jamiemaw

Yes, noted from Chromedome's earlier post: But clearly Jackal has never appraised a Timmy Ho's bread bowl up close--few are the Jeffy Boys brave enough to deconstruct its Gehry-like design.

Yes, Chocoholic! Bonus round for you.Indeed, all Caesar salad manufacturers are unscrupulous, especially when then doctor the mix with those nasty grilled chicken tender offerings. This topic began with a discussion of waste, and although it veered, quite appropriately, into other iconic esoterica--aka Tim Bits--the fact remains that, between stripping the guts of the bread bowl and heaving its sad carcass (alas, Jeffy Boy is in a distinct minority on this one), it's a horrific waste. Although we posed alternate decorative uses, and while they might make useful bicycle helmets for small-craniumed food critics, it's a lot to throw away just to convince the consumer that it's a 'homestyle' meal. Like Stovetop, I haven't seen this since since the 80s, when concept houses used to serve clam chowder in them Seen any other examples of egregious waste--Dumpster Food--recently?

Jamie, Do you know if Saveur is open for lunch? Eric ← Eric, I doubt that they're open for lunch. In fact this morning there was no answer or message at the old Piccolo Mondo number (688-1633), nor was there a new number available at directory assistance. I'll circle by later today to see what's up. But presuming they're open for dinner, I'll be very interested to hear your feedback. Jamie

I don't partake of the stew-in-a-bread-bowl too often, as you are correct that it takes a long time to complete the task of eating the whole thing. (Not unlike those guys who set out to consume an entire bicycle). I think as long as you are making tangible progress on downing whatever you're eating, most Timmy's will waive the 20 minute time limit. ← Jeffy Boy, As a Timmy Ho's neophyte, some questions: 1. About how long does it take for the liquid of the Beef Stew in a Bread Bowl™ to break down its bread container sides into something approaching a decent chew? 2. Say you were in need of a bread bowl container, perhaps to store nasty cuff-links and bus tokens on top of your dresser. Could you eat the soup a little faster, dry it out (napkins, then hair dryer) and perhaps give it a lick of marine-grade varnish? You're right, I'm thinking Christmas presents. 3. Have you ever observed bread bowl leakage, either from your own container or those of others around you? If so, was it more like a slow seepage or more like a steady stream? Again, if so, how did TH management handle it? 4. What happens if you order the signature Beef Stew in a Bread Bowl™ to go? Referring back to question 1., above, about how long do you have to get back to the office? And presumably it's two-handed job, right? And finally, I not only agree with . . . I'm sure that many people around here think that you are a fine Canadian too.

There have been times when I have negatively described an unsuccessful too-busy restaurant dish as a "clusterfuck on a plate". ← And I doubt that you were referring to orgiastic dining rituals in the style of Caligula--they were more of a smorgasbord. When describing over-decorated, unnecessarily complicated plates, I've used variations on your theme, as in "Chef Konrad Feldplucker cooks the way I fuck." This was a diplomatic way of suggesting that at least one of us wasn't terribly proficient at his craft. Food writers dig deep for annoying connective adjectives to make you turn the page and read the words that prevent the breast augmentation ads from bumping into each other. But if things are going well, there are kinder, gentler ways: "Great cooking, like sex and Beethoven, is about tension and release." Include this in your toast to the cook and you may be invited back. Conversely, I've called a vulcanized veal parmigiana "arsephalt on a plate." Could have been the beer talking, although, come to think of it, that would have been in Dutch. Hey, good on ya. Whinies have no vocabulary of their own. It's a lexicon of negative space and stolen moments. And besides, up here it rhymes with Mummy. Back to our kitchen. My mother, who can really cook (Loaves and Fishes School, '24), also has an annoying habit. She always sits down just after us, maybe with a piping hot gravy boat. And then, almost under her breath she'll ask the Quality Check question--"Well, now . . . I hope everything's alright." "Not bad at all, Mum, someone will inevitably say, "but the gravy's a bit hot." Then we eat.

