Chef Fowke

Look for Rare one in the next few days online with Opentable.com. We are going to offer exclusive rights to reservations for opening day to Opentable.com users...we beleive in the service that much!!

I would love to see Joe Fortes launch a West Coast Seafood Guide/Cookbook! When I was there we had HUGE buying power and we purchased over 120 different types of fish and 45 types of oysters! What a great resource of seafood knowledge for the general (and industry) knowledge!!

It seems not even close. You can keep track of their lively progress here. ← Where is it?

was that $104.63 for two steaks? Drool...wow! Nice plates!

If you take care of the outside of the meat, the inside will take care of itself... 1. only cook meats that are at room temperature 2. season right before cooking with FINE salt (sea or otherwise) to allow blood to be evenly pulled to the surface for proper caramelizing 3. do not overload a pan (leave lots of space between items to avoid steaming) 4. use more oil then you think 5. add butter to oil when sautéing 6. even on the stove top; baste, baste, baste! 7. always remove meats one degree below desired degree and let sit These 7 steps were DRILLED into me as a young chef and they still make any meat taste better!

Yes Neil (inserting Shill), why not ask Keith about the new Kolachy Cards that are going to be released in 2006! A cash card AND a rewards program... Sometimes squeaky is good...

Sidenote: Starbucks used to sell Vacuum pot coffee makers ~ very cool ~ but hard to maintain and constantly breaking. Best cup of coffee, ever...even when using over roasted, burnt beans.

Speak of the devil... 50 copies just walked in the front door of the Kolachy Shop. Anyone want me to hold them a copy? I will be in the shop Saturday morning do the weekend baking. Brian

This was a great read! We need to take this post and others from the past and set up a 'best of Vancouver's Past Posts'. Great read. PS. PM me, my butcher on the NS supplies whole animals with enough notice (will smoked it as well).

Thanks for the shill! But more importantly, thanks for helping with the website...it looks (and works) great, and the price was right (nil)! I will be posting during the construction phase as much for myself as others, to keep a journal of my first opening. Comments, etc will be welcomed and answered. Any ideas or suggestions would be great. As well, feel free to come down for a personal tour of the reno. Brian

I had dinner there last week...I was taken by how much it looked like Joe Fortes if it was built today; big stairs with washrooms upstairs, roof garden patio, wine wall, semi-open kitchen at the back, multi-use on multi-levels, etc. I think they hit on some key elements.

Keith's already made a Nutella kolachy. However, with the price of Nutella being what it is, it wasn't exactly cost-effective and didn't make it as a regular offering. ← Bring in the Nutella (or any other flavour) and I will personally roll a few Kolachys for you. Keith (PM) and I (AM) will both be in the store on Dec 26th, 27th and new years day.

We're consideringn Bacchus for Christmas dinner, but it's $120/person, without booze , gratuity and taxes. Is that par for the course at a hotel on Christmas day? ← I'm also looking for a restaurant for Christmas dinner, so I'd be interested in what everybody finds. I'm considering Fleuri at Sutton Place which has a 5 course meal for $74/person. Here's a link where you can see the menu. http://www.vancouver.suttonplace.com/Holiday_Festivities.htm ← I had Christmas Dinner at the Sutton Place two years ago...FANTASTIC!

I like the British Butcher on the North Shore. He stocks Irish Ham...great cure! A quick 4 hour simmer and 2 hour roast makes the best ham I have ever had.

I was sneaking around in Keith's office today and I found the recipe for 'Anello's Frittata Omelette' ~ a traditional italian breakfast made with fresh roasted peppers, tomatoes, parmesan cheese and calabrese soprasata...(next week's breakfast freature) What is a soprasata and where do you get it in Vancouver?

I am sure revenue Canada will send you a thank you note...I saw them audit the Windosr Arms, in 1988 using your method.

LOL! A lot more to this story to unfold...LOL! ...preface: congrats to Robert.

WTF does that mean ? How do you know what her "abilities" are and whether or not she was trained way past them. ← ...does WTF mean what I think it does? Interesting way to respond. I guess I could have worded that better...Her verbal knowledge far surpassed her physical interaction at the table. She seemed slightly awkward; maybe new is a better description. The service was some of the best I have had in the city, even with the minor flaws. It seemed apparent that the management of Nu has gone to great lengths, time and money to make sure they have a well educated staff. It reminded me of the 'old school restaurants' with captains, servers, busser, wine stewarts, etc (not that it was staunch or robotic). Service was not left up to the personality and whims of the servers, rather the methodical attention to systems, education and management interaction.

