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Viola da gamba

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Posts posted by Viola da gamba

  1. Stamps is okay though they put their beer prices up about a year ago which was a bit much.

    Closer to home is Jeremiah's..... friendly staff and ususally something interesting on tap.

    Aaand ... that would be about when I left Vancouver. Perfect timing, I guess. We used to go to Jeremiah's a lot when I worked at Jericho Sailing Centre - great sandwiches, and I seem to remember good fries? It was also one of the few places you could guarantee had the America's Cup races on - I think they even used to get special dispensation to be able to open beyond licensing hours to show them. 3 hour lunches, anyone?

  2. When I lived in Vancouver we regularly went to two places - the Lennox (Robson & Granville, by the Burger King) & Stamps Landing in False Creek on the other side of the Cambie Street Bridge. The Lennox was on the way home (good old #15/17 bus) and Stamps was a nice walk. My Dad still hangs at the Lennox when he's in town. The food's not bad, and the selection of beer is quite reasonable. It can get noisy on Fridays, but there's usually seating at the back & up the stairs - and they've never raised an eyebrow about sitting there with a pint & a book.

    Now - Smithers - not a lot of choice - either the Fireside Pub in the Hudson Bay Lodge or the Alpenhorn. Better food at the Alpenhorn, cheaper (and great lunch specials during the week) at the Fireside.

  3. I agree with Andrew as these people create a negative impression for those of us with legitimate allergies.

    And it is only because of great chefs like Neil that I can dine out as often as I do without worrying!  I really appreciate it!  :biggrin:

    Thank you!

    Eric

    Hear, hear! I have a couple of bizarre allergies - fermented peppers (bye bye tabasco and similar hot sauces :sad: ) & walnuts/pecans. No, I'm not going to die if I eat them, but I will suffer some really unpleasant effects at around 2 o'clock in the morning - and yes, I underwent the full skin-testing thing (oh that was a fun 24 hours) to find this out. So yes - I do accept food allergies exist and yes - I too really appreciate going places where the restaurant not only takes note, but takes pride in being able to accommodate any such mention. But any bonehead who makes a reservation and then states just as they're ordering that "oh, by the way" - should be shot. Or made to wash dishes. Or have all their tastebuds removed & be forced to eat soft tofu for the rest of their lives.

    Don't get me started on the restaurant at Butchart Gardens.

  4. I shout at them every night - to no avail.

    Now, shoot one - everybody would certainly be one their toes after that - nothing serious, just a flesh wound, no need to be over the top :biggrin:

    How about a sponsored issue of cattle prods to every DOV restaurant? I'm sure there's a niche market in there somewhere ...

  5. Bring it on, come on down and have the Gingerbread experience. Once that happens, you will be in my power forever !!! Not to worry, I never use my power for evil, only good ! :biggrin:

    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 :shock::wink::wink:

    A.

    Come on, you are amongst friends here, embrace your inner girlie man and declare your undying love for the gingerbread. The gingerbread know you love it. The gingerbread loves everyone. All hail the gingerbread. :biggrin:

    I liked the gingerbread, but me? I'm a hanger junkie. No steak will ever taste quite the same again - so - not quite the sugar high, but Neil still retains his power :raz:

    Oh - and I'm a chick. :cool:

  6. "Why, of COURSE!  and do you have any of these little silver balls, and perhaps a couple of crystallised rose petals, and how about some sugar-coated almonds, too?  Do you have any tater-tots that we can put around your roast, or some instant mash?"

    I have a friend (of the rather forthright sort) who replied to a moderately similar question - of whether it would be okay to serve some cheap generic synthetic ice-cream with his grandmother's apple tart, which is, I can tell you, unparalleled in its beauty - with the phrase "yes, splendid idea...  and while you're at it, why don't you just squat over the bowl and shit in it?"

    I think his tact glands had been surgically removed just before puberty.

    I can't believe the no doubt unintentional gall of the woman in wanting to put anything, never mind cool-whip, on top of the brownies; surely that's just arrogance in denying choice to the rest of the guests.

    :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

    Add me to the list of people who would have suggested putting the Cool Whip (shudder) in a bowl for people to eat if they dared my wrath.

  7. I'm with Rebel Rose on the NW oyster thing - I really don't like the big ones - the smaller, the better.

    Oh - and I really don't like cooked oysters at all. Raw & fresh or nothing. So sad that I no longer live in Vancouver ... :sad:

  8. I love hot/spicy food but this has been a problem - I'm allergic to tabasco (it seems to be the fermented-ness of the peppers that is the problem) - so have to read ingredients VERY carefully - commercial curry powder is also difficult. My SO, however, can eat everything - his current favourite is "Lawyer's Breath" - given as a joke gift by my mum, but now a staple in the house.

  9. Now I know how all those people who missed the AB dinner felt after reading our posts. Just sitting here having a "pity party" that I missed out on this West event.

