jamiemaw

Glaring oversight: leaving Discovery Wines (Spall and Springfield, behind the Zeller's) off our go-to list. Very knowledgeable service, BC wines and cheeses only; very good stemware. Today I needed some local sparkling wine in large format on short notice - delivery tomorrow. Plus I scored some 02 CC Platinum merlot; even the winery doesn't have that.

If so, why pay Bond/Noble etc. for menu input? Souds like an account/corporate training specialist could effect far more positive change than a "name" chef. ← I was pleased to return from my daylight job of banging nails to see the effusive early response that this thread has sparked - both good and not so good. I was also pleased that Keith felt a compunction to respond. And for the record, I think the experience (as I said in the Burger Club thread, I ate a lot of wings and chicken tenders over the past year) at old-format Earls locations (Broadway and Fir, Kelowna, Victoria) is different than that in new rooms (Paramount Place). In fact, last weekend, at Paramount Place, we enjoyed a solid if predictable dinner, in possibly the best venue to watch hockey games, and two bottles of the impossible-to-find Sandhill 2003 Phantom Creek Petit Verdot, for $30. I quite enjoyed myself, as did our friends, who are rather more sophisticated diners than me. I'm not sure that I love CFD, Neil, but thanks for the offer. I have been quite intrigued by several things relevant to local CFDs though: there are a lot of local chains that clearly operate at a service, food and design level superior to other Canadian and American concepts; new CFDs are achieving annual revenues of over $5 million plus; foreign industry executives and consultants arrive here frequently to research them; and the food media, by in large, is effusively ignorant of them. That being said, there is a certain ubiquity to them, beginning the moment you walk in the front door. Stacked rock fireplaces, columns of flat-screens, and coltish servers who run like thoroughbreds and seem very happy for the income. Like Keith, I feel an organic urge and even civic duty to tip out heavily to help them with their tuition. Michael Noble's first chain-wide roll-out of new menu items will be launched next week, about a year since he joined Earls. Julian Bond has made more aggressive changes at Cactus Club, removing quite a few items and building the menu back. The one chain that I found consistently enervating and unexciting was Moxie's; it seemed an unimaginative and cheaper version of the species. I agree with lauraf and others that their training is sound preparation for what lies ahead, and that mention on a resume is a step up: it implies training, Needs Satisfaction skills, and a mind that can get organized for a solid shift, whether it be in the restaurant industry, or in a law partnership, or selling something more expensive than a margarita on a Monday. Lastly, and perhaps even more importantly, I also think there's a lesson to be learned by independent restaurateurs from CFD ingredient procurement, systems, floor management, service training, cleanliness and more. Jamie

Western Canada is unique in the world for the number and high quality of CFD concepts incubated right here. It's been largely overlooked by the food media, and last month CFD ARTICLE I took it upon myself to see just how they got so good. The short answer: Superlative service training, outstanding development chefs, cleanliness and design, and value. Now industry executives from around the world visit frequently to see the phenomenon first-hand. What are your dining or actual work experiences at these concept chains, whether Earls, Cactus Club, Milestone's The Keg, Moxie's, Joey's, Saltlik et al?

Good news from Burrowing Owl, and for those of us accomodation-challenged in the south Valley. The winery now features 10 luxe guestrooms and a lovely swimming pool for those hot, dry summer days. And Glenn Monk, formerly of Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Club Intrawest Zihuatanejo, is the new executive chef at the winery's Sonora Room. That's excited Michael Allemeier from Mission Hill, and the other brothers-in-arms who are sourcing aggresively up and down the valley. Bonus: The Sonora Room is now open year-round. Jamie

Lee, I'm going to defer to Gerald to post the winning ingredients as he now owns the recipes and may want to keep some proprietory. I can say that the first prize went to a chili-raised and slightly sweetened admix called "Thai Me Up" with some other, more visible additions. A quality and satisfying chew.

