giblert

I bought a copy at my local Costco for $40 CDN. I have made a couple of recipes from the book and both turned out well. I previously lived in Italy for a year and was pleased to see that some the recipes that I had learned there, were provided in this book. So far, so good!

Thanks Coop. Now I'm starting to wonder if I should buy the magic Chef's Choice machine that people are speaking of. I think I have the phone # of Darrel but I believe he said he couldn't help me and was going to pass my name and number to an associate who would be able to serve my neighbourhood. Never heard back after that but I've bugged Darrel 3x so figured I've definitely given it a good shot. But thank you! Marie

I've tried a few times (via email and phone calls) to get ahold of Knifex but am not having much luck. The best I've got is a "somebody will call you". Does anybody know the secret of getting them to return your call and book an apointment for an in-home visit?

I'm not in the industry but ... My only waitressing experience was at a little inn/restaurant in Bella Coola. The owners kept some pigs which were fed the restaurant scraps. The pigs were all named after the waitresses.

I'm with you on this! I love this place. I usually order my spice level as "mild". On one visit, the owner (?) came over to tell me that I should upgrade to "hot" as it is better for my sex life! He even produced a faded photocopy of a newspaper article to back up his claim. It was a hoot.

Yum! We stopped by Bombay Bhel last night on the way home from work. It's a lovely room - not what I was expecting based on other Indian restaurants. Nicely roomy with an attractive tile floor. The two of us started with the Cold Appetizer Sampler which includes 4 dishes: Bhel Poori (far and away the best thing we had all night), Sev Poori, Dahi Poori and Papri Chaat. This seemed to us to be a good deal at $10.95. We ordered this at "mild" and it had the perfect hint of spice for my bland taste buds. For my main, I ordered the Fish Tikka. It was fabulous - the fish was really moist and not dry like other times I've tried this dish. The garlic Naan was also good - tasty and not slathered in butter like I've previously experienced. My boyfriend had the Lamb Vindaloo and was pleased to report the heat level of "hot" was accurate. Normally he is underwhelmed by the spice levels and judging by the sniffles, he liked this one. Basmati was light and fluffy, and nicely dry (I seem to always make it too wet at home). We had enough left over from our mains to be heating things up for lunch today. I'm looking forward to it already. The only mis-step was one of the co-owners was seated at a central table doing paperwork and using his laptop. As the room started to fill up, this seemed a little odd and didn't really do much for the ambiance. Overall, this is a great find and I'm glad it's out in my neck of the woods. I'm really looking forward to a return visit.

I *love* Noodle Box and really wish we had one here in Vancouver.

Le Crocodile! Very polished server a few years ago. Attentive without being overbearing, knowledgeable about the dishes, and he expressed sincere interest in our group. We left telling ourselves that the very expensive meal was worth every penny.

My mother picks and sells pine mushrooms on the central coast. If anybody is interested in buying directly from her, please PM me privately. Marie

You're right, by a long shot the best $4.99 steak anywhere. OK, Ellis Island is a bit of a dump and they always make you wait 20 minutes to get a seat (in the hope you'll gamble), but I've had much worse steaks for $20. As for getting the steak for $4.99, just ask it wasn't a problem.

Thank you to all for this thread. We spent a few days in New Orleans and printed out this thread as an eating guideline. We hit Cafe du Monde (twice, I'm so in love with this place), Mother's (twice, just don't get food like that in Vancouver) and Johnny's Po Boys. All lived up to their reputations. We tried a few other places but several were open for lunch only.

Thank you all! We too will be down from Canada and spending a few days in NO prior to a cruise and were wondering about cheap eats. Great thread.

I suspect this post will never die as everybody seems to love this restaurant. Based on eGullet reviews, we went to LOS last year and loved it. We were hooked. We just got back from Vegas last week and again made a trip to LOS. I agree with the poster who pointed out that the food soon consumes you and you don't worry about the decor. We spent quite a bit of time talking with our waiter and getting recommendations. I think we made a good impression as we got some lovely wine at the end of our meals, on the house. Sweet guy - you wouldn't know he likes his food at 15+ by the looks of him. We were there on a Tuesday night and the place was quite empty. We asked our waiter and he said the locals don't really appreciate it. He said their typical customer is from New York. Being from Vancouver, BC, Canada, I encouraged him to dump Vegas and move the whole operation to Vancouver. They'd have line-ups out the door every night!

Oh no, I have nothing to do with Ouest/West. The press release came across my desk so I figured it was public domain and OK for distribution. Is there an eGullet policy of only posting press releases if you're the official publicist? I don't want to step on toes here ...

