Daddy-A

My fault for not being clear. My analogy had more to do with how busy things would be, than with the level of service. I agree 100% ... DOV (or Spring Break at DL) is no excuse for poor service. But personally, I'm not surprised when the level of service dips a little in either case. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this. I see no obligation. I see it as a smart business practice, and yes, were I the one in ElizR's chair, I would have liked a little something for my discomfort. I just wouldn't have expected it. Shit happens.Sounds like she should have gone to Joe's A.

Link to the post describing ElizR's experience at Pastis (last paragraph) [CLICK] ElizR's mishap was unfortunate, to be sure. But it had NOTHING to do with DOV, and as I see it, the restaurant was under no obligation whatsoever to comp anything to anyone. Would a comp have been a smart business practice? Perhaps. Far too often however I'm reading about how a dining experience wasn't up to snuff, and how someone was "owed" something. It seems these sentiments are amplified during DOV, and I'm completely baffled as to why. The analogy I like to use is Disneyland. One of the most popular times of year to go to DL is Spring Break ... and that is why I will never go during Spring Break. 60+ minute line-ups for Space Mountain are no way to spend a vacation. But if I were to go, would I be asking Mickey for a comped slice of Cheesecake-on-a-Stick ( GOOD!)? Yeah, sure buddy ... A.

[host] Yep ... there were THREE threads on this show. Now they're all merged into one tidey package. Carry on .... A. [/host]

Where's Chef Fowke???? I feel a feed of grits and ham hocks cummin' on! I'll drive by on my way home ... A.

Thanks for doing a little field research for me Geoff!! Being Norwegian, it pains me to give the Swedes credit for anything ... but good on IKEA. BTW, there's nothing wrong with Salice ... I just like Blum better. A.

Time to chime in on a dinner that was had at Sea Harbour Restaurant last Friday with Seattle eGulleter Abra, her hubby Shel and a few other local food nuts. Menu was as follows: Sea Harbour cold-cut platter including deboned goose feet in a sesame-oil marinade, poached pork belly, vegetarian tofu wrap, spiced beef and sesame-oil-marinated jellyfish Poached geoduck in green sauce Sautéed fresh scallops with seasonal greens Fish maw and duck meat soup Dungeness crab and kabocha squash hotpot Braised chayote with minced pork and preserved vegetables Sea Harbour hand-shredded five-spice boneless chicken Steamed live fish with a chili-soy dipping sauce Stewed lamb belly in casserole with vegetable Fried rice with dried scallops, egg whites and scallions Sea Harbour baked barbecue pork bun Egg whites steamed in almond milk Favourites for J & I: Crab - How can you not like a meal where your hands and face get covered in pumpkin sauce??? The best part for me had to be the "innards" that were prepared and served in the shell. Sooooo good! Lamb - Served with a tahini-like sauce. The saltiness of the sauce was a perfect foil for the fatty lamb belly. I could have eaten a lot more of this. Fried Rice - If you've ever watched Iron Chef and wondered why the tasting pannel was going nuts over a dish as simple as fried rice, you've never really had fried rice. This was light and clean ... the complete antithesis of what I come to know as fried rice. Pork Buns - So good I bought another dozen of them. They were a little pricey ($17 for 12) but totally worth it. A perfect breakfast! Thanks to canucklehead and Mooshmouse for organizing, and an additional thanks to canucklehead for giving us the guided tour of what we were eating. The staff at Sea Harbour was extremely efficient, but not horribly forthcoming with details on what they were serving. I'm sure it was a language thing, as canucklehead was often in deep conversation with our waiters. Unlike most Chinese meals I've had, I wasn't hungry a couple hours later. I'm sure abra thinks we're all certifiable! A.

AWESOME NEWS!!! Does that mean Plymouth Martinis at the Hammy??? See you then Dave! A.

HERE is the post that will answer all (or most) queries. AS to why ... I dunno. I'm not in the biz, but if I were remodeling, this would be the time of year I'd do it. Also, Victoria is getting set for their version of Dine Out, so a fresh coat of varnish on the bar would be nice. After all, Chambar did their reno's just before DOV over here. Makes sense. Nothing nefareous as far as I can see. A.

[host] Time to re-focus. This thread is about the Foodie Course at NWCAV and those that are taking it. It is not the place to discuss knives or pharmaceuticals. There are plenty of great threads on eGullet about knives and sharpening them. CLICK HERE for a selection from General Food Topics. HERE is a course from the eGullet Culinary Institute on Knife Maintenance & Sharpening. This is a terrific course, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how you guys enjoy it! A. [/host]

"Fairly functional tho' heavily medicated" pretty much describes the entire 1980's for me. Perhaps they can provide a stool for you to sit on? And I'm sure we'll all help chip in and make sure you don't have to lift anything. Can you still use a knife? That's what's up in the first class.... ← I dunno about the stool ... pretty crowded for that. You're moving around a lot and standing at your station doing lots of meez. But iirc there's no heavy lifting, or at least nothing somebody else in your group can't handle. A.

