Edible Vancouver

Just to let you know, the area formerly occupied by Buddy's will not be turned into public seating or day vendors, but will become a new produce outlet dedicated to organic produce in the very near future (I actually saw some of their fridges moving into place today) The new vendor will be Small Potatoes Cheers, Eric

the opening soon dinner and black box dinner links both point to the same place. ← Here is the correct link for the Opening Soon Dinner which took place in February. You can view pictures of the two events here. Cheers, Eric PS. We will be doing another Black Box dinner with Brian sometime in June.

Web Darling More Weird Than Wow This should make for lots of interesting discussion today....

Congratulations to Brian and Tim and the rest of the crew for their great review in the Vancouver Sun today... Primping and Preparing Makes Rare Dishes No same-old, same-olds from owners Brian Fowke, Tim Keller, with mix of flavours in dishes presented with impeccable taste. The halibut was so fresh I expected it to quiver when I bit into it. The fillet and cheeks (citrus-poached) were cooked just beyond sashimi-hood and I could pluck the fillet apart like rose petals. It was a revelation as halibut is usually cooked to blinding-white opacity. Sorry but the online version is not available unless you are a subscriber. Great job guys! Cheers, Eric

Here is a listing of the wines that were poured with the various courses. The surprise wine of thenight had to go to the Orofino Cabernet Merlot - almost everyone in the room said there was no way it was a BC wine and those that did compared it to the famous Black Hills Nota Bene - quite an accomplishment for a small winery in the Similkameen Valley. Mission Hill Five Vineyards 2004 Pinot Noir Tommasi Pinot Grigio Italy Alderlea Pinot Gris Smoking Loon Viognier California Alderlea Viognier Grant Burge Un-oaked Chardonnay Australia Crowsnest Stahltank 2003 Un-oaked Chardonnay Peter Lehmann Shiraz Mission Hill Reserve Shiraz 2003 Redbank Cab Shiraz "the long paddock" Orofino Cabernet Merlot Yalumba Museum Muscat Cedar Creek "M" Madeira Style Grahams 10 yr old Tawny We will be hosting another dinner like this in a couple of months so keep checking the Edible BC site for details. Cheers, Eric

Here are some more photos from the BB&B dinner... Many thanks to Brian, Tim and all the staff at Rare for a fabulous evening that exceeded all my expectations! I can't wait to do it again!!! Cheers, Eric PS. I am working on getting all the details on the wine pairings and will post them as soon as I have them.

Details on the next Rare dining event (the B.C. Indigenous Dinner) on March 12th can now be viewed here: http://www.edible-britishcolumbia.com/even...ousBCDinner.pdf Cheers, Eric

I don't know about that. Say the Royal Bank wants to book out the restaurant every night for a whopping fee, plus food and beverage service , before, during and after the games ( paralympics ) Set menus, set wines, set staff, set hours. Having read Eric Pateman's above post, that does not seem such a bad idea. I would think the Barefoot Bistro would / could command that sort of booking ? I do not think the HSG would, but I might look into it. ← From previous Games experience, I would not expect to see huge sums paid for room rentals or booking fees as most of these corporations are very good negotiators. “We will fill your restaurant every night for the next week to 10 days, but we want fair prices for the food and beverages and all rentals fees waived" was not uncommon in Salt Lake City. In Whistler, with its limited number of high-end eateries, I would expect that the BFB and Araxi will both eventually get booked out for private dinners most nights. The restaurant that did the best in Park City during the Games was at Stein Eriksen Lodge and it was booked out by Jet Set Sports. This is the group that any hotelier and restaurant company will want to work with. By far they offer the best rates and pay for quality, but they also have exceptional demands (i.e. they had an ice rink created in the middle of a hotel ballroom in DT Salt Lake) so Peggy Flemming could skate for guests during dinner). Also, operators need to budget for the increased staffing costs during the Games (the bonus structure I mentioned earlier really needs to be built into the costs for those two weeks). Many operators in SLC discovered that the increased costs were not offset by increased rates. As for the Paralympics, this will only have an impact in Whistler and it will be VERY MINOR. Most of the organizations and sponsors for this do not have any budgets so entertaining is at a minimum and unfortunately, the Paralympics themselves attract very few spectators. While all of this may sound negative it is not meant to, I just believe that it is imperative that operators keep their expectations in check. This event is about promoting the region to the world, not getting rich in two weeks! Cheers, Eric

I should also mention that in Salt Lake City, many hotels and restaurants put a bonus structure in place up to 2 years prior to the Games. From the point of inception to the day the Olympics end you earn x $ per shift in accrued bonus funds. This bonus was then paid to employees the week following the Games to ensure that hotel and restaurant staff were not poached by fellow restaurants or temporary vendors for the Games. Something to keep in mind with our pending staff shortage...

