paul mitchell

So my sister (the responsible one in the family) is graduating with her Master's from UBC next week and she has asked me (the irresponsible one in the family....ie still a waiter) to find a good place to convene for lunch with the family after the ceremony. My career may be frowned upon by the family but they never shy away from restaurant reccomendations, obscure food questions (at least 5 e-mails a week) and demand that I have a bi-weekly top ten new wine release list with tasting commentary. Still it's a small price to pay instead of slaving my ass off on a Master's. I am dumbfounded about somewhere to go on the Westside of Vancouver between UBC and South Granville. Hopefully something semi-fancy and inventive but where my Pop's can also get the "safe bet" chicken dish.

Deep Cove Chalet has always been good - quite the spot on the water - of course because my folks were married there in '68 - it's been mo-fuckin famous ever since.

I'd drink the whole bottle right now.....hell, saber it for some pomp and circumstance - then chug it - give yourself a 6 minute window to polish it off - then call those friends of yours what you think about them ditching you.

........that Ramsay has some good lines - it went something like this: '...Get a move on it....your a fucking 21 year old chef and you should be getting at least 12 hard on's a day!"

I'd be willing to be CEO of Whistler / Blackcombs 80+ outlets of "West To Go" or "Hawksworth To Go" if your interested Chef.

WEnt to Chambar last thursday and was most impressed. Had the same duck confit that Keith had as an appy. I am a confit slut so I never really found the same disdain in the au cidre. I do find it funny that when the bartender asked where I had heard about the restaurant and I mentioned this site he started telling me about some nit picking guy that wrote about his disatisfaction of the au cidre. I sure hope that you go incognito to these places Keith. I also had quail in a juniper berry orange water infusion with grapes, pistachios, rapini and baby bok choy. It was something like 14 measly dollars. We tried to book again for saturday night but they had a function. If I lived in Vancouver I'd be there weekly. Excellent value, warm service and a beautiful space.

My co-workers and I got very spoiled at West on Friday evening. It was a celebration of the end of the season for us and Chef Hawksworth and his staff proved why they are one of the, if not the best, restaurants in Vancouver. It went like this: Amuse: parfait of foie gras 1st: kumamoto oyster with cucumber and basque pepper 2nd: wild bluefin tuna tartare with golden brook trout caviar, spiced citrus dressing and greens 3rd: seared weathervane scallop with shellfish espuma 4th: twice cooked foie gras with star anise and cinamon crab apple jelly 5th: white alba truffle buttered handmade gnocchi 6th: white alba truffle lobster salad 7th: soy marinated sablefish with pine mushrooms and oxtail broth 8th: clove infused coronation grape juice with orange 9th: squab with brioche foie gras crust, date and nut risotto 10th: grilled veal with saskatoon berry braised red cabbage 11th: ermite cheese 12th: quince sorbet 13th: star anise marinated pineapple wedge with kiwi sorbet, house made marshmellow and pomegranate salad 14th: chocolate souffle with lemon marzipan center, mandarine sorbet Service was gracious, effortless and seamless. Especially that we had seven in our group. I am always interested in finding B.C. wines that I haven't tried before. So I was most impressed with Hawthorne Mt's "See Ya Later Ranch" brut, Grey Monk's "Oddessey" Pinot Gris and my always favorite Poplar Grove Cab Franc. If memory serves me correctly (there was a lot of drinking this weekend) we also drank Kettle Valley All in all, I cannot wait to go back.

I haven't been outside of Tofino in 6 months - Shelter, Cafe Pamplona, The Wick, Sobo and Weigh West for wings are all good believe me but I cannot wait to hit the Big Smoke! - I got a mitfull of pressed $100's and I will be taking Vancouver by storm on the 26th of the month - my staff from the season is convening on West on the 29th for a multi-course feast but I am also excited to careen about the city from one gastro feast to another - Hamilton Street Grill, Chambar, Tsu Han Village, Rodney's to finally eat some oysters instead of just shucking them, Granville Island to the salami place and get a tin of beluga from the seafood counter and eat both on the benches outside, Vij's take out place, Parkside, Tojo's - it is so frusterating hearing on e-gullet about all these fantastic places to eat - and then the frusteration is multiplied as many of our clientele is well travelled and food savvy - the conversation went like this last week with a surgeon from Vermont and her husband - "So after our stay here we are driving down to California....we are stopping at the Herbfarm, having dinner at Gary Danko and then are on the waitlist for the Laundry......but who cares if we get in cause we have reso's in November at Per Se" - Then I say "$&@$#!" and "....can i get you another glass of '98 blue mountain striped label pinot noir?" I am expecting it will be a rampage with only a few nightly incarcerations.

......well you might not see the resort Merlin but you may see the aftermath of the drinking that went down over the summer as I am doing the biggest empty run to the Tofino liquorstore that I have ever seen.......it took me two days to organize the stuff and I am sure I will get some looks as I unload it in town.

You just missed us Merlin as we had our last guests on Monday. Hope you have a great vacation in Tough City.

I can just see Tower gallavanting around the dark empty room with one of his young Thai boyfriends - I heard some interesting stories of 900 West from my Chef who was a part of that opening team.

I was at Shelter on Saturday, having dinner at the bar and a friend that works there mentioned an e-gulleter came in for a Woodford Bourbon experience - how was it?

This is so absolutely frusterating.......it is 1:30 pm and behind me I have fridges full of chantrelle mushrooms, beef tenderloin, venison, oestra caviar, oysters, cowichan valley duck breast that has been smoked, calabrese salami, rabbit as well as ling cod, sablefish, salmon, halibut which are all in rigamortus stage of fresheness - but I want to go out where someone can cook me something different - I'd even go for wing night - so if I could, this is where I would go: 1) My kitchen / front end staff is in the process of figuring out how many courses we can do at West on October 29th - after reading their menu on-line tonight I want to go asap - it will be a hell of a dinner. 2) I grew up working in a Japanese owned restaurant in Nanaimo, The Grotto - the owner was a friend of Tojo and I heard so much of this man during my youth - I worked at the Grotto for 6 years - I am embarassed that I haven't been to Tojo's to do do the Omakse (sp?).

