Redhead

Lonsdale Quay. Little greek guy who runs the Greek deli place in the food court, the one with the nice, long glass display case. Check the smaller glass display case to the left of the cashier, and you'll find small plastic tubs of the MOST amazing, creamy rice pudding with cinnamon. With or without raisins. We eat it straight up from the fridge. Addictive. I can't believe I'm sharing my secret source.

WOW! I'd purposely been avoiding this thread ever since I first checked my calender lo these many months ago and realized I couldn't pull a rabbit out of hat and magically appear in two places at once. I would take the e-Gullet crew and a few minutes with Tony B. over a family birthdayparty almost any day.... only the sad, sweet faces of my offspring would haunt me forever..... Glad a fantastic time was had by all! Thanks for photos and the menu description. Shucks, someone got to kiss AB not once but twice???? Did someone say shortribs? Dang, I missed it!

Personally I'm not a fan of Cobbs, either --- isn't it pathetic to find a Cobbs just a few steps away from the fabulous "Cheese Shoppe" at Park Royal, what an insult to the cheeses --- but I have to admit that the two large loaves of sandwich bread (one white, one whole wheat) I bought stood up amazingly well on a camping trip this summer, especially when compared to the horrible WonderBread-style our American friends brought along. Discerning kids may prefer your pricey French patisserie, but mine went bonkers for these loaves. Soft, springy, politely bland in flavor but with enough homemade appeal to put Dempsters, et al, to shame. My kids prefer the loaves from my bread machine, esp. the version made with unbleached white and a cup of Anita's organic rye flour (sold in brown paper sacks at Capers). A bit of Maritme molasses, some brown sugar, water, yeast, salt and a splash of vinegar -- voila, a wholesome brown bread with great texture, addictive when toasted.

"The food here justifies the constant accolades it gets from the media (thanks Jamie) that many other places that are subject to local media group think aren't." Another Phnom Penh convert! Let me just add that former CBC Radio restaurant critic and Vancouver magazine editor Scott Mowbray was the first to sing the place's praises 10-plus years ago. Nobody had heard of it up until then. The Chinatown location has always been preferred over the Broadway, in any case. More squid, more squid. It IS good, isn't it! edited to add my list of places I'm ashamed to say I haven't eaten at yet: Lumiere (have eaten next door at Feenie's, however) Villa del Lupo (past its prime or still list-worthy?) any of those Japanese bar-food joints, i.e., Guu, Hapa-Izakaya, etc. Sun Sui Wah (waiting to go with a crowd)

We've had good luck with Windsor Meats (Caulfeild location) -- they carry an organic line of beef that includes a really outstanding flank steak. Jolly the Butcher in North Van (a little challenging to find, but worth it) is the best for pork products, including dressed roasts, baby back ribs, Swedish and Danish-style cured ham, etc. Not bad on beef items -- we just tried two "Australian rib-eye" steaks from there, pretty good. Nice price, too - about $10 for two large steaks. And a place I haven't tried yet, but WANT to www.bluegoosecattle.com They have warehouse location on Welch St. in North Van. Not sure if you can just drop in and buy a small amount, or if there's a minimum purchase (say, half a cow?) or you have to shop by appointment. But it sounds yummy..... Some eGulleteer should try this out and report back. FYI, Keith. Windsor Meats sells some nice, pounded and lightly breaded chicken strips -- not the pre-cooked, chopped and formed rubbish, either. Ask for them if you go.

LOL! I normally reserve that description for my friend's homemade "kit" wine.

Cool, does Clayoquot Wilderness Resort have a cellar? I've only been there once and the entire operation was built on a floating barge.... what with the Outpost accommodations added, etc., I guess the resort is really humming now!

Make a ferry reservation! I wouldn't risk stopping for a bite in Tsawwassen without one. And you'll still need to be through the payment booths and parked in the line-up at least 30 minutes prior to sailing. Details on the BC Ferries website. I think there is supposed to be some beach concession in Tsawassen or White Rock that's really good -- others have posted about it here last summer. That would be a good choice if the weather is right, given that you're travelling en famille. Others on this board are sure to have suggestions. On Mayne Island, there's the dining room at the Oceanwood B&B, but since the B&B is adult-only, I wonder if that applies to the restaurant, too? The food was terrific when I was there, but it was a fairly quiet, upscale room. There's a casual burger and fish 'n' chips place beside the dock where the float planes land -- I think it has "Spring" in the name? We've had some decent lunches there, sitting on the deck, and I've seen lots of kids there. I believe Pender Isl. has a new B&B -- Poet's Cove? Might be worth checking out. Welcome to B.C. -- we love your U.S. greenbacks here!

