Daddy-A

What if I bring out the Farnese after we've killed a couple bottles of Nota Bene? Is it okay then? Have I shown I CARED enough? You gotta go up Cambie Street to find the nicest kitchen place in the area Dammit Keith! I told you to never mention that incident again!! Ah! There we are! Back on topic. Now, let's all play nice kids. A.

Hey, those look familiar! Montreal bacon? I thought all their pork went into tortierre. I'm still waitin' on Sam's steaks. A.

You're not playing fair Sam!! Coffee (nice crema BTW) and meat before lunch! And Marlene counters with waffles??? Can't wait to see what happens to those steaks! I'm a meat newbie (went off it for 5 years ... then I met eGullet ) so I'm wondering if there's a reason for getting them so thick? 3"?? Yikes! A.

It's not just aur temperature, but relative humidity that comes into play as well. The night I smoked (also using Minion method) I used almost twice as much charcoal as I needed. I'll credit a little bit of that to the small amount of lump charcoal I used up, but the rest of it was due to the cold moisture in the air. This from Virtual Weber Bullet: The Brinkmann Charcoal Pan #10, part number 114-0002-0, can be ordered from Brinkmann at 800-468-5252. I'm gonna see if I can get one shipped to Canada ... nice mod to the Bullet. A.

Marlene has to get the nod in the range department! That stainless isn't really that tough to clean is it Marlene?? This is a tough one to pick. Sam, your Thanksgiving blog is my all-time favorite. But, I gotta side with Marlene here ... after all, there's nothing a Canadian likes better than watching an American lose ... cruel but true. So we're waving the Maple Leaf for you out here in BC Marlene. A.

I think this is fair discussion, as long as we put it in perspective ... that's all I was saying. Crab and atrechoke dip may be passé, but it's still damn tasty. I have no issue with a discussion of "ins" and "outs" ... my business thrives on it. "What's the latest trend in countertops?" My immediate reaction is "Why do you care? Put in what you like." But then I realize that some people DO care, and to chastise them for that is just as bad as the "crime" I accuse them of. I have a good chuckle when I pass the souvenir stalls at the ferry terminals in BC. You can pick up a "Salmon Cedar Plank" for $25!! The plank itself was probably given away from a shake & shingle mill. God bless the tourists!! BC - I love steak frites. It just seems that EVERYONE is doing it. Are there no other types of meat? Does nobody grill merguez anymore??A.

Isn't it nice that we're able to become bored with food so easily? This thread sounds too much like the country-club set getting bored with last years "Bimmer." Having said that ... as much as I love "steak frites" ... fer crissake people it's steak and fries not the frickin' second coming! Enough already! A.

OMG that menu looks fantastic! Five Spiced Duck Confit & Spinach Salad Tahini-Lime Vinaigrette Are you kidding me? I just may have to come visit my cousin in Kaslo this summer! Looking forward to your report. A.

Will you tell my wife that please?? She just doesn't get the BGE. A.

Another question re: the dome smokers/grills. How much meat can you fit in there? I had just under 20lbs of pork butt in the Bullet over the weekend, and 3 whole chickens (spatchcocked & 5lb each) for another smoking session. The BGE seems a little small for that much meat. I'm not putting down the BGE, just looking at the comparison. (No, I don't own Weber stock ) A.

But at what temperature does it achieve Maillard caramelization ? Every day I learn something new here. A.

700F???? I'm probably about to reveal my complete ignorance ... but when would you need to reach 700F? I don't need to melt iron or anything. That seams an amazingly high amount of heat especially when I just finished spending 18 hours trying to keep my bullet at 225F. A.

I have to agree with the Bullet for a novice user. The BGE is an amazing thing, but I think it's more about status. I have achieved remarkable results from the Bullet and have lots of money left in my wallet A. ps. The Virtual Weber Bullet site lcdm mentioned is awesome!

Thanks to Mooshmouse, who has graciously agreed to provide us with regular digests from media outlets in Vancouver. This thread will be for the digest posts only and not for discussion. If you want to discuss any of these articles, please look for an internal link to an existing eGullet discussion or start a new discussion in the Vancouver, BC and Western Canada forum. Anyone interested in providing the same Digest for other urban centres in the area (e.g. Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, etc.) please PM Daddy-A. A.

I guess I asked because it would be intersting to know in advance where you were going. I know that would destroy any chance of getting to review the place without their advance knowledge of your impending visit. Still, it would be interesting ... like when Jamie visited Bis Moreno with Michael Smith. This whole thing should be fascinating to experience. Andrew reviews the restaurants in the paper ... we review his reviews on-line. Any thought Andrew? A.

Any chance we can make this somewhat food related? Just wondering ... I want to know if he's going to try the "anonymous" schtick like Laba, and make reservations under pseudo-names, or go more the "larger-than-life" route a la Joanne Kates. A.

Not a stupid question AT ALL!!!!! Yes, they are open for lunch...be warned however...REALLY SLOW SERVICE:):) Really friendly though, which seems to make up for it! I finally managed to make it to Pocions for lunch today. I have a thing for borscht so I had a bowl along with a Reuben. $8.95 for the soup sandwich combo, which weemed a little steep, until the meal arrived at my table. A large (not huge) bowl of bright pink borscht (seems the sour cream was already added) and 3 halves of a Reuben. Way more than I could eat, so I'll be enjoying the sandwich this evening as I watch my son race BMX in Pitt Meadows. The soup was excellent. Very basic with nice chuncks of potato, cabbage and beet. Personally I like a little more beet, but this wasn't a distraction. I was more concerned about not being able to stir in my own sour cream but that's a childhood thing and best left for the shrink's couch. This was close to the best Reuben I've ever had. Why not the best? Not enough 'kraut and the bread wasn't rye-y enough. Missing caraway seeds perhaps? It did feature some yummy Russian dressing though which many places leave out. Sacrilige! I don't know if the service was slow ... I was the only one having lunch at the time. Everyone else was having coffee and talking about violins I'll go back when I'm not recovering from a weekend feast of pulled pork. A.

