*Deborah*
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Posts posted by *Deborah*
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Why do these things come to me?
“Whither goest thou,” you ask me;
“Nowhere” sayeth I, “Alas, we
Single folk are spared the vastly
Overcrowded, pricey fest. We
Celebrate our singleness, we
Stay at home, we save our dough,
From time to time our noses blow,
And hope one day to go to Pastis,
Foie gras croquettes to eat most rashly
And celebrate the happy day
Like good eGulleters, Cat_Snacky.”
Edited again because I'm losing (what little there is of) my brain.
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Foie gras croquette....oh am I jealous!
Ça fait longtemps sans foie pour moi.
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I don't know about the food (I only attended the drinks afterwards), but I nominate Andrew as the Best eGullet Christopher Walken Imitation.
If I ever have another Oscar party, I'm inviting Andrew.
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I just looked at it online: www.terminalcity.ca...it's a funny drinking guide.
They give the paper away in my building. I like it cause it tells you who has karaoke when!
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Feature Kolachy: Chili Dog!!!!
Today they have their baked potato soup, too. Guess what I'm having for lunch?
Edited because I'm losing my mind and it's the New England Clam, not the Baked Potato....it's creamy, it's white....whaddayagonnado?
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Deborah, I think I used the cfd word because I was so impressed with the decor, the layout, and the vibe. It would be a small leap for these guys to get into the "fine" category. Everything is in place for that transition except the food. It wasn't bad. It wasn't excellent. It was just good. It's the fault of the demographic that they are trying (and I imagine they've had immense success here) to capture that they skimp on excellence from the kitchen. I presume they just want to please a growing culture of dumb -- dumbed down tastes, dumbed down expectations, and an under-appreciated of the elevated dining plane. I had a feeling that the guests would much rather eat their fajitas than sup from the genius of Senor Hawksworth. That's fine. In other words...just gimme a burger and allow me to feel cool as I gargle my Wolfblass. Is that my phone? That dude in the mini better not scratch my hummer...
Still, I was impressed. The look and feel is so far removed from any other Cactus Club i've seen. Very swank.
So it seems!
I have a bit of an unreasonable bias against chains...although I do eat in them. I will think of that Cactus Club next time I'm thinking about the Milestone's over there.
I have to agree with Arne and Peppyre that a carpeted bathroom could become less than salubrious though
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That's funny, because I never would have used the "fine" regardless of modifier in describing a Cactus Club, based on the two I have eaten at (Robson Street and North Vancouver--Pemberton?).
Hmmm.
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next on eGullet: Pho Wars
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I love crab cakes! Maybe I'll head over to Ordinary one day after Ming Wo-ing.
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I'm sure a lot of these posts will be pruned as being O/T but honestly, what is so damning about "good but not great"?
Aren't most people happy to be judged good?
I have said of several things I've eaten over the past few weeks, something to the effect of good but not great. Perhaps my flip mode of speaking makes it less offensive to the sensitive, PC reader, but it doesn't change the fact that something was judged good--acceptable--but not great--outstanding.
Everything cannot be outstanding, by definition.
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Jane was talking about it at dinner the other night, too!!!
Mystery place!
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afternoon all
having very recently enjoyed a plate of both neil`s gingerbread pudding and a pre- DOV sample of parkside`s sticky toffee pudding. i think that these two specimens of gustatory pleasure are the best in the city. i for one would not want the task of trying to seperate them.
a nod of respect should also go to pastis for their creme caramel too.
any other stand out desserts egulleters ?
I have had a very respectable sticky toffee pudding at Brix over the past few years. Actually, I think that was the first one I tried in the city after having fallen in love (with the pudding
) on a trip to the UK a few years ago. -
Edit: Someone said in one of the DOV threads that their server at Parkside had said they told their regulars not to come during Dine-Out as the quality of the meal suffered.
Yes, i did say that. Because that's basically what my waiter said. Because i knew him from Blue Water Cafe, he might have felt like he could tell me these things. But i am still a guest, and i dont appreciate feeling like a second-class customer (or an "in the know" second-class customer, for that matter).
As i was disappointed with the "suckling pig terrine", which was in fact Pork rillettes molded into a terrine shape, and came rather dry and lacking in seasoning,
his answer was that most people didnt know the difference (WTF!!). So i guess it's OK.
