lauraf

Original Gangsta: Is it that the process takes so much longer with this way of encouraging the deeper cup growth that prevents it from being used widely? If there is so much less product loss, wouldn't the net (sorry!) gains be the same as tumbing and losing 40% product? Is it still an unsustainable financial loss then to produce Kusshis et. al. this way? And Claudiak, I think that oysters are available at many establishments even those that are not billed as 'seafood' places, of which there are many in this city. Perhaps the reason we are unwilling to pay fair market price for oysters in particular is that we are in general spoiled by the price point vs. quality we have experienced for years in Vancouver vs. other cities. It is a point of pride for our city, but perhaps we are eating ourselves alive??

OG - is the reason they tumble certain species like the Kusshi just for perceived aesthetics, the mouthfeel of a deeper, plumper oyster, or would it actually affect its taste in any way? Are there other ways of curbing these oysters in growing in length or inducing more growth in depth other than tumbling? And I am unclear - do they tumble one species together at a time, or mix up various species when tumbling? Thanks!

I had foie gras three times in two days--at Elements, at home, and at Parkside. I do love the fries that come with the veal chop, but that might be a lunch time special. My favourite dish I had this summer was the cornish game hen stuffed with sweetbreads, but that might be a lunch dish as well. The onion tart is quite good. Nice pastry. ←

I'm glad to hear I can eat all the oysters I want with clear conscience! BTW - you mentioned upthread that my favourite Kusshi oysters may not be readily available for much longer - why?

Hmmm perhaps he should take the class? ← He doesn't have the patience. Case in point, his way of trying to make chicken soup was to take the lovely stock I had on the oven over the weekend, added a head of celery, a peeled onion (whole) and some whole peppercorns. This guy needs to start at the Non-Serious-Foodie-Here's-How-To-Boil-An-Egg-You-Fool level. Love him tho'. Edited to ask what's up for next week's class . . . do you know in advance?

They almost always have a fabulous foie gras appetizer special - a terrine, or pan-seared - that is rich, unctuous and a beautiful experience with a lovely Sauturnes. My thrice-a-year foie gras indulgence!

We did our office ChristmaHanaKwaanzikah party there this December, and the consensus on this board is pretty much it - the traditional Italian fare is good, not great, the show is over-the-top cheese, and as a packaged experience (with plenty of wine) it is awesome with a large group of people. But some people take the dancing very seriously - when I went on a Wednesday night in May the room was less than half full, and when Federico came on, several couples (all Asian, I think) got up in serious ballroom dancing attire - the women complete with those seventies sequined open-toed heels - and tango'ed/salsa'ed/rumba'ed to our wide-eyed delight. I guess it's one of the only places in town on a regular weekday night to practice for the ballroom dance competitions!

Thank you Oyster Guy for the tutorial - I didn't understand so much of the process until now! What a wonderful, sustainable industry. Are there any environmental downsides to oyster harvesting, and what are the environmental challenges you face in these waters?

Neck is healing - thanks for asking Makanmakan - slowly. Another month or so and I might be able to chop onions again without pain! It's been very interesting having my non-cooking husband prepare dinner . . . . (Not only did I have to cancel - postpone, I should say - the Foodie class, I am also on doctor's orders not to travel for a while, meaning my trip to the Dominican Republic for later this month is also off - serious boohoo. And I am arm-deep in insurance forms to try to get my money back . . . ) Back on topic, I am glad to hear that the Academy is being flexible about illnesses/cancellations. I didn't realize that there is a concurrent Monday and Tuesday night (beginner level "Serious Foodies") class - are they the same in terms of the principal lessons taught and dishes cooked? And you can whine right past me Makanmakan - the flu is the worst!. Sorry to undermine your rightful call to sympathy . . . Boohoo, you're out for one night - I'm out for the whole seminar w/ my herniated disks and am trying - really trying - to live vicarously through all posting egullet attendees - so please, keep up the posting and keep me entertained/enthused for the next seminar - doesn't start until May 9th! But makanmakan, I sympathize with missing a class when you've signed up for the whole shooting match and are paying for it . . . would the Academy let you sit in on the next seminar's baguette evening - if there is a consistent schedule for each class? ← i know....let me whine though...lol. when i talked to marla today, she said that if i felt better tomorrow, i can come to the tuesday class, but it's not looking good. i could manage it if i had an oxygen tank with me though! (bad asthma flare up due to chest cold) i'm hoping that between lee and anne and another friend of mine, i can leach notes from them and learn. how's your back doing, btw? ←

