Foodie in Vancouver

I just realized I have eaten 3 meals out so I can post. Whoppee The first is soup for lunch from Pane from Heaven. The soup on Thursdays is Malaysian Chicken and it is definitely a soup to warm you from the inside! It is broth-based with some coconut milk in addition to the namesake chicken and potato chunks. (Didn't know they had potatoes in Malaysia!) My only criticism is too much oil detracts from the taste but the oil was easy to spoon out. I would definitely have it again on Thursdays. And they serve it with a whack of their bread which is very tasty and useful for dipping. Earl's on Thursday evening with the family as my eldest daughter was returning to university on Friday morning so we needed a night out. Earl's is definitely the right choice when you have 2 adults and 3 "kids" ranging in age from 16 - 29. Everyone can find something they want to eat. Mr. Foodie and I shared the bento box appie to start. Mediocre dynamite rolls (but the youngest had a single order on her own and loved them), prawns and salmon. I ate the teriyaki salmon and it was tasty and not overcooked. Mains for us was the seafood penne - spicy and perfectly cooked seafood. The kids? Who cares what they ate - the point is they ate. One of the best things about Earl's is their wine list. Excellent selection and very fairly priced. We both had a glass of the Quails Gate Family Reserve Pinot Noir which is sold out - pity, it is a wonderful, wonderful wine. Last night after noting in another thread that Osso Bucco sounded perfect and what I craved, Neil let me know that they had several braised choices on the menu. So Mr. Foodie and I arrived at the "Hammy" at about 9 pm hungry and cold and Villa de Lupo didn't get our charming company. We weren't disappointed with our choice. We both had the tuna appetizer paired with Pinot Noir from Cedar Creek. I really like what Gordon and his staff are doing at Cedar Creek - very nummy! And, as always, the tuna was delicious. Next up was the BC Honey mussels in a wonderful broth which disappeared quickly - especially as there were artfully supplied 'baugette spears' with which we sopped up the broth. And, what else but the shortribs on such a chilly night? I paired it with the Mission Hills 5 Vineyard Merlot and Mr. F had the Sandhill Merlot. I liked the MH better - seemed smoother to me but I didn't taste it with the food so not a fair comparison. The ribs were tender, tasty and just perfect for a snowy night. We ended, as all meals at the HSG should, with the gingerbread pudding. I think it is a form of crack! AND the bonus was we got to meet the Kolachy King. He wandered in and ended up joining us. After MUCH arm twisting he helped us with the gingerbread pudding but you need to know that the arm twisting was only for the first bite. He powered himself through the rest

At risk of sounding really, really, really pathetic, what's the parking situation like when one is in pursuit of Kolachys? I think I might venture down next week but hate the whole concept of praying to the parking Gods for a week in advance.

I am drooling at the thought of osso bucco for dinner tonight - as Shelora said, a snowy night brings out the osso bucco cravings. Maybe it's not too late to head downtown?

So now that you have dipped your toe in the water, so to speak, why don't you meet us in person? Join us at the West DOV event on January 23. We are a fun bunch and the forum is even more enjoyable once you meet the group. Hope you can make it - it will be another Big Night to Remember.

I had a VERY bad coffee experience there on New Year's Day. I am still trying to recover. But it was at SB. We always stop at Bernard's across from the Chateau on our way to the lifts for a little something to drink on the ride up. It is always good. As for restaurants, someone told me about a restaurant across from the Husky station. Oyster something? They thought it was great and well priced. (Why is it that just about every direction to anywhere in Whistler references the Husky station and has done so for 30 years or more?)

OK - Jamie types faster than I do. Welcome back from where ever you were - hope there was good food and good wine.

Sam had suggested that no one wants to go upstairs to dine but that seems to work for several restaurants on Robson, most notably Cin Cin. As for undeserving, how about Salmon House on the Hill or for that matter most restaurants with a view - Monk's, Teahouse recently reborn as the Sequoia. I would love to take visitors to places where the view gets competition from the food but I'm hard pressed to think of somewhere that qualifies. Other bad locations - 41st and Granville - several Chinese and sushi joints have failed.

In addition to West, we have reservations at Raincity, La Terraza, Feenie's. Aqua Riva and CinCin. Think I'm going to stop there for health reasons.

Well I finally made it to Cafe Artigianno this past week. Went to the Massive Change exhibit at the Art Gallery and ran (literally) across the street to CA for coffees. The most recent visit (revisit to the exhibit as it closes today) confirmed my first impression - this is truly amazing coffee. Rich, smooth are the two adjectives that first come to mind. Cafe itself is busy and crowded and the condiments bar difficult to navigate and difficult to use but the coffee makes up for these small inconveniences. Staff and service are perfunctory but that might be part of the event? To contrast, we drove up to Whistler early New Year's Day (8 am) to pick up our daughter. She and her friend looked a little haggard so we offered to get them coffees before driving home. The line up was out the door and it was -8 C so the wait was very chilly. Once inside, service was slow but things got worse. The barista's hands were shaking so badly she split most of my latte and unfortunately I didn't notice that she simply topped the drink up with milk so the effect was warm milk with a mild coffee flavour. While we were waiting for our drinks several people brought back their drinks complaining about the taste. Word to the wise - don't go to Starbuck's first thing New Year's morning - the staff is more hung over than the patrons.

