jamiemaw

Andy, We await your dispatches with bad breath. As we say around here there's nothing quite like eating out abroad to sharpen the appetites. Yours, etc. Jamie

Thanks Stovetop. I had always thought you to be a fine judge of character. Your comments make a great foil to the hilarious (and hysterical) letter to the editor that we ran this month in Van Mag from a Ms. Eleni Scher. We (barely) restrained ourselves from suggesting that she change her medication before picking up her pen again. Her rant underscores a point though.Vancouver, still a rather small burg, suffers from Tall Poppy Syndrome, I'm afraid. You could cut the jealousy with a knife. But I remain of the opinion that the excellence portrayed by one restaurant (or winery or supplier or staff member) floats all the boats a little higher. Just look at the draw for the Okanagan that Mission Hill has beoome. Interestingly though, the jealousy/sour grapes thing is more a concern to foodies than the chefs themselves, most of whom, as you know, get along just fine--playing hockey together, barbecuing together, lending staff on slam nights, even vacationing together. The other stuff is just a tempest in a (very small) stock pot, I'm afraid. Looks like I'd better get some more details about the Lumiere kitchens though. Mainly because Tall Poppy Syndrome + Stockpot = Opium. Then we can all scher and scher alike. Jamie

Goatcheese. There are a number of threads on this section of the site that will provide assistance with your requaest. But perhaps we could also direct you to www.vanmag.com (or simply Google Vancouver Magazine), where the results of the 15th Annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards are compiled. In the lower left hand corner of the home page you'll see an icon that will take you in. The results are drawn from the year-long efforts of 30 food media and industry folk. It's a pretty reliable resource. Most of the restaurants are within an easy walk or cab ride of your hotel (which incidentally does a credible brunch and has excellent live jazz later in the week). Take a peek, make some choices, and post them to help you achieve a useful balance. Cheers, Jamie Maw Food Editor Vancouver Magazine

Not for me. I actually told Andrey (having only just published a laudatory article on the 20 under $20 thing) that I was glad he raised his prices slightly--because it means they have a better chance of survival. Jamie

RF Drive-Thru Jamie

Chef Scott Kidd has moved on from his role as instructor at Dubrulle to head up Cafe de Paris. Scott has a lengthy history in town and at Whistler, most recently at Jack Evrensel's Araxi. Scott has an interesting resume: "Taking a detour from his third year studies at pre-med school Scott opted to leave Vancouver and travel in France and England. The decision to trade in stethoscope for whisk followed when he enrolled in the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Sussex, England. After working in Britain, for Anthony Worral Thompson at London’s Ménage a Trois he returned to BC in 1985 to explore the food scene along the Pacific shore. Over the past 18 years he has played a prominent part in the creation and promotion of West Coast cuisine and has worked in some of the coast's top regional restaurants including Sooke Harbour House, Le Gavroche, and Bishop's and Lola's. A two time veteran at the prestigious James Beard House, most recently in May 2002, Scott was executive chef of Araxi for three years." He's a high quality chef and a great guy--reasons enough to pay him a visit. (You may recall his predecessor's ambitious posting on this site following the Restaurant Awards earlier this year.) I just hope that he can convince the owners to let him put his smoked albacore and creme fraiche dish on the menu. Scott Baechler, who drew accolades following his James Beard debut last year, and who swiftly took Diva at the Met to the top of hotel dining rooms at the Restaurant Awrds this past April, is decamping. Call it "If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen"--but Scott is actually turning up the heat even more--he's moving his young family to Dubai shortly to head up the Fairmont Dubai's kitchens. Just spoke to the owner of Chambar --they're on final approach and are still trying for a late July opening but "want to get everything right"--it may fall into the first week of August. Communications will be handled by Cate Simpson. Rob Feenie at Lumiere has just signed a contract for a million dollar retrofit of his kitchens. More news when it happens. Jamie

GO FISH According to Gord Martin, Go Fish is slated to open on August 1st. The modular metal building is being constructed in Calgary and being shipped in and assembled over the next couple of weeks. On site work has commenced on the 800 square foot (20’ x 40’) deck. There will be two take-out windows, one off the deck and the other serving the blade and cycle path. Preliminary menu items include sushi cones, fish and chips, oysters on the half shell and crab cocktails. Hot preps include barbecued fish over mesquite. Hope this helps, Jamie

