jchaput

doesn't the fairmont have a great restaurant? It may not be in DOV, but it is hotel dining, no?

I see big jars of sausages in liquid whenever i'm at Freybe on East Hastings near Nanaimo. I suspect they are pickled, but I don't know for sure. Freybe is an awesome store. So inexpensive, it's stupid. Only open four days a week, so call ahead for hours/times. I get flank steak, and prime ribs there sometimes too (when available).

-Four Seasons lounge

kerrygold's ranking in this butter taste-off.

I think you can bring back some butter for youself. Commercial and personal usage are different. you are allowed to bring back $20 worth of dairy products when crossing the border back into canada.

These sound like a perfect size for my lunchbox. Do you know what hours they are available for sale? I tasted this at a 4-seasons dinner a few years back and it was fantastic. I didn't know you could buy them.

Kerry Gold butter can be found across the border. Try Hagens in Bellingham. I see it there sometimes. You won't (shouldn't) find it in Canada, as I am of the understanding that there is not supposed to be imported butter allowed, so as to protect the sale of domestically made product. That is why you don't ever find French butter here.

I see green papayas at Sunrise Market on Powell sometimes. Masa Harina is around. There is/was a mexican deli near joyce loop. Otherwise try Que Pasa in Richmond.

To answer your dairy questions: 1. We sell two types of Epoisses at les amis du FROMAGE. Fromagerie Berthaut uses Thermized milk for their cheese. Even thought it is not made from raw milk, it is still a very flavorful cheese. Many customers prefer it. Some cheesemakers use a compromise between raw and Pasteurized, called thermization. This involves heating the milk at lower temperatures (145-149F for 15 sec.) than the Pasteur method (which requires 160F for 15 sec or 145F for 30 min.) Thermizing kills most bacteria, but preserves more of the original flavor than true Pasteurization. The other brand is Jean Gaugry, which is made from unpasteurized milk. 2. To the best of my knowledge, you may not commercially import butter into Canada. I beleive this law is in place to protect canadian dairy farmers. 3. Fresh/youg style cheeses are difficult to to import to canada. They are fragile, and they have to be shipped by air in stead of the usual boat, which increases shipping costs dramatically. Add to the fact that Vancouver is the lats stop on the trip. They usually have a very short shelf life. This is a good reason for you to go back and visit Italy. You may see some of these dairy products across the border, but you are in a different country with different trade laws. Canadian trade laws do not apply here, and we also have a different food inspection regulations (and vice-versa). This is why you see the good epoisses here. Joe Chaput les amis du FROMAGE www.buycheese.com