jamiemaw

All of the major downtown hotels--The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Four Seasons, Metropolitan, Wedgewood etc.--do a more than credible job with Christmas Dinner. After that it's up to you for for festive ambience and budget, although it sounds as if the latter is no object. So I only have one piece of advice: Book Now as they tend to fill the seats quickly. An elegant solution to holiday stree--but what to do about Boxing Day sandwiches? Take Neil's advice and order a pre-cooked turkey from the Pan. Just don't forget to quartermaster some good crusty bread and lots of mayonnaise and cranbeeries. J.

They used to do a splendid black cod hash with scallion oil. With a good newsaper, very restorative. J.

Even better, ask to see a room--so many of us don't in our own city. Interesting that most Kimpton hotels, certainly in San Francisco, are better known for their restaurants than their rooms--Postrio et al.

I had a terrific breakfast at the newish Caffe Artigiano on Hastings near Howe Street the other day. Food is such an afterthought at the coffee chains, and this was not--it was a proper foreword to the day. I ordered the Uoava Napolitana, which loosely translated means "Sophia Loren's Ovaries," I believe. Two eggs were poached in a tomato sauce with lots of onions. Sort of like cooking your eggs in last night's osso buco braise--delicious. The Italian sausage that accompanied was slightly overcooked but tasty. The accompanying potatoes were a highlight--shallow-fried in oil, garlic and a toss of herbs. $7.95 and the usual great cup of creamy latte. Lots of other choices under ten bucks and here's a deal--you can order a whopper coffee--32 oz. French press--for $6.25. I believe that compares favourably to Timmy Ho's although they're not doing their portabello soup in a bread bowl just yet. Vince Piccolo and his brothers are opening in Kerrisdale (the old Torrefazione store; Torrefazione was taken over by Starbucks a while back) in a couple of months. Then no precinct of the city will be immune from their charms. They're also getting their roasting operation up and operative in the new year--no more Intelligentsia coffee (from Chicago) but rather their own brand. Lots of lunch items--a platter of Cobb salad for $9.95; chicken cannelloni for $10.95. Worth a detour. J.

Food and travel writing has taken me to many strange beds, Coop. Thousands? I can't be sure. But here are several small lessons I've learnt about hotels over time: 1. Travellers crave not startling decor but comfort and intimacy. That's why Ian Shrager hotels, designed by Philippe Stark, are struggling so badly. They're cold, brittle and, well, stark. And very 1999. In London, Firmdale Hotels, which are small and laden with chintz and honesty bars easily outperform their edgy brethren while the Sanderson and St. Martin's Lane (both Shrager-Starck collaborations) teeter on banckruptcy. Why--because like Adam Tihany designed dining rooms, they don't necessarily foster return guests. Same holds true in Vancouver--the most successful hotels are intimate. 2. Vancouver, for the most part, has very bland hotels. Sort of like our newspapers--instantly forgettable. 3. For good cause, many Vancouverites don't frequent hotel rooms but rather judge the book by its cover. 3. Our father taught us that we should 'never buy anything more expensive than a newspaper in a hotel lobby.' Very good advice. An equal opprtunity friend, I'm off to have breakfast with chef Letendre at Elixir. -J.

Coop, I have always admired your opinions, well researched and cheerfully (and expertly) demonstrated. But here you seemingly argue with the most successful (per square foot of sales) bar in Vancouver, a chef ascendant in Lee Parsons, and a hotel that's famous for its sense of intimacy. Last week I booked seven of my family's business partners at the Wedgewood--a rather well travelled bunch to be sure. They were of a common opinion: uncommonly gracious service, quiet and well decorated suites, lovely food and rousing drinks downstairs. So much was I grateful that I took Philip Meyer, the GM at the hotel, down to the Hamilton Street Grill for a well-deserved hanger steak and bottle of N. B. the other night. The personal audience with Neil was simply a bonus. Just to thank him. J.