Everytime I get a day off - few and far between (day 27) - I go to Shelter in Tofino and order a big double cut pork chop and drink woodford bourboun and read the current issue of Eat - then I look through the bathroom magazines to find the last issue of Eat because I've been in camp for so long I haven't read that either - kudos to Jamie for mentioning an island favorite of mine.

I'm in.......I've got a cook that would like to come as well. We were planning on crashing the other events as we couldn't get tickets. We would be most willing to source unique wine or food for the dinner either from our resort our on our own. We just got 200 pounds of chantrelles and 200 more to come in October. We've also got the new Black Hills white (I think it's Alibi - sorry, lots o drinks) and could bring some for the auction - so funny cause I served the 2001 Bene for our pairing tonight - if there was a phone # or contact info for 'Arne' I'd appreciate it. Paul

Oh my god I have created a monster - I never meant all this to conspire after I said that I would chase absinthe shots with beating cobra hearts at the Au Bar affair - but funny thing is that I have no tickets - working in the middle of nowhere and no life line to Vancouver - but even if I could buy a ticket I would't - because I am going to show up with my best bud Dre and I am going to spend two, three, four days sourcing snakes in China Town - just you guys wait - no one has crashed a debutane party in Vancouver like I will - with a backpack full of snakes and a mitfull of twenites to bypass the bouncers.

Oh my god I have created a monster - I never meant all this to conspire after I said that I would chase absinthe shots with beating cobra hearts at the Au Bar affair - but funny thing is that I have no tickets - working in the middle of nowhere and no life line to Vancouver - but even if I could buy a ticket I would't - because I am going to show up with my best bud Dre and I am going to spend two, three, four days sourcing snakes in China Town - just you guys wait - no one has crashed a debutane party in Vancouver like I will - with a backpack full of snakes and a mitfull of twenites to bypass the bouncers.

P.S. - the Wick has a good wine list - but ours is gaining steam - last week I sold out all of my Turley "Earthquake" '98 Zin as a lady thought we were having a sale on it at $180. Also Tim May is now executive chef of both our resorts and primarily works at our Outpost Camp - Mitch Kmecik is our Quait Bay resort chef - he's an amazing guy to work with and is ex sous chef at the Aerie and at Langdon Hall in Ontario.

THank You for the note Jaeger - tonight's 5 course reads: I had to shuck 6 dozen friggin kussheis to start......then there was chesses from Hillary's, house cured salmon gravalax, stilton mousse on cucumber, spot prawns as themselves and proscuitto wrapped around guacamole tied with baby leeks. Vidallia Onion and Apple Cider soup paired with Glenora Fantasia Brut Organic Yellow and Red Tomato Salad, Thai Basil Vinagrette, Tofino Greens paired with Poplar Grove Reserve Pinot Gris Orange and Tarrogan (sp- kinda drunk) Sorbet Seared Sockeye Salmon, butternut squash mash, braising greens and spiced beet broth paired with Mission Hill "Estate" chardonnay Port Alberni Pork Tenderloin, yam gnocchi, vegetabble fricasse paired with Township 7 merlot Lemon sabyon pine nut tart, marscapone whip, blueberry coulis paired with St, Hubertus ice wine The folks here had a good time tonight - one young couple in new love - another a 38 anniversary - a car dealer from Van - another coupole simply from Chicago - and a bunch more - only an hour ago I was serving Hennesy xo / Grand Marnier concotions to the lot soaking in the hot tub before I called it a night.

One of the pleasures of my job is that we cut our meat to order - not only can we cut a guest a 10 oz or a 40 oz we also smoke the sides - being an all inclusive resort lends innumerable options to a guests meat eating experience. I would rather go to Jackson's and get some meat then going out in Vancouver for it - I never order steak unless I want as simple baseball sirloin at the Keg (cause the value is there) - if I am to go out I want something special - a few days ago we got in some 32 oz t-bones - made a chinese five pepper spice and went to town - I had to take three cigarette breaks to finsih it. So what is the thrill of Mortons or Hy's (been to a couple of bachelor parties at both) when you can get something unique at home for a fourth of the price? - I want Kobe or the good dry aged stuff you see in New York butcher shops - I can't think of a place in Vancouver where you can get such quality meat in which reasonable people will pay an ultra premium for - where will they cut your meat to order? - let you inspect the filet on a Porterhouse? - Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler is one but that's a long drive for a fix.

I had dinner at Pamplona the other night as well..........I like the fact that they only do a couple of items a night and they do them well - I always go in the late afternoon, get a bottle of wine and stroll the rainforest gardens......a magical place - plus my friend Cathy lives across the street and she makes great margaritas.

Hey Jamie.......where are you getting your weed from dude?

I've decided not to buy tickets but simply crash the bar and order shots of Absinthe and then pull a live cobra out of my backpack, slit it's belly and eat the heart as a chaser.

If you do decide to go to the Mahle House drive the 5 minutes along Cedar road and take a left onto Yellow Point Road and continue on to the Crow and Gate Pub for drinks before dinner and a snack. Incredible English Style pub in the country.

Merlin: You've got to drive out to the Mahle House for dinner - excellent and cheap wine list and superb food. I also hope that when you get to Tofino or before then that you set up a dinner cruise or lunch out at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort where I work - would love to host a fellow egulleter - the Black Hills Nota Bene will flow.