Sam raises another interesting question in his post about Japanese-run sushi restaurants. That’s not to say that Korean, Chinese or, for that matter, even Occidents waiting to happen like me can’t cut fish. But Japanese-born and -trained chefs come with a provenance, a tradition, and, most importantly, a seven year, or more, apprenticeship. Tojo, for instance, contends he knows more than a thousand recipes, each committed to memory on a sort of mental rolodex that spins with the seasons. And to watch Yoshi Tabo (now at Blue Water), eye an eight kilo block of big-eye tuna, is to see a sculptor coolly appraising a piece of marble, albeit with a rather shorter shelf life. Within 40 minutes it will be reduced to domino-sized sashimi. The training of the master is found in the absolutely minimal wastage and the conformity of each piece of what he has wrought. Conformity being another Japanese tradition and all. As legend has it, they begin by sweeping the floor, performing squeegee boy duties in the fish coolers, ironing the chefs’ kimonos and massaging the master’s feet. Only after a year or more are they allowed to get anywhere near the rice. Then they attend the morning wet (fish) market with the master, learning how to look a fish in the eye, coring tuna samples, building relationships with the mackeral guy. By night they sleep in the back of the restaurant. And you can be sure that more time will pass before they’re allowed to pick up a knife. And it is those knives that tell the story, for they are bound into the tradition as tightly as a geisha’s feet. Because if you want to find the genuine article—the real apprentice now made master, versus the imposter—standing behind the sushi bar, we’ve found it very useful to ask him where he got his knives. What you don’t want to hear is “They came with the job”, or “Boris the hot prep guy lent them to me.” Yellow plastic handles? Leave now and don't look back. What you do want to hear is that they were obtained in Japan, paid for over time from the (measly) salary of the apprentice, cleaned and honed many times each day and honored like a Japanese mother. There are more than 250 Japanese restaurants in Vancouver now. Even when (like in the subjective sports) you throw out the expensive celeb-traps and the all-you-can-eats, there’s still a great mid-section to choose from many of them owned and operated by well-trained Japanese and Japanese-Canadian chefs. And now with the tsunami of izakaya and ramen joints arriving fast, we can also look more accurately into the mid-week cuisine of the Japanese. So that’s my simple suggestion. “Where did you get your knives?” may reveal all you need to know and then some. Eight years ago, at the very beginning of our relationship, my now fiancee bought me a set of Japanese knives. She consulted Yoshi (then on 4th Avenue), who faxed the same factory that had made his own, many years before. The knives arrived on Christmas Eve and were such a thoughtful gift that I was overcome with the kind of glee more typically usurped on the Big Day by the lesser Talents. But alas, I'm afraid that I use them infrequently. Yoshi has forbidden me to slice turkey with them. And you see I like watching the masters at work, slicing albacore and eel with a precision that I will never enjoy, for I remain, I'm afraid, that Occident waiting to happen. Jamie Jamie

DameD I guess I'm DameD if I do or DameD if I don't. Jamie

Daddy-A, As someone who shares your impressive magazine addiction (how ‘bout that Kim Campbell National Geographic edition?!), I also share your feelings about advertorial. I chaired the Jack Webster Foundation for Journalism for several years--advertorial was a frequent topic of debate. Foundation directors drawn from business (advertising, communications et al) argued that it allowed, almost in a spirit of public advocacy, a company to tell its story, unfettered and unfiltered. The journalists on the board predictably argued the reverse, however, that the reason journalists are paid the medium bucks is to provide those checks and balances. Of course publications of all rank and reputation run extensive advertorial, variously titling it "Special Promotions Feature" or "Exclusive Advertising Supplement". I've seen them recently in The New Yorker, The Sunday New York Times Magazine and elsewhere. I hear them each morning on CKNW when the sports reporter switches from his morning rant on Joe Pao Pao to endorsing a muffler shop. But still, it's usually pretty transparent as to what it is. Although, that being said, Maxmillan, writing in the middle of the night, clearly mistook ours for editorial. I can tell what's in it for me as a reporter though. More space. Every ad page that's sold allows us the opportunity to say more editorially. And as one of the people who write the words that prevent the ads from bumping into each other, that's important. What I can also tell you though is that I don't know who writes the copy for our advertorial, and I don’t know (until you do) which restaurants are going to be featured. But I do know that those restaurant owners view it as a legitimate opportunity to explain their menus and wine lists, unfiltered and unfettered by noxious chaps like me, and illustrate signature dishes in a large and lucid format, rifleshot to their target demographic. Need this guilty secret of the publishing industry diminish the editorial credibility of its host periodical? Is it viral journalism, the Avian flu of reporting? Very simply put, I think that it must be clearly identified as what it is so that those consumers who choose not to engage in directed discourse with advertisers may skip ahead to finish their exciting story. Ironically, the last time advertorial was called into question in this section, it was from a person masquerading behind a fake name. Unlike advertorial, however, there was not a shred of honesty to her posting-persona. Since being busted, she has aquired a new religion though, and posts no more derogatory remarks about her journalistic competitors. In fact, she posts no more at all--and quite rightly so. * When you've spent your hard-earned $5, you'll see that we qualify Parkside's nomination for "Under the Radar", stating that we reviewed it (some time ago), but that we think in terms of food, value and ambience, it might just be the best place to take summer visitors right now. For some people (not reading this website, for instance) we think that, yes, given these factors it may still be under-recognized. We have sent many parties there (recommendations are part of the job) and have received positive remarks (in some cases, highly positive, even rapturous, like Coop’s) about the food, the value, the décor, the wine list, the patio and the service. Best, Jamie

