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grayelf

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Posts posted by grayelf

  1. And I do like cheeses with spirits - the Cahill Porter that was referred to earlier, with the veins of dark beer, is very pleasant.  Cheeses washed in wines like the Drunken Goat, etc do not detract from the real flavor of the original product.

    There is an story told about how these wine-rinded cheeses came to be.  They originate in the Veneto region of Italy, which was on the path of advancing and retreating armies.  Farmers got sick of having their homes invaded and cheeses stolen, so they threw them into barrels of wine to hide them.  Considering that invading armies would probably go for wine first, the historical basis is weak, but it's a good story.

    Thanks for the backgrounder -- true or not. What a great rural legend. I spent a bit of time in the Veneto this past Feb gorging on the many amazing local cheeses, most of which did not have "extra" stuff in them :smile:

  2. I thought I'd toss another "add on" into the mix: what do you all think about wine/alcohol IN cheese? Khadijah has mentioned a number of non-cheese items she's not keen on and I tend to agree but I'm a die-hard fan of ported Stilton. In fact, I'll be crocking up a couple of pounds for Christmas very shortly. I've also recently gotten hooked on Drunken Goat, a tasty red-wine (forget which one, philistine that I am) infused Spanish queso. Thoughts?

  3. Hi there, my neighborhood Ralph is giving away free eggs and I am thinking to make some frittata...I have never made it before so if you have any great recipes to share, please let me know.

    I cook 99% Malaysian and Asian dishes at home so Frittata is something new that I wish to try.

    :smile:

    The recipes supplied so far look great -- here's a fun variation done in muffin tins. These little puppies are great for lunch the next day too. Kinda goofy name though...

    Pit Stop Fritattas

    10 large eggs

    1/2 cup milk

    1 tsp dillweed OR fresh basil to taste

    1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

    3/4 cup shredded cheddar

    1/4 cup chopped green onions and

    1/4 cup finely diced ham OR

    1/2 cup finely diced tomatoes

    Preheat oven to 350F. Mix eggs with milk, dill if using, salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese and the onions if using.

    Pour equal amounts of egg mixture into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle with ham. Bake in center of oven for 20 to 22 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and broil for 1 or 2 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes.

    Use a blunt knife to loosen and remove frittatas. Serve immediately or cool completely before wrapping individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat on medium in microwave. Makes 12 fritattas.

    Note: if your neighbours eggs are really large, you might want to use 8 or 9 instead, as you don't want to overfill the muffin tins.

  4. But the Lentia address is in Surrey? I'm a bit confused...  do they have an outlet ofr consumers at their head office?

    Thanks for all the help... 1st stop , Monde Chocolat! The lady told me they have bars up to 10 lbs.

    If you mean Monde Chocolat on Burrard, you are in for a treat. Make sure you have time to check out all the other choco-products, and bring money if you are a curious chocoholic :wub:

  5. Try the 21 day air dried  beef at Sean Cousin's So.Cial. Very nice steaks.

    Stephen Bonner

    The Significant Engineer and I have been shamefully addicted to grilled beef tenderloin since the Great Surf'n'Turf Episode of 2005 at the Bunkle Queen's cabin on Sechelt. You may say, "But other cuts have more flavour" and you may be right. I would simply direct your attention to the beef tenderloin I had last night at Cioppino's. I flew in the face of the rest of the table by having dead cow for my main despite the clarion call to pasta (got around that by ordering their house carbonara in appetizer size). Very glad I did. The delectable slab came medium rare leaning to rare as recommended by the chef per our lovely waiter. The knife melted into the meat but it still had a bit of attitude (actually, both the meat and the knife had attitude, now that I come to think of it. More on that later). The classic peppercorn sauce was just that, with a nice bite and just the right amount. Combined with the onion confit and veggie sides this was a dish of great happiness. I've heard people comment on the prices at both the Grill and the Enoteca and while they aren't exactly cheap and cheerful, I was content to pay $40 for my main. Especially since my father-in-law whipped out the Amex :wub: One tiny complaint: What's with serving steak in a bowl? Or anything you have to cut, for that matter? No matter how careful you are, your knife always seems to slide in and get covered with your dinner :hmmm: But all was forgiven in the face of the superb service and the always entertaining Chef Pino and his consigliere.

