the g-man

My bill at Fuel for two was about $70, pre-tip, although they comped us a couple of cocktails and a salad as they had just opened and were very hectic that night. The bill included wine and two mains. The steak was as good as Mallozzi said it was and was so big we could not think about rocking the dessert menu.

Chambar and Wild Rice are a short walk from where you are staying. They are both about 5 city blocks away, near the Pender St. and Beatty St. intersection. For lunch, there is a spot called Sciue's closeby that makes good Italian pizza and coffee. It is on Pender and Howe.

Spooky. We were there tonight too, probably at the same time. Started off the night headed for Chilo's Mexican in the deep jungles of East Van but they were closed up for the night. Changed course for the Hamilton Street Grill, but we walked in and it was crazy busy, I don't think there was an empty table to be found... a few walks down the block and there is the new Lucky. We also had the meatloaf tonight. I actually liked the meatloaf better than the one I had there when Diner opened a while back. We had the burger too - we liked the beef although not totally sold on the bun. I am not sure what kind of bread it was but we both found it a little dense and substantial for a burger bun. Did not see the much-acclaimed chocolate souffle from the old menu. Not surprised that it is gone though - from past trips to Diner I think it was made from scratch on order and took a long time to make it to the table. Whatever the reason, I am looking forward to checking out the dessert place that the past owner is apparently opening. I wish her the best. The old Diner was just a really refreshing spot for Vancouver and it will be cool to see what she does next. The front of the house was solid. I kept thinking that you folks must be concentrating on that issue in particular, our server was very helpful and kept on top of things. Diner always had good loud music and it is good to see that hasn't changed. We got some nice 80s funk to funk out to while waiting for our pie. Good times.

I think I also saw this product at Dona Cata. the new taco restaurant on Victoria near 38th.

After reading this thread, I will be descending on the Double Down Saloon when I am in town next weekend. There is a punk rock band playing there the night that I plan to go; I looked up the band on You Tube and found a video from one of their shows where the singer assaults various audience members wearing nothing but a thong. Good times. On the old school Las Vegas tip, another place that looks interesting is the Peppermill. It sounds like vintage '70s lounge. Anyone else been there? Should I go early (like before dinner) or late?

All of that sounds amazing. I have a question about your pre-dinner drink - what goes into a grapefruit negroni? Is it just a normal negroni with grapefruit juice? Ever since your foodblog earlier this year I have been drinking campari with that orange san pellegrino stuff, you are the master of new campari cocktails.

Zipang Sushi has opened at Main and 21st, in the space that used to be a pho restaurant. It is about 30 seconds from my front door, so I ate sushi there twice this weekend. It is pretty good sushi, nice and fresh and some of the menu items are a little different than what you usually see. Toshi's down the street has some insane line-ups these days, so maybe this place will get some spillover business. The space is pretty cool, too. The chairs are wild - '50s style modern plactic space chairs with faux fur on the seats.

Does either Chilo's or Dona Cata have a cerveza license?

^ There is a scene in the Korean movie Oldboy where the hero, after being imprisoned for many years, goes directly after his release to a sushi restaurant where he eats a live octopus. The tentacles flop around his face while he is eating.

I like the Tomato Cafe on Cambie and 17th for fresh and good-sized lunches. Recently had a really good clubhouse there with some nice heirloom tomatoes.

^ I tried that tomato dish on the weekend, too. It was a substantial salad with all those tomatoes and a big slice of buffalo mozzerella. It is a great time of the year for tomatoes. We split a peach tart for dessert, but asked about the homemade marshmallows that is part of another dessert and our server brought us a complimentary bowl of the marshmallows with our tart. Nice touch.

It is hard to judge based on photos without getting a taste, but overall chef #1 had a slight edge for me. Chef 2's corn soup with the peach "foie" was a killer idea, looks great and almost pushes him/her over the top, but I agree that Chef 2's sandwich could have used another element in the plating. Great idea and nicely executed. Chef #1: 9 points. Chef #2: 8 points.

