Sweet Bake Shop.

I read about a new bakery in Yaletown about a week ago and I've had ants in my pants since then to go. It's called the Sweet Bake Shop and they offer cupcakes, cookies, coffee, custom cakes and lots of other cute things. It is a bit girly, but José said his lemon cupcake was really delicious. It sort of reminds of the original Cupcakes store, but a much fresher version. The cupcakes here are also a little smaller, which I think is nice because cupcakes can be so big they make you feel sick. I read on the website that the lady ran this business from her kitchen before opening up this store. She had a love of baking and made a living out of this - I wish I could do something like that. The man at the front said they were applying for patio/alcohol licensing , so cupcakes and champagne! One other thing I liked - they have Stevia!

Eyeliner tutorial at Beauty Mark

I invited mum to come along with me to a free make-up tutorial at Beauty Mark, a beauty store in Yaletown. It was the first time that they had held an event like this, and they did a really good job of it. They served free wine as you entered, and then we were able to just walk around and browse for a bit. 

Eyebrow room! Every girl needs one of these. 

Exercise in a box... who knew!

Saxx. Enough said. 

Sneak peak of the loos and its supplies. 

Next, one of the makeup artists showed us the three simple steps to create the perfect cat eye using the Geisha Ink liquid liner.  It is one of their top-selling products. 

1. Make your mark, so you know where you want your flick to end up. 

2. Draw and fill in a small triangle to create a pointed wing.  

3. Draw the line to the inner part of your eye, making sure the liner becomes thinner the closer to the eye it gets. 

I bought the eyeliner, so I'll keep practicing! I also picked up a beauty blender, so I'll test that as well!

They have their next event on Wednesday the 18th of June, where they are going to demonstrate a smokey eye look. 

Best chicken in the world.

There is a new restaurant on Homer Street, called the Homer Street Cafe and Bar. 

It is a little taste of old-world Paris. We went, not really knowing what kind of food they served, but it looked cosy and French, so you can never go wrong with that. It is located in two really iconic buildings in Yaletown. The first thing you notice, is the smell - rotisserie chicken. Next, are the beautiful tiles that are very antique, and quite Art Deco, or so I think! 

We sat at a high table, where we had a great view of the bartenders at work. It has a very buzzy atmosphere; people savouring the chicken, sipping cocktails and chatting. 

First up, warm bread and oil, and some cocktails. Without doubt, I always end up ordering a manly looking drink and Jose, a girly one!

Breeaaaad.

The star of the menu is the chicken, and then different sides. The menu is very local and fresh.

We ordered the half chicken, which came with gravy and coleslaw. I wish I had more pictures of the chicken, but once we started eating, I didn't think twice about my camera. We had a side of roasted peewee potatoes, brussel sprouts, crimini mushrooms and a salad. We both said, almost at the same time, that it is a little bit like fancy KFC... but about a trillion times better and healthier! 

I stole this picture from their website ( I hope they don't mind!)

Next up, and always the most anticipated part... dessert. Chocolate moose and cheese cake. 

My face says it all. 

 We shared a little espresso (little haha, like there would be any other description!) 

We left, stuffed like little pigs. I wish we could have wandered around the corner and bumped into the Eiffel Tower, but Granville Street will do. 

Paulies.

I had seen this place in Yaletown a few times, and it just looked so European and lovely. It is called 'Paulies' on Mainland Street.

VanCityBuzz

Jose and I went there on Friday night for dinner. I made a reservation for 7.30, and by the time we arrived there, it was pretty much packed.



We got a cute little table on the patio. They have really cozy lights/lanterns hanging from the ceiling, beautiful tiles everywhere and rustic Italian looking things on the walls. I have to say, it had a bit more of a 'chain' restaurant feel to it inside than I was expecting. We weren't entirely sure what sort of food it would be, or the price point... exciting stuff right? Anyway, they serve Italian food... although maybe an Italian would disagree. They have quite a few appetizers, so we shared the stuffed mushrooms - stuffed with what I don't know but they were bloody lovely!

As for main courses, you can choose meatballs, flatbreads/sandwiches, pastas or meats. We chose fettucini pasta with pesto, and a flatbread with pork sausage  The pasta was nice... it tasted liked pasta with pesto, not much to say about that. The flatbread was thin and crispy and had some sausage and tomatoes on it, by 'some' I want to emphasize not a lot, but still tasty.

 For dessert, Jose ordered ice cream with olive oil, which was oddly quite nice, and I had Cannolis.

The menus are kind of a good idea, but not so environmentally friendly. You have to check off what you want and then give it to the server, kind of like ordering tacos in Mexico.

However, sometimes do you feel that service is too quick... like, 'we just make a big batch of this stuff and then heat it when you order'?? #firstworldproblems much?
When we ordered the stuffed mushrooms, she said it would take probably 15 minutes, but that they would be well worth the wait... they came out in literally 5 minutes...
As for drinks, I think their cocktails are the stars of the place. I especially liked the drinks they had 'borrowed' from restaurants around the world.

A New York Sour and A French 70 something.... small but really good.

Overall, I'd say this is a good place for decent Italian food, friendly service, beautiful plates and a nice patio. The prices definitely matched the quality of the food. I'd give it 7/10.