Paul B

Well, here on the North Shore it really comes down to two places: the Tomahawk for your traditional big carbo, major fat pig out; and Cindy's, in Ambleside, for something equally big but less traditional. Both are worth the drive.

I have to agree with C-Wok. It's pretty authentic and the people who run it are nice. They have stuff on the daily menu that doesn't appear on the take-out menu, so you can ask them what the daily special is and sometimes get some interesting surprises. Cheap too.

Paul - I'll be there since is close to where I live (I am constantly asked to produce ID in WV to prove this). You will recognize me because I will be the large Asian man wearing flip flops, combat shorts, with frosted hair - carrying a ghetto blaster with canto-pop; going around asking the locals - "is this the night market?" Seriously though- I hope that they have decent stuff - I love WF's but would also like altnernative. But - please I hope that it is mostly food orientated - I will personally set fire to any stand selling lamps made from drift wood or clocks with orcas painted on the faces. And if there any wind chimes... you will see me on the cover of the Province with the headline "RAMPAGE" ← Lee -- Well, sorry I missed you but then I'm also sorry about the market. What a waste of time! A couple of booths selling crappy crafts, someone selling herbs, and someone hawking so-so bread. What the heck? Well, it was only announced at the beginning of the week so maybe vendors don't know about it yet. Will check in next week but if it doesn't start involving some farmers I may have to start my own rampage.

What about the Gyoza King at 1508 Robson, a block or two from Denman? They're open late and offer real Japanese bar foods at a reasonable price. Several magazine articles have said that the downtown chefs all hit it after their shifts. There's also DV8, but they just had a fire and may be out of commission for a while.

A new farmers' market will debut this Sunday in West Vancouver at Marine and 14th. It will run from 1-6. I don't know if it will be any good, but please please come out and support it! It almost didn't happen because the same misanthropic troglodytes who complained so much about the smell of non-Caucasian foods that the council passed the justly ridiculed smell by-law said that a market in the empty lot beside their building would "ruin their lives." They predicted (I kid you not) that West Van would be overrun with rats and outsiders would defecate in their stairwells. Saner heads on the West Van council finally prevailed and the market just got the green light. So please come out, buy something, and moon the people in the building on the other side of 14th. The Ambleside neighbourhood of West Van desperately needs something like this and I need someplace besides Whole Foods to buy interesting produce. If you do come, look for a guy in glasses who occasionally giving the finger to a condominium. That'll be me.

Even closer than Wild Rice is the pub in the library building: the Fox and Firkin. Certainly good for before concert drinks -- we got slightly altered there before David Bowie -- and the food didn't look bad. It's the sort of pub/restaurant that is on every corner in Toronto but which is only making inroads in Vancouver lately.

Dim sum is always a good bet. Our little ones practically grew up in the Flamingo on Fraser south of Kingsway.

Yep .. the dim sum is pretty good ... cheap too. Haven't done the take-out because until now, I've had Pepper House! I'll keep you posted if you'll do the same. We suburbians have to stick together! Nope ... different place completely. A. ← I've been to this place. It's just east of Willingdon on the south side of Hastings, beside a Chinese restaurant. The take out is just fine, though because a lot of the stuff is kept in steam tables it's not as fresh later in the day as it is around lunch. They also have Chinese baking. Don't know the name, but I'll be driving by it on the way home today and will try to remember to check for it. ← Here it is: Top Qaulity Ltd. Chinese Food Square. How's that for a name?

