Coop

Alembic is indeed a term used for a type of distilation. Very popular in making brandy. Starbucks (*$'s) was pimping some vacum brew machines around christmas of last year, they were around $200.00. They looked really cheaply made though.

I'm out not available in British Columbia.

So Sean was gastropimp? Did not know. I had two great meals at Fiction this summer. Have to try thier winter fare.

ssherwood? Sean is that you? Nice to see you posting and not lurking. When it comes to offals I know where to draw the line. I love tongue, kidneys, liver, tripe, and sweetbreads. Not a fan of tendon or week (the congealed blood you can have in the pho at you know where). Will not be trying brains, heart or bung. Just some guidelines I like to follow. Just want to set a few things straight, during the 70's I did frequent the Fresgo Inn, even during it's days as about a 4 table joint. During those days Walter and Peter actually cooked the food (that's them in that sketch at the start of the line up). Despite how many cocktails (glasses of draft) I consumed I never, ever was there or anywhere else dressed as a ballerina. During a spell in the 80's I did wear tights well riding my bike but only during cold weather. Unlike Baryshnikof I never embelished my tights with any sort of sockwear. Just thought I should straighten that out.

I like Ed Macmahon prefer to stay home on "Amatuer Night". It's better to party the rest of the year and avoid Mother's Day, Father's Day and Valentine's night.

The Lumiere Light cookbook has a very user friendly recipe for Cassoulet. I doesn't include the confit, which you can buy at Oyama if you are not up to rendering duck fat.

Chester I agree with you about Baja Fresh, they are pretty good, you loose me though on the Outback. I think what we lack in Vancouver is Trattoria and Bistro style places. I hope that's what Chamber becomes but they seem to be going a little up market of that.

I really did enjoy his rant about Merlot. I geuss he would avoid wines like Masseto, Montiano or my personal best ever Merlot Spring Valley Uriah 2000.

There is a great bit about white beaujolais in the Wine Snob's handbook. The author argues with his wine neophyte friend that there is no such thing, thing is the friend is holding one in his hand while they argue. Much like the argument I had with a friend about the screwtop closure on Kim Crawford SB. Thing was I had just opened the bottle. I am no friggin genius but.......

BTW I know a lot of you think privatization would bring us more Marquis' and Kitsilano wine cellars but in my opinion it would just bring us more Haney Hotel Liqour Stores. Lot's of Molson's and Labbat's, a bit of Yellow Tail and no Hecula, or Campaccio. Saving money to me is secondary to selection. I can't see the Alberta model improving that. Also keep in mind that all those employee's some of you loath would get huge settlement packages that we would be paying for.

For all you Francophiles who lined up for 2001 Bordeauxs. Get in line now for your DRC. Good news too the Romanee Conti is only $2,000.00 a bottle!

Not to nit pick, they did pick the 2002 Inama as a best buy earlier this year.

It's interesting that the two varieties that he hates the most individually make up most of the blend at Cheval Blanc. does this have deep meaning? I doubt it.

I'm drinking the Inama 2002 and have been all year. The 2000 #89?

I'm a pretty big fan of the 39th and Cambie store. I don't usually look to the staff for advice but when I do I find them very helpful. That being said it certainly doesn't compare to the private stores like the Marquis, Kit's and Dundarave (same owner) or even some of the Liberty locations. I will shop at the LDB in most cases for everything I can because it saves me money. If I am looking for something unique or off the beaten track I will go to one of the private stores. Good examples for me are Micante from Maremma, Fontodi Chianti Classico, Santa Julia Tardio and the La Saretta di Belguardo which are not available at the LDB. If you look around we have as good an opportunity for selection as they do in a comporable US city like Seattle. Wine crazy cities like San Francisco blow us out of the water though. As for Alberta the kitchen faucet could run Petrus 82 and I wouldn't live there. As for the pricing policy, I agree it is frustrating to see others around the world paying less. that being said the mark up and taxes from liquor and smokes pays for a lot of what we have here in B.C. Is this right or wrong? I can live with it. Some can't.

Speaking of samosas. The place to get really good ones, fresh is from the ladies at your local Sikh Temple. I know the one in Mission sells them 4 for a dollar. They are very nice, fresh, and well seasoned. You usually need a connection though. I recently lost mine when my co worker left our company for greener pastures. Perhaps he left because we were always bugging him to get us more samosas.

Can we have a little more info?

Keith since when have you been interested in "cool"? I was at Cioffi's this morning around 11:00 and it was packed. One could barely move. I've got to find somewhere new. I really like Motiv on Granville. They have pretty good deals. Also just up the block from Kim Phung on the corner of 43rd and Victoria is a great market. They have a great selection of mystery greens. They also have Asian long beans and some decent bbq pork. Don't expect any help though unless you are multi lingual.

Went to Big Al's once after seeing him on TV. Left with no love for the place. Everything was dull and poorly seasoned. The sauce in my son's Big Alfredo was split and the service sucked. The place will not be missed by us.

We ended up having both good pizza and a very nice bottle. I agree Marcello makes good pie but the service and the wine list generally suck. In a moment of brilliance I thought of, oh I'm so emberassed, Earl's on Broadway. Near the theatre, great prices for good wine on the reserve list, (Perrin Chateauneuf du Pape, $43.00) and pretty decent wood burning oven cooked pizza. We were early enough to miss the yuppy family crowd. The place was basically empty until we left. BTW we saw Sideways. Very nice bit of film making. The scene where Miles get's chased by the tow truck driver must be seen. Pretty hilarious. The movie is a nice blend of humour and melancoly. I don't want to say much more or this post will seem off topic.

Any ideas? Icendio is in the building. Anyone eaten there? Anything in Kits or on the Westside?

Have to agree about Kerri.

I would normally say Artiggiano but the one in Park Royal has been terrible both times I have been there. The espresso was overextracted and bitter both times. Good luck with your utopia Keith. Perhaps you should step up and build such a place. I would come by, once.

Did I hear this correctly 70lbs for a fish dish? In Wales?

If Fiction is open for lunch it would be a very good choice. The owner Sean is a great host and the kitchen does some of the best food in town. I also love Rangoli and had good meals at Feenie's and one mediocre one. Where is Picnic?