winegeek

I would like to know where Poplar Grove Reserve would place if entered. Ian and Gitta are producing some of the best wine in all of BC (IMHO). Their Reserve is amazing. Just picked up a half case of the 2002.

5 year old Balderson cheddar sourdough bread slightly carmelised onions butter YUMMY!

I'd like to throw in a vote for Krua on Lonsdale. Not ultra-gourmet, but very enjoyable and priced well.

Not only does Joe Fortes allow it, we encourage it, especially if you buy your cigars there . The roof top patio is a great place to smoKe a cigar. It's also heated and open all year round.

Kansai sushi My favourite sushi spot in North Vancouver Go Fish I'm embarrased to admit it but this was my first visit. Absolutely the best fish n chips I have ever had. Had one piece of salmon and one halibut. Great fries! Joe Fortes Yes, I do work there . Had a nice spinach salad with grilled chicken for lunch. Salad has pears, pecans, bacon and blue cheese. Very tasty.

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"Cheese The Shoppe" at Park Royal is a favourite of mine. I've been there many times and have yet to spend less than half an hour there. The staff has been helpful, making suggestions and giving samples. Not a huge selection but enough for a great wine and cheese night. Plus they always have my favourite, Tiger Blue.

Chef Fowke, Thanks for the great review. I have heard nothing but great things about Nu and look forward to trying it very soon.

Your dinner looks fantastic. you can cook for me anytime . I'm sorry to hear that your experience at Fortes was less than stellar. It is a very loud room. That's what happens in a 250 seat restaurant!! As for your dinner, I'm curioous to know why, with the great selection of fish, especially salmons, you would choose silverbrite? (I imagine that was what you meant;you mentioned "silverspring", which, as far as I know, does not exist, at least on our menu ) Silverbrite, also known as chum, is such a lean salmon, with very little fat (oil). King, also known as spring or chinook is far richer and tastier, as is the sockeye. Silverbrite is something that I only recommend for people who want a very mild, inexpensive fish. By the way, we like Amy also .

Why not come to Joe Fortes? There has been a vast improvement in the food in the past 1-2years. Whereas the food is very simply prepared, you will not find fresher seafood anywhere in Vancouver and the seafood towers are great! Of course I'm slightly biased.

James, I have not been in some time but I have heard very good things about the sake list at Ichibankan on Thurlow. They have completed a remodelling and have changed from a sushi spot to a "Jazz & sake" style restaurant. I have heard that they have over 50 different sakes on their menu.

Oops. It crept in somehow. Thanks for the subliminal plant. ← Andrew, Do you have a link to your review in the WE? I'd love to read it. Thanks

Thanks for the link Jamie. I've been reading alot of articles the past few weeks and have read alot of the same thing. There also seems to be ALOT of tension once again between native and commercial fisheries. Of coarse, anyone can drop into (shameless plug) Joe Fortes for a great piece of fresh, wild, king (spring, chinook), sockeye, coho or silverbrite. We are probably selling about 150 portions of salmon a day (maybe that's where it's all going )

Dude - I thought you were a lady. ← Not today

Wow, Derek, you have name and a title. Nice to see you finally out yourself. I will pop up to get this Sun asap. I was going to go to Watermark last night for a drink but my friend had already been and was not too keen on returning. That does not bode well as he is a fairly forgiving person. Maybe time to get a new friend ? ← I thought it was time to stop hiding behind my wife's picture, which if anyone is interested , was taken in Oia, on the Island of Santorini. I'm still interested in getting to Watermark one day. My expectations are not high, but I'm embarrassed to admit that I have yet to even see the building. It seems like I don't see much besides Joe's, my place on the North Shore, or the occasional golf course .

Did anyone else read Mia Stainsby's review in todays Sun? While it was not overflowing with praise, it was certainly better than what I've been reading on this thread. Her main complaint revolved around the "friendly but minimal service". She also has received several complaints from readers regarding the fact that they do not take reservations after 6:30. Her ratings were 4/5 overall, food 3.5/5, ambience 5/5, and service 3/5.

Hi Holly, Great idea until you actually factor in the cost. Have you checked out EBAY?. I buy alot of itmes from them, especailly electronics, and have saved thousands over the years.

