Andrew Morrison

I've had quite a few nasty e-mails and calls concerning her review of Habit from industry people over the last few days and a few, including Wendy (Habit co-owner), have weighed in about it on my site. I was a little surprised that she quoted several food writers, myself included, if only to establish how different her take on Habit was. She leans on us as references? Flattering, but disturbing, no? A colleague at one of downtown's busier eateries sent me this: "Isn't the Globe's tagline 'Never Stop Thinking'? Someone call me when she starts." Many might disagree with her estimation of Habit (and question her mysterious methodology), but she has a right to her opinions, shot from the hip though they might be. Poor Habit. There's a reason she had to wait 40 minutes....

May sure you call ahead, Tim. I was a lone walk-in last night after the wine fest. There wasn't a stool at the bar to be had, let alone a table. So much for a soft opening!

I'll take this dinner on the patio at Brix with my wife, please... To begin: Cheese and Bacon Crackers @ Nu | Vitello Tonnato @ Adesso | Duck Spring Rolls @ Beach House Tritinity of Soups: Wild Boar Consomme @ Century | French Onion soup @ Cassis | Mushroom Soup @ Chambar Mains Root Beer Braised Bison Short Ribs @ Aurora Bistro | Steak Frites @ Brasserie L'Ecole | Duck Confit @ Cru Dessert Quad Eleanor Chow platter @ Chambar | Chocolate Molten Lava Cake @ Vintropolis | Gingerbread Pudding @ HSG | Do-It-Yourself Smores @ Curious | Montezuma @ Chocoatl If I could also have Jacques from Habit serving me with Jamie Boudreau, Mark Brand, Neil Ingram and Mark Taylor present tableside for wine/cocktail pairings that would be great, too. Thanks. (Too much?)

To that add Cornucopia, which I think rightly deserves its place in the sun, i.e. in August, when it could really broadcast locality and not spectacle. ← I got the feeling Cornucopia was mostly spectacle in 2005. The media made a b-line for the tits and bumblebums, and I'd imagine if the swinging racks and dangling doodahs are on display again when the big time comes, the international media would focus on the Saturnalia and not the chow. The Euro-press would swarm over BFB, leaving the limpets and such up Cedar Creek.

On another front, do you think doing Dine Out in 2010 is a bright idea? Is it even feasible what with all the anticipated corporate buy-outs? My gut says, "yes...now, more than ever", but I'd love to hear what you guys think.

A highly dubious claim...

Zuke, I'll save booking that snapshot for the Rare Two party on March 1st, 2007! In echo, break a leg, boys, and in the words of Flavour Flav, "show 'em whatcha got." It's been a long time coming, and I wish you the best on all fronts. I'm really disappointed I couldn't make it to the eG "Opening Soon" dinner. Great pics. I always have a wonderful time breaking bread with you lot, and if it wasn't for my pesky job as a waiter I would have volunteered to be Ling's "spotter" (she could have fallen in those heels, you know). BTW, what did you think of the opening soon blog? Worthwhile to do it again if asked?

A departure from my usual style, but I'm up for it. Welcome to Victoria's Government Street, where such silliness runs amok from April to October without a peep from the echo-Chamber of Commerce.

Slate has an interesting piece up about the opportunities wasted by Piedmont's wineries during the Turin Games. Surely there's plan in the works for VQA to capitalise in 2010?

Awesome.

Fortunately? Man, that's just mean.

432 Richards Street, IIRC. The ancient bank building between West Hastings and West Pender.

Ha. I just wrote quite a bit and then decided to save it for a later story just in case. Sorry for blowing the space. Website is still in the works.

Wow. Fascinating conversation. Having worked in the industry for 20 years before getting a job as a restaurant critic (I now do both), I enjoyed Bruni's piece considerably. Whenever I serve a restaurant critic or get served as one, it's always an interesting experience that makes the double life I lead doubly fun, and though I wouldn't hire him on permanently, I'd consider letting him stooge as my busboy as long as I wouldn't have to tip him out.

Couldn't agree more!

It's conditioning for the rigmarole of adulthood: What's the difference?

I've had several dinners at Lolita's over the last two weeks with different groups of eGulleters (the very best in research/dining companions ). I'd gone before for post-shift binges, but these recent visits were my first relatively "sober" forays through their menu. Though I agree with the "MexiBin" comment above, I'd argue Gord et al are on a different plane altogether. Lolita's nails the fun and decor components, but foodwise it's little league to the Bins big (love it though I do). Holy cocktails! Their "Del Monte" ($7.50) with muddled pineapple and strawberry infused vodka "escorted by" guava and passionfruit (all under a hot pink umbrella) pulled my stockings down and called me the dirtiest of names. Freakin' awesome.

I snuck into Century last night at the tail end of their first dry run with friends and family. It's got to be the coolest room I've seen in a while. Drop dead gorgeous. They're doing further dry runs over the next week (I'm going again on Thursday) culminating with the "opening soon" wrap/bash on Friday, Februrary 17th. Presumably it'll be open to the public on the 18th. Get ready....

It'd be nice if they sat in my section from time to time...

It's not my experience that restaurants readily admit much to the general public beyond "open" or "closed". You can read into staff changes what you will, but my bet is that when we see the first daffodil they'll start to rock out again. Their fantastic location is such that even if they had Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the helm plating uranium they'd do a brisk enough business from the tourists and trucker hats (enough, at least, to give their foodie detractors the finger). In the end, the bad reports I've heard over the winter from both staff and patrons suggest Watermark might be gunning for Celine Dion status (ie. magnetically repulsive). I've reserved an April column for a redux. I'll be going in disguise (lederhosen, pig-tails, and a fist full of Euros).

My point was that they're all a chasm away from fine. Anyone with a suggestion for a new name to replace CFD?

Damn fine idea, but it doesn't go far enough. Sophie's Cosmic Cafe and Burgoo are casual dining, but surely the Cactus Club is something totally different? Please submit your new, more accurate names here.

^ What's a guy supposed to do when a Reader's Poll awards Milestone's 2nd Place for the second most representative Vancouver restaurant? A pre-edited snapshot: Too harsh?

I may have harped rather negatively upthread on my dining experiences in CFD, but I should make note of their excellent grooming of management. I've worked under several ex-Earl's managers in my time (one very recently before he moved on to another restaurant), and all were great at their jobs. They sure know how to have fun without sacrificing the respect of their employees. I've always found it essential for management to display a sense of mischief or at least some semblance of detachment from ownership and allegiance to the floor. It's great for staff morale, and the Earl's folks I've encountered in the workplace have had it in spades.

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