Sam Salmon

Although I'm no oenophile I do enjoy a decent bottle from time to time and the few Ontario wines I've tried were underwhelming. Maybe I'm missing the good stuff and my sampling hasn't been extensive. Icewines abound but that's another story.

2 quick comments. Funniest thread I've ever read on this Forum! I must live a very sheltered life

Pane From Heaven on Cypress north of 1st Ave is open until 1900 hrs at least. Fabulous desserts.

One of the few redeeming ideas from 'Hippie Cookery' of the 70's is adding Honey to Guacamole- in this case a teaspoon of it would have worked wonders. So you were close with the sugar but the overpowering bland sweetness undid your fix up.

Dos anyone remember the name of that Mayan dish -hard boiled eggs and a sauce made with pepitas? A little bland but very rich and not to be missed-if you can find it.

Delicous meal last night @ Baru. We went early as suggested-a great idea-Thanks! Both food and service were outstanding and I'm a bit chagrinned to say that with the exception of a few breakfasts better than any I had all the time I was in Colombia. If you haven't been yet Baru is definitely worth a visit. Of particular note is the 'Honduran' Ceviche-Albacore in a simple Coconut milk dressing over a bed of Arugula-ambrosial.

Throw a PARTY!!!!!!!!!! Honest to god does anyone care about that ancient bastion of mediocrity? As to The Only haven't been there for 20 years at least-not since someone asked me to pick up his teeth because he had coughed and spat them out on the floor "they're right under you chair" I remember him mumbling.(I am not making this up!!) Think of restaurant history as a karmic wheel-all that is here today is illusion and will soon fade to be replaced by another illusion. Driving along a city street it's easy to believe in reincarnation when one contemplates the buildings that once held someone's dreams now flogging used bicycles and garden tools-all illusion.

Ah Yes Colombia is a 'good shirt' kind of a country-they do like to dress up. Therein lies part of the problem. As someone once said of me I slouch through a door looking something like a down-on-his-luck Russian Mafia Hitman in a dodgy mood-heavy Slavic features, rumpled garb and all that. I must say I've received some excellent service from some very nervous waitstaff in the past-why change?

Yes those stores were ahead of their time. The brands as mentioned were strong and the quality was first rate. Imported goods too-I remember buying something called Fish Curry Sauce in a can, trying it and being amazed at the complexity of flavour. I knew the end of the road was coming though when one day I made the mistake of asking some man standing behind a service counter for a telephone book-he looked at me like I'd spit @ him.Some female employee scuttled over and offered to get me one. Of course the old codger was some sort of Supervisor and resented being treated like an employee/having to deal with living customers. That sort of attitude became all too common, they were spending more money on security people to hide behind store shelves with Walkie Talkies trying to catch shoplifters than they were on floor staff. Thus died the dream...

Has anyone visited Baru on Alma lately? Impressions generally? Is it a Bar or a Restaurant? I walked by a while back and it looked like a Bar-one with excruciatingly uncomfortable seats. You know the kind that pass for cool in glossy mags but are in fact meant for Martini sipping bone racks to pose on. I ask because a friend of mine wants to take me to dinner there for a Xmas present and she thinks it'll be 'fun' because I spent most of this last February travelling in Colombia Colombia has some excellent food/drink/unique surroundings to partake in but I wonder how well it translates in the Rain Forest.

Maybe it's the cold weather that causes a craving for French Fries-I dunno. Is there somewhere West of Main that serves a decent fry w/choice of interesting dips? With holiday traffic being what it is (saw 2 people blow red lights before 10:00 hrs today ) I'm reluctant to haul over to Commie Drive to the 'Belgian' place. Downtown?W End? TIA

I second the recommendation for Joe Fortes Lots of choice well run and close to your hotel. That being said Cin Cin is also an excellent operation. There's no shortage of quality in that 'hood-you'll be right.

The restaurant @ the foot of the stairs leading up to Brisas Del Mar Hotel on La Madera is consistently good-often excellent. However I haven't been to Zihua for a while-tired of catching Sailfish-so have no current info. A beach side table @ sunset in that restaurant-as the fiery sun turns to copper and drops over the hills and velvet darkness spills up from the water to cloak the bay-is one of the most romantic spots in all of Zihua. Who needs food?

For a non-traditional Chai try using Maple Syrup as a sweetener-not a lot. The mid-weight syrup adds a dimension of smoothness and a fullness to any Masala/Tea combo-exquisite!

