Daddy-A

I couldn't agree more. I thought it would be fun to watch GR make mince-meat out of people, but I find it strangely dull. I believe the show would be much more interesting if these people could actually cook! It's getting totally old watching the kitchen get shut down before service is complete ... although watching Ramsey chew out a customer is always fun. Oh ... and WHT is right. Skip the intro ... or at least cut it to 60 seconds. A.

Transporting?? You assume her cakes actually escape her kitchen without being eaten!! Sorry Ling - I can attest her cakes transport just fine A.

You may or may not realize this ... but the Vancouver/Western Canada forum has a very large percentage of participating members from the industry compared to the rest of the board. We're not just talking FOH & BOH, but owners, PR people, etc. etc. So it's not surprising that there would be a large response from that community in this forum. Hell, if there was a designers' version of eGullet, and people I had never met started putting down my work you can bet I'd have something to say about it! Where am I going with this? Nowhere really, except to say I agree with Neil's comment ... this isn't The Last Supper. This is a web site, where we talk about food and eating. Is the Irish Heather still busy? Is Lumiere still R&C? Will the Pink Tea Triad still be able to get a table this Saturday? Yep. And so it goes ... A.

Well, considering: a) It is "food" related b) It is in Vancouver c) Barbara-Jo is an honorary eGulleter d) I was just about to post this ... there's a good chance it will stay. A.

Not exactly fine dining ... but good food all the same ... "J" and I are going to pick up a picnic from Provence Marinaside and then (weather permitting) dine outside before Bard next week. The only questions remaining is: do we wait for Hamlet on the 30th or go with "As You Like It" on the 24th? Decisions decisions .... A.

As this thread has drifted into more a general discussion as the shortage of chefs, I'm moving it over to the General Foods forum. Let's let the rest of eGullet have their say! A.

We're getting off-topic big time here folks. I know sustainability/seasonality is an important issue, but it's not pertinent to the topic at hand. If you want to continue discussing the seasonal/sustainable issue, here are a couple threads in General Foods: Seasonal & Sustainable Seasonal Treats Admittedly, these threads are more about home-cooks than the restaurant business ... which means there's an opportunity for you guys to start a new thread in General Foods! Yippee! A.

If you're interested in discussing the pros & cons of formal chef training, there are a couple other threads going in the General Foods forum: Choosing a Culinary School Culinary School or Self-teaching? This may have been discussed up thread ... are any of the "amateur" culinary schools worthwhile? I'm thinking of places like Joie (there are others, I just can't think of them right now). I know these are a different category of school altogether, but I'm wondering if there are any that can offer insight into the world of a chef. Or, are they just for weekend warriors? A.

Great discussion. Let's be sure to keep this focussed on why it's difficult to find good cooks in Vancouver and not whether or not the chef's life is a glamorous one (which would make a good thread in General dontcha think Neil??) A.

Yep .. the dim sum is pretty good ... cheap too. Haven't done the take-out because until now, I've had Pepper House! I'll keep you posted if you'll do the same. We suburbians have to stick together! Nope ... different place completely. A.

I'll second La Baguette, and would throw the baguettes at Mix into the ... er ... mix. A.

Good morning all. I want remind everyone that this discussion is about whether or not Vancouver diners, and eGullet members in particular, are too lenient when reviewing restaurants in forum. This thread, this forum, and eGullet are not the places to sling mud at chefs, restaurants or each other. They are for discussing food, and the business of food. Personal attacks will not be tolerated. I believe we can have a civil discussion on this topic ... some of the discussion has been excellent. However, lately it's been veering off-course. If we can't return to the topic at hand, this thread will be locked. A.

Friday night cocktails on the Daddy-A patio required some protien ... Cioffi's had lamb should on special, so I threw some charcoal in the chimney, fired up the grill, rubbed the lamb with basil, thyme, rosemary, cayenne, paprika, s&p ... and grilled them for about 4 minutes a side. Cocktails were a Manhattan and a Negroni ... A.

Are you expressing first hand knowledge or an opinion? I'm not sure from what you said. A.

Before this thread strays off into a "Vancouver eGulleters are too lenient on local restaurants" tangent, I'd like to remind you this thread is about Lumière and one diner's experience there. Discussion of local reviewing scene(professional and amateur) should be done in a new thread - which would be fully endorsed by your forum host ... provided you all play nice! A.