  6. My friend and I had lunch from the butcher shop in the lounge at So.Cial today. 

    What a fantastic place!

    I ordered the medium Roast Beef Sandwich that came with home made potato chips.  Best sandwich I have had in years.  In it were choices of additions like Roasted pepper slices, garlic aioli, then the regular sandwich stuff (lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle) all on some great bread.  I also had a fresh baked Chocolate Chip Cookie and a lemonada.  Great portions, very reasonable prices, fantastic service, delicious food, all in a great location. 

    My friend had the potato salad and pulled pork chili which when done, he loudly pronounced that this was his new favorite place. 

    Be sure to get there before noon as the place was packed almost immediately with the lunch crowd.

    We had a chance to talk to Maureen who gave us some background on the space and what they did to restore / renovate everything. 

    She and the staff were fantastic and we are looking forward to going back to try the food in the main restaurant and Oyster Bar.

    What he said! :biggrin: The Bunkle Queen and I headed down for our own version of the Tour de Gastown today, prompted by the continuing stream of great restos opening/flourishing in the area. Since it was a sunny day, we figured we'd walk around and check them all out for future reference (made it by Chill Winston, Jules and Salt, all of which looked visit-worthy). Lunch-wise, our phasers were locked on the Butcher Shop at So.Cial to try the much ballyhooed sarnies. They are indeed as advertised, with a super fresh and tasty selection of toppers to complement the meat. The only sad thing was that they have been so busy, according to the very friendly server, that they have been unable to keep house-made deli meats in stock and are using ham etc sourced elsewhere. As we were there to try the on-site stuff that did limit our choices. We went with the small roast beef (me) and the medium lamb galantine (BQ). Both were excellent and neither one of use broke $10, with the BQ taking half her sandwich home and each of us having a non-alcoholic beverage and the gratis potato chips. The lounge, restaurant and oyster bar all looked spiffy, and the bathroom is beautiful (an important point in my book). Now let's hope the leak in the butcher shop ceiling is fixable.

  7. Summer 2007 edition of City Food is out with capsule descriptions of 99 restaurants opened recently in Vancouver.  Available in print and on-line.

    I posted this Sept 2 on the Openings and Closings thread, not realizing there was a thread devoted to City Food already (my bad). I haven't been able to get a hard copy yet despite a couple of calls to the CF office to track it down and would like to as the electronic version of the issue is still a bit limited as of today:

    This sounds pretty useful if you like lists (and I do), posted today on the CityFood site:

    New release! The CityFood Magazine Directory of New Vancouver Restaurants for 2007.

    We started this directory as a resource for ourselves - to help us keep track of all the new restaurants that have recently opened in Vancouver, and to monitor which ones we needed to pay a visit to. Then we decided to share all this information with you.

    It may not look like it, but the project quickly turned into a daunting task, perhaps the most logistically difficult content we've ever attempted in the 15 years of our publication. At one point during the production process, it seemed like new restaurants were opening daily, and the statistical data about all of them was in a constant state of flux. (The city strike which forced many restaurants to delay their opening until fall, or else speed up their projected timelines, didn't help much either.) However, for what it's worth, this is the most complete picture we could assemble when the editorial was sealed a few weeks ago.

    It already needs a few updates, natch, and there are more changes in store that are approaching quickly. So instead of posting the free and downloadable digital version via our website right away, we are going to hold this back for a week or so and let the printed version circulate while we make any necessary adjustments. After that, there will be another way to keep your print copy timely, and we will let you know how that will work after the long weekend.

    In the meantime, we hope you find this print edition useful, and if you spot any inaccuracies you will let us know so that we can correct it on the website version.

    Wishing you a fantastic, and sunny!, Labour Day Weekend!