A very interesting subject and one that I have spent more than a couple of years studying… I believe that Vancouver restaurateurs who plan ahead and work with VANOC will do surprisingly well. Restaurants who contract their space out to Olympic sponsors will also do very well as most of these sponsors host dinners for their clients on a nightly basis. In Salt Lake City, one restaurateur in particular did extremely well due to his contacts with the organizing committee and sponsors. However, large and small restaurants just a block or two away from key Olympic areas and venues actually sat empty for most of the two weeks. Even hotel restaurants where the major Olympic sponsors and the Olympic family stayed were quiet for most meals except breakfast. Bag lunches and catering at venues did the key lunch trade. A couple of other things that should be kept in mind: 1) The athletes will not travel around the province nor eat at restaurants during the games. They typically stay in the athletes villages where all their food and accommodation is provided for them. 2) The majority of people who come to an Olympic city for the Games come solely for the Games, and do not explore outside the geographic region of the Games (at least during this visit). Many will come back in the future to explore more if they like what they see during their time here. In past host cities such as Salt Lake City and Sydney, areas outside of the geographic regions of the Games actually saw a decline in typical visitation during the 2 weeks of the Games and in the months leading up to them. 3) The number of tourists who will come to Vancouver for the Games who are not directly or indirectly tied to the Games may prove to be relatively small (similar to past host cities). The people who are tied to the Games typically come in waves of 4 days and do not have time to explore the region as their time is limited. All this being said, I am a huge proponent of the Games and I believe that it has the potential to create a significant increase in long-term demand not just for Vancouver and Whistler, but for the rest of B.C. and Canada. The Games is only two weeks long and the majority of operators who bank on making a killing during that period will likely end up being disappointed. In order to take advantage of the global publicity generated by the Games, it will be necessary for places such as the Okanagan and Vancouver Island to be highlighted to the media, IOC, corporate sponsors, etc. through dinners and other initiatives which will take place at Olympic venues. This will be great opportunity for people to taste and experience the cuisine and wines of B.C. but it will be in the hands of event organizers and local chefs to ensure that the clients they are cooking for experience these ingredients. I am looking forward to watching the progress of VANOC and being a part of promoting Vancouver and the rest of B.C. as a great culinary destination before, during and especially after the Olympic Games. Cheers, Eric

It was a great pleaure working with Tim and Brian to organize the "Opening Soon" dinner and I am glad to people had a great time and got to see what it is like to serve the first dinner in a new restaurant. I have also posted some pictures of the evening on my website at: Edible B.C. Past Events We will be hosting another event at Rare on March 12th which will be posted on the Edible BC website tomorrow afternoon. The event will be limited to 12 pairs of tickets so be sure to check it out tomorrow if you are interested as it will likley sell out quickly. Cheers, Eric

Is Century open for lunch?

The pre-opening dinner on the 25th is now sold out. Sorry!

I would love to know what products people think deserved a mention from BC (for a small project I am working on). Your help would be appreciated! Cheers, Eric

As someone who is also celiac (as is my mother), I second the recommendation for West as they always ensure that I have a fantastic meal. Actually, my other diner guests usually wish they had something wrong with them as well, as the dishes usually go above and beyond. To be honest, most 4 or 5 star restaurants are very happy and capable to cater for special diets, I only seem to run into problems with CFD restaurants and fast food. Here is a list of some of my other favorite places, where they have gone out of thier way to ensure I had a great meal. Cioppino's Coast Aurora Bistro C Restaurant Saveur On the North Shore: Kansai Sushi Gusto di Quattro Dundarave Fish Market Don't bother with La Regulade (hands down the best restaurant on the North Shore, but they will not alter dishes for special diets). The biggest secret is to always call ahead and give the chef a heads up that you are coming, and tell him exactly what your requirements are. The, let him/her cook for you. I hope you and your Mom have a fabulous time! Cheers, Eric

I am looking for a good ice cream maker and have been comparing prices around the city. For an online company, they seem to be quite expensive. The three ice cream machines they have listed are between 6% and 15% more expensive than the kitchen shop in Park Royal Village (which is one of the more expensive shops in the city).