The braised veal was very well cooked, but lacked in depth and was crying for more seasoning. The veg on the plate were very poor, over-blanched and under-salted.
Dessert: i wanted to try the creme brulee. Good, not nothing special. The classic Toffee pudding was a better choice, and the ice-cream was well done indeed.
My waiter was kind enough to remind me that it was very important to feel full at the end of the meal. But you know what, that's TOTALLY missing the point of eating...
To me, the big issue with DOV is that most places lower their standards. THAT IS A MAJOR MISTAKE. Organizing chaos is a big part of our job, and so is blowing away our guests. Our expectations, taste and experiences set our own standards, and that carries in our restaurants. Do not rely on people's lack of experience with food. Give 'em your BEST, because nothing else is good enough.
I dont think most of Vancouver, french-inspired food could make it in a more grown-up city. It's not there yet.
But i hope that i'm part of something, a change towards better food, one baby step at a time.
No chance
Wow, Eddy! I'm glad that I ordered the items I did. I was actually leaning toward the terrine, but decided to try something different.
Perhaps I am too easily pleased (although I really did love your chocolate tart!!
) or not discriminating enough...when I get something I don't like very much in a restaurant, I also tend to think, "Hmm, that's not to my taste," rather than "Oh that's not very good"--most of the time. Although I am picky about things that I know how to make, and desserts. I guess that's where a chef makes a tough critic. I wasn't disputing what you had said, btw (and I agree that it's a bit tactless of your server to share it with you!), but the differences I noticed were minor, and didn't make me feel as though I were being gypped in some way, as some people seem to have felt about their DOVs. So even though it was not like a regular visit to Parkside for me, I will still be returning ISO Blood Orange Negronis and seared foie gras when my budget allows, and Chef Durbach remains high on my list of Vancouver favourites.
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An American server, say working in a high volume, fine dining restaurant in Los Angeles could earn a year's tuition for the University of Paris in a week just from tips.
Lets see. Maybe not a week, but in a year...
Tuition fees (American University in Paris) are about EU20,000, say $25K.
Double that for living, even at student rates, say 50K. Bit more since the earned income will be taxed, but then there is also some wages from the restaurant.
That is about $150/day everyday.
If that represents 15% of the bill, that means the bill must be about $1000
Say 10 covers at $100 each - looks possible.
Wait staff aren't as badly paid as I thought. I know teachers, nurses and other vital professions that pay less.
If a waiter is working in a fine dining establishment and selling $1000 worth of food and beverage, especially in LA, that means he's on a team of possibly 3 people selling that much, so that take will be split 3 ways, plus there will be other people to tip out. The math is not that simple.
I left fine dining because I make more money at a lower level. I don't work on a team, but individually, and when I sell $500 I've worked a pretty good shift. If I sell $1000, I've worked a pretty long shift, and possibly a double shift, and I tip out 2% of my sales, whether I get tipped on those sales or not.
And I've noticed that the closer I get to $1000 in sales on a shift, the lower my average tip is because at that volume, I'm probably working an Amateur Night like a Friday or Saturday. More amateurs means more 10% tippers, or even lower, and of course the more volume you do, the lower the standards of your service.
There really is no free lunch. And if you live in a city with really high end restaurants and very good tipping habits, chances are you're paying at least $1500 a month for a small apartment.
Are Canadians better tippers? 20 years ago, I knew a girl who worked at a FD place in Montréal, and she would routinely walk out of there with $500 in her wallet. I certainly never made that much on a shift, but I never worked at a place that high-end: $300 was a bad night for her.
Maybe it was just the "Go-Go Eighties" or something.
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:laugh:
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Lorna, I have somewhere a recipe for sticky toffee pudding, made in ramekins, and it doesn't have dates in it. I don't know where it's lurking though...that is a really good recipe, and if I ever turn it up, I'll give you a copy.
That ice cream is really something! I don't think I ever had cinnamon before. I'm really enjoying all of these spicy ice creams!
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Jamie,
What did you do before the internet?
Yours,
Unpetulant Princess
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Well! Well, well, well.
I think I had the most best luck of all of us in DOV! Started with the fabulosity that is West; went on to good or very good meals at Wild Rice; Diva; Blue Water; HSG; Brix; and tonight, my personal restaurant of 2004, as I don't think I ate anywhere else of that calibre 6 times last year.