I enjoyed judging the 12 semi-finalists with Tim Pawsey, Judith Lane and Angus Reid of the Lions. Angus plays centre for the mighty Leos and we were quick to ask who has gentler hands - Dickinson or Printers? He reported that Dickinson moisturizes and so he'd have to vote for him. I'm pretty sure that's why Casey's headed south. But the hands down winners of the burger contest (eating 12 large hamburgers is a necessary professional hazard) are each flavourful and complementary to their central ingredient. I hope that you concur with our decision. Jamie

Lee, Wonderful of you to organize the Advanced Burger Seminar at CC. Chef Julian Bond is one of the best development and teaching chefs in the business; I was delighted to see him join Cactus Club, which is one of the top CFD chains in the world. He joins the ranks of Michael Noble at Earls (who are rolling out significant menu changes and additions this week), Chris Mills at Joey's Global, and Stewart Fuller at Saltlik. Both Noble and Mills represented Canada at the Bocuse d'Or competition in France. Before you attend the seminar, may I suggest that you read this? I'm also going to strongly recommend that the six lottery winners for the seminar buy the magazine. In it you will see a colour graphic (not available on the website) that breaks down the costing of the hamburger, ingredient-by-ingredient. From it, I think you'll gain a sense of the fastidious detail that goes into menu item design, and in turn, make your discussion more interesting. Costing, as you'll see, is run to four decimal places. With respect, I disagree with thoughbox's statement on two fronts: first, Cactus Club restaurants are not franchised; and second, criticizing something you have not evaluated does not make for a qualified opinion. In writing the article that is linked above, I spent about a year reading service training manuals, wine lists, menus and attending menu test evaluations. I ate in several dozen CFD retsurants in Western Canada, the UK and the US. Over time I developed an enhanced respect both for how meticulous the chains cited in the article source ingredients (Earls has had an organic greens program for over a decade; their wine list is one the best value lists I've ever seen, anywhere). Ditto for local CFD's service and and cook training programs, cleanliness and design, among the other requirements for running retail operations that now regularly rack-up over $5 million in per-store sales. My end opinion is that many of the chains incubated in Western Canada, especially Earls, The Keg, Cactus Club, Saltlik, Joey's, and Milestone's, lead their category worldwide and for good reasons: nobody who does it faster does it better, and the reverse. I can also report, however, that I'm not as excitied as you might think about eating another chicken wing again, ever.

Order the chicken fricassee.

Thanks for the delightful photos and detailed report, Abra. Terrific to meet you both - hands across the border and all that - and I certainly look forward to your future inventions in black rice alchemy! Absolutely amazing how that distinctive black cherry flavour is born. The same holds true for Phnom Penh's famous squid dish: rice flour is but one trick, the other being bottled lemon juicefor the lemon-pepper dish. That's what gives it that bleachy flavour that cuts the umami-richness of the squid tubes. It's always a pleasure to tour someone both so knowledgeable and curious. Cheers to you and Shel, Jamie

After grilling deep cut sirloins (start hot, finish medium, begin with fat side down) , which run about 1.75 kilos (or about 3 pounds at 3 inches thick), after letting them rest for 10 to 15 minutes, I slice the mini-roasts for my guests and salt with Maldon flakes, by far the best salt I've found for beef steaks. The only other condiment allowed at table (besides pepper) is very hot horseradish. This is our favourite cut and a couple of steaks of this size can go quite a long way, and fairly economically.

While I certainly don't care if I ever eat another piece of that icon of the late-80s, seared yellowfin (just open your mouth and say 'ahi') again, or that icon of the 90s, the tuna tower, I'll go out of my way for: • Yoshi's maguro gomae at Bluewater. My daughters grew up on it at Yoshi's and hurry down to see Tabo San behind his horseshoe desk on Yaletown. • Like Chris, I’m also a big fan of Sado's masochism at Octopus's Garden - from albacore dominoes to rolls to gomae • Scott Kidd’s lightly smoked albacore with crème fraiche and chives. You can replicate it at home by cutting discs from Saltspring brand smoked albacore, and placing them between inexpensive chopsticks with a spoonful of crème fraiche and a strew of chives or diced scallions. Arrange the stix around a plate with the tuna facing inwards. • The Italian canned (packed in oil) tuna at Epicurean and other Italian stores. The other day in a large supermarket, not one of the many brands of tuna was offered in oil. • Tuna tartar at Japone • Suntan tuna at Tojo's (red tuna wrapped in seaweed, served with plum sauce. • Tuna sashimi with ranch dressing at Hapa.

