kurtisk

Don't know if it's for me to say, but it's an off-shoot of a successful established Kitsilano restaurant and we look forward to them joining the 'hood. It'll be a nice addition to Main Street and compliment the area quite well! k.

I've always like Cheerios with some dried cranberries tossed on 'em. Or Shreddies with sliced bananas. A little spin on a cereal is always nice. Cheerios also take quite well to almonds and honey. When I first moved out from living with my parents, I dove into Lucky Charms, something I'd longed to do for my entire childhood and teenage years...

Good thoughts, Mr Wyles. I don't envy your position, or anyone elses's as far as the patio/smoking discussion goes. When you have a patio in your restaurant, it adds so much more as far as headaches, staffing, weather abnormalities, bird shit, what have you. I honestly commend you for all the aspects and surprises that come with patio dining that you contend with. And I'm sorry you had to deal with those chumps. xo, k.

That doesn't speak for any of us. I, personally, find that Vikram's adds to the authentic overall flavour of the Vij's experience... k

nice! k

Can't think of their capacity, but Parkside might be something to think about...

For sure, yo. Ours is a bit more of a no-brainer, as our entire concept is Canadian/BC. "Let's dig into our own bounty and see how well we can provide from it." In saying that however, I'd love to play around with Jeff's food a bit more and have the whole world to cherry-pick from, no doubt! While Jeff and I have discussed this at length a zillion times now, we both feel it's more honourable to stay true to our concept, support the locals, be able to dig a little deeper in our region, and spread the word of how BC kicks ass! Keepin' it real on the East Side, k.

Hey, thanks! Can't really take any credit, just the classic 100% around here. In very odd cases, I throw on another buck or two when warranted, but overall it's 100% which, to be honest, makes my job a heck of a lot easier.

I guess that'd be confirmed... Thanks Andrew... k.

Yes, it's quite interesting for me, having been in the local industry for over a decade, to consistently hear the perspective of media and tourists that I'd normally just estimate... k

Sometime yes, sometimes no. Occasionally they'll just talk to local food writers, but in this case, the Saveur folks most certainly did a dine-around. My wife does media relations for Tourism Vancouver, so I can guarantee that, yes, they do come, as she was with them at each place they dined. And, yes, they did eat at more places than which were named in the article. Keep in mind that the places mentioned are the pillars, the ones you can always always count on. Even if something's been hot for a year or so, there's no guarantee that it'll have legs. Last thing you want is to popularize a place that is a) inconsistent or b) not gonna last for the long haul. Same with what tourists want, it's not always the same as what us locals are lookin' for... k.

There was a Globe article on it here and a thread on it here besides the items further up this very thread. Our fine-feathered pal Andrew wrote about them in a recent Westender I believe...

Quite true there, Neil. Even though 'bistro' is defined as: bistro bis·tro n. pl. bis·tros 1. A small bar, tavern, or nightclub. 2. A small, informal restaurant serving wine. ...and we think of ourselves as the latter, I've still heard people say that we are NOT a bistro because we don't have: 1. a chalkboard of specials 2. traditional French cuisine 3. a "House Red" or "House White" 4. a friggin' wreath of garlic around our necks Ok, I got carried away with that last one. You get the picture... k.

There's a place in Kits off of MacDonald called In God We Trust Sushi. I can't find a listing on-line but can scan in a take-out menu if evidence is required...

I used to work at a place in the early '90s that was in the current Tapastree spot. It was a seafood restaurant and it was called Flipper's. It was also my second worst restaurant job of all time.

Hey Pam, Is Nibbler's Nosh still around? It was our favourite Jewish restaurant around and the name was always fun fodder for friends who find my 'Jewish' upbringing comical... k.

Well, it wouldn't be a dancing Jesus in an Indian restaurant, now would it? However, the Ganesh that glides in on a cable with pyrotechnics exploding beyond is a cool touch. I can see where you're coming from on this, but a lot of dining in the city has already been influenced by Vikram, which might make the place seem a bit 'par' nowadays. Notwithstanding, for us it's always top notch in every single aspect, decor, service, glassware, flatware, flavours, portions, what have you. The guy simply knows what he's doing and is happy to share it, which makes us all fortunate. I find Vij's unique and solid. This, also, has nothing to do with the fact that I know he reads this thing and I embarassed the hell out of myself by doing an extremely 'jiggy' dance which he happened to witness at Bin 942 the other night... xo, k

I'm so sorry everyone. You should try workin' with the guy... k.

Thanks Neil, Looks like we're done here. k.

Kraft Foods, the largest branded food and beverage company headquartered in the United States markets and distributes Starbucks whole bean and ground coffee in grocery, mass merchandiser and club stores. Kraft Foods is the food arm of the Altria group which also owns the Philip Morris tobacco group. ← And same with the mass-produced beans that many other "indie" places carry... I'm just saying that it's simply not as black and white as it may seem...

It's illegal, period. Legal jargon aside, we take chances whenever it's done. No one is lying about the legality of it. Phone up the Provincial Government and ask point-blank.

Yep, I'm not saying that I solely support Starbucks. If there's somewhere with Origins coffee, I'll go there first, likewise with Bean Around The World, JJ's, what have you. But many of these places wouldn't flourish (or even exist) without the Big Green Machine starting the current (more-elaborate) coffee trend. So, yeah, I go to Starbucks when the other options I'm fond of aren't available. It's odd to me that someone can say that their coffee's no good, we all look for different styles and tastes of coffee, no? I'd love to support even Blenz instead, but (to me) their coffee is too 'grey/dusty/cardboard-y' tasting, but I'm gonna go with what I like. This is an easy one for wearing your conciousness on your sleeve, but while some of us may support Starbucks here and there, I'm sure many opposers don't think twice about the Phillip Morris/Altria products they consistently keep in their homes without a second thought, or things of the like. A good article entitled "The Starbucks Paradox" sheds a little light... http://www.arc.org/C_Lines/CLArchive/story7_1_02.html k.

Dare I mention that Fair Trade IS an option at Starbucks, and the more people who vote with their feet, well, you know....

Thanks Arne! I hope my 3-dimensional self was more engaging... k.

Dive into Salade de Fruits at Granville & 7th! Before you go, ask around about their 'perks'...