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C Simril

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    Canadian Gold Medal Plates Competition

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    "catering dressed up as fine dining" was not my experience in the two events I attended. In the first, Chef Pino's soup won the gold medal and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten in this city (and that says a lot). It also introduced me to Chef Pino, whose restaurant I've eaten exceeding well at ever since. My 2nd event's gold medal winner, from one of my favourite restaurants, unfortunately was based on sea urchin. I can no more tolerate sea urchin than I can flap my arms and fly to the moon. But I had the impression that all the chefs brought their "A" game. I had dined on somewhat unfortunate food from Chef Tojo at the Doctor Peter fundraiser not long before attending the 2nd golden plates event, and Tojo's gold plate dish was vastly superior to the Dr. Peter preparation. I told him so, and he agreed.I think competition in food is unaesthetic at best, but if it inspired Tojo to take it up a notch, I can't complain. My only interest, as a Vancouverite, in the Olympics, was that the Simpsons got a good episode out of it, so contributing to the Olympics is about as appealing to me as contributing to the Pickton defence fund. But it wasn't "catering" food, for sure. Some of it was vile. But not all.

    http://seemrealland.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html meal 2

    http://seemrealland.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html meal 1

    Dining in Las Vegas: Part 2

    in Southwest & Western States: Dining

    Posted

    Is Guy Savoy's artichoke and black truffle soup as good as it sounds like it would be? I'm planning to go to Vegas next Feb and Savoy is at the top of my list of places to eat, along with Robuchon, Gagnaire and Ducasse's place. Is it unrealistic to think I could get into all of them? Hopefully this is long enough in advance to make reservations.

    No Reservations visits Vancouver

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    I'm surprised no one in the Vancouver area has commented on Tony Bourdain's TV visit to Vancouver last Sunday. Although Sooke Harbour House isn't in Vancouver, unfortunately, the other restaurants he visited are all places that an egulletteer would likely know. Is it just coincidence that his 3 Vancouver chefs were the same folks that Daniel took to New York to promote his new eateries here? The last scene, with all the chefs hanging out at Pino's house, was the most fun to watch. I'm surprised Tony didn't mention the coincidence of having Vij's show up on a show called No Reservations.

    Market in the Shangri-La

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    My 2nd meal at Market last night, this time in the cafe. Some excellent crab and an astonishing black truffle and fontana split with a friend. He had the tuna burger, which I had a taste of and found too spicy for my tastes but loved it with shiso. I had the beef tartare which tasted more like a tuna salad than beef. A good ginger cocktail from the bar, a not so good red pairing with the beef, which I think would have worked better with a sparkling wine.

    Daniel

    in New York: Dining

    Posted

    The trouble is that Daniel the restaurant has never been the realization of Daniel the chef's talents. There's little question that Daniel Boulud is one of the most talented French chefs in the world. Anybody in that small club will tell you that Daniel Boulud is a core member. If you've ever been lucky enough to be the focus of the kitchen's quota of excellence for a given evening, you know there's great potential there. But the chef has not overall, in my experience, been able to bring the restaurant up to his level of talent -- not for the average customer on a busy night, at least. It's very hit-or-miss depending on a lot of factors, not least of which is just plain randomness. There are four-star dishes at Daniel, and the restaurant has the ability to serve four-star meals, but it doesn't ultimately operate as a four-star restaurant.

    Daniel just opened two restaurants here in Vancouver. I went to his now local DB Bistro Moderne earlier this week and had the best hamburger I've had since 1962.

    Details on my blog, www.seemrealland.blogspot.com

    I'm hoping to come to NYC this year, if I can get a reservation at Per Se, and Daniel's burger was so good I might try to get into his NY establishment as well, as apparently the burger is the only recipe he brought with him to Vancouver. After reading Fat Guy's comments above, maybe not. I was also hoping to go to Babbo but after reading Heat this week, I'm also dubious. I know Daniel can make a kick-ass burger and all those NYTimes stars would seem to indicate he can do other things as well. Jean George's new restaurant Market opens here today, so if I can get what he serves in NYC in my city, I can try others in NY (Le Bernadrin would be at the top of list after Per Se, but I would not go all the way to NY if I couldn't get into Per Se; other restaurants are irrelevant.)

