barolo

Me too for the Raintree. And I think it was the Green Door. The Old Spaghetti Factory and Brother's (it was Brother Jon's first, wasn't it?) didn't have much impact on me in a culinary sense although they were definitely "the" places to go in my teenage years.

3WC: I wasn't implying that you were being elitist at all or at least not being critical of your elitism. I generally agree with your comments. I just don't believe that only rustic bread is worth eating. So I would be delighted if you set the bar higher, but I don't want every bakery in Vancouver to produce rustic loaves.

Thanks Shelora and 3WC!

I've had her bread. I thought it was pretty good, very rustic as you said. That is not always what I am looking for though. Let a thousand flowers bloom, we need more bread diversity here.

3WC: Thanks for chiming in again, I missed that earlier recco for Cucina. I'm still left wondering what kind of food one might eat there. I've seen lots of references to how good it is, but no specifics of what has actually been ingested there.

Hey jayhay - nope, I'm not one of your sons, but I'm happy to have you benefit from any of the insights posted here.

Thanks for the tips Merlin and editor. I'll likely be with an elderly, but food loving, relative so some of the hipper, noisier places won't suit us. I have been to Pagliacci's. Herald Street Cafe and some of the other recommendations sound good. All the pubs I have tried for lunch inthe past have disappointed as far as food goes. Shelora please chime in if you've got more suggestions.

Good question, I asked it - in a much less entertaining way - myself. I think the mid-eighties was a turning point for the better, but that may just reflect my vintage. Have we really turned a corner - I don't know. I think one "turns a corner" when one stops wondering if they have. A. ← Ah, that will be the day Vancouver stops hyping itself as a "world-class" city. (Other cities presumably aren't sophisticated enough to actually be part of the world?) ← Yes, you are both right.

Good question, I asked it - in a much less entertaining way - myself. I think the mid-eighties was a turning point for the better, but that may just reflect my vintage. Have we really turned a corner - I don't know. When I travelled to Margaret River in Western Australia in 1996 and 1998, I was blown away at how much better the food, wine, accommodations and arts and crafts were compared to what was available in BC. Margaret River is barely on the beaten path, a long way from anything and anyone except Perth, a city that is smaller than Vancouver, and yet they seem, to me anyway, to have accomplished more sooner.

Thanks Merlin. Any comments about the lunch spots other than Canoe? I expect toe be in Victoria on a Saturday soon and will be looking for a decent lunch spot in the inner harbour area.

This topic deserves more thought, but here's some ideas from my admittedly narrow little part of the world - the opening of the Granville Island Public Market with La Baguette and Granville Island Brewing. It has had its ups and downs, but the Island has been an important part of my culinary life in Vancouver from the beginning. - Umberto Menghi - redefined Italian food, trained a whole lot of people who are still in the business now - Bishop's seemed to start the whole locally sourced, high end neighbourhood restaurant concept - Expo '86 brought a whole lot of new, diverse restaurants, and people, to Vancouver. It was the starting point for Yaletown and the expansion/improvement of the livable downtown core which is an important factor in our vibrant restaurant scene. - increase in Asian immigration - already mentioned. - Starbucks - already mentioned - The Keg - already mentioned - the Lazy Gourmet - my first exposure to upscale takeout. - the Free Trade Agreement transformed the BC wine industry - James Barber - Ginger Tea Makes Friends.

