Oyster Guy

I noticed a passing resemblance, Keith. Some questions: 1. How does your uncle feel if he's having a 'slow service night'? Put upon, ridiculed for all to read? 2. What does your doting aunt give you for Christmas? Remainder bin copies of Joanne Kates Cooks Your Goose"? 3. This is not blandishment, but has she ever offered to turn The Globe post over to you? I for one would think this timely,as you now hold the Nyquil Cup for superior posting. Any answers gratefully received, J. ← This is what I meant by..... I really like Jamie's writing style!

I also tend not to pay too much attention to local food reviewers (Oh God, I hope saying this doesn't get me a bad review ) I will, however, pay attention to people who are in the industry whenever they have something to say about a particular place. I tend to trust these people more as I have talked to people who hated working at a place but still said that the food was incredible and worth checking out even though they were no longer working there. And the fact that they work in this industry and are naturally a little more learned at what really happens behind the scenes gives more weight to their opinions of a place to me. I think my general inattention to local food reviewers comes from having lived in Toronto and having been subjected to the likes of Joanne Kates. This woman is opinionated beyond belief and I used to dread seeing her walk in the door at any establishment I worked at. She always mentions it whenever she gets attitude from a server but fails to mention that she would always provoke it with her own bad attitude. Her writing always comes off sounding condescending, not surprisingly because she is very condescending when dealing with servers, so why not her readers as well. I am not saying all food reviewers are horrible people like her but because of my experience with these kinds of reviewers, it unfortunately affects how seriously I take their opinions. I would like to see ex-chefs and servers doing reviews but that is just my opinion of things. I do like Jamie's writing style though....... Oyster Guy

I think it is great that Vancouver is getting some (long deserved) press from one of the national newspapers in this country. No small feat in itself given that both national newspaper headquarters are in Toronto. Ms. Gill should also be given a little credit for actually making this happen as well. The Globe wanted to transfer her back to Toronto a little while ago and when she voiced her objections to this move (who in their right mind wouldn't), the management came up with this compromise. I personally don't care about the Godiva's article and that's all I'm saying on that subject. As far as it sounding like a society page, etc. I have to agree but given that I have seen many, many posts about what movie and screen stars dine where in this forum, it is obviously what the public wants. Or the majority anyways and herd mentality tends to win everytime. Good on you Alexandra for bringing a national spotlight on a city that has deserved it for so long and keep up the good work. Oyster Guy

No problem, Eric. Only to happy to help. A little timesaver for you in future might be to check out www.piquenewsmagazine.com as they have weekly updates of things that are going on and ads for specials at restaurants, spas and hotels. If you need any help in the future, please don't hesitate to contact me Eric as sometimes the locals know about events long before they ever hit the papers. It's a small town Take good care Oyster Guy

Although I do like the occasional condiment on my oysters, I have to say the best way to have them is au naturel. It is already nature's most perfect food as it just comes out of the sea, you open it and eat it. You don't have to put any heat to it or "fancy" it up any. You really only need 2 things to enjoy your oysters and they both begin with "L". Lemon and your lips! As an old oyster shucking buddy of mine always said, "I like my oysters the way I like my women. Naked and wet!" Keep on shucking Oyster Guy