I've been to Florence three times now, each time on the budget of an academic, so I've had to eat cheaply, especially the times I packed along my family. One of the stands in the Mercato market has been mentioned, but there is another one, called (of all things) Porks. I believe it is in the north east corner of the main floor. Very cheap and fresh pastas. If you cross to the south of the Arno and walk west until you pass through the big gates you'll hit the Trattoria Sabatino. Run by a family that makes its own olive oil and wine, it is bright, loud, cheerful, and cheap. I've also had good luck ordering pizza in Florence. We stayed at the Hotel Perseo, just down the street from the duomo, and the staff there happily placed pizza orders for us from a place around the corner. Good stuff. But you know, the best meals I've have in Italy weren't in Florence, Rome, or Sienna, but in Bergamo. Twice I've stayed in the Hotel Piemontese right across from the train station. Attached to that hotel is a restaurant that is a great deal of fun and very generous with the food. Whenever I think of the perfect pizza, I think of the meal I had there. I'd go there tonight if I could. Ciao.

I see all the Bard plays every year and whenever I can I have a light dinner before hand. Granville Island is very close by and might be nice for the parents if they aren't familiar with it. There is also a place a very good Japanese place west of Burrard on 2nd and 3rd. Maybe someone knows the name. There used to be a tapas place on the corner of Cornwall and Cypress, but I think it changed ownership.

Funny, that quince tree. My mom's got one that produces a crap-load of quince every summer. To eat the fruit (pear-like) is brutal, but she makes a damn good marmalade from it that feeds the family for months on end. Apparently a popular tradition in northern Portugal where my folks are from.... MMmMMmm.... maaaaarmalade..... ← A bit off topic from Persian food, but yes, quince is pretty much impossible to eat raw, but can be made into a good marmalade or jelly. When we lived in Ireland you could get it in certain shops but it was so solid that the store keepers cut it with a cheese slicer. Odd, but tasty. My wife's own attempts to make quince jam have not been, uh, overwhelmingly successful so now we're happy to let our Persian friends pick the fruit.

Yep .. the dim sum is pretty good ... cheap too. Haven't done the take-out because until now, I've had Pepper House! I'll keep you posted if you'll do the same. We suburbians have to stick together! Nope ... different place completely. A. ← I've been to this place. It's just east of Willingdon on the south side of Hastings, beside a Chinese restaurant. The take out is just fine, though because a lot of the stuff is kept in steam tables it's not as fresh later in the day as it is around lunch. They also have Chinese baking. Don't know the name, but I'll be driving by it on the way home today and will try to remember to check for it.

One of my only regrets about living on the North Shore is that there isn't a Chinese BBQ place over here, or if there is I haven't found it yet. So when I'm in town I often load up, especially on fresh Chinese sausage, and haul it back over the bridge. In the first floor of the Aberdeen Centre in Richmond there's a good little BBQ place right beside the stand that makes that wonderful jerky. There's also a place on Frasier close by the Flamingo Restaurant, a block of two south of Kingsway. I've also grabbed BBQ at a couple of places in Chinatown, including one near the Floata building (sorry I don't remember the name). In a pinch I've also bought BBQ from T&T, though it's not the best. You know, I once read that people from Hong Kong will load up on locally made Chinese sausage and bring it home because the stuff made here is so good. Don't know if that's true, but I always keep a few packages in my freezer for the days I want to stir-fry some rice or noodles and don't have the time to get into town for the fresh stuff. Will try that place near Knight.

Here on the North Shore, we order take-out from a little place on Marine called C-Wok. Terrible pun, I know, but the food is good and they deliver in good time. It's also well priced.

There's a small shop in the south end of the first floor of the Aberdeen Centre in Richmond that only sells jerky. The sweet pork jerky is so good we buy it by the pound. They'll seal it for you so that it keeps for a long time.

What time does it officially open and which days is it on? Thanks.

Friday night: had some beers and a few slices of pizza at the Steamworks in Gastown, then walked up to Cassis. I had bouillebaisse and my wife had the salade nicoise after half a dozen oysters. Excellent. Saturday we had dinner at Il Nopalito. the Mexican restaurant in North Van on Third just west of Lonsdale. Slow service, but perhaps the most authentic Mexican I've had in Vancouver. Great margaritas and cheap: four of us, appies, mains, a pitcher of margaritas, several Coronas and glasses of wine -- $120. Today, Sunday, I had to drive my eldest son out to Delta for a regatta at an ungodly hour so we ended up in Richmond at 8:30 am looking for breakfast. Ended up having dim sum at the Floata. Too early for carts, so we ordered from the menu. Not bad, but not as good at the Floata downtown.

