jackandjill

EDM, Are there any restaurants in Vancouver that you feel meet the standards that pointed out?

Jamie, With all the respect you are due for years of honourable service to the Vancouver restaurant scene, isn't the mark of a big city also that we can tolerate dissenting (even somehwat schizoid) opinions without belittling the author? I don't agree with what Ms. Scher said, but (I sound like some Amurrikin free speach advocate here) I do think she should have the right to say it without fear of ridicule. It can only serve to lower the level of discourse in town.

Good tip - I had some for lunch today and it was great. Warm in the center, hard crust on the oustide (you could probably drop it from twenty stories and it would stay intact, still soft and moist on the inside). I have to say that the store itself, and the owner (?), is worth the cost of bread on its own. It's got an atmosphere without actually trying to have one.

You are right about The Cellar being a great jazz joint, but if you are looking for any conversation during dinner then I'd suggest somewhere else - talking is forbidden during the lengthy sets, and the place is small enough to prevent you from braking that rule. Other places that have Jazz are Mo Butta in Gastown (www.mobutta.net) and O'Douls on Robson (www.odoulsrestaurant.com).

Chutney Villa is quite good - friendly staff and clean tastes. I also like the Indian restaurant upstairs on W. 4th, kitty corner from Las Margaritas. I wish I could remember it's name - I think it's Indian Oven. If you want someplace cheap but good (not great), much better than some of the buffets on Main and 49th-ish, then check out New India Buffet at 805 West Broadway in the medical hi-rise. Lunch is $7.95 and Dinner is $9.95 - you can't go wrong at that price if you only had the Gulab Jamin for desert (on top of the sweet rice is a great combo). It's much better than the Indian buffet at the foot of Davie Street.

The best place I know of for great deals on books is www.bookcloseouts.com. The pricing is in US dollars, but they ship out of Canada so you don't have to worry about the border. The shipping estimates they give are usually highly overestimated, and I've gotten mine more than a week before I was supposed to (for the cheapest ground shipments). All their prices are usually under $10, and most are around $3 or $4.