Peter, I absolutely concur with Sam's choice of Octopus' Garden as a superb choice. Lots of character (and characters) too. Reasonable prices also warm this chilly Scottish heart. Cheers, Jamie

Maxmillan, Thanks for your question. The answer is: Because they bought the ad—the section of Vancouver that you refer to is called “Vancouver’s Finest”. It’s an annual advertising supplement that allows local restaurants to display their menus (and wine lists) and tell their story without having a surly food critic in the way. It is not editorial, however. That being said, this month’s editorial, “Where the Bites Are”, in addition to including 60 restaurants to take summer visitors to, also has a section called “Ten Under the Radar”. In it, we ask the question if Parkside, “considering value for money and overall ambience . . . isn’t the best bet for a night out right now.” We also feature Shiru-Bay, Fiction Wine Bar, Fiddlehead Joe’s, Chambar (not open yet, but a preamble), Ellie (thanks Keith!), Coast, Yuji’s and a few others we thought would be of interest. Hope you enjoy, and I’m glad to clear up the misunderstanding. Best, Jamie Maw Food Editor Vancouver magazine

Peter, Some impeccable sushi alternatives: En, 2686 Granville, 730-0330 or Bluewater Raw Bar, (chef Yoshi Tabo) 1095 Hamilton, 688-8078 Bluewater has an up close and personal sushi bar; both have good wine lists, Bluewater is very deep in prime sakes. Of course there are 240 more of them out there in Vancouver alone, but these answer your criteria. Let us know when you want to go izakaya. Cheers, Jamie

Skybar "Where exciting professionals come to meet, and then leave.” Dear Mr. Lynes, We are very much looking forward to reading your online review of our bar snacks, meat leathers and cocktail garnishes. And yes, your three tour guides, by any standard, were hot indeed even if their collective reaction to your AA Gill impressions was tepid in the extreme. But now even better news. We have found the screw and washer that holds your right arm on! As that is presumably your drinking arm, we wanted to reassure you that we will return the bionic hardware immediately. Nothing sadder than a one-armed Forum Host, to be sure, however their loss may temporarily put paid to the unfortunate colonial expression ‘bloody Pommy wanker.’ As for your shoes, they were retrieved from the VIP lounge by our hostess, and your new best friend, Ms. Heidi Hough. Unfortunately they are a bit the worse for wear. You may recall, vaguely, drinking the local Winterkill Brute from them, shortly before asking to be shown to the ‘darts area.’ Normally we would have been more than happy to replace them, however we are unfamiliar with the ‘River Island’ brand here. Our advice would be to simply forget about the shoes. Despite your unusual (and untimely) departure from our premises (and the modest damage to the DJ booth), please be advised that all is forgiven and that we would happily welcome you and your entourage back after the posting of a modest damage deposit. Or the posting of a favourable review. I kid you not. Yours, etc. F. Morris Chatters Operations Director Skybar Lounges Ltd. "Opening October 2004 in the Burquitlam-Whalley Triangle"

