mkjr

Thanks. Sorry, I should have been more clear. I buy pretty much all my wine in Vancouver from Marquis in Vancouver. I think I only said BCLDB since I know what Marquis gets. This is very good to know also. I know they just got a whack load of Albert Mann wines and they may get some of the traditional blends they make so that I can compare with the Joie. (Note: Never seen Boxler in Ontario or Quebec and did not get to Niedermorschwihr when I was in Alsace - and to think I was soo close when in Colmar).

Hugel Gentil, CSPC#367284 $16.95, not the exact same cuvee but similar style and philosophy. ← Thanks. I shall pick up a bottle and try it next time I am back in Vancouver to compare. The LCBO had the Hugel (a little cheaper at $14.95) but the 2003 seems to be out of stock right now.

Just wondering if you could point me to an Alsace producer that you can purchase at the BCLDB that makes a wine that is of the similar blended style of the Joie Noble Blend so that I can compare the two as a few seem to really like this wine? I am not aware of any Alsace producers that come through the LCBO here making such a blend of Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Kerner, Muscat, Pinot Auxerrois and Ehernfelser as most Alsace producers I am aware of tend to stick with single varieties. The only wine that I can think of that is blended and that I can get is the "Zind" named wine from Domaine Zind-Humbrecht which currently is 50% Auxerrois and 15% Pinot Blanc with the remainder being Chardonnay - reasons for the name are due to the fact that it contains Chardonnay which is a no no in Alsace unless it is bubbly (so technically I recall it is table wine with no classification - can not recall the specific legal details from my visit at the winery a few years back). I do not think drinking the Joie against the "Zind" would be fair. Advice that you can provide is much appreciated as it appears that you have tried one such wine to make the comparison of the Joie to a similar one in Alsace only lower in price? I could be wrong though.

There are a few threads that you should look at for peoples views as to places that might work. I will defer to my previous comments in these threads.

Given the most recent edition of Wine Spectator (and in the past) and its reviews of Canadian wines (mostly of ice wines) I think this will be a tough battle to overcome. I can not really offer much since I have less than 6 bottles from Ontario in my entire collection (perhaps only about 10 from BC). No need to get into the reasons for this suffice to say there are a few. I do have several bottles of 13th Street bubbly that is very nice.

I would second Calories in Saskatoon. I also liked Carver's Steakhouse. Years back Jerry's Food Emporium was an interesting greasy spoon http://www.jerrys.ca/ but appears to have gone healthy with "low carb" items - say it is not so? Not much between Edmonton and Toon'town if you go that route. Probably more along the "3" but have not driven that route since I was a kid.

It looks like the Wine Spectator reviewed the 2003 Osoyoos Larose - I have one bottle on the advice of another. The 86 points appears to be a very respectable score. I was stunned to see the production on this wine at close to 10,000 cases since I always had the impression it was a small production wine, although after coming back from my vacation down in the south I did see the wine at a retail store in St. Augustine FL which I now can understand. Would be curious as to others views on where the Osoyoos Larose would fit in with other 2003 BC reds?

There are a few best threads for Toronto that you can paruse - just search Splendido.

Went based on Holly's advice and I can not stop thinking about this place. Amazing is all I can say. This was the first meal on our road trip down from Toronto to FL and wholly crap was it good. Not easy to find but well worth getting lost to find!