I second the recommendation for Elements. I had a late breakfast there today and it was excellent. Crisp pancetta, goat cheese fritatta with a great potato tart. The tapas menu looks fantstic as well and the wine list offers a great selection. The service was friendly (but not very efficient). I can't wait to go back and try the drinks and dinner menu. Very reasonable prices - especially for Whistler. Also of note - Apres is doing a Chef's tasting menu for $45 but it only lasts until the 15th! Cheers, Eric

Yes, we saw the chefs. Rob held court at the door of his kitchen; he generously answered questions about the meal and the recent renovations. During dinner, both chefs took some time out to address the room, simultaneously reminiscing and roasting. After the dinner, Michel graciously circulated the room. There seemed to be a lot of Le Crocodile fans in the crowd. The quenelle dish and the lake trout were hands down my favourite. The quenelle was light and white and rich and creamy all at once. And the sauce...think lobster bisque reduced to a few tablespoons. I would've loved to lick that pot! The lake trout was perfectly cooked. I seem to remember it described as "baked", but it certainly didn't taste baked. I imagined that it had been poached in butter it was so smooth and rich. And the bed of choucroute - a little sweet and sour and the texture of sauteed onions. Thank you to all who participated in the lottery - Dawn and I had a wonderful time. Here's to at least 10 more years for Lumiere and Le Crocodile!

Some photos as requested... Many thanks to QuBic Lam who willing to share some of his photos

It’s daunting to have to work as someone else’s stomach. Since the Mr. was not able to attend this event on behalf of the eGullet crew after winning the draw last week, I (the Mrs.) gamely volunteered to take his place. My business partner, Dawn Saunders, more than gladly filled in as my date. Usually when we dine out, I sit in the background and enjoy the meal under the flash of the camera while Mr. takes notes, pictures and copies of menus. This is my first review. Please forgive any reviewer/posting faux pas. Lumiere, as most of you already know, is a beautiful, tranquil restaurant. Throughout service, the staff floated through the room carrying plates of heavenly food. Where this food came from, neither Dawn nor I knew, since when we wandered into the brand-new kitchen 20 minutes prior to service it was a sea of calm. We expected bustling, noisy and sweating chefs a la the stuff of reality food television. Instead we saw hundreds of white plates covering the stainless steel countertops and many zen-like chefs gliding throughout the kitchen. No overflowing pots and pans, no screaming, towel-waving, frantic chefs. No food save reams of yummy-looking loaves of brioche. We contemplated this calm while sipping a glass or two of Ruggeri, Giall’oro Extra Brut N.V. Prosecco and nibbling on the canapés: an Alsatian tart (airy pastry topped with cheese, onion and bacon) and marinated herring escabeche with crème fraîche and caviar. This lovely food had to come from somewhere. Maybe it was the bubbles, but Dawn and I started to think we had been transported to Harry Potter’s world where Chefs Jacob and Feenie were waving their wands and magically producing the 10-course meal. And I have to say, there was nothing during this fabulous dinner that made us think otherwise! We were seated and our evening began. The room vibrated with the energy of 60 expectant gourmets. Collective sighs of contentment came forth with the first course: a terrine of foie gras, Riesling ice wine jelly, truffled frisee, and the orange blossom toasted brioche. After days of eating salad and broccoli to prepare my arteries for this meal, my tastebuds thought they had died and gone to heaven. The wine was impeccably paired to stand up to the richness of the terrine. (Phillipe Delasvaux 2004 Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin.) Just when we thought the first course was the “best we’ve ever had”, we were presented with a succession of fish courses: a light Quenelle de Sandre (pike perch according to my dictionary) with a paper-thin disc of black truffle placed upon a creamy lobster reduction. The accompanying Pfaffenheim Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Steinert 2001 Alsace was beautiful (so beautiful that I nearly wept when Mr. informed me that we have a couple bottles in our cellar!) The next fish dish was a unique Choucroute de Poisson (lake trout on a bed of braised cabbage) with a Noilly-Prat butter sauce. I know, the English translation does not do this dish justice; it must be a bit of that wand waving Rob and Michel did in the kitchen because fish and cabbage do not melt on your tongue the way the choucroute de poisson did. The fish was followed by a crystal clear pheasant consommé with a brunoise of vegetables; Escoffier himself could not have done better. We are lucky to have such masters of classic French technique in our city. The burgundy pairing with this dish was smooth: Fontaine-Gagnard 2003 Chassagne-Montrachet. By the time the sixth and largest course arrived, the room had lost its reverent air; everyone was scooping marrow and sliding forkfuls of the juicy Cote de Boeuf and buttery Gratin Dauphinois across their plates to sop up every drop of the generously ladled Pinot Noir sauce. More bread please! Or perhaps one of those spoons the French made to save the fingers from scraping the last of the sauce off the plate! We swirled our glasses and admired the Baron’Arques “Toques et Cloches” Cuvee Lumiere 2001 Haute Valle de L’aude, from Lumiere’ s own barrel and poured tonight in celebration of 10 great years. We feel honoured to be a part of the festivities, we raise our glasses to toast the chefs and the staff for their achievements and we are full. But there is more. Warmed Munster cheese on fruit and nut bread with cumin seeds and a fresh quince jelly. Dawn and I smile and discreetly adjust the waistbands as we lean back and sip a great B.C. wine: Dirty Laundry Madame’s Vines Gewurztraminer 2004. Dawn tries not to think about her early start tomorrow – her first patient at our physiotherapy clinic is waltzing in at 6:40 am –as she dips her spoon into a divine Mirabelle sorbet and eau de vie. We applaud the sugar-dusted Kugelhopf (an Alsatian, or is that Austrian? version of Italy’s pannetonne) as the staff parade it through the room. It returns, sliced, with a kirsch crème anglaise and the most wonderful fromage frais ice cream. Heaven on a plate and it’s not even chocolate! We finish the meal, satiated and spell-bound by the banquet created by Michel, Rob and their assistant wizards – I mean, chefs – out of the magical kitchen. We sip our tea and latte, nibble again on dainty sweets and gaze out the window at yet another enchantment. What a perfect evening. It’s snowing. Gail Pateman