Where I live we're lucky to have access to Hot Sauce from around the world. #1-Bello from Dominica-as perfect a product as was ever produced-leaves anything else in the dust with it's smoothness and quality of it's bite. Not overwhelming just very well balanced. #2-Any Bajan Mustard Sauce-Barbados is alone in producing this sauce-if you haven't tried it you are missing something unique and spicy.(Some Tobagans do a Mustard Sauce but it's a pale imitation) #3-Matouks either the regular or Calypso a sip of this tastes to me like Trinidad-a complex and throbbing amalgam of human endeavour and spirit-a place I love dearly. #4-Any Thai Red Sweet Chile Sauce-some might cry 'pedestrian' but it's so soothing and also utilitarian. #5-Nando's Wild Herb Peri Peri Sauce-a perennial favourite in the Salmon household Nando's is something altogether different from the thin acidic Mexican style sauces so beloved of other posters here. There are other memorable sauces-Melinda's and one rare and wonderful Yucatecan that surpasses anything ever produced in the entire Mexican republic- also many 'boutique' West Indian products that pop up after someone's vacation, are downed quickly never to be seen again. Further to ordering favourites off the net I must say that I'm disappointed with the many retailers of Hot Sauces that I see. It seems that many of them use the same ordering template from the same wholesaler and offer the same products over&over&over-not at all enticing personally.

Glad to hear that Tio Pepe's is still running-last I was there the female half of the ownership team had serious health issues and the outlook was grim. As to the hard working folks @ Que Pasa #1-Mexicans don't eat 'tortilla chips'-they were invented in California and only in tourist dives like Cancun, PV or CSL will you find them on a menu. #2-I know the Deli food that Que Pasa makes-you couldn't give that food away in Mexico-not without 'pistola al mano'!

Since it's a gift I'd say go for a Wusthoff Grand Prix 12 cm now-you will sooner or later anyway. I've never used a Kershaw that was worth the money m'self.

The above mentioned Mouse & Bean is indeed made by Mexicans and is a decent approximation of what passes for Mexican food north of the Rio Grande. However as someone who's been travelling to Mexico for over 2 decades and has lived and worked in different parts of that vast and complex land I have to say the long answer is no.

I've had Pizza @ Incendio-Veggie was so/so, 5 cheese much better neither exceptional. The oven isn't wood burning just a gas fired brick setup so no distinct flavour. I haven't been back for 2 years so I guess it didn't make much of an impression. No wine just beer-of-the-day. I do know the place has had trouble with the Liquor Board over just serving drinks no food in the past but no details. The food service setup is poorly designed and cramped it's just a bar really.

Hello everyone-this is my first post on this particular Forum but I do lurk here on occasion. Anyway in the freezer rests a vacuum packed filet of Steelhead destined for Curry-Madras style most likely. Steelhead is the anadromous (sea going) form of the Rainbow Trout and has a strong somewhat gamey flavour not my favourite but the filet was a gift. The fish will be shared among 4 people all fish lovers and I'm stuck for an idea of what else to add to the Curry because it's little 'slim'. The ubiquitous potatoes keep reappearing in recipes all across the net but I wonder if someone here might have a different idea. Basmati rice and a salad of ingredients yet to be determined complete the meal but if you have ideas for a different configuration for the feast Please do post. Here in Vancouver I can source almost anything in different ethnic markets. TIA

West Restaurant is open for Lunch weekdays. IMO it's a much more suitable locale for a celebration than the other place mentioned. The smell of stale cigars that permeates Le Smoking Dawg (a place I know well as it's just down the street) has put off a lot of diners over the years-this one included.

Latest from Transilvania Peasant Breads. Price has gone up-so has the size of the loaf! A woman who appears to be 'The Wife' is working the front counter and looking angry so who knows how long it'll all last. Also-Sandwiches on sale-looking absolutely delicious!

Pane from Heaven 1670 Cypress 604.736.5555

Panne From Heaven has a wonderful Peasant Bread-chewy and alive. Patisserie Le Beau - I know someone who applied for a job there, was offered the job but didn't take it because as she said "those people don't know what they are doing"!I agree with her 100%. An interesting entrant to the Bread Game is Saffron 2800 Block W4th in the old Mad About Food location. I had a great Baguette from there the other day and some of their offering looked unique-if you know of someone who needs a Baker's job they are 'Now Hiring'.

Terra Breads is a second home to me. IMO the Multigrain is the one of their blandest offerings-totally undistinguished. The Olive Oil rolls are a outstanding for soft bread lovers and while I do on occasion like crusty breads of late they have gone to a generally darker crust which isn't at all to my liking.