Chris Stenberg dot com » Travel

Pasteis de Belem

Chris Stenberg — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:00:40 +0000

Pasteis de Belem since 1837.

The old codger next to me pours his beer into a glass and warms it with his hands. I’m tempted to ask why, but I have a feeling that English is not his fancy.

The server is a grumpy bastard. He’s probably late 20′s, wearing the white shirt and blue apron uniform of this Lisbon institution. He frowns and clangs about the tables delivering mini tarts and cleaning off tables. I sit and wonder how many times he has done this exact routine today or in his life.

The place is a little like Willy Wonka’s factory. Servers scurry about and from my seat in the backroom a lab like kitchen is visible where they must crank out thousands of these little Pasteis (egg custard tart thing in English) per day.

My custard tart things arrive. I’ve elected to have port with them instead of a coffee. I look around and realize I’m not the only one. Must be the economy.

I bite into little tart #1. It’s awesome. Warm and gooey inside — a fresh made egg custard. I’ll bet they kill a lot of chicken eggs every year.

Server guy continues to get his grump on cleaning up after sloppy patrons.

I bite into tart #2. It tastes exactly like tart #1.

He’s neglecting me. Am I supposed to pay on the way out? I swear he brought the bill to the other table. Maybe he’s punishing me for not speaking Portuguese. I frustratingly await my bill which eventually comes. I pay and leave the restaurant back out into the sunshine of the Belem area of Lisbon.

I would definitely go to Pasteis de Belem again as the area around this dessert emporium is incredible with it’s old architecture (despite the encroachment of a Starbucks Coffee house), and the long walkway along the sea is a place to lose yourself in thought for an afternoon.

The pasteis themselves were excellent, but I would likely come here, grab a box to go, and then sit somewhere in the park nibbling to my heart’s content.

Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Vancouver Hotel Review

Chris Stenberg — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:45:33 +0000

Overall Impression
Every now and again you get saddled with a limited work travel budget, and while it might sound like I’m whining, I really tried to make the best of this one.

On my recent business trip to Vancouver I had limited funds for hotels and needed a place to stay. I’ve seen the HoJo on Kingsway near Main Street on Travelocity before and it’s always extremely affordable. I like the neighbourhood around 12th and Main (also known as South Main, Mount Pleasant, or SoMa), and have always wanted to stay there, but the accommodation choices are limited to fairly low-rent motels and the HoJo, so for this trip it was the perfect excuse.

I’ll say that compared to a typical business hotel like a Delta or Sheraton the HoJo doesn’t really stand a chance. The beds aren’t particularly comfortable, the rooms are dingy, and the decor severely outdated, but what I did like about the HoJo was the local colour.

The hotel was formerly The Biltmore, and is now home to a couple of different bars, one of which is the namesake of the old hotel. The Biltmore Cabaret is a favourite watering hole of the Main Street hipster crowd and is a fun place to spend a night out and on some nights (Sunday I believe) even catch a classic burlesque show. The noise on Friday and Saturday night could keep you up all night if you enjoy silence, but I didn’t mind the rowdies out on the street below my hotel room.

While I hope to never stay at this particular HoJo again, I would have to say it was an adequate place to stay and I enjoyed the odd mix of people I kept running into in the lobby and the hallways. In that sense it was certainly more interesting than staying at a higher end business hotel where everyone is kind of drab and boring. So if you have the chance stay at the HoJo for the culture, not for the beds.

My Rating: 2 stars

How much would I pay: <$100 USD per night

My Recommendation: On the fence. Not bad as long as you know what you’re getting into.

Location
While there is very little immediately around the hotel other than the Biltmore Cabaret, there are plenty of great coffee shops, lounges, and eateries over on Main Street which is a few minutes away on foot. Downtown Vancouver is a short bus or cab ride away, and about 20-30 minutes on foot. The airport is about 20-25 minutes by car depending on traffic.

Amenities
Not much, but there was an ice machine at the end of the 4th floor hallway.

Service
Not bad for this level of hotel. It was neither here nor there for me.

Elevator Speed
Painfully slow old elevator, but it had those old school huge buttons which I like.

Atmosphere
Low-rent hotel with casino carpets

Bed Comfort
The bed was adequate, but nothing great. They had the crappy coverlet/fleece blanket combo which I loathe.

Internet
Free wireless internet. That is a bonus.

Room Cleanliness
Average.

Toiletries
Suave. No high end stuff here!

Family Friendly
Sort of. This isn’t really the best neighbourhood in which to entertain your kids, but there are interesting family activities close by. Also, the bar-centric nature of this hotel may not be great for all families.

Rates
I wouldn’t pay more than $110 US for this place and that would have to be in peak season.

Other Notes
It wasn’t that bad, but know what you’re getting into beforehand. Website pictures can be deceiving.

