Daddy-A

I would think C, Raincity & West were not mentioned because of your budget. Having said that, a couple fo those places do offer early dining options: West does early prix fixe menu for $29, but you have to be there before 6:00. Raincity Grill offers The Real Meal Deal for $22, but again, that's between 5pm & 6pm. Not sure about C ... Decisions, decisions, decisions ... A.

J bought my Wustof's at Cook Works ... but they were having a pre-Christmas sale. Otherwise I'm sure they're pretty pricey. Yes, Ming Wo is having a sale now ... some Wustof's were on sale. A. edited: due to my propensity to double letters.

I just noticed this on my way home tonight. Chef Fowke? Are you reading this?? No it ain't great, but this ain't Louisiana. A.

I can't comment directly on the Liebherr ... but I have several clients who have them and they're all satisfied. They've all been installed within the last 5 years and I haven't heard anything remarkable about service issues. Dacor ... I have the RSD30 (Preference dual fuel slide-in range). No complaints at all. I love the convection oven. The big benefit of the Epicure line is the 13,000 BTU Infrared Ceramic Gas Broiler! That truly is my only regret as the Preference ranges don't have the gas broiler. I'd check with the building codes, by if you want to use the PCOR30 over a gas range, you'll probably have to raise it so there's at least 24" of clearance above the grills. This puts the bottom of the microwave at 60" above the floor, which IMO is too high to be useful. Add to that the safety issue of reaching over a flame to get your microwaved popcorn, the likelihood that the warranty on the microwaves touch controls will be voided since it's being installed above a gas range (gas exhaust corrodes electronics) and the fact that any microwave/hood combination does a lousy job of ventilation ... I'd reconsider this appliance Buy a proper hood, and find a new home for the microwave. A.

Could it be we have another voice from the prairies?? Welcome Gobstopper! Looking forward to more posts from Cow-town. A.

Dad? Dad? Is that you? Couldn't agree more James ... same thing as in my biz. And I know if I complain about being busy, all the business will dry up and never return! A.

Yes, that's the kolachy of the week ... pot roast. But Keith is ADDING the pesto one to the regular menu. HKDave ... PM me ... we'll work something out A.

Aha! I beat you to this one Arne! Was in at 11:30 a.m. picking up some kolachies for the Mouse House and also got the goods from Keith. The new kolachy should be available tomorrow and will definitely be worth waiting in line for! Out of respect to Keith and Jason, I won't tattle... you'll just have to head down and find out for yourselves. Well, since they're closed now I can tell you it's got something to do with pesto & goat cheese! What Keith & Jason will respect is a big-ass line-up out the door! We must have missed you by about 10 minutes Joie ... Arne

Shelora, Ask, and ye shal receive: Clickety clickety. A.

BBQ? Would that make it a hibachi kolachy? Jeff, I think that bruise on your forehead may be indicative of more severe dammage inside! Stay tuned for the new kolachy 'o the week! I have the inside, and it's gonna be a good'un. One that nobody's even mentioned ... A.

Welcome to the forum Ducky! Your appreciation of Kim Phung has already won you friends Sushi King is where? A.

... and now, the on-line friends of a wine geek. A.

This is fun! I love spending other people's money! Even though I know there's a difference in the Canadian and US dollar, those prices still make me shake my head. The waste disposal for example ... my wholesale cost on the ISE ProSS (3/4 HP, SS lined) is $200! Oh for a larger market! A.

I thought that bruise was from passing out after eating fish testicles! A.

I, too, agree with this one. Perfect if you are ever in a rush to eat before a movie. I also tried the one at City Square once, but it didn't taste as good as the one at Tinseltown. Although my husband disagrees, Rangoli's takeout, IMO, is fair value. Anyone agree? I also add Hamburger Mary's to my list. I agree Rangoli is fair value. I love the food, but feel that it's priced partially out of reputation. Fair enough ... Feenie's does the same, as do many others. Having said that I always enjoy the food and never regret the expense. (diplomatic enough?) I went to the Indian place at City Square (Taste of India I think) for lunch today. Very tasty, but Tinseltown is better? May be true, but City Square is closer (right butter?) Hamburger Mary's!!! Wow! There's a blast from my past! Maybe its time to revive Burger Club A.

I'll be there around noon. I'm won't be responsible for anybody missing out on the soup. A.

Who's in for lunch tomorrow (Tuesday)? A.

Thanks for the review Lee. Glad you're finding your way around the province! A.

What sort of wood are you considering? And what colour? A.

Haven't tried the Indian place ... City Square you say? Hmmm ... nice and close to the office and it's almost time for lunch! Don't limit yourselves to the only the $5 lunch places. For example, the "Tastes" menu at Fiction offers up 3 selections for only $10!! (I'm sure Sean will correct me if this has changed). Now that the Christmas Visa bills are starting to roll in, I'm looking for value! A.

Now you sound like a general contractor!! A.

I dunno Percy ... the truffles you used may have trumped mine! Fly down? You mean some of you are further north? You're welcome anytime. You do like dogs, right?? A.

Isn't that standard? I'm not familiar with the inner workings of the remodel industry in the US, but for me at least, performance guarantees are de rigeur for any large job I do. It's just as much protection for me as it is for the client. After all, I have to pay my suppliers regardless of whether or not the client pays me . The decision to act as your own GC is a tough one. Just be sure to schedule everything, and make sure Todd has a copy as well. Update daily. (It's a good thing you like this guy as you will be in each others' gaces for the next few weeks.) The kitchen is very "critical path" sensitive (second only to the bathroom) so you need to know when/if bottlenecks can occur ... or should I say will occur. A. ps. When's the kitchen-warming party?

Check out Liebherr. They make good quality products in the dimensions you're looking for. Sub Zero is an excellent product too, but as is the base with exotic cars, the cost to repair them (non-warranty) are high. A.

Over the holidays I was speaking with a family friend who works at VGH. As my showroom is not far away fro VGH, we began comparing notes on our favorite places for lunch. His comment was that the stretch of Broadway between Cambie and Oak offered the best dining values in Vancouver. He claimed he could get a better return on a $5 investment than at other places offering more expensive lunches. While I didn't agree with all his choices, it got me thinking: where is the best dining value in Western Canada? By dining value I mean "taste pay-off" per dollar spent. i.e. for $6 a bowl of pho at Kim Phung has a high "taste-payoff", and is IMO one of the best values in the city. Where are the best places to invest your dining dollar? A.