Well, after a morning exploring Stanley Park (look, the Hollow Treeeeee.....), Granville Island (fab Lee's donuts, airy and not greasy) and the mudflats at Spanish Banks, we repaired to Moderne Burger for big, juicy burgs dressed with thick slices of tomato, thin slices of red onion, a bit of romaine and a dollop of sauce (some mayo/ketchup/bbq hybrid, I think) and served with mounds of very good fries. The Japanese girls split one burger and ate daintily with knives and forks. A dozen serviettes later, we boorish Canucks polished off a burger each (but only 1/2 our fries) and a Cherry-Lime soda with a Vanilla Milkshake chaser (kids couldn't finish the shake, haha). The place was hopping. We reminisced fondly about a previous eGullet dinner here and were glad we returned.

Thanks for all these suggestions. Given the gas prices, I think we'll save the Steveston idea -- that's a long haul from our place. I think some burgers-to-go, eaten on the beach, sounds right. I'll stick a little Cdn. flag into the fries.....

Yes, it's that time of year when we host a couple of giggly Japanese teenage girls for a weekend so they can experience Canadian home life.... So, where should we take them for a "Canadian" lunch? I know they'd love the novelty of eating White Spot off a long tray in my car, but it makes me weep handing over good money for such mediocre food. I'm thinking Granville Island? Isn't there a fish place down on the docks somewhere? Or maybe Moderne Burger? Good food, funky diner decor. Must be somewhere cheap, kid-friendly and non-Japanese. FYI, we once took our homestay kids out for dim sum lunch and I could tell they HATED it, although they were too polite to say anything. They ate almost nothing. White Spot the next day was a big hit, however. Sigh.

try the website at www.eatmagazine.ca or call 250-384-9042

How annoying.... why would they order California berries when local ones are in season? Surely the California ones aren't cheaper, given the transportation cost?

Generally speaking, if an item is on sale at Save-On-Foods, it's the same price and sometimes cheaper than the same item at Costco. But for certain things we KNOW we're going to use up (Dijon mustard, real maple syrup, Heinz ketchup) that we don't mind buying the BIG containers of, Costco is our preferred store. Hubby likes the cheese prices (bags of Baby Bel gouda, big rounds of that soft, peppered French stuff that's good in mashed potatoes) and we've had some decent steaks, too. One has to be disciplined to shop in these places, lest one ends up carting home entire cases of KitKats, cheesies and gummy bears. I always stay away from the fresh produce. Looks like it was trucked in from Patagonia -- the price may be right, but I'd rather put my Costco savings towards buying fresh, regional produce at a farmer's market or Caper's. edited to say, I'm mostly referring to bulk or case-lot items on sale at Save-On....

Coop, those Parkside group menus look awesome. Any chance we could get a group of eGulleteers together to take advantage of this? Redhead

HOLY SHIT. Mussels at Moxies? I don't believe you. Two reasons, A) You'd probably be dead and B) This sounds a little too much like bragging. I know, I know! It's not like I hadn't been sternly warned about the place. But you see, it was Spring Break, hence the trip was ALL about the kids, and the kids insisted on this volcano thing.... sigh. Since their pizzas arrived first and tasted ok, I got my hopes up for our entrees. And Mr. Redhead's starter spinach salad also got a passing grade. But oh my, the wheels fell off the turnip truck with the seafood. No tummy aches afterward, but I suppose that was pure luck? I haven't had a dish this bad since I was served a bowl of rancid ratatouille in the youth hostel in (of all gastronomically outstanding places) Dijon, France. edited to say: bragging rights here only on the Dijon, France bit!

I agree with Coop and Keith Talent, et al. Just wanted to add a few more Victoria recommendations. We've stayed at the Coast Harbourside 3 times and loved the rooms, the pool and the restaurant. Although it might appear too upscale at first glance for a 4-yr-old, the Blue Crab is actually kid-friendly. Hands out crayons and coloring books, has blue crab tattoos at reception, will happily divide plates to suit dainty eaters, or make "adjustments" to menu items to please little palates. The room service menu includes good choices for kids and arrives HOT. The wait staff are patient and accommodating. You can watch seaplanes landing and taking off. Uh, did I mention the pool? And there's a free shuttle service to carry those tired toddlers to and from the central downtown area (which is only a 10-minute walk for adults). Our kids enjoyed the wood-fired pizza and were thrilled with the dry-ice "volcano" dessert at Moxie's, but frankly our adult entrees (mussels, salmon) were inedible. Stick to the pizza. For soft-serve ice cream or Coke floats, don't miss the Beacon Drive-In, across from Beacon Hill Park. I think you can also order a toasted tea cake there, how Victorian! The Market on Yates is an independent grocery store with a fun "British Foods" imported food section, and some very nice looking meat and fish. Good place to stock up on snacks.

Hi Jerry, didn't realize you were an amateur baker! I assume you're talking about equipment, not ingredients? Tools & Techniques inWest Vancouver carries lots of pans and utensils. Ming Wo in Chinatown has a good selection and helpful staff (I went in to buy a rice paddle and came home with a rice cooker, best appliance purchase ever). Are you making a fruitcake? Just a warning: I bought candied fruit from Galloway's and later discovered a mini ant invasion came with it. As for shelled nuts, well good luck finding something that hasn't gone bitter or rancid after too long on the shelves. Crack your own for best results. As the beleagured Martha Stewart would say, it's a good thing....

