eatrustic

So has anyone been to the new Henry's since it opened in the strip mall on the corner of King Ed and Oak? I assume he's been open since before Christmas but haven't heard a peep about the place. Drove by last night, quite late, on the way out of Safeway. The menu has things like Duck Liver Foie Gras Mille Feuille as an app. so he's still ambitious but can he execute?

This started in the CFD thread but as it was off topic and certainly deserves a thread of it's own I wanted to offer my sincere congratulations to Scott for finishing 7th (thanks Barolo) out of a field of 24. When you think of the resources most countries have at their disposal (and even here the former Canadian entrants -Michael Noble and Chris Mills had a large hotel backing them) his placing in the top ten is pretty impressive. All the while running his restaurant Pear Tree. The winner by the way was France. The website for the Bocuse D'Or only lists the top three finishes so not sure who else was in the top 10.

As far as I know Noble and Earls were not associated with the Bocuse D'Or this year, although Michael was Canada's entrant a few years ago. The 2007 Bocuse D'Or happened a few days ago and Scott Jaeger from The Pear Tree was this years entrant for Canada and all I know is he finished out of the medals. As for the Joey's team going to the Beard House in New York it just goes to show that they (the Beard House) continue to lose credibility as it appears they are ready to accept anyone who will show up with all the food and booze regardless of whether they have a track record of culinary excellence (Chris Mills having been in the Bocuse D'Or earlier in his career means nothing in this context).

Ha! That's funny. I was at the LDB Specialty sstore in Burnaby (Kingsway) last Sunday and asked the product specialist about that very thing and she had no clue as to what I was talking about, had never heard of it. ← Are you sure it was an LDB store and not a private store? The discounted wine sale started on Sunday and I've seen them at the Maple and Broadway store last Friday. These sales have been going on for the last 7 years since I've been made aware of them. Maybe I'm wrong about it being available at all stores. I'm usually in Vancouver when I see these discounts. ← No, It's an LDB store and a nice one with an interesting selection. It's in MiddleGate (or HighGate?) Shopping Center off of Kingsway. I'm sure that by now they're in full swing now that the paperwork has reached the boonies! The selection always varies from store to store with some places having tons of stuff and others hardly anything. I just returned from Edmonton where I did all the wine and spirits shopping I need to do for the next while at the Costco, Sobey's and Superstore Liquor Stores. Their special prices are year round. I bought the Tommasi 2001 Amarone which sells for $60. here for $40. and the Il Grigio -San Felice Riserva Chianti for $25. vs. $32 here.I finished with a bottle of my favourite everyday bourbon - Maker's Mark which was $36. vs $49. here. Although way too rich for my blood the current Chateau Mouton Rothschild which sells here for between $575 - $650. was selling for somewhere around $370! And don't get me started on the scotch prices!

Ha! That's funny. I was at the LDB Specialty store in Burnaby (Kingsway) last Sunday and asked the product specialist about that very thing and she had no clue as to what I was talking about, had never heard of it.

I completely agree with the above. It comes down to percentages - How many customers will respond to a tactful request (and most will immediately ask for the bill or take you up on a complimentary snifter of something in the lounge), but there will be the arrogant or self intitled who will feel it is their right to stay as long as they want. In that case it's roll your eyes (back of house) and sweat it out.... or just ask them to leave knowing you have lost a customer. For campers at the end of the night I've found asking if they want to see the breakfast or lunch menu usually gets the message across (this after all the other staff has left and the lights are almost all turned off). It usually helps when the server is a character and can make a joke of the whole thing!

A couple of things: I read in today's Vancouver Sun that the English Bay boat house (the real one on the beach) is to be developed to create a 75 seat Bistro. Interestingly the Park's Board have a firm of architects designing the space but will only bring an operator in later on. Seems like it makes more sense to choose your operator first, who would then work with the architects rather than inherit a space that may or may not be suitable. Flying Wedge has closed at it's original location on Cornwall with a sign that says they will reopen in March/April. Will it be Flying Wedge or will it be the Taco Shack moving over from next door as previously mentioned? I really haven't seen much business on the Taco side so not sure if that's still in the cards.

I think I've seen them at Gourmet Warehouse.

Market Meats on W. 4th in Kits (just across from Safeway) will bring them in as a special order (usually takes a day or so). I bought mine for New Years $10./lb (3 lb minimum), not cheap but very nice quality and if you're going to all the trouble of braising them you might as well do some up to freeze. Otherwise I would imagine that the butcher shops in Granville Island could do the same.

FYI - the market itself is closed Mondays in January (as it is every year) but the surrounding businesses are open - and get to take all the questions from annoyed locals and tourists as to why it is closed. The short answer is, among other things, preventative maintenance to keep some of the forces of nature that want to come in ...out.

I second the beef salad, it's the perfect setup for the richer things to follow. The house special "Montri" curry is super tasty and served on a bed of barely wilted spinach. (I request mine with chicken instead of prawns.) Any curry made with green beans and squash as part of the mix is great and the whole fried fish is always very good and great presentation.