This is true GG. BC wineries play very hard-to-get. One, Blue Mountain, can be visited by appointment only, and famously sent out invitations to their Vancouver wine reception several years ago . . . during the postal strike. So short of sleeping with the winemaker (which, incidentally, I don't recommend as they are notoriously selfish lovers, much more concerned with 'dropping fruit', 'oxygenating' and 'drip irrigation'), you'll find it very difficult to access Canadian wines. On the other hand, we're happy to share our enormous reserves of beaver pelts, softwood (aka 'flaccid') lumber, and oil. In fact Canada just replaced the fine oligarchy of Saudia Arabia as your lead supplier of oil. Our 10:30 Meritage is quite thirst quenching of a summer's afternoon. So the following may change . . . Back to wine, this wasn't a bad sample, but it was a tiny one. At the end of my street in Kelowna, there's a little winery called CedarCreek, whose Platinum Series of wines is really quite good. And there are many other local examples, some of which we touched on during that little blog in December. But you'll have to come here to try them with us locals, on the back stoop, bottle in hand.

This minimum requirement of visits may be a NY Times rule, but as newspaper profits sag and less young writers are taken on staff, fewer and fewer critics will be given that kind opportunity -- or be willing to put in the time if the pay-per-piece is the same for one visit or twelve. Restaurateurs read Mimi Sheraton saying "a critic should go at least three times", and then use that kind of quote to say their review was not fair. This kind of rule really irks me because it's bandied about by the critics who have (or had) that kind of opportunity, and used to discredit those who do not. ← Professional curiousity: Do you ever feel compromised by a lack of budget Lesley? How many menu items are you able to afford with your budget in order to evaluate a restaurant?

New Yorkers have much to be skeptical about; they are routinely cheated by hyperbole and the artifice of celebrity. But even Frankie got it badly wrong from time to time. Culinary chauvinism might be as fast a growth industry as that what begat it. Our local bemusement is heightened whenever we reflect on a certain Iron Chef episode, No. IA1A03. Storyline: The proprietor of a little brasserie at the end of our street handed Morimoto his arse on a plate. It wasn't terribly close. Said Morimoto stormed off the set, furiously bumping into the victor, leading many to question which is the duller, his knives or his wit. But now, at least he'll have the world's largest noren to hide behind. Locally, the once-proud cry of Mor-i-moto! has been reduced to mean egoistic spoil-sport loser. Another of our favourite spectator sports in Manhattan (in addition to watching the brownstockinged tourists roll-in to Daniel for the pre-theatre sitting) is sitting in the bleachers when foreign invilgilators cast their ballots. The handwringing that accompanied Michelin's laconic opinions was found art and almost as much fun as reporting on Richard Johnson's affair here in Vancouver. The irony of the latter was not lost on us provincials: The pressures of Johnson's job being such that he was actually unable to make it there; the chaste became the chased.

Werdna is spot-on. Tentacles (and whole baby squid tubes, much superior to wedding ring style calamari) require an overnight dry, salt-based marinade with some ground dried peppers. Air dry. Another well-tested technique for a non-gloppy, gossamer batter is to substitute rice flour for cake flour. You can experiment with a little cornstarch for additional texture if you wish. And when using baby squid tubes, after extracting the quill, cross-hatch the tubes with a sharp knife to increase the 'hold' for the batter and the surface area for the fry. Toss with some fried garlic, and chopped scallions and flat leaf parsley. There's another secret for the classic Cambodian dipping sauce. Use bottled lemon juice with finely ground pepper, not fresh. The almost-bleachy flavour is remarkable with the squid.