Running the lid under hot water often works. Something about the metal lid expanding? Then wrap the jar in a kitchen towel and give the lid a few firm whacks to loosen things up. Alternatively, loosen things up with a stiff gin-and-tonic and toss the stupid jar back into the cupboard.

LOL! You really nailed it there. We ought to start a new thread with CJS on the egulleters' guide to the feeding and culinary education of twins. Coop apparently successfully taught his offspring to PREHEAT the pan, among other essentials. Inspiring, no? We have b/g twins aged 6 who are also great fans of the aforementioned Spag. Factory (at least the one in Whistler -- god save us from the truly inedible meals we were served in a Seattle S.F.). Your suggestion of a rice noodle bowl is excellent. Deep-fried foods continue to offer maximum appeal to the little Redheads; we are regulars at a cheap Japanese place where our standard order includes prawn tempura, miso soup (carefully pre-filtered to remove those offensive "slimy green bits"), edamame ("popping beans," many of which naturally end up in the laps of neighbouring diners) and chicken yakitori (extra teriyaki sauce on the side please for a pleasant sugar buzz). The next time the behavior balls read "compliant", "willing to try something new" and "promises not to bop sibling incessantly on the head with blow-up toy from the P.N.E. that parents thought they'd hidden in the crawl space", we'll head out in search of that rice noodle bowl....

“ I am acutely embarassed to report that when I go up to BC, I can never keep the name of this chain straight. I keep calling it 'The Wet Spot'." LOL! Other less-than-endearing terms you'll occasionally hear from locals are The Bot Spot and The White Bot, which are references to a botulism outbreak at one Vancouver White Spot many years ago. Apparently a tainted jar of prepared minced garlic used in the sauce for the French Dip sandwich led to some very serious illness. Long time ago, but unforgettable (not in a good way) for those involved! Re: the IKEA cafeteria, it's definitely worth a look. I suspect Mr. Talent is tossing his adorable twins into the play area (our twins love it in there) and then heading upstairs for a nice cup of Swedish coffee. They do a decent job with open-face cured salmon sandwiches (gravlax, with a sweet dilly mustard sauce) and it's dead quiet in there when the store first opens. Re: Yaohan, I gotta get back there. They serve bipbimbap in REAL stone bowls? And people don't walk off with them? Finally, in the interests of expanding my children's culinary world, I'd love to know what Chinese dishes appeal to the little Talents. Mine turn up their noses at most of the trad Westernized stuff like sweet and sour. What are yours eating?

What types of cuisine do you think are under-represented, or you would like to see a greater selection of, in Vancouver? Korean. According to Korean friends of ours, Vancouver is great place to buy authentic ingredients but dismal when it comes replicating authentic Korean food in a restaurant setting. They've tried every restaurant in town that claims to serve Korean meals and were disappointed every time. Bonus for us: when the weather warms up, they're going to fire up their BBQ and have us over for a proper Korean dinner, with homemade kim chee and bulgogi and bipbimbap..... yum. Scandinavian. Don't scoff! And since Dovre stopped importing those big pails of plump whole herring fillets, we haven't been able to satisfy our cravings for a proper Swedish-style herring feast at home, either. There's more to Scandinavian cooking than open-faced sandwiches, fyi.

We also tried organic veg by home delivery a few years ago... although the taste was superior, we initially had trouble getting the selections we'd picked. The company later went to a more flexible ordering system, so we didn't end up with stuff we truly hated (swiss chard, fennel). But I found it was a lot of work, because certain items had to be stored certain ways -- organic stuff is a LOT more perishable, of course -- and some of it must be eaten quite promptly, within 2-3 days. In the end, I realized I would pay about the same or less (and waste less) if I simply bought my organic produce as needed down the street. Now Coop, given your neighborhood, you might indeed LOVE having access to good, fresh, organic produce that you can't source elsewhere. It's very convenient, having someone drop off a big Rubbermaid box of fresh food. And the jr. Coops will help you eat it all, right? Good luck!

I concur. Liked the room, really enjoyed the conversations (they weren't ALL about food. Much to our mutual amazement, it turns out Coop and I went to the same high school!) and found the burger did not live up to expectations. I think we should give Vera's Burgers a try one day.... although there was some talk of a -- gasp! -- NON-burger egullet outing to delve into the delights of Thai food or some other worthy cuisine. note to Coop: my burger evaluation form will be sent soon!

......."they've never managed to make anything drinkable in any significant quantities".... ZING!!!! Pretty harsh words..... I can only say that in our house we have, over the years, consumed significant quantities of B.C. wine and found them very drinkable indeed. We flipped over some Burrowing Owl only this past summer. I have yet to find a B.C. red that tickles my palate, it's true. But my tastes in red wine run to very expensive French burgundies, as weighty as gold on the tongue and priced to match. Let's see the Aussies match that!!!