Andrew Morrison

Do my very best to ensure I never found myself in a such a position to choose, I suppose. Witness Nu...

Picked the new issue up tonight. Outstanding. Too bad we have to wait so long for each issue.

If you'd like to dip into my supply of links (I've got a fair number), feel free to PM me.

While Michelle was helping her sister move today in Kits I took Alex and Jack to Tangerine to say our goodbyes. It was a wonderful, sad brunch. We watched as many regular customers paid their respects with hugs and best wishes for the move to Main Street. It makes me smile to see a neighbourhood restaurant connect so solidly with the locals. But, as they say, the show goes on. The keys are handed over to the Hell's Kitchen folks on Monday, and the build continues at Habit. From what I hear the food concept is more global than regional, and the Asian influences (a la Tangerine) will be muted enough to invite others to play. Nice to hear the kitchen staff are making the move, too. We'll see them in October. From the Hell's Kitchen folks, Mark and James: "We will be taking over this space, closing for a week, re-opening around September 20th as Kitsilano's premiere tapas & wine bar, Abigail's Party. All you 6-year Tangerine loyalists out there, indeed I am one of you, rest assured that the fabulous tradition of Tangerine's brunch will be in safe hands at Abigail's, as well as what new things the night will bring. As Matisse's intended his art for the working man, the young French professional, so Abigail will serve for the young men and women of Vancouver - a place for relaxation, taste exploration, comfort and good times. We'll keep you posted on developments closer to opening. Sounds intriguing...but all those beautiful tiles!

This week marks the one year anniversary of Chambar's opening. Michelle and I (plus the kids) were there tonight for an early dinner (new Ostrich main with hazelnut and arugula pesto gnocchi!) and a good climb on the Sherman tank up the road, and it got me thinking about what has contributed to their success. How do you think Chambar took a questionable location and turned it into the Best New Restaurant of the Year? Your thoughts and birthday wishes...

Positive indeed! The link to Gill's article is here.

Every romantic night has a morning, Shelora.

I considered that, but then I thought it would be better if people qualified their complaints. No manager or restauranteur wants a customer to leave unhappy, but as Canadian diners we tend to veer from confrontation in the moment. Consequently, we rarely call the manager over to say "You know what buddy? This is shit." Instead, we come here to relate our complaints in threads like Truth Be Told, where the emphasis is on singing praises, relating anecdotal experiences, and complaining. A good thread, sure...but I'd be interested to hear something more constructive. No?

Have you ever looked around while you're dining and wondered why the place is dead? Is it the design? The menu? The service? High end rooms start to underperform because they often can't see the forest for the trees. A piece of kelp gets attached to their keel and they don't notice the drag it causes until it appears in their ledgers. Often, they are too wrapped up in the immediacy of their FOH/BOH problems to take a customers POV. So, do all the lurking restaurant owners and managers a service by letting fly with your fourteen cents: what would you do to make an existing restaurant better on a budget? We started with Watermark in another thread...where to now? Dissect your favourite place or one that recently disappointed.

As one of the incompetent know-nothing reviewers (and I loved the staff!), this was my central beef with Watermark, that the food was made more mediocre by it's homelessness and that an opportunity to really show off was squandered. Shelora and I discussed in a Vic thread a while back about what it takes to re-engineer, re-shape, and re-define a place without doing much. New thread?

I must have been at the table next to you. I was a night manager at Overtime Restaurant and we'd get off work at 5am and go shoot pool half-cut until Demitasse opened. I had never seen eggs fluffed by an espresso machine before and the Baroque trumpets were wonderfully sedative.

Dudes, someone lend me $780,000. Nice to see a post from you, Sean. I spoke with Terry Storey last month about it, the concept sounds interesting. Another daring location. Fall is shaping up nicely.

Far better than both. They are good options, but Mo:Le goes further in giving us the Island on a plate. I worked at John's for two years as a waiter, and though I love them to bits they simply aren't playing in the same league. Demitasse is wonderful, too, but again there are too many degrees of separation to make it a contest. When you stand a free run omelette with organic oyster mushrooms, Galloping Goose Boerewors sausage, Violet's organic spinach, and French brie up against the green onion and pepper paradigm of every other contender (complete with layered lattes), it's a knockdown. Blue Fox is good, too. And so is Willie's. But Mo:Le is the current king of Victoria's weird fixation on breakfast.

Mo:Le for breakfast on Blanshard off Government. Consistently, in my remote opinion, the best place in Vic to go for breakfast.

Does it really say that on the menu? Gawd.

You had me at hooker.

I once had a guy sell me (tried to... ) stuff in central Africa calling it "Malawi Wowie...the best in the world." Not so (from what I heard ). Doubly, we have the best terroir.

- former Lumiere Bar Manager and Cocktail Aficianado (not official title) - author: co-wrote "Lumiere Light" with Feenie and Co. Also contributes to En Route. See here for EG. - lecturer: Dubrulle Intl. | THE HISTORY OF CLASSIC COCKTAILS EXPLORED - senior mixologist: Decca77, Montreal. - returning to moonlight at Nu avec Jay Jones and Co. That rep, Chris.

Nice to see you posting Chris! Welcome. I enjoyed George big time. I'm curious though...a man of your rep....what did you think?

Hiccup... I just spent the last 2 weeks bouncing back and forth between the Okanagan and Vancouver. I've already consumed my quotas thru 2008.

Beware, you'll find most of your floorstaff lingering at the bar a little longer to make and remake their caps. Working the floor during hockey season is a blessing - we get paid to watch the game.

Just arrived back from an introductory visit. First impression, this is certainly more A Room With a View than Where Angels Fear to Tread. The 70's yacht theme comment I can understand, but the design goes far deeper than a stigmatic shot across the bow. Leonard was kind enough to give me a tour of the kitchen and the room, showing me little motifs and fixtures that are hardly noticeable but show admirable attention to detail. The designer, Dominic Ratte, used a wide variety of materials in tracing the room, and if you look carefully you'll find leather, moleskin, marble, black glass, steel, and vinyl all accenting a nautical palette of blue and turquoise hues that I found very pleasing to the eye. It might not be for everyone, but I thought the room was playful, relaxed, and wonderfully sure of itself. I loved the menu. Sure the food was excellent, but I'm talking about the actual menu. It isn't in a folder or printed on card stock, but rather folded up neatly like the kind of love notes we all once passed in school. Once you get beyond that particular bit of cuteness you notice the prices. Low, baby. Loooow. Ling...try $3.90 for creme brulee. As always with a staff overseen by Leonard, the service was extraordinarily attentive and friendly. Though I won't go into what I had, I will say that the liquid cheddar filled crackers with apple smoked bacon on top ($5.40) are worth the trip alone. Sounds weird, but trust me on this.

Thank you, Sam. Interesting article here.

Sam, please excuse my ignorances on this, but is the low run an anomaly, or are we going to find this on the list of Oceanwise "don'ts" in the near future?

Sigh. Sounds awesome.