I will pick up the gauntlet you have thrown down, and fight valiantly for my bread bowl queen! Beef (though I actually prefer chicken) Stew in a Bread Bowl is nothing less than culinary artistry, fusion for the masses!! You do not know the joy of savouring a hearty stew while at the same time consuming, deconstructing the very vessel within which it is served. Nor the art of ingesting the optimal mix of stew and bread, while retaining throughout enough of the bowl's architecture that the stew does not run out. And then the final phase, when the chunks are gone, and the sauce, the glorious stew liquor has permeated the bowl, rendering it not bread not stew, but "br-ew". Oh, how it pains me to realize that the nobleman will never know the simple pleasures of the peasant. So I will not fight the Bread Bowl. I will embrace it! ← Jeffy Boy, Thank you for allowing me to think outside the bowl. Conundrum revealed, paradox resolved. Like an apple, you're maintaining that the Timmy Ho's beef stew comes in nature's perfect container. But are you, the penurious bowl gobbler, typical of the harried office worker, haunted by Atkins Hysteria Syndrome? I think not. Or are you part of that peculiar but vanguard culinary hybrid movement: Timmy Ho's wedded to Slow Food, content to languish over your stew and taking as much as 15 minutes to polish off the container, and reveling in the Br-eww portion, before relinquishing your stool? Concerned in Kitsilano.

Laurie, Interesting question. Verbotten words include 'yummy', 'scrumptious' 'flavour profile', 'mouthfeel', 'and 'interesting plate cover' because they suggest a lack of imagination. On the other hand, 'flavour vacuity', 'oral tryst' and the like are strongly encouraged. Under the terms of my new contract, only three overt sexual references are now permitted each column. Alas, Jamie

Hi Paul, Choices are a little limited by the hour, but if you're keen to stay south of the bridges, in this weather I'd recommend the new look (and oft-ignored) Smoking Dog at 1st and Cypress. I think it's one of the most under-rated bistros in town and they have those great savoury (crab!) crepes at lunchtime. Cosy room dispells autumnal chills, open a furry Rhone and a feeling of well-being ensues. Pretty reasonable too. Good to hear from you, Jamie PS--As I know that these types of family favours never go unpunished, drop by and check it out beforehand--Jean Claude loves a family party and is quite accomodating. As an alternate, I believe that Bistro Pastis is still open at lunch too, although the parking is more challenging on 4th Avenue.

GG, In the old days, to find the 'great' cuisines was no more complicated than following where the 'great' religions were most influential. One pretty much followed the other and early pilgrimages were the first examples of culinary tourism. Pagan food, for whatever reason, played strictly second fiddle, perhaps best exemplified by Nero. The Druids, you'll recall, were quite unimaginative cooks too. Although they sacrificed a lot to advance the culinary arts, Cradawg tasted pretty much like Torsdan. This thesis can be further tested by examining British cuisine, which collapsed at the end of the reign of Henry VIIIth (by comparison, his daughter was unconscionably thin), and only began to recover when Terence Conran was (momentarily) elevated to sainthood just a decade ago. About the same time, American cuisine began to be taken more seriously on the international stage when the roles between church and state became more muddied. Now, arguably, it's a world beater. Conversely, during the communist regimes in the Soviet bloc, when religious practices were banned throughout the original Borscht Belt the food was dreadful and I'm being polite. Likewise Greek cuisine. As the influence of Zeus and his coterie waned, the green pepper (surely the Kelly Bundy of all fruits), waxed. At least at my supermarket. More recently, agnosticism-creep has complicated this rating system. That's why many people who really ought to be in church are now found at Sunday farmer's markets. Likewise, maybe this explains why the same demographic cohort now relies on the Zagat guide as their new bible. Keep the faith, Jamie

