Albondigas

Last week the always reliable Go Fish was serving what they called BBQ'd Oyster Tacos. There's no "r" in May but I threw caution to the wind. Lightly BBQ'd, well accompanied. Mmmm good..

Desperately seeking good croissant It’s what I want Tried some Ho Hum Tried Lebeau Inconsistent, sometimes so-so Patisserie Bordeaux? Don’t know. Some think tank in Geneva ranks us in the top three Cities in the world for quality of life. A proper coffee, and great croissant, and a good morning paper obviously weren't part of the criteria.

In a perfect world improved revenues from concessions could offset taxpayer’s contributions to the PB operating budget. But improving revenues at the expense of public access to parks or a degradation of the parks is hardly a good tradeoff. But really, all of the popsicles in the world would not make a dent in our property taxes but will simply go to support the ever inflating Park Board expenditures. Or do you think the Park Board will ask for $206K less from the city this year? Examples of how the Parks Board could have done this better abound. Good things can come in small packages and I think we would all agree that if the Park Board is going to undertake this type of thing that they not do pave our waterfront in the process. But before any reasonable debate can take place the Park Board must be more truthful with the info they provide. For instance they quoted a five month revenue figure of $2 million yet that only covers the period ending December. The first three months of this year likely saw lower revenue (business in the winter was slooow) that would have made the numbers look worse. And they quoted the revenue from the old concession at $34K when in fact it was closer to $80K except for its last year when it was run by the restaurant developer who only had to pay the city 6.5% of gross. $80K is a more truthful figure and in light of that Watermarks looks a lot worse. It will likely provide only $100K of incremental revenue which is a pittance and likely could have come from a much more modest upgrade of the old concession. Is it an accident that the Park Board presented the numbers in this fashion? Such manipulation of information should be a red flag. Is this about food? Well even if it isn’t, judging from the reviews neither is Watermark.

The Watermark building may be flash from certain angles (but mostly just from the inside lookin out and that view predated the building) to some but it is still a building, a 17,000 + sq. ft concrete and steel intrusion on a park that was previously very pretty and well liked. The surrounding park is now just landscaping for the benefit of a private businessman and not a park for me and you. I'm all for architecturally interesting buildings in our city but not at the expense of waterfront parks for Pete’s sake. And if you are in any doubt as to the unfair impact on the immediate neighbourhood just stand behind the building for a few minutes. A grey concrete wall, noisy mechanics, and failed promises from the Parks Board are all they got. Waterfront dining, if it had to be brought to a park at all could have been achieved with a lot less ugliness in both the building and the Parks Board’s aggressiveness. The process by which the Parks Board advanced Watermark was not pretty. No consultation with neighbours, a failure to understand basic zoning issues, threats of legal action from the developer, legal action from citizens, and an out of control process that put the developer in charge. Oh, and the choice of restaurateur? What a failure! Tim Pawsey's recent review in the Courier deemed the food so bad in puts in doubt the Parks Board process and even questions if this should be done. Odd isn't it, a group too incompetent to run a concession but unable to even properly outsource the function. If this is any indication of the wherewithal of the Parks Board in doing this type of thing we don't have much to look forward to with this proposal but ruined beaches. As for the silly argument that visitors to our city worry about the concession food…..get a grip. Such insecurity about what others think of Vancouver as a motivation to destroy beautiful public spaces is ridiculous.

Mui Gardens. Asian soul food. Curries, wonton, a cold chicken with ginger and green onion sauce on the side (the name escapes me right now), and lots more. A regional classic. Look at what the locals are eating and order accordingly. Distinctly untrendy but the green plastic dinnerware has kitch appeal for those who require it. Dress as you are, nobody cares. Eat up. You'll be happy and full but you won't see anyone you know. And some nights that's just what you want.

Note: The view is free to all. Its in a public park. There are too many places to go with great food to waste one's time on Watermark. Build an appetite with a walk on the beach and then go someplace worthwhile instead.

