Daddy-A

Cranberry Almond Crunch Vector ... so I can scale Everest this weekend Kelllog's Raisin Bran Corn Pops ... only when camping, and then only in those little Kel-bowl-packs. A.

If I didn't tell you, then who??? Glad I could help. A.

I believe the changeover day is Wednesday (i.e. the new Kolachy o' the week starts on Wednesday). Deborah ... good call on the soup! Had it yesterday ... excellent hit of cellantro and nice sweet bits of corn. I don't need to mention it had black beans do I?? A.

Brilliant ... absolutely brilliant. Make sure you get prints of those for your before and after album. Then, after the dust is all settled, you can look back at what was, and giggle yourself into a coma! When does the kaos begin Dean? A.

They serve rabbit?? A.

See? This is why I love you guys ... and probably why I've gained 5 pounds since starting to read this site! Butter on fresh-out-of-the-oven white bread, with peanut butter (Adam's of course!) on top ... just kill me now A.

I can vouch for him too! He had clipboard in hand at lunch. I now know more about the menus at both places than I need to! A.

Is it a big enough "problem" that you need something besides a friendly reminder at the time the reservation is taken, and when the party is seated? I'd pay to see ejector seats!! A.

Chef, do you want a Kolachy today or don't you!! No kidding Deborah! You give & give, and then it gets thrown in your face ... A.

Of course it's all show. The competition is the raison d'etre, but IC has always been about the "show" and "flash". It's like WWE for foodies. We all know the "secret" incredient isn't so much a secret (Tsai:Like wow! I'm so lucky I brought my compressor today!), and there is suspicion the outcomes are pre-determined (how boring would it be if the IC won all the battles? or vice versa?) ... and yet we still tune in to watch every week, and still discuss it over and over and over. That equates a successful show in my books. I still say it's nowhere near as good as the original, but last night's was a far cry better than the others. A.

And I am quite thankful he was. Proving that his last appearance wasn't a fluke, he was again quite eloquent about what he was eating, how the flavors worked, and what the texture was like. Okay, but if we're going to bust Steingarten's chops for how he holds his fork, we have to say the same for Ted Allen. Was that some kind of queer-chic backwards fork technique he was using? When I saw that Tsai was the challenger, I said to my wife "Flay will lose tonight." My reasoning? Tsai is a FN chef. Keep it all in the family, right? Seriously though I enjoyed last night's episode best of all the ICA's so far. Flay behaved more or less ... although he has to come up with new sauce combinations! Same thing every time! Tsai was very relaxed in front of the camera (stands to reason) and the food looked interesting and creative, not what I was expecting from "duck". A.

Having done both Le Gavroche and Bistro Pastis recently, I'd have to give the nod to Pastis. In fairness our meal at Le Gavroche was during DOV which we have all discovered is not really a level playing field. But the food at Pastis is more ... I dunno ... relaxing(?) I just felt more at home. And dammit, the cassoulet was pretty amazing which didn't hurt. A.

Taking the diners' side of this question, let me answer some of Neil's points ... That's not unheard of in my experience. Often times I'll book a reservation outside of a normal seating time and I'll be informed the restaurant needs that table for another reservation by a specific time. I can either accept that, or make a different reservation. As long as Visa stays on board this is a slam dunk IMO. Manuel was talking about this at Le Gavroche last night and seemed to indicate it was a done deal for next year. I'd have no problem if this were standard policy even after DOV. Don't a lot of places sort of do this already by extending the DOV menus past a given date? I don't have a problem with M-F only, but I know many who would. Not all of us can get out mid-week. My addition to this list would be for the restaurants to use their standard menu for DOV. Scale it back a bit to compensate for the reduced price , but offer what it is you do, not just something that will get you by. If you're trying to sell yourself to me, I should be able to sample what you offer day in day out. This would also keep thing simpler for the kitchen and FOH as there would be nothing new to learn ... business as usual. A.

Was that how you asked for it, or is that just poetic licence? The only time Brix ever did it for me was an office Christmas party I went to with J, just after we had started dating. I don't really remember the food, but I do remember the 20 year old port, and my beautiful date A.

