seltzer. It's like a fizzy chocolate milk, says Ron.

Ron is originally from the east coast of the United States. His family used to routinely visit the local ice cream shop. He and Roberta were looking for a food or sweet-related business to open in the Burnaby Heights area.

They noticed there were many gelato shops in the Lower Mainland, but not a lot of ice cream shops. While looking into potential businesses, their research revealed old-time soda fountains were making a comeback in the U.S. The theme dovetailed from there.

They spent more time researching the fittings for the shop, like the six counter stools. A 1950s Hamilton Beach mixer stirs up tall aluminum tumblers of milkshakes.

They found the soda fountain in Washington State. A lucky find, Ron said, since these sorts of items have become popular in collector's circles. Plus, it only needed a few machine parts refurbished, otherwise it's all original, he said, adding its really the centrepiece of the shop.

The confectionery part of the shop stocks sweet treats from bygones days: licorice kids, bubblegum, Tootsie Rolls, Cracker Jack caramel popcorn, Pink Candy popcorn, jawbreakers, pixy stix, sweethearts and more.

The shop is named after the former Glenburn Dairy that operated from the 1930s to the 1950s and was located at Hastings Street and Boundary Road.

Although there is limited seating, the turnover is fairly high, plus there's takeout in a pinch.

The best part is it suits all ages and it's an inexpensive stop for a date or family outing. Stay a little while and the 1940s effect starts to sink in.

Find the new Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery at 4090 Hastings St. just west of Gilmore St. in Burnaby.

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 12-8 p.m. Steet parking available, outside of rush hours.

Koryo: A place to eat Korean food

The following April 18th story on a local Korean restaurant was in the Burnaby Now.

Koryo Korean Barbecue a Brentwood treat

Photographer Larry Wright and I had a great time a recent Sunday at Koryo Korean Barbecue. Our host Yoon was a perfect host and Emily Shen in the Koryo corporate office did a great job arranging the outing. And thanks to Jolanda Peters at Brentwood for suggesting this little jewel.

You’ll read an abridged version of this in the April 18 Burnaby NOW, but here’s the full length version, with all the pics.

By Alfie Lau

No less an authority than Jolanda Peters, Brentwood Town Centre’s marketing director, led us to Koryo Korean Barbecue.

Peters couldn’t stop raving about how fresh and tasty the food was at the Korean fusion restaurant located in the mall’s food court. She’s a regular diner there and said it was one of her favourite places, bar none.

When we visited and sat down with franchisee Dong Yoon Lee – everybody calls him Yoon – we were impressed with
the food and the friendly staff at Koryo.

Yoon immigrated to Canada in 2007 and while he holds an engineering and materials science degree, his credentials didn’t transfer over and he started looking for alternative employment.

He came across Koryo, at both the Park Royal and Brentwood locations and in January 2010, he decided to take the plunge and invest in the only Burnaby location.

Along with his staff of five, Yoon has built a loyal following by offering good-sized portions at affordable prices and in a quick manner...

To continue reading full article click the link to the Burnaby Now article  

Pasta Amore: A place to eat Italian food

Pasta Amore, located at on Dawson and Willingdon, was mentioned in the following Burnaby Now article that also ran in The Province.  Having eaten there with my wife and kids, I must say that Pasta Amore is one of the better Italian restaurants of North Burnaby.

For the love of pizza

BY ALFIE LAU, BURNABY NOW OCTOBER 11, 2011 10:39 AM

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Claudio Magagnin, left, supervises as Amedeo Paniccia bakes up another pizza at Pasta Amore Pizzeria, just off Willingdon.

Photograph by: Alfie Lau, BURNABY NOW

The sign is hard to miss. Head north on Willingdon Avenue and just before you hit Dawson Street, the sign for Claudio Magagnin's Pasta Amore now has the word Pizzeria attached to it.

And adding the one word doesn't mean just adding to the menu, as Magagnin has brought in authentic Italian thincrust pizza cooked with an authentic Italian flair.

Magagnin had brought in an authentic Italian pizza chef to do the cooking, but after he had to leave because of a family emergency, Magagnin conscripted an old friend, Amedeo Paniccia, to work the pizza oven.

"I've known Amedeo for many years," said Magagnin. "He's from Rome and we used to work together at Portofino (restaurant). When I asked him for help, he was right there."

Paniccia has known Magagnin for more than 20 years, and there was never a doubt what he would say.

"We're friends so when he asked me to help, I said sure. I love making pizza, pizza like it's made back in Italy," said Paniccia.

"I've been in (the Lower Mainland) for a long time, and I haven't had a chance to make pizza the Italian way. . That means a light crust, less ingredients, but an emphasis on the best ingredients, the best sauce and the best dough."

Magagnin recently invested in a new pizza oven and special dishes from Tuscany, which have diners already raving.

Magagnin, who I talked to in the spring about his pasta dishes, is so excited by his foray into pizza that he held several tasting nights recently to introduce his pizza to Burnaby.

With more than 25 different pizzas on the menu, there is a little something for everybody, including a mouthwatering dessert pizza.

As I sat down with my dining companions, my older sister Hayley and her husband Stuart, along with Burnaby NOW salesperson Cam Northcott, we were warmly greeted by Claudio's wife Maria.

When last we talked, Maria marvelled at her husband's risk-taking: "He's always trying something different," said Maria.

And our first pizza was certainly that, as the artichoke pizza was a unique twist on vegetarian pizza.

My sister isn't a vegetarian but she loved this pizza, which was light and flavourful.

The surprises continued with our next pizza, the Napoletana, which features anchovies and oregano.

The 30-cm pizzas - which range in price from $10 to $16 each depending on the toppings - are a perfect dinner size.

But the best was still yet to come.

"I've only got a couple of slices of the Nutella and coconut pizza," Maria tells us. "But, I'll be back with more."

Within minutes, there she is, and we can all try the unique dessert pizza.

I'll be the first to admit I'm not a Nutella fan, but I absolutely adore coconut. I bite hesitantly into the pizza, and suddenly I like Nutella lot more. The dessert pizza is something you won't find at most places, and once I got over my fear, it ranked as one of my favourites of the night.

Pasta Amore Ristorante Pizzeria is at 4502 Dawson St. Call 604-298-3135 or go to www.pastaamore.ca.

© Copyright (c) The Province

Read more:http://www.theprovince.com/life/love+pizza/5533096/story.html#ixzz1aUuTKXiL

Sushi Garden: A Place to Eat

Yesterday, craving sushi and not having enough time to eat in, my wife and I decided to try take-out at Sushi Garden at the corner of Lougheed Hwy and Madison Ave. Sushi Garden sits next to the Church's Chicken where, despite the rain, LiWen Tan was unfailingly plying his trade as a shakerboarder for the fast-food chicken outlet.

The food is not only good but well-priced for the budget-conscious sushi lover. Another positive about Sushi Garden is the fact that it is open all day everyday. For those of you that have felt the frustration of craving sushi on a Monday or between 1:00-4:00 pm when most decent sushi restaurants are closed, you know what I am talking about.