  8. I found this column: Two streets, two routes to development in yesterday's Globe and Mail a really interesting backgrounder on the Cambie street situation. 

    I guess it reflects my analytical nature, but I find this much more compelling and illuminating than 99% of the stuff that is being written about Cambie, the Canada Line and all the attendant problems.

    The major reason why Main Street from Broadway to 33rd Street is one of the funkiest, diverse and chain-store-free zones in the entire city is historical: retail frontage is widely held in small parcels by Chinese-Canadian merchants and their descendents. As an urbanist, I find it astonishing that there is not a single national chain drug or clothes store on this entire run. Doubtless, it will not be long before the big boys want to join the party.

    Cambie could hardly be more different. Long before a transit line was proposed there, much of its length from the bridge up to King Edward was assembled into larger, development-friendly packages by investors, especially entrepreneurs newly arrived from Hong Kong and Taipei. They expected higher rents than their colleagues on Main, who had bought land much earlier and much cheaper.

    Thanks for the link to the article, Barolo. Although interesting, it's made me fear even more for Cambie. I've been inspired by many posts here (especially Daddy-A's) to redouble efforts to support Cambie Street restos, including a recent Monday night visit to Arroy-D Thai where we were the ONLY table from 6:30 to 8ish :sad: Is there anything else we can do?

  9. I’m not sure I’m living in the same city as many of the responders! I’ve pretty much tried all the places mentioned and differ dramatically.

    First the constructive bit: All the liquor/wine stores are government owned (exception for some Ontario ‘winery’ stores). All products are on the LCBO website, so check there for products you might like. The Scrivener Square (Summerhill), just south of Summerhill subway stop, store is probably the easiest destination for Scotch. It’s theoretically an all-brand store, but because of that is a destination and is often sold out of product still available elsewhere. The LCBO website also links all products to locations (but assume that if it’s 3 bottles or less they’re all gone – inventory reconciliation only happens in Jan/Feb).

    If you’re from Vancouver, avoid all seafood – you’ll just be disappointed! OK I’ll except Chiado as they have fish you don’t have anywhere else, but it’s de-luxe dining. Expensive (and nowhere near downtown).

    JK Winebar gets raves – but why? Excellent wine list, yes – maybe the best in town. But the food aromas that waft from the open kitchen have destroyed several meals for me. I now only go for lunch, which is less crowded and less liable to interference from other peoples’ dishes.

    Perigee – 3 visits – two disastrous and one very good. All 3 visits people were served dishes containing ingredients that they were averse/allergic to! Because the kitchen serves your dishes as a mystery, how do you match wine? Their wine choices have ALWAYS been hit or miss – mostly miss! And the other couple who were there on the ‘successful’ night went back without us. They reported it as the worst meal/service for years and are never going back! (We tightly choreographed the successful meal, even rejecting some of the potential wine matches). It’s also the most expensive ‘set meal+ wine’ restaurant in Toronto.

    Thuet CAN be great – would like it if it was consistent. His bread is the best in Toronto.

    Canoe, Fifth, Bymark, Thuet, Truffles, Splendido, One, Lai Wah Heen are all ‘safe but relatively unexciting’ – corporate, hotel-style, suits! Priced to match. If you go to one of these, make it Splendido.

    Mothers Dumplings is OK, but has gone downhill (I think they’re now wholesaling to other restaurants). I prefer Traditional Chinese Buns (536 Dundas West) 3-5 minutes walk from Mother’s. Both are downstairs home-made owner run places. Because they serve 6 or 8 (or more) items to a serving, both are best enjoyed in a group – except both places are tiny!

    Via Allegro is in the suburbs! I don’t get it! Large portions of pretty good food (but not exceptional) served in a family roadhouse atmosphere (no tablecloths). Superb winelist – except prices to match – although if you’re a real Italian enthusiast, you might be able to pick off a bargain.