Peter and vandan, I seem to recall that the owners of Chambar were expecting to open around mid-July. Here's hoping, Jamie

An recent trip through the original Borscht Belt (Russia, Estonia, Germany et al) was preceded by a bucolic week in England. In London, my daughter and I met with Andy Lynes, one of the excellent Forum Hosts for eGullet UK. Several afternoon cleansing ales turned into an inpromtu evening and by the end of it, we had Andy convinced that this part of the world was worth a look. With a couple of articles scoped, and through the good offices of Tourism Vancouver and Tourism BC, he almost beat us back. Four days and nights each in Vancouver and the Okanagan sped by; Andy returned to the UK today. Once the dust settles, he's commited to posting his tasting notes as he moved around--and he did cover a lot of ground. I'm not going to steal his thunder, especially on the specifics, but I believe several general things impressed him: 1. Value for Money Divide our reasonable menu prices by 2.5 to currently figure pricing in Sterling. By London standards, in other words, it's essentially free here. Or put it this way: almost three meals in Vancouver for the price of one there. 2. Great Food in Casual Settings I believe he enjoyed the casual approach (and the attendant small plates phenomenon) we take to eating well--more about a sense of taste than one of occasion. Certainly the sun-flooded patios and attractive locals didn't hurt either. Nor the accessibility factor--this remains an easy city to move around in, and our restaurants are approachable and easy to book. 3. An Emergent Wine Culture Still unknown to most Europeans--but we sampled lots of the local bottles and for the most part, they showed well. 4. Service The service culture is perhaps the most startling difference, especially noticeable when comparing mid-priced restaurants in the two cities. Training and gratuity-driven incentive spell only part of the difference, though, some are more deeply rooted . . . I'm sure that there will be much more--keep an eye out for his thread. I think you'll find it very interesting to look at us through the eyes of an articulate guy who knows his mind. And his stuff. Cheers, Jamie