Saturday night's dinner at Le Gavroche felt somewhat like a pilgrimage for me. You see, I've never eaten there. Not before the fire, not since. It was akin to living in Paris, but never having been to the Tour d'Eiffel. Admittedly, Le Gavroche hadn't even been on my dining radar until I found this place, so I haven't beat myself up too much over this indiscretion. We arrived about 10 minutes early for our 8:30 seating but they were able to seat us right away. The restaurant was only about 2/3 full which struck me as odd for a Saturday night during DOV, but by 9:30 every seat on our floor was full. It was really the menu they put together that made me choose le Gavroche, the Osso Bucco in particular. In addition to the $35 DOV menu , there was also a $60 DOV menu which offered an extra course as well as two extra dessert choices. Both could be “upgraded” to include the VQA wine pairings for $60 & $85 respectively. We chose the first DOV menu with the pairings. FYI – the regular menu was also available. We’re going to go back to try their $160 5 course meal for two which includes wine pairings! I started with the Wild Boar Terrine with Onion Marmalade … very tasty. The fattiness from the boar worked really nicely with the onion marmalade (I would have called it confit myself) and the wine selection, a 2001 Nichol’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, was an excellent match. Who knew that the pistachios in the terrine would have worked so will with the Pinot Noir? J started with the Fresh Scallops with Tomato confit and truffle vinaigrette. The scallops were perfectly cooked but I can’t tell you what the confit was like. She didn’t share … I think that says it all. The 2003 Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris was another great pairing. Mains were the Braised Venison Osso Bucco with Port Orange Sauce. Have you ever seen two grown people wanting to pick up the venison bone from their plate to suck out the marrow? Such restraint! The venison was tender to the point of falling apart before you even pushed the knife into it. The sauce? Well, thank goodness for bread is all I can say! I thought I caught a hint of fennel in the sauce as well, but never asked. The pairing was sublime … a 2001 Tinhorn Creek Cab Franc. Earthy, almost liquorice with that dark fruity finish that worked so well with the orange in the sauce while still letting the flavour of the venison come through. This wine will definitely find a home in our cellar. I was a DOV pain-in-the-ass for dessert. In addition to the Crème Brulé, there was also a Lemon Tart. But on the $60 menu, they offered a Stilton-stuffed Poached Pear with Stilton ice Cream. “Can I have the Pear instead?” I asked, secretly wondering what names there would be calling me back in the kitchen. I offered to pay for the Pear separately and take the lemon tart home with me if that would be easier. Our server was agreeable to this … but when the bill came I was only charged for one dessert! I should have had the tart. J makes an amazing poached pear, and the dessert I had last night was a pale comparison, even with the Stilton. It was good, just not as good as I’ve had. It was paired with a Taylor-Fladgate 10 Year Port. J had the Lemon Tart … delicious! Smooth, tart and creamy. But OMG! The dessert wine that came with … Tinhorn Creek Kerner Late Harvest … amazing! Like drinking a fresh picked apple. Our evening didn’t end here … and this gives me a chance to address service. I have to say that the service started out a bit … indifferent. Our server didn’t offer much in the way of information about the menus … no suggestions were made. There was definitely an air of “I’m so tired of these DOV people.” That may have been my own perception. J didn’t pick it up as soon as I did, but then, just before our appetizers arrived, a couple was seated behind us. They were obviously regulars because EVERY server came by to see them. Subsequently, we seemed to disappear for a while. Our invisibility only lasted for a bit, but it was enough to taint the evening. Our server opened up a bit as the evening progressed. In fairness we were relaxed a bit more as well. But then … Sometime the best situations arise from unfortunate circumstances. Our server came over and told us that the owner wanted to buy us a cognac if we would mind moving to the bar. It seemed that Le Gavroche had over-booked for the evening, and a young couple (I could have sworn it was Lorna & Albert!!) were patiently waiting for their table. We obliged. After all, they had indulged my dessert request. At the bar we met Manuel … and the whole evening turned around. Peppyre (and others) have told me what a gracious host he is, and now I know why. While Manuel was working the bar (the restaurant was hopping by now) he was chatting with us about our meal, DOV, how we found out about Le Gavroche, and eventually where he purchased the lamps for the dining room. Even our server was paying more attention to us. We lingered over drinks for about an hour and left happy. On a side note … Manuel told us that he had 25 DOV no-shows on Friday night! A.

The free Couvoisier we had at Le Gavroche this evening. Doesn't everything taste better when it's free? A.

Something tells me steve's tongue is planted firmly in his cheek on this one. Either that or he knows something we have ALL missed. A.

