BCinBC

Coincidentally I came across this thread on ma po dofu in the China and Chinese food forum. This thread really emphasizes that one cook's version of a recipe might be slightly - or significantly - different from another's. (For example if you read further down, another poster mentions the use of black bean sauce, which is new to me.)

Canuckle, no shame in loving DQ - some things actually lend themselves to mass production. In Germany they sell this wicked product called "eis", which is conceptually similar to drumsticks here, except better ice cream and instead of just chocolate you can get different flavours like lemon, strawberry etc. And of course it's about a million times better than drumsticks. But still mass produced. There's a gelato place across the street from Tomato on Cambie, can't remember the name but they have some amazing pistachio. The taste is unbelievable. For me the texture is fine too, though I also like Casa (triple berry jalapeno = best flavour ever!) so take my opinion in context. Maybe for me taste overrules texture?

Peel Pub! I spent an incredibly drunken January 1994 week in Montreal, and the main culprit was the Peel Pub (well, and a few delinquents among us). If memory serves, and it would be a miracle if it did, a 4 litre pitcher was something like $9 and wings were 9 cents each! Thank God we got to see the Forum before the end, too. Sorry I've digressed down memory lane, back on topic...

Excellent post barolo. "Whidbey Island" mussels was what I was thinking of - though not technically "local BC". I will continue to enjoy my moules frites, though with illusions of supporting local industry shattered. Maybe BCSGA will change that soon.

Maybe the water falls under their organic philosophy too - don't do a thing to interfere with the natural chlorine + copper taste! Is Capers going into the Olive bldg? Interesting. Shrewd. I think the neighborhood is going to flip for Capers. Perhaps in 5 years that stretch of Cambie will become the next uber 'hood. (God help us!)

Is that true, that NO mussels bought here are actually grown here? That blows my mind. I thought one of the mussel types was named after a local spot, like "Fanny Bay oysters", but obviously not that.

TOTALLY agree Keith. I read "The Apprentice" by Jacques Pepin and all he talks about is "hunting" for ingredients around his cottage in the mountains - fish and frogs from the creek, mushrooms from the forests, clams and lobster from the ocean... But people around here don't do this anymore. Must be a fear of pollution, red tide, etc. Spent time on Texada Island a few years ago, and enjoyed many many fresh local prawns almost on a daily basis. The. Best.

Okay, switching to "serious" mode (let's see how long this lasts)... My favourite restaurants do either of two things: excite me, or comfort me. Sometimes both. I just mentioned Les Halles in another post - this is the kind of place I'd love to be involved with, and that I think could work on the west coast. A simple but really beautifully done moules frites is, IMO, about as good as it gets. Thinking about Herald St Cafe in Victoria the other day, they used to do a half-half mussels and clams, which was awesome. Can you get this anywhere in this city? Things like this belong on a west coast menu! Define BC: prawns, dungeoness crab, oysters, mussels, clams, salmon (w/o cedar planks), cod (or is this currently overfished?). Goat's cheese. Beef ranches up north. Rampant mushrooms in our forests. Hemp... okay I've reverted to "silly". BTW Deborah, I really like your ideas on Flirt. One add-on: garlic is either yes or no for the table, can't just have one garlic eater.

I thought of another one: Under 3 = Salade des Fruits I've seen mention of it in this forum, and am reluctant to bring it up for selfish reasons (it's already hard enough to get a seating in there), but IMO it deserves a plug. First, the fries are done the way I like them - the shoestring kind, with mayo. Second, steak frites and moules frites, though simple fare, are great here. I've never been to France (maybe Sept fingers crossed), or Les Halles (next time I'm in NYC), but this is kind of how I envision true bistro food. Plus I love ribeye. You can also get a decent duck confit there, and the house red or white, which I think is their take on vin ordinaire, is not bad. Simplicity done well.

First off, I wanted to give props to Oyster Guy for not only giving Araxi another try, but posting on the experience (good or bad). I think this lends a lot to OG's credibility. I've been thinking about this one too. Does Feenie's survive off Rob's reputation? No, I think the concept is sound (personally I love the "gourment" spin on comfort foods, though I have yet to try the burger w/ foie gras). So I think it would "survive". Would it be doing as well if a no-name had opened it? No of course not! But you gotta do something to earn a reputation, and I most definitely think Rob's reputation is justified. Plus if a no-name opened it, it wouldn't necessarily be cranking out the quality product that it is. Okay my own 2 c: Over = Tomato Cafe Yes I know people on this board love it, and I'm sure this will stir some shite up, but hey my opinion. Let me qualify this by saying that I have eaten there many times and therefore have no overt problem with it (my wife loves it). But I saw a recent gush on this board, and I couldn't figure it out. I personally find it kind of expensive for what you get. Also what's up with the skinny bench seats in the booths on the entrance side? And I have a scrawny ass! Like I said, for me the food is okay, but ain't no gusher. IMHO Thai Away Home beside it is better bang for the $. Under = Bizou Bistro I am always satisfied by my meal here. Halibut is always done beautifully. In fact I'm due for a return soon... Under 2 = Star Anise Why is this place never talked about? (Or if it is, sorry but I haven't worked my way that far back into the history of this forum). I've only been once, but I really enjoyed the service - the old simultaneous-silver-lid-lifting presentation was great! Food was good too. Pricier to be sure, and maybe everyone wants to spend their $ at Lumiere or West or insert-Name-here (and hey I've got no problem with that), but it was a neat experience and it'd be a shame to lose a place like that.