Well, spring has finally arrived and with it comes the annual spring drop in dining prices here in Whistler. Here is a list of the places that are offering deals this time of year. 1. 5280 Bistro and Bar at the Four Seasons is offering a "Tasting Menu with legs." They are offering a 3 course meal for 34.00 a person. If you have not yet had the chance to try this new Whistler restaurant, well here is your chance and it is a great deal. 2. Apres Restaurant is offering a prix fixe menu at 20.00 for 2 courses and 30.00 for 3 courses from April 12th. This is an excellent chance to try Chef Eric Vernice's cooking and experience the warm and cozy atmosphere of one of Whistler's new hotspots. You can view their menus online at www.apresrestaurant.com and even make your reservation there as well. 3. Val d'Isere Brasserie is offering 3 spectacular 3 course menus to choose from starting at 29.95. That's a lot of choice for only 30.00 and Chef/owner Roland is very talented and the place is very warm and friendly. 4. Edgewater Lodge is offering a spring special of a 3 course dinner for 35.00 until April 24th. it includes soup/salad, Choice of fresh halibut filet with baby shrimp sauce and pistachio risotto or Chicken picatta with parmesan, portebello mushrooms, egg, and saffron spaghettini and of course dessert. Very nice views as it is located right on Green Lake. 5. Teppan Village is offering a 3 course menu for 25.00 and also a New York Steak with a 1lb lobster for 35.00 That's a lot of food and entertainment for a little money. 6. Bearfoot Bistro is offering a 50% discount on its Champagne Bar menu from Sunday to Thursday and if you couple that with their daily oyster special ( a dozen for 9.95) that is a hell of a deal. Well, there you go e-gullet guys and girls and if there are any updates, I will be sure to post them. So, if you are coming to take advantage of the spring snow we have been receiving, you can also take advantage of the spring dining specials. Hope this helps Oyster Guy

Thanx Paul! A good champagne migonette topped with a sprinkling of good (I prefer sevruga myself) caviar with a chilled glass of bubbly is best. The closest to sex on a bar you can get without being arrested in my(humble and not so virgin eyes). Keep on shucking. Oyster Guy P.s. 5280 Bistro in the 4 Seasons does a very nice job servicing the oyster and has a knowledgable staff and is worth the walk to the upper village while in Whistler. I hope to see them established as a locals as well as high end oyster place. Eat Oysters, love longer!!!!!

Rodney's is very good although I am surprised that so many Vancouverites like their oysters served up with a Toronto attitude. And yes Neil, the marinated mussels are to die for. (try the pickled quahogs next) The chef there is Jan Kiss and was the original chef at the original Rodney's in Toronto and came up with both those dishes. Neil, we used to hand out the marinated mussels at the one in Toronto for free when the lineup for seats at the bar would get too long. Ahhh, the old school days. Stafford and Todd do an excellent job of servicing the oyster but sometimes the surliness gets on my nerves. Joe Forte's also does an excellent job with the oyster as well. Their wine list is very well put together and their oyster shuckers (Oyster Bob and Oyster Todd) do a fine job at their horseshoe bar. I am very surprised that there are not more oyster bars in Vancouver as the selection and freshness of the product available is among the very best in the world and British Columbians should be very proud of the bivalves coming from their coastal waters. Migonettes, I like a couple myself. My fave is red wine vinegar, minced shallots, freshly cracked black pepper and a dollop of honey to take the edge off the acidity. Balsamic vinegar with minced shallots and black pepper is also good and you can omit the honey as it is sweet enough on its own. I wouldn't eat an European Flat or Belon oyster without it as the acidity really sweetens the metallic finish you get from those oysters. The oyster bar at the Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler............. Well, what can I say? A dozen oysters for 9.95 before 7:00 p.m. and you always get a selection of 3 or 4 different kinds with an explanation of each type and the freshest I have ever tasted. That wins it for me but I could be biased. Good choice for a thread! Oyster Guy

As far as the oysters go, they are fine and are not endangered in any way. This is the biggest problem that I have with the media in my line of work. Improper research combined with sensationalist journalism. Oysters, like mussels and Manila clams are aquacultured and unlike the salmon farming that takes place adds nothing to the enviroment that isn't already there naturally. The oyster seed comes from a commercial hatchery not the wild thereby not placing any strain upon the wild stock. Some farms in order to reduce even the waste products produced by farming oysters and mussels will place trays underneath the shellfish and grow sea cucumber on them. They feed on the waste products and provide another source of sea cucumber rather than harvesting the wild stock. Oysters are also are indicator species of water quality and if they aren't edible, then I wouldn't eat anything else out of the ocean. Did you check any of these facts out before posting this list, Jamie? Somehow, I don't think you did, Sir. Oyster Guy