In spite of pantyhose issues (
) which made me run a bit later than I would have liked, two of my friends and I got to Parkside maybe two minutes early, which always makes me feel good. HKDave joined us a few minutes later, and our party was complete.The room...the room was fuller than I've ever seen it; literally every table was full. The noise level was a bit higher than I'm used to there, and there was quite a broad range of diners, including the ubiquitous DOV tap water tables. Naturally, we made up for that as best we could; Dave had a nice Plymouth Martini that was quite to his taste, my friend had a Pineapple Sorbet Cosmopolitan, her husband had a Bourbon Sour, and I was ecstatic to see the Blood Orange Sorbet Negroni back on the menu. That bartender (bless him, I still don't know his name) is the only person on the entire planet who can successfully serve me gin.
Our server (who looked a bit like Johnny Depp, which can't hurt in the tips department) took our orders as soon as we stopped talking enough to actually choose from the menu: four choices per course. We blew all chances of tasting everything by picking almost the same things: Dave, Mike and I all got the Pine mushroom risotto with game jus and truffle essence, which was....sooooo good. We all cleaned our plates. Really delicious. Stéphanie had the Salad of arugula, tomato fondue, baby artichokes and Niçoise olives, preserved lemon vinaigrette which she enjoyed also, leaving only the olives (not an olive fan! who knew?).
For mains, we also leaned in one direction: Crispy skin Cornish hen, creamed spinach, herb tagliatelle, mushroom duxelles, sauce Colbert. This was kind of funny, as Dave had just made and eaten a Cornish Hen at culinary school earlier today, and has been eating duxelles a lot lately as well. It was so so good; the hen atop the other items, the skin just delectable, the meat tender and juicy, and the sauce...mmm. The spinach was very good, and the taglietelle, and the duxelles were something else. I could not finish, only because of the richness...really delicious. Stéphanie had the Braised veal shank, basil mashed potatoes, baby winter vegetables, red wine jus and let me have a bite, which made me wonder why I am not braising veal all the damn time? It was gorgeous.
The wine we decided upon was among the "60 under $60," an Alfiero Boffa Barbera d'Asti 1999 instead of my perennial Burrowing Owl Syrah, as Stéphanie is not the biggest fan of that grape. It was nice and dry, and I characterized it as being a bit thin...but I guess you have all figured out I like my reds as big and burly as possible, much of the time. Alas, I did not win the lottery, so no Pauillacs or other beautiful Bordeaux for us.
For dessert: two sticky toffee puddings with caramel sauce and cinnamon ice cream, one cheese plate featuring a Saint-André, and one crème brûlée with rum-soaked raisins. The pudding...was good. It was not Neil's Gingerbread, which is no fault of its own or its chef. The sauce was very good, and the cinnamon ice cream!!!! now I understand!!!! Stéphanie's crème was a bit too rich for her on top of it all, but I can tell you she yummed up every bit of sugar from the top
Dave no doubt will get into some details about his dinner.
When Sahara called earlier today to confirm, she stated we had a reservation from 8 to 10; and I laughed and said we understood. We basically had finished by then, but we stayed to talk for a little while and noone encouraged us to take off, as not so many people want their dinner at 10:00 here (although there were some!). I found service to be fine (and cute, in several instances
) but perhaps that was the Negroni talking, or my hormones, or something. I had a really pleasant meal, yet again, and thanks to all of you eGulleteers who have had the courage to come out with a stranger and enjoy a meal
it's really made my month!Edit: Someone said in one of the DOV threads that their server at Parkside had said they told their regulars not to come during Dine-Out as the quality of the meal suffered. Having eaten there as many times as I have, I have to say that the food was as good as ever, although maybe the items were a little different; the choices per course were fewer than usual, but (aside from the glaring lack of foie gras
) they seemed to be at much the same level I am used to seeing there, and portions were large. The Cornish Hen was I think the same dish that has been on the menu for a few months, the veal dish was plated as beautifully as it possibly could be, and the risotto seemed (to me) as delicious as one could hope for. The desserts might have been a bit more elaborate/elaborately presented on a "normal" day, but that's about the only difference I could see. The ambience was quite different than I'm used to there, a bit manic and high-energy, but that's what happens when there's a bum in every seat, and I don't normally go out on Friday/Saturday, since that's when places are busiest/noisiest. Service was still good if not maybe as chatty as I'm used to there, but again that is only what I expect given the volume. We weren't waiting for anything at any point, I don't think. Perhaps I am easygoing in criticism...*shrug* or easy to please? Hmmm. Some would argue that point!! -
and for your entertainment http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/lyle_24/myhero.swf ]a fat guy singing
Great video! He sounds Norwegian or something. Yup. Like a bald, Norwegian kitchen designer.
