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winegeek

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    Truth be told: Where've you eaten lately? (Part 2)

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted · Edited by winegeek (log)

    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 :biggrin: . Had a nice spinach salad with grilled chicken for lunch. Salad has pears, pecans, bacon and blue cheese. Very tasty.

    Granville Island Market help

    in Western Canada: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    Wednesday 31-Aug-2005

    Cooking day didn't go. The person I was working insisted on a dinner meeting so I postponed my cooking plans and wound up at Joe Fortes. Eh. Service by our waitress "Amy" was very good, as were the oysters but the room was loud, the wines overpriced, and my silverspring salmon significantly overcooked. I kept thinking I was in Vancouver's version of La Queue de Cheval, only with manageable portions and West Coast types replacing the gangsters.

    Your dinner looks fantastic. you can cook for me anytime :biggrin: .

    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 :blink: ) 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 :raz: .

    good sake lists in vancouver

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    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.

    Wild Salmon Shortage

    in Western Canada: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    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 :laugh: )

    Watermark

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted · Edited by winegeek (log)

    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.

    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 :rolleyes: , 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 :laugh: .

    Watermark

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    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.

    Travel Advisory: How to Know You're Dining . . .

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Pretty much any restaurant recommended by a hotel concierge just about anywhere. I'll actually make a point of asking the hotel concierge where to go just so I'll know what places to avoid (particularly irritating to tip for this information).

    Hotel doormen are more reliable sources. Cabbies usually have great suggestions. Bartenders ditto.

    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 :laugh: ) 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. :huh:

    Watermark

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    Winegeek :

    I will cut them some slack. My issue is how does someone like Alex Gill gets in and out twice without anyone spotting her or at least noticing her.

    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

    might be the only Vancouver culinary impression left upon visitors
    .

    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.

    Watermark

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    Winegeek :

    I will cut them some slack. My issue is how does someone like Alex Gill gets in and out twice without anyone spotting her or at least noticing her.

    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.

    Watermark

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    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.

    Overreacting @ Restaurant Mistakes?

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    That is strictly against British Columbia Labour Law and does not happen here.

    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.

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