Good topic. I think a lot of the differences come about as a result of our geography and location in the world and immigration patterns. I think many, not all, of the differences in perceptions about what is good or better in a location arise from people missing their familiar favourites. Things in Australia that stood out for me: BYO restaurants - wonderful, made for a more lively and relaxed restaurant scene. Our liquor laws in BC are pathetic, but Quebec has a better vibe. Service was friendly but pretty incompetent in many of the more casual restaurants. Lack of chains meant more interesting independents, but I suspect chains will take over there too. Fresh fruit and veg: Overall a longer growing season and therefore better and fresher selection. But our cherries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries in season are much better and much cheaper. Fish: Again I think a longer season gives the Aussies an edge, but there was lots of not fresh fish to be found in Australia. Wine: Pretty hard to find non-Aussie wines for reasonable prices. I like cold climate whites and missed them in Australia. I found the heat there not conducive to drinking big reds. I loved wine touring in Margaret River. Agree BC liquor stores not the most service oriented, but I'll take our wine selection any day over "all Australian all the time" - not to say I don't like Australian wine. Besides I live near a private wine store. Food outside the major centres: A wasteland for both countries, except in pockets, but I found Australia had even smaller centres with fewer amenties. Coffee outside the main centres in Australia - very bad even worse than here. Quebec again probably does better at this than anywhere else in Canada. Food Markets: The markets in Adelaide and Melbourne (especially) were very good and more food oriented as compared to Granville Island which is about much more than food. Granville Island definitely suffers from being such a tourist attraction, they can get away with too much. Farmers markets in Ottawa, when I was there for an extended visit, were much better than Vancouver's and more prevalent. Other comments: US influence: Yes, I think to our detriment we have access to lots of relatively cheap and crappy US food which works to the disadvantage our local producers, in BC anyway. Parochrialism: Pretty similar in both countries. It is hard to generalize about two such large countries with great regional differences.

I should add that I do very much appreciate the approach taken - blind tasting, considered from the consumer's point of view, presented in a user friendly format and I picked up some extra copies of the excerpt to pass on to friends.

Maybe some non-geeks will search out unusual wines, but somehow I doubt that there would be enough to change the buying patterns of major stores. But what do I know? For sure some will eventually become geeks, but perhaps I differ from you in thinking that this will be a very small number. I agree that the thrill of the hunt is part of it - but isn't that, versus chasing points, medals or cult wines, the sign of a geek.

I picked up a copy at the Alberni liquor store last night. Not to discourage anyone from buying Vancouver Magazine but the articles as well as the results are available in booklet form there for free. I haven't read it closely yet, but, a few things in Christina Burridge's opening article puzzled me. For example: "Old World vs New World It was a rout. While New World Wines made up 80 percent of the entries, they ruled supreme among the winners, taking 100 of 121 places." 100 out of 121 is about 83%, not so different from the percentage of entries. Am I missing something? And in her conclusion: "The provincial government has botched deregulation, so we can only hope that instead it will develop a vision for wine that encourages the local industry, meets the needs of tourists and locals, and provides for ample choice and good service in the stores. Otherwise globalization will dominate our own little Mondovino with the shelves taken over by convenience store selections from the big brands and interesting small scale wines relegated to a handful of specialty stores and independents". I don't disagree with the first sentence, but what basis does Burridge have for the second one? Looks to me like the results of the wine competition support the proliferation of convenience store selections like Yellow Tail. If that is what everyone likes to drink, it should hardly be surprising to find such wines stocked widely whether in a private or a publicly-owned retail environment. Why should anyone but a wine geek bother to search out "quirky, oddball wines" from Old World producers when the competition results support the notion that the "blockbuster global brand " are providing quality and value. And it seems to me that globalization is what got us the multitude of wines available in the liquor and wine stores now. Interestingly the latest City Food has lots of recommendations from sommeliers and others in the wine trade. Their recommendations, and these are the every day wine-with-dinner bottles they claim to be drinking themselves, don't look anything like the results of the Vancouver Magazine competition. I should add that many of those wines are recommended in the liquor stores too. So what accounts for the difference - not many of these really good quirky wines were entered in the competition or they were entered in the competition but did not not show well in a blind tasting?

What's missing? My list, many already mentioned: BYO Restaurants Good casual trattoria/bistro-type places that are family friendly Good bakeries Good delis Pubs with good food aka gastro pubs Good family style italian Good pizza Casual seafood places, Go Fish is a start What we have too much of; Bad sushi places!