-----Original Message----- From: Annabel (Top Table) [mailto:annabel@toptable.ca] Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2003 6:08 PM To: Undisclosed List Subject: From Ouest to West FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, January 9th 2003 TRUE TO OUR REGION, TRUE TO THE SEASONS THE EVOLUTION OF OUEST Vancouver, BC - On Thursday January 9th, Ouest Restaurant & Bar will re-open it's doors for dinner, after a ten day closure emerging with a new look and a new name, or at least a new version of the old name: Ouest becomes West. But why...? Surely the slew of accolades and favourable publicity garnered since the restaurant's launch two years ago provide affirmation of its success and are enough to satisfy expectations. And 2002 was a great year; April saw the team collect no less than five accolades at the Vancouver magazine awards and a steady stream of international media attention followed. Commendations appeared in Eat magazine, the Washington Times, Bon Appetit, Food Arts and the London Independent. In December, John Mariani's highly influential Virtual Gourmet newsletter sited the restaurant as providing him with one of his best meals of 2002. The only Canadian restaurant to be included in his global round up was praised in the company of calibre establishments such as The Square, London, The Water Grill, LA and Daniel, New York. Food & Wine magazine, followed up with an excellent report in their January 2003 issue that proclaimed 'Local boy David Hawksworth is Vancouver's best European trained chef and arguably it's best chef period'. Despite critical acclaim, restaurateur Jack Evrensel has never been one to rest on his laurels. His determination to see the restaurant evolve and reach its full potential, coupled with the ambition to create a true legacy for Vancouver has led to Ouest's reincarnation as West. 'We want to represent our city,' he says 'a city that is becoming recognised for its world class restaurants, for its own cuisine and unique identity'. The title page of West's new menu states 'True to our Region, True to the Seasons' reflecting the mission to search regionally for the finest yield of land and sea, to cook seasonally and accentuate natural flavours. The new menu has evolved to encompass a wider range dishes designed to cater to individual appetites and preferences, available throughout the room rendering separate bar and dinner menus unnecessary. It manages to conjure simultaneous appeal, whether your desire is simply to sample a quick round of succulent oysters in the dining room, to perch at the bar over a bottle of red and a Coq au Vin, or to languish leisurely over multi course tasting menus. The core of West's new menu is still the appetizer and entr/e selections; Appetizers show the ever-popular Parfait of Foie Gras & Chicken Livers is a stayer, sitting with new comers such as 'Roasted Scallops with Crisp House Made Bacon & Tomato Jam'. Main plates roam across the region starring 'Ucluelet Rock Sole, Lightly Poached with Side Stripe Prawns & Butternut Squash Gnocchi' and 'Rosemary Scented Slow Cooked Alberta Lamb Shank, Szechauan Pepper Crusted Pumpkin'. A range of Small Plates (from $8) have been introduced available individually as snacks, 'tapas style' in succession, or as intermediate courses. West's Tasting Menus are for those who want to sit back and surrender their experience to the deft hands of the house. A ten-course and two five-course tasting menus are available, your choice to have with or without wine pairings. Established Pastry Chef Rhonda Viani, prepares West's desserts, chocolates, petits fours and breads. Viani joined West late last year from Vancouver Island's Sooke Harbour House. Her impressive resume carries outstanding credentials including two years prior as pastry chef of Lumiere, Vancouver, before a six month stint at Marque Restaurant, Sydney, Australia. At West diners are invited to melt into her lascivious creations such as 'Tangerine White Chocolate Charlotte with Tangerine Sorbet, Cardamon Sauce' or 'Roasted Pineapple with Layered Crepes and Buttermilk Star Anise'. The new look West denotes an up-beat atmosphere; bursts of energy and splashes of vibrant colour have entered the room, complementing the existing sleek, modern lines. Large bevelled mirrors capture the ambiance and with the bar divide gone, reflect action and merriment back into the room. A Werner Forster original sculpture is suspended from the ceiling; a study of light and motion. The plush Cassina leather chairs and bar stools are still the softest and most comfortable in town. Tim Pittman, Restaurant Director conducts proceedings to match the tempo. His exuberance and enthusiasm fill the room as he leads a friendly and efficient service brigade with practised expertise. Pittman, maitre'd at the restaurant since its inception, is thrilled to have stepped into his new role and is excited about the evolution of West. 'We're giving more to our guests than ever before, you can eat or drink what you want, where you want, when you want.' he says, adding 'Good food and service don't need to be tied up in pomp and ceremony - fine dining can be fun and available to everybody.' Inspired, contemporary regional cuisine. True to our region, True to the seasons. West is located at 2881 Granville Street at 13th. Open from Wednesday - Sunday from 11.30am until late and on Monday and Tuesday from 5.30pm. For reservations telephone 604 738 8938 or visit westrestaurant.ca West Restaurant

Thank you so much for the excellent diary Rochelle. It's been great to read along and I look forward to each entry. Your commitment to this is amazing! Best wish for the holidays as well as your externship, and I look forward to reading your postings again in the New Year.

Next time I head to Las Vegas I'd really like to hit a good steak house. What's the best? I've seen recommendations of Circus Circus and Binions, along with a couple of others, but what's everyone else's opinions?

Oooh! I hadn't heard about this yet. What a great (and lengthly) list of participating restaurants. Thanks Scout!