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Thanks Stephen for an informative review. Your comments are quite consistent with those of Alexandra Gill, who reviews the Transcontinental today in the Globe: I've walked by a couple of times at lunch hour and seen the patio crowded with tourists. I assumed it was serving tourist food and not worth a visit, but it seems as though I should give it more credit and check it out.

Milk comes in bags??? ← In Canada it does. More than you ever wanted to know about milk in bags here.

Ouch! OK, now I have to stop in after work to check it out for myself. Given all the positive comments on Metro that abound, a contrary review will probably increase business.

If you usually have lemons on hand - lemon squares.

Peaches and raspberries are a great combination - think Peach Melba

Their hours according to website:

Yes there is.

Where in Port Moody? A. ← Corner of Ioco and Murray Streets in a new master planned community called "Suter Brook"

Gourmet is being smart. Showing you care pays off. ← Yes, that is my read of Gourmet's new direction. I don't think they would be pursuing such stories with such vigour if there wasn't a trend toward "socially conscious" style. That doesn't mean they don't care, of course. I am sure all those people rushing around to buy a $15 cotton bag care too. They just care about showing they care even more.

Why? The owner of Sobeys has already stated that the name (Thrifty's) isn't changing. Is there something evil about Sobey's? Is there something else you're concerned about? Just wonderin' A. ← New owners always say things are not changing. Then they change. I don't have any particular view on Sobey's. I pretty much agree with this comment in the Sun article today: Of course it is possible that the changes will result in stores that are even better when viewed from my perspective. Call me a pessimist.

Yes you are right - from the owner's perspective it makes good sense. No doubt I would do the same kind of thing if I were in Alex Campbell's shoes. But from my own selfish perspective I don't think that it is a good thing for the people I care about who shop regularly at Thrifty stores.

Yeah, I agree completely. Too bad, but I'll hope for the best.

Thanks for the link. The company was started in Houston, Texas according to their website: It actually escaped from the Untied Arab Emirates: http://www.marbleslab.com/locations/international.html and Ontario, USA and now coming to BC. ←

A few changes on Davie/Denman that I haven't seen reported: The old 1215 on Davie is becoming Shanghai 1949, a "Chinese bistro" A Cookies by George is opening beside Cupcakes on Denman Soho Pub (Bar?) opened in the former Pacific Crab Company location on the second floor at Denman and Davie after its former location around the corner on Davie was pulled down to build condos. Marble Slab Creamery - an ice cream place that looks like it escaped from a mall in the suburbs - is open beside St Germain bakery. Line ups every time i've walked by. Legendary Noodles opened a few months ago. The Calling Public House is where Denman Street Free House was on Davie and Denman. I'm not sure what actually changed here other than the name.

There's an article in Sun today: here with some of the background on the new space.

Actually I think what they are doing is pretty reasonable and interesting so far. Their communications strategy needs to improve though. If you want to learn more, and fill in a feedback form, visit Island Insight.

There's over 3600 bottles in the government liquor stores alone so it shouldn't be too hard to pick up a bottle somehow. Click here for availability.

Thanks Eric, that's helpful.

Just heard an interview on CBC (AM) this afternoon about this. According to the CMHC (landlord) rep any increases in rent are based on ongoing costs to upkeep and maintain the island. Her comment was that the "Artistic Grapevine" was very ripe with conjecture that was not true (i.e. move existing artisans to bring in high end retailers). There is no plan to remove or relocate any of the artists as this is an important part of the composition of the G.I. and CMHC very much wants to keep it that way. ← Thanks, I'll have to keep an eye out for more information.

Can anyone tell me about the latest changes planned for the Island? My friends in the world of craft tell me that there is a "new vision", their rents are going up - over 100%, the terms of their lease are changing, etc, etc. Maybe I haven't been paying attention but I haven't seen any media on this. Will it affect the Public Market?

Amen to that! I start my day like that every morning when I'm working in the area. ← Me too, not working but shopping. Today there was a vendor selling greenhouse-grown heritage tomatoes for $3.50 a pound. I bought some so I could do a taste test against the regular hot house tomatoes. Appartently there's a vendor (different one) who sells greenhouse heritages at the Trout Lake market, but there's a huge line up as soon as the market opens. I don't go to Trout Lake and we haven't had any show up at the West End market, so its nice to see them show up at Granville Island. No line ups.

I bought my first local strawberries of the season today at Granville Island and got great service - I was asked how much I wanted to spend and strawberries were hand selected for me. I got $10 worth, which was a lot at $3.00 a pound, and I look forward to strawberries at breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next few days. The beginning of the season alway brings back a childhood memory of local strawberries - sliced and served on buttered toast for supper, outside at the picnic table. The berries were bought at a stand a couple of blocks away and grown in our community. Those strawberry fields are long gone, but the memory persists. I also saw Okanagan cherries, which seemed really early to me. Next week the West End farmers' market opens and I'm really looking forward to eating lots of fresh BC produce and fruit for the next four months or so!

This thread may also be helpful.

Mia Stainsby has some recommendations for "up Island" in today's Vancouver Sun: Comox Valley no longer virgin territory Here's her three recommendations: And two she'd like to try: Wesley Street Restaurant in Nanaimo is good. The Crow and Gate in Cedar, just south of Nanaimo a little further out than the Mahle House (worth a visit too), is worth a visit especially in the summer when you can sit outside. There's a farmers' market just outside the Crow and Gate on Sundays in the summer, Qualicum has a good farmers' market on Saturdays. My favourite restaurant in Victoria is Brasserie l'ecole

And what is Flux all about?