I'll be at home alone. Somehow I just can't get excited about New Year's Eve and usually elect to stay home and be self indulgent. I'll open a bottle of champagne, maybe a Pol Roger '96 or Jacquesson Cuvee 728, make a shrimp and scallop risotto, a little salad, a little Les amis du Fromage cheese plate, maybe have some port and nuts and settle in to read the new edition of Harold Magee's On Food and Cooking which I'll probably get for Christmas. If I'm still up at midnight, I'll clang a pot out the window.

I remember having pheasant at the Timber Club in the early 70's when I was a student. It is all easy to laugh at now, but it was my first "fancy" restaurant experience and I still have fond memories of the Hotel Vancouver from those days.

I haven't used them myself but I've seen Quality Saw and Knife recommended by the folks at VanEats: Quality Saw & Knife, 2005 Quebec Street., Vancouver, 604.872.1696

Bin 941 and 942 would work as well. Tell us about your dining preferences and we can fine tune our suggestions.

Stovetop: I look forward to hearing more about your trip. I agree that Canmore has a far more interesting ambiance than Whistler. I would like to see Whistler deposed so that it could regain some personality. Unfortunately more and more BC "resorts" are taking on the Disneyland look. My visit to Poet's Cove on Pender Island provided another example.

Great topic idea. Saturday - restaurant at the Poet's Cove Resort on Pender Island - can't remember the name, maybe Aurora. Mediocre would be generous - bouillabaise with overcooked and skimpy seafood. Friday morning - oatmeal and tea at the Coast Inn of the North in Prince George - Quaker Quick oats. Wednesday night - take out from Kam's on Davie. I can't remember what we had but it was bad - very soggy and greasy.

I eat solo a lot in Vancouver and for the most part find it very pleasant. Recently Parkside, Feenies and West have all been good experiences. I agree with the Cru rec too.

Daddy-A: I think Lagostina is fine. My mom has had hers for years and I cook with it all the time and have no complaints except that I like metal handles. As for essentials, I've attached a link to an article that might help but here is my list: 1 Stock pot - tall and narrow. For stock obviously, but also soup. pasta, corn other large, boiling-type activities. 2. Non stick frying pan - for fish, eggs, fast and easy clean up. All those dark crusty bits that make a great pan sauce won't happen with non-stick though so you really need something else too. 3. A cast iron frying pan is good for holding heat and things you want to start on the stove top and then put in the oven. They are cheap and improve with age. Or get a stainless steel frying pan if you don't like cleaning cast iron which can be a pain in the butt. 4. 2 saucepans/sautee pans one about 2 quarts and high sided, one bigger, but wider and shallower - for vegetables, boiling down liquids for sauces, frying. After that I think it depends on what you cook a lot. If you do lots of braises and stews then you want a dutch oven kind of thing that can go from stove top to the oven. If you do lots of stove top things then you might want a larger, deeper sautee pan with a lid. Link: Fine cooking essential pots and pans

Repeating some, but here's my two bits: Don't buy a set, you'll end up paying for stuff you don't want and will never use. You probably need less than you think and if you buy quality now (on sale is best) you will have it for life. For non-stick frying pans (which you will want for eggs and fish) either buy T-Fal on sale and expect to chuck and replace every couple of years or buy commercial quality. The ones at Gourmet Warehouse recommended by someone else on this thread have worked well for me. Lots of very expensive non-stick does not last any longer than T-Fal and doesn't necessarily offer more functionality (spoken from experience). You'll want a cast iron frying pan too, they are cheap and last forever. Lodge is good, I think. Le Creuset is great but very heavy. Think about whether you want to be lugging it around full of food before you buy it. Cookworks on Hastings has some Calphalon on sale right now. I just bought a stainless 2.5 quart saucepan with lid for $49. I also got an All-Clad saucier there on sale over the summer. Also I've seen Calphalon at Winners. Others have mentioned other spots to check out. All Clad looks beautiful but it is pricey. I haven't shopped at the commerical suppliers but I would think they are worth checking out. My experience is you don't need a lot if you choose wisely. Spend money where it counts.