quattroporte

I hear you Lee - this part of the City is sorely lacking in any sort of decent pizza, delivery or otherwise. Where on Cambie did you see this potential little gem?

He's my kind of guy. The risotto looks good. I could use a big bowl of that right now. I'm curious about the type of rice you all used. I use arborio rice for risotto, but I remember reading that Carnaroli and Vialone nano (I had to Google the last one ) can also be used, and that Vialone nano is actually better than arborio. Did Chef Tony talk about the other types of rice used? (And can we get Carnaroli and Vialone nano in Vancouver?) Also, is there a difference between the brands of arborio rice? The one I buy comes in a green plastic bag. (I tried looking for it in the cupboard to find out the name, but it looks like I'm out.) ← I've tried both Arborio and Carnaroli rice, and quite frankly, I can't tell the difference. Both are good, but Arborio is way easier to find. I find the quality of the stock more important than the rice. My most favorite risotto in the WORLD - shaggy mane mushroom risotto. It just kinda sucks that you have to go field mushroom hunting in Richmond in this weather to find them, then spend the other half of the day cleaning and cooking them, but when the risotto is all said and done - This, my friends, is the most fantastic dish on earth. And this certainly is a risotto kind of day.

The Italian Cultural Centre has something a little different to offer - An Italian Buffet and a movie - The Godfather III (what else?). November 15th @ 7 pm - $19.00 for dinner and a movie. And you can dress up like your favorite Godfather character. Cash bar (no doubt serving up some sort of homemade red wine that some elderly Italian gentleman has made in his basement). I wonder if they're planning a Soprano's-themed dinner anytime soon.....

I attended an Umberto Al Porto dinner, oh, about 10 years ago, and for $150 pp (wine included (Batasiolo) - 9 fantastic courses, all topped with shaved white truffles from Piedmonte. The dinner almost didn't happen - the truffles arrived late (and with armed guards) but my oh my - THAT was a truly memorable dinner (and trust me, 10 years ago, 150 bucks was a big deal for me). I doubt very much any meal served up to me at Lumiere would be worth $1000. I still haven't gotten over when they served me some very undercooked foie gras.....yuck....raw organ meat.. Maybe we should consider starting a Lumiere Lottery - $100 pp - 1 in 10 chances of winning...

In today's Vancouver Sun there is an small blurb about the Lumiere 10th Anniversary Dinner. Charlie Trotter has been invited to cook along side Chef Feenie on November 18, and the hype is already beginning. The 12-15 course dinner costs $1,000 and includes a champage reception, wine and gratuities. The theme will just be "good food and good wine", according to the article. Also, 6 seats will be given away to deserving young chefs. Is anybody going? Does anybody KNOW anybody who's going? Can a dinner really live up to that kind of price?

A couple of years back I bought a small white truffle at Urban Fare - it was from Oregon.....needless to say, it was underwhelming...I wonder how one would be able to tell the difference from a "chinese truffle" and a European one?

Had dinner at HSG last night - a truly memorable meal. The mushroom ravioli was fantastic (you really should consider making it a regular item on the menu Neil, if only seasonally), the now infamous hangar steak - terrific, intense beefy goodness. And of course, the Gingerbread Pudding - I can't believe that was a "small" portion. Great food in huge quantities - what more could I ask for? It was a pleasure to finally meet Neil. Last night looked smokin' busy, but he managed to step away from the fires of the kitchen (figuratively speaking, of course...) to do some schmoozing. My only regret? - not going with my first instinct and getting a GBP to go - could've been enjoying that for breakfast instead of that insipid flax cereal my husband wants me to eat....

The gruyere onion soup at Nu. OHMIGOD. Had it yesterday for lunch - still can't stop thinking about it. Is that sick? To be so infatuated with a soup? To quote Ling, it was "Mouthgasmic" (and it was nice to meet you, Len!)

My vote goes for Lee's on GI - a warm honey dip on a cold day - mmmmm... and the bonus is I'm not hungry again for about 8 hours. In a pinch, Duffin's Donuts on 33rd and Main, when I don't feel like driving across town. A must try is the old fashioned with custard. Don't have to eat for about 12 hours after that one...

I'll find out for you Fud - we're going to HSG on Friday for some mighty fine Hangar Steak and GBP. Good work on the promotions and the menu, Neil - I couldn't dial the phone fast enough. I got the Morton's coupon too - but it's only for Beef Wellington - my God - what an awful thing to do to a steak.

Max, The variety of which you speak is called "Sungold". I have one plant in my garden, and it probably produced about 10 lbs. of those delectable little nuggets. From one plant! You can even grow them in a pot.....then you'll have them all summer. Beware though - they grow to about 6 ft. Worth the trouble though.

KONI? Is that a deli? German?

