Daddy-A

That's an important point ... that it's a philosphy. The question is, is it obtainable? Not just here, but anywhere. editor, since you made the point, what establishments in Vancouver meet your requirements, or come the closest? A.

Moosh, you know I can't take it when you disagree with me!! I should qualiy my Bluewater experience by saying both times were at a private function, and it was two servers in particular. I have no experience there outside of that. A.

Cool! Another eGulleter is outted! Oh man! I agree with you 100% on Kaplans. I always feel like such a wimp when I order the "not-so-big" size, but there's no way I can finish the larger sandwich. Not that it's on a menu (that I know of - Neil? Brian?), Chef Fowke & nwyles pastrami is legendary in these parts. I'd put it up against Schwartz's anyday ... having never been to Schwartz's I can't comment on the atmosphere. A.

The only thought I have on those John is that the surface will break down over years of use. Rubber does cut, and eventually you'll have a really rough surface that will be difficult to clean. It's kinda like those soft plastic ones (forget the name of the material) that you see used in some restaurant kitchens. Typically, they're used because the cost vs. endurance ratio is low enough for them to be disposable. I used 1" adhesive rubber door bumpers on mine. Couldn't bring myself to screw anything into it. A.

Thanks Dave, I needed that! A.

editor, Welcome to eGullet. I'm looking forward to the launch of waiterblog in January ... looks like a good addition to the on-line scene. Service ... some of the best in recent memory: Bluewater Lumiere (Gaston, you rock!) Wild Rice (granted, we were at the bar with one of the owners ....) Hamilton Street Grill Accuse me of shilling if you must I am refering to two of his staff in particular ... initals A. & E. for your info Neil A.

Daddy-A, the Sparkle Cookie recipe was in the Vancouver Sun a long time ago. I still have it in my recipe folder if you would like it, just let me know - might be a bit cheaper than $8 for 1/2 dozen. ← Yes please! Or you can make them for next year's cookie exchange! No ... can't wait that long. PM me when you get a chance. A.

Welcome keyes! You're in big trouble dude ... wife and kids gone and you discover eGullet? You're getting nothing done while they're gone! Good suggestion on the Thrift store. My wife goes to second hand stores for clothes in the same area. Great selection! A.

Best advice I've heard so far. If you dumb grease in the garberator for example and try to rinse it with hot water, you'll just end up spreading it around the inside of the garberator. Same thing with the regular pipes. Solid grease is the way to go. Regarding clogging the pipes ... drain pipes from your sink are usually 1.5" to 2" O.D. Once they hit the stack you're looking at 3" or bigger if you're in an apartment. That's a lot of area to clog. Not saying it'll never happen, but you're pouring a hell of a lot of grease down there if it does. A.

I think phoodfan was distressed about the lack of distributors for local cheese, and the fact that a big box like Costco was taking away from the business that places like Amis du Fromages surely deserve. How'd I do? A real shame too. Good info stovetop ... thanks! You've also got me thinking about local cheeses. I purchase a lot from the Farmer's Markets ... Moonstruck, Saltspring and others. placebo (of the Pacific Northwest Forum) has been hosting the latest foodblog which is all about cheese. He's an assistant at Beecher's Cheese in Pike Place. My question is this ... why don't we have a place like Beechers? We have several artisan cheese makers but are only able to buy it in specialty shops (or perhaps Whole Foods - I haven't checked). A.

Ling--check out Thomas's fruit pastilles as well. They're the colour of Christmas ornaments--and exquistely reckless bomblets of flavour. I'll have to check those out too. But for the record ... I like the sparkle cookies I don't much like paying $8 for 1/2 a dozen ... but it's only once in a while so what the hey! A.

Bruce, you and I think way too much alike! Are we really having this discussion over $15? Boos, or Michigan Maple have been doing butcher block for years, do it well, and do it right. Sam nailed it re: end vs. edge grain. What he didn't mention was once the wood grains are cut on an edge grain board, it starts to get rough & ratty and holds onto food-stuffs like crazy. Buy the Boos. A.

Yeah Megs, ... what with your "Posts" counter reading "1" I was able to deduce your "newness" Welcome! Next to fries, eG will soon become your favorite addiction. Nothing like Feenie's for me today ... like Keith did last week, I took one for the team today and had lunch at Wendy's I actually enjoy their hamburgers if I have to eat fast food. But their fries!?!?!?! I had a couple and threw the rest out. Undercooked and tasteless. I was so bummed out I had to break into the Christmas baking when I got home. A.

Peachy? Dear lord, I believe that Pauls' New Year's could deserve it's own thread! The mind boggles ... A.

Coop, please don't misunderstand me. I don't buy all my cheese at Costco. Just some ... like the Notre Dame Camembert and the Chevre where Costco charges the same price for twice as much cheese! Re: storage of cheese. Great thread on that subject here. BURN!!! A.

GASP! You have FOOD FRIENDS other than US????? A.