Warmest welcome Deborah. And yes, No Shows are not just a deep and dirty problem during DOV, but also during the rest of the year as well. They deeply hurt the business. Vikram Vij has discovered a cure unlike many others but for many FD rooms, the removal of even a prime 4-top on a Friday, over time, can quickly install the difference between great cooking and regicide. There is a cure, and it will come here as surely as the Olympics and Mayor Larry's sudden political sway. Last week in London, I saw it first hand--a smackdown 50 quid per head deposit, especially for 'name' restauarants off centre ice. No show . . . you pay anyway. Maybe restaurants are like aircraft--when they take off with empty seats there's no replacing the revenue--it's gone forever. And so there is no tomorrow for missing bums in seats during DOV, or at any time: Politely attentive, aptly dressed (no Windsor-Knotted--Trumponian-Vulgarians please), just viewers like you. Enjoying. Thanks for joining in this great big thing, J.

Cin Cin is one of the cosiest rooms in town and a certified best smeller--because of the wood-fired forno. We had a lovely meal there just last week: ruby trout, veal cheek garganelli--both reeked of gemutlich and flavour. Another Sunday favourite, and a real Vancouver tradition--the Sunday roasted chicken dinner at Bacchus at the Wedgewood Hotel. Pureed potatoes, turned carrots, very good gravy, chicken carved at the table--all for about CDN$25 a head. Start with chef Lee Parsons' white bean soup. His slow, olive-oil poached (45 minute) wild spring salmon is also delicious. By the way, if it's not too late, we have a special rate at The Wedgewood which can be made available to eGulleteers. You can PM me for more information. Cheers, Jamie

Tourism Vancouver brought aboard headline sponsors in VISA and VQA. Each DOV three course menu has pairing suggestions--sometimes prompted by a table tent card as well. But, and maybe needless to say, restaurateurs will absolutely encourage DOV diners to order freely from their everyday wine list. So my point was simply not to be a "Mr. and Mrs. Tap Water," but to put some money back in the proprietor's jeans while eating his loss leader food. Should enhance the experience too. Jamie

Coq au vin it is then. Jamie ← Aaah forgot about coq au vin, how I could I do not know and osso bucco.. 2 winter favorites, but now i think i will go down to fiction to try thier cassoulet, in front of a fire .. can it get better! ← DameD, When you've finished your cassoulet, head over to Villa del Lupo for their excellent lamb shank osso buco. Hints of cinammon and a relative bargain to boot.

Dine Out Vancouver has become an overwhelming success. It’s a terrific opportunity for neophyte diners to eat well for next to nothing. And for those who already cover the culinary landscape, like many of our members—get thee to some new spots, as Coop suggests, and make a real fortnight of it. If meals are the hinges of our day, good manners surely lubricate them. I've noted that there are a few (mainly fine) dining rooms that are not participating this year, and I think I know the reason why. Those rooms found out that they were welcoming bargain hunters, sometimes inappropriately dressed or mannered, at the expense of turning away regulars and bigger spenders. Sort of like buying a full fare business class ticket only to find that your seatmate was upgraded for free, but has chosen to wear cut-offs and fondle the flight attendants. After talking to a number of restaurateurs (and I realize I'm preaching to the choir here), below is a summary of common sense items they'd really like consumers to bear in mind. So here, in deference to them and the hardworking servers who dish this event up each year, and to maximize your dining pleasure, some points of . . . Dine Out Etiquette: 1. Don’t even think about being a No-Show. 2. Don’t be late, and be exact on numbers. 3. Order some of that delicious BC VQA wine. 4. Tip your server at least 15% of the bargain you’re consuming—they’re working just as hard—or harder—as on a regular night. 5. You can help the restaurateur by booking for early in the week. 6. If you book for the first (early) seating, especially on a weekend night, be respectful. Be prepared to finish up your three course bonanza in about two hours so the late seating can claim their table without any tears. 7. Make it a night out. Dress appropriately for the restaurant.