One that pops to mind is Caffe Artigiano several locations within a 10 minute walk of the Waterfront. Another idea is to pop across on the seabus to Londsdale Quay. The ride across in the morning is a relaxing way to start the day. Another idea is the Garden Terrace for something a little upscale. My thoughts and best wishes for the next several months.... ← Cafe Artigiano is just two blocks from the hotel at Hastings and Howe Streets, and is a good spot for coffee and breakfast.

^

^ I think it would take a little longer. In my experience, it is way better to err on the side of finishing early. There is no harm in finishing an hour or two before you want to pull them, as they need to rest anyway. You can pull them when they are done, wrap them well in foil (and then I wrap them again in an old blanket) and put them in a cooler until it is time to shred them.

You should also rotate the butts from top rack to bottom rack every few hours, as the top rack gets more smoke than the bottom. 4 butts. It must be a big party.

I have to step in to back up the HSG servers. Having been there several times in the last 9 months as it is little g-man friendly (see Dining with a Baby thread for more details), I have spent a lot of time there and the two regular guys in particular (the muscley guy and the skinny guy) have always been great. Maybe DJOBLong was in on an off night... To keep this on topic, my last three: Last night: Rekado's Sat lunch: Rekado's Friday night: Rekado's New Phillipino place on Main Street around the corner from my house that is coming in mighty handy while my kitchen is under renovation. They have good dumplings and good barbecue. Looks like a Cactus Club. Prices are reasonable. Larry the owner is a nice guy, I am getting to know him well.

I am really interested in hearing about your friends' kitchen renos, as my kitchen is currently under serious construction too. In addition to those issues you have already raised, I think people would also be interested in the Costs issue - did the costs run over budget, what were the most expensive items, etc. I was amazed at the range of costs for almost every component of the kitchen, and how expensive an item like countertops can be.

I was at Aurora Bistro on Friday night with a 9 month old. It worked out because we went late so it was not as crowded. Although the plan was for him to sleep peacefully through the night, he popped up as soon as we got there. He caused no problems. The staff were very cool about it. I think we may have been seated by one of EG's own, who was very gracious. We had a great appetizer of scallop tartare with some beautiful heirloom tomatoes. The boy liked the bread.

We had lunch at the Taco Shack yesterday after getting back into town from a wedding in Ontario. Flew the discount Air Canada plane, so no food on the plane and pretty hungry when I got in, so in the words of Harvey Keitel in Reservoir D's, "Let's get a taco". Good tacos, I liked the homemade tortilla shells and the salsa was good and punchy. The staff were cool and interested in how we liked the food. Loud Santana music played out of a cheap ghettoblaster would add to the whole East L.A. taco truck vibe.

People are free to contract themselves or their consulting services however they want to. I think that there is a risk that some of this may not be consistent with the image and reputation that they have worked hard to create. Some people might not care. It can turn some people off. In my own personal view, which other people are free to disagree with, I think that putting your face on the back of a city bus is not a good idea. I wouldn't do it in my work, but I don't work in the restaurant business and maybe I would feel differently if I did. There are a lot of people who are probably very grateful that they don't have to look at a picture of me on the back of a bus while waiting in traffic. But as Irishgirl pointed out above, there is a possibility that if the airline food isn't that great then people might remember it. That can backfire on the "brand". No doubt that these factors are fully considered before any contracts are signed, and Feenie and any other celebrity chefs can endorse whatever airlines or family restaurants they like. How much does the HSG celebrity chef charge for a celebrity appearance?

Lumiere was my first great restaurant experience. I grew up in a small farm town where the restaurant options were limited to pizza takeout and fried chicken, and when I moved to Vancouver, I saved up some money (it took me a while) and went to eat at Lumiere with a very charming girl from Barcelona. I had my first taste of lobster and fois gras. I think the tasting menu was around $65 or $70 back then. I have been back many times over the years, and sent many other people there. But since the White Spot commercials and ads with the feenie's face postered all over City Buses, they have lost the g-man market.

Nice. Are you using real tortillas like the cornmeal or maize ones, or going with the flour tortillas?

Now that you mention it, the fat cap was a little on the lean side. The pork was good, but a little drier than normal. I was the only one who noticed though, as everyone else was too busy scarfing down pulled pork sandwiches.

Canada Day pulled pork sandwiches: