wildebeest

Excellent little secret place. Shhhhh.

What about Aqua Riva right next door? I have only been in the lounge. How is the food and service?

I think you mean Bruce.

Just in one small instance. I had to search it out.... "Please ask for the official Dine Out menu when you are seated." Otherwise they refer to it as City Dine. I hope they repeat this program in the future. Every year diners can look forward to City Dine in September. Taste of Yaletown in October and DOV in January. Dine Out has spawned so many spin offs. I know some servers hate it (from friends in the indutry) but it seems to be a success. I am interested to see the line up for Taste of Yaletown this year. Chef Wyles? When do we get to find out?

I see that the City Dine webiste is finally updated for the event. Website Participating restaurants and their menus.

You would not be saying that if you had eaten the Gingerbread Pudding. I love the Hanger at HSG-perhaps the cut is not for everyone. ← I am not sure that HSG can lower their prices anymore than they are. Yes it is a little dated in its decor out front (private dining room is beautiful) but where else in Yaletown or anywhere downtown can you get a 20 oz Angus New York Steak for $32.99, is it still that cheap? They have the best deal on beef around, maybe not as good as that place on the corner of Hastings and Clark but fantastic for downtown. And the ginger bread pudding is fantastic, especailly on a rainy night in the winter time. I am sure the owner could fix up the room and then he would be justified in raising his prices 20% or more. I think that it offers great value. It is too bad that your Hanger Steak was tough. It is a tricky piece of meat to cook but still ranks up there for flavour even if you have to chew a little more. Here is a little info that I didnt know about this cut of meat. Hanger Steak Give the place a second visit. I am sure the owner would love to have a second chance to show you why this restaurant has been around for 9 years. p.s. Phat rules. Montreal smoked meat sandwich please.

I think Chambar has the former pastry chef from Blue Water working for them. It is one of my favourite restaurants as well. They have a great concept and great staff working there.

I walked by a new restaurant on the waterfront on Monday and it was virtually empty. One table on the patio deciding if they would stay or not and a couple having cocktails at the bar. This was at 7:30 pm. Next door to it is another restaurant that has been around for 3 years or so. It had a full patio and was at least 1/2 full inside, a good business for a long weekend. Is the restaurant next to it jinxed because it is the site of a previously failed restaurant? Is the concept ill conceived. Are customers fickle with new businesses or overly cautious about spending their money until they read reviews or hear from word of mouth? I wonder how you can miss in Yaletown on the waterfront?

Bardot has been open for a few weeks now at the old Quay location. Has anyone been yet?

A comment in the Century thread made me start thinking about restaurant locations. What is a good, bad or ugly location. What area will make a restaurant succeed or fail or does it have no bearing where it is? There are restaurants in Yaletown that sit empty most nights while their neighbours are turning customers away because they are sold out. There are restaurants in the middle of no-where that are phenomenal and do a great business like The Cannery and IMO Chambar. What are your comments on areas in Vancouver? Kits, Coal Harbour, Gastown, Yaletown, Granville Street, Main etc.

I am curious about the location comment. Why is that area a graveyard? I would say that the location of Chambar would be much worse. I am not commenting on either restaurant as a concept or business just the location each one happens to be in. Chambar thrives in an out of the way area dispelling the location location location theory. Is Century's business dictated by seasons? Is the room more appealing in the fall and winter and less in the summer?

Don't the beds require a guarrantee of $400 or $500 to be spent to secure them? A friend had to pay a deposit for them one evening.

I saw an ad in the Georgia Straight for Infinity. Free Chocolate Ganache Cake with Jagermeister Gelato with the purchase of any entree or $15 purchase. I am cool with free dessert. The food smelled great the time I walked by the restaurant. I am going to try and eat there this weekend as I want to give a new restaurant some business. I respect the small owner/chef who takes a huge risk opening their own place. If they can hang in there for awhile I think they should do ok. The area under the Granville Street bridge (North side) is supposed to be developed with a market feel much like Granville Island.

From what I can see from the street, it looks pretty much the same. ← It is the same inside. Some very minor changes to the room, felt like the Quay. I took a peek at the menu...$10 caesar salads to $36 for tenerloin. The staff they have hired looks great, lots of experience in the room. I overheard that the chef wasnt on board yet and that he was coming from Coast. Interesting.

Anyone know when Bardot's opens in Yaletown?

I hate to say it but I agree with you and I live in Yaletown. What I like about Yaletown is that I know the name of my doctor, dentist, dry cleaner, barista, insurance agent and that they know my name, makes it feel like a small town. It is a trade off for bumping elbows with those that feel it is neccessary to wear sunglasses indoors hours after the sun goes down but this is about food so back to it. I am hoping that with Sanafir taking away some of the customers that use Glowbal as a nightclub and a place to be seen that they will go back to being the restaurant that they were when they first opened. James is a talented chef at Glowbal and has a fantastic resume with Bocuses d'Or etc. I have not had a meal at Coast so I can't comment. Still waiting for a meal at Sanafir on a night where I am not getting jostled. I promise to report back about it.

Thanks for that...I'll avoid this place like the plague. ← Shouldn't Sanafir be judged on its food, service and ambiance? Is it the proprietors fault that he created a room that people want to be seen in? Lord Balthazaar comments showed that this venue offers excellent food and service with good value. I noticed that they had sparkling water as their beverage, no booze. That is like rolling the dice in some restaurants as far as attentive service goes, but apparently not with their server, she delivered. I for one will not avoid it like the plague but will wait for the opening rush to subside or better yet to go down on Sunday or Monday night when I can experience the restaurant not the "it" crowd, I get enough of that living in Yaletown.

...one can only hope it's sometime during the Age of Aquarius. ← One year in and they are starting to build the restaurant NOW? Wow, I wouldn't need meditation I would need therapy. When I opened up a bar business a few years back it killed me that we had to pay rent for the month we needed to renovate and transfer liquor liceneses etc. Maybe a trip to India may have helped me back then. I wish them all the best in their quest for Nirvana and the opening soon???? of their new venture.

Any word on when Butirmoth is opening? Their blog says January. It is a very interesting read by the way, meditation trips to India etc. Butirmoth.com

Ouch....I just read it....she has big claws doesnt she.

Agreed. 20 ounces of Striploin at HSG is a great deal. Doesnt leave much room for ginger bread pudding however.

It seems not even close. You can keep track of their lively progress here. ← Lively progress is a bit understated.....they have bared their souls and intimate thoughts. Best of luck to them.

Anyone know if Butirmoth is open yet?

I don't know, maybe because they are told to order wine and drinks and tip extravagantly to be good customers. These are no more obligatory than comping someone that had water poured all over her. In both cases, they are probably good ideas. That's all I read into these posts. But then I don't "do" DOV. ←

Does anyone know if Diner is taking credit cards or debit yet ( havent been for 6 weeks )? I kind of like the cash thing and cash register....makes it feel more like a diner but I do find myself forgetting that it is cash only and not being able to order what I want due to limited cash in my pocket....luckily the selection and the price allow me to still get a great feed. I think that during DOV I will hunker down a few evenings at Diner and wait out the storm that descends on Yaletown.