We usually have the same menu year after year and mostly the same people. The appetizers change but other than that the menu is: Blini with Caviar (not the real stuff - but the best of the rest) and Iced Vodka Salad - sometimes with other bits - crab cakes or whatever Grapefruit-Champagne sorbet Lobster (or if it is at my house Beef Tenderloin as I don't like eating lobster in dress-up clothes) Chocolate desert Fruit desert (poached pears for instance) Lemon desert and lots of wine as well as Champagne NancyH - do you have a reference for the Golden New Year’s Noodle Pillows (Chinese noodle pancakes) with Crab Meat? They sound wonderful.

I agree with Phoodfan - I leave the Foie Gras to the pros. Dana Reinhardt at Cru is one of the best in my opinion as is West. My most recent experience was at Cru - perfectly carmelized exterior with a meltingly smooth interior. Crunchy, smooth, ethereal flavour. All kinds of experiences in one bite. What eating is all about and what all the searching is about.

OK guys - so where is this Kolachy shop? And, dare I ask - what is a Kolachy?

Hi Wine Geek: Welcome to eGullet although Arnie has probably already welcomed you. There are many times when I've wished I could have stayed at home and not done the party event. Midnight is not my finest hour. It seems like a good night to raid the cellar and pull out an interesting bottle and savour it with someone special.

Our family always grocery shopped at Woodward's and the Woodward's food floor in the Arbutus Village Mall was affectionately known as "Little Woodward's" because there was no department store - just the groceries. I can still hear the jingle for $1.49 day. Their branded products were excellent, as was their selection. The other thing I remember was the annual sale of beef from the Douglas Lake Ranch. And the staff were so wonderful, helpful and pleasant. Once the stores turned into Safeway stores I never went back - it was too much of a fall from grace. Stong's is the closest thing we have to the way it used to be.

Diva looked like they had a wonderful menu for Christmas Dinner. My sister and I alternate Christmas dinner and for a number of years have been ordering it from the Sutton Place. No one else in our family knows we do this and we are too chicken to tell them the truth- they assume we have been slaving in the kitchen all day. I hesitate to tell you about it though - this year we called on November 30th to find that we were number 35 of a maxiumum of 40 dinners. Yikes - that was a close call. I would still prefer to go out - that is my fantasty Christmas but we have some real traditionalists in our family so it might be a while until I get to live out THAT particular fantasy. In the meantime, driving downtown and getting room service to load Christmas dinner and all the trimmings into the car is damn close to pretty good.

Wow! A Cafe Artigiano in Kerrisdale. Now I have to summon up all the coolness I can muster and go in. I wonder why Torrefazione went under? It was always packed. There are definitely a lot of coffee joints in our 'hood. All we have are coffee bars, banks and sushi restaurants. And (the shame of it all) a Cobs! Gasp. Why can't it go under? What I want is a Williams and Sonoma to take over the Salvation Army Thrift store on the corner of 41st and the Boulevard. That would be a good addition.

The Dine Out experience definitely has spin offs throughout the year. It was on DOV that we first ate at West thinking that it would be too-too for us but the DOV price-point made it less risky. Our experience at DOV was so incredible that we have been back quite a few times since. (Can't afford the many, many times I would have liked) and it is our 'celebratory-dinner' destination. Other restaurants we have tried during DOV that we have since gone back to have been more off our beaten track, such as Aqua Riva. We were delighted with the meal and service and have taken many people there since. It certainly isn't a restaurant that we would have otherwise gone to, thinking it was a tourist, cruise-ship-passenger-place. We were wrong but had a low-risk lesson. Last year we had a charming dinner at the Westin Grand during DOV and I have returned several times for business lunches - again, I never would have thought of the hotel or restaurant had it not been for DOV. So, from the perspective of this consumer, DOV definitely gets me into restaurants for a 'look-see'. But I also try and go to some of my regular haunts as well, often because it is hard to resist such great menus and the pricing means you can justify several restaurant meals in one week. I really appreciate the opportunity and as a regular 'dine-outer' I see it as a customer appreciation event as well as a customer education experience.