Indeed, it did sound like a cheerful place to work, which the photo seemed to support as well, and that usually means an emancipated owner somewhere. Which made me wonder the louder, why the swordfish and monkfish?

Good write-up. I think Kurtis's wine program deserves some attention -- not as one of the 'blockbuster' lists in the city (full of trophies we don't really want to order), but one that fits the concept of the restaurant perfectly, pairs with the food beautifully, and offers great value to boot. Complaints about the list being "small" are misguided; It's focussed, concise, and full of the best local stuff. What more do you need? I'd like to see more everyday restaurateurs build wine lists like Aurora's. ← Hear, hear all 'round, Chris. Kurtis's 'Cellar' list now offers some wonderful vertical opportunities as well, with bottle flights of Kettle Valley pinot noir (99 - 01) and the ballbuster King Merlot 01 available; and Poplar Grove, Nota Bene (99 - 03), Fairview, BO, and Stag's Hollow. These are much more than conversation pieces and I applaud KK's application of diligence to good taste - rather than an agent's list, with the detective work involved it reads more like a secret agent's list.

A closet lurker of no small culinary significance has PM'ed me this link to The Laughing Oyster on Okeover Arm in beautiful Powell River, British Columbia.

Although one might have thought the conceit of the embedded journalist had passed its sell-by date by now , we need not fear the reviewer who understands too much. Here, any empathy was for the staff, not the owner. But his tenet in walking this much trodden ground was to supposedly educate the customer. The fact that for obvious reasons he doesn't, of course, reduces the exercise to low comedy. In fairness, he does paint the landscape of those universal customers: Type A: Only had kids so they can get Pre-Boarding; Type B: The cheerful, accepting, thankful and generous; and Type C: "People interested in having the experience of being disappointed". On the whole, most of Mr. Bruni's body of work does in fact admire your suggested protocol: He understands little. That's abundantly evident in his unthinking (or unknowing) sales pitches for swordfish and monkfish, two species in dire straits indeed. Here his ignorance does not benefit the customer; on this coast a critic promoting endangered fish - even in the context of a mock-u-drama - would be looking for a real job and quickly. That being said, at least he finally made it off the island, if only just.

Thank you Jamie for bringing up a topic near and dear to my heart. [sNIP] Keep on shucking Oyster Guy ← Thanks for chimin' OG. Would you care to comment on the characteristics of some of your favourite varieties? the bestsellers at Bearfoot right now? Do you recommend different oysters for men than women?

on the other hand, maybe not. one of the big pushes on campus now is sustainable dining, believe it or not. i spoke at a small farm conference at the cia-napa a couple of years ago and the colleges were out in force. dining is one of the big perks that draws students and it appears some colleges are willing to spend a little money on it. ← It's coming, I think Russ, but I also believe the exception you cite proves the still-extant rule. One way to push forward, of course, is for student-journalists to do the research and expose the financials: alas, the budget per student per day typically defies gravity, and often even gravy.

I don't necessarily agree. We typically see much better value (and often food quality) in most of the cities of Canada, both in CFD establishments and independent bistros and brasseries. Gastro-pubs in the UK (balsamic meets the boozer) grew out of a need that was both real estate-driven and necessary: once upon a time the gulf between fine dining and accessible, reasonably-priced neighbourhood rooms was enormous. As the breweries consolidated in the 80s, recycled pubs, in their profusion and diversity (and already licensed), made perfect candidates to bridge the chasm. It's easy to drop CDN$100+ a head in London gastro-pubs, sometimes with disappointing results. These citizens' reviews of Tom Conran's The Cow reveals the dark side: "I completely agree with Mary. This 'famous' restaurant is vastly over-priced for what you get and the service is dire. We were able to book a table for 8 in the very small, but comfortable dining room. At least three of the main courses turned up stone cold. If the kitchen can't handle large orders, the management shouldn't allow bookings over a certain number. I ordered the T-Bone Steak (which was cold) and paid £25 for a meal that just wasn't up to scratch. The meat itself was fine. It was simply cooked badly. A number of our group felt the same way and if you are looking for a good meal at a reasonable price for a largish group of friends, avoid the Cow at all costs. I can imagine a romantic meal for two would be a different story, but do remember your wallet." or . . . The "head waitress" was very unpleasant, good thing that service is included in the bill! The food was good, however if you order the dinner portion of ravioli, they only give you 5. (two of mine had split open and had contained no filling) So I paid 17 pounds for 3 ravioli's and 2 flattened pieces of pasta. The scallops are amazing, the native fresh oysters are fabulous. The food is overall good, but very pricey for what you get." But I'll be very interested to see from Andy and others some recommendations of good value gastro-pubs, and why. Jamie

