Back in August of 2011, celebrity chef and host Guy Fieri visited Vancouver to shoot content for his wildly popular Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. Along with his vast entourage, Guy managed to swing by seven restaurants here in Vancouver, one of which was the now famous Falconetti’s East Side Grill on Commercial Drive. When I heard that the new VANEATS dining pass would be with Falconetti’s, I was pretty excited as I knew to expect some pretty good eats. With the Triple D stamp of approval, I swung by the Drive earlier this month to preview the new pass.
THE MENU
4-Item Dining Pass for $16 between March 6th – July 6th, 2013
A. “Mini Poutine“, freshly made pepper gravy drizzled over real Quebec cheese curds
B. “Slow Smoked Pork Ribs“, smoked in-house with our special rub then slathered in our Tequila BBQ sauce
C. “Falconetti’s Famous Sausages“, choose 1 of any of their gourmet, home made sausages
D. “Phillips Beer’s Blue Buck“, two 4oz glasses of a deep amber coloured beer with a crisp finish featuring a delicate hop aroma
To kick things off, I was served the Mini Poutine. Unlike many other interpretatons that use thicker cuts of potato for a base, Falconetti’s has opted to use very slender fries. As the dark pepper gravy is applied quite liberally, some patrons may find their fries getting very soggy, very quickly so I definitely recommend not letting this dish sit. Other than that, the poutine was quite good. The cheese curds are smooth yet tasty and compliment the dark gravy nicely.
As seen on Triple D’s, Falconetti’s is definitely known for their gourmet sausages. With a diverse selection to choose from, I decided to go for the Hot Italian which was topped with parmesan, tomatoes, onions and house sauce. Taking my first bite of the sausage, I could tell there was essentially no filler. Boasting a zero preservative mix, the sausage meat tasted very clean and flavourful. Above all, I appreciated how the entire offering was kept simple which really allowed the sausage to shine. With no excessive condiment usage to be seen, I thoroughly enjoyed this perfectly cooked sausage in its uniquely curve-shaped bun.
Before actually tasting the food, I went into this preview thinking that the sausage was the star and everything else was merely a supporting cast member. After trying the slow smoked pork ribs, I now know that this dish plays second fiddle to no one. Smoked in-house with a special rub then slathered in a Tequila BBQ sauce, these ribs were simply phenomenal. The tender meat came off the bones very easily and were a joy to eat. As good as my Hot Italian sausage was, I am certain that the highlight of this pass for many will be these delicious ribs.
If you enjoyed the photos and review, definitely check out the VANEATS.ca Falconetti’s video above to learn more about this pass. If you have heard enough and just want to eat, the ‘#FalconettisFix‘ pass is currently on sale so head over to VANEATS.ca to buy your pass today!
