Daddy-A

You like to watch A.

It's the Norwegian part that remains the big draw. But seriously Arne, I mean it (not the Norwegian thing). Believe me Andrew, I'm very serious about being Norwegian And I'm aware of the marketing opportunities sites like eG present. Remember, we were all here during the whole Chambar & Go Fish! frenzies. Hell, I'll even take credit for some of the Go Fish frenzie. If you've never read The OPENING SOON thread, it's a great example of what you're talking about. Speaking of which ... we haven't heard from Alex at CHI lately. I hope their opening weekend went well. Anybody have a chance to drop by? May have to try them out next weekend. Valentine's Day should be a good night to judge a new restaurants performance right?? A.

Boy, I sure wish restaurants would offer free martinis to bald Norwegian kitchen designers! That would be really great. I think I'd spend a lot of money at a place that treated bald Norwegian kitchen designers like that! A.

Oh Jeeeeeeezuz! I know there's been a lot of tongue-in-cheek going on here, but seriously. Are we that arrogant that we have to insult people who like things that are "beneath" us? Say "No thanks" to the host and leave it at that. A.

Brilliant!! And I thought we were going to go through 2010 without a scandal! A.

'Cuz it would make for really short threads. A.

I was wondering if you were going to comment Boris! I remember you making the same comment about Gruyere when you blogged. As much as I like Italian cheeses, apart from Parmigiano-Reggiano, all my faves are French, English (recent Neil's Yard convert) or locally made artisan cheeses. A.

Considering this was from a news story, my guess is that the numbers are a little "inflated" (intentionaly or not) as it makes for a better story. James's research seems to back that up. A.

You mean it wasn't Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Lead Pipe?? I'm wondering (sorry if this has been answered), was the $200 000 value of the wine based on the Bearfoot Bistro wine list, or actual market value? Considering the previous thread on Bearfoot's wine markups, this could be a pretty significant difference! A.

Good morning! Anybody get any sleep last night?? A couple of points here ... Keep the comments fair, and about the topic at hand. Personal attacks are out-of-bounds and will be removed from the thread. As I have said in numerous posts, remember there are real people attached to each post. Don't post something you wouldn't say to that person face to face. Please be careful when quoting a previous post. i.e. We don't want to have posts with 5 copies of Sean's very long thread embedded therein. Quote what's relevant ... edit out the rest. FYI, WE ARE BEING WATCHED. This is new territory for eGullet. Let's set a good example. A.

My family is "split" ... my kids live with me every other weekend and one month during the summer. When the kids are with my wife & I, all meals are at the dining room table. I believe it's important to share at least one meal together a day. Ideas are exchange, vacations planned, jokes shared. When the kids are at their mother's house, my wife & I almost always eat in front of the TV. Our meals during the week tend to be of the "informal" variety. The dining room table becomes the craft/sewing/newspaper table. A.

Lucky! My most delicious thing today would be my first taste of Vacherin Mont d'Or. ← I dunno Ling ... Vacherin Mont d'Or is pretty fantastic in my books. Yesterday: Spicy grilled ling ( sorry, just noticed that!) cod (cod from Longliner on Granville Island, Vancouver) Today: So far, onion confit on two perfectly poached eggs A.

Karri, Welcome to eGullet, and thanks for the reply! This is after all a 2-way street so fair's fair, right? I'd encourage you & Nico to add your thoughts to the DOV Industry View Thread (CLICKETY). A.

This has to be the coolest thing I have learned on eGullet. Never again will I rub my waribashi together! A.

Just heard from Neil today, that Brian & Kathy are back home as of today. Thought you'd all like to know. A.

Okay Tricia, where haven't you almost broken your foot?? I'm a Burnaby boy, so The Mountain Shadows was always a fave. We also used to go to Delaney's on Kingsway before it became the local biker hangout. Today? I'm with Coop. Although I could be convinced to return to the Heather. A.

That's funny Coop! I was thinking about you and your pizza thread (where you ended up at Earl's) when I was ordering. Need to listen to my inner Coop. A.

Appreciator ... you're right. It does belong in the other thread. In fact, Edible Vancouver's post is the only one out of the last several even remotely on topic. We really need to get this thread back on topic, or it will have to be shut down. Don't misunderstand me. The discussion here is really good. But it doesn't belong in this thread. Feel free to continue the discussion in what has become the generic DOV thread here: DOV - What can we do to improve it? A.