It's near primetime for oysters here - both local and long distance. So an invitation - to share your favourite stool or banquette - the place that you think presents oysters like no other. Do explain. Also of interest . . . Favourite oyster varieties Preferred accompaniments (mignonette, accordion music etc.) Favourite shuckers Favourite wine or beer pairings Favourite companion foods . . . and of course, are they really an aphrodisiac?

Thinking just slightly outside the bento box, you may want to interview the director of UW food services and find out where the campus buffeteria food emanates from (probably a warehouse in Auburn) and trace it back, in staggering quantities, onto the plate. Ditto food production in a Frat House, if they serve meals at UDub. Cheers, Jamie

There are a number of useful suggestions already posited here. Cooking, language, and writing - via reading, education, and work experience - are each valuable; the last - writing - is the most difficult to learn. Here are a few things that have served me particularly well over the years: 1. A 'Needs Satisfaction' course, such as that taught by companies such as Xerox to their sales and marketing reps. The most valuable part of the course for you will be in discovering how to form direct and indirect questions, and support and summary statements in order to get the information that you require. While some clever journalists enjoy this skill intuitively, learning it early will make your information retrieval better faster, and a much better listener. A strong side benefit is that it will aslo teach you how to sell your work. Xerox Learning Systems and other companies market these courses to outsiders. 2. Follow the Money. Few food writers (and surprisingy few restaurant critics, some who aren't even conversant with basics such as food costs) have deep knowledge on the economics of food, distribution, restaurant operations and the like. First, it provides empathy with your subject if you understand their financial landscape. Second, it gives you two stories every time you write one; there is a growing marketplce for the business of food stories. Third, it grounds you, tempering the flowery language and faux-romance with reality, and should allow you to stare past the hyperbole and flackery with confidence. Last, if nothing else, it will set you apart from your peers. 3. Don't lose your voice. Some (especially middlebrow glossy) periodicals and their editors will endeavour to give you laryngitis. Listen, adapt. But just as all politics and food is local, never give up your own local voice and perspective. 4. Humour: There is an vast oversupply of food writers who take themselves too seriously, as if yet another cookbook or history of cocktail weenies could reverse global warming. Equally, there's a dearth of funny, self-deprecators out there which probably explains why Calvin Trillin sells well in reprint. The last comes pretty naturally to me (Post # 137) as there's ample room. Share your humour with others. 5. Always remember, "If you're talking too much about the food, you're eating with the wrong people." 6. Many outstanding writers (food and otherwise) do something else completely different during daylight hours. I do and I enjoy both equally. In fact I couldn't do one without the other. 7. For restaurant reviewing, there's a Methodology Template at Post # 51 here. 8. All successful businesses thrive because they offer either a unique good or service, or do something better than the competition does faster, or the reverse. Decide what makes your business - your business of writing - unique. 9. You're blessed to live in an area where local ingredients fairly leap out of the sea and from the farms; the wines are excellent too. As an early exercise, for a feature, try following one ingredient such as a fish or grape, along every route of groeth, harvest, processing, packaging, distribution, retailing or cooking in a restaurant. Interview its tenders, document the added monetary value at each stage. I hope this helps. Cheers, Jamie