Sounds great, but where is it? I've been buying their products from a local fish store (!) and enjoying them a lot, but I'd love to go to the mother store.

Yeah, the Fasil on East Broadway is good. It is a grungy 'hood, and the restaurant won't win any awards for decor, but the food is good and the woman who runs the place is sweet. We've gone a couple of times with 6-8 people and just told her to feed us for, like, $100 or so bucks. She chose all the dishes. It took a while (she's alone in the kitchen) but the food was good and there was too much to finish.

I have to agree with the Pic Nic recommendation. I got six there this morning at 9:30. They were just out of the oven, warm, flakey, and buttery. Actually better than any I've had in Paris. And they were BIG.

Let me wade in with my rib recipe, so popular with my family and friends that they simply call it "THE ribs." In the recipe it says to broil in an oven, but the last stage is actually done better on the bbq:  2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs Dry Rub: 3 parts tablespoons white sugar, tightly packed 1 parts coarse salt 1 oart paprika 1 part tablespoon chili powder 1/2 part ground black pepper 1/2 part cayenne pepper ½ part allspice 1/2 part thyme 1/2 part onion powder or, better, ground up dried onion flakes. In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Make as much as you want because it keeps well in a closed container. Braising Liquid: 1 cup white wine 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon honey 2 cloves garlic, chopped Preheat oven to 265 degrees. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil or in a 'hot bag.' Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour but preferably over night. . In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

I think that ready-made pizza crusts have their places. I often use them when I make a curry pizza (a good curry sauce, cooked pieces of chicken, peas, and crumbled feta). But for real pizzas I used the bread machine. Make the dough in the machine, turn it into a bowl and let it rise of an couple of hours, then work it into pizza crusts. Tastes great and it's relatively easy.

Ah, cheese. Living in Europe three years ago I had access to all sorts that I had never seen here. Epoisse, for example, the heroin of cheese. When I returned I headed straight for Le Ami and still head over there occasionally, but it is out of my way. Now I hit the Cheese Shoppe in Park Royal. As someone else mentioned, it's very good, they know their stuff, and the prices are competitive. I've seen them putting together some beautiful cheese platters for parties. The cheese selection in Whole Foods next door is actually quite good too, but pricier. I still, despite the wrapping, buy Parmesan Reggiano at Costco since we go through so much of it. I have, by the way, turned all my neighbors into Epoisse junkies.

The whole Whole Foods thing is interesting. I live in West Van, about a five minute drive from Park Royal. When the WF first went in we went and gawked, bought a bunch of stuff, and then suffered price shock at the check out. I think that's true of a lot of the people in my 'hood. A neighbor of mine actually went, did some shopping there, then (because she was so surprised at the cost) went to the local Safeway to price any identical products. She found they were 2 to 3 times as expensive at whole foods FOR THE SAME THING. She has decided that she will now only go to WF for special treats she can't find in other stores. We've adopted the same policy and most of West Van must have since the number of people shopping there has dropped considerably in the last month. It's only really crowded now for an hour after work -- when people are rushing home and they need a quick meal -- and on weekends, when people are browsing. Go there during the day most other times and it's empty. That being said, their roast vanilla pepper chicken is TOO GOOD. It always sells out. And the cheese selection is great, though more expensive than the Cheese Shoppe in Park Royal. I actually think a branch on Cambie, or whatever, might do better than Park Royal because you have a lot more single people who would appreciate the convenience of the prepared foods.

I've done lunch at both Havana and Wazubees. I think I'd take Havana over Wazubees, especially if it's a business lunch. Wazubees can be a bit loud. The food is perfectly fine at both restaurants.