Welcome to these hallowed boards, Sean. Jamie

Very interesting that this thread has embraced home cookery (versus restaurants) so convincingly. Perhaps that describes the proficiency of our upstanding local members, our rainy night demographic when sitters might be scarce, or simply our proclivity to cocoon during this dark season weather regime. No doubt this is best answered by my favourite in-house executive sous chef. Although very talented in matters of mis en place, she maintains that "the kitchen is not my best room," which clearly supports the undercurrent of our conversation here. In turn, it's likely a good thing that I know my place in the scheme of things. Coq au vin it is then. Jamie

For all the bragging we’ve been doing recently, there remain certain things impossible to find in Vancouver. In addition to good local newspapers, it's freakishly tough to get a decent sandwich. And in a city of a thousand seafood-centric restaurants, it's difficult to find great hot (non-Asian) seafood, especially classically sauced. A decent pizza means a long drive from most precincts. Want a simple crab or shrimp Louis? Good luck. And, let's face it, most Vancouver sites suitable for restaurant occupation are architecturally challenged. What are your pet peeves? And what would you do to fix it them? And they needn't be limited to just the food . . . Time to chime, Jamie

Not to sound flippant steve ... but just how many egg slingers does Port Alberni have?? BTW ... I love the old school cafes. One of our faves is Skinny's Grill in Hope. Always stop by Skinny's for breakfast on our way to the cabin. A. ← Where exactly is Skinny's, Arne? A recent stop at Home was unsatisfactory. J.

Foul Weather Friends I’ve been traveling a bit these last few weeks. London in late November was pea-soup gloomy, the light never brightening past battleship grey. I was glad for the company and the cosseting food at Racine, The Savoy and The Wolseley. This week, the Okanagan smelt like snow, but only occasionally would the clouds part and allow a weak sun to spotlight the whitecaps in the lake. From Treetops, our cottage high above the orchards, we looked out as the wind scudded down the valley fast and cold as a steel machine, the naked apple trees dangling lone fruit. It was the week Pierre Berton died. I returned to Vancouver last night. A big Pacific storm rolled through; sheets of rain drenched us. We put a serious fire on for the first time this year and ate some good soup. P, a white cat of ironic disposition, wrapped herself around my ankles. She was trying to keep me home. Our thoughts soon turned to winter dining, to those rooms that invite us off the street and into their bosom and hearth, there to warm up and lie back. The season calls for stews, roasts and braises and fulsome flavours, roasted roots and steaming fricassees. Or the veal cheek garganelli and ruby trout that we ate a few nights ago at Cin Cin, breathing in the forno. So where will you find those deep flavours of winter? Will it be from Lee Parsons’ new menus at Bacchus—perhaps in a bowl of his unctuous white bean soup with truffle oil? The cinnamon-noted osso buco at Villa del Lupo? Crab crêpes or duck à l’orange at The Smoking Dog? I want food that I can pull around me like a shawl, that blankets and unfolds, that’s as big as a love affair of acceptance and truth, and as intimate as what comes later. This winter, where will you go?

Neil, You are a good sport. Sincere apologies for the misattribution. It must have been some sort of weird brain gas promulgated by over-flossing. Or maybe it was because Keith was awarded the "Poster Boy of the Year" award and all eyes were on him when he stepped up to accept the trophy during the Big Night proceedings. We all made such a fuss that perhaps I mistakenly thought that all wit must flow from him. Anyway, I punished my guilt-racked self last night by having an additional cleansing ale. Now I've got to get back to cleaning out the cave, man. J.