For a long time I've believed that a very clear demarcation line on the map exists in regards to Mexican food. South of the line good Mexican food can be found but north of the line, forget it, it just can’t be done. It’s kind of like the line that could be drawn on a map to show the advance north of killer bees. Experience tells me that a visit to a Mexican restaurant North of this line will be disappointing and Vancouver is so far north of the line that any hope of a good AND authentic meal is a pipe dream. Get in the car and drive south to Super Rica in Santa Barbara. While I-5 is a food lover’s hell the reward at Super Rica will be worth the drive. North of that you are rolling the dice and north of, say Napa or Sonoma, we try out of desire more than any realistic expectation of great Mexican food. That’s not to say that some of our Mexican restaurants aren’t sometimes good (and in a pinch will help us come close to getting our fix) or that a dedicated cook can’t make a run of it at home, its just that Mexican food requires a certain something, maybe it a warm climate thing, that does not move north very well

Last trip, I brought a cubeta of 10 kilos of the stuff. Paid overweight on my suitcase but it was worth it. The bought paste isn't as much fun as homemade, but it is fun to taste all the different kinds in the market and bring home a variety. Barb ←

I have been going to Asia Market on E. Hastings for my "Vietnamese sandwiches" for years and have always considered it a find. The store is a chock-a-block full of S.E. Asian goodies and is a great place to get packaged yellow or red curry, green papaya, and all of the other essentials. But what brings me there are the Bahn Mi served at a counter in the back by the most charming lady. For $2.25 and the price of a soy milk I am in my own little nirvana. The location at 265 E. Hastings Street is a definite challenge but I don't expect anyone to hang around Hastings and Main to eat their lunch. Instead, I take my Bahn Mi north along Main St., over the railway tracks on the overpass and west along the water to a parking lot on the waterfront where I can sit in the sun, look over the harbour, and have a lovely lunch watching the helicopters land and take off. After lunch just continue west where the road pops up at the Shaw tower. There are few more enjoyable ways to spend a lunch hour out of the office.

Perhaps a better question is, when will the esteemed proprietor relent and give this establishment over to someone who can do it justice. The bad karma with the community earned by his aggressive and litigious approach during the approval stage as well as his out-of-date approach to the restaurant business dooms this place, tourists or not. The much ballyhooed $8 million cost is sunk and likely unrecoverable. And can we say that the place has done much for his reputation……Maybe but not as he would want. So why stick around? As it is currently being run it is making a better case for its illegitimacy, just as its opponents argued. Any more of the same and we can all recognize we were better off with a picnic basket and a blanket at the beach.

That's a tough request. I'd think you'd have to book the whole place and that costs. But I seem to remember an arrangement at Shebeen for my own 40th that involved no or minimal room fee but a minimum per person of eating and drinking. And at that age your friends will likely drink the minimum just as a warm up. I also recall having a good party at the Alibi Room. That can hold a crowd pretty well.

Any truth to the story that manager David Richards has been set free "to pursue other opportunities" and is this what is behind the recent slide from dismal food and service to even more dismal food and service? Can the admission that the place is a bust and maybe was not a good idea in the first place be far behind?

One day I'll make Mole from scratch. And one day I may just read all of Proust's "A la Recherche du Temps Perdue" instead of just using the book as ballast in my suitcase. In the meantime I still love the stuff and want to have some chicken mole for dinner so I'm stuck with the pre-made stuff, right? On a recent trip to Oaxaca I picked some Mayordomo Mole Negro and Rojo. It is wonderful. However, I can't help but think I was too timid not to bring home some of the other mole available in the market in Oaxaca. The Mayordomo jars just looked convenient and way to travel with whereas the mounds of mole looked a lot less convenient. Just what is the scoop with the jars vs. the mole sold in the market?

Last night we had an exquisite meal at West. Nothing notable about that. It’s just what you’d expect at West even during DOV. The special touch that I found notable was the wonderful treatment provided to my (admittedly grumpy pre-teen) daughter. Finding nothing on the menu that suited her (her fault not the menu) it looked like I was in for an evening of grousing. We mentioned this to our server, who is also noted in an earlier post. Without hesitating even a moment she addressed my daughter directly and maturely and within seconds the grump was smiling and agreeing to a wonderful and child friendly off-menu choice. Peace was brokered, the meals arrived, and we all lived very happily ever after. In addition to the stellar food, lovely room, and pro service, a quality that will keep me in awe of a restaurant is the ability to deal with little curve balls like this in such a seamless fashion. Thank you West.