jamiemaw

No doubt that would be a holdover stubby Old Style...and when he's finished it, our Don'll be off to the minor-junior pro-am invitational bonspiel. ← Don Hough totally loves the tiny bubbles in the stubby. Especially at Prospera between the first and second, eh? And your darn right about the bonspiel--Don represented Canada in Extreme Curling at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

Taking a page from the production of ice wine in these chilly northern precincts, as well as the enormous popularity of Siberian peach pie over the past few years, Canadians have taken matters into their own hands. Leaving our stone fruit up in the orchards until freeze-up (in late August, as Steven helpfully points out), has led to a boon in winter ice fruit production: apricots and peaches predominate the market. The methodology parallels that of our acclaimed ice wines and is strictly controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture. The fruit must freeze naturally to minus 8 degrees Celsius for 48 continuous hours. The fruit is then picked and its concentrated essence separated from the frozen water. The resultant fruit (pulp and chunks) is then made into pies, fruit leathers or refreshing winter bellinis. Although production is still low, this initiative has resolved how always gracious Canadians can still eat 'local and seasonal' (if not exactly fresh), support our local farmers and avoid feeling vaguely like a military junta whenever we eat cherries. The concentrated flavour is its own reward; the fruit is said to have the lighthearted intensity of your own Kelly Ripa. Sorry to hear about the anesthesia. ← ← As it's clear that Steven is on a Chilean cherry run (or is that trot?), Deborah, I made some hasty calls up to the Okanagan Valley to see if this methodology might be extended to other tree fruits. I called the 'Big O' Organic Farms and spoke to proprietor Donald Hough, who, given the recent chilly weather, had his feet up on the stove and an Old Style in hand. He had time to talk. The conversation went something like this (NB: Non-Canadian readers, please try to read this with accents from the movie "Fargo" except slightly different: "Hello, Don, and Happy New Year. It's Jamie here, eh." "And Happy New Year to you, eh! Are you oot and aboot?" "So Don, with your recent successes with the OK Valley Ice Fruit, any chance you'll be adding others, like say, cherries? We have a friend in New York who likes to eat them in the wintertime. " "Sure we could fix him up." "Could you have some ready next week?" "I'll send you an order form, eh. Liquid nitrogen Gel-Paks are $2,500 each though." "What will you call them? The cherries I mean." "The missus and I are playing with that. 'Cuz of the Strike, we kinda like the Don Cherry." "Check that, eh!" So looks like we're all in luck just as soon as FedEx can get a load off. Please take care unpacking.

An excellent and entertaining link! Thanks, Jamie! ← Food styling for 2010 and yonder with 2005 ingredients was challenging. Thank goodness spring arrived early this year. Cheers, Jamie

Perhaps this will help inform the discussion

With many thanks to Frances, the link to the Wine Awards' results can now be found at the top of this thread in Post No. 1 or right HERE Thanks, Jamie

Thanks for all that, Andrew. I hope that you and other readers, especially industry folk, in addition to the awards themselves, also enjoy Christina Burridge's excellent wriitng. To my mind she is one of the most lucid and straightforward wine writers in Canada right now. Jamie

Yes, the 2002 Yalumba Barossa Bush Vines Grenache ($23.99) and the 1998 "The Signature" ($48.88) both took best Buy awards in Big Reds, while the 2001 Barossa Shiraz ($24.99) won a Special Merit award. And two others, the Yalumba Clocktower Tawny Port ($17.99) took a Best Buy, and the Yalumba Museum Release Old reserve Muscat ($27.99) pulled a Special Merit. Jamie

Yellowtail gets my NO vote! Would rather spend an extra 10 buck for Peter Lehman Shiraz. ← Both the Peter Lehman Futures and the Eight Songs placed highly in the awards. As I was saying earlier, much better than a cheap piece of 'Tail. Jamie

Shame on you Mooshmouse. ← For not yet fully reading the Awards, or not liking Yellowtail?! As with montrachet, I'll gladly take those wet noodle lashings for the latter! ← And shame on you too, Montrachet! Why I had a glass of the People's Choice just the other night and found it in complete lockstep with my Double Mushroom Burger down at La Tache Blanche. In fact it reminded me of our waitress: Slightly brassy around the corners perhaps but pretty nimble, and, beyond all else, certainly eager to please. The woman I was with, however, reminded me more of a pre-Mussolini Brunello: tall, elegant, broad-shouldered with bone structure like a German airport but an ass like a spider's elbow. On the whole I preferred to leave with her. So we left.

