Return of the Fat Bastard - Happy, Happy, Arriva, Arriva !! Restaraunts that is.

August 2nd 2016

Man I need a shave!

    The lovely Lisa was up and driving Dr Dan to the airport way too early. I slept till close to 9 and got up and made coffee. Papa Dawg and Joan of Montague slept late. They want to do everything and sometimes we forget they're pushing 80. Papa Dawg already in his 80th year. The trip home really took it out of them. It's their last full day with us and we had arranged to have lunch with Peter in Port Coquitlam. Peter likes Chinese so we googled it. There was one a block from his house. We drove over to Poco and Peter was waiting when we pulled up to his apartment building.

Joan of Montague and Papa Dawg at Arriva

      Closed! First the duty free and now the Chinese restaraunt! I am starting to think that someone has it out for me! Or maybe it's just Karma for being a dick on the weekend. The lovely Lisa had seen a sign in the Plaza at Coast Meridian and something. Where the Starbucks is. Maybe Prairie Ave. It's funny how we give directions these days. It used to be "Go two blocks to 6th street then turn left." Now it's "Go that way and turn left at Timmy Ho's" The beauty of franchise locations. Let's put one on every corner and we'll never get lost.
      Happy Chinese Restaraunt. That was the name of the place. I dropped the gang off at the door and went to park the car across the lot. The only space available. I returned a call to G McT that I couldn't answer while I was driving. He was calling to touch base we chatted briefly and I went into the Happy Chinese Restaraunt. It won't be the last time. It was 2 pm and I'm assuming the lunch rush was over. I can't imagine this place is not busy. We were met by an Asian woman who definitely fit the Happy theme. Maybe because she was a happy person or maybe because we were the only people there at 2 in the afternoon. The food was excellent. A little different than most Chinese joints. They had lamb on the menu. Lamb fried rice that must have been made with lamb broth and lamb pot stickers too! Both were excellent as were the prices. As a matter of fact all the food was very good. If there was anything it was a little short of beef on the Beef and Broccoli. The name is definitely apropos. We left happy.

      We dropped Peter off at his place and went home to rest up for dinner. I had made us a reservation at Arriva on Commercial Drive. I've only been there a few times and have never been disappointed. Last night was no exception. Papa Dawg and Joan of Montague were as always  entertaining. Joan is from Brooklyn and told a story about her best friend in grade school. An Italian girl whose father had a rather unsavory reputation. Joan's dad was a Policeman. She would often go to Sunday dinner at her friends house. She would always sit as far away from him as she could and he would always come by and ask "Why won't you talk to me?"  " Because my fathers a Policeman and your a Gangster" she said. He would laugh all the way back to his chair. Out of the mouths of babes! Joan of Montague declared the Osso Bucco very good, different than home but good.

Osso Bucco

My Veal Parmigianna was excellent. I order that every single time I eat Italian, if it's on the menu. Evidently it's politically incorrect to dine on such fare.

After dinner

       After dinner we took the long way home. Cruising down The Drive then up over Burnaby Mountain to SFU for the view of the city. Unfortunately the trees have grown so tall you have to climb the mountain to see the city. Too full of Italian for that kind of effort. We did get a decent view of the city from the Horizon's Restaraunt drive way.
      We got home and kicked back till about 11:30 and all toddled off to bed. I set my alarm for 6:45 so I could get the garbage out by 7. On my way back to bed I knocked on Joan of Montague's door as she had requested. Then set another alarm for 7:45 so I could be up for Papa Squatch Day Scare. The lovely Lisa is taking Papa Dawg and Joan of Montague to the airport at 9. That's it for another year. Our turn to go back east next year. Looking forward to it.


That's all I've got
Till next time
Peace Out Y'all