Hi Lorna, they were both from the same dinner which was a tasting menu. That night we also had an amazing scallop and miso dish, a rack of cariboo as well as a cherry dessert (it was that time of year) that was again, so simple but the flavors just exploded in your mouth. The dessert was a cherry caflouti, a port and cherry shot and a cherry sorbet all using okanagan cherries. That same weekend I also had an amazing dish at Araxi - a simple salmon tartar but it was served with the most intense basil oil I have ever had!

So many meals, so many choices... It is impossible to name just one but here are some of my more memorable dishes of 2005. I think that the one thing that inspires me is simple food made with great ingredients! Foie Gras - whether it is David's with peaches at West or this one below with baby chantrelles and petit pois at the Bearfoot Bistro, it is always the first thing I order. Another amazing dish I had was also at the Bearfoot during the same meal. It was a trio of tuna, but it incorporated unusal ingredients such as tapenade coupled with a poached local heirloom tomato, and some other amazing things which I don't remember. I reserve the right to continue to add to this post as I go through my notes and photos of 2005.

I recently visited and wrote about a small restaurant in the heart of Langley that would fit the foodie bill. It is not as polished as Domaine de Chaberton (as mentioned by Jamie) but the food is fantatsic and good value. They also have a chefs table which is a nice feature. Here is the review: A Memorable Seasonal Experience For a truly unique and memorable dining experience in the valley (after a day of touring wineries and farms) we would suggest a visit to the Seasonal Experience. Chef Adrian Beatty and his wife, Shannon, own and operate a tiny restaurant and catering company in the heart of Langley. Chef Beatty prides himself on sourcing the best local ingredients from around the valley and province, and providing his guests with a dining experience that will allow them to experience the bounty of the region. We met Adrian during a Bishop & King’s dinner in the Similkameen Valley a number of weeks ago where we sampled his regional style of cooking right on a farm. This enticed us to return to his restaurant on a recent weekend when we sampled dishes such as pan-seared McClenan Creek Chevre wrapped in proscuitto, on top of a bed of caramelized Granny Smith apples and wilted rapini, topped with an organic prune-plum chutney. Other dishes included a rack of lamb with a lavender and port reduction, seared scallops on maple barley with local organic fall vegetables, roasted Similkameen Asian pears and a sugar pumpkin crème brulee, plus many more! In all Chef Beatty served us 14 different dishes over the course of the evening! The dining room only has five tables and is located in a strip mall, but Shannon has put her touch on the cozy room to make it feel very welcoming. In the kitchen, the couple also has a chef’s table for two where you can keep an eye on everything being prepared and ask Chef Beatty as many questions as you please. The best way to describe eating at the Seasonal Experience is to liken it to eating in your best friend’s kitchen (who also happens to be a great chef). Don’t go expecting fancy cutlery, table linens or glassware, but do expect a dining experience that will introduce you to some amazing regional cooking and two people who love what they do in a little hidden restaurant in Langley! Seasonal Experience #118-20226 Fraser Highway Langley, B.C (604) 514-1311 (Reservations are strongly recommended in this five-table restaurant.)

I have been taking lots of photos and will be sure to have many more from the Bearfoot and Araxi later tonight. Enjoyed a great lunch put on by the Bins (941 and 942) in a private home today along with about 40 other people. Great food and wine and the backdrop of watching the snow pile up! I will report again tomorrow. Cheers, Eric

No pictures? Eric, I'm disappointed. ← My wife wanted me to dance, which meant a lot of drinking ....hence no pictures that were even close to worthy of being posted.