Feedbag

I don't know any of the parties involved, none of the behind-the-scenes machinations, and never been rich enough to eat at either restaurant, but I would think if everyone liked and respected each other, they'd find a way to make it work -- together. Sounds to me like egos clashed. Otherwise, if Feenie is as talented as everyone says, and I've no reason to doubt it, why on earth would you let him go?

The cling film (aka plastic wrap) method looks intriguing. One question, though: doesn't the wrap become unraveled the minute you drop your little package into the water, thus allowing the egg to escape creating the dreaded egg soup mess? Or do you tie off the plastic?

I'd mentioned Anton's in my entry as an example of quantity over quality. You can make the same stuff at home for a fraction of the cost, and likely much better. Yet, inexplicably, people line up for it. I've mentioned before, too, that you can get better at any of the other Italian restaurants in the same neighbourhood for the same price without having to line up. I don't get it. As for the "pointing fingers" remark, I wasn't. Simply trying to open what I thought was a worthy side discussion that others might have thoughts about. Evidently not. And BTW, my feedbag contains oats. Very healthy......and low fat.

Is it sacrilege to buy them shelled if you can't find them in their shells? (You see them sometimes in these little plastic packages; always wondered...)

What a coincidence, we were just talking about this today -- and not in a good way. Don't want to rain on this thread, but I gotta ask, why does anyone feel the need to consume huge quantities of food? In these times with overweight and obesity the major health problem affecting North America, I honestly have to ask what the thinking is behind overeating. It's been proven we all have distorted ideas of what a "normal" portion is, and how overeating leads to so many health problems, costing the system humongous dollars, so why don't we change our eating habits to protect our health? I know a lot of people who pick restaurants based on quantity rather than quality (Anton's springs to mind...). Never been able to figure that one out. It's large therefore it's good? Getting money's worth? Even if you can't finish it all? I don't want to criticize or judge, and I'm not presuming everyone who has a big appetite is fat (although there's proof that thin people can be fat inside...), I just really wonder about why, with so much knowledge now than ever before, we continue to ignore the consequences of overeating and overweight. There was a report on the news last night from some cancer agency or another talking about obesity being a major cause of cancer. They shot into a crowd of people and, no kidding, 9 out of 10 of the people were fat or obese. Is it possible that overweight people look around a crowd, see everyone else is fat, and think they're average? Is the fact airplanes and Disney's It's a Small World are widening their seats to accommodate our ever-widening asses validation that we're normal? How dangerous is that? That's not to say I'm in favor of restaurants that charge $40 for one small scallop and a third of a carrot, sending you home hungry after dropping $200. That's almost as criminal. Isn't there a middle ground here somewhere???

No one's actually talked about the actual "egg" portion of this thread. Or is that a whole new thread? If not, I've always wondered how you get the perfect poached egg. I've failed miserably at it, yet it remains my favorite way to eat eggs. I've heard people say you do it in a pan, others say a pot, some say swirl the water into a whirlpool effect before you crack the egg in, others say crack it on a plate then slip it into the simmering, not boiling, water. Still others say to add a tablespoon of vinegar into the water to hold the egg's shape. It's all so daunting I've given up, and yet it's such a (seemingly) simple dish. But I know it's not just me. Restaurants routinely get the poached egg wrong. To my mind, it should NEVER be hard. The white should be firm, the yolk runny. If they can do it for the Benny, they can do it for a plain poached. In fact, I've taken to asking for my poached eggs that way -- tell the cook to pretend he's making eggs Benny... Your thoughts on how to make the perfect poached egg? (To hell with the toast; I'll eat it on cake if I can get it right!)

Says $99 in the States, $119 in Vancouver. Shouldn't that be the other way around....?

Anyone know what the current opinion is on juice vs. powder? I've heard strong opinions from both camps. Thanks.

Are they really only good for 6 months? I've got herbs at the back of the cupboard I'm sure have been there since the Clinton era (first one). They still smell OK, are they not good to use? Further, are they in fact dangerous to use? Could they make you sick? (I used some years-old allspice cloves in a blackberry syrup last night and lived to tell about it. So far...)

Yeah, I heard that. I'll see if I have time to check 'em out when I'm in the 'hood in early Oct on my way to Mission Hill. Speaking of which, does anyone know if it's really crazy to be in the OK during the wine festival, i.e., lack of lodging, etc? Been to the Okanagan many times but never during the fest, so just wondering.

Finally found and tried this place too and, sad to say, I was disappointed... Decided to try something simple to test it out, so went with the spicy chicken (ordered medium spicy too -- not a good idea; my buds were completely stripped after the first bite. They don't fool around...). It was like they took a chicken leg and chopped it into bite sized pieces, so that every bite was bone. Never occurred to me the dish would have bone, since the menu didn't indicate, and most places, in my experience, serve boneless. I couldn't really get a sense of the flavor because I was too busy spitting out bone (and dousing the fire on my buds). Side dish was green beans, which had a very odd flavor. The marital unit said they tasted like detergent. Now, I don't hold out much hope that any restaurant in the Lower Mainland can duplicate the addictive green beans from Chongqing, but a simple stir-fry with some garlic and soy shouldn't be too difficult to achieve. Alas, it was here. I won't give up, though. I'll give it another try with another dish or two (and ask for mild...)