Yes yes, great idea peppyre. Potentially miserable job for the puppy sitter (imagine 7 wet dogs all shaking dry and/or jockeying for attention... messy (and I'm a devout dog person)). But talk about regionality - this would be a much sought-after service for Vancouverites, in particular Kits residents. Daddy-A: although I'm sure Horschack is currently looking for work, I don't see how he will fit into our theme here. Or maybe it's the chaotic lack of theme that he fits into?? In any case, keep the good ideas rolling people!

eGullet newbie, reading thru this thread, wanted to add my thoughts on Trotter's (and it's my first posting adventure out of the Vancouver, BC and Western Canada region). Visited Chicago for the first time last fall and of course had to try CTs. Dined there the night of Oct 15 '04. Sparing the menu details (because I certainly don't have notes), in a party of 4 we all had the grand menu with wine pairings. Most courses were I'd say "very good" (yes it's all subjective), with some items exceeding this - in particular I'm thinking of the outstanding deserts we were served. Wine pairings were delicious. And contrary to recent posts I thought the service was really excellent (possibly the highlight of the evening? other than the company of course). May I say though that for me, the food at Lumiere Relais Gourmand here in Vancouver (with our own celebrity chef Rob Feenie, who happens to be another CT alum) is more enjoyable, certainly $ for $. I think it's the regionality. My 2 bits (actually it ended up being a bit more than that after the mandatory gratuity ). Cheers! PS: we also got out to Bistro Margeaux. Loved it! Perfect setup prior to beers at Second City.

Opening soon: Jericho Cafe See: Our Hostess Charo personally man both the regular entrance and the trap-door entrance to the dungeon! (Have you tried the pit barbeque'd meat today by the way?) Hear: The long-forgotten sounds of Menudo, successfully scavenged from the "Where are they now" dumpster by our very own Executive Chef! Taste: Chef Neil's take on new classics Carne Assada Norde and Ahi Taco al Fresco! Enjoy: Five star service from our school boys and school girls! The food concept is good, but the rest of it is just going to be a freak magnet. PS: Daddy-A I like the dueling trucks idea! Roming around to different neighborhoods like ice cream trucks - this is a winner. We'll need permits to get onto GI though... edited to correct the spelling of "pit" - yeesh!

Yes I agree with you Lee, and with whomever made the comment earlier about accessibility (Neil?). I think these hit the nail right on the head. To read the magazine is to get an overview of what is happening in our amazing city. I enjoy it, as I do the Straight awards and all the rest of them. It keeps you somewhat plugged in. But you have to take the Best Chinese / Asian / insert ethnicity here with a grain of salt, and the understanding that it is all about accessibility. After all, the readership is not going to be exclusively foodies, industry insiders, or even eGulleters. Everyone needs a starting point (throwback to the thread Sam started about Ethiopian) - you start on an entry-level restaurant, get familiar, then move into a deeper search for tastes... So the Hon's example - easy entry level joint, try the BBQ pork, marvel at the ducks hanging in the butcher (okay so I don't even know if they're there, I haven't been to Hon's for years), aclimatize (sp?). Skip forward 6 months and maybe you're checking out the new place on Garden City and asking in broken Mandarin if they do that stewed slab of bacon (name escapes me at this critical juncture). The question then becomes, So where do you go for reliable info on the "real" Best "insert specialty here"? I log onto eGullet of course! Sorry for the ramble, I'll return to making bad quips and one-liners...

Yes Andrew, this I can get behind, though instead of "skirt" I'd say "kilt". I went to SMU ( ) so I do have a soft spot in my heart for this getup. So many adolescent memories... Actually for the boys I'm having second thoughts. Imagine a grizzled old Angus Young lookalike serving you the sausage & taco platter - now tell me, shorts, pants, or waitresses only?

Ye gads, is anyone else disturbed by the idea of eating while surrounded by both male and female strippers? Plus, this really limits our ability to serve items such as sausages or tacos... Oh dear, I have gone too far...

