Daddy-A

Costco no longer sells the Hebrew National dogs The whole BSE thing just messed up cross-border meat transport. However, they still have one of the best $2 dinners you'll ever have. A.

That looks great Dean! The first thing I noticed is how clean & tidy the job site is. I realize you've had the floor level, so most of the dust & wire clippings will have been swept up already, but it still looks great. A good sign in my estimation. One small thing ... the pot lights on either side of the sink window look like they might be a little close to the wall. The cabinets are 12" deep and those lights look about 18" away from the wall. They'll end up casting "scallops" on the face of the wall cabinets. How about a single light over the sink? PM me you need clarification. A.

I'm glad you chimed in here. I have Forbo Marmoleum as well. Love it! I get to put in all sorts of floors in my clients homes, so I've seen it all. I love hardwood, but in the kitchen linoleum gets my nod. Countertops ... I'm leaning more and more towards quartz. Whether it's Silestone, Caesarstone ... both the same thing, made the same way out of the same stuff ... quartz offers the most "natural" look with the fewest "worries." I have Corian in my own kitchen, and really love it ... but it works in this particular kitchen. Other styles might not look that great with Corian. I think the danger with countertops is that we're all looking for the perfect work surface. It doesn't exist. They all have their faults. Pick one and learn to accept the shortcomings. In the end, they're all great choices. A.

Here's the link for the TO thread (CLUNK) From that thread: A.

Grilled Spring Salmon (rare!) served on a bed of baby greens tossed with a light dijon vinaigrette. As good as that was, it was made even better by eating al fresco by the marina at Granville Island. Is it spring yet?? A.

Vancouver, BC reporting 1. Like Marlene, one fried, one regular. 2. Plain rice on the plate, then everything else on the side, but within "mixing distance. 3. Chopsticks. 4. Gotta eat it all ... why would you order it if you weren't going to eat it? 5. See #8 6. Always Dinner For 2 - B 7. We always order from The Pepper House in Burnaby. (Locals can PM me for the number if desired). It's a little hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall, that has the obligatory formica/chrome tables for the one person a year who eats in the restaurant. 8. No really bad experiences ... sometimes things are a little late. The woman who answers the phone at The Pepper House always asks me if I want to add "Pepper Rings" to the order. For 3 years she asked, so I finally gave in. When they arrived, it turned out I had misunderstood her thick Chinese accent ... they weren't "Rings", but "Wings." A.

Not a restuarant, but J & I honeymooned at Point No Point Resort. We go back as often as we can (afford). A.

I arrived at the doorstep of the new JJ Bean only to find the door locked. Hell, it was 9:00 ...wtf? Somebody opens up ... turns out the soft openings aren't until 10am, but what the hell, you're here, so come on in and let me make you a drink. Let me first say this ... the new JJ Bean gets my vote for "Coolest New Room" in Vancouver. WOW! Black slate floors, quarter-sawn white oak panelling, light lime green mosaic tiling ... and a frickin' 3-sided zero-clearance fireplace in the middle of the room! The chairs are really comfortable, and in the bank there's a raised leather banquette that would seat about 4 or 5. From there you can sit and sip coffee, and laugh at the poor dopes across the street at *$'s! They're using their Nero Forte roast for their shots now. Not that I'm bragging or anything but J & I have been using this roast for our espresso for years! Really creamy without some of the bitterness they were getting from the Palimino (aka Espresso JJ). I'll have to go back for a true espresso taste test tomorrow. I needed a latte this morning ... no food in the house VERY glad to have this in my work neighbourhood. A.

Congratulations! You now know what it feels like to be Canadian! A.

Daddy-A (aka Syncro-Boy) sits at the keyboard, slowly wringing his hands. A dilemna has presented itself: to have the "Horse-meat in Vancouver" thread moved to a more appropriate location in Adventures in Eating, or to simply let things be, and watch this humourous excercise in human-animal relations play itself out. Taking a bite of his Secritariat Sashimi, he decides to continue reading ...

I'd pay good money to watch these two battle it out. Does this mean I'm off the hook for the PNE? Back on topic ... Today: Go Fish! for lunch. Ran into Mr. & Mrs. Vancouver ... this group is getting spooky! Yesterday: Dolce Amore in Port Moody for Panini Tuesday: HSG with the usual suspects for lamb/yam. What y'all didn't know was that I really only ordered a bowl of soup ... Eric thought I wanted the soup as a side to the lamb-burger. Neil, are you instructing your staff to upsell in new and creative ways? A.

I dunno ... have you been in the Granville Island Public Market lately? Have you been stuck behind the line-up of tour buses as they turn at the GI Brewery? Have you tried to "nip" into the Market for a bit on confit from Oyama on a Saturday afternoon and ended up taking an hour? Face it, the Market, and the rest of the Island for that matter, has been handed over to the tourists and the vendors are making money hand over fist. Nothing's going to be fixed because nothing's broken as far as they're concerned. I agree the parking's a bitch ... that's why I usually leave it to the tourists. I'll park off Island and walk in unless I can get there first thing in the AM. If you want to get things from the Market, get there early. Most places will put aside something for you if you call the order in. But like Sam said, there are many, better options off Island. A.

Maybe let him know you have a Canadian on the job site. Electrical inspectors love entertainment ... or the occaisional $50 slipped under the table A.

