LMB

I spent the first 23 years of my life living out in south Langley, and berry picking was top priority come summer time. Krause Brothers' farm was our family favourite to go and pick at (though as a child I spent more time jamming berries into my mouth than putting them into my bucket! ). It is always best to call ahead because field conditions vary depending on the weather. Right now they are planning to start picking strawberries June 18th.

Even Riedel showed some restraint in developing their "Extreme Restaurant Glass" series ...they only have four wine glasses in the set! How will I know what to drink my obscure Austrian varietal in?!

Last May (2005) Riedel introduced "The Extreme Restaurant Glass". Although it is not made of the new material featured in the Mikasa line it is a more hardy glass than Riedel's typical stemware (i.e. thicker stems). What I find most interesting is that they developed a new glass style to suit restaurants by creating diamond shaped bowls that angle out widely then narrow around the mouth. Riedel says "The exceptionally wide evaporation surface of Extreme Restaurant intensifies and enhances silkiness in the mouth of New World wines, balancing the intensity and quality of their flavors." In Decanter.com's Mikasa story it says each glass has an angled bowl as well "The major change in wine in the last 20 years is that we don't cellar any more. Winemaking has adjusted, so Mikasa has adjusted the shape." I know Mikasa does not have the same appeal as Riedel. However, by coupling unbreakable glassware technology and this new shape that seems to fit the restaurant biz - could Mikasa take away some of Riedel's restaurant market share?

Interestingly enough - apparently not all glassware breaks anymore. This story, posted in the news section on Decanter.com, caught my eye: 'Unbreakable' glass launched - Decanter.com "The makers claim it is the most important revolution in glass since automated lead crystal production....Kwarx glass is handblown crystal and is supposed to retain lustre and transparency as well as being unbreakable." It will be interesting to see who follows suit and will use this new material in production.

I'm excited to know you are focusing on this versatile and underrated red wine grape! - for once its not just a bridesmaid to Cab Sauvignon. In the past, I've found that Cabernet Franc pairs particulary well with a lot of Greek dishes - especially lamb focused. Worth giving it a try. I will also second the suggestion of adding a New Zealand Cab Franc to the flight. Especially those from Hawkes Bay. Delish!

I am extremely thankful that I do not have any containers waiting in dock, but many wine agents are not as fortunate. That is not to say that we have escaped this situation unscathed as the long term effects on wine import sales may be severe. ----- Letter from the Import Vintners & Spirits Association (an association representing most liquor import agencies in BC) to the BC Government. "[...] As you are aware, the current Vancouver dock strike is affecting our businesses substantially. Media reports discussing the susceptibility of our products sitting on the docks are not overrated. There are a number of short term and long term issues associated with the dock strike which make it all the more damaging to our industry in general and to the over 500 employees involved in our agencies in British Columbia Almost without exception, agents have full containers, most of which are not temperature controlled, filled with beer, wine and spirits, exposed to the weather. The current outside temperatures mean that many of these products could, quite possibly, be un-drinkable by the time they are received in the marketplace. The cost of all of the affected orders from all wine, beer and spirit importers is most certainly in the tens of millions of dollars. The financial exposure to agents for these products is incredible and will possibly place the viability of some agents in jeopardy. At this point, responsibilities for these products seems to lie solely with the agents; insurance will not cover potential losses , container companies will almost certainly charge extra rental for their containers and freight forwarders will demand payment for their services. Add to this, the potential negative and damaging effects to the import industry and to the confidence for consumers shopping in our retail stores and we find that the possibility exists to negatively impact our entire industry for an extended period of time. [...]"

thanks to all of you for your recommendations... I will keep you posted on their opinions, comments, praise or critique of our French bakeries and our best local talents. Japanese food included!

... I will definitely be showing them the best of what Vancouver has to offer locally, however, they are in the bakery business themselves, and would like to see what French shops are like here.

I would love to get some authentic French bread and goodies next week when a couple friends from Paris arrive in town. Where do you recommend finding real French bread in Vancouver? What are the top French bakeries around town? Any stores that you can recommend would be greatly appreciated!

Heh there LMB... welcome Can you provide a wee bit more detail about the grub available at the TC Lions Pub? From your description above... "leaves you full and not (full) of grease".... it would be interesting to hear/read what they have on offer. Ta . ← LMB - I always assumed that the TC Lions Pub was part of the Terminal City Club and therefore access was restricted to TC members - am I wrong? It is open to the public? ← Since renovating and rebuilding the Terminal City Club a few years ago, they have made it much more open to the public. (it is now a hotel as well) Their main Dinning Room is open to the public most days except when private events are going on, and the TC Lions Pub is always available. They also have a mixed grill on the second floor inside the main building that you can get a taste of everything offered at the Club. As far as pub food - they have all the usuals - wings, burgers, calamari, etc. - a personal favourite of mine is their Buffalo burger, which is stacked big enough that you have to unlock your jaw to get a bite around it! They also serve continental entrees. I noticed in their newsletter this month, they are doing Weekend Brunch now for $9 "Your choice of eggs benedict or shrimp and crab crepes with cheese sauce, both served with chunky hash browns." The Club's chefs are top notch: Andrea MacLean retained her 2004 championship title by winning the 2005 Iron Chef Compeition and also placed Third in the 2004 Karl Shier Compeition. Fumiko Morten (TCC Pastry Chef) won the Top Apprentice at the 2004 Karl Shier Competition, as well as won the 18th Annual Quady Dessert Competition, beating 24 of Vancouver's top pastry chefs. I've never had a meal at the Terminal City Club (Fine Dining, Grill, or Pub) that I've been disappointed with. Consistently great!

Probably the most underrated - The TC Lions Pub on Cordova St. is a favourite place of mine. It definitely has an old English flair to it, and can serve up the best pub grub in the city. Best of all, the prices are very reasonable and the food leaves you full! (and not of grease!)