I don't believe this statement to be entirely true. I work at Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House in Vancouver and we are probably the most recomended restaurant in the entire city by the hotels. Why? Because they know that their guests will get a great meal, very simply prepared with the freshest fish in the entire city, along with fantastic service. During the summer our business is 60% tourists, the winter months are around 35%. We average 500 covers a night without (most of the time ) a hitch. Should the locals avoid us? Do they? No on both counts The previous restarant I worked at (Cin Cin) was also hugely popular with the hotel concierges, for the same reasons. Great food, great (most of the time) service. They were also voted second best Italian by the top food critics in the city. It would be a shame for tourists to miss these spots because they are thought of as "tourist traps". On the flip side, The Old Spaghetti Factory I'm sure is also hugely recommended but most of the local foodies would not have anything great to say about it.

Most places that I've been to have served a cheese course followed by na desser course. I like to finish with something sweet along with a glass of Moscato d'asti Nivole.

My issue is not entirely with what was written by Alex Gill, or the fact that they she was in twice unnoticed (which is a sin in this industry). My issue is that so many people are getting down on a restaurant that is just getting started. It seems as though just becuase so much money was spent on this business that it is supposed to come out of the gates running like a place that's been is business for 5 years. I do think it's entirely unfair to review a restarant in it's first 3 months in business. No new business opens up and operates flawlessly from day one. I was just talking with a fellow server the other day about how incredibly difficult it would be to run a restaurant that does the volume that Joe Fortes does with a entirely new staff. Despite the amazing talents of all management, I dought they could pull it off without some major difficulty. ← I couldn't disagree more. They're charging money ("$15,000 nights" as we heard several Watermark servers bragging in a Yaletown boozer after service one night), they had something to prove and, perhaps most importantly, oceanside restaurants, which are too few, might be the only Vancouver culinary impression left upon visitors. In other words: City lease equals civic responsibility too. That last statement might be the most important. We own this restaurant. It belongs to the citizens of Vancouver and we should care mightily as to its quality and the impression it leaves on outsiders. ← I'm sorry for my ignorance but could you elaborate on the your statement "We own this restaurant"? Is Watermark publicly owned? I don't ask this to ruffle any feathers but I thought it was privately owned? Regardless, Watermark,in my opinion, does not and should not be responsible to define Vancouvers cuisine. Is this because of the location? The cost? The people involved? We have alot of great restaurants in this city. Why is it soooo important that this one be so great? Will tourism in Vancouver drop by 5% because Watermark serves sub-par food? I have such an issue with one restaurant having so much pressure to succeed. Jamie, where as I do value your opinion on the Vancouver culinary scene, I disagree that .Are you saying that if visitors go to Watermark and have a sub par meal that their impression will be that our food in Vancouver sucks? What if they go to West? Does that mean that all our restaurants are great? What if they visit the "Peak of Vancouver"? I can not belive that ONE restaurant can make or break our city's culinary reputation, in spite of the location.

My issue is not entirely with what was written by Alex Gill, or the fact that they she was in twice unnoticed (which is a sin in this industry). My issue is that so many people are getting down on a restaurant that is just getting started. It seems as though just becuase so much money was spent on this business that it is supposed to come out of the gates running like a place that's been is business for 5 years. I do think it's entirely unfair to review a restarant in it's first 3 months in business. No new business opens up and operates flawlessly from day one. I was just talking with a fellow server the other day about how incredibly difficult it would be to run a restaurant that does the volume that Joe Fortes does with a entirely new staff. Despite the amazing talents of all management, I dought they could pull it off without some major difficulty.

I've never been to watermark and have no immediate plans to do so; however, please do not be so quik to judge a restaurant that is doing a huge amount of business in only it's first few weeks of operation. I can not even imagine how well a restaurant like Joe Fortes (where I work and who do 250-375 covers at lunch and 475-600 covers at night), would be running in only it's second week of business. We have crazy nights working with a tight, very well run staff. Everything is not perfect all the time but we do do an amazing job, in this, our 20th year in business. Cut Watermark some slack. How would West be doing if they were doing that kind of volume, in their 3rd week?? Watermark may well prove to be a below average restaurant, with mediocre food and lousy service, but DO give them some time to prove themselves.

You're kidding right? It has happened to almost every server I have ever worked with. Do you think the restaurant picks up the tab? They may in some places but never in the previous restaurants I've worked in.

Cin Cin has done more than a few very large sit down dinners. Great spot for it.