    Colborne Lane is indeed a little different (and not even a 10 minute walk). It’s the chef’s best effort to date, but is still trying to find its place. I think its worth the experiment – style is “small plates” so you can try different things. Hip crowd – wear black. I hear it’s undergoing ownership changes right now but don’t know the details. Lee (Susur Lee’s “small plates” operation) might also appeal – very noisy and crowded. A streetcar ride along King St from your hotel. A 10-15 minute walk to Kultura on King East. More “small plates” and a very good wine list by the glass (not as extensive as JKWB but pretty good). And if the weather’s fine, drop by Solferino (on Wellington East – you’ll walk right past it on your way to JKWB) for a gelato – one of the better places in Toronto.

    I’ll also add Globe Bistro for anyone seeking a more reasonably priced alternative. Very close to Broadview subway stop.

    Toronto’s strength is in its ‘ethnic’ cuisine (I know that sounds demeaning, but it’s not meant to be). Choose a cuisine and we’ll help you find the better/best. Nearly all the above are conventional business traveller places.

    Interesting feedback, Estufarian. As someone who hasn't lived in Toronto for more than ten years (have returned for visits, though), you are reinforcing a feeling I had that I thought might be outdated. I was always most impressed by the "world food" experiences I had in TO, and often this went hand-in-hand with excellent value. I still dream about the rice cakes in a tiny Northern Chinese resto upstairs near Dundas and Spadina, where you had to really work hard to break a twenty for 4 people.

    Toronto was also where I discovered Vietnamese food that wasn't high end/French influenced. If the Saigon Le Lai is still on Dundas (434 Dundas West (416) 592-9155 north side east of Spadina up a short flight of stairs) it's worth a stop for a giganto bowl of rice noodles topped with various items including but not limited to the oddly translated but tasty "pork skin meat" and more usual fare such as bbq beef, shrimp on sugar cane, spring rolls etc. The menu is so extensive they give you a sheet of paper to note your order down by number. The staff is great too; one time we ordered an item that precipitated a conclave of all the servers and the manager, who came over and warned us that "white people don't like that" with a gravitas that caused us to reconsider our selection. Unless things have changed drastically, you will roll away with change from a tenner -- unless you are tempted by the young coconut drink! SSL isn't going to win any awards for decor or chi chi ambiance but it's the kind of place that makes me happy and a return customer whether it's in Toronto or Vancouver.

  10. Sweet. That is very close to me. I'll give it a try next week and report back.

    Hey Waylman!

    Did you get a chance to swing by Zocalo yet? Need more data...

    (FWIW the Parental Units took a twenty-something acquaintance there midweek for a celebratory dinner at my suggestion. They didn't take detailed notes alas but liked the room and thought the food was adequate although Mum was not super impressed with her mole. She is a tougher crowd even than me though :rolleyes: The young friend loved it all, apparently.)

  11. I'm going to Toronto for a week for business/pleasure. I've been to TO one day before in my life and went to Susurs. Need recommendations in all price ranges, staying at the Royal York so downtown preferred but not necessary. Thanks!

    I guess I should put something on the Toronto discussion forum, but trust west coast palates more.  :wink:

    There's a nifty breakfast place on Queen Far West (nearish Roncesvalles) called Easy 1645 Queen Street West 416-537-4893. They have a great funky vibe with some Mexican influenced dishes on the menu but all the usual suspects as well. Go for the Huevos Divorciados if it's still on the menu: a couple of sunny eggs on a corn tortilla, salsa, guac, beans, home fries, and a salad.

    I used to live in TO and Easy was a real favourite with the locals (and still is, I am today assured by my pal T in TO). Nothing like it that I am aware of in Van but for a reference point would fit in with the feel of Main around Broadway, I think.

    Bonus: you can take the Red Rocket (the Queen streetcar) to get there for an added Toronto experience. Just be sure not to pronounce the second T in Toronto or people will know you're an outlander :biggrin:

  12. ...how did you know about the chickens? I brought my young daughter and we spent the morning counting and patting chickens! I unfortunately had to leave just as the crowds arrived to go to Metro and run the day.