Sorry I have been dorment and have only been out for one dining experience in the last few months (except for at the Hammy last Friday ~ thanks Neal!) Do I have to turn in my eGullet decoder ring? Anyhow, it was good to final eat at Nu tonight, after all the hype I have been reading the last week. I had a friend come into town, who thinks (and he may…) he knows everything there is to know about food and wanted to try the ‘quintessential Vancouver restaurant’ (…this will be a great new thread because I still do not have an answer). Even though he is not a chef he has trained in Paris at Cordon Bleu and travelled the globe enjoying the finest cuisine the world has to offer. I join him, periodically at his ‘Sunday Supper Club’ that consists of a minimum of 8 hours of preparation, 10 minutes of eating and 3 hours of critiquing… After a few days of pondering what/who is the ‘quintessential Vancouver restaurant’ I had to trust the guys who brought us C and Raincity. To start, service was flawless even with a few errors in description and content. It was obvious that a lot of effort had gone into the training of the servers. Our server had been trained way past her abilities and she offered an air of enthusiasm and excitement for both the cuisine and service standards. When errors were made they were quickly, quietly and efficiently repaired and rectified. The chairs allowed for a sitting time less then we wanted. Appetizers: On the servers explanation of the small plates for sharing and her bold recommendations we started with the Scallop Ceviche, lime, scallions $4.90 ( Thinly sliced scallops marinated lightly with lime, I think I tasted a drop of olive oil ~ texture was buttery, rich and very fresh with a clean ocean finish ), Fried Olives, chilli, mint, orange zest $5.90 (This was my favourite for originality. The olives had a light ‘tempura’ like batter barely coating them. This impressed with the faint afterburn of chili ), Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Wings, espelette chilli gastrique $9.60 (This had to be time consuming to make. Easy to eat, tasty… ), Fresh Goat’s Cheese Agnolotti, arugula, oven dried tomatoes $9.40 (The tomatoes were the dish! The agnolotti was the vehicle. The tomatoes were incredibly sweet with a sticky candy like texture, firm to the bite with a tart after taste.) and Crimini Mushroom and Brie Pithiviers, asparagus $9.40 (This was the only dish I though was out of season, with that said it was the tastiest asparagus I have eaten this year. The mushroom puree on the plate was earthy with a velvet texture deserving a spoon). Entrees: Our table found the ordering of the entrees anticlimactic. The sharing and the small plates ended with the principal plates. We wanted more sharing, but with help from our server we ordered mains: Crispy Braised Pork Belly, pears, walnuts, cider vinegar $19.00 (Pears had a nice crunch, walnuts toasted and blended with a reduced veal jus sweetened with {guessing} Madeira. The bottom side of the pork belly was crisp like crackling and the highlight of the dish; amazing!), Grilled Bayonne Ham & Gruyere Sandwich, brioche, caramelized onion broth $14.90 (Picture a grilled cheese sandwich made with the best ham in the world! The Gruyere had a great stinky aroma on first sniff that vanished with the first bite. Brioche was in house cooked and BUTTERY. Enjoyed the taste of the onion broth, was pleased when the server brought a spoon so I could use it as a soup rather then a dip), Beef Short Rib Dip, horseradish, cream, toasted baguette $15.40 (Perfectly cooked short ribs in a 10/10 baguette.) and Gnocchi, spring onions, sweet peppers, olives, parmesan $17.90 (Perfectly cooked tiny gnocchi served simply with sliced peppers/olives/parmesan; proved ~ less is more). A sense of humour in the Ham and Gruyere sandwich and the Beef Short Rib Dip was appreciated and enjoyed; the quality of the meat was stand-alone-brilliant. The application inside such a base sandwich was great. We had one on-the-side-to-share; Gaufrette Potatoes, sumac $3.40 ~ great little potato chips for adults to share. I cannot see the need for this category if people share the appetizers, though the North American palate craves starch more then I do. Plates looked HOT! Unfortunately the plates were difficult to lean the cutlery up against. We had cutlery flying across the table every time we tried to share an item. Small detail, especially when the plates are a 10/10 in presentation. I wonder how the servers clear the tables without dropping everything… Dessert: Dessert set in stone the quality this restaurant is offering. Back to small, shared plates. Each cheese and dessert came out on its own individual plate with its own condiment and bread/biscuit. Easy to share and enjoy. Comox Camembert, Courtney $4.90 (well aged, firm crust with a mellow center), Poplar Grove Blue, Naramata $4.90 (Surprised at how light this cheese was. No bite, very clean ‘brie’ flavour), Hillary’s Belle Ann Goat, Cowichan $5.90 (10/10 goat with no age and melt in the mouth mild goat butter flavour), Chateau de Bourgogne, France $5.90 (buttery and gooey, nice), Lemon Tart $3.90 ( Chef Marc Thuet used to always scream: ‘every great restaurant has a lemon tart’. Sweetness that ended with a sharp, tart finish. Crust was flakey with baked butter finish on the bottom) and Tart Tatin $3.90 (Classic, not sweet with savory undertones of nutmeg (?)). Wine: Wish I could say more about the wine list and the wine we had. I do not have the depth of knowledge to comment. The list seemed well rounded with a strong focus on BC. We ended up sharing a bottle of the Sandhill Viognet (spelling?). I have never tasted the after taste it threw, almost fruit but leaning more towards a minerally earth tone. I hope this is available in the LDB because it was easy to drink and blended well with our entire dinner, including the cheese. To forget Leonard would be a gross injustice! He ran the room. I saw him tend the door, reservation book and the food pass; all along training and guaranteeing the standards. I met him outside, as he was running back to C; he made me laugh! ~ he showed me his new Rockports he bought so he could run faster! I believe this meal was pricey; I was treated so I did not feel it was my place to ask the price. As well, the service and food overwhelmed me. I did not take a good look at the room or the view (probably the best compliment I could give to such a ‘view restaurant’). I do remember seeing the wine bar spin around as the bartender was filling an order, very cool. I need to go back ASAP and experience the entire room. Again, the food and the service exceeded all my expectations, even with the high standards C and Raincity have set in Vancouver. I have probably missed something, I forgot to take notes.