Keith, Chambar: Exciting menu (below), exciting beer list, beautiful room. Disclaimer: Please note that I copied the menu from a PDF and although I think I paired items and prices correctly, there may be a few adjustments; also--it's a pre-opening trial menu only and prices may change before the restaurant gets underway. But it certainly looks to be full of flavour. But first a few words about the owners: Chef/Proprietor Nico Schuermans Nico Schuermans is a qualified chef and restaurateur, and has been in the hospitality industry for 14 years. Nico received his qualifications at the prestigious CREPAC school of culinary arts in Belgium. His apprenticeship was with La Villa Lorraine (two star Michelin), and he went on to work as Chef de Partie for Comme Chez Soi (three star Michelin for 20 years), which is considered Belgium's finest restaurant. Nico was Chef de Partie at the Savoy Hotel in London; he completed his professional training there before moving on to become Head Chef at Alhambra in Sydney Australia. Before leaving Australia Nico was asked to work at the Epoche Belgian Beer Café (superb credential right there) to cook for the Belgian national athletes, and visiting Royals. Upon coming to Canada Nico and his wife lived in Whistler, where Nico was employed by La Rua Restaurant. Nico lived in New York for 5 months, working as manager at Gitane in Soho before returning to Canada. Nico worked as Sous Chef at Lucy Mae Brown and is currently working as a consultant for Baru Latino Restaurant . Karri Schuermans Karri Schuermans background is in the design and marketing industries. She has run a successful freelance design business for the last 8 years, specializing in Corporate Branding and merchandising. Karri is the co-owner of Twice Shy Productions, a clothing + design firm here in Vancouver. www.twice-shy.com Karri was the International Film Manager for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, her role being to ensure positive exposure for Sydney s cultural and architectural attributes, and define Sydney as the business and fashion centre for the South Pacific. Previous to that, Karri was the Marketing Manager for the City of Sydney. Karri has also been involved in the hospitality industry, and went to work for the Earls group (hmmm...them again) in preparation of opening a restaurant with her husband Nico. CHAMBAR TRIAL MENU Chambar Lunch Menu á la Carte Les Salades Mixed green salad with endive, pears, blue cheese, pecan nuts and cherry vinagrette. $8 Salade Liegoise ? green beans, crispy potato, onion, prosciutto and red wine vinagrette $8 Roasted beets, smoked chicken, hazelnut and grapes on watercress. $8 Warm eggplant salad with black olive feta, basil and tomato on grilled foccascia. $7 Arugula, walnut and apple salad with herbed goat cheese, walnut oil and balsamic vinegar. Les Pains Garnis Grilled Salmon with roast tomato, arugula, parmesan and dill onion on a grilled baguette. $10 Smoked Chicken on fig-nut bread with mango, arugula mayonnaise and baby greens $10 Toast Canibal steak tartar with capers, preserved vegetables, harissa cheese and baby watercress. $8 Grilled Eggplant with tapenade, goat cheese and pesto on watercress. $10 Merguez sausage with tomato cucumber salad and ginger yogurt rice. $9 Fresh almond crusted crabcake, roasted red pepper sauce and sweet potato chips. $10 Roasted salmon with oranges, olive and radish salad with pomegranate vinaigrette. $10? Lunch Menu Main Courses Grilled Chicken cous-cous with dry fruit, cilantro, pesto, pinenuts and zalouk $17 Lamb Tajine - Braised lamb shank with honey, cinnamon & cilantro served with cous cous and zalouk. $12 Spicy meatballs in tomato, tumeric sauce with boiled egg, cucumber, yogurt and cilantro. $15 Plat du Jour ? Special plate of the day. $TBC Specialité Moule Frites Mussels and fries $15 Coquotte Cooked with white wine, bacon, vegetables, garlic and a touch of cream $15 Vin Blanc Cooked with white wine, and vegetables $15 Congolaise Cooked with fresh tomato, smoked chilli and cilantro with a touch of coconut cream and lime. $12 a l'Escargot Half-shell grilled mussels, with fennel, tomato and pastis Dessert Caramelized banana cream tarte $4.5 Tiramisu $5 Petite Suisse (mild French farmers cheese with fruit and brown sugar) $5 Warm chocolate cake with orange sugar Dinner Menu Appendix Chambar Dinner Menu á la Carte Les Petit Plats $7 Soupe aux Trois Haricot Trio of beans, smoked trout, chive and creme fraiche $8 Melimelo d’ete Organic greens, peach, tomato, proscuitto and with basil vinagrette. $7 Salade Folle Belgium endive, watercress, red grapes, carmamelized pecans, and blue cheese with walnut dressing and toasted fig bread. $12 Canard Confit au cidre Cider duck confit with apple and summer beet salad. $12 Carpachio de chevreuille Venison carpachio with grilled pear, foie gras butter and warm brioche $11 Coquille St. Jacques Seared scallops and grilled oyster mushroom on watercress, with parmesan twill. $11 Tomate farcie de Crabe et Crevette Stuffed tomatoes with baby prawns, crab with pea shoots. $11 Garspachio de thom frais Grilled tuna with candied ginger, Belgian endive and cucumber Dinner Menu Main Courses (Les Grosse Pieces) Turbot roti au lard å la Chimay Roasted halibut wrapped in smoked bacon with grilled greens and Chimay emulsion. $18 Tajine d?Aziz â l’agneau Braised lamb shank with honey, cinnamon & cilantro served with cous cous and zalouk. $17 Saumon de printemps Grilled Salmon, haloumie cheese, asparagus and braised fennel with sweet red wine glaze. $13 Gaufre de legumes au chevre Potato waffle with goat cheese and tomato herb concassé $18 Magret de Canard au pêche peket Duck Breast with peach, waffled potatoes with juniper berry infusion $18 Fillet mignon au beurre perigueux Beef tenderloin with Madera and truffle butter on potato mash with mushroom ragôut. $18? $5 Belgian Frites ? Mixed Seasonal Vegetables $10 Grilled asparagus with parmesan Dinner Menu Appendix Specialité Moule Fritte $15 Mussels and fries Coquotte Cooked with white wine, bacon, vegetables, garlic and a touch of cream Vin Blanc Cooked with white wine, and vegetables Congolaise Cooked with fresh tomato, smoked chilli and cilantro with a touch of coconut cream and lime. $12 a l'Escargot Half-shell grilled mussels, with fennel, tomato and pastis $17 Côte de porc a la Kriek Pork Chop with stoemp and cherry beer compote $18 Le Steak frite au poivre Grilled steak with peppercorn sauce, braised endive, and fries. $18 Watersooie de homard et fruit de mer Bouillabaisse of lobster, scallop, prawns, mussels and halibut on lemon rice. $15 Boudin Belge aux pistache sauce Duvel Belgian sausages with pistachio, onion jam and Duvel sauce on potato mash. Dessert Mocha soufflé Hot mocha soufflé with hazelnut ice cream $7.5 Mousse au chocolate Belge Belgian chocolate mousse with white chocolate parfait $7.5 Tarte au citron et frambroise Lemon and raspberry tart with citrus sorbet $7.5 Crème Brulé a l?eau de rose Rose water crème brulé $7.5 Dame Blanche Homemade vanilla ice cream with warm belgian chocolate sauce $7.5 Proire caramelise å la crème pistache Poached pear, caramelized with pistachio cream Plateau de trios fromages Trio cheese platter with crispy leaves, pear jam and nut bread $14 NOTE: Menu subject to change due to ingredient pricing and availability. Belgian Beer Menu 1. Abbaye des Rocs 2. Abbaye des Rocs 3. Abbaye des Rocs blanche 4. Abbaye des Rocs blanche des honnelles 5. Abbaye des Rocs mon tagnarde 6. Abbaye des Rocs Montagnarde 7. Abbaye des Rocs Speciale Noel 8. Abbaye des Rocs speciale noel 9. Achel 10. Belle Vue Kriek 11. Cantillon Gueuze Lambic 12. Cantillon Kriek Lambic 13. Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus 14. Caracole Amber 15. Caracole Nostradamus Brune 16. Caracole Saxo Blonde 17. Caracole Troublette 18. Chimay Red Cap 19. Dupont Saison 20. Hoegaarden 21. Hoegaarden - Fruit desendu 22. Karmeliet Tripel 23. Karmeliet tripel 24. La Binchoise special noel 25. La Binchoise Speciale Noel 26. La Chouffe Golden Ale 27. Liefmans Goudenband 28. Liefmans Goudenband 29. Liefmans Joudenband 30. Mort Subite Cassis 31. Mort Subite Gueuze 32. Orval 33. Pauwel Kwak 34. Petrus Oud Bruin 35. Rochefort 8 36. Saison de Silly 37. Stella Artois 38. Stella Artois 39. Westmalle Double 40. Westmalle Tripel 41. Westmalletripel

