scout

Just wanted to thank everyone for responding so quickly. I'm looking forward to checking out all of these recs soon.

I was driving by Malone's at Kits Beach yesterday and was trying to remember all of the different places that have occupied that space over the years. The only one I can remember is Senior Frog's and it's driving me nuts because I can't remember what it morphed into after that. Can someone please enlighten me?

I too love Liberte yogurt. I've never found anything even close to the creaminess and flavour of this. My favourite from the Mediterranee line is Mango and Orange, with Walnut and Plum coming in a close second. Have heard that the Liberte dessert line has something combining banana and chocolate, but I have yet to find it in Vancouver.

This year I’m determined to replace the crappy knives I’ve been using for far too long. Can anyone recommend a good place to buy knives that won’t cost an arm and a leg? Although I don’t yet have a specific brand in mind, right now I am leaning slightly towards Wusthof . Thanks, Scout

So have we all recovered yet? A big thanks to Arne, Jamie, Neil and Brian for putting together a fantastic event. We had such a great time last night and it was really nice to finally meet you all in person. Thanks to peppyre and Chef Metcalf for getting the pics up so quickly. Quite inpressive considering the vast quantities of wine that were consumed last night. Looking forward to doing this again soon. Scout

I tried Phnom Penh for the first time this summer and I too fell in love with the squid A few places I have no excuse for not trying yet … Villa Del Lupo, Pastis, Tojo’s and Lumiere (have only tried the tasting bar and Feenie’s). Can anyone think of places that they had always intended on trying, but now they’re not even around anymore? Off the top of my head I can think of Vong’s, Saltimbocca and Marine Drive. I’ve been geeky enough to keep a list going on my Palm too. In the last month I’ve been lucky to have crossed Yuji’s, La Regalade and Chambar off my list, but there are still many more to go. A few examples; Fiction, Pair Bistro, Cassis, Go Fish (well, technically I’ve been there, but it wasn’t open), Guu, Umami, Green Lettuce and Sushi Wabi Sabi. Although I’m completely upto the challenge of getting all of these places crossed off my list sooner than later, I'm not sure if my wallet would be able to handle it.

On Saturday we went to check out Go Fish but it wasn't open yet. Instead, we headed upto Rangoli for a late lunch of Savoury Chaat and Lamb Curry. For Friday lunch I went to Shogun on Hornby St. for some Wonton Soup. I think there are new owners since the last time I'd been, so it didn't seem quite the same (ie. no waitresses running around like crazy). On Tuesday we headed out to Szechuan Chongqing at 12th and Commercial. We feasted on potstickers, spicy green beans, chili chicken with peanuts, pork and spinich, shrimp chow mein and hot and sour soup. Clearly I need to be making a reservation for Chambar very soon.

What drives my bf crazy is when I start planning our next meal when we're in the middle of eating another (I will often discuss dinner plans while having breakfast). He thinks I'm the one that's crazy, but if I wasn't the one figuring it out, he'd probably end up eating cereal every night.

Hi Ling: Although it may be a bit of a trek for you, I would suggest checking out HomeSense (Coquitlam or Langley) I've seen some pretty good deals on my travels out there, especially on brand name stuff like Le Creuset and Calphalon. Good luck, Scout

Are you refering to your infamous pastrami? Now that I would do anything for!

Ah, the Burger Club meeting ... that was a good night. It was def. nice to get out and meet a few of the others. I don't care what Chef Fowke says about you, you're a great (and positive) guy. Seriously though, my lurker vs. poster ratio is very out of whack. Scout

I'm another long time lurker who'd love to come out for an Egullet dinner. Stovetop - I bought my ticket for the Opus event today and they said there are still tickets left, but they're going very quickly. Get out that Visa & book it! Scout

My vote goes to Honey's too. A Krispy Kreme wannabe called Decadent Donuts just sprung up on the corner of Granville & Nelson. I tried one (okay, two) of their donuts there the other day and found them to be a bit overly sweet. Scout