ANYWAY .... We really need to get this thread back on topic, or it will have to be shut down. Don't misunderstand me. The discussion here is really good. But it doesn't belong in this thread, or this forum for that matter. Perhaps someone could start this up again over in General Food Topics and we can let the rest of the world weigh in as well. Now ... Over rated - After all the discussion Jamie brought up about CFD establishments, I'd say that while successful, Earl's is a place I just don't get. Had lunch there Tuesday. New menus. Nice looking room. The Kung Pow Chicken was still noodles and veggies swimming in sauce. Had a better meal for less money at the Korean BBQ on Wednesday. Under rated - Tropica on Cambie. I know Banana Leaf is the gold standard around here for Malaysian, but I've enjoyed my meals (admittedly there have been a lot) at Tropika every bit as much ... often more. Tropica has a bigger room too. A.

Ummm ... Lee? Did nobody tell you you're not allowed dining friends outside of eGullet? Just make sure you post about your meal. The Ordinary has been on my list for about a year now. A.

Dave ... the T&T is at Renfrew & 1st in the crappiest little mall I have ever seen. Only reason to go there is the T&T. The Place across from Oyama in Granville Island is The Salmon Shop. Longliner is on your Left as you enter the market on the SW corner. That's where I shop ... but I'm biased since I put myself through university working there. The Moorehead family was one of the original shops in the market, and do a great job with the basics ... like salmon for example. Jim was a halibut fisherman for years and still maintains connections in the industry. He's often able to get fresh when nobody else can. A.

There was an item on the CKWX News (1130 on the AM dial) at around 3:30pm today (Wed. Feb 2) about DOV, and the problems some restaurants were having with customers ... phantom reservations, poor tipping, hot water & lemon. Sounds like they lifted the story from a certain web site. A.

You can do a search to find the old posts on DOV ... and yes, the experiences were pretty much the same. High expectations. People disappointed. People thrilled. Kinda like life. One major difference stood out between this year's posts and last year's posts. This year there are a LOT more industry people posting. Neil, Sean, Andrew, Winegeek and many others have given us an insight into the "biz" as well as DOV that we mere mortals may not otherwise have seen. I, for one, am grateful. eGullet make it so easy for us to spout off without even thinking of the consequences. If we rant to a friend, they can agree or disagree, but essentially nobody is affected. If we rant here we often forget that hundreds, even thousands of people can read ... and agree or disagree ... and post a reply. Remember, there are real people, businesses and careers attached to those avatars. I am not saying that we should not post when we were disappointed with a meal, or the service sucked, or the wine list was overpriced. Those opinions are as important as those that praise an establishment. Neil put it best when he said that differing opinions are what make the threads interesting ... that things would be pretty boring if we all agreed. What I am saying is there is a responsibility on both sides to both read and understand what these posts mean. Simply posting that a meal sucked is IMO irresponsible. Telling us why gives us feedback and is something that both consumers and industry can use. Conversely, industry types saying DOV customers suck without an explanation is equally as irresponsible. The majority of posts I have read during DOV have been excellent. Insightful? Yes. Honest? Yes. Brutal? Perhaps. Unfair? Sometimes. I think its important to read the post with a few things in mind. First, I don't think most diners discuss their meals ad nauseum the way eGullters do. Second, sarcasm and other subtle forms of humour do not translate well on-line ... smilies or no smilies. Finally, remember which opinion really matters. I mean, how well do we know each other? I would hope that we take every post with a grain of salt and remember it's just another opinion. I am really glad we have added "DOV Experience" as a description to each of the restaurant threads during this event. It identifies these experiences were not the norm. But they have been a learning experience, I believe for both sides of the equation. I for one have learned not to order hot water and lemon, and not to be surprised if I am "encouraged" to vacate my table after 2 hours. I think industry people have learned (or already knew) that not all diners are potential 107's. Group hug? A.

It's true! Once you've eaten it, your life becomes a junkie's nightmare, dreaming of the blissful dish, trying to get all your friends hooked so you'll have more opportunities to go, compulsively planning your next fix... I'm gonna regret posting this ... This Gingerbread addiction has to be a chick thing. Don't get me wrong ... it's awesome. One of the best desserts I've ever enjoyed. But an addiction? Not for me at least. Get a grip girls A.

It was in Sam Salmon's now infamous "Japanese vs. Japanese" thread. The discussion about Zakkushi begins HERE. A.