After a bit of a hiatus, between now and mid-summer there will be a new batch of interesting rooms for you to check out. Gord Martin of the Bins opens Go Fish mid-June at False Creek Fishermans’ Wharf. Look for seaside upscale takeout with a few tables in the sunshine. Emad Yacoub, Shannon Bosa, chef Sean Riley and manager Jean-Paul Lamb are opening Coast right now, a pretty new sister for Glowbal. The 110-seat (plus 55 on the patio) Yaletown seafood house features a Japanese-styled round for 16 (with private chef) as centrepiece. A new wine bar sportif--no doubt aimed at female drinkers (given the front page article in the Sun today about the popularity of restaurant bars in this demo)--are also being bandied for the hormonal neighbourhood. Lift, from Bob Lindsay of Monk McQueen's opens over the water at the west flank of the Westin Bayshore about mid-July. Chef is Keith Krantz--look for casual seafood in the best looking stand-alone restaurant building to emerge in the city in some time. fetching views from two west-facing patios of Coal Harbour and the marina. Already open, at the north foot of Denman on the seawall is Bravo Bistro. Neat little menu: seared veal sweetbreads to steak or moules (lemongrass/cocunut cream) frites, bouillabaise. Well-priced, good lunch value, solid wine sheet in a crisply decorated room with a view. Young Belgian chef Nico Sheurman and his wife Karri will open the 100-seater (beautiful bar) Chambar at 560 Beatty Street (just up from Wild Rice)around Canada Day. I'll have the trial menu shortly and will post it on this thread. Heard about any others? Fire them in here.

CULINARY TOURISM may be the new phrase du jour that describes the tourists ravaging our restaurants like cicadas in a wheat field. But few are the reliable guides. So welcome to the May/June issue of EAT--just published--it takes a broad (56 page) survey of matters culinaire in diverse geographic areas: the Island, Nelson, the Okanagan (nicely compiled by Joie Guesthouse owner Heidi Noble), Vancouver, Gabriola, Saanich, Cowichan and Tofino. Nathan Fong even compares BC with Australia. There's also a lot of front-of-house interviewing--of servers and sommeliers--and a chef's night off piece. Lots of timely information and some ambitious research. Congrats to publisher/editor Gary Hynes and contributing editor Caroline Bateman. Gary informs that he's dropping the magazine in about 400 spots across the province, about 100 in Vancouver. I found mine at the Granville Island Hotel.