In response to Jeffy Boy's thread on the Southern 'Burbs (CLICKABLE) I thought I'd throw the same question out for those of us North of the Fraser ... fewer bridges and all that What are your favourite eating spots north of the Fraser? Looking for favourite overall (a la fine dining), as well as tips on unique gems that might otherwise go undiscovered. I'm most familiar myself with Burnaby & Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody). Let's get The Pear Tree out of the way right now. Truly in a class all its own IMO. Today I enjoyed a nice panini at Casa Dolce, in the Newport area of Port Moody (NE corner of Ioco Rd. & Gilmore). Cute little Whistler-like area. Great seafood shop called Inlet (full disclosure - I just discovered today it's owned by an old friend of mine, Malcolm "Magic" McMillan) and even a Martini Bar (need to explore further ). Casa Dolce has a full-fledge bakery just across the street that sells an amazing assortment of Italian breads & pastries, along with other deli-type items. Lunch today was the Veggie Panini & and an Americano (Illy) ... about $8. I'll be back for the home made gelato ... looked really good. A.

That was truly awesome! I suddenly have a craving for a black cherry cola I'll be looking you guys up next time I'm in Montreal ... A.

Most of my faves are already listed. Add to them Josephine's at 11th for Phillipino cuisine. Another place I've had limitted success with is Slickety Jim's (2300 Block, West side). I really want to like this place, but the food is pretty hit and miss. A very "Main Street - Low Rent" kinda feel that has it's appeal. But ultimately its about the food. Breakfast is your safest bet. My favorite breakfast place is still Helen's Grill (Main & 25th - SE corner). The diner that time forgot. Cheap breakfasts, and little juke-boxes in each booth! 2nd place goes to Berts (@12th - East side). Breakfast is just as good, but no juke-boxes. BTW ... checked out the new tenants in the old Big C Grill location. It's called Clews Breakfast Grill. Disappointing. The guy who owned Big C used to do his own corned beef for c-b hash. Clews most adventurous brekkie is steak & eggs. Everything else is pretty standard. Average coffee. Nice remodel though A.

Not this Norwegian! I drove by it this morning but was too busy to stop! Guess where I'll be tomorrow morning! A.

Where is/was Paul's located? It's not ringing any bells..... Sorry ... brain fart It was Pluto's I was thinking of. 1106 Cook Street, in a converted gas station. We also go to John's Place when we stay downtown. A.

I resist the temptation to wave the flag for my home town, Vancouver ... While I've only ever been twice, I find Portland to be a terrific walking city. We usually stay in The Pearl district and then either walk or take the trolley downtown. The Park Blocks are pretty great too ... especially the end that has the Farmer's Market (North?). We're going back in July and I'm already looking forward to the ribs at Lowe's! A.

Yep, that's the one. Cool little area ... any place decent to eat along that stretch? I think there's a wine store in there as well. We're going over Easter weekend. Will have to investigate. A.

My wife grew up in Victoria ... has a soft spot for Paul's for breakfast. There's also a coffee place in the Cook Street Village ... Mocha something? There's one in Ganges as well ... anyway it's good coffe and a kinda wicken/hippey/blue-haired feel you only get on the Island. We sit there and play "Spot-The-VW-Magicbus" all afternoon! A.

Thanks fifi! Best laugh I've had in a while! A.

Yes, Feenie's is definitely on the list. I believe our next outing will be at Vera's Burger Shack. Stay tuned .... A.

Last night, the latest meeting of the Vancouver Burger Club took place at the Red Onion (2028 41st Avenue West, Vancouver, BC (604) 263-0833). In attendance, Vancouver Lee, HKDave, *Deborah*, Ling, dUbVader, hayasaka.k, her spouse & Daddy-A. Meeting was convened at 7:00PM, appropriate eGullet information was shared and Burger Club rules and future events were discussed Vancouver Lee will post the minutes later today Most of us were worried about what Chris Rock was going to say during the Oscars! The fries: Good fries IMO. Crispy but soft inside. Maybe a bit too much bitter after taste ... but then again, we were there for the burgers: Our server, who comped us the fries because of a toppings snafu from the kitchen. I guess they were too concerend about Chris Rock as well My burger, and the one with the mixed up toppings. I got mushrooms when I asked for onions. Rather than sending it back, I took one for the team! This is what happens to a Red Onion burger once *Deborah* gets hold of it! Some found the bun too toasted so that it fell apart as seen above. My take on the red onion burger? First, the patty is over-cooked. In their defense it's always been over-cooked IMO, and with the whole ecoli scarey-stuff happening, I've just come to accept that. Yet I've had burgers elsewhere that weren't as dry as here. Second, the entire burger seems like a gathering of parts, and never a "Burger." What I mean, is that each condiment works on its own, and never joins the party ... case in point is the cheese, which comes shredded and is added at the end, so it's cold and only slightly melted. Most of my cheese ended up in the bottom of the basket. I know HKDave shares my opinions on the onions, so I'll leave that discussion to him. Finally, the bun. Toasted, with some kind of seed-like dusting on top. Nothing great, nothing horrible. I didn't mind that mine fell apart like *Deborah*'s. The club members in action. A.

Am I the only one more than just a little freaked out about seeing a 1000W+ microwave oven installed over a sink? Sorry snowangel, but the designer in me is seeing a disaster waiting to happen ... potentially fatal. My favorite, and simplest accessorie. Dollar for dollar the "spice stairs" do more for a kitchen than any other accessorie. A.