I've been commuting to the Okanagan off and on these past few months. Sometimes I even drive. And it just so happens that the Timmy Ho's in Sardis is an exact bladder's throw from beautiful downtown ForMiCa. Now there's a lot you can say about Tim Horton's, some of it quite unpleasant I suppose, but there's also one irrefutable fact: They're open. Yep, open very early. So there I am, in a sea of wet wool and tractor caps worn by guys who actually drive tractors, waiting in line for the men's room and then waiting in another line for a long drink of their house-branded, substantially caffeine-based beverage. But that's not the topic for today. Neither is that they're apparently shipping their lamentable donuts from Mississaugua or Oakville or somewhere, frozen, or some such thing. I really have no opinion on that matter. But a picture on the menu board really got to me, in the same way that pictures of baby seals do. It was describing . . . "Beef Stew in a Bread Bowl When you're hungry, this is your homestyle lunch: Wholesome and filling with hearty chunks of seasoned steak and ground beef, garden vegetables and rich gravy in an oven-fresh bread bowl." Was it just the early hour? Or was I missing something bigger? Homestyle? Why, I had to ask myself, would you kill an entire loaf of bread just to serve some stew--garden vegetables or not? Would the the stew look inadequate in a regular Chinet stew bowl? Traditional styrofoam just too declassé? And what do you do with the empty vessel? Tough to recycle, but probably tougher still to reuse given stringent new food safety requirements. Well, I think we all know the answer, don't we? Across this vast country we call home, thousands of innocent, blameless loaves are being binned every day. Surely there's some interventionist Bread Rights organization that could look into this. Or should we take direct action ourselves and start a petition and arrange disruptive noon hour pickets? I for one am ready to man the ramparts. But, I ask, do you stand with me? Jamie

For the most part I agree, 2roost, especially with your first point and your conclusion. Additionally I think that Chambar has suffered (while profiting) from a relatively recent phenomenon for new, purpose-built BC restaurants. That stems from the relaxation of the liquor laws almost two years ago. Now that 'food primary licensees' (i.e. restaurants) can serve alcohol without the old 'intention to eat', anyone building a new space would be foolish not to indulge the citizens, right? Well, only to a point, as several of you have recently reported here. I've heard from a number of folks who, unwilling to run the gauntlet in the front room, have turned on their heels. Others have found it overly noisy and claustrophobic: they came to eat. Bottom line: Chambar hasn't quite figured out how to process all those citizens yet, as 2roost points out, or if it's a bar or a restaurant, especially Thursday through Saturday. Others have suffered a kitchen/service disconnect, partly due to the (a.)continuous slam, and others such as Coop have experienced where their wine list/inventory was innacurate [see (a.), above]. This weekend, in Kelowna, I saw something similar but well managed at a new restaurant called Bouchons. It has a similar buzz, with a talented young chef but an experienced front end. They've handled end of week traffic with aplomb though: on Fridays and Saturdays they do two seatings, with no 7 o'clock reservations. Our 8pm, late seating wait (10 minutes) was handled with a complimentary gargle of Lillet at the bar. The dishes rolled out promptly once we were seated. (Nice work, and by the way, there's a nifty little wine bar next door called Waterfront, even if it's not.) Since Chambar opened, I've received roughly two dozen calls and e-mails. For the most part, they reflect the discussion on this board: largely positve overall experiences, some disconnects, and a couple of downright uglies. My own firsthand experiences were much like 2roost's "pleasant, interesting, better than average." We enjoyed ourselves. But there's clearly ample room to tighten the lines, and the 'Opening Soon' docu-drama may prove more a curse than a blessing. Of course, we live in a microscopic dining market, in both senses of the word (i.e. both small and under one), and when more than a few people talk at once about a new joint with promise, it'll likely get slammed. For a while. But success, as 2roost also alludes, comes in learning how to say no, and settling in confidentally for the long run. The owners are intelligent and hard-working, and, in fairness, are barely 60 days in; it'll be the dark days between New Year's and April that will flesh out their story. I'm not at all sure if what we do on these boards can be construed as hype though. In retracing these threads, virtually everyone who has reported in has given a pretty thorough evaluation of their experiences, which is, when it's all said and done, why we show up here. Thanks for the interesting commentary, 2roost--you obviously know the business. Looking forward to much more, Jamie PS-> If you're interested in a discussion of media convergence and opinion-making, you might want to take a peek here

