gingerpeachy

It is. Although they call it "Pinkys", grammar be damned.

Is it Posh? I know the Richmond place was planning to expand.

From barmixmaster.com: Sour – now we are starting to get into the specialty glassware. The Sour glass is a shorter more pointed shaped White Wine glass. This glass is specifically used for the Sours family of cocktails (Whisky Sour, Amaretto Sour, etc…). In a pinch this glass can be used in the same way as the White Wine glass.

The Burrata is sublime. Just be sure to get it the day it arrives in store - it doesn't keep.

Thanks for all the tips. As expected, the sheer numbers of our group meant that we self-catered for the most part. We did make it out a few times. Breakfast at Black Eyed Susan's was a definite highlight and we had a very tasty cheap-ish lunch at a bistro (forget the name) in the building where the coffee joint is. My husband's relatives gave us a gift certificate for the Straight Wharf for our combined birthdays. I'd say it was good - although it certainly helped we had half the bill covered, with highlights a salad of three kinds of basil and preserved lemon, oysters and a nicely presented cheese plate. Apart from that, our most frequented spot was probably Sayles' seafood - fresh fish at a reasonable price. Mostly though, we took it home and cooked it ourselves: lobsters, scallops, bluefish, steamers.... Yum.

All the better for Kits: this'll be two blocks from my house Is that the old puppy mill building?

Bumping this up as I'm headed to Nantucket for the last two weeks of August. We will be quite a large family group - with a clutch of kids of assorted ages (1-10) - and will likely be cooking for ourselves for the most part. In that regard, I'd be interested in any specialist grocery/bakers/ butchers/ delis/ wine stores (especially wine stores!) where we can pick up good quality meats and provisions. My husband and I would also like to take advantage of some free babysitting to celebrate our birthdays (both in the previous week) with a good dinner. While I'm anxious that this will be top notch in the food department, I think it's highly unlikely my husband will be persuaded to pack a jacket unless not bringing one will reduce us to burger and fries. Any suggestions gratefully received. Also any ideas for casual family lunches/early dinners where we can all relax - preferably where we can sit outside? Breakfast and good ice cream spots, too. Thanks in advance for any pointers.

When my elder son was the only one, he ate at Parkside (inside) three or four times (between the ages of 3 and 6). When he was tiny, he fell asleep on the banquette (we were tourists here that time and staying at the hotel upstairs) and allowed us a great evening working our way through the eau de vie. Slightly older, he would have a starter and dessert. We've taken our kids very happily to Cioppino's Enoteca, Feenie's, Quattro's (on Fourth and in Whistler) and a couple of the Umberto restaurants. Never been given a sideways glance. the toddler had lunch at Fuel a couple of weeks ago and brunch at Bistrot Bistro without any trouble. If they are adventurous, I'd also heartily recommend a good sushi bar - nothing a foodie child likes better than watching their food made in front of them and asking questions. My 8-year-old and I bond over sushi very regularly. The only problem with kids who like to eat well, is that they're so darned expensive

Blue Water came second in the best sushi category in the Straight's Golden Plates this year, I think. For something more traditional, I'd pick Okada on Nelson Square every time. They have a daily fresh sheet that's hard to beat.

Peter, please add me to the throng of devotees of this excellent blog. I have feasted vicariously through every post. Splendid stuff. Thank you.

Having visited Lesotho when my MIL worked as a volunteer teacher there, I would be more than a little interested in reading this. Maybe things are very different now (I was there before the ANC came into power in SA), but there was very little in the way of food, let alone cuisine. A meal of something that looked like pure white corn kernals and entirely devoid of flavour is seared on my memory.

April Fool?

You might want to try the homemade labneh (strained greek yogurt) at Minerva's. It's probably the closest you'll find to Fage - and delicious used either sweet or savoury.

I can't comment on your experience, but I would suggest if you find yourself in a similar situation again you might try the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. We went last night around 6pm (2 adults; 2kids) and there were a number of larger parties all with numerous kids of all ages. It's one of the better options, I think (there's a play area and the staff are great with the children) - and the pizzas are good.

I've been using Organics at Home for about a year now and am very happy. They are probably the nicest folks I've ever bought bananas from - it really is a liberation after supermarket shopping. I use them for all my fruits, veg and dairy plus some dried fruits and nuts.

I suspect Daddy-A and I were in the same cheese shop today. For us: Colton-Basset Stilton; aged Manchego; Brie with black truffles; extra strong aged Scottish cheddar, French ash dusted chevre and a Vacherin Mont d'Or.

Mark, I feel your pain. I'm a Londoner transplanted to Vancouver and feeling very homesick right now. Borough Market was in my manor, just as GI is now. There's no comparison. At Borough, I would go to the lamb man for my beautiful joints, buy pork sourced from organically raised rare breeds, have my Pata Negra hand sliced, walk across the street to the Neal's Yard outlet for my cheese... At GI, I use Oyama and sometimes the butcher at the back (begins with A). Though I have a really good organic fruit and veg supplier, the inability to source top quality meat here is a constant bone of contention (and if someone can point me in the right direction, I'd be delighted). I'm fed up of paying high prices for only an okay product. Les Amis du Fromages is good, but I miss the less clinical, smelly cheese stores... Bah humbug.

I bought a stollen at Quince yesterday - a very reasonable $8. It isn't quite the right shape - too rectangular and flat, and the dough is lighter than I was expecting. But the fruit (candied in-house, I believe) and marzipan were top notch and it didn't have the cloying sweetness that I find often ruins this bread.

I had a brief visit to Chicago this past weekend and the possibility of one good meal out. I was by myself and managed to get a seat at the bar at Blackbird on Staurday night. It was a great choice for a solo diner: busy, hip, unpretentious. I was slightly thrown by the menu as, after reading the threads here and the menu online, I had already decided that it would be pork belly for me. Zut alors! It had been removed. With the help of the friendly bar manager Steven, I settled on a slow-cooked quail/celeriac/pork belly appetiser, which was truly delicious. The tang in the dressing on the celeriac slaw cut through the fatty pork without overwhelming the quail. Next up: rabbit. I found the loin a little dry, but loved the flavourful leg. The crisp brussel sprouts with caraway seeds overcame a lifelong phobia of the vegetable. The five cheeses were beautifully presented and delicious (there was one acompaniament that didn't work for me, but my memory escapes me as to which one). I was headed towards one of the chocolate based desserts, but was steered by Steven to try the chestnut crepes with bosc pears, which were deliciously autumnal. I always choose chocolate, so it was good to have my horizons widened. My only complaint was the lack of wines by the glass. Considering the breadth of the wine list, half-a-dozen whites and reds seems a little tokenistic. I more than made up for it by testing the quality of the cognac and armangnac, however.