Foodie in Vancouver

Wednesday: Pair - Nice local, bistro feel but they need to work on the consistency of the food quality. Food at the table: gorgonzola/pear risotto bland, dry and not very interesting; clam and mussels in a coconut broth. Could have been great but without bread to sop up the sauce it really didn't manage to leave an impression at all. The only bread was a biscotti-like fig anise bread which didn't make the mark. Crab cakes were deep fried and again no flavour to speak of and overpowered by the deep-fried taste. For mains, I had the beef shortribs. They were overwhelming salty and served in a bowl and thus were impossible to eat. The rest of the table had the NY steak which they enjoyed and declared to be cooked as ordered. Thursday: Lunch at Elixir. Excellent Tuna Nicoise salad and great bread which more than made up for the lack thereof the previous evening. Wonder where they get their bread. (Is Elixir a knock-off of Balthazar in NYC or did it just seem that way?) Fast forward to Saturday and Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta and my first ever experience at a Legion (we were there to attend a wedding). Nothing to report with respect to food (in fact, less said the better) but my husband was in heaven because they were selling 18-year old Glenlivet for $4.65 an ounce. And the price included whatever passes for taxes in Alberta. Although he drank a lot of scotch I am happy to report that he didn't dance on the tables like the bride's sister.

I agree with the previous posts - don't miss Cru and Parkside. I love West but it is more expensive than either Cru or Parkside so we go there less frequently. But I feel like a million dollars when I walk out. Another thread has mentioned the foie gras - it is addictive. In all of these restaurants, ask them to suggest wine pairings - it will only add to the success of the meal. I have not had as much succes with Feenie's, especially when price was considered. Another treat is to finish the week with a drink at the bar at West and an appetizer. Makes the week quickly recede into a dim memory. Another favorite is Vij's for the most amazing Indian food you have ever had. The lamb popsicles are a favorite but again, anything on the menu will surpass any other Indian food you have eaten previously. L'Emotion is great and we have had excellent meals there but for us it is a long way away so we don't get there very often. I had lunch at Cioppino's the other day and was reminded what an excellent restaurant it is. Our company often has dinners there and we don't get free run at the menu - instead it is prix fixe style. Somehow, when you get to ponder over the menu at length, dithering back and forth until you finally reach that climactic moment of yes, I'll have the... the food doesn't seem the same. I had the beef carpacio and the pasta with Dungeness crab. And, ate every single thing! Pino really does know pasta. It was exquisite and I am trying to wangle a reason to return, sooner rather than later. We are just about to head out the door to try Pair so will let you know how that is but now that I have written about all these other restaurants that I enjoy so much, I am not so sure where to go. So many restaurants, so little time. Enjoy and please let tell us about your experience.

Diced some seeded, perfectly ripe Romas, tossed them with diced garlic pounded in the mortar. fresh basil. Drizzled with 12 yr. old balsamic and real Tuscan EVOO. Then mixed into some spaghettini. Fresh-baked ficele to mop up the left-over liquid

If you don't mind staying in Summerland try the Apples and Quails B&B.

A book I really enjoyed was The Fourth Star by Leslie Brenner. It describes a year in Daniel Boulud's restaurant from all perspectives behind the scenes. As one who only knows of restaurants only from the diner's point of view I found it fascinating. The underlying plot is Daniel's quest to get his 4th star from the NYTimes reviewer, William Grimes. (Who has written a slight but charming book about a rooster that mysteriously shows up in his backyard - forgotten the name of the book, but it was delightful) I have no idea how accurate the portrayal is but I was completely immersed, totally caught up in the descriptions of the tensions between the kitchen and the wait staff as they cope with the demands of their very high-end customers. I swear my heart was pounding at times as they scrambled to get the orders out. I would be interested to know whether those who are in the know view this depiction - accurate or ? Like others, I too, love Calvin Trillin and the New Yorker. I am savouring the food issue and will enjoy it on vacation later this month. Cooks Illustrated has provided me with some great foundations and I still can get standing ovations for beef cooked at low temperatures described in one of their early issues. I agree, that sometimes it can be quite tedious to read how they have cooked 72 batches of chili in search of the perfect recipe. But, for staples and old stand-bys they provide a good place from which to start. My daughter has recently challenged me to make the perfect cinnamon buns and I plan to begin with the recipe in the most recent issue of CI. But they can sure write some stinkers - we recently tried their recipe for sorbet and are still recovering from the sugar overdose. My favorite wine writers are Dottie and John from the WSJ. I have been in withdrawal while they have been on holidays. Their book, Love by the Glass, is a great read and is a wonderful reminder that wine is for drinking and enjoying. Making wine accessible is their mission - they love wine and want nothing more than to share the love. One of these years I am going to join in their communal 'Open that bottle of wine night'. Maybe we could get one going here in Vancouver?