Boohoo, you're out for one night - I'm out for the whole seminar w/ my herniated disks and am trying - really trying - to live vicarously through all posting egullet attendees - so please, keep up the posting and keep me entertained/enthused for the next seminar - doesn't start until May 9th! But makanmakan, I sympathize with missing a class when you've signed up for the whole shooting match and are paying for it . . . would the Academy let you sit in on the next seminar's baguette evening - if there is a consistent schedule for each class?

This morning hubby and I went for blustery walk down to Kits Beach and I was lamenting the seemingly sad state of affairs at Watermark - I say 'seemingly' because I haven't dined there since September but have not heard any reason for that to change - and my question refers to the initial scepticism on this forum about the proprietorship of this endeavour: why did the city give this key opportunity to a restaurant company that has such a bad track record in terms of culinary excellence? Even giving the space to a middle-denominator/tourist friendly operator such as Earls or Brent Davies might not have garnered critical laudations but should have been an unqualified cash-cow success . . . Considering the controversy in opening the space to begin with, what behind-the-scenes dealings or simple short-sightedness resulted in a primo location being run by a restaurant operation that is now - and maybe predictably - being deserted by talented staff like rats from a sinking ship? And will they still rake in the cash anyway?

We've been fans and supporters of Don Francesco's from before the restaurant opened and Francesco was maitre d' at Il Giardino. He sings a mean operatic version of Happy Birthday, just so you know. The atmosphere is not trendy at all - very old school - but there's nothing wrong with pictures of Francesco arm in arm with Tony Bennett when the food and service is that great! The Liberace pic is pushing it though . . . Glad to see it get some attention - Francesco's been at this game a long time and deserves it.

Balthazar fits most requirements, I think - they have two rooms though - would you consider 'owning' one room and let the other one be public? We've had staff events there that have been great fun . . .

We did a party with amazing sushi from Shijo for 100 people @$15/head. For less expensive fare, you're probably on track at $10-$12 for food from a restaurant, not sure about catering companies though . . .

Do you need catering staff to be passing hors d'oeuvres during the luncheon, or is it a buffet affair? Do you need a bartending service as well for (non)alcoholic drinks? ← The reason I asked about needing servers vs. a buffet feed-yourself event is that you might find certain restaurants whose food you enjoy will gladly prepare a selection of platters for pickup and the overall cost might be lower than a catering service if you provide your own napkins, plastic cutlery, etc. We've done this for our own in-office parties when we have limited - and I mean limited - budgets . . . Let us know what you decide to do and how it turns out!!

Caesar. Salad. ← Freshly tossed . . .