    Great event and I respect all the time the big name chefs donated to the event. I was proud/honoured to be a part of it.

    Lucky guess :wink: Sorry to have missed you!

    BTW, the Significant Engineer wanted me to add props to the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co for their barbequed veggie pizza (biggest surprise of the day for me -- will have to seek out this product for home testing) and to Ethical Bean for their slightly spicy, orangey macchiato shots.

  13. The CC entry was new to me as I am not an adventurous eater. I am the type of person who orders the same thing off the menu every time and since I don't go to CC very often, this offering blew me away. I guess since it's free at F of F, I'll try pretty much anything whereas at a restaurant, I wouldn't want to try something new, not like it, but still have to pay for it.

    I never got to try the Gelato as we were saving it for last, but they were closing up when we got there.

    Excellent point re the opp to try something new to you -- perhaps this is one of the key objectives of FoF and a fine one too! BTW, I'm with you re ordering the same thing esp at certain restos. I stick to about three options at CC when I occasionally go there for work-related functions.

    PS I think the gelato guys seriously underestimated the demand for their product -- they were starting to run out at 2:45 when we nabbed our samples.

  14. Well, this was my third time at the Feast (first time without a hangover) and I was impressed.

    My two favourite stops were Rare and Cactus Club.

    I don't have my menu in front of me, so I can't describe tonight.

    Two little complaints, only because I'm a picky eater. Too many tomatoes and too much duck. I guess the restaurants don't consult with each other before hand.

    This was my second FoF (too lazy to slog out to the Valley after it left UBC Farm). I enjoyed it and the weather was brilliant (rained last time). Overall I was slightly less impressed with the offerings as I still dream about some of the snacks served up at the last one.

    Chambar and Rare were my top picks today -- Chambar offered a halibut and potato brandade on lemon pepper crostini, while Rare had a mini-taco with pork, tomatillo, onion, roasted corn and creme fraiche (?). Both were delightful but I would give a slight edge to the brandade as it was more appropriate for the venue -- the taco was very dribbly and hard to eat. Didn't stop me going back for seconds though.

    Agree on the proliferation of duck and tomatoes; I actually felt sorry for some people behind us who were allergic/didn't like the red fruit. Finished off with some killer gelato from Dolce Gelato -- goat's cheese and honey. Creamy rich and decadent in the September sun.

    Curious what grabbed you so much about the CC entry, lauramart. I think the inari pocket they served was on their menu back in 2005/6 so didn't seem very new to me.

    Side note: it was a buzz to shake hands with John Bishop, who is Vancouver resto-royalty to me, and it was fun to see the likes of Romy Prasad and Rob Feenie manning their booths, in Chef Feenie's case singlehandledly doling out bits of a salmon he apparently caught himself last week (!). Did not see Chef Fowke anywhere though --maybe he was checking out the chickens? :raz:

  15. Aurora brings back brunch and even adds lunch!

    http://www.aurorabistro.ca/index.htm

    I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself  :biggrin:

    ---

    Eggs

    Truffled Scrambled eggs with Canadian bacon, thyme and maple syrup on potato hash

    House made duck bacon with poached eggs, hollandaise, sweet corn relish on potato hash

    Smoked sablefish and potato hash with poached eggs, hollandaise and tomato preserve

    Dessert

    Fresh Little 5 Spice Donuts with warm Maple Syrup

    I've just (joyfully) updated my ongoing breakfast/brunch file -- those little doughnuts have been haunting my dreams, as I never had a chance to try them before Aurora discontinued their brunch. Thanks, Fud!

  16. Since I posted on Pho Thai Hoa already on this thread (thanks for the techno tips on linking threads, Pam R) we'll step into the Way Back Machine to start. Last Thursday hit Shiro on Cambie in Van based on numerous eGullet recommendations. Arrived early (6:30) to find one four-top open. Ordered and had the waitron come back twice to say items were unavailable :sad: Reordered and then had to move as a table for two opened up and there was now a lineup. Not a problem as the new table was better (in front of bar). Tempura was outstanding, light, crunchy and most importantly HOT -- and if you've never had it okra tempura is a very fine thing. Other items average (rolls, sashimi) with one disappointment (udon soup -- noodles way overcooked and unusually bland stock). Overall value for money was a bit wanting considering quality issues.