One of my all-time favorite threads too! HERE it is. A little more philosophical than you may be looking for, but lots of "food" for thought. wattacetti and shelora pretty much summed up my thoughts. I'd also suggest you take a look at the different cultures around you and try see how they've influenced the local cuisines. Chinese and Japanese influences are easy to find. How about Indian or Middle Eastern? Let us know how you make out! A.

I'm curious how you can have a DOV meal when DOV doesn't begin until January 20th? [hots] I want to repeat the request made in this previous post [CLICK] that DOV reviews be made in separate threads, with the name of the Restaurant as the title, and "DOV 2006 Experience" as the descritption. Trust me, it makes searching for such things somuch easier lateron. A. [/host]

HERE is a thread on this very same subject. Also, HERE is a thread on the West End, the neighbourhood he'll be in. Hope Granny is OK. A.

Oh no! I have 168 posts AND I joined eGullet one day before you, Neil, can a deal be struck? Pretty please? I'll bring you some yummy Japanese snacks! ← You can always spot a rookie eh Neil? The answer of course is ordering the $35 menu AND an extra order of Hanger Steak. Have the salmon (from the $35 menu) as a fish course, the hanger as your main, and the GBP for dessert. The "lightweight" way around this would be to order the $25 menu. Have the GBP as your dessert with a glass of Township 7 Late Harvest. The Dessert Duo would of course be eaten afterwards, with coffee ... or a cheese plate and port. See the benefit of hanging around us veterans?? A.

can you give me the link to that discussion? pweeeease ← Jeez! Get a grip! HERE is the link back to Ling's question on caviar. No baby- talk required. Also, I've merged your caviar question along with all other sourcing questions into this one UBER-THREAD. Use the search function at the bottom of the page to look for individual ingredients. If nobody's asked, the feel free to ask away. A.

Andre, Thanks for chiming in. [host] I've just merged the two topics on the same subject for continuity's sake. Play nice A. [/host]

J and I were down at GI with the dogs on January 3 ... market was closed then as well, with the exception of the Blue Parrot, but Sam says the Hot Chocolate is no good so we skipped But we also noticed a large number of people milling about, looking for something to do. Hell, there were even two buses full of tourists, and nobody to pack them some smoked salmon. Odd. A.

[host] This is a good point Oyster Guy, and one I was going to bring up of this line of conversation continued. First of all, this thread is not in the Food & Media forum because as far as I know it can only be viewed in Canada. Putting it in Food & Media would only see it get lost among all the other USA-centric discussion. Also, because it is filmed and takes place in Vancouver it fits here best. It may at some point get moved, but for now it stays here. Second, discussion needs to stay focused on the show and how it relates/does not relate to the food industry in Vancouver. like O-G said ... this is not Entertainment tonight. If your comments aren't relevant, they're getting removed. Thanks A. [/host]

[host] Okay, we've established that mkjr comments were from his POV, and that Ducky, Oyster Guys and others find it hard to believe. Nothing is going to come from continuing, so let's just agree to disagree on this one and move on, OK? Further discussions will be removed without explanation. A. [/host]

Gee Sam, and here I thought you actually had something to say on the topic at hand. The wine mark-ups at Bearfoot are nothing new to this forum. Read more about it HERE, and about the theft of some expensive wine HERE. A.

Welcome to eGullet. If memory serves correct, Alistaire (hopkin) at The Elysian Room at least sells this type of system. Not sure about Japanese charcoal-roasted coffee though, nor as to if he uses the syphon system to prepare the coffee. I don't think he does, but he might know who does. A.

[host] I've just merged a couple threads on Godiva's into one thread. The main thread offers some background on the show's development as well, so if you haven't read it, jump back to page 1. [/host] A.

That's pretty much been my impression of DOV as a whole. Chances are if I'm going to visit a restaurant during DOV, I'd be going at some point anyway. And most places offer their DOV menu through to the end of February or so. Then again, I'm probably not the type of person DOV is trying to reach. A.

Not when I can buy them at Trader Joe's! ← Okay at least the Vancouver market. Duck fat will be proven through research to provide health benefits, prompting my wife to allow me to use ith when I roast potatoes. A.

I felt like that last year too. But the fact is that in addition to people who dine out frequently and understand about the spirit of this event, DOV also brings out the worst diners ... people who make you wonder if their parents ever taught them anything about manners. Does that make all the servers' beefs simpler to take? Perhpas not. But I'm certain some of my clients wouldn't want to hear what I say about them either It's perhaps not the best idea for service staff to complain so publicly. But for some reason, they do, and I for one find it damn entertaining. Or with the mother of a newborn. That's just wrong on so many levels! A.