Merlin, Ken Bogas went on to chef at his brother-in-law Umberto Menghi's Yaletown restaurant called Mangiamo (formerly another Italian called Il Barino). When Umberto planned to sell the property, Ken moved on to open his own room (with some partners I believe), called Coco Pazzo. It's located in the South Kerrisdale village near 57th and the Boulevard. Ken maintains his feisty style of cooking in an attractive room. It's given the scions of Kerisdale and Shaughnessy an outpost without having to cross a bridge too far--some nights it looks like a Crofton House PTA meeting. And yes, he still offers his seared ahi--much as Mick Jagger has to sing Satisfaction wherever he goes. Back in Yaletown, Umberto ended up keeping Mangiamo. His executive chef, Pino Posteraro, who had oversight for all of the Menghi restaurants, had left to open the expensively designed Cioppino's. And that's when the Spaghetti Western broke out. Umberto spent some serious capital redeveloping Mangiamo into Circolo. Then Pino added Enotca, the all-day, slightly more casual room next door to Cioppino's. Umberto then expanded too, opening an adjacent room with a demonstration kitchen. And so it goes. Coincidentally, I just spoke to Stan Fuller about the launch date of Earls new wine list (designed by Tony Gismondi and David Schofield)--he confirmed the Whitemud/Calgary Trail location for OPM. Check it out. But there's more good news for you Edmontonians. Stan said that he's just weeks away from launching his new 170-seat (gastro)pub in South Edmonton--PUBLIK. Cheers. Gastropimp, as a near neighbour of the Yew Street dining mall, I couldn't agree with you more. Wouldn't it be great to see more estblishments with the quality, independent ownership, interest factor and reasonable prices of Tangerine or Kibune? The Malone's location is an especially irritating waste of prime space. i believe that the old gas station head lease is split in two--which explains why only half the space is functional now. I'm told that it's in litigation and, pending resolution, that your sources are correct. A sidebar about the Earls' wine list. Although Stan Fuller was a hell of a rugby player, and thus a pint of beer or several was not foreign to him, his poison of choice these days is white wine. And it just so happens that his favourite is Conundrum . . . . Cheers, Jamie Maw

T--Don't you think you should share where you found the beer?

Merlin, I only know that the OPM is being installed in an older Joey's property. presuambly that would be the one with a lot of construction activity right now--the plans looked impressive. And if you can talk your way into the kitchen, take a look at their water-cooled woks--a continous stream of water flows down behind the wok ranges to cool the kitchen and the chefs, without cooling the food. Intersting comments on Casual Fine Dining concepts. Obviously, because low price points compress margins in CFD (and real estate isn't getting any cheaper), volume is the only saviour. Any CFD property with hopes of survival in a ruthless marketplace has to capture sales of >$60,000 per week. In turn, that requires lots of lunchtime footfall/walk-in traffic, and at dinner, all of that, after-work drinkers and some destination diners too. So how do you do it? Probably by doing a few things very well. The two most sucessful concepts in Canada are The Keg and Earls (and its variations--Cactus Club, Saltlik, Joey's and now OPM and PUBLIK). I reckon that those few things comprise excellent development kitchens; fresh ingredients; sourcing consolidation of those ingredients (i.e. only one delivery per day); portion/food cost control and measurable service standards; and relentless 'franchise' training of kitchen and service crews. Add in outstanding wine and beer lists. HKDave's quip about 'three-ring binder' dining was bang on. It's all about a system that's couched in gracious, rapid response service and F&B delivery. The fact is that these two companies do it--being all things to most of the people all of the time--as well or better as any CFD in the world (that we've found at least), is interesting--they both started right here. Maybe what brought it on home for me were a couple of things that occured over the past few years. First, a lot of the big-time chefs and restaurant awards judges that we interview each year--especially those with families--willingly admit that their mini-vans veer right on auto pilot when they pass an Earls. Second, though, two years ago I ate an expensive mistake of goulash at the vaunted Spago in Beverly Hills. It was several lumps of mystery meat sitting in a beige puddle and cost $30 Canadiain--at lunch! In fairness, the accompanying spaetzle was top drawer, but we called the rest 'The Goulash Archipelago'--prison food. The very next week, we found that Stewie Fuller, Earls' development chef, had put goulash on the menu. His version was delicious in its distinct staircase of flavours (including a lick of smoked paprika), and at $7.95 a much better dish. Don't know when they'll open an OPM in Vancouver (the real estate market here is scary for restaurants--and most new ones seem to be in the apace-challenged podiums of condo towers), but there is a stylish new Joey's being built on the emeging restaurant row just east of Granville on West Broadway--on the old Kitsilano Pub site across from Memphis Blues and Cru. Three blocks, three CFDs, Three cheers. Jamie Maw Food Editor Vancouver magazine