I had my first taste of "real" BBQ 2 years ago courtesy of Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuck. It's his fault. Pulled pork butt, slow cooked ... dear God! It's like crack cocaine to me. I'll admit, I'm adicted. The hallowed halls of eGullet have introduced me to other like-minded folk. Persuers of the pig. Trouble is, they're all south ... and I don't mean Blaine, WA. I realised the only way I was going to bea able to feed this adiction would be to go it on my own ... purchase a smoker, and bring true BBQ home. And so I did. I christened my BBQ like on eGullet during my blog, and have since used it with great success. The challenge I face, unlike those who partake in the southern climes, is the cold and the damp. So, when I decided to smoke 18lbs of pork butt for our annual "Victoria Day Luau", the relentless downpour forecast for the weekend did not bode well for my success. Not only was it going to be wet, I was attempting an 18 hour smoke - starting at 8pm on Saturday and finishing at 2pm on Sunday. This my account of those 18 hours. Here they are in all their porcine glory - 2 9lb. pork butts, trimmed and ready to go. Rubbed with mustard and "Bob's Championship Rub" courtesy of Rockin Ron's cookbook The "pit" - 8:00pm Pacific Time The weather had been pretty good all day Saturday. High overcast, about 12C (54F) and a slight wind. I had successfully smoked 3 chickens earlier that day. The temperature of the Bullet help steady at 225F for the entire 4 hours. The butts went in at 7:30pm ... I was impatient, and figured if they finished cooking earlier, it was better than later (guests were arriving just after 4pm on Sunday). Temperature held solid right up until midnight when I went to bed. I used cherry for this session. First check of the pit was at 2:30am. This is what I saw: Top level butt Bottom level butt By this time, the rain was falling heavier. The umbrella was not rain-suitable, so I had to make some modifications: Vancouver-style BBQ Pit Temperature was still rock solid, but with the rain falling harder I threw some more briquettes in preparation. Next temperature check was 5:30 ... when it all hit the fan! There was a storm a-brewin'! I don't know what the winds were blowing at, but they were howling, and driving rain right under the umbrella. I was too busy attempting to shield the smoker to take any pictures. The temperature had plumetted to about 130F and the tarp was now flapping around in the neighbours yard! I had to light another chimney of coals (inside as it was blowing to hard!) and fight like mad to get the temperature back up. Vancouver-style BBQ Pit with new Umbrella tarp & Wind-break. From 6:00am on the skies opened up and it rained as hard as I've ever seen in Vancouver (I was born and raised here). The temperature in the pit flirted with 200F but would never reach it. At about 11am, my sons & I decided to perform an emergency pit rescue. We lit up another chimney of charcoal. When it was fully burning, we removed the entire top section of the of the smoker(my favorite thing about the Bullet), emptied out the old charcoal and ash, and started with fresh coals. I have burns on my forearms (don't panic, they're minor) but the pit finally got up to 210F! The butts were taken out of the pit around 2:30 (thank goodness I started them early) with an internal temperature of just over 200F. They were left to rest for about 40 minutes as we made other preparations for the party. Then, the shredding began! Success! The end results were very satisfactory. Tender, juicy, and just the right amount of smoke. Would I do the 18 hour session again? Definitley ... but in August! The results are excellent, but smoking in the rain completely SUCKS! Finally, thanks to my pit crew: "Meat-Mad" Matt & "Rockin'" Ryan. A.

Great, now we know where to find him if we don't agree with what he wrote! Congrats Andrew. Well deserved. A.

hmmm... could this be a new business venture for me? I can load up my jeep with bags of charcoal (and cookbooks ) and drive to BC and sell them on the roadside??? Then fill the Jeep with cherries and sell them on the roadside all the way home..... this could be good people. You hook me up with charcoal, I'll hook you up with Okanagan fruit. A.

COOL and WET?? Are you serious?? It was the start of the SECOND FLOOD! Maybe I'm just a little sensitive as I was up twice Sunday morning/night tending the smoker. At 2:30 it was raining so hard I was afraid I was going to end up with pork stew! This morning we're drinking coffee, eating brownies and watching the Victoria Day Parade (in Victoria, BC) on the tube. chromdome - know what you mean about the charcoal. Anytime I find it I stockpile. It's becoming quite the rare commodity. A.

Check out this link [CLICK]. A simple search on "Aurora" will turn up a page or so of threads. Be sure to post back in this thread wherever you end up going! A.

emphasis addedI'm glad it wasn't per se you reviewed, as the title implied you were discussing Nu. I didn't get the impression that it was a review anyway ... a sneak preview perhaps ... an attempt to generate hype (a la Chambar) perhaps ... but not a review. Kinda hard to review a room sans drywall. A.

Sure, now that you know we're not axe-murderers! I'd still like to know what kind of fish it was. I'm a little suspiscious when a menu just says "fish". Blame it on my Pacific upbringing A.

canucklehead, you look more like a member of the No-Work Party to me. I agree with peppyre, and having been to the rodeo on numerous occaisions in a previous life (i.e. marriage) I can tell you that the food is exactly like the PNE. I actually overheard in the beer garden someone complaining to their partner that they didn't serve beers like Shaftsbury, to which their partner replied "What do you want one of them faggy beers for anyway?" The only reason I can think why we went was so my ex could oggle the cowboys. I know, get over it A.