I went here with my husband and another couple for a Valentine's dinner. This is one of the busiest nights for most restaurants and The Boathouse was no exception. Because I am Celiac I had called in advance to get a reservation (got the last table) and to ensure there would be something wheat and gluten-free on their menu I could have. When I arrived the evening of, I realized that someone had actually made a note for the hostess on our reservation. When the server came to our table she automatically put my mind at ease regarding which dishes were gluten free and letting me know that the kitchen was aware and would ensure there was no cross contamination in the preparation of my meal. It was obvious they were familiar with Celiac Disease and I was in good hands. They made three special concessions to accommodate me regarding menu choices including a gluten free sorbet dessert which was not even on their special Valentines menu that evening. I was over the moon. I had the steak and lobster with rice and salad. The lobster melted in my mouth and the steak was done perfectly - medium rare, just the way I like it. Everything was fresh. Everyone else also enjoyed their meals and we'll definitely be going back again. Way to go Whiterock Boathouse! You guys ROCK.

My fiancé and I chose Sideshow's West Coast Grill as a last-minute dinner option on the eve before Valentine's Day. We called at 5PM on Saturday to make a reservation for 8PM the same night and the host my fiancé spoke with informed us that although they were "wicked busy", they shouldn't have any problem seating only the two of us at that time. We hadn't planned on doing anything significant for Valentine's Day itself (neither of us care for all the Corporate-Show-of-Love-Day hype), so we hadn't planned some big romantic evening out or anything. Thank Dog (I'm a dyslexic agnostic), is all I can say.

We arrived shortly before 8PM, and the restaurant was in full swing. A large birthday party lined one wall, and the rest of the tables (of varying heights and seating arrangements) seemed to be crammed somewhat haphazardly into the rather small (approx 600 sq ft) space. The Olympic Games were being shown on several flat-screen TVs which was nice; whenever a Canadian athlete did well, everyone in the room cheered. The happy cheers added to the restaurant's self-described "martini lounge ambiance", which was indeed quite cozy.

Our host escorted us to the middle of the room and said, "So where do you want to sit?" There were three unoccupied tables, only one of which was for two, but it was a window table, and overlooked the ocean. We opted for that table, although it was so tight that the people at the tables on either side of us had to move their chairs just so we could sit down. Had it been earlier in the evening, we would have most certainly enjoyed the view, as we were seated with what would have been a breathtaking view of the ocean on a clear day.

I wish I could say the food more than made up for the lack of view, but it didn't. The best part of the meal was the 2007 Sumac Ridge Gewurztraminer (by the glass) that we both chose to accompany our meals.

We started off by sharing an appetizer. We chose the Smoked Salmon Caper Quesadilla for $13. I'm sorry to say that plate absolutely DOES NOT belong on the menu as a dish representative of West Coast cuisine. It was borderline horrible. I am not kidding you when I say it tasted as if the chef added 100% more salt to the dish - ON TOP of what would have already been a part of the smoked salmon itself. I made the mistake of not asking our server how the salmon was prepared, but I thought it was going to be more like Lox. It tasted as if it had been cold-smoked, THEN cooked. It was done with melted goat cheese (which I usually love), slapped inside a tortilla (crisp on the top but soggy and falling apart on the underside), then served with a dish of sour cream and some corn and black-bean salsa on the side. Although it did nothing to complement the taste, the sour cream DID cut down on some of the saltiness. However, as far as flavors go - this was an epic FAIL.

The entrées we had were passable, but not outstanding or anything. I'm a vegetarian who still enjoys seafood (I don't eat ANY red meat, pork or poultry though), so I opted for the Asian Seafood Hot Pot (full of salmon, squid, mussels and clams over rice vermicelli noodles in a coconut curry broth) for $17 and my fiancé had the Tandoori BBQ Slow Roast Back Ribs for $20. Our server was quite prompt, bringing out our dishes hot and the instant our appetizer was finished.