Shame on you Mooshmouse.

Winegeek, both you and Ling may well be pleased to know that the sweep of these awards was global, and the judges were asked to assume the role of consumers: it was all about value and aproachability. If memory serves me, J-T placed only one wine for an award, their 2002 Proprietors' Reserve Shiraz, which won a Special Merit Award in the category of Big Reds. The Mt. Boucherie 2002 Summit Reserve Syrah, equivalently priced (c. $19), won the same award, as did the 1999 Wolf Blass Platinum Series Shiraz at $79.99. Cheers, Jamie

FYI, the January/February issue of Vancouver magazine contains the results of the first annual Van Mag Wine awards. The results can be found HERE By way of back story, we hatched the plot almost two years ago, however our original intention was to make it a ‘BC Only’ event. Later, we decided to throw the doors open and make it a consumer-driven, value-friendly competition open to any bottle available for sale in the province. That just left the small matter of logistics. After appointing former BCLDB wine guru David Scolefield and bringing on a team of crack judges, entry solicitations were sent out. We anticipated perhaps 200 to 300 entries and were astonished when over 700 showed up. A one day judging morphed into two, passionate discussion ensued, and the result is that you, I think, are the beneficiary. We’ll be very interested to get your feedback. Jamie

NOTE TO READER: Just got off the phone with Andy and, alas, his server is down. He's pretty peeved as he consummated the Sunday English fry-up this morning as well as a photogenic meal last night. He'll be back in action from the office first thing Monday. We wait with bad breath. Hugs, Jamie

I always brake for buffets. But not necessarily because I want to eat from them. If I do, I follow a variation of Really Nices' protocol, but instead of eating back to front, we simply eat the cheap fillers (salad, a roll) while we're moving through the line. Then we present our clean, empty plates to the chap sawing the prime-rib. Demand the the King Farouk cut. But I really brake to see the microcosm of the human condition that buffets so wittlessly present: 1. Gluttony/Greed: On a cruise ship last summer we watched a man transport a heaped platter of bacon back to his appreciative family. When they waddled out later, his track pants looked like a couple of grizzly bears arguing under a carpet. 2. Anger: Same cruise ship, different problem: Walker Rage. A cotton-top got all all hissy (see "Pride", below) at me. 3. Pride: (aka Cheating the System): Eating the cheap stuff first. Or standing by the orange juice beakers to continuously refill your thimble-sized glass. Undertipping is also a prideful act, usually rationalized with the remark, "All she did was bring coffee." 4. Envy: "I'm just going to get some bacon," as I've been known to say to my daughter. 5. Lust: I'm sure that you've noticed an inordinate amount of tush-grabbing in buffeteria line-ups, especially at weddings. Occasionally it may even be the backside of the person you arrived with. And last Easter, at a Greek buffet, I suffered from animal lust--waiting for the two spit-roasted lambs. 6. Sloth: "While you're up, could you get me some more bacon?" as I've been known to say to my daughter. Or there's the time honoured art of queue-jumping, where the extended family of 14 butts into line with Gramps leading the charge. Buffets I Have Known And Loved 1. The Seymour Buffet, sixth floor at The Hudson's Bay Company, Vancouver. Childhood memories of a roast lunch and cubed Jell-O with whipped cream. 2. The Christmas Buffet at The Vancouver Club. Unlimited amounts of devilishly fresh, hand-picked local shrimp and Dungenesss crab. 3. The everyday lunch buffet at Maurya on West Broadway. Excellent Indian at Scottish prices. 4. The restaurant at Xerox Center, Leesburg, Virginia. The best institutional food; excellent roasts; tush-groping.