    Four Days in Chicago

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    The trip began at Wrigley Stadium, a rollercoaster of images from my father's ancient Cub fandom, to my own enjoyement of the team as called by Vin Scully when they played the Dodgers, the amusing sequence in one of my favourite films The Brother From Another Planet when a couple of white guys from Chicago find themselves in a Harlem bar and try and break the ice with their enthusiasm for Mr Cub, Ernie Banks, a favourite of my distant youth. Will the Cubs win the series in my lifetime? Not in my father's (1917-2008). It was a wondrous Rosebud coloured sleighride into 2nd base just to be here, and finally, see the Cubs in their memory amber-friendly confines. They won the game with a grand slam. How ever does that happen in a lifetime?

    My discovery last year of the s. pallegrino http://www.theworlds50best.com/2008_list.html

    list of restaurants inspired me to try them out when the opportunity arose. The chance to spend the last 4 days in August in Chicago, a city I had not visited since childhood in the 50s, led to reservations at Charlie Trotters, Alinea, and L20. My former Chicago-based cousin Elicia joined me in the feast and total tourism in a city I found enchanting. The food is pictured and described at length on my blog, www.seemrealland.blogspot.com but I'd like to contribute a few comments for the Heartland section as it was my source for much of our dining.

    At Charlie Trotters, Elicia order the Vegetable Menu, I had the Grand. My amusey Dungeness Crab with Seawater & Sturgeon Roe was about the crabbiest tasting morsel that has ever entered my mouth. And I hate roe! Here in Vancouver, great crab is ubiquitous. But this was actually better, in its realization, as if Leonardo da Crab etched on your palate an oriignal insight into what the taste of crabmeat could be.

    Then some other stuff.

    Elicia kindly allowed me a bite of her Michigan Heirloom Tomatoes with Fava Beans, Basil Seeds and Chervil. . I'd had some faboulous heirloom tomato feasts at Vancouver restuarants and expected someone like Charlie to come through here. I was not expecting those molecules. I have never had finer.

    Until a few minutes later.

    I enjoyed the scallop. No, really, I really enjoyed the Grilled Nantucket Scallop with Boudin, Pig's Tail & Fennel. The Tail of pig was truly evil. But the scallop was wondrous. E had the other and concurred, though we also agreed the leafage was counter-productive. E agreed to exchange her Oregon Morel Mushrooms with Miso, Toasted Koji & Shiso for my Forty Eight Hour Braised Short Rib with Chive Blossoms & Fermented Black Garlic. She found it edible, though the bite I had proved daunting. The morel, on the other hand....

    There are no words.

    Perhaps this is what is meant by magic mushrooms? I am in an unimagined universe. Who knew food could do this?

    Wine pairing wasn't instrusive. After the dish cooled, it wasn't nearly as good. But still, The chance to enter such a totally unknown universe of goodness after almost 6 decades in search of such things. A moment of Faustian time, in which one could only wish to live eternally. But like life, it is brief.

    Other stuff was between ok (trout) to far from ok (quail) on my menu and my cousin was not as excited by her menu as she was expecting.

    Deserts were more cloying than enjoyable and pairings adeqaute at best. Not what you'd expect at this level of restaurant. Many were the bites of food I wish had been revitalized, transformed, elevated or at least helped along with a bit of the expected somelier deftness.

    After a gram of heriloom tomato visitor from other universe and morel explosion of everything I thought I knew of taste, what more could Charlie do? That was more than enough. We zipped off for our 930 reservation at the bar on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building for sidecars. An evening endlessly exploding with enchantment.

    Alinea was the reason I wanted to come to Chicago in the first place. I may vist it again. Or, not. Whichever.

    We had to decline our tour of the Trotter kitchen to catch our table in the sky the previous night but Alinea let us right in to gawk at its gadgetry at play before our seating. Our host had actually been to my cousin's brother David's restaurant, West, one of Vancouver's best, but not had one of his equally celebrated cocktails. My first at Alinea was excellent, a profoundly floral cava much reminscent of David's great creation, the Jolie Coure. Alas, it was all downhill from there.