Keith, don't mean to pick on details but I think the steak tartare festival of which you speak would not "suck" so much as it would "blow", as in chunks... (Sorry, I just had a Subway sub for lunch and am feeling extra weird.)

PS: I've heard the chef who took over Diva is pretty good, but haven't dined there myself. Any thoughts? Poach-able?

Irishgirl - Vancouverites are so very used to getting rained on, those people you're talking about must be imports! If the "Jericho Cafe" is really going to be seasonal, then the location works, but otherwise I agree the traffic in the winter would be a slow trickle. Sometimes people just don't want to drive that far when it's cold and rainy out, and the location is only really convenient for people from Pt Grey or UBC. (edit 2: just reread this and see that once again I've contradicted myself in adjacent paragraphs! ) Personally I like the Kits Beach location, has the new CoV restaurant been finished and opened yet? (edit 1: I just caught Jamie's thread on waterfront restaurants and therefore rescind this comment.) I know, parking nightmare, but the view and atmosphere during the summer are pretty great. Food: an expansion on what Bonfire J said earlier - NO CEDAR PLANK SALMON!!! Cannot recall the last time I ordered this but sure am sick of seeing it on menus. Good usage of local seafood is a must of course; prawns prawns prawns! Lots of mushrooms too. Apres cheese plate another must. Wine: yes to the by-the-glass suggestion, and the regionality (BC and other) lists. As I understand it, it's hard to grow a good pinot so BC is lucky that way and we should showcase this proudly. Also, sometimes it's hard to match everyone's dishes and tastes, so quality BTG wine can be a godsend. FOH staff: we'll plunder Earl's...

I am a Kin's shopper (Oakridge) mostly because of (1) location and (2) it's soooo much more appealing than Safeway or (too tragic to mention?) Superstore produce! Most of their stuff is fine; sure some stuff is slightly over-priced (but then again you compare it to Safeway and hey that $5 thing that dodger mentioned earlier rings true), but I have yet to buy a bad Phillipino mango from them! Or if I feel like a short drive, there's a place on Granville and 69th across the street from Safeway that's pretty good too, plus dirt cheap, plus they're close to Characters used book store (another gem). When I lived in the Trutch area of Kits, I shopped Broadway. When at Arbutus, it was New Apple on 4th - or when feeling adventurous, we'd walk to GI (subject of another thread tho). I miss walking to shops! As Jerry Seinfeld once said, "Fruit is a gamble." I've had bad fruit from my favourite produce stores, but hey that's the luck of the draw. If I had 2 hours to really inspect each piece of produce maybe I'd get away with a better percentage of good stuff, but alas the wife can barely stand grocery shopping with me as it is. (As I think of the menu for the upcoming few days, I tend to do the non-linear wander and end up visiting the same spot in a store a few times. )

Vancouver Lee, whether for good reason or not, this quote just cracked me up. I think I've had similar conversations with my wife! In all seriousness, though, please do post your thoughts if/when you make it to the Horsemen. Cheers!

"Our Place" will always be Lumiere - first time we went there, we got engaged (well later that night; after a three-hour tasting menu, you try getting on one knee! ). But more frequent 'our place's these days are Coco Pazzo and Fish Cafe. Moved to south Cambie a year ago and these are the places we go when we feel like a good meal and a very short drive.

Thanks to everyone for the info and advice. James - I had the same dilemna about shipping a case, but as it turns out a friend of the in-laws' who has a B&B in Naramata has offered to pick up a bottle or two if/when the next season is out. Of course it's never a bad thing to "have" to do an Okanagan wine tour. If I must!

Does anyone know where in this city I can find a bottle of La Frenz montage? (Small vineyard near Naramata, red mix like a meritage but with pinot.) Tried it for the 1st time at Lumiere during DOV (thanks for the recom Neil) and it was really great, but then I went to the website and they are sold out. Thanks for the help! http://www.lafrenzwinery.com

I'm assuming Paul's is Paul's Motor Inn? On Douglas on the outskirts of "downtown", big copper roof, used to love the chicken pot pie! (edited: oops too late) Ah Demitasse, I forgot about that place. Think it's gone. And just noticed that comment above about Ferris' Oyster Bar - yes the yam fries are awesome, shoestring-like which I prefer over the thick kind, and if memory serves you can get Herman's dark on tap... mmm... editor - your name isn't familliar, and I'm not at all involved in the food industry other than enjoying the product, but it's always possible (PM me if you like). I have Howie on tape somewhere, we were filming a school project at Hillside mall and he came on camera and did a few semi-off-colour jokes - but about his ethnicity so that's okay right??? Corrupting high-school kids left & right!