Taking a page from the production of ice wine in these chilly northern precincts, as well as the surging popularity of Siberian peach pie over the past few years, Canadians have taken matters into their own hands. Leaving our stone fruit up in the orchards until freeze-up (in late August, as Steven helpfully points out), has led to a boon in winter ice fruit production: apricots and peaches predominate the market. The methodology parallels that of our acclaimed ice wines and is strictly controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture. The fruit must freeze naturally to minus 8 degrees Celsius for 48 continuous hours. The fruit is then picked and its concentrated essence separated from the frozen water. The resultant fruit (pulp and chunklets) is then made into pies, fruit leathers or refreshing winter bellinis. Although production is still low, this initiative has resolved how always gracious Canadians can still eat 'local and seasonal' (if not exactly fresh), support our local farmers and avoid feeling vaguely like a military junta whenever we eat winter cherries. The concentrated flavour is its own reward; the fruit is said to have the lighthearted intensity of your own Kelly Ripa. Sorry to hear about the anesthesia.

Andy, Please ignore this. New Yorkers have a completely false sense of entitlement about bagels and what to do to them. As long as you don't put tapenade on them, that is. Yours, etc. Jamie

As you are easily the most internationally renowned food and wine journalist currently extant in Patcham, England, obviously we are expecting some great things. Clearly the instant coffee was a misstep but certainly set you up as a man of the people, just like Prince Harry. But as one vile body to another, and in the admittedly selfish interest that you not become an invisible man, your loyal Canadian readership would strongly encourage you to pursue the following: 1. Any evocative recipes from British lads’ mags would be deeply appreciated such as ‘Crossing Jordan’ or what to serve with posh spices besides shipping them to Madrid. This serving suggestion comes to us from Tanya, age 19, from Bracknell. 2. Any chance that you’ll be serving up one of Sophie Conran’s tasty pies? As you know, we found them very exciting (and shamelessly bodice-dropping) indeed, especially the supremely cosy chicken, olive and preserved lemon or the downright cosseting beef, button mushroom and red wine versions, both of which reminded of a lazy Sunday leg-over under a duvet of your very good newspapers. 3. What you pictured for your inaugural breakfast with us are not flapjacks, at least not as commonly known on this far side of the wood. Flapjacks™ are not some twee British teatime confection, but rather a traditional Canadian foodstuff often associated with big breakfasting lumberjacks. Most commonly, a decent stack of flapjacks (see recipe below) would be served as a side dish with a half-dozen eggs, small T-bone steak, corned beef hash, roasted potatoes and several sausages. Loosely ground 'cowboy' coffee commonly accompanies. Suffice to say that if Proust had eaten a flapjack breakfast, he might have written a real opus. ”I’m A Lumberjack and I’m Okay” Canadian Flapjacks from the cookbook John Cleese Cooks Canuck (serves 1 lumberjack or 4 civilians) • 2 cups flour • 2 eggs • 1 pinch sea salt • 1/2 cup honey • 1 and 1/2 cup apple juice or milk • 2 teaspoons Baking powder • 2 tablespoons oil • 1 Pippin apple - grated Combine all ingredients except apple with mixer. Add apple and mix by hand. Spoon into oiled fry pan, at medium heat. Turn when bubbles appear and harden. Brown other side. Serve immediately with your choice of topping. Maple syrup, thinned slightly with Canadian Club whisky, makes for a delightful topping. 4. So yes, and especially so that we can compare counter-cultural notes, so to speak, a proper red-carded English fry-up on Sunday morning would be well received, especially if it includes well-known British favourites such as Bourdain noir and your famously griddled tomato Hotel du Vin. And, defacto, passing if lurid references to Nigella Lawson will also be gratefully acknowledged. 5. We fully expect to see at least one recipe from the international bestseller Vancouver Cooks. Perhaps the crowd pleasing ‘Chicken in the Style of Fish Soup’, ‘Cleansing Ale Assault and Battered Haddock’, ‘What to Do with Extra Goats’ or ‘How to Roast an Eagle’? Forget about doing the ‘Beaver Pie’ recipe though please, it’s been so internationally replicated (much like other Made in Canada classics as our boeuf bourguignonne that the Frenchies copied and the Finnan Haddy that you bastards shamelessly hijacked), as to become a cliché. Besides, it's just not the same with ferret. 6. That being said, Andy, we’re certainly looking forward to some traditional British cookery such as a stirring chicken tikka or perhaps that default West Indian-Brit classic, jerk in the style of Mark Thatcher. 7. Canadians are scone-challenged. A pleasing recipe for this traditional British snackfood would play pretty big here, especially if it includes the use of indigenous British ingredients such as coconut or cardamom. 8. We understand that Boris Johnson has become a restaurant critic as he frequently eats out abroad. Any chance of sharing some of his revelations? 9. Some suggestions as to what to do with all of the British condiments that are weighing down our fridge doors such as HP Sauce or Branston Pickle which we bought in quantity recently at a fire sale. 10. We've never seen Swede Balls quite like this, Andy. Recipes for them over here usually include the use of meat. Is this (below) just the vegan equivalent or a real culture clash? The eight hour lead time is just about perfect for provisioning and cooking, Andy, and we look forward to your further postings--especially in light of your recent outbreak of Mad Vegetable Disease-- With nervous anticipation, Jamie [edited for vulgarity]