Funny, I think the only one who swarmed him was Mooshmouse ! A. ← Swarmed? And I thought he was just eating dinner--a rather attractive steak, compliments of Neil as I recall. Methinks the writer, John Burns, the Straight and Narrow's book editor, elected to simplify then exaggerate. What a shame that Burns was so dismissive of Ben Reeder's nifty video that took many weeks to compile and edit. Although we fronted the production money, it's Ben's work and I think it really grabs the essence and hard work involved in the chefly arts. Ditto bartending. And far from bolting, Tony Bourdain very graciously chatted with Ben afterward and asked him for his contact points. He seemed quite impressed. Maybe we should simply chalk up the slipshod reporting to trying to keep up with Bourdain. I mean, did a vegetarian librarian really stand a chance? After all, writing when you've been drinking is an, ahem, dodgy exercise.

Outstanding pairing Shellback. Julio's roasted chicken and osso buco are delicious. I think we should appoint you our resident opera/restaurant sommelier from here on in. Jamie

First off Dodger, welcome to these hallowed boards. As a new member we hope to hear more from you in due course. One can’t help but notice your unbridled opinions, enthusiastically rendered, and impressive geographic range—from Edmonton to Whistler to Coquitlam, with a stop at 562 Beatty Street for good measure. Not incidentally, I’ve recently completed a lengthy essay about eGullet that will be published next month. It encapsulates my first year’s experience here, concluding with the recently convened—and delightful—Big Night Dinner. At the pain of quoting myself, in it I say, “Anonymity, even if it allows for the exchange of frank opinions, comes with responsibility.” By that I meant that it’s not good enough to blithely spout nocturnal emissions about an unsatisfactory restaurant experience, whether or not you were the guest of the owner. For instance, compare your one-shot comment “and it was so terrible,” to Merlin’s more thoughtful, blow-by-blow commentary, to judge for yourself what other members might find the more useful. Had you elected to post a more thorough discussion (dishes/flavours, prices, good/bad/ugly and why, décor, crowd/scene, service, wine and drinks, comparisons with other Pan-Asian experiences, etc.), you would have painted a more vivid (and responsible) summary of your experience. You would also, needless to say, be better prepared to speak dispassionately with the owner tomorrow as to where you felt the experience fell down and where he might effect improvement. That’s responsible too, especially as you were his guest. And I would have thought twice about posting your remarks here before having the conversation with the owner. Presumably you’d like to be invited back by “Big F”, whom I presume to be Bus Fuller. As you explore this and other forums more closely, I believe you’ll soon see that substance is the dough of credibility, leavened liberally by the yeast of humour. All else is merely crummy. I hope that you find this helpful. Sincerely, Jamie

Jamie...I just finished singing your praises tonight to come home and see such a blatant plug...ohhhh...jamie!!! My heart... And I'm not talking about "THE" JOHN B, which you are quite right ...it does have a lovely little wine program.... but your buddy Brian does not need a plug here....don't we all drive beemers anyway???? John ← Easy mate. Or perhaps this is merely proof positive that irony, as they say, and despite Ms. Morrisette's plaintive squeals to the contrary, really does require two audiences. Or maybe they arrived by sloop.

I'll be there along with five other Dubrulle students. We'll be helping out with food prep for the House Party on Thursday evening and also for the CRUSH gala on Friday night. Hopefully we'll get a chance to taste some wines after our work is done on Friday night. Leaving tomorrow morning. Should be an exhausting couple of days, but lots of fun and educational too. -christine ← Christine, Would love to hear a behind-the-scenes report on all the goings on.

Eden, Here are three useful alternatives, each within a three to five block radius of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre: Cassis French cuisine à la grandmere. You can read a current review here by scrolling halfway through this article Chambar Belgian-influenced bistro that’s very hot right now. The moules frites are exceptional, as is the lamb tagine. Here's a recent review The William Tell offers a 'Show and Tell' menu—four course prix fixe for $42.50 that includes parking and dessert after the performance.

I'm in for 10-12 lbs. Neil. Should provide for a pleasant Sunday breakfast when the rugby lads drop by for the weekly Seahawks debacle. If more than four show up though--well, they'll just have to do with scrambed eggs, won't they. J.