Thank you one and all. My goodness. I can’t even leave town for a couple of days without invoking untrammeled (and largely undeserved) praise? Undeserved because the thoughts and insights that I shared with you (and with those who have somehow managed to lead a life thus far ignorant of eGullet) are drawn from you. In short, the article essentially wrote itself, one night when I was otherwise engaged. But I do thank you very much for your kind remarks—they mean a lot to me. Almost as much as your friendship and collegiality. Writing can be a sometime lonely pastime, but surely not here. And over time I hope that articles like this attract new discussion and debate here, and new debaters. Cheers aye, Jamie

Hey, wait a second. I can post the article, because [Jason, kindly note], the words are mine. Here then, the first several paragraphs . . . Diner Bytes and Bites How the international culinary website—eGullet—changed my life. By Jamie Maw When I opened the door to the Hamilton Street Grill I was somber at first. For tonight I was on a peculiar assignment, a head-on collision of high school reunion meets blind date meets closet outing. I was about to eat dinner with a room full of people whom I had never met but actually know rather well. In fact I know many things about them that they choose not to share with their spouses, children, workmates and bankers. In some cases I know their innermost thoughts, and especially their deepest cravings. But tonight, after a year, I was about to meet Tofino, Mr. Gourmet, Daddy-A, Foodie-in-Vancouver, Coop, Mooshmouse, Peppyre, Ling, Montrachet, Scout and a dozen more. I’ve come to know their on-line personalities, via these esoteric handles, rather well. Some are witty, others informative, many both. Virtually all are well meaning. But tonight will be the first opportunity to match their virtual halves to what I’m hoping will be their virtuous ones. One year ago I began posting on eGullet, a culinary website that, after just three years, now spans the globe. Today more than 10,000 members, and countless visitors (aka “lurkers”), post and read contributions from as far away as South Africa, Dublin, Mexico City and Maple Ridge. It is a virtual world of people who share only one thing—a passion for, even an obsession with—food. And they are obsessed; members have made more than 700,000 posts. I was wary on November 1, 2003, when I first chimed in—offering a tentative post on a subject that now escapes me. I was wary that eGullet would look like the culinary equivalent of train-spotting, with the minutiae of esoteric ingredients and restaurant gossip thrashed over ad nauseum. And I was also concerned that uninformed, unedited opinion would be of little value. After all, isn’t that why they pay me the medium bucks? Hope that goes some way to resolving your curiosity. And just wait 'til you get to the Keith Talent and Sam Salmonella sections--sure to arouse controversy. --J.

Just back from the Olde Sod where Andy Lynes and I and others went through the shrubbery backwards at a high rate of knots but also managed to eat quite well. Andy has posted an excellent and comprehensive description of David Hawksworth's triumphal demonstration (on behalf of the Canadian Tourism Commission) on the UK Forum. Solid group of culinary media present and David and his team did very well indeed. The electronic version of the article about eGullet appears next week on the Van Mag website. Finally, Dan Quayle would like his spelling book back Neil.

three reasons in that sentence alone why i won't be buying this magazine ← The fourth being the name--how exquisitely 1995.

A half pound or so of hand-peeled shrimp from Longliner Seafoods on Granville Island: this will surely provide just enough energy to propel one the approximate 25 metres to Oyama Sausage, where it's useful to order another half pound, but this time of Praga ham sliced so thin you could read a newspaper through it; wrapped around a cornichon or just on their own, these will fuel the weekend provisioner towards Lee's Donuts, where warm honey-glazed circles of air conflated doughy pulchritude, say two or three, should be just right to convince even the unwilling to attempt the walk towards Go Fish!, where an oyster po' boy, followed by a cod and chips, should be just enough to get home on, there to lunch.

No, because of viewers like you who won't support rampant mediocrity. And please don't misunderstand the intent of the Timmy Ho's thread, Butter. Believe me, in what passes for the writing trade around here, it's what's called an entertainment. Jamie

I don't get it. How does residual stew on the head result in an exposed nipple? ....ummm....or did you have some other "wardrobe malfunction" in mind? ← Maybe you have better dry cleaners than us, but that Timmy Ho's stew will make a real good mess on your stylin' new tweeds. And judging from your handle, Chromedome, it may not look all that good when you doff your new helmet to the ladies, either.

No worries. just remember to drain the stew completely first. Otherwise a wardrobe malfunction will surely follow and premature stool evacuation is a distinct possibility.