I heartily concur with 2roost's endorsement of this hearty chestnut of Italian cookery. Julio's way with the braised bone, in this case Jurrasic-sized whole lamb shanks (as opposed to hockey puck portions sawn from the hind legs of oppressed veals), deliver servings adequate to fuel Italian lumberjacks or their equivalent. There are several key items in his braising arsenal that I think separate Sr. Gonzalez-Perini's osso buco from the pack: 1. The braise has soothing notes of cinammon; 2. He doesn't merely ladle the braising liquid over the shanks, but rather reduces it into a properly rich sauce; 3. His gremolata topping (finely diced garlic, lemon zest and flat leaf parsley) is a sunny fedora; 4. While the dimensions are huge, the price ($27) is not. 5. The risotto, whether classic Milanese or the lemon-basil, are models of their class. J.

Being so close to that site I can give you the reason - you are going 50 km when you by it. No one ever looks up and just zooms by. I am shocked the Buffet has lasted this long ← I always brake for buffets.

While I do agree with Cin Cin's (I worked there for 5 years), I do have to correct you on Joe Fortes. The main floor ( referred to as "The Bistro")has no stairs whatsoever. You do have 3-4stairs to access the next level and considerably more to access the rooftop garden. Also,the entrance is on street level, so even if there were some stairs once inside, it would still be a ground level entry. ← Over Christmas I stayed on the side of a Mexican cliff. The restaurant was 12 storeys above the beach and there was no elevator. Today I can proudly tell you that I have the calves of a Latvian speed skater. And yes, I climbed to the restaurant, to quote Sir Edmund, because it was there. And that was after a solid shift at El Beach Bar at sea level, where El Happy Hora began precisely at four and ended, amidst much acrimony, vaguely at eight, leading me to believe that there's no such thing as a truly happy hora. Never one to split hairs though winegeek, let alone levels, I'd warrant that more gross comes off the top of those staircases alone (upstairs dining room and roof garden) at Joe Fortes than at 75%+ of the restaurants in Vancouver. But perhaps we should let Chef Fowke weigh in on that one! It must have been interesting for you greeting out-of-breath plutocrats at Cin Cin for so long. Which leads me to a point of further disagreement (albeit a modest one) with Mr. Salmon. I don't for a minute think that the maddening crowds of Robson Street 'push people upstairs'. Rather, I believe that it's the smell of the forno that surely pulls pilgrims like me upstairs. In my books, Cin Cin ranks No. 1 on the city's Best Smeller list. The real point of the story, though, arguing against a flawed thesis, is that Vancouverites are actually quite a vertiginous lot and will scale heights if there's the promise of a decent idea, a good meal or a strong brand at the top of the beanstalk. Hey, doesn't Pepita's (Kits) just go to show ya? As for some of the ill-conceived concepts that failed along the midtown stripe of West Broadway? In my opinion they had much less to do with restaurateuring as with an uncommon commonality: bad vision, a retraction of Chinese dining, and, in some instances, just rank ignorance of the market. But look at the ones that work. Interestingly, the odd scrum of Rugby Beach Club, Tojo's and Szechuan Chonquing, amongst others, have survived and even flourished largely for the same reasons: reasonable rents as a percentage of sales, a strong brand (albeit for entirely different reasons), and perceived value for money (albeit on different scales). And remember, if you try really hard, as in the case of Moustache Cafe for instance, you can run just about anything into the ground. From the ground level. Cheers, and thanks for adding to the discussion, Jamie But let's move past this red herring now. What restaurants do you think don't deserve their locations?