two words: Joe Louie! I bring a case down to my friends in LA once a year... Not illegal, just unavailable....like coffee crisp and smarties (I think)

I always think if it as fresh baked chemicals with a hint of decomposition...reminds me that the morgue at Shaughnessy was WAY too close to the cafteria. Creeps me out. ← Aw man...one of the guys I'm dating eats Subway twice a day. A footlong meatball sub for lunch and a footlong tuna sub for dinner. Should I stop seeing him? ← My GOD! I am a chef... When do you have time to date, you eat and enjoy more then I do. Good on you... Lets talk Mar's Bar Kolachy; it will make your current obsession...by order only, 24 hours notice. …maybe a ginger bread and caramel sauce Kolachy; I think I may have a recipe somewhere.

You've managed to abstain from abstaining 6 times already, Chef! Seriously, as long as you're not shilling, what's the problem? Post on.... ← you mean like describing this weeks feature (starting on Thursday)... Fresh Wild BC Sockeye Salmon in a porcini mushroom, shallot and vermouth cream with organic (hand-picked) prairie rice and Hoisin BT shrimps in a miso, lemongras, thai chili, etc broth... Note: order the large, you get two shrimps!!! I would hate to forget the Western Omelette Kolachy being released this weekend ...or The invite only (eGullet) 'stuff your own kolachy' for charity coming in August. 30 guests on a sunday drinking only the finest of BC wines and competing for the honours of the Kolachy of the week.... I am onsite Tuesday and Saturdays...anyone wanting to talk Kolachys, food or eGullet can meet me after 7:00pm at Dix! Brian

So now I've become your quality control expert? I didn't notice any okra. Just finished the Brie & Pancetta for breakfast. Awesome! Perfect with a latte. The Peppercorn Steak was excellent too. Not as good as the Steak & Guiness, but worthy of the Kolachy Shop's newest shop-keep. By the way Brian, you should be wearing an apron when you work the counter. And for God's sake, shave! A. ← Check... Apron Shave New Chef inspired fillings Ready for the Kolachy!

...with the volume, Joe Fortes is THE PLACE for fresh fish. It is amazing the amount of product they put through in a day. And Seasonal equals profits when you have the buying power of Joes.

Arnie, I just found a bag of Okra in the cooler...did today's gumbo have Okra in it? Brian