    There was some good foam. A bit of cubed tomato, others, here and there. I really appreciated the use of sugi, a smell I cherished from decades in Japan and its exported olfactory realities, but after all, we left the restaurant quite depressed. Much of the food was beyond bad. The oyster dish was perhaps the first time in my life, the first time an oyster entered my mouth I didn't immediatley need to expel it, but many other bitefulls could not meet that level of tolerability. There was the good (a bit) there was the bad (far more than one would expect) and there was the bizarre. All that effort, but not into creating an actually higher aesthetic experice, such as we got from Charlie's less Rube Goldberg techno-centric cooking the night before. The pairings at Alinea were hit and miss, though they had a larger landscape to shoot at. I kept having the sensation I was back in Disneyland not long after it opened (we arrived in Southern California in Jan, 1956). There was much possibility here. The bones are there. The flesh can flower. Much greatness will be done. But not at this point in time. That's NOT all, folks.

    Egullet made me aware of L20 and E was able to get us a table. I think that may be hard to get soon. The best fish I've ever eaten was Chef Gras's Amadai, loudly promoted by the server, for which he should receive a raise. The somelier was so entertaining we almost forgot how slipshod her pairings were. The staff seemed as much a part of the atmosphere as so much else. E's Santa Barbara Shrimp was a revelation to us both. When I lived in Japan in the 70s-80s and visiting again in 03, great tasting shrimp were ubiquitous. You would have to search real hard to find a bad one. When I last visted Japan in Aug 07, great prawns were an oxymoron. They could not be found. Great beef too. Her Santa Barbara Shrimp was a voyage back for me to the consistancy of quality I thought would last forever. Alas.

    E thought the consistancy of L20 much higher than Charlie or (shudder!) Alinea in that we werent presented with these mountains and valleys. (or in the case of Al, valleys, and lower valleys). After reading the L20 blog, the experience was pleasently enhanced, even if the passion fruit marshmellow so lovingly described proved unedible. I barely tolerate sweets anyway. But I would return to Chicago to taste that Amadai again, by covered wagon if necessary.

    I look forward to hearing from others who've had these dishes and differing reactions. Everyone has a different tongue.

    Food outside of Vancouver

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    I think Moreno Miotto has a restaurant in PG...if it's still there:

    Da Moreno

    1493 3rd Ave

    Prince George, BC

    (250) 564-7922 

    I've looked into this place and it seems to now be called North 54.

    http://chefmoz.org/Canada/BC/Prince_George...1103626267.html

    My favourite restaurant in Vancouver is Cioppino's, and where I live in North Van, Gusto i Quatro, so the idea of upscale Italian in the interior seems well worth the drive.

    Recently I ate in Bellingham for the first time. We had time to kill before and appointment in the federal building and found quite an elaborate Italian place around the corner. Chef from Sicily, his Sicilian version of lobster bisque was better than any French version I've ever tasted of a favourite soup, so I'm prepared to find good food almost anywhere.

    While driving to Calgary in 1992, we discovered a truckstop in Revelstoke that had such a good omlette (hollandaise, sharp cheddar, back bacon) that we still refer to that omlette as a Revelstoke Omlette.

    You have to pass through Smithers, which has a couple of good places, and a good farmer's market.  I can recommend the Alpenhorn in Smithers for drinks and bar food.

    I'll check it out. Heard good things about Smithers but only been to its airport before.

    [CHI] Alinea – Grant Achatz – Reviews & Discussion (Part 3)

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    Thanks to Grant Achatz for the greatest restaurant  meal of my life at Alinea last fall. And congratulations on the honor tonight.

    Of course, for all us foodie athiests who've been sending prayers your way, your recovery might make us believers.

    Bravo.

    I have reservations at Alinea at the end of August. Much as I'd love to do The Tour, I doubt my stomache capacity could handle it so will probably order the smaller meal. However, I've seen the Truffle Explosion mentioned as Chef G's masterpiece from his previous restaurant (is it the same dish on the Tour?) and wonder if it would be possible to get it in place of something on the smaller meal? Does anyone know if they do things like that at Alinea?

    [CHI] Alinea – Grant Achatz – Reviews & Discussion (Part 3)

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    Thanks to Grant Achatz for the greatest restaurant  meal of my life at Alinea last fall. And congratulations on the honor tonight.

    Of course, for all us foodie athiests who've been sending prayers your way, your recovery might make us believers.

    Bravo.

    I have reservations at Alinea at the end of August. Much as I'd love to do The Tour, I doubt my stomache capacity could handle it so will probably order the smaller meal. However, I've seen the Truffle Explosion mentioned as Chef G's masterpiece from his previous restaurant (is it the same dish on the Tour?) and wonder if it would be possible to get it in place of something on the smaller meal? Does anyone know if they do things like that at Alinea?