I am looking for cheese all right.....fresh cheese - bocconcini (sp?), or fresh mozzarella, to be precise. I have tons of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and basil in the garden, and all my usually reliable sources have recently disappointed me. Urban Fare - that place drives me nuts - when I ask if they're fresh, I always get that stupid blank smiley face - "oh yes - VERRRY fresh" and when I get home I discover they're old. Then back downtown to return it. What a waste of time! I've done that the past two times, and I just won't buy them there anymore. It's almost impossible to tell if they're fresh just by looking at them - sometimes you can tell by looking at the water that they're sitting in - if it looks scummy - fugetaboutit. What are they thinking displaying stuff like that?? Whole Foods has one kind that comes in a bag (don't laugh) called Mozzarino (I think) - imported from Montreal and made by Saputo - fabulous! fresh, creamy taste - and a higher fat content than the locally made stuff. But who wants to cross two bridges just for a salad (ok I have, more than a couple of times). Too far. Anybody else out there know where I can get the freshest mozarella??? Cioffi's is good, but sometimes I can't spare a couple of hours of driving (live near Oakridge). Any suggestions?

You bet Gerald - perfect for kids or those of us with smaller appetites. I loved the simplicity of your burger - everybody was talking about them!

I agree with you, Sniffles - Feenie's ribwich was pretty good, but the Alsatian "pizza" was horrible (although the server claimed it was very good). Three bucks for a dried-out hockey puck-looking thing? no thanks. Vera's burgers were a hit with our family. Great Value. This is a terrific venue to bring the kids to - they got to try lots of interesting things, maybe stuff they normally wouldn't try. Now I know my oldest loves Jambalaya - I would have never guessed.... I've been the past three years, and this was the busiest year yet, but the food was better than I remember from last year. Any chance we could convince Neil to participate next year with his GBP???

I'll second Costco - one stop shopping - grab a hunk of Asiago, some buns, a bunch of deli trays and the slab o' cake. If you still have $$ leftover for sushi - Samurai Sushi on Cambie between 42nd and 42rd - pretty decent and cheap cheap cheap!

I was at the Market this morning at 9:10 - I got the last basket of Sungold's from Milan - all the other tomatoes were gone, and all he had left were some Walla Walla's and some green and yellow beans. It looked like he didn't bring down much on this trip? He's usually got tomatoes till at least 10 am.

Yes, they are better - dare I say, better than my own! (and they're pretty darn good, and exactly the same variety). I chalk it up to something in the soil.....but they truly are amazing - try and you shall see! Nothing I've tried in any other market even comes close - in fact, I was so desperate for an heirloom, I paid $7.50 for one at Whole Foods last weekend.

Jeez Keith - sounds like you need to cool off with one of those lemonades I was talkin' about! Granted, you're right about those burgers - they are pretty gross. Just wanted to have a little fun with this thread - I can't explain why those disgusting foods appeal to me, other than it was the highlight of my summer when I was a wee one. And just so you know, I'm going to Parkside next week. Word.

Farmer's markets are on Thursday at Granville Island....I've been waiting for weeks for Milan....please, please be there tomorrow!

Yikes!

Hey everyone, As you can see, I'm one of the new kids on the E-Gullet block, but I thought I'd throw this one out there anyway. I LOVE the PNE!! Born and raised in Vancouver, I've attended all but 4 Fairs, and I think you all know the reason why by now....The Food! So bad, but so good! My personal favorites: Pogo's (with ketchup AND mustard drizzled over the sides), Jimmy's Hamburgers, extra onions, of course, Fisher Scones, but only if they're warm, and the freshly squeezed lemonade And who can forget....Those Little Donuts! Just thinking about it makes me giddy Anybody else have fond food memories of the PNE? Regards, Sandi

I had dinner at Henry's Kitchen about 6 weeks ago - me, the kidlets, and Mr. Q. It was a horrible experience! My chicken parmigiana was mediocre and too salty, my husband seafood concoction was lackluster, but beyond that, a couple of things happened that really gave me indigestion: when we first arrived, the menu board clearly stated that the escargot were sold out, but a gentleman who arrived after us sat down and enjoyed a plateful. What's with that? At the end of the meal, we were looking forward to enjoying the cheesecake - I had eaten it once before, and it was fabulous -very airy and light for a cheesecake. The waitress stated that there was only one piece left, and so we settled for that. When we had finished dessert, I noticed the same man digging into a large piece of cheesecake (remember, we supposedly had the last piece.) Who knows? maybe he was a relative. To top things off, we noticed a number of unusual charges on our bill. The bill is not itemized, but this time we decided to spend a few minutes looking it over. We were baffled, and when we questioned the waitress, she was at a loss as well, and took 3 miscellaneous small charges off our bill. We won't be back.