I think that we were on the same wave length - you can only have one top cookie per week as my wife says. I did check out Sweatman's (after reading Holly Eats review) and damn was that the best BBQ I have had ever. For tonight, I was looking for something high-end but local and thought that CG was it. I was in Charleston last year for only one day and then later figured out I messed up a great dining destination by staying only one day. Note, after just getting back from CG and really looking at the three menus I was happy with the choice we made but would go to the others on another trip just to compare (since there is no doubt I will be back to Charleston - like I said I can eat for weeks here with the many choices). The food was stellar at CG and the service was great - the two waiters were fantastic! Poogan's last night was also very very good and I am so happy that we went - and the she crab soup and shrimp n' grits that I had (based on others advice) now makes me drool right now even thinking about how I will never get this back home in Toronto. A partner at my firm back in Toronto also had very positive things to say about Poogan's. Funny thing is that last year my wife and I parked in the parkade across the street and just walked by....as they say in pretty woman..."BIG mistake...HUGE". We ended up going to Basil for lunch today and I was very impressed with the quality of the Thai food. What I really liked was the portion size - not too big and just perfect. I would give very high marks to this food and although we came to get local food this was awsome. I was very sad to see that So Cal Burrito had closed but such is life and the only reason why we ended up here last year was going to for Fort Moultrie. It was nice to take the new bridge though. We had thought about getting take out for our last bottle of Turley at our hotel room from the P Grill but the staff at CG brought an extra desert for us that just filled us up for our special dinner. I think the kicker for me to go to CG was the bottle of the 1997 Domaine Raveneau Butteaux PC on the list for only a $100 bucks. I just do not see much of this producer in Canada let alone at this price to pass up any chance to drink the best Chablis producer in France (I suspect few would disagree), In any event, Charleston is very impressive for dining and I will be sad to leave tomorrow morning.

Just returned from Charleston. Am short on time now and can't write much. Was not at all impressed with McCrady's....maybe expectations were too high? Not worth the money, IMO. Haven't been to Charleston Grill in several years so can't judge fairly. My best dinner during our long weekend was at Hominy Grill. ← Thanks. Going with Charleston Grill and leaving now (final decision made in part after I looked at the wine list last night and saw a few gems that I have been dying to try at prices well below current auction prices ). Will report back with my thoughts. Thanks again to all.

Many thanks for your input. Already went to Poogan's last night which was fantastic. We went to Sweatman's last Saturday so we do not really need a BBQ fix. Will go to Hominy Grill this morning. I have looked at your posts but can not seem to see any alternate suggestions. Let me know if you have some but we would like a fairly high end place as this will be a spcial event PG seems to have marginal reviews lately. ← Circa 1886, Magnolia's and Peninsula Grillwould be higher end places to check out. The shellfish over grits dish at Magnolia's is excellent. My trip to Circa was on Valentine's Day and was a special menu, so I can't recommend anything there. Their vegetairan southern sampling looks good. The Shrimp, chicken and pork dishes at Peninsula Grill sound solid...and of course, the coconut cake. ← Thanks. Just wondering if you have been to all three of Peninsula Grill, McCrady's and Charleston Grill? Also, I heard of people going to the Peninsula Grill for just the cake after dinner. Is this common? Might consider the same. Thanks again for all the suggestions. I could spend a week in Charleston and never go to the same place twice.

Many thanks for your input. Already went to Poogan's last night which was fantastic. We went to Sweatman's last Saturday so we do not really need a BBQ fix. Will go to Hominy Grill this morning. I have looked at your posts but can not seem to see any alternate suggestions. Let me know if you have some but we would like a fairly high end place as this will be a spcial event PG seems to have marginal reviews lately.

Looking to take a poll as I can only choose one for dinner tomorrow night - and both sound fantastic. Many thanks in advance for the time. Regards, Mark

V&A's was outstanding last night! It may take me a few days or so to put together the items that my wife and I had - in the middle of our vacation with limited internet access. My wife and I had different items for each course, with the exception that we both had the cheese course, and so we tried close to 14 dishes. Israel Perez did an outstanding job putting together the wine pairings (I confess that I have known Israel for many years when he worked at Citricos prior to moving to Artist Point and have always been impressed with his knowledge of wine). The wine pairings for at $55 bucks is a steal (better not say that too loud or it might go up in price) and really so is the $100 menu price (sans supplements - note I went with the Kobe beef supplement ($25) and wife with the foie gras supplment ($15 - very easy to take on this extra cost at this price) that would make most drool just talking about each item). Hard to go wrong at V&A's. Service was some of the best I have ever had. Trying to think of a place in Miami, Tampa or Charleston to try out before we go home to compare. With respect to Babbo, I think that the Beef Cheek Ravioli is one of my top five dishes ever.....just thinking about it makes me hungry.