Thanks for the quite literal feedback on OPM, Merlin. Vancouver will indeed be getting one shortly, hopefully to anchor the Yew/Cornwall nexus of dining opportunities. Chris Mills is the head development chef for Joey's Global and OPM and I was impressed by the separate and distinct flavours on the trial menus (PF Chang's tends to get muddy after several platters--and many dishes rely too heavily on sweet and salt) that we tested months ago. Mills headed Canada's Bocuse d'Or team and was formerly executive Chef at the Metropolitan Hotel/Diva, which says something about how serious this company is in getting it right. Needless to say, the challenge is to translate those to a volume application and train the chefs and the servers. I was surprised by your reference to the server not having tested them though. Thank you for the thoroughly compiled update--it sounds as though it's rolling well and hopefully we'll be the local beneficiaries of that start-up experience soon. Jamie

In the myriad thank yous posted since last weekend, I see I forgot two cheerful souls who put up with us and really tied the night together--our dear servers J.L. (sp?) and Andrew. Many thanks to you both from all of us. J.

The John B Pub actually has a fairly serious food program and a great little wine list. They also host wine dinners from time to time. And right next door is their wine store--one of the best in the province. It's not unusual to see Vancouver restaurateurs shopping there on Friday afternoons, even if Brian Jessel has recently moved his BMW franchise closer in to town.

Sara, By PM I've already passed on some budget stretching tips and other suggestions for you, but here are a few more: 1. Buy your Canadian dollars as soon as possible--the Cdn dollar is rising rapidly and it's entirely likely you'll have bought in 5%+ additional value by the time June rolls around. 2. Schedule a couple of quality lunches. For instance, the rotisserie chicken at Cioppino's Enoteca, or Yoshi Tabo's sushi at Bluewater, both al fresco in Yaletown, or a lazy summer afternoon on the seaview sundeck at C while you sample seafood, save at least a third over dinner prices. Another great outdoor spot, and terrific value, is Go Fish! 3. Allocate more time. We hear it every summer--"We wish we had three more days." So will you. In addition to Vancouver Island, you should make an overnight trip (and wine tasting tour which we can help arrange) to the Okanagan Valley. Book on West Jet for the best fares, and plan to rent a car while you are there. Or alternatively, drive-up early one morning--it's a pretty, four hour drive or half hour flight (about CDN $200 return). 4. If you go to Whistler, we can assist you in arranging discounted accomodation. 5. In Tofino, don't miss the fish tacos at Sobo. Finally, I can't remember ever reading a more lovely topic title than yours, even if, for a moment, I was curious as to precisely what kind of help you were seeking: You can read a lot more at Vancouver Magazine--the archived diner sections (especially the annual April Restaurant Awards section and the summer "Where the Bites Are") are particularly helpful.

According to enRoute's protocol Cru and Parkside qualified for this year's list, and were duly nominated by the local panel. But only Cru made it through the gauntlet. The reviewer, Chris Johns, maintains that he ate at Parkside twice to make sure he got it right--but to no avail. In my opinion, he must have had two very off nights, something I have yet to experience at Parkside. Jamie

A. ← I just wanted to chime in and add a few things to the remarks made today--from Arne and many others: The food was as hearty and flavoursome as those who ate it. Yvonne and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting each of you and joining in some remarkable conversations. I also wanted to thank Ben Reeder and Tara for bringing the DVD set-up so that we could view their remarkable video production of Vancouver chefs and kitchens. And, in addition to thanking Brian and Neil for their blood, sweat and beers, on behalf of the Chefs' Table Society, I'd like to thank all who contributed to and bid on the Silent Auction. When I visited Neil today, he had already totalled the proceeds: a whopping $1950. Thanks to each of you for your extraordinary generosity. Finally, will the successful bidder on the Golf Package please PM Mr. Gourmet to arrange delivery of the gift certificate. We trust that you found our seminar on food safety--aka the Heineken Manoevre--illuminating. The combination of that and Brian's wonderful pastrami had me convinced this morning that an F-18 had mistaken my mouth for a Taliban cave. Cheers to you all, Jamie

Thanks Kazama. But listen up--we're still beverage deficient, and short of dropping over the line for a crate of Sam Adams, anything else to suggest?