JasmineL

Hatch on Broadway has closed it's doors...the sign says that some "new dreamers" will be taking over the space. I hope the "new dreamers" dream up a menu that doesn't require advanced cryptology.

My 12 yr old sister buys a seasoned nori that is nice for snacking on, it is pretty salty. Next time I am at my mom's I will find out the brand. The stuff she buys comes in small, individual serving sizes...packaged in a larger bag.

This thread inspired me to make some Bo Kho (beef stew)...the beef is marinating right now. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmarinating.

I am already a fan, love sandwich #2!

The buns sound a lot like the crust on the "sushi pizza" I saw on many a Toronto sushi restaurant menu.

There is a sale on all books at The Book Guy in City Square mall...20% off all stock and most of the stock is discounted to begin with. I didn't get a good look at the selection of food and beverage books because I had my hands full, but it is probably worth a visit. Off the top of my head I remember seeing La Regalade Cookbook and The Wineries of British Columbia.

Bookmarked!

Thanks Ling! I knew I could count on you.

These cookies have been haunting my dreams.I also prefer them to the much lauded Sparkle Cookies (although, I wouldn't kick the Sparkle Cookies out of bed for eating cookies...if you know what I mean).I would love to find a good copycat recipe of the Valrhona so I can make them at home.

This is a subject of great interest to me. I am of African-Canadian heritage (Zambian and Irish/Scottish)...so I was raised with a different cuisine than folks down south. However, my sister's dad is from a large African-American family and since he has been a part of our lives for 12+ years, I have been exposed to a lot of "soul food". In my house, the "soul food" is definitely modified. We do the smoked turkey thing with our collard greens and we do a lot of meat on the BBQ all year round. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the quantity of food my sister's dad will cook, mounds and mounds of meat!

Thanks for sharing your experiences. My friend just graduated a few days ago (Pastry). I can not wait for her to come home.

Dang! Another near meeting!

My friends and I arrived at around 8:00, our reservations were not until 8:45 but we figured we would have a drink or two at the bar. I ordered a Manhattan, as that is my usual poison of choice. My drink had not even arrived when the hostess informed us that our table was ready! I was thrilled to be seated early. Our party of 3, the United Nations of Gluttony, made ourselves comfortable and proceeded to take in the sights, sounds and smells of the room. We observed that there is a lovely little private room that would be fantastic for a birthday dinner...I made a note on my PDA because I always forget these important features when the time comes to plan an event. The drinks we ordered from the bar arrived at our table and I sipped my Manhattan whilst reading the menu. The waitress was on the ball from beginning to end, attentive without being invasive. She brought her A game. We placed our orders and quickly attacked the bread basket. The bread was airy which contrasted nicely with the crunchy sprinkling of poppy seeds on the crust. I ate more than my fair share so I was happy when another basket of bread arrived. The waitress noticed my Manhattan had magically disappeared in to my mouth and offered to bring me another, I declined and opted for a glass of Blue Mountain Chardonnay. It was crisp and slightly floral.I am not usually a white wine drinker, but lately I have been experiencing terrible allergies related to tannins (stuffy nose, sneezing, hives). Now on to the food! I started with the same terrine that SnackyCat described. My notes on the dish are similar in that I felt it tasted like all the best parts of thanksgiving dinner with none of the filler. I had a bite of my friends salmon carpaccio, but it didn't wow me. My other dining companion had the terrine, so there was no need to steal from her plate. My two friends ordered the beef short rib, once again very nicely described in the first post of this thread. They were kind enough to share some of the tender beef with me. A good friend never hordes her beef. I ordered the pumpkin and marscapone ravioli, a departure for me because I usually opt for heartier fare when I have the option. The truffled sage butter added some velvety richness, but I was still a bit hungry when the plate was empty. I am greedy pig though, I'm sure the average person would have been stuffed. Dessert, dessert, dessert...oh how I loved my dessert! I had the dark chocolate pot-de-crème with brandy soaked cherries burried like treasures of tartness. I let my friends have a taste and they were envious. They both had the sticky toffee pudding, delicious but remarkably similar to everyone's favorite from HSG. I had a glass of Blue Mountain Brut to cap off the evening, it was a delight. Hooray for Parkside! Edit: Not sure what is up with the formatting of my post.

Hi, nice to almost meet you! I will have my play-by-play later today.

I'm having dinner at Parkside tonight. *happy dance*

Funny, we called it that in Toronto, there was one right next to my place of employment. The new one will be a rather frightening 6 blocks from my place of residence.

Now, I'm wondering if that would be part of the importing problem?

Believe it is the busboy (Noel). Apparently shooting schedules will allow him to work on both shows. Big break for him in the international market. cheers ← Cool, I am always to hear about Canadian actors getting a break internationally since I hear so many jaded views of the industry...but that is another topic for another board. I need to upgrade my cable package so I can watch all these fancy shows.

I'm no expert on the subject, but I love the Peking Duck at Shanghai Chinese Bistro. I don't know how much it costs because I am also a kid and my friends parents always pay.

Do you know which actor?

I don't have a recipe, but my pastry chef friend told me she once made Ants on a Log Ice Cream. She described it as... "celery infused ice cream with rum soaked raisins and swirled peanut butter" I love Ants on a Log as a snack, so the ice cream sounds very appealing!

I don't get that channel, but I am a commercial actress aspiring to work in film and TV and they gave me my first speaking role on that show! I have not seen the episode, and I get to say all of two words...but it's a credit and for that I am greatful!

Okay, after much debate I ended up booking a table for 5 at Aqua Riva.I've been to Aqua Riva a few times and have never experienced "fireworks of the culinary kind", but I know the teenagers in my family like the place and the view is lovely. My 16 yr old brother is a bottomless pit, so portion size is a concern...and I have heard that the DOV portions at Aqua Riva are ample.He will probably eat half of my 12 year old sister's meal anyway. I plan to drink enough wine to make up for the minors in our dining party...oh and probably my mom's allotment of wine too since I plan to make her drive me home.

Sandy and I shortlisted this $15 but we had too many booked to fit it in. But it is indian food so it depends on tastes: Ashiana Tandoori Restaurant $15 1440 Kingsway (Knight St.) Vancouver BC V5N-2R5 604-874-5060 Fax: 604-874-5061, 604-951-4522 [Link] Mind you I have never been so I can't attest to it. ← I used to get delivery from Ashiana and it was always fantastic, but because my mom cooks a lot of curries at home and because I don't enjoy dessert at Indian restaurants it doesn't seem like a good fit for the special occasion. If you do get an opening in your schedule it would be worth checking out.

I am having the darndest time picking a restaurant to go with my mom, brothers (24 and 16) and my sister (12). It would be a birthday dinner, but since my mom is paying for the whole thing I am trying to find something on the $15 menu. I might have to supplement and push for the $25 menus.