eatrustic

A bit late but I just heard the that the first Winter Farmer's Market of 2009 at the Wise Hall has been cancelled due to the continuing crappy weather and poor lane access for unloading and customer parking. It would have been a 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday affair. Next market will be Jan. 17, same time same location.

I'd give FarMet Importers here in Vancouver a try. It sounds like one of their typical products.

Thanks!

They still have one in nearby Burnaby (on Kingsway). I usually shop there for packaging items like bags etc. Most of the prices are the same as Superstore on items they both carry. I like the 20k. bags of sugar which are a decent price if you buy two. Costco, which has better prices for items like nuts, eggs and dried fruit only sells 40k bags of sugar which, although cheaper, is a guaranteed back injury as well as a space hassle.

How are we to know if our salmon is actually FAS? I have to admit that despite hearing positive comments about FAS fish that I still buy "fresh" if there is an option. Is there an actual retail standard to prove this quality of product is actually what it says it is? Who retails FAS salmon in Vancouver? Thanks

Both DB and Lumiere opened tonight after a week of freebees for friends and family. Walked by tonight around 5:30 just as they opened and the well coiffed masses started trickling in. The place is looking very sleek. Would have grabbed a drink and a bite at the bar if I wasn't on the way to another engagement. I have a reso for DB next week so looking forward to it. Not sure but didn't see the DB burger on the evening menu, just at lunch ($29.), that's ok there's a Berkshire Pork Duo with my name on it Let's see if we can spot all the critics duking it out for first rite of review!

It is made locally. Heard it's a private-label bakery called Pohl's who have been around for a long long time. He's German so if it is his bakery he knows what he's doing (for the price).

Just noticed that Costco is making a Stollen with their name on it (or as I heard it is being made for them). Tasted a sample in store and it's actually pretty tasty for $12.95 (large size) vs $25. for the Thomas. Although it still doesn't come to the level of the Thomas Haas version (Costco version is somewhat sweeter), I would happily serve it to a crowd while hiding the Thomas version for myself. Sort of like Paderno vs AllClad. They both do a good job for the price, just depends on your budget.

They're open now. I thought they had given it up months ago. Wonder what quality of Thai cooking they are doing? Is it Thai owned?

I can't believe how fast they've put together the finishing touches. I walked by two weeks ago and it was jib rock (spelling?) and bare cement floors. Heard there were a few all nighters. I bet the place was held together with crazy glue for the opener and will take a lot more work to actually get it ready to pass inspections for Dec. 10. Looking forward to this. I noticed the DB Burger in the photo was as rare as his New York locations. I thought there was some dumb health rule that burgers have to be cooked well done here? Let's hope there are exceptions.

Most of them are. Running a culinary empire with a very high level of quality takes one tough SOB. As most of us are aware the list is long.

\Aurora Bistro Announcement ← Truly unfortunate news. Aurora was a real pioneer of the eat and drink local mantra (as well as investing and taking a chance on a dodgy location). One has to wonder if they had located a couple of blocks up past Broadway on Main if they would not be in much better shape as their concept is as solid as you can get these days. All the best to Jeff and his family. Enjoy the r & r! Can only imagine that other location pioneers like the guys from Fuel with their new place aren't hauling out the calculators and spread sheets one more time....

Piato, the new Greek place on restaurant row (W 4th just before Burrard) is now open. This looks to be the long awaited modern take on Greek we in Vancouver have been waiting for. The menu is fairly extensive and moderately priced. The room is clean and attractive (with a serious bar) and without the usual claptrap of Greek decor. (In fact, with the name you could easily mistake it for a modern Italian resto.) Let's hope the kitchen is up to the look.

I'm still pretty happy with the My Weigh KD-7000. Weighs 1gr - 7Kilos. Costs about $90. (Canadian) with shipping. The new KD-8000 that replaces it is about the same price, weighs up to 8 Kilos and has the baker's math calculation as well. In a perfect world I would like a slightly faster on time and find that it is very sensitive to vibration (i.e. mixers on the same table). The old KD models weren't quite as sensitive but all in all it's amazing bang for the buck.

This past weekend saw the final burgers, milkshakes and Denver sandwiches served from Leungs in the heart of oldtown Courtenay. Opened in 1951 by the Leung family and run by them to the end, this was a classic of the grocery store and lunch counter genre. The store, as is often the case, was not able to keep up with the times and as the owners have gotten older it was decided to sell and close for redevelopment. I only discovered it in the last few years but always made a point to go in for a Denver sandwich or their Combo Burger and a milkshake. The Combo burger had fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomato and a grilled hot dog. As is often the case with these classics, business had dropped off in the last while but the week leading up to the end saw the lunch counter doing record business as the former patrons stopped off for a last bite and a farewell. As part of the redevelopment the original sign will be kept on the building. Bittersweet to say the least.

Sounds like you're talking about something like Fernet Branca which is an "amaro" but is meant to be drunk straight (or as the primary ingredient in a cocktail) as opposed to bitters which, although related, are very different. I remember being able to buy 750ml. bottles of Fernet Branca from Scardillo Grocery on E. Hastings for about $8. when I picked up my fresh mozzarrella. Sadly, no more Scardillo, no more un tax gouged Fernet. Good times, good times....sob!

Walking past Rare tonight I noticed that the sign in the window mentions a Sept. 1 relaunch with various and sundry improvements. Anyone know if there's any hope or is it gonzo?

I either missed the first showing or it's only starting in my area this Thursday. I've got it all set up to record now. Here's their site with recipes, back stories, and of course, the sell: Spain...on the Road Again

After a bit of an absence there is a fresh stock of Guanciale at Oyama. I buy one or two at a time and they keep for months wrapped in the brown paper they come in. This has totally replaced bacon, proscuitto and pancetta in my cooking. Although nothing will replace bacon on it's own

Pinky's on W. 4th, across from Italian Kitchen, is rocketing towards readyness. The place is virtually complete with staff training going on as we speak. I can't believe how many plush red leather banquettes they've been able to squeeze into that relatively modest space.

Yes, they thought of and discarded that idea as they want to have a good few drinks and not worry about mass transit on the way back. I thought of the Pear Tree as well but figured it would be further away (maybe not). At this point I leave it in their hands and will find out tomorrow what they did. Just too bad the locals don't have more choice.

After examining the situation further (and getting a PM from the Waffle House with an offer to host my friends ) I figure the best dinner from N. West is going to be via a fast limo up Kingsway to either Aurora Bistro or perhaps the newly opened Le Faux Bourgeois near Fraser and Kingsway. No offense to residents of the area but that's the best I've found.

I'm shamefully ignorant of any decent dining outside the Vancouver core. Friends are staying in New West for a conference (near the Quay) and coincidentally are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. Their hotel suggests La Rustica for something close. I'm not so sure as it doesn't sound like anything special. They enjoy contemporary fine dining and good wine so........what is within a decent range of N.W. (and a short taxi ride)? Thanks for any suggestions!

Finally, the new season of KN starts Thursday night. It looks like they're listening as the first show is a follow up on six restaurants he tried to bring back from the brink last season. I'll be curious to see if there are any changes to the show this time round. This is the only U.S. show of his that I can stomach, although I really enjoy all his Brit shows, especially F Word.

If the name Dianna Kennedy means anything .... she says to put the whole thing in, seeds and all (her tone of voice indicated that to do less was wimping out on the recipe).