I am alive!...and more importantly, still eating!

Sorry for the absence, Nancylanders. I have been distracted, working lots, and also in a mild state of hibernation for this winter, but things are warming up, and I'm going to chew my way out of this coccoon. But not to worry, I have not been starving these last few weeks, and I have some great finds to post. To start, here's one a wee bit further out of the city core than my average post.

Looking for a lazy weekend day adventure now that the weather is warming up and the days are longer? Be a tourist in your own town. Toss your bikes in your car and visit charming Fort Langley. Bike the Fort-to-Fort trail from the original Fort Langley site in Derby Reach Regional Park to the town of Fort Langley, if you like that sort of thing, then wander around the cute shops, historical museums, have a coffee at Wendel's, the coffee shop/bookstore right in the middle of town, treat yourself to a funky hat (or two, like I did when I went) at the hat store, and then have a nice dinner at the Lampliter afterwards. I asked the hat lady what her favourite restaurant is, and she really came through for me. She recommended the Lampliter Gallery Cafe (9213 Glover Road, 604-888-6464) a few doors down, and also the Adobo Grill for something a little more low-key. Incidentally, I've tried the "what's your favourite restaurant?" tactic with a couple of gas station attendants while in unfamiliar territory (because I usually have to stop and get gas), and I haven't been all that successful. Usually the answer is much too diplomatic, such as "there are lots of restaurants on so-and-so road." So it was a real pleasure to get this tip. Cosy little room, wonderful fine dining service, complete with confident and friendly wine reccomendation (which was also a real pleasure to get considering I wasn't really dressed for the restaurant, as it was a last minute decision after a long work day), and really tasty food. I had the cornmeal crusted mahi mahi special ($17.95), which was served with a delicious ratatouille, vegetables, and choice of starch. I chose the potato, which was a lovely potato strudel made with phyllo pastry. The fish was served with a creamy leek sauce. Very tasty, and the meal was that much better because this restaurant experience was way more refined than I was expecting to be able to find "out there" at the last minute. Mind you, I was drinking a little wine, and I was very hungry after work (just a cold cheese sandwich for lunch), so that always makes everything taste even better. Another little pleasant surprise there too (wine snobs may look away now) - I really enjoyed the local pink wine I had - Jackson Trigg's white merlot. The best part of the meal was the dessert, with a really good cup of coffee to accompany. Having resisted the temptation of getting an appetizer, I was able to fit in their amazing dessert sampler ($8.50). It consisted of three small portions of some beautifully high quality desserts, nicely plated with fruit and whipped cream: passionfruit mousse that was intensely flavoured with the fruit, yet totally cloudlike in texture; a warm maple bread pudding with ice cream; and a really delicious Belgian chocolate mousse torte . And for me, a good chocolate cake is hard to find. This dessert sampler is worth the trip in itself. Afterwards, ride your bikes back to your car to burn it all off (if you have time before dusk, otherwise, drive your car to town before dinner). The restaurant takes reservations, they're open for lunch and they're closed Mondays and Tuesdays. I remember dropping by Fort Langley in hopes of Sunday Brunch one summer day, and the restaurants were just packed, so reservations are probably a good idea.