So, TFA, that's what you sing after gingerbread pudding, eh?
I get it.
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Glad all is well, Brian!
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My parents and I often go to Amarcord, for the nice, same, homey-ness of it. The wine has low markups. It's not exactly exciting, but it's very comfortable
it's always where my dad wants to eat after spending a few weeks in Asia and frantically travelling.Lack of cougars (and Hockey Wives) is always a big plus for me; my eyes don't get so tired from rolling around in my head
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I've been to Doolin's; food...meh; ambience good unless it's really really crowded (e.g., Friday or Saturday night). Lots of good whiskey in there though I tell you, and they have Guinness and whatnot on tap.
The Kingston (old RAT) is decidedly more yuppie now, but nice. I was there on a super-busy Friday, though, so I can't really say how it is on a normal day.
I used to like a drink at the Urban Well downtown; and I went to Crush once for a nice bottle of Cabernet, but these days I mostly drink at home (or the Commodore
)Andrew: I think I saw you at the Scissor Sisters!!
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So! I arrived five minutes early for my 7:00 reso and found that Chocklateer was ahead of me. We had our choice of tables at that early hour, and as I'd never sat at one there, I chose the tall table along the back wall.
We spent more time talking than looking at the menu or the list, waiting for our others. janevm had confirmed, but Xando Head had not...hope all is well; I think she may have gotten held up on her business trip. We waited for her for a bit, but ever-mindful of the Rules, we couldn't wait too long! Jane came in at 7:00 and I overheard her asking for Dorothy; she left and came back; when she came back, I went up and checked if she meant Deborah actually, which she did. So our party was complete. That's nothing! usually I get "Brenda"...
The VQA pairings were on the menu; Chocklateer (who told me many fascinating things about baking and chocolate) had a half-litre of the Kettle Valley Gewürztraminer, and I ordered that 2001 Oculus which was OK if a bit...nondescript. Jane shared it with me, sparing me a gross headache this morning.
My two new friends both started with the Organic Greens which they seemed to be happy with; they both finished their plates. I started with the very cute small Spring Rolls which I thought could have been a tiny bit hotter, but which had a very light, non-greasy taste and which I liked very much. The little watercress garnish I particularly liked...I'm eating quite a bit of watercress these days!
Chocklateer and I had the Dungeness Crab Cake which happily was not overdone! very very tasty, mmm I love crab. It was served with a seared scallop that was still translucent in the centre, perfectly done, and smoked salmon mashed potatoes piped up in a cute frilly tower, which I didn't like as much as the smoked chicken mashed potatoes I have often eaten at Brix, but they were still good. Jane had the Elk Sirloin which she pronounced delicious, it was gorgeous presentation, the meat nice and red in the centre in the dark sauce, obligatory rosemary stalk in the potato mille-feuille (Jane didn't mention whether she could tell the variety of potato, Dave
). The vegetables that came with my plate (green beans) were nice and firm to the tooth, garlicky and good.For dessert, we all opted for the Apple Struedel with Walnuts, and we all finished it. I can't say it was the very best I've ever had, but I really liked how the walnut flavour mixed with the apple. Basically, anything that is not sticky toffee or gingerbread pudding is a disappointing dessert, these days!! Not much to be done about that
I finished off with a Monte Cristo (coffee, not cigar) and since there was no lineup or anything, Chocklateer and I stayed and chatted till about 10:00; Jane had another engagement so couldn't linger. Oh, Yaletown! my facialist, Odette, was seated at the next table! hee hee.
I had a very enjoyable evening! but I must say, both my Visa card and my waistline will be glad to see the back of Dine-Out~!
Thanks to my companions for joining me, you added a lot to my evening, and I am at your disposal for other culinary adventures
V-Day
in Western Canada: Dining
Posted
Karole, I only go to Sun Peaks, don't know a thing at Silver Star, but I'll ask a co-worker tomorrow who spends much more time in the Okanagan, and may have an idea.