lauraf

What are the dates for City Dine? I know that Dine Italia is another such prix fixe offering in September as well . . ..

Oh Tim, that's truly awful. Hang your head, man, hang your head. Must also add my kudos re: Metro. (Trying to stay OT ) Have been once each for lunch and dinner. Service outstanding each time, and food excellent. I agree that this is one of the best new restaurants of 2007 - out of how many new rooms to rave about??? (Oh, and insert my standard disclaimer here because I do business with the owners of Metro, so . . . .) Anyway, as impartially as I can be trusted to be, I highly recommend checking out Metro.

I missed this! I'm sorry lauraf. I've now tried twice to write how to do this and it's driving me nuts. I'm very poor at explaining even the simplest task in writing so I'll direct you a site that has best described what I did with one of my rosemary plants. farm-garden.com ← Ohhhhhh. I get it now, thanks! Yeah, that would work. I've been able to grow new bushes from actual cuttings, so the layering thing would definitely work for my rosemary. Should I start this now? ← I think that it's a bit late in the season to establish a plant that will survive this winter. Early to mid spring would be the best time. ← Dang. I jumped the gun and pinioned down several of the more flexible branches of my rosemary under different kinds of weights - small rocks, mainly. OMG, have I destroyed the whole rosemary plant? ← No! These are pretty tough plants. Make sure that the plants get regular waterings to establish the best root system they can before the rains begin (three months from now?). Are you planning to leave them in place or move them? If you leave them for the winter consider mulching them with quarter-minus gravel or another stone medium. You want to minimize any additional moisture around the main stem. While rosemary can withstand cold spells it's the wet that'll kill them or make them leggy. No worries, lauraf. It sounds as if you'll have a veritable field of rosemary. ← Thanks Petite Tete. Will update, umm, in eight months?

I missed this! I'm sorry lauraf. I've now tried twice to write how to do this and it's driving me nuts. I'm very poor at explaining even the simplest task in writing so I'll direct you a site that has best described what I did with one of my rosemary plants. farm-garden.com ← Ohhhhhh. I get it now, thanks! Yeah, that would work. I've been able to grow new bushes from actual cuttings, so the layering thing would definitely work for my rosemary. Should I start this now? ← I think that it's a bit late in the season to establish a plant that will survive this winter. Early to mid spring would be the best time. ← Dang. I jumped the gun and pinioned down several of the more flexible branches of my rosemary under different kinds of weights - small rocks, mainly. OMG, have I destroyed the whole rosemary plant?

Is he there daily? After my first experience wrenching heads off spot prawns - while liberating, I suppose - I am more than happy to let someone else do the dirty work for me.

I missed this! I'm sorry lauraf. I've now tried twice to write how to do this and it's driving me nuts. I'm very poor at explaining even the simplest task in writing so I'll direct you a site that has best described what I did with one of my rosemary plants. farm-garden.com ← Ohhhhhh. I get it now, thanks! Yeah, that would work. I've been able to grow new bushes from actual cuttings, so the layering thing would definitely work for my rosemary. Should I start this now?

Not sure I'd categorize Parkside as kid-friendly . . .. Not that they are unfriendly

My rosemary is only about two feet wide and tall, and most of it is quite straggly, but the ends are very healthy and harvestable. Considering what I read on that gardening website (thanks mtigges) and here, it seems my rosemary was lucky to survive yet another winter without any protective intervention on my part. It's planted in my garden exposed to the elements year round! I think I should wait until the end of the season and prune it all right back, give it some more love over the winter in the form of mulching or even a burlap wrap, and let it come back with new branches next spring. Meanwhile, it might be a bit unsightly, but I've still got gorgeous fresh rosemary for my cooking! And thanks for the pruning advice, sanresho, but given the state my rosemary is in, I'd have a hard time shaping this rosemary without losing all its leaves that are growing on its extremities. ← Since those tips are so healthy you might consider air-layering a few branches. What kind of mulch are you using? I live in the damp too and have found quarter-minus gravel is a great mulch for my Mediterranean plants. ← Can you explain 'air-layering'? I'm thinking it's pretty much self-explanatory, but . . .. I haven't mulched my herbs before, but I started composting this spring so hope that by the end of the fall I'll have some badass compost to work with.

My rosemary is only about two feet wide and tall, and most of it is quite straggly, but the ends are very healthy and harvestable. Considering what I read on that gardening website (thanks mtigges) and here, it seems my rosemary was lucky to survive yet another winter without any protective intervention on my part. It's planted in my garden exposed to the elements year round! I think I should wait until the end of the season and prune it all right back, give it some more love over the winter in the form of mulching or even a burlap wrap, and let it come back with new branches next spring. Meanwhile, it might be a bit unsightly, but I've still got gorgeous fresh rosemary for my cooking! And thanks for the pruning advice, sanresho, but given the state my rosemary is in, I'd have a hard time shaping this rosemary without losing all its leaves that are growing on its extremities.

Apparently there is a new restaurant going in beside Brix in Yaletown - I can't think about who/what it is. Anyone?

I've had one.

Awesome. A whole bunch of other people with rosemary issues! Great resource, thanks.

I'm late chiming in on this thread (been busy gardneing ) - my four year old rosemary survived the winter but bolted from a nice thick bushy plant into a stringy woody mess. Was it our challenging weather this winter that caused my problem and others'? Maybe I am not taking cuttings the right way? What is the best way to harvest rosemary so that it stays more compact and attractive?