    On Saturday my BIL was in town and we were at SIL's place in Yaletown who is a vegetarian so we decided to try Nuba, again based on eGulleteer's reccos. Sadly it was closed for the holiday weekend so we wandered Shiru-Bay-ward. Good call. Since it was a warmish night we sat on the patio (soon enough 'twill be fall) and ordered a goodly number of dishes. This was fortunate because two never came. There were a few issues because of communication problems with the server but she was so delightful they did not leave a permanent mark. The dishes we got were udon with pine mushrooms (excellent), albacore and salmon tuna (both tasty), a yaki-soba dish with a Thai-type twist (cilantro etc also well yummy), asparagus gyoza (for the ladies per the menu but enjoyed by all) and tofu cheese which was more like dessert but disappeared at speed. I think Zakkushi on 4th is still my top contender for izakaya at the moment, being in my 'hood and all, but

    I would return and am happy to have finally tried this spot that has been on my resto list for yonks.

    Third spot was last night when the Significant Engineer and I both worked late and couldn't face cooking. SE suggested picking up a pizza and after a quick google to find Zaccary's phone number, I decided to go for Firewood Cafe instead. As one poster on another list noted, the owner at Z's can be a bit owly, and they aren't too good at judging pickup times, so we figured we'd check out Firewood. Was very pleased with the result -- pie was ready within the specified 15 minutes and was delish. The large seemed a bit smaller than other larges but was fine for the two of us with a piece left over for my lunch. Had the Chicago/Asiago on the two halves and the Asiago won by a nose. Some access and parking issues per the SE (Firewood is on the Cambie corridor) but he's sussed them for the next pickup, which will definitely happen. Later checked out comments on various eGullet pizza threads and noted the FWood has several fans here.

  17. There are certainly better bets for Vietnamese food.

    What about non-Pho? I agree that the pho in Vancouver is not so hot - but it was so nice to a good plate of fresh herbs with the nicely charred pork at Pho Thai Hoa. The lentil pancake was also nice - crispy and grease free.

    I have'nt had this kind of Vietnamese food in a long while - any specific pointers for something better (again - non Pho) would be nice to hear about.

    I may be going a bit off topic here but we just came back from Pho Thai Hoa, having decided to try it based on an admittedly old post from Canucklehead but also other reviews elsewhere. Granted we did not have pho (went for rice/bun dishes instead) but had heard pretty good things about the non-pho so figured it was worth the chance. Things started out a bit rocky with serious lack of English on waitron's part but she was pleasant and item numbers were in place and seeminlgy understood so no harm no foul so far. Took a too-longish time to get the Significant Engineer's main of rice, lemongrass chicken and shredded pork. Strike one. Notice I said main (he got that before the salad roll). Strike two. My main and the salad roll arrived significantly post SE's main. Strike three. SE's main did not actually contain shredded pork, and the chicken was just okay. Strike four. My main was pork brochette and spring roll on vermicelli. Pork was fatty, stringy and dry all at once, and was all in one giant lump. Big strike five. The final coup de grace: the noodles were so greasy from something they were verging on inedible. Too many strikes. On the bright side, the salad roll was really tasty and fresh, and my lemonade was good. Total bill $23 and change, which seemed high for the lack of quality... the search continues for a good all round Vietnamese resto to replace our beloved but unpronounceable old fave at Fraser and Kingsway (still there but has changed hands). Feeling like we should give Pho Thai Hoa another chance to be fair but life is short and Vietnamese venues are many...

  18. I've never been to the Rosemead in Victoria, can anyone tell me about it? I've heard that there have been some changes made in ownership recently. Is it still a good restaurant? Is it worth it to go? I can't find any reviews.