My fiancé's dinner looked like something my Mom would have laid out for him on a weeknight. I don't say that to be mean to Mom (I think hers would have tasted better), what I mean is that the dish lacked any presentation appeal, which is actually something I look forward to when dining out. Unfortunately, his dish appeared to be merely tossed together, the ribs sitting atop 2 pieces of asparagus, some mashed potato and a couple of cooked beets, on a plain white plate. That was it. Now, I understand simplicity can be key - especially if the food is amazing all on it's own, but that was NOT the case here. Not to mention, The ribs were coated with a gooey, albeit unappetizing-looking sauce. Once my fiancé bit into the meat, I could tell that the meat was tender *enough*, but his reaction was merely, "Mmm, yeah - it's OK." As a meat lover, when he eats delicious ribs he's usually licking his fingers and stripping the meat off the bone. Not this time. He didn't hate the meal, but he certainly didn't love it. And to top it off, the waitress didn't even bring him a finger bowl. I had to ask for one - and even then, she looked a tad confused at my request. At least she was quick in bringing it back - I would have been annoyed if he'd had to sit and wait for it. I *can* say that our server was very nice and very efficient, if not a little scatterbrained at times. Great customer service can *sometimes* undo the damage bad food leaves in it's wake.

Having said that, my dish was alright. But just *alright*. Not bad, but not great, either. Most of the seafood was cooked very well - the mussels and the clams were done perfectly, but the squid rings were quite tough. There was a lot of seafood in the dish, however. The salmon was done well too, but the broth was pretty bland, as far as coconut curry goes. I'm glad the noodles were not mushy, or I might have sent it back. It wasn't awful or totally unpleasant, it just wasn't very memorable, that's all. I've made much better seafood hot pots in my own kitchen, and I'm no Jean-Georges Vongerichten, myself.

All in all, the wine was very good, and after we discussed our total tab at home, we realized that our server forgot to charge us for our second glasses (at $7.50 a glass, that was a bonus we weren't expecting). We also split the Hazelnut Cheesecake for dessert, and that was better than both entrées combined, in our opinion. I'm betting, however, that it was made off-site.

So, we probably won't go back to Sideshow Bob's anytime soon. We DID save $$ with an Entertainment Book coupon (30% off the bill, excluding alcohol, tax or tip), and we weren't charged for the second glasses of wine, so our dinner was VERY reasonably priced, considering all that we had. Unfortunately, the flavors weren't there and there wasn't much else to draw us back for another dinner.

I do love White Rock in the summertime though, and this *may* be someplace I'd go with friends to enjoy a cocktail on the rooftop patio... before heading out to dine someplace else.

Absolutely an incredible evening. This lively upbeat steakhouse is a nice change from those old dated stuffy bright fine dining restaurants where you can here a pin drop. If thats what you like then this is not the place for you. We love going out for dinner to places where we can interact with the staff and have some fun. Now for the important stuff... The food was amazing! We tried the 8oz sirloin with dijon compound butter, 16oz bone in rib steak, gorgonzola mac & cheese, and yam gratan. The steaks were easily the best we have ever had. SOOO TENDER. I would say even better than Gotham. Our server Katrina was memorable and that is saying something. She was there when we needed and not when we didn't. Not easy to do. What surprised us the most was the prices. Well below Gotham and quite similar to the Keg. Thank you Onyx and thank you chef for the complimentary onion ring. It was the best I have ever had.

Well, it didn't start very well when somehow our order was lost. The place was really, really busy so I get how it could have happened. In the end, the Manager, Ron, made things more than right...and I mean MORE than right. In fact, he made things so right I was embarrassed....So, although things didn't start too well, they ended with four very, very happy customers who will return. Incidentally, the staff were very friendly and food outstanding.

I really liked Presto Cucina, sure they had some hiccups but their food was good. Even though their service was slow and challenging at times, I loved their chicken pesto penne so much it made up for it. Unfortunately the most recent incident had me shaking my head and made the ultimate decision to end this dining relationship.