Jeez! No kiddin! Pictures like that make me ... want a better camera Dinner tonight: Salade d'Ongelet from Les Halles ... enjoyed with a Vina Tarapaka Sauvignon Blanc. This is about the 5th or 6th recipe I've done from this cookbook ... haven't found a stinker yet. Even the vinagrette is deliscious and so bloody simple. A.

Back in my "radio days" I worked with the man who wrote that jingle. His name is Tony Antonias, and he was one of the most brilliant copy-writers I worked with. Very old-school, but could write a dozen 30 second ads in the time it took me to do 1. It was Tony you heard whistling that jingle. True story ... albeit off topic. A.

Welcome Derek. You can add eGullet to your list of addictions now. I could tease you about editting your post, and then making a spelling mistake in your edit ... but heck. You're a first timer! Besides, Ling & Megaroo let my Costco indiscretion slide But cummon! $22/kg! What a steal! A.

Don't think any less of me for this, but .... Does anyone get cheese from Costco? Especially this time of year, I find their selection to be quite good. Especially in the brie/camembert/chevre department. That was Costco camembert we served at the Cookie Exchange ... Please don't take away my eGullet decoder ring!! I've found specialty cheddars there as well, exactly the same brands as carried at some of your finer cheese shops like Amis du Fromages. I don't need to tell you how the prices compared. Of course, there are those helpful Costco employees ... Jeez, that Roquefort looks like its gone bad! A.

Fair enough ... best not to create any more stress than the reno will create on its own. fifi has suggested Commercial Vinyl Tile before, I'm big on Lynoleum (e.g. Forbo's Marmoleum). Both are easy to clean and very durable. I just find tile hard on the feet (I know you're okay with it, I'm just sayin' ... ) and very unforgiving on dishes. Not that china is going to "bounce" of anything mind you. Since I don't work in your market, I'm not going to be a huge help on specific brands. I can give you guidelines (e.g. BLUM!) and can help with the details of the design. Bruce's suggestion re: having your carpenter build the boxes, and ordering the doors elsewhere can work nicely. I think full-overlay is the way to go here (i.e. "European" style with the hidden hinges) as it is the simplest to build, IMO. If you're looking for sleek, some painted MDF doors might be the ticket. Cheap as anything (4x8 sheet of MDF is about $50 up here, much cheaper if you buy several sheets) and very easy to work with. Your carpenter could just cut the doors to size and round off the edges with a router. Just put the Little Varmints to work sanding & painting ... family project! Drawers & roll-out shelves are a big must! A lot of my customers are initially reluctant to the roll-out idea because they involve two steps (open door, pull-out shelf) whereas drawers use one (open drawer). However, roll-outs are adjustable like shelves, while drawers are not. A few of both will fit the bill. A.

I've just spent the last 2 hours reading this thread from the beginning, and would like to add a few comments: Do you all have nothing better to do than help Varmint with his kitchen?? My God! This thread is huge! Do I have nothing better to do than read this thread? Apparently, No. The evolution of this design is amazing, and in hindsight, I'm sure Varmint is glad he didn't go ahead with some of the earlier plans. This current manifestation is a very workable design in what was an extremely difficult room. You're going to LOVE the openness this design offers. A suggestion for the baking area: consider lowering the countertops. You may need to lower the kick space since the oven is going in here. A lowered top is good for kneeding and rolling. I'd look for a 30" oven (for reasons already discussed). Tile countertops will look great, especially if you go large like you mentioned. Check with your local tile suppliers for "discontinued" lines. This is the time of year my local suppliers change over tile lines ... there are deals to be had. Concrete flooring may give you some staining troubles, as well as cracking. It's a terrific look, but the end result may not be what you're looking for. fifi, Marlene and others have discussed flooring with me in other threads ... I'm sure we can all add our 2-bits worth here New cabinets? You have great selection in the USA ... much better than we do in Canada. Ironically, many of your manufacturers build the full-overlay style in Canada (Omega comes to mind). Home Depot (do they still do EXPO stores?) offer a pretty good selection. Just be sure you get good hinges & drawer glides (i.e. Blum, Blum, or Blum). What are your thoughts on cabinet "style"? Unlike Dave & others, I haven't been to your house (guess my invite got lost in the mail eh?? ) so I'm not aware of your decor. Looking forward to seeing this evolve ... A.

Chef Adria, Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Your restaurant is located on a gorgeous bay, the kind of place that would inspire artists of all types. What role, if any, does location play in the food, and the experience of El Bulli? Kindest Regards A.

Glad you noticed that! I was just about to check my spec books since I was pretty sure the oven in the range was smaller. My oven rule-of-thumb with my clients is "go as big as you can afford" with afford refering to both cost and space. With a range AND the extra wall oven, I think you'd regret not going with the 30" wall oven. I won't mention the 36" wall ovens offered by Wolf, Dacor and others A.

I don't remember too much about the food floors ... except for the drive-up loading zone and the rooftop parking at the store in New Westminster. I also have fond childhood memories of "Breakfast with Santa" at the Woodwards Downtown ... complete with eggs and bacon, and my favorite, cinnamon toast in the shape of a teddy bear. A.