My advice would be to seek out a restaurant that uses fresh wasabi and inquire where they purchase it from. A lot of stores won't carry it as it is very expensive and (from my own experience) has a short shelf life. We get it quite regularly here due to the close proximity to the farms that grow it. Perhaps when you inquire at the restaurant, you might offer to purchase some from them as it might be easier than conducting a long frustrating search only to come up empty. We get these kinds of requests all the time where I work and most (if not all) restaurants would be more than happy to accomodate you although a good course of action would be to eat there when you ask. Hope this helps. Oyster Guy

Thank you for putting my thoughts into words for me! I feel the exact same way about it. I love the pressure and the excitement of a really busy night and I find that I crave it when we are slow. I guess "junkie" is an apt description as I need to have the feeling of accomplishment every night. I also love the immediate gratification that I get when I watch someone really enjoying my work at the table. It is what keeps me going through a 14 hour workday!! Oyster Guy

Thank you Gordon for the photos! It has been too long since I have been to my favourite market and I miss it terribly. (or is it that I just can't get a good peameal bacon on a kaiser out here on the West Coast?) I lived in Toronto for 35 years and this is one of the places that I miss the most since I moved out here. (along with Kensington Market and good cheap Chinese food, something they just don't have here in Vancouver, despite their efforts) Vancouver doesn't have anything that even comes close. Granville Island Market is a joke and looks more like a photo op for the tourist than an actual market. It just made me realize how much I miss my old hometown. I used to go to the Market every Saturday to pick up whatever we got shorted on the produce order and I really miss everything about the place. Especially, the peameal bacon on a kaiser!! Thanks for the photos (memories) again. Oyster Guy

I apologize to you Andrew for the perceived slight on my part. You were merely trying to make a valid point which I misconstrued. Thank you for your prompt reply. No offence taken. Take good care Oyster Guy

Is this a slag? As I am somewhat "limited" I might be incorrect in my thinking. After all, I am just a dumb cook who might not have your eloquence or witty retorts but I try to do my best. But I really can't tell as I am unsure if you are just being condescending or trying to be subtle. Please elaborate if you will.

I agree with Coop on the constructive criticism part. I fail to see why anyone should try to help these people out without a least an consultant fee being paid to them for their input. After all, I am sure they paid their research assistants for their input on the show and asking for the same should not be construed as being mercenary. The spitting in the food scene was just an example of how the producers/writers will stoop to the lowest common denominator in order to attract the viewing public. The last time I saw something like this on tv was on "Bad behaviour caught on tape" broadcast on Fox. If they are going to put scenes like this in a show perhaps they should have it set in a MacDonalds so they can do a scene with the manager pissing in the pickle barrel. As far as being critical about the show, well, one man's cheese is another man's spoiled milk and if someone does not like this show after only one viewing than they are not or should not feel obliged to subject themselves to another. If the people involved with the show are reading this maybe they will come to the realization that their portrayal of the restaurant industry is stereotypical and based on urban myths more than actual facts and tweak the show accordingly. I'm surprised that anyone in the industry who would think that this is the way that our chosen profession should be portrayed to the general public, most of whom may come to the conclusion that this is actually the way things are "behind the scenes." But that is just my opinion. Oyster Guy

Damm, I really hate being right! Level 10 suckitude indeed! 86 it! Oyster Guy

I only have one superstition and it is somewhat based in fact. Whenever I am shucking oysters and someone asks, "Do you cut yourself often?" I usually end up with a cut. I tend to get a little pissed off at constantly being asked this dumbass question and usually reply with a question of my own. "Do you ask a fireman if he gets burnt or a cop if he gets shot often? Then, why are you asking me if I cut myself?" I knew the job was dangerous when I took it and really don't need any reminders. Please, please refrain from asking an oyster shucker this question. Of course, he/she cuts himself but don't jinx them all the same! Thanking you all in advance for your cooperation. Oyster Guy

Pets-no Caviar-don't eat fish bait Testicles-homey don't play that! Vegemite-what the hell were the Aussies thinking (or drinking?) Kraft processed cheese slices-only 3 ingredients away from being garbage bags Sea Urchin-I have never eaten shit but I imagine that is what it tastes like Anything cooked by that asshole Bobby Flay.