Top quality hands down. I have been there twice (last time was this time last year) and will be there for a third tonight - 6:30 reservations and just getting ready now. I love V&A's and and think that the price is a deal for what you get. The Kona Chocolate souffle is to die for. Will go for the wine pairing tonight. I will report back on my views in the next few days (for a reference, I have been to many top places in a few different U.S. cities (Per Se, Babbo, The French Laundy, Gary Danko and pretty much most of the top places in Toronto and Vancouver).

Wife and I are just up off the I-95 outside of Savannah. We are going to venture into the city tomorrow morning. Would like a nice local place for lunch. Seafood of course would be a delight. We were at Sweatmans in SC for lunch today (needed only some fruit for dinner) on the advice of another. Top quality and unlike anything I have ever had. Still thinking about the ribs.

at that price I would not likely remember being there.

Not sure if Vancouver has adopted something similar but the Pass system here in Toronto helps patrons know the status of inspections. I see a "yellow" and keep on walking.

I am with great interest. Your question in the Toronto forum really struck a cord with me since it was the first time I ever really thought about "authentic" Canadian cuisine (it even seems odd saying "authentic" because so many people here are turning our own locally sourced and unique ingredients into delights that one would associate with other nations, certainly not Canada). I know of only one restaurant in Toronto (not aware of any in Vancouver) that is trying to capture what this unique identity is. Perhaps this is due to the diversity of our residents that bring with them their own national identities although I would have thought that after a few hundred years there would have been more than a few unique dishes? In any event, my wife is asking me to go and finish the nachos...... thanks for the thread Mr. Talbot. Regards, Mark

Of course you're correct and I do have some sense of BC fare (although it's probably more similar to Oregon/Washington product/cooking than elsewhere) or what I'd have in the Maritimes. So I'll ask for region-specific dishes - Toronto, Ontario, that's it. Thanks ← The peameal bacon sandwich it is......seriously though, a variety of different species of fresh fish found in the great lakes surrounding Ontario (including yes, Lake Ontario – BTW avoid the Zebra mussels) and local Ontario game, including white tail deer and various local game birds and waterfowl (never seen Black Bear show up on a menu yet although I am aware the hunting for the same is plentiful), depending on the season and the location, show up on menus around the city on a periodic basis. I would say though, closer to September and October is when I see these show up. Just curiuos, what would you say is a uniquely Paris, France dish (and not something that one would just identify as French generally)?

I guess we disagree then.

I know what I am having for lunch......

Pretty sure there is no cal's already....well maybe some energy is required to break down the AcOH. I would think that, although technically a desert, a Nanaimo bar is typically Canadian. Not sure but I always thought French onion soup, despite its name, was typically Quebecois and who could forget Poutine. I think that since Canada is one of the most vast countries in the world, different regions have different unique items. For example, from Cape Breton scones, PEI mussels, creamed potato balls and baked stuffed Lobster in the Maritimes to Saskatoon Berry Pie and roasted elk in the Prairies to Fanny Bay Oysters and the magnificent chinook (spring or king) salmon that run the mighty Fraser River on the West, the items vary dramatically. Keep in mind Vancouver is as far away from Toronto as Porto is to Berlin (perhaps further) and so to answer your question is as difficult as asking a group of Europeans as to what is "European" food. I am sure that a person from France would have a diametrically opposed answer to someone in Germany or Sweden and even within each country you will have different answers and Canada is no different since within the Maritime provinces you will get further delineation. I would say there is much uniquely Canadian cuisine out there all across the country. I mean I never had a peameal bacon sandwich until I moved to Toronto and cannot recall ever seeing one in Vancouver. Its funny that your examples for the United States are region specific. Perhaps you should also limit your question regionally here also and that might help you get the answer you seek.

I think the Rimrock is OK but a little outside the main village though http://www.rimrockwhistler.com/contact/contactus.html. I have always thought they had a pretty solid BC list.