    Thanks,

    Shaggy

    I'm too techno-spastic (and in my defense, too new) to have learned how to link you to a thread but I believe

    Vancouver Island Restaurants, The Topic

    has some good input on the Rosemead from Shelora and others. You could also try Googling the eGullet site from within it, which is how I find things. Rosemead is definitely on my list for next Victoria visit based on various eGullet recommendations.

  19. a reputable vietnamese friend advised me to go to "Pho Thai" (no Hoa), and said that it was near the intersection where Kingsway met Main and Broadway and across the street from Kingsgate Mall.  i was unable to find it via google, but does he mean Pho Thai Hoa:blink:

    It is Pho Thai (no Hoa) and it is just past the intersection on the north side. The entrance is a bit weird -- you think the door is one place and that the resto is closed, then you go a bit further east and that's the real doorway. We went in late spring on our on-going quest to replace the late lamented Pho Thang Long formerly on Main where Zipang Sushi now lives. (Moment of silence). Anyway, we had heard Pho Thai had good pho also. It has average pho, based on one visit. I would likely not seek it out again because of the volume of diners and the somewhat off-handed service in a typically bleak venue. This was not helped by our table being right by the door. May the Phorce be with you (sorry, couldn't resist, and as noted upthread this really bad pun also relies on a deliberate mispronunciation).

  20. This sounds pretty useful if you like lists (and I do), posted today on the CityFood site:

    New release! The CityFood Magazine Directory of New Vancouver Restaurants for 2007.

    We started this directory as a resource for ourselves - to help us keep track of all the new restaurants that have recently opened in Vancouver, and to monitor which ones we needed to pay a visit to. Then we decided to share all this information with you.

    It may not look like it, but the project quickly turned into a daunting task, perhaps the most logistically difficult content we've ever attempted in the 15 years of our publication. At one point during the production process, it seemed like new restaurants were opening daily, and the statistical data about all of them was in a constant state of flux. (The city strike which forced many restaurants to delay their opening until fall, or else speed up their projected timelines, didn't help much either.) However, for what it's worth, this is the most complete picture we could assemble when the editorial was sealed a few weeks ago.

    It already needs a few updates, natch, and there are more changes in store that are approaching quickly. So instead of posting the free and downloadable digital version via our website right away, we are going to hold this back for a week or so and let the printed version circulate while we make any necessary adjustments. After that, there will be another way to keep your print copy timely, and we will let you know how that will work after the long weekend.

    In the meantime, we hope you find this print edition useful, and if you spot any inaccuracies you will let us know so that we can correct it on the website version.

    Wishing you a fantastic, and sunny!, Labour Day Weekend!

  21. Thanks to you all for your help ..we had a fantastic time! went here so thanks Sam Salmon! http://www.soulecreeklodge.com

    lodging was perfect (we stayed in a yurt)  ..great views..lots of wildlife ...food was really good!!! .. and the folks that run the lodge have a great eye for detail and comfort ..so the time just drifted past us......it was a wonderful and very badly needed break!

    btw..

    the weather was a bit chilly to go naked on a beach even for a couple of sturdy old hippies!!!  ..maybe next time when it is warmer we can head that way!

    so much to see in life and so few vacation days! I vote for more recreation less work myself!!!

    thanks so much to all of you again!

    I recently compiled a list of restos in QB, Parksville, Comox Valley with reviewy bits culled from eGullet, VanMag, EAT etc (for personal use, no copyright infringement intended). All chosen strictly because they appealed to me specifically so if your favourite is missing... If anyone's interested in a copy, PM me. The last mini review is from my mother-in-law, quite a foodie, of a new French place in Shawnigan Lake with CIA trained chef (who knew).

  22. Mrs. Lombardo must be doing something right as not only has she maintained the origianal location all of these years, but has opened a second one as well.

    Did a quick Google but couldn't find reference to new Lombardo's -- where it be?

    It's at Burrard and Smithe (right by the Scotiabank Theatre)

    Grazie!

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