    Vancouver's Best clam chowder?

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    Haven't had a decent Clam Chowder in Vancouver since I was last in The Only decades ago. :rolleyes:

    Finest At Sea has indeed some of the best fresh/frozen/deli seafood in the city but the cooked food is from another era-not a memorable one.

    The Chowder is execrable, the F&C bad beyond belief.

    I remember having a great bowl of clam chowder at the Only during Expo 86.

    There is a competition for clam chowders here in North Van every summer. My cousin was a cook in one. It's all white chowder, unfortunately. I prefer the Tomato-based. White has to be unbelievably good to make up for lack of tomatoes.

    You'd think with all these clams and all this ethnic food mixing, someone would come up with the Ultimate Clam Chowder here. I've had better clam chowder almost anywhere in Seatlle compared to here. Why is that?

    Dining in San Diego (Part 2)

    in California: Dining

    Posted · Edited by lesliec
    Added host's note (log)

    [Host's note:  To avoid an excessive load on our servers this topic has been split.  The discussion continues from here]

     

    I'm going to be in San Diego next Feb and have been looking at the Mr A's website as a possibility. I haven't seen it listed on this thread as a reccommended place. Is it all hype? The lobster struedel sounds good, on line at least.

    Gold Medal Plates

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    The mushroom soup was my favourite. I told the chef I'd have to go to his restaurant to try more of his creations. People who asked my opinions, I sent over to his station and they reported back their delight with his soup. Just as good was the vanilla infused scallop inbetween some fatty pork (so much of the meat served was largely fat, made me wonder if the purpose of the feast was to fatten up dangerously skinny athletes) I think it was one of the Whistler hotels that featured it, but I had to dig it out, not the featured flavour of the "dish." Overall, I was not impressed. Westy got third? I can't believe it. I had his sous vide pheasent for dinner the previous night (and lunch before the Gold Plates event) so I know he can cook, although I was in the restaurant mostly to celebrate my cousin the bar tender's victory that night as the nation's best mixologist. West's contribution to last night's event was forgettable while still in my mouth. A lot of the food was awful. The elk and the salmon both tested the gag reflex. All in all, it just wasn't comfortable to be holding wine (poorly paired more often than not) in one hand, a plate of only occasionally edible food in the other and trying to find a place to eat and "appreciate" the dishes.

    What food-related books are you reading? (2004 - 2015)

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    I just read A Cook's Tour yesterday, only the 2nd book I've read about food. I review it on my blog which is at

    www.seemrealland.blogspot.com

    The first food book I read (last week) was called Last Chance to Eat and I enjoyed it much more than Bourdain. This list is giving me good ideas for other books to look for. Also a few minutes ago, ordered Turning the Tables by Egullet Member #1. Will it help me get a reservation at The French Laundry? Will find out. :smile:

    Commercial Drive

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    Went to Carthage today for lunch and really liked it. Specializes in French and Tunisian.  $9 gets you a great steak sandwich and frites, and $11 got me a big plate of Tunisian Chicken Ragout - it was perfrect for a chilly day.  The stew had chicken breast and thigh along with kindey beans - warm spices of cinnamon and cumin.  Bright fresh flavors.

    gallery_25348_1380_9009.jpg

    Only thing is the service was a little formal and stiff - if they relax a little - I think it would get a lot more business.  Regardless - I am looking forward to checking out their other offerings.

    I had some excellent Coquilles St. Jacques at Carthage a few weeks ago. Also a refereshing house salad and some minor league prawns. My friend was enthusiastic about the halibut he ordered. Pix are here http://www.seemrealland.blogspot.com/

    I'm new to posting on eGullet and havent figured out how to post pix here or even in the profile.

    C.

    Vancouver Cheese Shops (Merged)

    in Western Canada: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    .

    For my taste, I like it better than the mozzarella. It's as much a texture thing as it is a flavor thing for me. Some local heirloom tomatoes, a teeny bit of shaved vidallia onion, olive oil and perhaps a squeeze of lemon...dash of salt-pepper-basil...mmm. We're all eating the last of the good tomato salads now.

    I bought some of Les amis' Burata specifically to try this recipe, from the local paper. I didnt include the onion but did use some leaves of basil from my garden. Cheese heaven.

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