Just wondering if you've ever checked out amazon.ca as it's all in Cdn. prices and their shipping rates within Canada are pretty reasonable. http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/tg/browse...2415742-0451544 Also, the Chapters online site offers free shipping for orders over $39 and I swear the prices online are less expensive than going into their stores. http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/Default.asp Happy Shopping, Scout

Hey Keith: Don't know if you've seen this before, but I just came across an eGCI course from awhile back called "Pit Roasting a Pig" ... "Pit Roasting a Pig" Please keep us in the loop if you end of going though with this. Good luck! Scout

If there are any West End/Downtown burger fans out there, you'll be happy to hear that there's a Vera's opening at 1030 Davie St. (between Burrard & Thurlow). Not sure exactly when they're expected to open as their "Grand Opening"ads neglected to put in the date and when I walked by this morning, it didn't look finished yet. Speaking of burgers, aren't we due for another get together?

I likely won't be able to make it to the next gathering as I'm going to be out of town for a couple of weeks (will probably have many hangovers). Would love to catch up with everyone next time though. BTW, does anyone know if the Tomahawk has good burgers? I seem to recall at one point their burgers were quite popular. I had one many years ago, but I don't remember what it was like. I was probably hungover.

Wow Ling - thanks for putting this all on the site so quickly. I'm still feeling full & I barely made a dent in those fries! Glad we all seem to be in agreement about Moderne Burger ... I think the best is yet to come. Was nice to finally meet a few of the Vancouver members, although I hope next time we can find a spot where we can sit together. This weekend I will scope out Red Onion in Kerrisdale to see if it is a worthy candidate.

Just wanted to let everyone know there was a little snippet in today's Vancouver Sun about Cru's wine list ... Click Me

Thanks MsRamsey - I obviously missed seeing this discussion earlier (whoops). Might try to go back to Senses later this week to get some Sparkle Cookies and if I have to, perhaps a pastry or two. Take care, Scout

I finally got the chance to stop by Senses today to pick up a few of Thomas Haas' coveted "Sparkle cookies". However, much to my disappointment they were completely sold out (boo, hoo ). Just wondering if anyone has tried making them and if so, how did they compare to the real thing?

If anyone is planning on going to Lumiere for this event, you should be aware that they do not take reservations for the bar area - it's first-come, first-served only. If you're planning on going elsewhere and haven't made reservations yet, you should do so ASAP. Many of the restaurants (esp. the good ones) are already completely booked up for the entire 10 days.

You might also want to consider trying a few dishes on West/Ouest's new "Small Plates" menu. I think this is similar to their old bar menu, but it's now available in both areas of the restaurant. Click me

I second the recommendations for Cioppino's and both of the Bins. A few other options that aren't too pricey ... Provence Marinaside - A cozy restaurant located on the edge of Yaletown with a mainly French menu. Provence Marinaside Vij's - 1480 W. 11th This place is a must if you like Indian food. They were closed over the holidays, but I'm sure they have re-opened by now. Coco Pazzo - One of the best meals I've had in the last year was at this place. The dishes are not too fussy and a great variety of local ingredients are used. Although you might not use the word "innovative" to describe this place, I think it's certainly worth trying.Coco Pazzo La Regalade - This tiny French bistro just opened within the last year on Marine Drive in West Vancouver. I have not had a chance to dine here yet, but I am constantly hearing great things about this place. If you go here you must report back to us with all of the details. Good luck, Scout

col klink - Hope you have a great time up in Naramata! I've been upto the Okanagan area a zillion times, but haven't made it there yet. We're actually going to be in Seattle the weekend of Jan. 18/19. Noticed you guys are getting together for dim sum on the 19th. Would love to join everyone if a) we can find the time to fit it in and b) if you guys don't mind an out of towner crashing your party. Cheers, Scout