Daddy-A

We made our annual treck down the I-5 this past weekend for the Oregon Brewer's Festival and our book-buying spree at Powell's. With the Canuck buck almost at par with the US$ it made the weekend even more enjoyable. An surprising discovery on the lounge front was District. It was late-ish (after 9) after an afternoon of beer sampling and reservations hadn't been made anywhere. We're "regulars" in town and do our research (eG, Nick's list, etc.) so has a list with many options. District was closest, and had room for our group of 6. I say District was surprsing not because of the drinks, which were excellent. I stuck to wine, but J and our other travelling companions enjoyed assorted cocktails that were very well received. J's Kir & French 75 were a perfect change from micro-brews. All drinks ... $8 No, District was surprising because of the top notch nibbles that came from the kitchen. Gnocci with Mushroom Ragou, Cuban Sandwich, Chicken "Bits" with Curried Chick Peas, and a kick-ass burger. All food ... $8. Very well executed and really good value. (A heads-up on District ... the music gets loud and clubby after about 11. Fortunately for us "old-folk" we were finished by then.) It was, however, no Clyde Common. What a great addition to my Portland dining list! It reminded me a lot of clarklewis, but with a "domestic and foreign" flare, 4 of us dined to near bursting for under $150 (n/incl tip). Standout dishes were: Roast Corn Salad, Chitarra and the Confit Lamb Heart (mmmmm ... crispy aorta!) The Poutine was the only thing to disappoint, but only the Quebecois have ever gotten that right IMO. Desserts of Blackberry Clafouti and Ligurian Lemon Cake w/ Blueberries were also very well done ... as was my espresso (ristretto no less!). The best part of the evening for me was being seated right beside the kitchen. We had a clear view of the burners and were able to receive running comentary from who I assume was the garde manger ... salad and cold plates dude. We even received a taster of the apricots they used on the cheese plate (mmmmm ... sauterne-ey goodness!). You damn Portlanders are very lucky indeed! A.

I find this comment to be quite telling. Anglo, Francao, Cino .... does it really matter? A.

Careful! All this love is bound to earn Metro a scathing review from Ms. Gill! A.

Go find yourself a neighbour with a fruit tree he/she is about to cut down. Seriously. Any bbq-er/smoker is going to be very reluctant to give up their "source." Less of an issue in rural areas for obvious reasons. Myself ... think millwork shops. A lot of off-cuts can be had if you know who to ask. A.

Who is Sharla?The pretty blond cook. *sigh* I never got to say goodbye. Matt's is re-done you say? Time for another visit ... A.

Where in Port Moody? A.

THIS THREAD is a good place to start (ignore the snarky comments from Sam ) My personal favorite is still Shiro @ 15th & Cambie. A little tough to get to with all the construction going on in the area, but it fits your criteria nicely. A.

Why? The owner of Sobeys has already stated that the name (Thrifty's) isn't changing. Is there something evil about Sobey's? Is there something else you're concerned about? Just wonderin' A.

Thanks for the article Andrew ... saves me from having to actually read the rest of that rag Best line this year! A.

I'm not SB (nor do I live in his 'hood) but I can answer a couple questions here ... I'm pretty sure Chef is spending Monday at home with some charcoal, meat and frosty beverages. The bar is still an awesome spot, but if the weather holds, I'd sit on the deck. The trio of gravalax and a glass of rose ... *sigh* A.

Carefull what you're implying Josh. Been there many times without any "extra-caricular" activity. Seems like Chilo had a great product, but expanded too quickly. Anyone been to Taco Shack? Haven't heard much from them either. A.

The late Bux once shared with me his insight on this subject. Like Harry described, as one spends more time dining experience begins to influence expectations. There comes a point when we're no longer "surprised" by a truly excellent meal, and like Harry's friend, any tiny variation from our expectations appears as dissappointment. This is the point Bux fealt you needed to push on, and begin recognizing technique, and other aspects of the dining experience such as service and the decor in the dining room. All these aspects contibute the the overall experience. It also helps to forget your expectations, and keep your mind open to all experiences. Whether it's French Laundry or your local Pho joint, take each meal as an experience unto itself. Experiences you can't forget (IMO) but expectations you can. A.