Number of Stays
1

When
Spring 2010

Frequent Flyer Miles / Hotel Points
Wyndham Rewards

Prado Cafe Vancouver

Chris Stenberg — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:20:41 +0000

Prado Cafe on Commercial Drive is one of my new favourite coffee shops in Vancouver. In fact, maybe it’s because it feels more like the Lower East Side in Manhattan than it does like Vancouver. The cafe is set in an old brick building that probably used to be a pharmacy or other type of shop. Original wood floors that have scene some heavy use are bordered by big picture windows and distressed doors and window frames. It’s a modern cafe plunked into an older world setting. The atmosphere is great, the 49th Parallel coffee is top notch, and the gloss white El Marzocco espresso machine shows that they mean business. The baked goods are decent, but I would come here more for the coffee and the atmosphere than the food. The crowd is a mix of hipsters and people struggling to write their first novel, which is typical of Commercial Drive in general.

Prado Cafe (4th and Commercial Drive)

Hours: 7am-8pm everyday.

Vancouver Parking Meters

Chris Stenberg — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 08:01:53 +0000

Parking in the city of Vancouver is always a bit of a nightmare. As a driver your options are basically to park in an overpriced lot for $6-10 per hour or $15-$40 for the day, or park on the street with tight time restrictions and a high price. If you’re lucky enough to find a parking spot you need to load the meter with change, or setup a mobile account with Verrus to pay for the meter.

I really like the mobile payment option as pocket change isn’t common for me these days as I pay for most things with debit and credit cards. The problem I’ve had is that I have changed license plates, cars, and phone numbers over the past few years, and now when I try to pay for parking using the Verrus mobile payment option it malfunctions and sends me through a frustrating series of menu options forcing me to give-up and run to my meeting, which usually results in a parking ticket.

On this trip to Vancouver I actually had change to load the meter, but then the thing jammed prompting an epic fail message. Sweet, free parking!

On researching all of this I also realized that I could go online to create and manage my parking meter account at the Verrus website, which should make future parking in Vancouver and other participating cities much easier because doing it via touch tone phone menus is certainly not time effective.

As much as I think the Verrus mobile phone pay system is a step in the right direction for parking meter payment, I think future iterations of the platform will likely evolve to become a more visually based system. Audio menus and touch tone phone options are a bit prehistoric.

Managing your account and paying for parking via a Blackberry or iPhone app, or touch-pay type interface will be the future of meter payment.

Bufflehead Tapas Room Penticton

Chris Stenberg — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 07:07:05 +0000

So finally Penticton gets a Tapas bar/lounge that will please discerning urban diners looking for something to appease their yuppie palate. I mean this in a good way of course as I’ve been hoping for this over the past few years, and finally the Lakeside Resort has opened a lounge that I would compare in feel to the Gerard at Sutton Place in Vancouver, or the piano bar at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, but of course it’s on the lake.

It’s about time, but Penticton finally has an adult bar with class, a reasonable wine list, and a decent small plates menu. The view off the patio to Lake Okanagan isn’t so bad either. Oh yeah, and it actually is called The Bufflehead. Apparently a bufflehead is a small duck species of some sort, so this restaurant fits right in with the adjacent restaurants The Hooded Merganser, and the Barking Parrot.

If you happen to be in Penticton and looking for a place to eat tapas style and have a cocktail or glass of wine I’d recommend the Bufflehead.

Update July 8, 2010

After being open for a couple of months I’ve had the chance to return to the Bufflehead and all seems well. I will say, in addition to what I’ve written above, that for those expecting state of the art foodie fare ala big city, you may be disappointed, but the Bufflehead brings something much needed to the Penticton nightlife. The food plates are simple and of good value and proportion. In some ways it is a better value to eat here than at the neighbouring Hooded Merganser. Basically, the Bufflehead is a nice place to go for a drink and some appies. If you want a big meal go to The Hooded Merganser, and if you want nachos and beer go to the Barking Parrot.

Japanese Vending Machines

Chris Stenberg — Sat, 22 May 2010 03:15:05 +0000

The Japanese vending machine is really a thing of wonder that has taken convenience to a whole new level.

On the streets of Japan, you can basically buy to your heart’s content from vending machines.

Feel like a coffee? Yep, no problem — hot or cold? Want a beer? Also no problem.

There are infinite types of food, drinks, cigarettes and alcohol all to be found in the curbside vending machine in Japan.

While some of the liquor machines close down at 11pm, the rest are there for your 24/7 convenience. You can even get other life essentials like shavers, sunscreen, music CD’s, and batteries from the vending machine.

If you are of the more deviant variety there are certain places where it is rumoured that you can buy used women’s panties from a vending machine. I would imagine that most of these type of purchases would be found around the sleazier parts of Tokyo like Kabukicho, a sort of red light district on the periphery of the Shinjuku area of Tokyo.

What is most interesting to me about this sort of mechanized dispensary culture is that in no way (that I can see as a westerner at least) has it eroded their other forms of customer service. Japan is a place centred around consumerism, but this is grounded in a deep rooted sense of place and person within its society.

A visit to any store in Japan, particularly a major chain store, will make it obvious that their customer service etiquette far exceeds ours in North America — even with their abundance of vending machines.

Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel – YVR – Review

Chris Stenberg — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:36:43 +0000

Overall Impression
The Fairmont YVR is a place to stop over in between flights and rest up. It can be pricey considering, and there is more reasonably priced accomodation off-site, but if you can get a good rate, and have the chance to treat yourself, the Fairmont YVR is a little bit of luxury.

My Rating: 5 stars

Value Range: $175-250 USD per night

My recommendation: Recommended

Location
No need to leave the airport. This hotel has everything at hand.

Amenities
Bar, lounge, fitness centre

Service
Customer service was great.

Elevator Speed
No elevator issues

Atmosphere
Classic airport classy.

Bed Comfort
The bed was great.

Internet
Free internet for Fairmont President’s Club members. It’s free to join, so why not?

Room Cleanliness
No issues here.

Toiletries
Miller Harris from London. Nice stuff. Body wash foams even in washcloth!

Family Friendly
Yes.

Rates
A typical rate here would be in the $200-$300 per night range.

Other Notes
Not much to add here. It’s a great hotel.

Number of Stays
1

When
Winter 2009

Frequent Flyer Miles / Hotel Points
Fairmont points convertible to most airline programs.

The Drake Hotel Toronto Review

Chris Stenberg — Wed, 19 May 2010 07:35:16 +0000

Overall Impression
The Drake Hotel in Toronto is one of those rare finds in the world of business travel. Although I wouldn’t really classify The Drake as a business hotel, I like to stay here on business because it’s a nice departure from the usual Sheraton and Delta mass predictability. Queen Street West is not likely going to be a favourite spot for many people, but if you like a bit of grunge ala The Plateau in Montreal, or the Lower East Side in Manhattan, Haight Ashbury in San Francisco, and Gastown in Vancouver, than you might like The Drake.

The hotel itself has has a great bar for live bands in the basement, a nice lounge and coffee shop on the main floor, and a great roof top patio for those summer nights. The restaurant is top notch and the place has a nice youthful vibe. The only cons to me are the small rooms and the limited number (22) of rooms available. I have stayed most times in suite 202 which is listed as the XL room on the Drake website. The XL suite is plenty big enough for me, but the other rooms like the Crash Pad are quite small. When I think boutique hotels I think The Drake.

My Rating: 4 stars

Value Range: $175-300 USD per night

Recommended!

Location
The Drake is situated quite far west on Queen Street West, so it is a bit of a hoof from Bay Street or the Bloor and Yonge business area, but it’s nothing a quick cab ride won’t solve. The area surrounding the Drake is filled with hip bars and boutique clothing shops. Particular bar favourites of mine are The Cadillac Lounge and the Beaconsfield. If you are a hipster you might like the Social down the street. There are also a bunch of eateries, coffee shops, and even a laundromat nearby.

Amenities
Restaurant, lounge, coffee shop

Service
I have always had great service at The Drake.

Elevator Speed
The stairs were reasonably quick! It’s a small hotel.

Atmosphere
Hipster boutique.

Bed Comfort
The bed was awesome.

Internet
Free internet!

Room Cleanliness
The room was squeaky clean.

Toiletries
Kiehl’s. Yep. The good stuff.

Family Friendly
Not really. The rooms aren’t really geared for family stays.

Rates
Rates are posted in the $200-$300USD range. Don’t go here for more than $200 per night. Actually make that $175.

Other Notes
This is one of my favourite hotels. Hands down.

Number of Stays
3

When
Spring 2008, Fall 2008

Frequent Flyer Miles / Hotel Points
No.

Pullman Wine Bar Montréal

Chris Stenberg — Fri, 14 May 2010 07:27:08 +0000

I’m wandering the streets of Montréal on a cold and wet fall night when I stumble on a place just off Rue Sherbrooke called Pullman. It’s not a name that strikes me as a wine-snob type place, but one glance at the chandelier makes me love it.

Montréal is an amazing place to eat, and Pullman wine bar is no exception. The night I was there I had a nice selection of international and Canadian wines paired with a few appetizers including a killer Kobe beef mini-burger with hand cut slim fries.

The place is happening and you may want to get their a bit early if you want a seat on a busy Friday or Saturday night, or just sit at the bar like I do and talk wine with the sommeliers.

There are so many great places to drink wine in Montréal, but if you’re in the Plateau neighbourhood definitely give Pullman the look-up. It’s well worth the visit.

Pullman
3424 avenue Du Parc
Montreal, QC H2X 2H5
(514) 288-7779
http://www.pullman-mtl.com/

Marrakech Photos

Chris Stenberg — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:17:50 +0000

The following is a little photo gallery of my trip to Marrakech in December 2009. Marrakech is such an amazing place. It took several days to get accustomed to the local culture, but once I had my bearings and could relax a bit, it became an absolutely wonderful place to visit. The weather in mid-December was perfect. The days were sunny and about 25ºC, and the nights were moderate at 15º-ish. Other times of the year are supposed to be ridiculously hot, so I think just before Christmas is a decent time to visit. I’ve written a few other articles about Marrakech which are posted at the bottom of this page.

Click to enlarge the photos.