    I'm starting to think we should organize a pity party event for those who had to miss either this one or the AB Big Night. I'd certainly be on board. :cool:

  10. My dad has one - we don't - he uses it to reheat coffee & to reheat soup. Otherwise, he insists it's the only way he could get an effective fan/light over the top of the stove.

    I too prefer the convection/toaster oven - best way on earth, IMO, to do baked eggs!

  11. We have been doing this since the temperature first went below freezing back in October. Raccoons aren't a problem up here, but the dogs, squirrels & foxes get to be an issue - so we keep everything in various and assorted cool boxes. Worked really well until the temperature got to around -40 (okay - I exaggerate - it was only -35), at which point everything in the cool boxes went solid. The cream, when defrosted, was butter - the celery was only fit for stock, and the beercicles made the dogs woozy. Note to self - if it's below -20, put things in the unheated garage.

  12. In a word, eww…

    It looks weird. Apart from the odd acidic taste that simply clashes with the cheese in the risotto, there's an odd mouth feel as one bites into the pomegranate. The image that popped into my head at the first forkful was "this would be the same sensation as biting into a pimple."

    Thank you for that evocative yet disgusting mental image. Now I'm absolutely certain that I'll never, ever try that. Ick. :wink:

  13. I could eat ice cream/gelato 365 days a year ... nothing better than a milkshake to wash down a couple of crepes with .... right Jeffy Boy?

    To fully enjoy the milkshake with crepes as dessert, you must first have consumed a large Japanese meal, complete with fish nuts (i.e., soup to nuts).

    When I was a kid in Edmonton it would be -40 and I would still eat ice cream, maybe that is why I have that tick :wacko:

    Stovetop, the other kids must have been jealous. Having a tick in Edmonton - at least you had something to do! :raz:

    Every boy needs a pet ... :raz:

  14. This may be a particularly Canadian point of view - but having looked at both Joy of Cooking & the others mentioned, I still prefer my old stand-by - the Good Housekeeping Cookery Book - absolutely basic, very easy to follow, and it's got all of the equivalence measures which are so useful if going from British to US to Australian recipes.

    Sadly out of print is the Sunset Basic Cookery book - one of the best I've ever found for such helpful hints as to how to deal with a split hollandaise.

    I also put forward Larousse as an option? Still working my way through the "eggs" section ...

    Congratulations! And welcome to a new addiction - cookery books are a wonderful way to spend money. Now just wait until you discover Donna Hay ...

  15. Thanks Viola but..... nope... Les Amis used to be in a mini mall on 10th and Alma - and I think it also used to be called "Menu Setters" but I could be wrong.  The one in the mini mall on 4th and Alma seems to only have an awning out front that says "Cheese" but there may be other words in there I've missed.  I suppose I'll just have to check it out myself one of these days and report back.  :smile:

    Oops - sorry - my bad. I blame the fact that I was always on foot when I went there. I'm sure that's relevant somehow.

    Does anyone else on Vancouver Island think fondly of Thrifty Foods' cheese selection? They used to get the most wonderful selection of French cheese - sufficiently detailed that you could select by French postal code (how to tell if a brie was REALLY from Normandy ...). And in Nanaimo, McLean's specialty foods is a good place to go for English cheeses.

  16. Haven't tried the MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), but it makes me feel a bit more secure if there was a disaster we wouldn't be scrambling for supplies.

    I too haven't tried the MRE's, but apparently these were served to the US Forces in the first Iraq war and the consensus was that MRE didn't stand for "Meals Ready to Eat", but rather for "Meals Rejected by Ethiopians". Personally, I'd probably go for packets of Ichiban - but then I like eating the noodles uncooked (appears to be the week for embarrassing food admissions).

    Chef Fowke - hope things are okay - I heard on the news this morning that they expected things to be stabilized soon - hope you found somewhere for the dog!

  17. There was a thread a while back, Dec I think, about my Delivery fiasco.  If anything it will at least be a good laugh!  I usually order my Indian form Ashiana, I find it to be absolutely fantastic and a great price.  For Japanese I usually just walk the half a block to Toshi's, which I think is one of the best Japanese restaurants in the city.  Good luck getting a table though, it's always packed.  I think my lastest pick-up spot with be HSG.  The salad that I had from there earlier in the week was fantastic.

    Found it, hope this worksDelivery in the City  A Rant

    Thanks for the link - I'd forgotten how funny that was.

    I can second Fortune Garden - not the best Chinese Food I've ever had, but we always enjoyed it (and it was close) - good szechuan ginger beef.

  18. Speaking of cheese shops....... I'm wondering if anyone here has tried the cheese shop in the mini mall at 4th and Alma.  It's wedged between a beauty shop and a pet store if memory serves. 

    Also, isn't there a cheese shop on 10th Ave. opposite the Safeway? Has some swanky looking columns at the entranceway..... perhaps it's something else but for some reason I thought they sold cheese.  I guess I could go take a look myself one of these days but if anyone knows, you could post and save me the journey  :smile:

    I think the one at 4th and Alma is (or used to be) Les Amis de Fromage - the one shop everyone agrees is great - but I believe they've moved since I was last in town.

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