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barolo

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    Daddy-A's Excellent French Adventure

    in France: Dining

    Posted

    Thanks very much for the report thus far.

    I'll be in France next May and at this stage my itinerary is under development, so your report comes in handy. I'm planning to do some walking as well to follow up on a great walking holiday in Italy last fall. I'm especially interested to hear about the Dordogne walking.

    Openings and closings (2006–2008 part 1)

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    Thanks for the full story Cate. Interestingly there is an El Patio on Denman under the Pacific Crab Company, but I've never seen it open.

    Running into them quite often, the owners  told me at one time that they were opening a new restaurant on Denman, under the Pacific Crab Co. calling it El Patio and were going to run them both. They then changed their story to say they were selling the original and had it up for sale for about $170,000 – Now there is nothing to sell, it is closed for good, gas and electricity turned off, the kitchen equipment gone and every other thing that could be unscrewed or moved.

    BC Wine

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    I  came across this thread on the most current release of the Joie Noble Blend tasted blind with a group of other Alsacian wines.  I had not yet got back to Vancouver to try some although I think given this note I may pass on the Joie despite reviews - the Joie seems very diluted - oh well I guess tastes are subjective but having some of the others that were tasted I can calibrate my taste with the other notes.  http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showthread.php?t=103732  Its worth noting that the 2004 Alsace wines are coming into Ontario at very good prices and for $25.95 one can get a bottle of the 2004 Zind Humbrecht Gewurtztraminer which was outstanding with my Turkey over the weekend.  For that price, I suspect I would pass on most similar types of BC (and for that matter Ontario) whites.  Just my 2 cents.  I do not think that 04s from Zind Humbrecht have made their way to the BCLDB or Marquis as of yet.

    As far as I know, Alsatian blends, or Edelzwickers, are all relatively light, simple wines that are not in the same league as the Reislings and Gewurtztraminers. Like this:

    While its name literally means noble blend, most Edelzwickers are dry, light, simple wines that are best drunk young.

    Taken from here World Wide Wine

    The only Alsatian blend available locally that I can think of offhand is the Hugel Gentil which retails for about $17 or $18. That would probably be a better comparison with the Joie Noble Blend.

    I was at that dinner by the way, and to be fair the Joie was served too cold and it should have been served at the beginning of the meal not the end. It is a light fruity floral wine, it didn't have a chance next to the Zind Riesling.

    Nigella Feasts

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    An article about Nigella on Slate today: Oral Pleasures

    Nigella Feasts finds the hostess up to the same old tricks: She prepares hearty food without fuss; she alternates coy smiles with confidential grins; verbal and voluptuary, she reinvents the double-entendre. This sex bomb is aimed, I think, at housewives. Buford, explaining why the Food Network's offerings are called "food porn," insisted, "It's not erotic ... It's just unreal." He obviously hadn't seen Lawson make guacamole.

    openmouth

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    "Our food culture magazine"? Picked up the premiere edition at Urban Fare the other day. Do we really need another local food magazine? Doesn't EAT do the best job?

    I agree it is not off to an inspiring start. As for whether we need another local food magazine, I'm all for more choice and letting the market decide.

    Apple Pie

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Gravensteins! Although mostly I just make applesauce from them. The fragrance alone of cooked Gravensteins is swoon-worthy.

    Of the readily available supermarket apples I usually use a combination of MacIntosh and Braeburn.

    Cafe Artigianno "chain" sold

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    There's an article about the Artigiano sale in the Vancouver Sun today. It was bought by Willie Mounzer, a former Earl's executive. As noted the Piccolo family retains ownership of the coffee roasting operation.

    [i've noticed a couple of Starbucks actually closing down - for example the one on Denman being converted to a Yaletown Sofa (which seems to be the go-to tenant for empty storefronts).  I did not see another Starbucks being open nearby - and the note on the door at the time said - "We're closing - thanks for letting us have your money" - or something like that.

    I think that particular Starbucks closed a few months after they opened the one at Davie and Denman, in the old Miriam's spot.

    Openings and closings (2006–2008 part 1)

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    On a walk the other night, I noticed that Theresa's Diner on Davie is no more and has been replaced by All India.  Right across the street from India Bistro! 

    With 2 relatively new ones on Robson St as well, looks like the West End is now being bombarded with Indian restaurants, after the last couple of years of gelato invasion!

    Yes so it seems. I noticed that one of the gelato places on Denman has closed now so maybe we'll see an Indian restaurant there too.

    Where to go for a birthday

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted · Edited by barolo (log)

    The desserts at Diva at the Met are well worth it.

    Stephen

    Are these desserts created by Thomas Hass?

    Thanks.

    Yes, he is the Executive Pastry Chef at Diva. Here's a link to the Diva dessert menu: Diva Desserts

    Looks like that may be where *Deborah* had the chocolate and pistachio dessert she mentioned in another thread.

    Trafalgars is a good suggestion, especially since you are looking for wide selection. Here's the menu: Trafalgars Desserts

    EAT! Magazine

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    Shelora's contributions include this bit of wisdom:

    Then why not do like the sauna-loving Fins who are purported to beat themselves into health and well-being with branches of laurel.  It might hurt a bit, but at the very least, you'll smell fantastic.

    Oh, beeeeehave! :laugh:

    A.

    Actually I believe Finns use birch branches.

    Laurel is what was used for those wreaths that ancient Greeks and Romans wore on their heads, usually as a symbol of victory - hence "rest on your laurels".

    And yes, I know I'm being pedantic.

    Good Western European, American Cooking

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I do, however, get frustrated when I see or at least think I see the 'fringe' getting far too much attention.

    I think there are far more posts here devoted to the kind of food you say you want discuss than this "fringe" you are so concerned about. You need to drink a couple of glasses of your local wine and get some perspective.

    I was going to add more but Pontmoro has said it already, and better than I would.

    Ouest / West In Vancouver

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    The decor of the place is interesting. The light fixtures and gigantic chrome sculpture hanging from the ceiling are not tacky in an in your face kind of way... yet.  Like Charlie Sheen's apartment in Wall Street and Ray Liotta's house in GoodFellas, that kind of style may have looked cool back but two decades later -- bam! -- everybody is like, "What the hell were they thinking?!" This might happen to West a decade or so down the line.

    Some of the decor elements are pretty weird to my eye - I call the silver/chrome thing "the hot wheels track". And I too love West desserts best of all.

    Thanks for the write up.

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