There is a group of us that have been celebrating NYE every year together for about 25 years. We more or less have the same people each year- with some additions and deletions for various reasons (divorces, remarriages etc). The menu is more or less the same and we generally alternate between our house and the home of another couple. When they host, the main course is lobster and when we host the main course is usually beef tenderloin as I hate to eat lobster in dress up clothes. We always have blini and caviar with iced vodka and we always have my husband's (famous) grapefruit sorbet. And there is always at least 1 chocolate dessert. Other than that we are flexible This year is a lobster year - as dinner isn't at our house. But I will do the appetizers and desserts so will be doing some research and I am very open to suggestions so don't hesitate to offer your ideas.

Eden: Wasn't that just a great Butterfly? I have seen many Mme. B'flys over the years but this production was truly wonderful. Everything worked - sets, voices, orchestra, lighting and I loved the 'ancestors' who haunted the stage. (I know this is a forum about food - but I had to comment. Hope I get forgiven for my transgressions )

We came home from the eGullet cookie exchange and had pea soup from The Stock Market, a bottle of Blue Mountain Gamay Noir, a selection of cheeses from Les Amis and a sourdough baugette from Terra Bread. And followed it all with cookies from eGullet. A made-in-BC dinner, perfect for a chilly Sunday night. No fire but we made do.

I agree that we are missing good neighbourhood restaurants that are close to home (walkable) and affordable. I don't always want to go too far afield when I am too tired to cook and I don't want to spend too much. I'm just looking for somewhere comfortable, where they get to know you, where I know I can get not only good food but interesting food and not pay an arm and a leg. About the only place that is close by for us is a great sushi restaurant - Ajisai but it isn't exactly a warm comforting place that welcomes you in and makes you forget your woes - it is small and there are always too many people waiting for you to hurry up an finish so they can get a table! But it is absolutely fabulous sushi - and it is affordable. For good sandwiches try Terra Breads on 4th. I really like their wild salmon as well as the roasted lamb sandwiches. Mix, the bakery, has great sandwiches as well - try the Chicken (it has a great name but it escapes me) and the Granny Gobbler - turkey and Granny Smith apple combo. Cobbs is an atrocity and I will sign the petition to stop them. I also wish we had more great grocery stores - I love Stong's but it can sure get crowded. I have yet to try Whole Foods but Meinhardt's is impossible to find parking and it is more for impulse/special purpose than a grocery store to feed your family. Stong's and Urban Fare fit that bill but the city needs more grocery stores that stock specialty items as well as the usual suspects.

My major complaint about the BCLDB is the total and utter lack of customer service. Just for fun, and on several occasions, we have gone to the Cambie and 39th Ave store with the express purpose of buying wine based on staff recommendations - but verbal recommendations. Well talk about a futile exercise! We have tried looking lost, talking loudly about our indecision, humming and hawing, standing in front of the wine racks and pulling out and putting back selections - everything short of directly asking for help. Do you think that even once someone came over and asked us if they could help us? So we move to Plan B - ask for help. That works less than 50% of the time. "I don't know much about the wine products." "The wine guy is on his break." "The product specialist isn't in today." But, if we did get the right person they knew what they were talking about and often went into the office to bring out their tasting notes. But why does it have to be so difficult to get knowledgable assistance? An additional complaint is the restriction around sampling. Why does it have to be such a big deal only offered under extraordinary and highly unusual circumstances. I don't know all the details but I have been lead to believe that even the private stores face fairly signigicant barriers - but I could be mistaken. And, lastly, why aren't there more private stores, wine sold in grocery outlets (after all, the best way to drink wine is with food) and some price differentiation/sale pricing? If you go to the US, you can hunt out bargins and especially in the common wines, (no slur intended) find some real deals from time to time. Why isn't this possible here? I have heard that the staff at the Dunbar store is very knowledgeable and more helpful but the only time I went there I almost got killed in the parking lot and got an acute case of claustraphobia in the the tiny, dingy and cramped store. Wouldn't go back because of these reasons. Speaking of nice wine premises, both the Kits Wine Cellar and Taylorwood Wines in Yaletown are lovely to shop at. Taylorwood, in particular is beautifully appointed and both have a pleasant ambiance and sincere, knowledgable staff.