Apparently KK's stock price was morbidly obese too. The effect of the stock reversal is summarized in the first post. And Daddy-A, I couldn't agree more with your opinion of the Atkins Diet. Liking talking about golf and trainspotting, it's tedious in the extreme. I've actually put myself on an anti-Atkins, carbo intensive diet for six weeks recently while I was doing research for an article on red sauce joints. Limiting myself pretty much to pasta, potatoes and beer, I only lost three pounds, but I was certainly a happier citizen than my Atkins-obsessed, ketosis-depressed friends--the ones who talk about golf. And as for moderation? My personal dining credo is sort of a twist on Julia Child's: "Moderation and lots of it!" Kind of like Linda Evangelista, I won't get out of bed for less than 10,000 calories a day. Jamie Maw Food Editor Vancouver magazine

The good citizens of Edmonton will move into the bonus round with the roll-out of Canada’s first OPM (i.e. Opium) this August. The Asian-based concept is being developed by Earls/Joey Tomatoes Restaurants: think Wild Rice meets PF Chang’s. On Friday in Coquitlam we attended a menu tasting where we evaluated 14 dishes. For the most part, they excelled. One reason might be that the development chef for Joey Tomatoes is Chris Mills, who led the Canadian team at the Bocuse d’Or culinary competition in Lyons a couple of years ago. He’s been traveling a lot assembling a pan-Asian, well OK—wok-Asian—all-day menu. I’m cynical about many concepts—they homogenize the dining landscape and in many cases serve dumb food to the unsuspecting. But Earls has always intrigued me for its fresh approach, organics program, outstanding wine list and, of course, service that never stops. Industry folk fly in from around the world to see what makes them tick. At OPM it will be the food, swank décor and big bar. Some of the best dishes we ate were green papaya and prawn salad, superb yellow curry prawns, drunken chicken in ginger-sesame sauce, orange ginger beef, Schezuan green beans and . . . well, you get the picture. Prices ranged from $8 to $12 and portions were generous. We also tried two desserts: supersized fortune cookies with supersized fortunes, and coconut-accented ice cream, and caramel banana spring rolls. OPM will also brew two styles of beer, a ‘hefty' Weizen called Big Wang, and a dunkelweizen called China Black. Some cocktails are also themed, with one standout called the Fallen Samurai: muddled red grapes with citrus vodka, lychee juice, apple juice, sauvignon blanc and a charge of soda. Strange but true—it tasted eerily like Singapore. Edmonton will also host the first PUBLIK, Earls new sports bar concept—arriving a little later. Vancouver and Calgary get there’s later. As for you folks in Edmonton, well—lucky you. Cheers, Jamie Maw Food Editor Vancouver magazine

Are doughnuts toast? And is the Atkins diet to blame? According to an article in the New York Times today, Krispy Kreme has lost more than half its share value since it peaked last August at $49.74, losing $9.29 in heavy trading to close at $22.51. The Times article stated that, "'For several months, there has been increasing customer interest in low-carbohydrate diets,' said Scott A. Livengood, the chairman and chief executive, adding that the most serious effect on Krispy Kreme had come in grocery store sales, where it has been expanding its business." But the article begs the question as to which is the bigger fad: the low-carb, no sugar Atkins diet, or Krispy Kreme itself. The company is closing a handful of stores and reducing expansion ambitions. According to the Yimes article, "'For the first time in recent memory, retail customer counts have declined,' said John W. Tate, the chief operating officer." I always preferred the version at Lee's Donuts on Granville Island anyway, they're less sweet and have a superior texture. In fact they consitently beat the KK product in blind taste tests that we ran. Have an opinion or a local favourite to nominate?