Really? We ended up there for reasons best left unexplained last Sunday and I thought it was terrible. Paltry selection of seafood, poor baked goods, the eggs benedict with salmon was with dry, overly fishy cooked salmon, not smoked salmon or lox, and the regular benny had some kind of ham that was so gluey it was like Spam. And the hollandaise was a perturbingly florescent yellow and a cloying texture. The sausages were thick, tasteless, and possibly undercooked. Small consolation: waffles. Hard, lukewarm waffles. I would rather have spent the extra $3/person and gone to the Waterfront for their Sunday brunch - I haven't been in some time, so possibly it isn't as good as I remember it to be. Or remind myself never, ever to do a brunch buffet again. ← Are you talking about the Pan Pacific or the Hotel Vancouver? ← Actually i think you are talking about the Hotel Vancouver. Wow, it sounds like you had a pretty bad experience......i was there with a group of 12 people and everybody enjoyed the food, good to know that they are not very consistent. I prefer a menu brunch normally, buffet brunch is usually a once a year kinda thing. Talking about eggs benidict though, I did have an amazing one not too long ago at Cassis on Pender, with sable fish, it was so good. Does anyone know if they are still open for brunch? ← I'm pretty forgiving, but this was probably one of the worst brunch experiences I have ever had in Canada (don't even ask me about Oroville, WA), and it was $30/person to boot. How is the brunch at the Waterfront these days? Still as good as I remember?

We opened a bottle of the 2002 Sumac Ridge Pinnacle this week. A taste upon opening, without decanting, was actually unpleasant and my first thought was that it might be corked. After a couple of hours with air, it was drinkable, but (excuse my terminology, I'm no wine professional) overly vanilla-y, with very little tannic structure to counteract. Shouldn't one expect that a 2002 BC red would cellar for five years minimum?

Really? We ended up there for reasons best left unexplained last Sunday and I thought it was terrible. Paltry selection of seafood, poor baked goods, the eggs benedict with salmon was with dry, overly fishy cooked salmon, not smoked salmon or lox, and the regular benny had some kind of ham that was so gluey it was like Spam. And the hollandaise was a perturbingly florescent yellow and a cloying texture. The sausages were thick, tasteless, and possibly undercooked. Small consolation: waffles. Hard, lukewarm waffles. I would rather have spent the extra $3/person and gone to the Waterfront for their Sunday brunch - I haven't been in some time, so possibly it isn't as good as I remember it to be. Or remind myself never, ever to do a brunch buffet again.

Don't be that mortified. TV is often a requirement of weekend brunching for my husband, and definitely during March Madness. Downtown Milestone's in Yaletown or on Robson has a sizeable and reasonably passable brunch menu (lots of benny options) every day and TVs at the bar - I like their brunch better than Brown's, and I'm not sure if Earls does brunch. Beyond, the new restaurant in the Century Plaza on Burrard also has a multi-screen lounge and a couple benny and other egg options on Sundays. Most places will be willing to accommodate TV station requests from bar patrons.

Is Memphis Blues too casual for your companions? They are right beside Cru and I'm sure an Elvis platter wouldn't break your communal budget. Also Star Anise has a prix fixe menu, but I haven't dined there in years and have no idea what the quality is like these days. Oh, and there is Primo's on 12th as well - again, haven't been in ages, but perhaps worth checking out?

I'm not exactly an Indian food expert, but we absolutely love the garlic naan at Akbar's Own. With a side of their chunky mango chutney, delicious. Disclaimer: they are a client of mine. It's like, one small ad a year, but still. I've disclaimed.

Their honey-dip doughnuts are nirvana when still warm out of the oven. It'll be tough to stop at just two! ← Even better, the chocolate glazed chocolate doughnuts! Highly recommended.

I agree that dim sum is the best brunch, but if you want eggs 'n stuff, I have to second Ocean 6 Seventeen. The complimentary basket of homemade scones is worth the trip alone, they are generous with the hollandaise (a key factor for me, at least ) and the view is lovely. And Rare, Parkside, Aurora? Gems. edited for egregious grammar.

If I'm thinking of the right person, he was at En before he opened Umami. He's now at Kingyo on Denman St. Lovely guy with a great knowledge of sake! My muddled brain seems to think his name is Hiro. ← Right person indeed! Oh, I'm glad to know where he resurfaced. I've heard great things about Kingyo - must try. Is he FOH, doing the booze? ← Hiro is in charge of the drinks and floor. Stephen ← Thanks Stephen.

If I'm thinking of the right person, he was at En before he opened Umami. He's now at Kingyo on Denman St. Lovely guy with a great knowledge of sake! My muddled brain seems to think his name is Hiro. ← Right person indeed! Oh, I'm glad to know where he resurfaced. I've heard great things about Kingyo - must try. Is he FOH, doing the booze?

Replying to Arsenic: Hi Arsenic: I am very confused. Your first post about Infinity with pictures is mostly positive about the restaurant and dining experience. Your subsequent post on Infinity slams them. Two back-to-back posts, totally different comments. What happened? Cheers, Laura

The space that used to be Umami had the owner/chef disappear somewhat mysteriously, and his sous chef (I think) reopened it as Kei's, as mentioned. Any word on who is opening Mango's - is it from someone associated with Kei's?