Here are 3 of my recent meals out - some places more than once: Go Fish - in fact those are my hands in the picture in the Queue section of the Sun this Friday. Got to Go Fish on a stunning, sunny day that convinces you there is no where else in the world to live than Vancouver. Arrived at 11:30 or so to find that one of their deep fryers was down so no fish and chips. Chaos was barely held at bay - orders were going missing and the chap taking the orders was clearly still in training. But Gordon was holding it all together - gentle reminders to the staff about how to dress the salads, leaping to the grill to turn salmon fillets and flashing his smile at the customers. And, the buns arrived in time to ensure sandwiches were possible. So that's what we had - grilled salmon sandwiches with greens. We took them back to the office, partly because we were chilly and there was no where to sit and partly because the wait had been so long. But a worthwhile wait. I took my grilled salmon sandwich into my 1:00 meeting and barely managed to keep the mayo off my chin and retain whatever dignity I have. It was delicious - well worth the wait. I would cheerfully return - I just haven't found the opportunity. And I will wear something other than my office clothes - dry cleaning will be more than the cost of the lunch and I will eat in private. Hamilton Street Grill - have been there the last 2 Friday's for the hangar steak. At risk of sounding like a shill - what a great place! A fun room, great food and good service. No doubt about it - Neil's attention to the front of the house, as well as the kitchen pays off for the customer. The staff performs flawlessly, service is gracious, prompt and attentive, without fawning. Last night we spent some time at the bar and that too, was a great experience. Neil definitely has hired the right talent. The hangar steaks, on both occasions, are tasty, chewy and flavourful. You know you are eating beef, which is just the way I like it. I had mine cooked rare the first time and medium rare last night and recommend the medium rare to medium. Last night I started with the pear and stilton salad. Excellent - not too much dressing (which I abhour - one reason I always hesitate to have salads in the US - they always drown them in dressing; more is better in America) and just enough Stilton to punch up the flavour. I had a glass of the Domaine Chaberton syrah at the bar which I continued with the salad. Not a very good wine in my opinion - based on the Syrah, I wouldn't hurry out to Langley. Almost had a raisin taste to it, quite off-putting. We had the Penfolds Shiraz- Cabernet with the steak this week and last week had the Nota Bene. The Bene was definitely the better choice of the two. And tonight we went to Bishop's to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It is with a heavy heart that I report a very mere and actually disappointing meal. For $230 (with tip) I am sure I would have been swept off my feet at West. Instead at Bishop's we couldn't get out of there soon enough. What went wrong? The service was certainly attentive - they must have at least 10 people, including John on the floor. But the noise in there tonight was overwhelmng. We were seated upstairs, just at the passageway to the kitchen and the bathrooms and in front of the area where they keep the wine glasses. My husband said it reminded him of sitting in the toilet row of an airplane (you know, the last couple of rows where people line up to wait for the bathroom). We were unable to converse because of the din. Our expectations were for a romantic evening so the noise and constant bustle of staff around our table was a distraction. But at Bishop's we have come to expect superb tastes, flavours and pairings. The only time this happened was the amuse bouche - seared scallop on a deep-fried wonton skin. That was the Bishop's we have known and loved. A hit of ocean flavour and a silken texture in the mouth. It truly set us up for great things to come. I started with the spot prawns - there were 4 on the plate with a small mound of overdressed greens. The prawns were perfectly cooked with respect to texture but somehow managed to fall flat on flavour. Perhaps it was the bitter greens with too much dressing? Nels had the tempura squid which he said was rubbery. I had a Venturi Schulze sparkling wine with the prawns- it was clean and sharp and a good match. But it was oddly devoid of bubbles - or maybe they were too small to be seen. A nice brut, none the less but probably not worth $13 a glass. We both had the ahi tuna as our main course paired with the Blue Mountain Pinot Noir. Our impression of the wine list was that it was skewed towards some very, very pricey wines. The vast majority of the wine list was well outside our budget with no Pinot Noirs by the glass. The tuna was so disappointing that I struggle to find words to describe it. Yes, it was dark pink inside, but the outer 1/4 to 3/8ths of an inch was so well done as to be chewy and dull. I like seared tuna to be almost like sashimi - meltingly tender and like butter with a delicate feel in the mouth. Almost as if it isn't there. Well this tuna was all there, all the time. Chew, chew, chew. And no flavour anywhere. It was served with a small amount of grainy mustard sauce and roasted vegatables. Serviceable but an overabundance of potatoes. Dessert was the vanilla- coffee brulee. Nothing exciting - nothing bad. We vowed that for the next celebratory meal we are heading to West were we know that $230 later we will have had a meal that makes us smile in utter contentment and one that is truly a celebration of food and wine. And we will have had a chance to talk quietly to each oblivious to those around us.

I'll second the motion on Frontera Grill. Until we have something that approximates Frontera there is point in even trying anything else. It wouldn't be worth it.

We enjoy a coffee or latte from JJ Bean every weekend when we go to the market for our weekly shop but it definitely can't be considered a coffee house. I always feel a sense of victory if I can walk away without having spilt my drink or someone else's. At 0830 on a Saturday morning, there are a lot of people who need their fix and they have a sense of real determination about them. We've also been to the one on Powell Street which is more of a coffee house. We combine that with a trip to the Gourmet Warehouse which is always expensive. Most of the time our beans are from JJ Bean. I also enjoy Torre Fiazione (I know I spelt that incorrectly - assume it is close to the phonetic spelling ) I have yet to try Caffe Artiggianno - I haven't felt cool or hip enough yet. I'm working on it, though.