As usual I order the Chicken Pesto Penne for carry out along with a soda as my beverage. I waited for the order and when it was ready the cashier confirmed my beverage choice and packed my bag. I got to the car and there was no beverage even though we had just confirmed it a minute earlier. Ran back into the store, no problem got my drink.

When I got home to enjoy my favourite dish I was sorely disappointed as they didn't add the pesto. The sauce is an alfredo sauce mixed with pesto, without the pesto all I got was bland penne. I quickly called the manager to inform them of the faux pas. The manager went on about portion control and how they have implemented quality control measures. She asked if I had even had that dish before and thats how they make it. I advised her yes I am well aware how the dish is made and advised her that there was no pesto. She went on about portion control and at this point I realized she didn't know what pesto was. I advised her it is a green sauce and I can assure her there was nothing green on the dish. She then advised me the general manager was back on Monday and she will call me. The general manager did call me an offered me a $10.00 certificate but not once apologized for the inconvenience. She also said that there was pesto in the dish, she confirmed it with the chef and that I just didn't notice it. They also have strict quality control. I realized then there was no reason to go back. They didn't care.

We decided to try La Baia one night while in White Rock. Service was excellent, we were warmly greeted at the door by the owner of the restaurant, and were quickly seated at a table by the window (no ocean view where this restaurant is located.) Our server was helpful, friendly and professional. We ordered the Mozzarella alla Marinara to start, the dish was good, served with a light marinara and pesto (could have been a little more generous with the pesto as it really adds to the dish.) Our main entrees included the Linguini al Pesto and the Pollo e Herbe. Pasta dish waa really good, seasoned well, pasta could have been a little more al dente, but was certaintly not completley overcooked. Chicken dish was good, a fresh chicken breast in a light white wine, herb sauce with julienned veg. The dish could have been served with a few more potatoes, but overall decent. Complimentry bread was a little stale, but all in all we considered it to be quite a good meal. Decor is tired and in desperate need of a remodel, really does La Baia's food no justice! Would try again.

I'm surprised at the lackluster reviews... I have been several times, and the food has been nothing less than excellent. Quick service. Great place to sit in, nice restaurant unlike most sushi restaurants. I will definitely keep going back. A bit pricey for sushi, but worth it. I only wish that they had more selection on the wine menu but as far as my experiences go, their food, presentation and service has been great.

We went to Sabatino's for my son's Birthday last night. In the past we had always been happy with the food and service at this restaurant. One of our guests did not like his Caesar salad. When he mentioned to the server that he did not like it, since he was not fond of Anchovies, the server proceeded to give him a long speech on how Caesar Salad was always made with Anchovies. Since the server never offered, I had to ask if perhaps he could bring something else. My friend simply said no thanks and he would pass on salad. The server left the salad and said that maybe someone else would like to finish it. When we received our bill, we saw that we had been charged. When I tried to talk to the manager, he proceeded to give me the same speech about the Anchovies. As I tried to point out to him, the bottom line is that the customer did not like it and should not pay for it. Why bother asking us if we enjoyed our meal? The manager seemed put out that he had to deduct a $7.00 item from the bill. Customer service certainly isn't what it once was.

This is the best sushi in the area. Tiny little take-out place, really fresh fish, friendly people who obviously take pride in what they do, and it comes out in the food. And it's very reasonably priced!

Good food prepared with care, good people, good price. Why can't other restaurant's see the magic formula?

I've always found the food to be good, and the service is friendly and attentive. Depending on your personal style, the atmosphere could be described as anything from "funky & cozy" to "homemade addition with year-round indoor xmas lights".

So I don't think the interior is for everyone, as it's definitely eclectic, and the building itself is old and somewhat rundown. But to me that's part of the appeal of WAG, it's got character, the food is consistently good, and the staff are friendly and know what they're doing. The live music is also a nice touch, although, again, not for everyone. WAG feels like a real community restaurant, and reflects the community it exists in.

Their martini nights are always fun as well.