Yeah ... I received an announcement from Kate. Roast Suckling Pig sandwiches for $3, and 10% off all charcuterie, terrines & meats. I think my cholesterol is going up this weekend (look familiar Stephen?? ) A.

9 times out of 10 we're doing pizzas on our grill. Very thin crust ... nice and crispy. For sauce we use the Roasted Tomatos recipe from the Cranks cookbook, but we reduce it to get the correct consitency. Great flavours with bug chunks of tomato. Perfect for the thin crust. A.

This may be the only time this Vancouverite has ever been jealous of Ontario If only our politicans would take notice. Enjoy the improved menu! A.

I agree with Mike on the adding coals issue. Minion method, and I usually add another Chimney at about the 9 or 10 hour mark (I'm usually doing 2 butts at a time). Your temperature spike sounds like a bit of a technical fowl-up. With all the vents closed, the water tray full, and using the Minion method, there's no way the coals should burn that fast. Hell, I often have to struggle to get the temperature ober 200F! I'd give it another try. It's WAY simpler, and you can actually get some sleep if you're smoking overnight. A.

^ Wow. That must be a recent change. In the first couple of days I was told customers could order just 2 ounces of each...too bad. This was more like what I was told on Saturday evening ... i.e. they can't guarantee doneness on smaller portions. Seems like a resonable situation. However, I didn't mess around with no 4ozs! The "Metro Retro" that night was the Braised Vennison Shoulder. Dear God! That's the most meat I've had on my plate since our Luau! One small thing ... unless I've missed something, I don't believe that braised meats are cooked to doneness. Somebody should tell our server. A.

Amen to that! I start my day like that every morning when I'm working in the area. I'm with you on La Baguette, but when I worked on GI (@ Longliner) I would gather buns, cheese, meats, etc. and using the mustard and mayo I kept in the fridge would make my own sandwich for lunch. Cheap and awesome! A.

Our time volunteering together was short. Her passion for food, life and eG was evident in all she said to me. She will be missed. RIP sweet fifi. (where is that crying emoticon?) A.

Show the masses how it's really done bro' A.

CELEBRITY SIGHTING! Saw Brian & Glenn on the BCTV morning news yesterday .... ... then came home to receive my monthly piece of propoganda from Coast Capital Savings, only to see the smiling faces of House of Q in the newsletter! Brian, I think you guys have more than used up your 15 minutes of fame! Well done. A.

I'm tempted to say "yes" and leave it at that. I'm going to wait for a subsequent visit once Metro has "officially" opened to give a thorough run-down of the food. What I will say is the "by the ounce" options worked much better than I thought it would ... a perfect way to share lots of dishes amongst a group. I really enjoyed the vennison, gravalax (like butter), spot prawns (chili bean cassoulet!) and duck ... and the charcuterie plate featured cheese from the Islands (Gulf & Vancouver) which I really appreciated. We sat at the bar afterwards with Brian (and someone who I could have sworn was Earnest Borgnine) and listened to him talk the cooks through each new dish. It was at this point I realized how damn comfy the bar stools were! As Kate said upthread, the room isn't 100% yet (I wouldn't have noticed the missing bits unless Tim pointed them out to me) but even at 90% it's beautiful. The view out the north windows makes it one room where I won't mind going to an early dinner and once the deck opens, watch out Parkside! A.

Dangle your preposition much? Yep, those are the stools. The chairs in the dining room are trés comfy too. A. edited to correct my correction. My grammar sucks.

I'll add to that review: Best Barstools EVER. A.

That's funny ... I remember him from .Enthusiastic. Good word. A.