I have heard varying pieces of advice about putting All-Clad in the dishwasher so I haven't. What is your advice? Can you put All-Clad in the dishwasher?

The daughter with the license will be away at university and the other has her L. Can I still be her supervisor in the car if I'm hammered?

Another vote for South Granville is the Eveline Charles Spa right across the street from Vij's.

I have had some of my Calphalon pieces for 20 years or so now and they are still giving good service. About 3 years ago I bought some All-Clad pieces and think they are fabulous as well. I was looking at one of the All-Clad non-stick pans at Gourmet Warehouse about a year or so ago and they suggested I try one of their other brands - starts with an R (too lazy to run upstairs and check the name). It was a LOT less expensive and I bought 3 different sizes for less than 1 All-Clad piece. And, you know what? Excellent non-stick. I make my stir frys in the larger pan and I use the largest burner on my gas stove at full throttle and the finish is still decent (I use the Cooks Illustrated Stir-Fry recipe which has you heat the pan for almost 10 minutes at the highest heat). So for the money you can't beat these pans. Suggest you check out the Gourmet Warehouse.

So now I'm worried - I am in for the HSG event but l am clearly a LOT older than most of you. My dear husband has politely said - "No dear, you go on your own." And as for living to eat - why else do we exist? But you need to add wine to my obsession list - have way too many wines in the house already - we have filled all available spaces with wine, wine and more wine. Now the cases are starting to stack up in my teenage daughter's office space. Luckily they aren't interested in wine - Kokanee Beer seems to be all they squirrel away - haven't even glanced in the direction of the wine. (Not very well hidden beer I might add) And still I want to buy more wine. Stovetop would be pleased as much of it is BC wine - drinking a N'Kimp Pinot Noir right now - can't recommend it. Not much fruit and quite 'hot ' for a Pinot. Will still attend the HSG event, although it seems as if I am going to be increasing the average age at this event. I refuse to even try the snake, with or without the gallbladder. Is it a weeknight? If so, will need to make a reasonably credible appearance of productivity at work the next day. Something has to finance the wine habit. So will not even attempt to keep up to drinking prowess of others.

At the risk of sounding uninformed, which restaurant is Neil's?

Are you serious? I'm in - won't have to cook in the heat! Let me know - could be fun.

Oh dear - I can feel the grimaces before you even read my response but deep breath - I like the meat at Costco (I am sure at least one of you has fainted dead away). Well let me clarify that to say that we do a lot of entertaining of fairly large groups in the summer (12+ people at least once a week) and I have had great success with the tenderloin steaks, the tenderloin piece and the lamb chops from Costo. For the steaks, I just oil them and season with S+P and cook about 3 -4 minutes a side. We have a built in DCS grill and man does it get hot! so the fillets are perfectly cooked - nice and rare in the middle with wonderful carmelization on the outside. The tenderloin piece takes some fussing with - you need to trim it and tie it up but again, rub it with olive oil, salt and LOTS of pepper and in 15 - 20 minutes you have the most tender and delicious meat. Some nice BC merlot and you are a happy kid! I make a lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and rosemary marinade for the lamb chops and leave them in over 1 -2 days. We served 14 on Friday night with the lamb chops and they were gone in seconds. Tender, flavourful and delicious. We paired the chops with the Red Rooster Meritage and think it was a success. Not a morsel left. But when I don't want to feed the masses I head straight for Armando's on Granville Island and have never had a complaint. He is more than willing to do custom orders and when he has them, his veal chops are great. And the staff is very accomodating and helpful. As for Safeway - never had any success. And everytime I used their meats I was mortified at the results. We used to use Shaughnessy Meats on 41st but haven't for a number of years. No particular reason - just fell out of the habit but they always had great meat as well.

