*Deborah*

Salade de Fruits, does anyone think? I wouldn't go to West on the same day I was eating at Parkside, but maybe that's just me.

Oh, I'm sure I'm alarmist, and they doubtless propagate like rabbits or something...but humans seem to have a way of wiping out species when there's profit involved, that's all.

Tricia...it starts with one town and then next thing you know we're beaver-less!! (visions of tail-less beaver carcasses strewn about the landscape, like the elephants killed for their tusks)

Pierogies are comfort food! don't you applaud mashed potatoes? I do! It's not haute cuisine--I suppose it's basse cuisine--but that doesn't make it bad. I agree with KT that it takes some kind of ingenuity (not to mention stubbornness) to survive under the circumstances. My (Ukrainian) grampa could live on fried garlic sausage and pierogies (he smelled like it, too )...I still like it now and again.

Have you (or has anyone) gone to that Frederico's on Commercial? I'm kinda curious.

He is very big on organic and on local. He was mentioned upthread

Beaver tails, moose nose, halibut cheeks...come on, I think we can get a whole animal's worth soon!

I have read a few of the threads about your restaurant, Glenn, and I think it’s great, what you’ve done. When I’m in grilled cheese mode, I normally don’t really want a salad at all...ketchup or tomato soup for me, but I’m a heathen. If not a dill pickle, how about some kind of vegetable relish? I don’t know what it’s called other than corn relish, but something like that would be a nice tart counterpoint to a sandwich. Of course you’d want one that had some colour in it besides yellow. I’m sure people would pay a .50-cent or $1 add-on for a green salad if you wanted to continue offering it.

The Pocky people are going to wonder about the sales blip this blog causes! Hope Hide feels better. I am enjoying this blog very much, btw, thanks! Oh, and older kids still do the peace sign thing for photos, I have some 20-something friends who do it every time a camera is in the vicinity

Or the watery Gulaschsuppe with three-day-old bread rolls (my only experience in a communist restaurant).

I don't have empirical evidence, but I'm fairly sure microwaving your pet will cause some sort of mess, depending on the species of pet.

Being a fairly new member, I am eagerly looking forward to this; add my kudos to those appreciating the lovely new graphics; and hope to join the elite donor ranks when my poor Visa card recovers from my upcoming vacation. Cheers, eGulleteers! (am I allowed to stay, Brooks, even though I quite simply cannot bear okra? I am abnormally fond of a Nola Oyster Po' Boy, in my defense)

Just got the hardcopy in today; well done. The panel is even larger than I had thought! Tabulation must be gruelling. I agree with all of the opinions that I can compare to my own experience, and wish my restaurant budget were decidedly larger so that I might expand my dining to gauge the panel's opinions even more . (Still offering my services as copy editor to Van Mag though )

My first solid meal after suffering with the flu for five days, and it was a humdinger! Double double (what the heck was I thinking?) with fried onions and mushrooms, and onion rings, batter-dipped. Delicious, juicy burger, what the doctor ordered, although about twice as much as I was capable of eating I did manage to squeeze a tiny bit of gelato in across the street at Mondo though

Thanks for the list Jamie...I had no idea it was so bad. Now the question will be "where did that fish/those prawns come from?" and hope they answer truthfully. Thanks, Leonard, too...I will look for more about that Ocean Wise program.

Arne, the more the merrier...but I have to say, the dogs will have nothing to eat as they always remove the crusts from the sandwiches for tea...don't they? I look forward to seeing Ringo and Gromit's new chic doggy raincoats...maybe it should be Prada though? or, no, you're right, Joie: Prada for Opus; Burberry for the Wedgewood

Apparently, the Wedgewood serves an excellent weekend High Tea. Perhaps you'd like to join me in a club chair by the fireplace one Saturday or Sunday afternoon? ← I would be delighted!

Yeah, me too...mine was at the Savoy in London though...oh wait, the last one was at Brown's Hotel. Are there other places in Vancouver that do a good one? my mother was talking about it last weekend.

In the early 90s, at my family's "special occasion restaurant," we used to get bruschetta on the table while we were ordering, as an amuse...that was before bruschetta were ubiquitous, too. I think it's a nice touch, but I don't expect it.

If I was with my family, we would normally go out somewhere, and I could pick. If I was spending the summer with grandparents, then we'd just have whatever at home, typically, and a birthday cake. Now I'm in Vancouver, and my parents are not; normally they will come to town for my birthday and take me somewhere fabulous. Last year, my dad was travelling for work and thus I got TWO birthday dinners--one with my mum, early, and one with my dad, late. Like Suzilightning, duck is almost certainly on my birthday menu, and foie gras if possible.

Re: the people who don't know what sashimi or seared or whatever is: why wouldn't they ask, if they don't know? I am pretty confident finding my way around a menu in English, French, or Italian, but when I don't know something or just blank on "courgette" (actually, I never blank on courgette as I loathe courgettes) I don't mind asking. If I don't understand and order anyway, then I consider that I am stuck with it, and it's my bad and not the kitchen's. I'll eat around it if I can't stand it. Was I raised differently or something? Like the moule story above, sometimes you end up getting something new that you will love. I like my beef medium-rare, my pork, the way the chef does it, my veal (chop) maybe a little more done than the chef does it (don't know why), chicken just done, and you can braise me anything and I will love it. I like my tuna steaks seared and my sashimi raw Vegetables...it varies, but please cook my potatoes through. I really don't like crunchy squash. I like a bit of tooth in most green vegetables though. If I happen to saute rather than steam bok choy it makes me very sad if I leave them on that minute too long...

I you look through the Vancouver forum a bit, you'll see that even our free weekly entertainment paper's reader's choice awards have four or five categories for Asian...so yes there are lots of them! Cantonese Szechuan Japanese Sushi Hapa (fusion) Thai Malay Vietnamese I'm missing a lot of styles, no doubt; I don't even eat Asian that often. There is a Chinatown, but there are good restaurants scattered all over downtown and beyond. Maybe you could narrow it down a little? are you staying downtown? will you have a car? Richmond has the biggest Asian community and more Chinese restaurants than you can shake a stick at (and several that have hearty eGullet recommendations) but you don't want to take the bus out there. There's doubtless lots of good food within walking distance of your hotel, or at least a reasonable cab fare away though. Is there a particular style of food you like? or something you really want to try? Something many of us are eating right now is this Japanese fusion style of food: Shiru-Bay Chopstick Café in Yaletown is one place that offers it, and Hapa Izakaya on Robson Street is another, even more popular amongst eGulleters. Tojo's Restaurant is a place I have never been but very famous...I will let others talk about it. When are you coming to town?

Oh, no, Brian is going to be upset, the line will get longer!! I haven't tried their smoked meat yet but I had a ham and cheese croissant and a hamentaschen (sp?) one day and was quite pleased.

For take out, I usually tip a bit, less than a dollar, typically. The exception is the restaurant where I get take out several times a week near my office; I call up, they get my order up quickly, and never moan about the extra trip back to the kitchen. I tip them a couple of dollars each time, because they're providing me more of a service than a counterperson tossing something in a bag for me...well, that's how it feels, anyways. Delivery is usually a two or three dollar tip, or more if the weather is extra-awful or it's a holiday or something. A delivery order for me is almost always less than $30 worth, and 10% on delivery seems reasonable to me.

This Epicurious English Toffee Cheesecake has almonds in it. One of the guys in my office requests it each year for his birthday cake. Caveat: it's very sweet, but will easily serve 16 people or more; I don't put any gumdrops on top, either; you might add chocolate covered almonds on top to continue the almond theme.