Who knew trying to meet up for dinner would take several months?
Vikki and I have been trying to meet up for dinner for months. At first, it was the issue of trying to find a mutually convenient date in both our busy December schedules. Between work schedules and social calendars, we finally nailed down a specific date in mid-December.
The weekend before our dinner plans, I got really sick. How I managed to drag myself into work that Monday still puzzles me to this day. Not wanting to spread my sick bugs too far, I sent Vikki a message to let her know that I was sick and could not meet up for dinner. She was very understanding and we postponed our plans until January. Luckily we postponed dinner as I lost my voice and it would have been a very quiet dinner. Even by the end of that week, I was still struggling and searching for my voice.
In early January, we decided to reschedule for the end of the month. I had taken a couple of days off to start my Chinese New Year in a restful and relaxing manner. Perhaps it was too relaxing because all the dormant sick bugs from my December illness decided to come out to play again. The following week, I was sick as a dog again and this time, I did not go into the office. My rule of thumb is generally if I am able to get out of bed and get ready for work, then I am good to go to work. There is one main exception – dizziness. If the room is spinning, then getting to and from work safely becomes a concern. That particular January morning, I tried to get ready for work but when the room refused to stop spinning, I knew there was no choice. It was necessary to call in sick and, once again, postpone the dinner plans that Vikki and I had set up. I felt awful. I was sick and unable to work. The room was in constant motion. And, I had to cancel dinner plans with Vikki again!!
When Vikki emailed me this past Tuesday to try to set up dinner plans again, I asked for her availability and then picked the next available date (Thursday) in her calendar. I definitely did not want to risk getting sick again before our scheduled dinner plans. Once was more than enough.. but I already had two previous cancellations / postponement within a period of less than two months.
We finally met up at Prestons for dinner on Thursday evening. It was my first visit to Prestons and having studied the menu before Vikki arrived, I was having difficulty deciding on what to order. The choice was greatly simplified after she arrived and we were presented with the VANEATS.ca FIRST imPRESTONS 3 course meal.The only choice I had to make was between two entrée options…. and if I wanted to order a drink.
my minty soda drink that I cannot remember the name of
Vikki's drink that was very fruity
The appetizer consisted of a sampler trio: dungeness crab cake, chicken karaage and pulled pork poutine. My favourite of the three was the pulled pork poutine.
Appetizers trio
Dungeness Crab Cake
Prestons Pulled Pork Poutine
Chicken Karaage
From the two entrée options of baby back rib or halibut wrapped in bacon, I selected the latter. That was an easy choice. The halibut had already caught my attention from the regular menu. The halibut and bacon combo tasted delicious. The portion size seemed quite generous to me. Unfortunately I was not able to finish it because the quinoa was a tad too salty for my taste.
BC Halibut Wrapped in Double Smoked Bacon
For dessert, a maple and bacon creme brulee was served. The brulee was good although I don’t think it is something I would select as my first choice when provided with options. I really enjoyed the pickled granny smith apples on the side though.
Maple and Double Smoked Bacon Creme Brulee with pickled granny smith apples
Maple and Double Smoked Bacon Creme Brulee
pickled granny smith apples topped with a strawberry
Overall, I enjoyed dinner at Prestons. Vikki and I had a great time catching up and taking food photos. As for the food… although I did not finish my quinoa and brulee, I was already full. I think the tartness in the pickled granny smith apples helped with my last few bites. Service was friendly and attentive. Would I go back there again? Yes, probably.
I have missed these postings! you seem unsure about this restaurant though so shall avoid it, I think…..
Thanks Kathryn! Sometimes it is difficult to settle down in front of the computer to blog. There are just too many distractions available online.
lol.. You don’t have to avoid it, Kathryn. The restaurant was okay. You should try it for yourself before deciding. The 3-course meal was really filling. I had a big lunch and with the early dinner, I wasn’t super hungry yet. After finishing the bacon-wrapped halibut, I was full. From that point on, I just picked out what I really wanted to eat and left the rest.
So good to FINALLY see you again Shelley! We definitely need to do this again. Soon.
I’ve been to Prestons several times and this was the first time I wasn’t able to finish my food because of it being too salty. It was rather early for dinner though, so I’m not sure if that made a difference…
Overall it was a good meal… if anything, the drinks were spot on (as usual)!
Yes, Vikki, we really need to work on setting up another dinner! It took us 3 months last time, so if we start now, we’ll be just in time for the summer.
Yes, maybe our early dinner made a difference. I would order the pulled pork and poutine again. That was very tasty. The 3-course meal was a good opportunity to try a variety of items from the menu. And yes, the drinks were good. I loved my minty lemon and lime soda drink.
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