I would love to join in but have been hanging back thinking that I don't have the drinking ability necessary to keep up with the crowd - especially when you started talking about the snake's blood. Little unnerving for us amateurs. But it is starting to sound like a lot of fun - so what the heck - I'm in.

If you are thinking of having a meal in Kamloops try the Brownstone. We were there in early June and thought it was excellent. It is in a refurbished bank building - the address is 118 Victoria St and their phone number is 250.851.9939. Several of the staff had previously worked in Tofino.

We were at Whistler this weekend as well and had two meals - the first at Bearfoot Bistro and the second at Fifty Two 80. And drinks both nights at the bar at Fifty Two 80 at the Four Seasons. There is no doubt that the Four Seasons property is stunning - elegant, restrained, tranquil, sophisticated and beautiful. The bar is everything I could ever want - surroundings were outstanding and the ambience perfect. Intimate but without being dark and glommy. Wonderfully comfortable seating, great but restrained art. And, good drinks! Dinner on Saturday at Bearfoot Bistro was somewhat of a disappointment, especially considering that we had just left the perfect surroundings of the Four Seasons. When making our reservation they suggested that we eat in the Champagne lounge because they had 2 large parties that night but I understand that the menus are similar in both areas. The menu in the lounge is a 3-course prix fixe for $29.95 with supplemental charges for many choices. We started with the Ceaser salad and know that the choice was probably at fault but we both found the salad to be bland and quite uninteresting. My husband followed with the buffalo shortribs and I had the lamb. His shortribs were good but my lamb chops were hopelessly undercooked. Basically raw. They were taken away and recooked. To their credit, they didn't charge me for the lamb chops but it seems to me a fairly signigicant error given that I could tell as soon as I put my knife to the meat that it was hopelessly underdone - there wasn't a shred of resistance. The goat cheese tartlette for dessert was very good and clearly the best of the 3 courses. Our main complaint, however, was the ambience - and I know we were in the Champagne Lounge but it was filled with other dinners not drinkers. What we objected to was the lounge act. It really detracted from the evening - talking was impossible and thus the interupted meal service was simply compounded. And I mean lounge act - a singer who, while not that bad, would be better suited on a Holland America cruise ship. I do not want to sing along with my meal. Ever. Prices on the wine list seemed high; we are only familar with the prices of the local wines but $14 for a glass of Inniskillin Pinot Noir seemed steep to us. From what we could tell the mark-up was at least 250%. Service wasn't what I would have expected from a restaurant that has received so many excellent reviews but then again it is summer - maybe they have trouble retaining their skilled staff in the summer. But I must reiterate that they didn't charge for my under-done chops so I can't really complain. The next night at the Four Seasons was a completely different story. Explemary service from knowledge staff and the setting was stellar. The wonderful streams and water features make dining outside an extraordinary experience. The food is well presented, wine list limited but good with excellent BC representation. We both had the skirt steak and it was flavourful and, most importantly done exactly as ordered. As we were eating late we didn't have a first course but I would definitely recommend the seafood bar - it looked fabulous. The flatbread as mentioned by Jamie really was terrific. Slightly thicker than phyllo and brushed with a spicy wash of peppers and sea salt. I wonder if they use a pasta maker to get the cracker dough that thin? Might be worth experimenting. We also went to the Farmer's Market on Sunday and snagged some wonderful Bintje potatoes from Pemberton and stone fruit from the Okanagan. Resisted the pies - but only through tremendous self discipline. My husband scored a 5 kg tub of the most amazing honey. So all in all it was a great weekend. If you are in the Four Seasons Bar try their Mile High Martini (Fifty Two 80 - get it? Don't worry - I didn't at first!)- it was wonderful. Could have easily had more than one - but once again self restraint kicked in. Anyway, back in the city, back at work and looking for excuses to go away again.

In Eastern Canada, Tim Horton's sells a lot of coffee and are starting to become more popular on the West Coast. I haven't been there myself, but I understand that they have their own lingo - for instance a double double is brewed coffee with 2 sugars and 2 creams. If you are looking for this type of localized lingo, Tim Horton's would be a resource for Canadian heartland coffee-talk. But doesn't apply to the West Coast (yet).