If so, why pay Bond/Noble etc. for menu input? Souds like an account/corporate training specialist could effect far more positive change than a "name" chef. ← I was pleased to return from my daylight job of banging nails to see the effusive early response that this thread has sparked - both good and not so good. I was also pleased that Keith felt a compunction to respond. And for the record, I think the experience (as I said in the Burger Club thread, I ate a lot of wings and chicken tenders over the past year) at old-format Earls locations (Broadway and Fir, Kelowna, Victoria) is different than that in new rooms (Paramount Place). In fact, last weekend, at Paramount Place, we enjoyed a solid if predictable dinner, in possibly the best venue to watch hockey games, and two bottles of the impossible-to-find Sandhill 2003 Phantom Creek Petit Verdot, for $30. I quite enjoyed myself, as did our friends, who are rather more sophisticated diners than me. I'm not sure that I love CFD, Neil, but thanks for the offer. I have been quite intrigued by several things relevant to local CFDs though: there are a lot of local chains that clearly operate at a service, food and design level superior to other Canadian and American concepts; new CFDs are achieving annual revenues of over $5 million plus; foreign industry executives and consultants arrive here frequently to research them; and the food media, by in large, is effusively ignorant of them. That being said, there is a certain ubiquity to them, beginning the moment you walk in the front door. Stacked rock fireplaces, columns of flat-screens, and coltish servers who run like thoroughbreds and seem very happy for the income. Like Keith, I feel an organic urge and even civic duty to tip out heavily to help them with their tuition. Michael Noble's first chain-wide roll-out of new menu items will be launched next week, about a year since he joined Earls. Julian Bond has made more aggressive changes at Cactus Club, removing quite a few items and building the menu back. The one chain that I found consistently enervating and unexciting was Moxie's; it seemed an unimaginative and cheaper version of the species. I agree with lauraf and others that their training is sound preparation for what lies ahead, and that mention on a resume is a step up: it implies training, Needs Satisfaction skills, and a mind that can get organized for a solid shift, whether it be in the restaurant industry, or in a law partnership, or selling something more expensive than a margarita on a Monday. Lastly, and perhaps even more importantly, I also think there's a lesson to be learned by independent restaurateurs from CFD ingredient procurement, systems, floor management, service training, cleanliness and more. Jamie ← Like an ad in Vancouver Magazine? Et tu, Jamie . . .

Thanks Stephen - do you know what else they have scooped up in this market? Are they doing this in anticipation -rightly or wrongly judged - of privatization of the LDB monopoly?

Who is the new owner?

I can't comment on what the kithcen staff were clearing, and, um, yes, being a pretty, well-dressed and well-spoken gal certainly helped. So does being a good-looking, well-dressed and well-spoken guy. As I said before, yes, it would be difficult to support a family on $10/hour. My point is that at the entry level, the money wasn't fantastic but certainly not slave's wages. You didn't need tons of experience as they provided excellent training, and it's how I helped pay for university. Plus I doubt that the cash tip-outs get accurately reported to Revenue Canada . . . And the training - FOH and BOH - translates into many other areas of life - presentation, CAYG, multi-tasking, maintaining cool under pressure, teamwork . . . an excellent launching pad for any career. In fact, the training is so well-known that having an Earl's experience on your resume impresses even outside of the hospitality industry.

From 15 - 22 I worked as a hostess or server at various CFD restaurants in the province, and while I might only net $10 - $12/hour as a hostess (more as a server) most of it was in tips, not taxed, and I didn't have many other peers - other than a friend who made $20/hour cleaning fish guts in Richmond - who were making more $$ at that age. Most retail jobs paid worse, the environment was fun, you ate for free or a sizeable discount, and it's where I found all my boyfriends. While it would be pretty hard to support a family on those wages, as a put-yourself-through-school or early work experience, it was one of the best opportunities going in my world . . .

'Cause I'm under threat of the May deadline of "use it or you lose it" Vancouver Club membership minimum annual food-consumption charge . . . Sorry, I mean, 'cause their Valentine's Day offering sounds soooo romantic . . . Hubby and I will be in the Georgian Room for an 'intimate dinner' a la deux, a beautiful prix fixe menu courtesy of one of the best kitchens in the city, eschewing the other option of: Dining in the Grand Ballroom with a set menu followed by dancing to the hot fave's of the 1940's, 1950's and 1955's ('cause if the 60's were involved they'd have to take out special dance insurance for everyone whose birthday was after 1955 ) And the Georgian Room was where we were married three years ago, so, awwwww,

The venerable Okanagan Wine Shop located inside the Granville Island Public Market is slated to close February 28th. Liberty Wine Merchants is rumoured to take over . . . .

Do you need catering staff to be passing hors d'oeuvres during the luncheon, or is it a buffet affair? Do you need a bartending service as well for (non)alcoholic drinks?

I didn't see the bill because my step-grandmother paid at Pink Pearl - wondering if she's a fan because of the price point?? She's big on cheap . . . I find Imperial more impressive myself . . .