I find it intersting how we can think a judge was right or wrong about the food when we ourselves haven't tasted a thing! Your point about the last seat on the judging panel is bang on. Anbody remember when the fortune teller said to one of the Iron Chefs (Sakai if memory serves me ...) "The first bite was horrible. The second was even worse!"? Classic! What I don't understand is why we can't carry that theory over to the other "bimbo" judges. There there for entertainment factor, not food knowledge. Steingarten provides that. I had no problem with the guy from the Sopranos when he was on. Certainly no different than when the original IC had a sumo wrestler or some baseball player, or even Korn (not the band, some Japanese rock star). How many times was there some giggling 20 year old sating "this tastes happy!! teehee teehee teehee"? How long before Brittney is on the show? Soon I hope! "Oops, I bit it again!" A.

In a fine dining setting, I'd opt for a quality bottled water, like San Pellegrino. ← I agree completely ... especially having been to Costco tonight and knowing what I can pay for a case of 12 750ml bottles!! A.

That's just an ounce of gin away from a Negroni! What? Americans don't like gin? Best thing today? Omlette made with some herb-butter I made over the weekend. A couple shaves of parm and a Perrier and that was lunch! Could have used a Negroni though .... A.

[austin powers] Oh Andrew ... behave!!![/austin powers] A.

Andrew ... the hockey reference ... my head is spinning! It's like a glass of wine after 4 months of abstinance (not that I know about that personally ). Just curious ... how old were they? Are we talking West Vancouver silver-hairs? A.

Dean, I wasn't suggesting you do the whole thing ... just a few square feet of drywall is enough to let go of a few frustrations. For a laugh, take a sledge hammer and clear the drywall off of one wall. Then go to your contractor and ask him how much a discount he's going to give you for all the work you've done. Trust me they love that kind of humour!!! A,

Today was my turn to shout for lunch with Justin, the owner of the company I contract with. I had been meaning to take Justin to the HSG for a while now, and with DOV running it was an easy choice. Choices were as follows: Justin: Caesar Salad Angus Beef Burger Melody of Crème Brule Me: West Coast Winter Salmon Chowder Angus Beef Burger Melody of Crème Brule Justin doesn't share so I can't comment on the salad except that Justin said it was "really good." The chowder on the other hand was wonderful. I am a big fan of Neil's soups, and I hope this one finds its way onto the menu permanently. Seafood soups often over-cook fish like salmon, even if its added later. Not here. The only negative ... just no nobody can accuse me of shilling ... was that I would have liked it a little less salty. The burger! Oh jeez. I feel like taking a nap right now. Angus beef (cooked properly ) piled high with gilled onions and Monterey Jack (right?) cheese. We opted for Yam fries. I am NOT a burger fiend ... I eat beef sparingly ... but I could have eaten two of these. Where do you get the buns Neil? I know what you're thinking. "No Gingerbread, Arne? Are you mad??" No, not mad, just full. I didn't even think I was going to have room for the Crème Brule, but somehow managed. The Belgian Chocolate whomped ass over the Tahitian Vanilla. Both were good, but the Vanilla was just good. The Chocolate was rich and not too sweet which Crème Brule can often be. Washed down with a glass of Mission Hill 5 Vineyrads Merlot. Service was terrific as always. Neil was too busy to come out and make me look important in front of Justin (ingrate!! ). Justin was suitably impressed just the same and said he'd be returning. Will I go back? ... ummm ... well ... I'm sure there's a bowl of soup there in my future. Thanks again Neil!

Be sure to tell us how excited you are when you're 4 weeks into the project and drywall dust is in every corner of your house! Spoke to my electrician this afternoon re: electronic vs. magnetic dimmers. Essentially what he said was that they both work well, with a slight nod going to the more expensive electronic dimmers (electronic are slimmer too - i.e. easier to wire). You just have to be sure you have the correct dimmer paired with the transformer you are using for the LV (i.e. electronic transformer = electronic dimmer / Magnetic transformer = magnetic dimmer.) The electronic dimmers are also limitted to 150W (IIRC) so if you're using 50W MR16's you'll need choose between: using two 150W electronic transformers running two lights each one 250W magentic transformer running all four (always oversize your transformer by about 10-20% over load) chnage to 35W MR16's and do whatever you want. Personally I'd go with b) since 1 transformer is easier to wire than 2. You'll also want to stay with the 50W MR16's since you can always dim them if they're too bright, but you can't make 35W bulbs brighter than they are. Discuss with your electrician as he'll need to know what to wire for. Wiring is much more expensive once the walls are closed in. A. ps. Come on yah Nancy-boy! Grab a sledge hammer and knock down a wall or too.