Couldn't resist and tried a free sample being offered by Cobbs. Their Stollen is $14.95 and the sample, although made the day before, was dry and not particularly flavourful. I got the usual speech about how they get better as they get older blah, blah (I know it's true when they are well made, although the German style is drier than we seem to like here). ....But if it's already dry it can't improve much more. Now I wonder if anyone has tasted the Marco Ropke stollen mentioned here last year? I checked his website and don't see them being offered. I heard they were pricey as well. So far Thomas Hass reigns supreme.

Yes, this is easily the best issue City Food has done in eons, EAT has been carving them up for so long now that I had almost given up hope. Smart idea to stay away from the more time sensitive articles and focus on a great theme like this one. I'm not quite sure where the redesigned web site is going though, it seems more like she is trying for a North American appeal vs. a local one (based out of New York?).

No, I haven't tried it. I'll keep it in mind, thanks, but it's a wee bit farther out than I would normally go for dinner.

Yes! Despite the attempt at putting a few modern touches in the menu the fundamentals were poorly executed. It felt as if the kitchen staff had no real background in Thai cooking other than trying to emulate recipes from books. I think there would be a great opportunity for a Vij's style Thai restaurant that would kick butt - well made food with stylish presentations and an interesting selection of beer and wines to accompany. Montri had the wine selection and well executed dishes but it would be nice to have a more contemporary spin as Vikram has so succesfully pulled off. Not for everyone perhaps but a great addition to the Vancouver dining scene.

Business has been excellent for him in that location and I'm sure he got a great offer from the new partners. I think he just wants a change and some time off. This will be about the third time he has sold his restaurant. (The last was on 4th where Mark Potofsky(spelling?) had Angelique many years ago.) And of course I sincerely hope the new owners continue to thrive in that location as it's well located for my dining outings. (After having a really mediocre meal at a certain new Thai restaurant farther up Broadway I really appreciate well executed Thai food - at least by Vancouver standards.)

What is arguably the best Thai restaurant in Vancouver has been sold to two partners who are formerly from Salai Thai. This is definitely the end of an era as Montri (the man) has been the heart and soul of his restaurant on W. Broadway for many years now (and other locations before that). Theoretically the plan is to keep things as they are but the odds of a successful transition (without evolution) are pretty dicey. Especially when the original owner has been such a visible presence in his business. Those who want to bid him farewell can do so until the end of December after which he is on permanent vacation.

Panettone is made with eggs as well as butter and is much lighter (the reason it needs to be in a mold to rise). Stollen has no egg and is relatively dense, sort of like a yeasted shortbread texture.

I noticed the same thing when I stopped by Senses last week to see if they were out yet. He has two sizes: the small one for $18. and the larger size for $25. (Seems like the price creeps up each year). The large one is the classic "baby jesus" shape and if you are willing to pay $25. for an 800gr. Stollen then the $18. version seems like a ripoff as it is a lot smaller and as mentioned is just a quickly made rectangle. Perhaps it's because I bought one earlier this year but they are nice and moist. Perhaps more suited to N. American tastes. ...and just like last year one slice leads to another until....$25 bucks and a day and a half later...

Yep that was a brutal review......and even stranger is the review in yesterday's Vancouver Sun -WestCoast Life- insert that has a review of Pearl on The Rock in White Rock (a good but really badly written review - calling Memo??). The photo is of the two owners and...Sous Chef Connor Butler looking suitably demonic. The guy didn't quit his day job?

I'm sorry, but I found your comment hilarious only because I was in Naples at this time last year and I would be there as we speak if not for a family situation at home. It truly is pandemonium attempting to drive in and around Naples and I refuse to even attempt it. I simply do my rentals from the airport (Naples) and either take a taxi or shuttle from the city to get my car. Life is too precious to squander it in the meat grinder they call traffic!

What are your favourite restaurants that don't take reservations but are almost always worth an hour or more wait? Mine, in no particular order are: Frontera Grill - Rick Bayless' homage to classic Mexican cooking in Chicago which never seems to have less than an hour and a half wait. (This based on a couple of visits in the last year or so). Pizzeria Bianco - Chris Bianco's excellent pizza restaurant in Phoenix where the lineups start at 4:00 pm in the hot sun for dinner seatings. Vij's - Stylish Indian cuisine in Vancouver B.C. that always has a lineup rain or shine. There must be at least one in every city, what's yours?

Just a reminder that the first Winter Farmer's Market is this coming Saturday Nov. 04 at the Wise Hall on Victoria (just behind the Van. East Cultural Center). They plan to have vendors in the hall as well as outside and apparently there are so many farmers and prepared food vendors that there is no room for crafts! This may not be on the scale of the cool permanent Farmers' Market sites in Edmonton and Calgary but as Daddy A says "...it's a start".

So the first Oyama course has come and gone with apparently 10 "graduates". Another one is planned for the new year. Did anyone attend this one? I'd love to hear what was offered for the bucks.

Ha! How could I have doubted that the EG gang wasn't on the job. Thanks for the update!