bigdaddy

excerpts from - Mia Stainsby Vancouver Sun April 21, 2005 Now, why would I make a mind-numbing drive out to Chilliwack to review a restaurant? Well, it helps that some friends moved out that way a year ago. (What have we here? A Chilliwack trend?) It also helps that the guys behind Bravo Restaurant & Lounge are city slickers from Delilah's restaurant -- first in that magnificently campy Haro Street location, then at its encore presentation on Comox Street. Du Plessis was manager, and partner Louie De Jaeger was bartender at Delilah's. Come to think of it, Bravo reminds me of the handsome Parkside restaurant, which now is in the old Delilah's location. At Bravo, De Jaeger's still shaking martinis, using his own infused vodkas. He's put in a roof-top garden, with the help of Brian Minter (of Minter Gardens) which is yielding herbs like pear mint, and garnishes from the miniature crabapple tree. For aesthetics, they called upon friend Wade King, who's done the interiors at several of Umberto Menghi restaurants as well as the chain of Take Five coffee shops in town. The place could be air-lifted into Yaletown and trendy lofters would slip into it like a Tom Ford jacket. ...Of course, they wouldn't get far without decent food and what they offer is good value. The cooking is not haute; it's more bistro fare. Every dish on the menu, including beef tenderloin with stilton butter and potato gratin, is under $20, except for the rack of lamb which at $26 limbos pretty low. Ambience ****1/2 Service **** Food ***1/2 Overall ***1/2 Restaurant visits are conducted anonymously and interviews are done by phone. Restaurants are rated out of five stars.

Actually, the corn comment was meant as a joke (since that seems to be the main thing people associate with Chilliwack at this time of year!) Don't know if you've been in yet Badiane...but please make a point of saying hello if you do. We've been open over a year now and things are going amazingly well. I used to be the manager at Delilah's (was there for 18 years!) and my partner was the main cocktial guy there.Between us we have more than 50 years in the biz.Our room was put together by Wade King (the creative force behind such Vancouver rooms as Circolo, Delilah's, the re-vamped Caffe de Medici,etc) and is like an urban oasis for the large influx of us "city folk" moving out this way. We have never advertised, but based solely on "word of mouth" (and good press) are lucky enough to be reservation-only most weekends (which also seems to be a new phenomena out here, based on people's reaction when they can't just saunter in on a Friday and get seated!). Hope to see you sometime...

or...(shameless plug coming)... drive another 15 minutes and visit us at Bravo in Downtown Chilliwack (the only Fraser Valley restaurant to win an award at the Playhouse Wine Festival 2005 or to merit a recent visit/favourable review by Mia Stainsby...."4 1/2 stars for ambience"). Besides...corn season is here!

← To further clarify - restaurants can definitely allow patrons to take home unfinished wine...provided that they follow specific guidelines (related to re-corking, etc). Participating in this thread has caused me to think seriously about the potential legal ramifications of this new situation. Considering the fact that I live in a city where even the local MLA publicly admits to drinking and driving...I think I'll cover my ass legally and buy a re-corking machine!

I received my liquor licence near the time when the new regs came in, and therefore had the pleasure of hearing every fascinating policy quirk explained in great detail. -The purpose of the "required" re-corking device is to insert the cork completely back into the bottle (as if new) in order to make it impossible for the patron to access the alcohol (unless they brought a corkscrew!). -You must keep a supply of brand new corks for this purpose. You cannot use a cork that has been removed from that bottle or any other (LCB sites "health reasons"). - The lecture on where to place the wine in the vehicle obviously concerns drinking/driving liabilities. My original point, though, was that we don't actively encourage patrons to take unfinished wine home because (from the customer service point-of-view) we aren't enthusiastic about all the crap that is supposed to go with it! While I'm on an LCB policy rant...this is my favourite "new" policy anachronism- After wasting time applying for and receiving a "lounge" designation we were told that the liquor to food ratio for our establishment could not increase beyond what we would have been allowed as a regular restaurant without a lounge! translation- you can have a lounge designation...just don't try selling more alcohol!

"New world" wines are definitely the appeal to a huge segment of the mid-range to upscale casual fine-dining crowd. Personally...I've never been a big fan of all-BC lists, either as a customer or a proprietor. I understand the rationale from a small restaurant/marketing point of view, but in general I'd rather see a thoughtful and interesting selection from various regions. For me, combining a large selection of BC wines with other wines from around the world shows a confidence in local products that doesn't always come through in more restricted lists.

Licensees get the discount previously mentioned, but pay the GST. (All businesses can claim GST credits at the end of the year after paying an accountant a heap of dough for figuring it all out!). I would be a little surprised to see a bottle that is listed for the consumer at $30 (and therefore $35 with taxes) being priced at $70 on a wine list. Obviously owners mark-up as they please to suit their market but...I do mark-ups based on what I pay for a product. (a happy customer is a return customer).

Used to be that 100% was the general mark-up rule. We go from about that for the least expensive bottles and decrease the mark-up as the wines increase in price...down to below 50% mark-up (why pay $100 mark-up just cause the wine cost $100?). I'd rather get a $30 mark-up for a nice bottle that leaves the customer feeling that they've had something special than the same amount of profit for an inferior experience. What wines belong on the list depends upon the cuisine, style of restaurant, etc. Wine lists should be as individual as food menus! (Bravo Restaurant & Lounge, Chilliwack)

Not only are there regulations regarding the consumption of liquor on the premises...a licensee in BC "may not buy, keep,sell or give ...liquor purchased otherwise obtained from a source other than your designated liquor outlet".(BCLB Terms & Conditions of Licence). The owner is accountable for any "illicit" alcohol found "anywhere" on your premises...and may not "keep or serve liquor bought for private consumption in your establishment". Licensees must keep a detailed register of all liquor purchases, which must be available for inspection at any time. I have seen an LCB audit, where additional taxes were demanded for staff drinks and alcohol consumed by the restaurant owner. As for corkage (which is unequivocally against the terms of a BC liquor Licence)...it's often the result of complaints from another licensee when the LCB takes action on such issues. This is a tough business, and corkage can be seen as giving someone an unfair advantage ( as expressed very clearly by an earlier poster! )