Aphrodite's Organic Cafe and Pie Shop

I must admit off the bat that this is not a completely well-rounded review. That is, I am basing my review on the three times I have eaten at Aphrodite's over the past six months. One visit involved the purchase of a pie for a birthday party, one visit was made to grab a slice of raspberry-rhubarb pie to go, and one visit was made to enjoy a brunch close to home. In all three cases I found the food to be slightly above average and overpriced. I appreciate Aphrodite's effort to create pies filled with fresh and organic fruit, and I realise the rent along 4th must be astronomical, but I don't think it is reasonable to charge between $27-$30 for a normal-sized pie. I have had a few pies from Choices Market that are equally as healthy and fruit-filled but cost close to half the price of Aphrodite's. Another great place for pie in Vancouver is the Vancouver Art Gallery Cafe.

My brunch experience here was also mediocre, and I won't be back. Their basic two-egg breakfast is $14, which makes Joe's Grill and Cafe Zen much better options. Three different people helped me during my three separate visits, and all of them were pretty standoffish and charmless. You gotta give us something, Aphrodite's! Average pie, average service, high prices...I wouldn't miss it if it disappeared.

Rodney's Oyster House

It feels kind of silly writing about a restaurant that has been reviewed to death on Yelp and Urbanspoon, but I've been to this Rodney's twice in the past year and feel the need to share my observations.

First, don't eat here unless you like oysters. Rodney's does have some crustacean-based alternatives, but they have few fish options and even fewer non-seafood dishes. This is an oyster bar.

Second, I never thought felines were particularly partial to shellfish, but this place is a cougar den! While establishments such as Hapa and Cactus Club don't even try to deny their hiring bias toward hot young women, it is evident that Rodney's has a penchant for pretty boys and stud muffins. This makes it a favourite haunt for hen parties and pumas alike.

Third, Rodney's has a poor selection of beers, and fails to list the breweries they represent on the menu. I know they are attempting to have their menu reflect the facileness of their servers, but there are few benefits to hiding beverage information from your patrons. I had to ask about *each* beer - idiotically and generically labeled 'lager' and 'hefeweizen' and 'pale ale' - and finally settled on a caesar due to their subpar, GIB-dominant options.

Fourth, be prepared to wait. The oysters here are really really good, but you'll have to wait for those mimbos to scurry through the cougar den before you can enjoy your bivalves.

In summation, try this popular Yaletown spot for some oysters and a caesar, but perhaps dine elsewhere for your mains.

Keywords: "Alex Dawkins", "Vancouver Seafood", "Vancouver Oyster Bars"