[forum host] I've split this line of conversation into it's own thread ... focussing on take-out Chinese as per appreciator's post. Where's the best place to pick up kung pow on the way home from work? Or chow mein for that post binge nosh? [/forum host] Our favorite in Burnaby is The Pepper House ... or at least it was. Ordered from them last week and it sounds like there are new owners Smaller portions, and the ginger beef is nowhere near as good. Any other Burnaby options? A.

Woah, woah. Who's insisting? They might not deny you the right. But they will slag you for it, like they just did. Touche! Fair enough ... poor choice of words. What I meant to say was I don't think most people will deny anyone the right to a legitimate beef with a meal, regardless of the restaurant. Suggesting we'll all jump down foodie girl's throat because of a bad review is unfair. Jumping down her throat because of excessive hyperbole use is another matter ... Thanks for the credit ... but I wasn't forum host then - just another gape-mouthed bystander! Re: the less critical climate, I'm sure you'll be doing your part to change that I look forward to good critical analysis. A.

Surely this was unnecessary. I can imagine that perhaps in one or the other dish your exceptionally high personal expectations were not met, or perhaps you had a bad night, or perhaps you are from planet Klingon, but to say that you are "still trying to get the bad taste out" of your mouth after a meal at Lumiere must rank as one of the more egregious exaggerations ever posted in this forum. Is it really so hard to imagine someone having different tastes or experiences than you? If that's what her experience was, who are you to criticize it? Let's all play nice now I have to agree with Ducky here. The statement "trying to get the bad taste out of my mouth" is over-the-top to say the least. I don't think anyone in this forum would deny the right to vent about a bad meal - despite dillybravo's insistance to the contrary. I'll second that emoticon Certainly, saying "this sucks" is much less constructive than "this sucks because ..." A.

I agree with Pho Thy! It's my favourite spot for pho, and I love their meatball sub. What's the "house special"? Never had the pho at Pho Thy ... how's that for irony? Kim Phung is just up the street so I've never had the need. The house special is a kind of "best of." I've never asked what's in it, the old guy just told me that was the best one to have. Who am I to disagree? Damn tasty is all I know. A.

Pho Thy on Victoria at about 38th. Just tell them you want the house special A.

Been a slow last few weeks ... Last Friday: Arroy-D (Cambie & 15th) with the usual suspects, plus surprise visitor from Seattle rockdoggydog. Decent Thai ... had the pad thai and several other shared plates. Not great, but their 6.95 lunch special is good value, and I like their pad thai better than Thai Away Home's. A nice addition to the lunch repetoire around my office. Wednesday AM: Phat for coffee and a chocolate croissant. They sure think their coffee is "a thing of beauty" (his words). Meh. But the croissant!! Yikes that was awesome! Wednesday: The iCafe for HK style Western food (canucklehead's description, not mine.) Had Ox-tongue with rice and grilled(?) zucchini. What the f*** is the sauce on everything? I described it as a negative taste ... looks weird, and sucks the taste from the borscht (sans beets) right outta your mouth! Thursday AM: Churroliscious. Nothing to say except: Fried dough ... Good! Thursday" HSG for grilled salmon. Say Neil, was that Copper River Salmon?? I hear that stuff is AWESOME!! One of the very few restaurants in town where I really enjoy the salmon. Neil's kitchen knows how to treat the fish ... simply. Really great. And I'm not just saying that because of the blackmail photos Neil's keeping. A.

And Herb Alpert playing in the background?? Totally OT trivia ... the woman featured on the "whipped Cream" album cover, Dolores Erickson, was born in Seattle! A.

I was just about to say the same thing. The thing I like best about Gourmet Warehouse is not they they carry these items (which I know I can find elsewhere, probably cheaper) but that they're all in one place. Kinda like the Home Depot of foodie-stuff. Personally, I don't shop there all that often. But if I'm in a pinch, and I need something ASAP, it's likely my first stop. A.

I think a lot of us were there today. I had a craving on my way into the office so had an espresso and a 6-pack of churros a la dulce de leche. Fried dough .... good! I'm having a real chuckle at some of the comments here. I find we as a group have a tendency to over-analyze food. Comparison is great for conversation, but do churros need to taste the same as in Spain (or mainly on the plain) as they do over here (in the rain)? I have no frame of reference other than Disneyland , so remaining gleefully ignorant of Spanish churro-bliss, I stand by my original comments. Fried dough .... good! A.

How do you think Lee's lobster [CLICK] fealt? A.