Thanks Oyster Guy. Do you know if the BC Honey Oysters now on menus all over Vancouver are Mytilus e., Mytilus g. or something else altogether? ← The Honey Mussels are all Mytulis Galloprovincial (Meds). Mytulis edulis tends to be smaller, has a lower meat to shell ratio and has a blue-ish sheen to the shell more than the Med does.

The mussels most commonly grown out here are the Mytulis galloprovincial and in a very small part, the eastern variety Mytulis edulis. The main reason for the lack of native mussels (Mytulis trossulus) is the presence of a disease that is endemic to these waters and those of Puget Sound and annually kills off the adult breeder size mussels of both the native trossulus and the non-native Baltic mussels. This generally happens during the winter during these species breeding seasons and prevents large scale aquaculturing of these shellfish. High natural predation also lends a hand but to a lesser scale. The best B.C. Mussels I have gotten have been from Manson's Landing on Cortes Island from Below Sea Level Oyster Company. David Nikaleva and his crew also produce the sweet Gorge Inlet oyster that is found on fine oyster bars here. Oyster Guy

1. I certainly don't think that Mr. Maw needs my help to defend himself from any kind of verbal attack. 2. Be thankful? For yet another crappy show, be it Canadian or otherwise? Seeing as a portion of my tax dollars goes towards the tax credit issued to them for filming in Canada, I hardly see what I should be thankful for. 3. Most publishing houses, film companies and record companies are foreignly owned and tend to get behind acts that are commercially viable in the States as that is where the biggest market is. If a touring band (big name) skips Canada completely on a world tour, it is basically the same to them (financially) as if it didn't play anywhere in Florida or California. (comparable market and sales size) 4. The last thing I need to see is another show with pretty people doing nothing. If you want to see this, visit a Whistler restaurant one of these days as there are plenty of them doing just that. And if they are interested in their ratings, do you really think they will be obessessed with food or sex? I'll bet on the sex. 5. I too am disappointed when a record company chooses to get behind someone like Avril Lavigne or (gag) Celine Dion rather than a more deserving and harder working and better sounding band. It surprises me how star-struck people are here (i.e., Seeing Stars in Vancouver Restaurants and this thread) I was much more excited when Rob Feenie and Micheal Statelander came into the restaurant than any Hollywood type that has walked through the door. ( and we have had quite a few of them as well) I am not going to waste any more time on this subject as it has nothing to do with food and this type of thread belongs on a forum more closely related to Entertainment Tonight than this one. I don't mean to offend anyone's tender sensibilties, I am just expressing my opinion. Oyster Guy

I agree with Jamie on this one sam. I think that it was a bit out of line with the supposed inference that he was somehow trying to plug the show. An apology would be in order. However, I do share your thoughts on the basic content on this new show as I work in the industry and I realize that producers of tv shows usually have no concept of or grasp on reality at all. But take it easy on Jamie. Slag the show all you want but don't slag the messenger. Oyster Guy

Thanks for the (somewhat late) enlightenment. I have tried to make my amends in a honourable fashion and rescind my earlier statements and I will never make that mistake again, I have never claimed nor will I ever claim to be a food reviewer or anything else that I am not. I am human and prone to make errors once in a while like everyone else in this imperfect world. But when a person admits to an error, I never speak to them in what one may construe or misconstrue as a condescending tone. Life is a learning process and as I am still living, I am still learning. Thanks for the advice. I will take it to heart. However as I have stated, I will never again offer my opinions of any restaurant as my expertise lies with shellfish. Oyster Guy

I would love to work in Vancouver but I really haven't seen any oyster establishment that appeals to me there. I like both Joe Forte's and Rodney's and both do a fine job of servicing the oyster but I don't know Van as well as the rest of you. Is there any other oyster bars of any note in Van? I would appreciate any and all replies. Thanks Oyster Guy

Let's face it. I should stick to what I know best. Oysters. I wish to withdraw the above remarks as they were very unfair and I judged the place unfairly. I apologize tto the management and staff at The Four Seasons as they have proven to me since that they are indeed a world class operation. I am an idiot sometimes but I don't think they should suffer because of my brief stupidity. Oyster Guy