I am reluctantly piling on to the Ajisai recommendation - not because it isn't good. In fact it is really great, but so small that us locals really don't want anyone else to find out about it. We are there on at least a weekly basis and haven't been able to engage the sushi chefs in conversation, or at least any sustained conversation. But, after all it is the food not the talk I am there for. Be prepared to wait for a table almost anytime you go - but it will be a worthwhile wait. We used to frequent Shijo's on 4th Avenue but it has really gone downhill following a change in ownership. En is our other favorite. Now that Shijo's is so mediocre and I can't afford Tojo's does anyone know of a sushi restaurant that has tuna gomae in the same style and of the same quality as Tojo's tuna? My mouth is watering at the thought.

Penticton is definitely a no-go zone for eating. In Naramata the Heritage Inn might be worth a try because that is where Grant deMontreuil has landed. Burrowing Owl is absolutely a must for dinner. I agree with all the recommendations vis a vis the wineries. La Frenz, RR and Popular Grove are not-to-be-missed in Naramata; in Oliver, Black Sage, Burrowing Owl, Fairview Cellars, Tinhorn and Inniskillin. If you are in OK Falls do yourself a favour and stop by Stag's Hollow. Their Merlots are really good but they also have a fun summer white - Seriously (or Tragically) Vidal. (I can never remember which). Their Pinot Noir is also quite good but I have more experience with their Merlot. It can also sit for a while and just gets better and better. A varietal to look for is Cab Franc - a number of wineries are producing a very credible wine with this grape. One of my current favorites! Have fun - eating and drinking local in the Okanagan is one of the real joys of living in BC. I wish I could get away and indulge myself - the thought of all those cheeries makes me swoon.

I will be coming to DC on business this weekend (staying through Wednesday) and would be grateful for recommendations for places to eat. I will be staying downtown (Capitol Hilton) but am comfortable on the metro. I like fusion or dishes emphasizing fresh, local ingredients. Not interested in steak houses or Mexican; Vancouver has great Asian and sushi so not that appealing on the road. Thanks in advance for your help. If you are ever in Vancouver please allow me to return the favour.

Just to add another vote for West - we were there on Saturday to celebrate my birthday and it was fabulous. Service and food exemplary and a very knowledgeable and helpful sommelier. Chris used to be at Diva and before that Araxi. We put ourselves in his hands and sat back and enjoyed his pairings. I had 3 small plates - hamachi tartare, spot prawn with spaghetti (tasted way better than it sounds) and then the short ribs (so I could have some red wine!). My husband had the West bacon with roasted scallop followed by the wagyu beef. The room is lovely and the service attentive without being fussy. Don't forget to let us know how your weekend turns out. And perhaps you can guide us to some interesting places/things to do where you live?

Sounds like you already have the foundations of a great time. Only things I would add/suggest - for Japanese, I know everyone raves about Tojo. Another suggestion that is perhaps more reasonable is En on South Granville. (2686 Granville St.) For dim sum we often end up at Sun Sui Wah on Main and 22nd Avenue. Senses is wonderful as is LeBeau so no arguement from me on those choice. For activities, you might want to consider renting bikes and riding around all the seawalls and I do mean all. I don't know what the total distance if you do all of the seawalls but you would see almost all of the beaches and pretty well all of the waterfront. You can rent bikes at several locations close to the seawall either at the entrance to Stanley Park and probably at Granville Island at Reckless Rider. For seafood I always recommend C. I have always found it to be excellent in all respects. I haven't been to the Cannery in years but I have friends who swear by it and it always seems to show up on the lists.

What about Sophie's Cosmic Cafe? My teenager suggests Earls or Milestones as a place she likes to go with her friends. Her other suggestion is The Inn and Out Burger on Broadway (across from the White Spot!). Good luck.

What about considering becoming a personal chef? The hours might be more normal - ie not into the wee hours of the night and you would be more in control of the work. Now that I have voiced my opinion I need to qualify it with the fact that I don't have any experience with either. But I do know office jobs and yes they have their limitations. But damn if it doesn't feel good to have a pay cheque I can live off of and have my evenings available for what I want to do. There are pressures in office work but I'm not on my feet for the whole day and I don't get yelled at on a regular basis - in fact not at all. If I had to choose chef in a restaurant, personal chef and office job - and I wanted in my heart to cook - personal chef. My two cents worth.