Si.

I don't agree with Sam's premise regarding second storey premises. Two of the very highest grossing rooms in the province, Joe Fortes and CinCin, are only accessible by staircase. There are several other long run examples, such as Earls on Top and Yoshi, peppered down Robson/Denman. Schezuan Chonquing on Broadway is a successful mid-town example, as, for that matter, is Tojo's. On Granville Island, Bridge's remains a popular dining room, but for more dramatic evidence, simply look at the runaway success of Sandbar, whose popular patio is two long staircases ascendant. Condiments of the season, Jamie

Coop, The premises where Bis Moreno is located consecutively kamikazied Massimo’s, Café Milano, Étoile (Andrey Durbach before he travelled the world and then opened Parkside), Zinfandel (originally "Zinfandel's", until the proprietor realized that there probably was no Mr. Zinfandel) and then a Greek joint that sounded like a herbal dandruff remedy. As I recall it performed near heroic feats with green bell peppers (the Kelly Bundy of the pepper family), but even that was to no avail. Compounding the misery of this location was the torture associated with the owner being forced to watch the noisy arrival of Bentleys and 600SEL's across the street at Il Giardino. Indeed, Yvonne and I ate at Zinfandel one night when the valet parkers jockeying Umberto's carriage trade precisely numbered the patrons where we were dining: us. C Restaurant, which has obviously settled in for a good long run, also occupies premises that spun frequently--one of Janice Lotzkar's piscine inventions, Starfish et al. Interestingly, the space is owned by another restaurateur. Vintropolis represents an interesting case lesson for restaurant landlords and their tenants. The former restaurant space, before being split into wine bar and wine store, was simply too large and too expensive to support a neighbourhood restaurant. So Carpaccio's (apparently there was a Mr. Carpaccio, perhaps in the black market skin graft trade), Sienna, then another that escapes me, and then that briefly lived Indian joint--each died unpleasantly. (The Sienna proprietors had an acrimonious falling out. Bill Wright left to start Gramercy Grill; Gerald Tritt the Vera's chain). But the change in the liquor legislation two years ago has boosted the chances for wine bars--let's hope others follow suit in the podia of new condo towers. Lesson learned? Any time your rent consistently creeps over 12% or so, fall on your chef's knife and get it over with quickly. It might also be interesting in this thread to turn the tables and ask what landmark venues we would like to see occupied by restaurateurs more overjoyed about their F&B program than their good luck in snagging an extraordinary view/footfall traffic/centre ice location etc? In other words, if the foregoing were the underdogs, just who are the undeserving?

Ling--check out Thomas's fruit pastilles as well. They're the colour of Christmas ornaments--and exquistely reckless bomblets of flavour. J.

Chunky's Choice. I'm sure that Intrawest could sell it to Ben and Jerry. Named for "Chunky" Woodward. My profile, circa 1971, is embedded on a fir tree on the starboard side of the run. Not by choice.