Wow, that recipe sounds great! Funny this topic should come up. I was at the hospital waiting on someone and in the lounge they had the Food Network tuned in. Some cook was making creamed corn, but I came in too late so not sure who he was or deets about the recipe. They might have it on their website, though.

Anything new, lodging as well as food-wise? I heard Hester Creek was adding accommodation.

Yes, it's the same location. The old Keg is a steak bone's throw from here, in all its boarded up, dilapidated glory. In fact, you can actually see the new Keg from Willingdon. Very fine building, and yes, I agree, Burnaby is in desperate need of a decent lounge (it will be interesting to see how the new Gateway Casino's lounge turns out). I'll try and take in the deck while the weather's still deck-friendly and report back.

Brand spanking new Keg in Burnaby, set to open Monday, off Willingdon, just south of Lougheed. Took a peek inside yesterday and wow, what a room. Beautiful wood panelling throughout, snazzy bar, comfy lounge area, couple fireplaces for those dreary wet days, nice deck for the sunny ones. Same old menu, though... Heavenly Bites on Hastings, which was set to open mid-June, still nowhere near. Still dark and papered over. Wonder what happened.

A friend of mine who lived in Spain for many years said it was routine to dip bread in a plate of olive oil, balsamic and sea salt. Could that be where it started?

How about a pet peeve about message boards: copying a huge, lengthy entry (or worse, photos) over and over above your own response so everyone has to scroll forever to get the next message. How's that for bitchy? (insert smiley face....) I agree with a lot of these responses, and more. To the poster who said he/she hates it when the server touches the glass rim, what about when they set the table holding the tines of the fork? Hate that. Or the dishwasher that doesn't remove lipstick from the rim. Gross. I've had to send a glass back three times because there was the ghost of the previous drinker's lips on there. Also, when I order the wine and the server pours it for my husband to test. Or puts the cheque in front of my husband or other male guest and I'm buying. That's happened when I've taken a male client out to lunch and the server assumes. Embarrassing for all. Music that's not only loud but totally wrong for the room. Why can't they survey the clientele and figure out older folks don't necessarily groove to Guns 'N' Roses at ear-splitting decibels? Asking if you'd like another drink when your glass is still half full. This one cracks me up more than annoys me (well, depending on my mood): my plate is empty with the exception of a piece of parsley and my napkin and the server asks if I'm finished with it. Well, I thought I might nibble the plate a little later, so no, please leave it!

Hmmm. Sounds interesting, but I'd have to cook that stuff myself. I did worry about the touristy aspect of the drive, which is why I was trying to juggle early warm weather and the onslaught of high season. Plus, the Canuck buck is such that I can finally afford a trip down there. Is the Oyster Bar really that tacky? The views look awfully nice....

Checked out the oyster bar menu, yum, that sounds great! I'll let you know how it fared in person. Thanks so much for the tip!

Wow, can't imagine Heavenly Bites being open in a week. Just last Monday it was dark and papered over. Definitely no action going on. Maybe they're fast. Or maybe "the 15th" refers to some other month?

Hi there, Planning on a cruise down the Drive soon, and wondered if anyone had any recommendations for a place to stop and nosh, preferably with seafood. Is the Oyster Creek Inn still the best bet? Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks! PS - I did a search and nothing came up, which surprised me, since this is apparently a popular area for fresh seafood. Maybe I did something wrong....?

'burb report: Anducci's has opened up on Hastings, around Holdom, I think, in Burnaby. Beautiful room, actually, nice deck (if you can ignore the traffic). Just tried the Popeye pizza, pretty good! Also on Hastings, around Willingdon, an Ethiopian restaurant. Haven't tried it but will report in when I do. Heavenly Bites is apparently re-opening (had to close when their roof caved in at their old location on Hastings and Willingdon) farther along on Hastings at MacDonald, next door to the fish monger. No work has started, though, windows still papered. There's also a new Thai place next door to that but haven't had a chance to try it (they're always closed when I'm in the 'hood). Burnaby's Hastings looks like it's turning into the new Main, which is the new Commercial!

Thought I'd kept the release on Andrew but, alas, did not. If you don't find out in the next few days, and still want to know, I can find out for you. I have terrific memories of Mount Engadine Lodge. Stayed there some years ago and remember waking up in the night because of a big spotlight shining through the window. Looked out and it was the biggest, brightest full moon I'd ever seen. In the fields that stretch to the forest, I spotted what looked like a wolf (seemed too large to be a coyote) trotting along in a glow from the moon. A wow moment if ever there was one. I also recall the people who ran the place (Dutch?) were very friendly. Congrats on the opportunity. I may make another trek out there just to see what you do with it. Good luck.

Had a steak craving and didn't want to go downtown to the usuals, so ended up at the Keg in Burnaby. Say what you will, but the 16-oz. ribeye for $29 was very good. Same slab at Morton's or Gotham would likely be double. As we drove in, noticed lots of construction beside it. The server says they're finally ditching their 30-year-old building and moving into new digs next door. It will be very spiffy and feature a patio. Hoping for a summer open, but more likely fall. I suppose I should post this on the openings and closings...

Finally found the Crystal Hunan everyone was raving about in Burnaby. Much to my chagrin, however, it was dark, mail piling up inside the door. This at 5:30 on Friday night makes me think the worst. Anyone know for sure? Why is it Hunan restaurants can't make a go of it in this city? First the one at Main and Marine Drive, now this....Any others left?