CRAVE on Main and 23rd

Well I guess I'll make my first post about the most recent dining experience I had. And it's not a bad way to start a blog about restaurants by writing about the hip-little-restaurant-that-could opened by the Former Four Seasons Vancouver Hotel Executive Chef Wayne Martin.
The restaurant is located on Main and 23rd and if you don't look, you could very well drive right past it! But with it's hightening reputation, this place will not be overlooked for that much longer. You might miss the sign but I doubt you'll miss the line-up of people waiting outside for a table.
Well my first (but definatly not the last) experience with this place was on Saturday with dear ol' mom. Actually, she was the one who suggested it since her friend was raving to her about it. And I've heard good things about this place so why not. I had actually called before to make sure we can get a table (6:30pm on a Saturday...you better be safe than sorry) but was a bit disappointed to find out that they don't take resos. They said they were pretty open but it was filling up fast so I hightailed it out there but once on Main, parking became a problem...a big problem! It took me quite awhile to finally find a spot and I can see this turning into quite a problem for this place. Nonetheless, we got to the restaurant and luckily, was able to get a table right away. Now if you are planning on a get together for a group of friends, this is probably not the place to hit up. This place is small...i mean small. They have a patio in the front and a patio in the back but if you're talking about just the inside, they can probably sit about 25 people. But it does make the space more intimate. The decor is very simple-dark walls, a few photographs and dim lighting but it really suits the style of the place.
As soon as we got comfortable (not as soon as we sat down mind you!) our server was there with a warm smile. My mom and I didn't order any drinks but their drink menu is pretty small. They had the traditional mojitos and stuff and an average selection of wine (no Reislings! Damn!) but for a restaurant that size, you can't be too choosy.
As for the food. They had a starter as well as a main course special. My mom settled on the corn chower (special) and the lamb while I went for the Alaskan smoked cod. The corn chowder was pretty good. I liked the fact that you can tell they didn't add alot of salt and stuff to it. However, I guess that was why it was lacking a bit in the taste department. But it was very chowder-y with a good amount of corn. As for the main course, the lamb was GREAT! Very tender and juicy and the potatoes that came with it was out of this world! I thought it tasted great but my mom thought it could be a little tastier. My cod was very good too! But bewarned, there was 2 small pices of corn with a LARGE salad beside it. It definatly looked more like a salad dish than a fish dish. But nonetheless, the cod was smooth and the texture was great. It did have quite a strong smoked taste to it but i guess that was what i ordered rite??? My bad! I topped off my dinner with a non-fat latte and it was the perfect way to end my dinner.
The best thing about this place is the price. We're talking under $20 for the main courses! This is from the former executive chef at the Four Seasons!!!! Trust me, that's a great deal! The food is definatly comparable to those restaurants in the $30 range. You are getting a good deal here folks! With such a trendy location, good pricing and great vibe of the restaurant, Crave is definatly a place to check out. But be careful, the waiting lines here will definatly be getting longer and longer!